Umbilical and uterine flow velocity waveforms in pregnancies complicated by major fetal anomalies

A continuous wave Doppler unit was used to obtain umbilical and uterine artery flow velocity waveforms in pregnancies complicated by a major fetal abnormality. A total of 139 examinations were performed on 32 women between 26 to 41 weeks' gestation, and the records were reviewed to determine the changes associated with fetal malformation. The systolic/diastolic (A/B) ratio was used as an index of blood flow resistance in the umbilical artery and the systolic minus diastolic divided by systolic (A–B)/A for the branches of the uterine artery. Seventeen out of 32 patients showed high systolic/diastolic ratio in waveforms taken from the umbilical artery. In 30 out of 32 patients the uterine artery waveform was normal (in two patients the results were equivocal). It appears that a fetal mechanism may determine the changes in the umbilical placental circulation resulting in an umbilical artery pattern of high flow resistance in more than half of the patients with congenital anomalies.     

三叶草和黑麦草修复对炼锌废渣剖面养分及重金属分布特征的影响

为评价两种草本植物修复5年后的土法炼锌废渣剖面上养分及重金属分布特征,以废渣堆场上人工种植的三叶草（Trifolium repens）和黑麦草（Lolium perenne）为研究对象,分析两种草本植物剖面（0~60 cm）上不同粒径废渣中养分和重金属的分布特征.结果表明：随着废渣剖面深度增加,废渣中全氮、碱解氮、全磷、有效磷含量逐渐降低,表层废渣（0~10 cm）中有机质含量大多显著（p<0.05）低于深层废渣（10~60 cm）;而表层废渣（0~20 cm）的有效态氮磷含量大多显著（p<0.05）高于深层废渣（20~60 cm）.有机质和全氮含量随着废渣粒径增大呈先增加后降低的趋势,其含量在粒径为0.25~0.5 mm的废渣中最高,而碱解氮和有效磷含量则随废渣粒径增大逐渐降低.三叶草修复作用下其剖面不同粒径废渣中有机质、全氮、碱解氮、全磷含量高于黑麦草.As、Cu、Pb、Zn含量随着废渣深度增加呈先降低后增加的趋势,且其在表层废渣（0~20 cm）中的含量高于深层废渣（20~60 cm）.除As外,Cd、Cu、Pb、Zn的含量总体表现为随废渣粒径增大而降低.两种植物修复作用下,酸可交换态As、Cd、Cu、Zn占比均随废渣剖面深度增加而增加,酸可交换态Cd、Cu、Pb、Zn占比均随废渣粒径增大而增加.综上,三叶草和黑麦草参与下垂直剖面上不同粒径废渣养分及重金属含量分布特征具有明显的差异.     

PCDFs的Ah受体结合能力的定量结构效应关系

应用单苯环氯取代方法取G₁～G₁₀10个分子结构描述符,通过正向逐步线性回归方法构建对于Ah受体结合能力的定量结构-性质相关(QSAR)模型.与有关文献相比,此模型能更好地预测多氯代二苯并呋喃(PCDFs)竞争结合Ah受体logEC₅₀值,各自变量间不存在共线性.模型可以较好地反映PCDFs分子Ah受体结合能力与其分子氯取代位点之间的关系.     

Sorptive interactions and binding of δ‐endotoxin protein from bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki inforest soils

Abstract

The adsorption, desorption and binding of the insecticidal protein from Bacillus thuringiensis subsp. kurstaki (Btk toxin) onto autoclaved sandy and clay loam forest soils were studied at 23°C in a buffer medium (pH 10.2) using the precipitated protein mixture (active + inactive) obtained from a commercial Btk formulation. The active protein in the buffer solution was quantified by ELISA technique. Maximum adsorption of the toxin onto the sandy (301 μg/g) and clay (474 μg/g) loam soils was found to occur after 3 and 4 hours of agitation, respectively. Adsorption of the toxin was higher in the clay loam soil than in sandy loam. Adsorption parameters were calculated using the Freundlich and linear isotherm equations. The K_F and 1/n values for the soils were 1.12 and 1.48 (sandy), and 20.42 and 0.874 (clay), respectively, indicating stronger affinity of the toxin for the clay compared to the sandy loam soil. The linear model showed deviations at higher concentrations, nevertheless using the best fit, K_D and K_OC values were computed for the two soils. For sandy loam, the K_D and K_OC values were 9.38 and 391, respectively; the corresponding values for clay loam were 13.19 and 425, confirming the higher sorption affinity of the toxin for clay loam. The adsorption data did not fit the Langmuir equation because of heterogeneity of the soil surface. Desorption studies showed that more than half of the adsorbed toxic protein remained firmly attached to sandy (162.6 μg/g or 54.5%) and clay (314.0 μg/g or 67.4%) loam soils after six 0.5‐h washes (total 3.0 h wash time). Although the toxin appears to be a non‐leacher, its lateral mobility, soil persistence and biological consequences, including bioavailability of the bound residues, are poorly understood and require further investigation.     

Copper amendments and soil ph affect distribution of different chemical forms of metals and their uptake by Swingle citrumelo seedlings

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the effects of various rates of Copper (Cu) amendments (as CuSO₄.5H₂O at either 0, 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg Cu kg^‐1) to soils with different pH values on the distribution of various chemical forms of Zinc (Zn), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), and Aluminum (Al) in soils and their uptake by Swingle citrumelo citrus rootstock seedlings. The soils included Myakka fine sand (pH 5.70), Candler fine sand (pH 6.45), and Oldsmar fine sand (pH 8.16). The chemical forms of metals evaluated in this study included exchangeable, sorbed, organically bound, precipitated, and residual forms. An increase in Cu rates, lowered the pH in the Myakka and Candler fine sands, but not in the Oldsmar fine sand. This, in turn, resulted in an increase in the proportion of the readily soluble forms (the exchangeable + sorbed forms) of Zn and Mn, and decreased that of Fe in the Myakka and Candler fine sands. In those two soils, the organically bound forms of Zn, Fe, and Mn decreased with an increase in Cu rates. However, the proportion of readily soluble forms was not significantly influenced by increasing Cu rates in the Oldsmar fine sand. The total content of Zn, Fe, and Mn in citrus roots and that of Zn and Fe in the leaves, significantly decreased with an increase in Cu rates in the Myakka and Candler fine sands. In the Oldsmar fine sand, Cu rates through the entire range had no significant effects on the total contents of Zn, Fe, and Mn in the leaves or in the roots of Swingle citrumelo rootstock seedlings.     

Ecology of ground beetles in an industrial city

Specific ecological features of ground beetles inhabiting city parks and suburban areas were studied in the large industrial city of Nizhnii Tagil (Sverdlovsk oblast). Carabid cenoses of city parks retained considerable species diversity but proved to be strongly dominated by a limited number of species. An analysis of their state before and after recreational impact revealed changes in the species composition of communities, the set of dominant species, the degrees of their dominance, and the ratio between classes of life forms. The results show that the stronger the recreational impact, the more significant the decrease in the species diversity of the carabid community.     

Characteristics and distribution of phosphorus in surface sediments of a shallow lake

Phosphorus ( P ) in sediments plays an important role in shallow lake ecosystems and has a major effect on the lake environment. The mobility and bioavailability of P primarily depend on the contents of different P forms, which in turn depend on the sedimentary environment.Here, sediment samples from Baiyangdian (BYD) lake were collected and measured by the Standards, Measurements, and Testing procedure and Phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P NMR) to characterize different P forms and their relationships with sediment physicochemical properties. The P content in the sediments varied in different areas and had haracteristics indicative of exogenous river input. Inorganic P (334–916 mg/kg) was the dominant form of P . The 31P NMR results demonstrated that orthophosphate monoesters (16–110 mg/kg), which may be a source of P when redox conditions change, was the dominant form of organic P (20–305 mg/kg). The distribution of P forms in each region varied greatly because of the effects of anthropogenic activities, and the regions affected by exogenous river input had a higher content of P and a higher risk of P release. Principal component analysis indicated that P bound to Fe, Al, and Mn oxides and hydroxides (NaOH-P) and organic P were mainly derived from industrial and agricultural pollution, respectively. Redundancy analysis indicated that increases in pH lead to the release of NaOH-P. Organic matter plays an important role in the organic P biogeochemical cycle, as it acts as a sink and source of organic P .     

河流汇合处水体磷素形态特征及紫外光照的影响：以渠江-嘉陵江、涪江-嘉陵江交汇为例

以渠江-嘉陵江、涪江-嘉陵江交汇处水体为研究对象,探究了河流交汇处水体磷素形态特征及紫外光照的影响.水体磷形态分析结果表明,研究的所有水体中总磷浓度均超过水体富营养化阈值(0.2 mmol·m-3),支流汇入干流前后,研究水体中总磷(TP)主要由总溶解性磷(TDP)组成,而溶解性无机磷(DIP)是TDP的主要组成部分.两支流汇入嘉陵江后,干流水体中各形态磷浓度均较干流汇合前升高,颗粒态磷(PP)增幅最大,达到129%.按水体相对分子质量(Mr)分级结果表明,溶解态高相对分子质量组分(0.5×103~10×103)中的磷为溶解性磷(DP,<0.22μm)主要成分,达到47%~61%,渠江和涪江两支流汇入干流后,嘉陵江水体不同相对分子质量组分中的磷含量并未发生较大变化.通过紫外光照后,游离态组分(<0.5×103)中的磷含量明显增加,增幅在10%~29%,其余两组分中磷含量均降低,和涪江-嘉陵江汇合处样本相比,渠江-嘉陵江汇合处水体胶体态组分(Mr10×103~0.22μm)中磷含量降幅大于前者.通过紫外光照实验,证明了紫外光照是影响水体中磷素地球化学过程的重要环境因素.     

不同有机物料中的磷形态特征研究

采用DOU的磷形态分级方法,研究了猪粪沼渣(ZZ)、牛粪沼渣(NZ)、牛粪秸秆堆肥(NJD)、污泥堆肥(WD)、农村生活垃圾堆肥(NSLD)等7种有机物料中的磷形态及其比例.结果表明,有机物料中全磷及各形态总磷存在较大差异,以猪粪沼渣全磷含量最高,为23.59 g·kg-1,以牛粪沼渣全磷含量最低,仅3.61 g·kg-1.猪粪沼渣、牛粪沼渣、牛粪秸秆堆肥、污泥堆肥中各形态总磷(Pt)大小顺序为HCl-P残留态-PNa HCO3-PNa OH-PH2O-P,而3种农村生活垃圾堆肥中各形态磷含量则为HCl-P残留态-PH2O-PNa HCO3-PNa OH-P.7种有机物料中HCl提取态磷占回收全磷(Ptt)比例达47.75%~84.96%,表明有机物料中的大部分磷更容易被如HCl等强浸提剂提取,而这部分磷不易被植物吸收利用.各有机物料中磷以无机态磷为主,无机磷占全磷比例在53.18%~87.33%之间.各形态中的无机磷以Na HCO3-Pi占形态总磷比例最高(79.72%~94.76%),且在回收全磷中主要分布于HCl提取态,各形态中的有机磷则主要分布于HCl-P和残留态-P.经堆腐后的牛粪秸秆堆肥各形态无机磷占全磷比例较牛粪沼渣均有所增加,表明好氧堆肥有助于有机物料中磷的矿化,提高有机物料中磷的有效性.