Monitoring aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation by functional marker genes

The development of biological treatment technologies for contaminated environments requires tools for obtaining direct information about the biodegradation of specific contaminants. The potential of functional gene array analysis to monitor changes in the amount of functional marker genes as indicators of contaminant biodegradation was investigated. A prototype functional gene array was developed for targeting key functions in the biodegradation of naphthalene, toluene and xylenes. Internal standard probe based normalization was introduced to facilitate comparison across multiple samples. Coupled with one-colour hybridization, the signal normalization improved the consistency among replicate hybridizations resulting in better discrimination for the differences in the amount of target DNA. During the naphthalene biodegradation in a PAH-contaminated soil slurry microcosm, the normalized hybridization signals in naphthalene catabolic gene probes were in good agreement with the amount of naphthalene-degradation genes and the production of 14CO2. Gene arrays provide efficient means for monitoring of contaminant biodegradation in the environment.     

毒理学领域的新思维：功能基因组学在毒理学中的应用

功能医学要求应用国际上最先进的检查技术定量检查反应器官功能的各种分子,从而评估器官功能。将功能医学应用到毒理学研究中,必将更早发现环境中有害因素对人体的早期损害,因此它能够将毒理学研究推向一个新高度。     

Submerged vegetation removal promotes shift of dominant phytoplankton functional groups in a eutrophic lake

Historical data indicate that the dominance of submerged plants in Dianchi Lake in the 1960 s was characterized by low algal density with dominance of non-toxic group J（Scenedesmus,Pediastrum,etc.）. The removal of submerged plants,which began in the 1970 s,resulted in the expansion of bloom-forming Microcystis（group M）. Laboratory experiments suggested that Microcystis aeruginosa was inclined to grow and develop at elevated temperatures. The growth of Scenedesmus obliquus was slower than that of co-cultivated M. aeruginosa in the absence of Ceratophyllum demersum,especially at higher temperatures. The existence of submerged plant C. demersum could inhibit the growth of the harmful algae M. aeruginosa and this inhibitory effect by C. demersum was enhanced with an increase in temperature. Instead,with C. demersum,the growth of S. obliquus was not inhibited,but the co-cultivated M. aeruginosa was eliminated in a short time. Combined with the historical data and laboratory experiments,it was indicated that the submerged plants might play important roles in the dominance of the non-toxic group J in the historical succession. Consequently,the introduction of the submerged plant such as C. demersum might alter the dominant phytoplankton functional groups from M to J and benefit the restoration of the eutrophic lake.     

三峡库区干支流落干期消落带土壤可转化态氮含量及分布特征

为探明三峡支流水体富营养化频发与库岸消落带土壤氮素"源-库"关系转化之间的内在关系,采用分级浸提法,分析了三峡库区长江万州段干流、苎溪河支流、密溪河支流消落带落干期土壤可转化态氮含量和分布特征.结果表明,与三峡库区万州段干流相比,支流消落带落干期土壤有机质和总氮含量较高,而阳离子交换量(CEC)和p H值较低.三峡干支流消落带土壤可转化态氮(TF-N)以OSF-N(有机态和硫化物结合态)为主,且含量上OSF-NIMOF-N(铁锰氧化物结合态氮)IEF-N(离子交换态氮)CF-N(碳酸盐结合态氮);而空间分布上,TF-N表现为:密溪河苎溪河长江干流,4种TF-N形态中IEF-N和OSF-N在干支流间无显著差异,而CF-N和IMOF-N分布与TF-N相反,是造成干支流消落带TF-N差异的主要因素.     

非农就业与土地流转对农户耕地撂荒行为的影响——以闽赣湘山区为例

耕地撂荒是世界各国长期普遍存在的一种土地利用变化现象。基于闽赣湘山区640户农户调查数据,运用Tobit和IV-Tobit模型回归分析得出：农户家庭非农就业每提升10%,耕地撂荒占比会增加1.11%;小规模农户土地转入会提升其耕地撂荒规模,此时扩大经营规模对耕地撂荒的减缓作用甚微,而土地转出会降低非农就业对耕地撂荒的正向影响。此外,农户的劳动力、土地与农业机械等要素投入,以及灌溉条件和地块数等均稳健影响其耕地撂荒行为。农业机械化和土地流转是缓解山区耕地撂荒的重要举措,政府在推动经营规模扩大的同时,应着重提高地块规模,鼓励留村务农劳动力换工,并提升农机社会化服务水平,以及拓宽农户家庭多元化的收入机会。     

National parks: north of the border

This paper traces the history of attempts to introduce National Parks into Scotland. In so doing it identifies some of the alternatives that have been considered and adopted. Finally, the paper analyses the failure of the movement to introduce National Parks into Scotland.     

国际海事组织的秘书处

介绍国际海事组织秘书处的组成，它的成员的来源，员工的规章制度和海洋环保司的日常工作。     

沈阳市环境空气质量功能区划分意义及其分类达标分析

环境空气质量功能区的划分对沈阳市的大气污染物总量控制、沈阳市结构性污染调整及制定环境管理政策和法规都具有重要的指导意义．沈阳市环境空气质量按功能区达标有一定难度，具体来讲，二类区达标难度最大，一类区相对容易，三类区是工业区，基本上就地改造即可达标．     

Metagenomic insights into responses of microbial population and key functional genes to fulvic acid during partial nitritation

The long-term impact of fulvic acid (FA) on partial nitritation (PN) system was initially examined in this study. The obtained results revealed that the FA lower than 50 mg/L had negligible effect on the nitrite accumulation rate (NAR nearly 100%) and ammonium removal rate (ARR 56.85%), while FA over 50 mg/L decreased ARR from 56.85% to 0.7%. Sludge characteristics analysis found that appropriate FA (<50 mg/L) exposure promoted the settling performance and granulation of PN sludge by removing Bacteroidetes and accumulating Chloroflexi. The analysis of metagenomics suggested that the presence of limited FA (0-50 mg/L) stimulated the generation of NADH, which favors the denitrification and nitrite reduction. The negative impact of FA on the PN system could be divided into two stages. Initially, limited FA (50-120 mg/L) was decomposed by Anaerolineae to stimulate the growth and propagation of heterotrophic bacteria (Thauera). Increasing heterotrophs competed with AOB (Nitrosomonas) for dissolved oxygen, causing AOB to be eliminated and ARR to declined. Subsequently, when FA dosage was over 120 mg/L, Anaerolineae were inhibited and heterotrophic bacteria reduced, resulting in the abundance of AOB recovered. Nevertheless, the ammonium transformation pathway was suppressed because genes amoABC and hao were obviously reduced, leading to the deterioration of reactor performance. Overall, these results provide theoretical guidance for the practical application of PN for the treatment of FA-containing sewage.     

RAPD markers suggest genotypic effects on forager specialization in a eusocial wasp

Genetic variability within insect societies may provide a mechanism for increasing behavioral diversity among workers, thereby augmenting colony efficiency or flexibility. In order to assess the possibility that division of labor has a genetic component in the eusocial wasp Polybia aequatorialis, I asked whether the genotypes of workers within colonies correlated with behavioral specialization. Workers specialized by foraging for one of the four materials (wood pulp, insect prey, nectar, or water) gathered by their colonies. I collected foragers on 2 days from each of three colonies and identified the material the foragers were carrying when collected. I produced random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) markers from the genomic DNA of these foragers and estimated genotypic similarity of foragers based on sharing of variable RAPD marker bands. Contingency tests on 20 variable loci per colony showed statistically significant (P <0.05) biases in RAPD marker frequencies among forager types in the three colonies. Patterns of association of RAPD marker bands with specializations were constant in two colonies, but changed between collection days in one colony. RAPD marker biases suggest that division of labor among workers includes a genetic component in P. aequatorialis. Colony-level selection on variation in division of labor is a possible factor favoring the evolutionary maintenance of high genotypic variability (low relatedness) in epiponine wasp colonies and in other eusocial insects. Received: 18 July 1995/Accepted after revision: 1 October 1995