Elevated atmospheric ozone increases concentration of insecticidal Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) Cry1Ac protein in Bt Brassica napus and reduces feeding of a Bt target herbivore on the non-transgenic parent

Sustained cultivation of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic crops requires stable transgene expression under variable abiotic conditions. We studied the interactions of Bt toxin production and chronic ozone exposure in Bt cry1Ac-transgenic oilseed rape and found that the insect resistance trait is robust under ozone elevations. Bt Cry1Ac concentrations were higher in the leaves of Bt oilseed rape grown under elevated ozone compared to control treatment, measured either per leaf fresh weight or per total soluble protein of leaves. The mean relative growth rate of a Bt target herbivore, Plutella xylostella L. larvae was negative on Bt plants in all ozone treatments. On the non-transgenic plants, larval feeding damage was reduced under elevated ozone. Our results indicate the need for monitoring fluctuations in Bt toxin concentrations to reveal the potential of ozone exposure for altering dosing of Bt proteins to target and non-target herbivores in field environments experiencing increasing ozone pollution.     

Are Bavarian Forests (southern Germany) at risk from ground-level ozone? Assessment using exposure and flux based ozone indices

Exposure and flux-based indices of O₃ risk were compared, at 19 forest locations across Bavaria in southern Germany from 2002 to 2005; leaf symptoms on mature beech trees found at these locations were also examined for O₃ injury. O₃ flux modelling was performed using continuously recorded O₃ concentrations in combination with meteorological and soil moisture data collected from Level II forest sites. O₃ measurements at nearby rural open-field sites proved appropriate as surrogates in cases where O₃ data were lacking at forest sites (with altitude-dependent average differences of about 10% between O₃ concentrations). Operational thresholds of biomass loss for both O₃ indices were exceeded at the majority of the forest locations, suggesting similar risk under long-term average climate conditions. However, exposure-based indices estimated higher O₃ risk during dry years as compared to the flux-based approach. In comparison, minor O₃-like leaf injury symptoms were detected only at a few of the forest sites investigated. Relationships between flux-based risk thresholds and tree response need to be established for mature forest stands for validation of predicted growth reductions under the prevailing O₃ regimes.     

产富马酸酶菌种筛选及固定化细胞生产L-苹果酸转化条件研究

从土样中筛选得到２０支可将富马酸转化为Ｌ－苹果酸垢细菌菌株。经摇瓶复筛,得到一株富马酸酶活力较高的ＺＧ－４菌株。以改性ＰＶＡ为载体,制备得到固定化细胞。其较佳转化条件为：１经ｍｏｌ／Ｌ Ｎａ２Ｆｕ为底物,ｐＨ７．０,４０转化。固定化细胞经胆酸ρ＝４ｇ／Ｌ或ＴＰＣρ＝０．６ｇ／Ｌ预处理后,可有效抑制琥铂酸副产物的生成。添加没食子单宁ρ＝１ｇＬ,可使富马酸酶比活力达１．９５ｍｍｏｌ ｇ＾－ｈ＾－。固定     

铬、镉、铅胁迫对青菜叶片几种生理生化指标的影响

研究了溶液培养条件下铬、镉、铅胁迫对青菜叶片细胞膜透性、叶绿素含量和游离脯氨酸含量等的影响,结果表明：随着Ｃｒ＾６＋,Ｃｄ＾２＋,Ｐｂ＾２＋处理时间的延长和处理浓度的增加,青菜叶片细胞膜透性显著增大,叶绿素ａ／ｂ值逐渐降低,游离脯氨酸含量明显增加,其中游离脯氨酸含量增加的时间比细胞膜透性增大明显超前,而叶绿素ａ／ｂ植降低的时间在这３种重金属中未见明显的规律性。     

四种再分析资料与长江中下游地区降水观测资料的对比研究

为了获得对中国区域降水刻画能力较好的再分析资料,以长江中下游地区为例,将PREC/L、CMAP、GPCP及NCEP2四种再分析降水资料与台站降水观测资料进行了多年和逐年平均的年、季、月降水量距平的时空相关分析和方差分析,比较了再分析资料对该区降水刻画能力的差异。首先对该区域的观测资料、CMAP、GPCP及NCEP2资料进行插值,使所有资料具有相同的空间分辨率,在此基础上比较再分析资料与观测资料年、季、月平均的降水变化特征。结果表明,四种再分析资料与观测资料的距平相关系数（均方根误差）由大到小（由小到大）的变化次序为：PREC/L→CMAP→GPCP→NCEP2,四种再分析资料均能较好地刻画出长江中下游地区降水的时空分布特征,尤以PREC/L资料对该区域降水变化的时空演变规律描述得最好。最后,利用PREC/L资料与观测资料对该区域降水的时空特征进行了相关分析、EOF分析和功率谱分析,结果显示夏季平均降水量具有23和31年的显著周期,EOF分析的前两个模态的时间变化分别具有23和28年的显著周期,这些显著周期都通过了95％的红噪声检验.     

Geologic vs. geographic constraints on cement resources

This study evaluates the importance of geologic and geographic factors in constraining the location of limestone mining operations for the production of cement in the Great Lakes region of the United States. Cities and their infrastructure require abundant cement, which is manufactured from limestone and other quarry products, but expansion of cities limits the locations of these operations. Possible locations of limestone and cement operations are controlled by geologic factors including distribution and mineralogy of geologic formations as well as depth of overburden, and geographic factors including location of wetlands, cities, and other surface features that preclude development of quarries and manufacturing operations. Overlay analysis was used to evaluate the importance of these factors. Results show that, although limestone underlies about a third of the region, almost 50 percent of this limestone is unavailable for quarrying due to coverage by the built environment, protected natural areas, or excessive overburden thickness. When characteristics such as limestone quality are also accounted for, accessible resources shrink to as little as 2 percent of the total land area. Although the remaining 2 percent of land area may supply local needs for some years, geologic factors clearly must be included in long-term regional land use planning.     

青蒿试管苗开花及用花器官为外植体诱导丛生芽生产青蒿素

将培养于MS培养基上5wk的青蒿试管苗置于光周期13,光强6000lx,温度为26℃（昼）和22℃（夜）的条件下,成功地诱导其开花,利用不同发育阶段的花蕾和花器官为外植体诱导丛生芽,发现不同浓度（ρ）的6－BA对丛生芽的诱导率和青蒿素的生物合成有重要影响。结果表明：以花蕾为外植体诱导丛生芽的最佳培养基是：MS附加4.0mg L^-1的6－BA和0.05mg L^-1的NAA;但当ρ（6－BA）在0－0.5mg L^-1之间时,有利于青蒿素的合成ρ（6－BA）=0.5-4mg L^-1时抑制青蒿素的生命合成,丛生芽中促进青蒿素合成的最佳ρ（6－BA）为0.5mg L^-1,用HPLC法测定发现用此法得到的丛生芽青蒿素的含量比直接利用叶片诱导的丛生芽青蒿素含量高1倍。     

乙草胺对小麦生理机能的影响与生物标记物识别

对乙草胺胁迫下小麦幼苗叶片的超氧化物歧化酶（SOD）、过氧化物酶（POD）活性、可溶性蛋白含量、丙二醛（MDA）以及叶片中叶绿素含量的变化进行了研究.结果表明,乙草胺处理小麦幼苗1 d后,叶片MDA含量显著增加,说明了乙草胺处理诱导有毒活性氧（AOS）生成,但随着处理时间的延长,不同浓度处理与对照的差异逐渐减小.对小麦叶片中POD活性变化的研究表明,在乙草胺胁迫的开始阶段,植物有能力抵抗低浓度乙草胺污染所产生的氧化胁迫,但是,随着暴露时间的延长和污染物浓度的增加,这种抵抗能力将会消失.对小麦SOD活性的研究表明,小麦叶片中POD酶活的上升可能与其它途径而不是SOD诱导产生的H₂O₂有关.小麦叶片中MDA含量和POD活性不能作为土壤乙草胺污染的生物标记物.小麦叶片中SOD酶活性有着作为乙草胺污染土壤生物标记物的潜力,但还需要进一步研究.小麦叶片叶绿素含量和可溶性蛋白含量可以作为乙草胺污染胁迫的生物标记物,并且小麦幼苗叶片可溶性蛋白含量与土壤乙草胺浓度之间具有较好的剂量-效应关系.     

Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris L.) of Bering Island, the Commander Islands: Age and Sex Composition of Dead Animals and Spatial Distribution

Animal censuses and assessment of mortality in the sea otter subpopulation of Bering Island (the Commander Islands) have shown that indices of seasonal mortality may be used as a criterion for estimating well-being of this animal group. In 1999, the subpopulation of Bering Island entered a phase of stabilization of its spatial, age, and sex structure, with the stabilization process proper taking approximately three years after a peak of mortality. Mortality in the course of this process proved to be relatively high in age groups older than eight years but insignificant among middle-aged reproductive animals. As the age and sex structure of the insular group varies during the year and in different coastal areas, the data obtained by collecting dead animals cannot be used for estimating the structure of the whole population.     

Mining and corruption

This study examines the links between mineral dependency and corruption. Specifically, it develops a cross-section econometric model that estimates the effects of per capita income, fuel exports, non-fuel exports, and average per unit value of mineral exports on corruption.