Amphibian Encounter Rates on Roads with Different Amounts of Traffic and Urbanization

Abstract: Although amphibians have relatively high rates of road mortality in urban areas, the conditions under which traffic threatens the survival of local amphibian populations remain unclear. In the Sandhills region of North Carolina (U.S.A.), we counted living and dead amphibians along two transects (total length 165 km) established on roads in areas with varying degrees of urbanization. We found 2665 individuals of 15 species, and amphibian encounter rates declined sharply as traffic and urban development increased. Regression‐tree models indicated that 35 amphibians/100 km occurred on roads with <535 vehicles/day, whereas the encounter rate decreased to only 2 amphibians/100 km on roads with >2048 vehicles/day. Although mortality rate peaked at higher traffic levels (47% dead on roads with >5200 vehicles/day), the number of dead amphibians was highest at low levels of traffic. This suggests that areas where amphibian mortality is concentrated may actually contain the largest populations remaining on a given road transect.     

超声、过硫酸钾协同去除水中诺氟沙星的效果

过硫酸钾活化可产生强氧化性硫酸根自由基(SO-4·),采用超声/过硫酸钾体系氧化降解诺氟沙星,考察了过硫酸钾浓度、诺氟沙星初始浓度、溶液初始p H值及自由基淬灭剂甲醇、叔丁醇对降解效果的影响.结果表明,超声/过硫酸钾体系能够显著降解和矿化诺氟沙星,与单独过硫酸钾、超声相比,超声/过硫酸钾对诺氟沙星的去除率分别提高了3.2和8.9倍,降解过程符合一级反应动力学.诺氟沙星的去除率随过硫酸钾浓度的增加趋于平缓.p H对诺氟沙星的降解影响较大,这是因为随p H的升高,体系中的氧化性物种由SO-4·转化为以SO-4·/HO·为主.TOC去除和大肠杆菌抗菌实验表明,反应180 min,超声/过硫酸钾能够实现49.12%的诺氟沙星矿化,且对大肠杆菌的抑菌圈直径由45 mm减小到14 mm(滤纸直径),完全去除其抗菌性.结果表明超声/过硫酸钾能够有效用于诺氟沙星废水处理.     

Cloning and expression analysis of ScBAK1 gene and its alternative spliceosome in sugarcane北大核心CSCD

Alternative splicing (AS) is an important part of regulation of eukaryotic gene expression. BAK1 (Brassinosteroid insensitive1-associated receptor kinase 1) is a specific type of plant serine/threonine protein kinases, and can regulate growth and development and natural immunization. To reveal the responses of sugarcane BAK1 gene to the adverse environment, a ScBAK1 gene and its alternative spliceosome, termed ScBAK1 (GenBank accession number: KP032226) and ScBAK1 S1 (GenBank accession number: KP032227), were cloned from leaf cDNA of Yacheng 05-179 utilizing the methods of electronic cloning and RT-PCR. The open reading frame (ORF) length of ScBAK1/ScBAK1 S1 gene was 1 860bp/1 770bp, encoding 619/589 amino acids residues. The predicted molecular weight of the protein was 69.28 kDa/ 65.76 kDa. Both proteins were located in plasma membrane, estimated as acid, hydrophikic and secretive proteins. Random coil and alpha helix gave priority to extended strand in their secondary structure without beta turn. The most important protein function was cell envelope, secondly biosynthesis of amino acids and cofactors. Real-time quantitative PCR analysis revealed that the expression of sugarcane ScBAK1 S1 gene exhibited the reduced expression trend under smut fungus stress and various abiotic exogenous stresses, including SA, CuCl2, PEG, ABA, NaCl and JA, while the expression of ScBAK1 gene was induced by SA, CuCl2, PEG, NaCl and smut fungus stresses. The phenomenon showed that the absent sequences or amounts of ScBAK1 S1 gene plays a key role in the response of ScBAK1 to the stress of sugarcane smut fungus, osmotic stress and cell growth. The differential expression of ScBAK1 and ScBAK1 S1 lays a foundation for further research on the function of ScBAK1 gene under biotic and abiotic stress.     

Global population collapse in a superabundant migratory bird and illegal trapping in China

Persecution and overexploitation by humans are major causes of species extinctions. Rare species, often confined to small geographic ranges, are usually at highest risk, whereas extinctions of superabundant species with very large ranges are rare. The Yellow‐breasted Bunting (Emberiza aureola) used to be one of the most abundant songbirds of the Palearctic, with a very large breeding range stretching from Scandinavia to the Russian Far East. Anecdotal information about rapid population declines across the range caused concern about unsustainable trapping along the species’ migration routes. We conducted a literature review and used long‐term monitoring data from across the species’ range to model population trend and geographical patterns of extinction. The population declined by 84.3–94.7% between 1980 and 2013, and the species’ range contracted by 5000 km. Quantitative evidence from police raids suggested rampant illegal trapping of the species along its East Asian flyway in China. A population model simulating an initial harvest level of 2% of the population, and an annual increase of 0.2% during the monitoring period produced a population trajectory that matched the observed decline. We suggest that trapping strongly contributed to the decline because the consumption of Yellow‐breasted Bunting and other songbirds has increased as a result of economic growth and prosperity in East Asia. The magnitude and speed of the decline is unprecedented among birds with a comparable range size, with the exception of the Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius), which went extinct in 1914 due to industrial‐scale hunting. Our results demonstrate the urgent need for an improved monitoring of common and widespread species’ populations, and consumption levels throughout East Asia.     

自然富硒土中Se对不同水稻籽粒吸收Cd的影响

通过水稻盆栽试验,在高低两种自然富硒土壤上种植3种水稻。结果发现,水稻籽粒Se含量与土壤中Se含量呈正相关,而土壤硒含量过高会降低水稻籽粒的产量。在添加Cd下,高富硒土种植的博优998、秋优998、金稻优998等水稻籽粒Cd含量比低富硒土分别降低了26.99%、10.28%、13.48%,说明土壤中适量的Se对水稻籽粒吸收Cd有拮抗作用。另外,秋优998富集Se、Cd的能力最强,生物产量最低,金稻优998达到富硒效果,而富集Cd的能力最弱,且生物产量较高,在筛选品种时,应优选金稻优998。     

转Cry1Ac基因抗虫棉与其亲本棉花根际真菌多样性的比较

在温室条件下,利用PCR-DGGE技术和Q-PCR技术分析了两种转Cry1Ac基因抗虫棉及其亲本棉花在不同取样时期的根际真菌多样性和生物量的动态变化情况,以评价其生态安全.结果表明,转Bt基因棉与对照棉根际真菌优势条带组成在不同的取样时期极为相似,三者间差异条带多为不清晰的条带.转Bt棉SGK321根际真菌的生物量在苗期明显低于亲本对照,转Bt棉XP188根际真菌的生物量在花铃期较对照有轻微降低,其它时期两种转Bt棉根际真菌生物量没有显著降低,甚至还有增加的趋势.不过根际真菌群落结构的改变和生物量的差异不仅存在于转基因棉和其亲本对照棉之间,它同样存在于对照棉SHIYUAN321和JM20之间以及转基因棉SGK321和XP188之间.可见Bt并不是造成转基因棉和非转基因棉根际真菌群落结构差异、多样性改变和生物量减少的唯一诱因,品种的不同也对它们也有影响.     

Pseudomonas sp. QJX-1的锰氧化特性研究

从锰矿土壤样品中分离、纯化出1株高效锰氧化细菌(QJX-1),经16S rDNA序列鉴定为Pseudomonas sp.QJX-1.研究表明,Pseudomonas sp.QJX-1含有锰氧化的必需成分多铜氧化酶基因CumA,当初始Mn2+为5.05 mg·L-1,菌密度D600为0.020时,该菌可在48 h内将Mn2+转化,且转化率高达99.4%.在寡营养条件下该菌锰氧化速率较富营养条件下有显著提高;添加石英砂滤料促使生物膜的快速形成,进而促进Mn2+的生物转化.根据研究结果推测地下水处理过程中生物锰氧化速率较快.     

黄曲霉A5p1脱色类黑精及其机理初探:葡萄糖氧化酶的作用

类黑精是一种高分子难降解色素污染物质,在糖蜜酒精废水中大量存在.选取在前期研究中对糖蜜酒精废水具有较好脱色作用的黄曲霉(Aspergillus flavus)A5p1(保藏号CGMCC.4292),以合成的类黑精为对象研究脱色机理,试图为实际废水的生物脱色提供理论基础.结果显示,此菌株对合成类黑精具有生物吸附和生物降解的双重作用,以后者为主,最高脱色率可达65%.相较于漆酶、依赖/不依赖于锰的过氧化物酶等常规氧化脱色酶,此菌株中的产过氧化氢酶对脱色起主要作用,而且脱色过程中作为产过氧化氢酶之一的葡萄糖氧化酶与类黑精脱色率之间存在着一定的正相关性.添加葡萄糖氧化酶激活剂和抑制剂进行验证,发现葡萄糖氧化酶酶活力、过氧化氢产量和脱色率三者之间呈相关性变化.初步推测,葡萄糖氧化酶是黄曲霉A5p1生物降解脱色类黑精的关键酶之一.     

环境中大肠杆菌快速生物检测技术研究进展

大肠杆菌作为水质卫生学指标,在环境水质监测中起着非常重要的指示作用.近年来为了克服大肠杆菌常规监测方法的不足,基于现代生物技术原理展开的环境中大肠杆菌的快速检测技术是国内外的研究热点.本文对环境介质大肠杆菌的分子生物学监测方法、免疫学检测方法等的原理及其在环境领域中的应用进行了综述和分析,并在此基础上对大肠杆菌的仪器化发展进行了展望.指出以现代生物技术为核心的并结合现代仪器技术的大肠杆菌快速检测技术将具有良好的应用前景,大肠杆菌的快速检测技术应向操作简单、快速、高灵敏度以及低成本方向发展.     

Isomeric analysis of PCDD/PCDF in waste incinerator fly ash by GC-MS/MS

The development of an analytical method for the analysis of PCDD/PCDF in flyash using a bench analytical system comprising of a gas chromatograph fitted with an ion trap detector operated in the tandem MS mode is described. The optimum settings for the most important MS/MS parameters are given, including those for the less reported mono- to tri-chlorinated dioxin and furan congener groups. Flyash samples from three waste incineration plants representing a decommissioned 1970s plant design, an upgraded and still operating plant originally designed in the 1970s, and a modern 1990s design operating plant have been analysed for PCDD/PCDF. The flyash samples were analysed for PCDD/PCDF using the methods developed and the total PCDD/PCDF, I-TEQ values and isomeric profiles are reported. The flyash from the older decommissioned incinerator had very significantly higher concentrations of PCDD/PCDF compared to the modern incinerator flyash.