Prenatal diagnosis of a fetus with partial monosomy 7(q34→qter) and partial trisomy 18(q21→qter)

Ultrasound examination of a 31-year-old woman at 27 weeks' gestation revealed fetal growth retardation, a bilateral cleft lip and palate, and the absence of median cerebral structures. Chromosome analysis after cordocentesis showed an abnormal karyotype with a structural abnormality of the long arm of chromosome 7: 46,XX,—7,+der(7), t(7;18) (q34;q21.3)mat. The pregnancy was terminated at week 29. The ultrasound findings were confirmed by post-mortem examination, which also revealed a semilobar holoprosencephaly.     

Further studies on the influence of zeolite type A on metal transfer in the activated sludge process

Investigations were carried out to determine the effect of zeolite type A on metal removal by activated sludge using laboratory activated sludge simulations. They were operated at constant aerator sludge age and settler surface loading. Different concentrations of raw zeolite and zeolite extracted from washing powder (0, 15, 30, 60, 120 mgl^?1) were introduced into the simulations. The zeolite was added at two degrees of calcium exchanged for sodium, 25 and 75% of the maximum exchange capacity. Metals were added at concentrations typical of mixed domestic-industrial waste waters. The results show that there was no adverse effect on metal removal by the laboratory activated sludge simulations in the presence of zeolite type A.     

两种典型大气环境下7A85铝合金的腐蚀行为研究

目的研究湿热海洋、干热沙漠两种典型大气环境对7A85铝合金腐蚀行为的影响。方法在万宁、敦煌两种典型环境中开展7A85铝合金大气暴露试验,利用金相显微镜分析7A85铝合金在我国两种典型大气环境中的腐蚀特征,定期测试该材料的拉伸强度和腐蚀深度。结果暴露3 a,7A85铝合金湿热海洋、干热沙漠两种典型大气环境中的最大腐蚀深度分别为254、90μm,抗拉强度分别下降了18%和5%,断后伸长率分别下降了72%和22%。结论 7A85铝合金暴露于相对湿度较低的干热沙漠环境,表面形成的腐蚀产物膜会阻止腐蚀的进一步发生;暴露于湿热海洋大气环境,随暴露时间的延长,7A85铝合金腐蚀逐渐加深。     

黑水虻转化厨余垃圾过程中病原菌灭活规律的研究与综合评价

黑水虻能够有效取食厨余垃圾等有机固体废弃物,其自身转化为昆虫蛋白和脂肪等生物质,将厨余垃圾转化为虫沙有机肥,处理过程是一种有机固体废弃物的资源化新方法.为评估黑水虻处理厨余垃圾的效率与安全性,本课题研究黑水虻在厨余垃圾处理过程中,对大肠杆菌O157：H7（EC）、鼠伤寒沙门氏菌（ST）及金黄色葡萄球（SA）的灭活能力,评价黑水虻体内的抑菌因子,分析3种病原菌对黑水虻生长增重及厨余转化效率的影响.经过18 d的黑水虻处理,研究发现：①第0和第6 d两次以6.4~7.1 log₁₀ CFU·g^-1的浓度向厨余垃圾中分别接种EC、ST和SA以后,EC经4~6 d处理被全部灭活、ST经3~4 d处理被全部灭活,SA经6 d处理,浓度下降到1.9~2.6 log₁₀ CFU·g^-1,但不能被全部灭活,病原菌的灭活效率呈现EC=ST>SA的趋势（p < 0.001）,且黑水虻体内无EC、ST或SA残留;②厨余垃圾降解过程中,初期和中期pH值主要呈现酸性（4.0~5.3）,对抑制EC、ST和SA起到了促进作用,后期pH值呈中性至弱碱性;③黑水虻对于EC和ST能够产生自身免疫抑制因子,且抑制活性ST>EC,但对SA无明显的免疫抑制能力,SA的灭活主要依赖于黑水虻肠道菌群的竞争性抑制作用;④黑水虻的体长、体重、预蛹率、产率,以及厨余垃圾的生物转化率和减量化率未受病原菌存在的影响,18 d后EC组、ST组和SA组的预蛹率均达到在80%以上,厨余减量化率分别达到74.0%、79.1%和78.5%,生物转化率分别达到13.0%、13.2%、19.4%.综上,黑水虻能够在彻底灭活EC、ST,99%灭活SA的同时,高效降解厨余垃圾（减量化率>74%）,并转化为虫体有机质（虫产率>10%）,是一种高效卫生的厨余垃圾资源化方法.今后的研究中,还需要加强以金葡菌为代表的抗逆性病原菌的灭活机制的探讨.     

偶氮染料酸性橙7脱色菌的分离、鉴定及其脱色性能研究

从活性污泥中筛选得到一株对偶氮染料酸性橙7(Acid Orange 7)具有高效脱色功能的菌株,根据16S rRNA基因序列分析鉴定,该菌属于嗜水气单胞菌属,将其命名为Aeromonas hydrophila strain JL-1.同时,研究了该菌株对偶氮染料酸性橙7的最佳脱色条件,结果表明,菌株JL-1在缺氧振荡培养条件下能对偶氮染料酸性橙7进行有效脱色;培养基、初始染料浓度、接种量、pH和NaCl浓度等环境条件对菌株JL-1脱色性能及其生长有明显影响.pH为5.0、盐度为10%、温度为30℃、转速为150 r·min~(-1)的LB(Luria-Bertani medium)培养基为菌株JL-1最佳的脱色及生长环境;在此最佳环境条件下,菌株JL-1对100 mg·L~(-1)的偶氮染料AO7在8 h的脱色率高达95%.另外,该菌株耐盐性良好,能在高达30%盐度下依然可以进行有效的生物脱色.     

A spatial approach to combatting wildlife crime

Poaching can have devastating impacts on animal and plant numbers, and in many countries has reached crisis levels, with illegal hunters employing increasingly sophisticated techniques. We used data from an 8‐year study in Savé Valley Conservancy, Zimbabwe, to show how geographic profiling—a mathematical technique originally developed in criminology and recently applied to animal foraging and epidemiology—can be adapted for use in investigations of wildlife crime. The data set contained information on over 10,000 incidents of illegal hunting and the deaths of 6,454 wild animals. We used a subset of data for which the illegal hunters’ identities were known. Our model identified the illegal hunters’ home villages based on the spatial locations of the hunting incidences (e.g., snares). Identification of the villages was improved by manipulating the probability surface inside the conservancy to reflect the fact that although the illegal hunters mostly live outside the conservancy, the majority of hunting occurs inside the conservancy (in criminology terms, commuter crime). These results combined with rigorous simulations showed for the first time how geographic profiling can be combined with GIS data and applied to situations with more complex spatial patterns, for example, where landscape heterogeneity means some parts of the study area are less likely to be used (e.g., aquatic areas for terrestrial animals) or where landscape permeability differs (e.g., forest bats tend not to fly over open areas). More broadly, these results show how geographic profiling can be used to target antipoaching interventions more effectively and more efficiently and to develop management strategies and conservation plans in a range of conservation scenarios.     

Considering connections between Hollywood and biodiversity conservation

Cinema offers a substantial opportunity to share messages with a wide audience. However, there is little research or evidence about the potential benefits and risks of cinema for conservation. Given their global reach, cinematic representations could be important in raising awareness of conservation issues and species of concern, as well as encouraging greater audience engagement due to their heightened emotional impact on viewers. Yet there are also risks associated with increased exposure, including heightened visitor pressure to environmentally sensitive areas or changes to consumer demand for endangered species. Conservationists can better understand and engage with the film industry by studying the impact of movies on audience awareness and behavior, identifying measurable impacts on conservation outcomes, and engaging directly with the movie industry, for example, in an advisory capacity. This improved understanding and engagement can harness the industry's potential to enhance the positive impacts of movies featuring species, sites, and issues of conservation concern and to mitigate any negative effects. A robust evidence base for evaluating and planning these engagements, and for informing related policy and management decisions, needs to be built.     

Effectiveness of terrestrial protected areas for conservation of lake fish communities

Freshwater protected areas are rare even though freshwater ecosystems are among the most imperiled in the world. Conservation actions within terrestrial protected areas (TPAs) such as development or resource extraction regulations may spill over to benefit freshwater ecosystems within their boundaries. Using data from 175 lakes across Ontario, Canada, we compared common indicators of fish‐assemblage status (i.e., species richness, Shannon diversity index, catch per unit effort, and normalized‐length size spectrum slopes) to evaluate whether TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages. Nearest neighbor cluster analysis was used to generate pairs of lakes: inside versus outside, inside versus bordering, and bordering versus outside TPAs based on lake characteristics. The diversity and abundance indicators did not differ significantly across comparisons, but normalized‐length size spectrum slopes (NLSS) were significantly steeper in lakes outside parks. The latter indicated assemblage differences (greater abundances of small‐bodied species) and less‐efficient energy transfer through the trophic levels of assemblages outside parks. Although not significantly different, pollution‐ and turbidity‐tolerant species were more abundant outside parks, whereas 3 of the 4 pollution‐intolerant species were more abundant within parks. Twenty‐one percent of the difference in slopes was related to higher total dissolved solids concentrations and angling pressure. Our results support the hypothesis that TPAs benefit lake fish assemblages and suggest that NLSS slopes are informative indicators for aquatic protected area evaluations because they represent compositional and functional aspects of communities.     

基于ARM7的远程视频监控系统

利用ARM7芯片LPC2478实现了低功耗远程实时视频监控系统.该系统主要针对电力线的监控,提高电力线的安全性.主要从硬件方面叙述系统各部分的组成及实现方式,该系统的硬件部分以LPC2478为MCU(微控制器),还包括电源、视频采集/编码、气象传感器及无线通信等部分.该系统的监控中心通过无线网络控制下位机对现场视频及气象数据进行采集,再对数据进行相应处理,然后将数据发送到监控中心.本系统已经在实际中应用,系统运行良好.     

Exceptional responders in conservation

Conservation operates within complex systems with incomplete knowledge of the system and the interventions utilized. This frequently results in the inability to find generally applicable methods to alleviate threats to Earth's vanishing wildlife. One approach used in medicine and the social sciences has been to develop a deeper understanding of positive outliers. Where such outliers share similar characteristics, they may be considered exceptional responders. We devised a 4‐step framework for identifying exceptional responders in conservation: identification of the study system, identification of the response structure, identification of the threshold for exceptionalism, and identification of commonalities among outliers. Evaluation of exceptional responders provides additional information that is often ignored in randomized controlled trials and before–after control‐intervention experiments. Interrogating the contextual factors that contribute to an exceptional outcome allow exceptional responders to become valuable pieces of information leading to unexpected discoveries and novel hypotheses.