Trisomy 2 due to a 3:1 segregation in an abortion studied by QF-PCR and CGH

Balanced reciprocal translocation is one of the known causes of recurrent spontaneous abortions. Cytogenetic studies of unbalanced miscarriages are difficult due to the growth failure of early loss and usually macerated abortions. We present a molecular study of an abortion in which the father carries a balanced reciprocal translocation t(2;17)(q32.1;q24.3) using QF-PCR and CGH techniques. DNA analysis showed the presence of a trisomy 2 due to a 3:1 interchange segregation. Recombinant events could also be investigated by comparing DNA samples from the family. We propose QF-PCR in addition to CGH as an efficient diagnostic method to improve our knowledge of unbalanced offspring in balanced translocation carriers. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Effect of land management on soil microbial N supply to crop N uptake in a dry tropical cropland in Tanzania

In Sub-Saharan Africa, conservation of available soil N during early crop growth, when N loss by leaching generally occurs, is important to improve crop productivity. In a dry tropical cropland in Tanzania, we assessed the potential role of soil microbes as a temporal N sink-source to conserve the available soil N until later crop growth, which generally requires substantial crop N uptake. We evaluated the effect of land management [i.e., no input, plant residue application before planting (P plot) with or without fertilizer application, fertilizer application alone, and non-cultivated plots] on the relationship between soil N pool [microbial biomass N (MBN) and inorganic N] and crop N uptake throughout the ∼120-d crop growth period in two consecutive years. In the P plot, MBN clearly increased (∼14.6-29.6 kg N ha⁻¹) early in the crop growth period in both years because of immobilization of potentially leachable N, and it conserved a larger soil N pool (∼10.5-21.2 kg N ha⁻¹) than in the control plot. Especially in one year in which N leaching was critical, increased MBN maintained a larger soil N pool in the P plot throughout the experimental period, and a delay of increased MB C:N ratio and a substantial decrease in MBN was observed, indicating better soil microbial N supply for crop N uptake during later crop growth. Therefore, plant residue application before planting should enhance the role of soil microbes as a temporal N sink-source, leading to the conservation of potentially leachable N until later phase of crop growth, especially in years in which N leaching is relatively severe. Although further studies are necessary, our results suggest that plant residue application before planting is a promising option to achieve better N synchronization.     

改进测定水中氨氮分子吸收光谱法的试验研究

水中氨氮含量是反应水质状况的重要指标。文章对测定水中氨氮气相分子吸收光谱法(标准号HJ/T195-2005)进行了改进试验研究。第一,对氧化剂的配比进行了改进,使氨氮的测定范围扩展至100μg。第二,对标准HJ/T195-2005中直接使用亚硝酸钠标准溶液做标准曲线的处理方式也做了探讨。通过一系列对比实验认为,应用硫酸铵标准溶液做工作曲线更加准确合理。最后应用改进后的气相分子吸收光谱法和纳氏比色法或滴定法对多种实际废水样品进行同时测定。结果表明,改进后的气相分子吸收光谱法测定氨氮的范围更宽,灵敏度更高和准确度更好。     

亚硝酸盐型甲烷厌氧氧化微生物特性研究进展

亚硝酸盐型甲烷厌氧氧化(nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation,N-DAMO)是新近发现的生物反应,是偶联碳氮循环的关键环节,是环境领域和微生物领域的重大发现.N-DAMO的发现对于完善碳氮生物地球化学循环、丰富微生物学内容和研发新型生物脱氮除碳工艺均具有巨大的推动作用.催化N-DAMO反应的微生物为Candidatus Methylomirabilis oxyfera(M.oxyfera),其隶属于一新发现的细菌门——NC10门.近年来,M.oxyfera的生物学研究取得了许多突破性进展,如初步探明了其个体形态特征、细胞化学组分特征、富集培养特征、生理生化特征及生态学特征,最突出的例子包括发现了M.oxyfera独特的细胞(星状)形态及特殊的脂肪酸(10Me C16∶1Δ7)组分等.最近,N-DAMO的机制研究方面也有了突破性进展:发现了地球上第4种生物产氧途径.目前认为,M.oxyfera具有内产氧功能,其首先将NO-2还原为NO,然后将2分子NO进行歧化反应生成N2和O2,最后利用生成的O2对甲烷进行氧化.本文系统地介绍了M.oxyfera各方面的微生物特性.     

基于三维荧光及平行因子分析的川西高原河流水体CDOM特征

川西高原草甸和高寒湿地是青藏高原重要土壤碳库之一,高原河流水体溶解性有机碳特征及其与土壤碳库关系研究,对于理解高寒区域土壤碳输出通量及强度具有重要意义.本文对川西高原高山峡谷区河流(岷江上游、杂谷脑河、抚边河)和高原夷平面河流(白河)水体有色溶解性有机质(CDOM)采用三维荧光及平行因子法(EEM-PARAFAC)进行了分析.结果表明:(1)高原河流中CDOM主要有3种组分,即C_1(260/480,UVC类腐殖质)、C_2[310/420(570),UVA类腐殖质]和C_3(280/370,类色氨酸);(2)河流沿程变化特征显示,高山峡谷区河流总荧光强度值较低,变化范围窄,高原夷平面河流(白河)与其相反;同时白河类腐殖质(C_1、C_2)荧光强度远高于其他3条河流,表明白河中源于沿岸草甸和湿地的陆源腐殖质高,而其余高山峡谷区3条河流陆源腐殖质输入相对低;(3)水体荧光特征参数(荧光指数FI、自生源指数BIX、腐殖化系数HIXb、新鲜度指数β:α)表明,高山峡谷区河流CDOM来源具有外源兼内源双重特征,腐殖化程度低;高原夷平面河流CDOM腐殖化程度相对较高且降解程度低;(4)相关性分析发现4条河流中C_1、C_2极显著正相关,且白河C_1、C_2、C_3呈极显著正相关;所有河流β:α与BIX呈极显著正相关,溶解性有机碳(DOC)与355 nm处吸收系数[a(355)]相关性不显著.     

浅海平台油气火灾事故模拟评估应用

全球海洋油气开发重特大火灾事故频发,油气生产安全面临严峻挑战,以我国浅海某中心平台组为研究对象,对可能发生的三相分离器喷射火火灾、管线交叉处喷射火火灾、生产平台池火火灾以及储罐平台池火火灾,采用FDS软件建立该平台组的火灾动力学模型,对油气泄漏后火灾的发展态势、火场温度、热辐射强度、设备温度以及不同火灾工况的对比分析,研究火灾发生后对人员伤害,以及平台上油气管线、分离器、油气储罐、平台栈桥等重要设备安全性的影响,并提出操作人员和重要设备的安全距离。针对火灾事故风险控制提出建议措施,对海上火灾风险分析未来研究方向进行阐述。     

Estimating Sustainable Bycatch Rates for California Sea Lion Populations in the Gulf of California

Abstract:  Commercial and subsistence fisheries pressure is increasing in the Gulf of California, Mexico. One consequence often associated with high levels of fishing pressure is an increase in bycatch of marine mammals and birds. Fisheries bycatch has contributed to declines in several pinniped species and may be affecting the California sea lion ( Zalophus californianus ) population in the Gulf of California. We used data on fisheries and sea lion entanglement in gill nets to estimate current fishing pressure and fishing rates under which viable sea lion populations could be sustained at 11 breeding sites in the Gulf of California. We used 3 models to estimate sustainable bycatch rates: a simple population-growth model, a demographic model, and an estimate of the potential biological removal. All models were based on life history and census data collected for sea lions in the Gulf of California. We estimated the current level of fishing pressure and the acceptable level of fishing required to maintain viable sea lion populations as the number of fishing days (1 fisher/boat setting and retrieving 1 day's worth of nets) per year. Estimates of current fishing pressure ranged from 101 (0–405) fishing days around the Los Machos breeding site to 1887 (842–3140) around the Los Islotes rookery. To maintain viable sea lion populations at each site, the current level of fishing permissible could be augmented at some sites and should be reduced at other sites. For example, the area around San Esteban could support up to 1428 (935–2337) additional fishing days, whereas fishing around Lobos should be reduced by at least 165 days (107–268). Our results provide conservation practitioners with site-specific guidelines for maintaining sustainable sea lion populations and provide a method to estimate fishing pressure and sustainable bycatch rates that could be used for other marine mammals and birds .     

辅助矿山救护队的建设工作应该加强

在现代煤矿里，灾害和事故仍然是不可避免的。采取减小组织内成员的自由度来强化专业救灾机构的整体功能固然重要，但非专业化的辅助矿山救护队的建设工作更应加强。因为他们亲临现场，熟悉灾情，又处于救灾的黄金时间里。因此，对是否酿成灾害和灾害中损失的控制问题，辅助矿山救护队有更多的优势。     

Prenatal diagnosis of NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase deficiency

NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I of the mitochondrial respiratory chain) deficiency is a severe disorder with an often early fatal outcome. Prenatal diagnosis for complex I defects currently relies mainly on biochemical assays of complex I in fetal tissues such as chorionic villi (CV), and is only in a minority of cases possible by means of mutational analysis of nuclear-encoded genes of complex I. We report on our experience to date with prenatal diagnosis in pregnancies at risk for complex I deficiency. We measured complex I activity in native CV and/or cultured CV in 23 pregnancies in 15 families. In accordance with the results of the investigations in CV, 15 children were born clinically unaffected. Two prenatally diagnosed unaffected fetuses and two prenatally diagnosed affected fetuses were lost prematurely with spontaneous or provoked abortions, respectively. Two affected children were born (prenatally found to be affected). In two pregnancies a discrepancy between native and cultured cells was found. We conclude that prenatal diagnosis for complex I deficiency can be reliably performed. Pitfalls were encountered in using cultured CV as a result of maternal cell contamination (MCC). Future research on pathogenic nuclear mutations underlying complex I deficiency will extend the possibilities for prenatal diagnosis at the molecular level. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Carbon Pool Dynamics in the Lower Fraser Basin from 1827 to 1990

/ To understand the total impact of humans on the carbon cycle, themodeling and quantifying of the transfer of carbon from terrestrial pools tothe atmosphere is becoming more critical. Using previously published data,this research sought to assess the change in carbon pools caused by humans inthe Lower Fraser Basin (LFB) in British Columbia, Canada, since 1827 anddefine the long-term, regional contribution of carbon to the atmosphere. Theresults indicate that there has been a transfer of 270 Mt of carbon frombiomass pools in the LFB to other pools, primarily the atmosphere. The majorlosses of biomass carbon have been from logged forests (42%), wetlands(14%), and soils (43%). Approximately 48% of the forestbiomass, almost 20% of the carbon of the LFB, lies within old-growthforest, which covers only 19% of the study area. Landfills are nowbecoming a major sink of carbon, containing 5% of the biomass carbonin the LFB, while biomass carbon in buildings, urban vegetation, mammals, andagriculture is negligible. Approximately 26% of logged forest biomasswould still be in a terrestrial biomass pool, leaving 238 Mt of carbon thathas been released to the atmosphere. On an area basis, this is 29 times theaverage global emissions of carbon, providing an indication of the pastcontributions of developed countries such as Canada to global warming andpossible contributions from further clearing of rainforest in both tropicaland temperate regions.KEY WORDS: Carbon pools; Global warming; Carbon release to atmosphere;Greenhouse effect