Reproductive partitioning in communally breeding guira cuckoos,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Guira guira</Emphasis>

Guira cuckoos, Guira guira, exhibit a rare polygynandrous reproductive system with groups containing several male and female breeders, allowing for important tests of reproductive skew models. Female reproductive strategies involve leaving the group, varying clutch size, egg ejection and infanticide, among others. Here we examined the predictions of reproductive skew models relative to reproductive partitioning among females in groups. We used yolk protein electrophoresis to identify individual females eggs in joint nests. We found that reproductive partitioning favors early-laying females, which lay and incubate more eggs than females that begin laying later. Because the female that lays first tends to switch between repeated nesting bouts, and females do not always contribute eggs to each bout, female reproductive success tends to equalize within groups over time. The pattern of reproductive partitioning differs from that described for anis, another crotophagine joint-nester. We calculated reproductive skew indices for groups in 2 years, for both laying and incubation, as well as an overall population value. These were compared to random skew generated by simulations. Varying degrees of skew were found for different groups, and also across sequential nesting bouts of the same groups. Overall, however, skew did not deviate from random within the population. Nests that reached incubation tended to have lower skew values during the laying phase than nests terminated due to ejection of all eggs followed by desertion. Groups had higher reproductive skew indices in their first nesting bout of the season, and these nests frequently failed. These results illustrate the importance of social organization in determining not only individual, but group success in reproduction, and highlight the flexibility of vertebrate social behavior.Communicated by J. Dickinson     

Bacterial community structure analyses to assess pollution of water and sediments in the Lake Shkodra/Skadar, Balkan Peninsula

- Goal, Scope, Background. Lake Skadar is the largest lake in Balkan Peninsula, located on the Montenegro-Albanian border. The unique features of the lake and wide range of endemic and rare or endangered plant and animal species resulted in the classification of the Skadar as a wetland site of international significance. In spite of its importance the Lake is influenced by inflowing waters from river Morača and other regional rivers contaminated by the industry, municipal and agricultural activities in the area. Therefore, the Lake has been subject of various physical, chemical, biological and toxicological examinations. However, community-level analyses are most relevant to assess the effect of stressors on aquatic ecosystems. In the present study bacterial community structure among differently polluted sites of the lake was compared by genetic fingerprinting technique. Methods Water and sediment samples were collected from five differently polluted sampling sites on the Lake Skadar in spring and autumn of the same year. The bacterial community structure in the samples was characterized and compared by temporal temperature gel electrophoresis (TTGE) analysis of polymerase chain reaction-amplified bacterial 16S rRNA genes. Results and Discussion The TTGE analysis resulted in many distinguishable and reproducible band patterns, allowing reliable comparison of bacterial communities among sampling sites. Results on the bacterial community structure revealed that three of the selected locations can be considered as sites that have not shown any pollution degradation determined by our method, due to similar structure of bacterial community in the sediment samples. On the other hand, significant shifts in bacterial community structure in the mouth of the river Morača and Plavnica were shown. Since the results coincide with some of the bioassays and chemical analysis performed previously, the changes in bacterial community structure are explained as an effect of antropogenic pollution on the lake ecosystem by waters of river Morača and stream Plavnica. Conclusion The TTGE has proven to be an efficient and reliable method to monitor bacterial dynamics and community shifts in aquatic environment, especially in the sediments. Within the variety of environmental quality assessments the use of TTGE analyses of bacterial community is strongly recommended, particularly as an initial investigation. However, in any conclusion on the state of the environment, the TTGE results should be combined to some other biological, chemical and hydrological data. Recommendation and Outlook Since prokaryotes are a crucial group of organisms in the biosphere, the ecosystem function studies are largely based on bacterial communities. Therefore, bacterial community structure analysis should be a part of an integrated weight of evidence approach in pollution assessment. In case of Triad approach, consisting of chemical analyses, bioassays, and community studies in the field, the TTGE bacterial community structure analyses should be placed in the later Triad leg. In comparison to other community studies, based on various biotic indices, the TTGE bacterial community analysis has proven to be very sensitive, reliable and less time consuming.     

铅锌尾矿砂污染下的岩溶土壤微生物群落碳源代谢特征

以广西阳朔思的村铅锌矿尾砂污染的水稻田、玉米地、柑橘园以及对照(旱地)土壤为研究对象,采用碳素利用法和18S rRNA变性梯度凝胶电泳技术探究岩溶区重金属污染下土壤微生物群落碳源代谢特征以及土壤真菌与土壤有机碳的交互关系.结果表明,广西阳朔思的村铅锌矿尾砂污染区土壤重金属总体含量(Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd)依次为:水稻田玉米地柑橘园对照;同时地累积综合指数显示该区重金属污染以Pb、Cd为主,其中Cd带来的环境风险最高.受Pb、Zn、Cu、Cd等重金属复合污染物影响,土壤微生物生物量碳、微生物熵和碳源代谢速率表现出随总体重金属质量分数增加而降低的变化规律,但土壤总有机碳质量分数却表现为:水稻田对照柑橘园或玉米地.DGGE结果进一步显示对照组土壤存在担子菌门多孔菌目Pycnoporus sp.ZW02.30,柑橘园和玉米地土壤存在镰刀菌属Fusarium solani和Fusarium oxysporum以及柑橘园土壤存在青霉属Penicillium decumbens.然而,上述参与淀粉、纤维素、半纤维素、木质素等糖类降解过程的真菌没有在水稻田土壤检出.加之,水稻田土壤微生物功能多样性指数和微生物熵最低而土壤有机碳质量分数最高,说明铅锌尾矿砂通过影响不同样地土壤微生物糖类代谢过程,进而调节土壤碳在微生物特别是真菌作用下的矿化速率.     

短程硝化工艺出水水质及微生物区系分析

实验采用短程硝化工艺处理高氨氮废水,并用PCR-DGGE分析了系统中的微生物区系。结果表明,进水氨氮浓度在50～400mg/L之间梯度增加时,出水氨氮浓度在10mg/L以下;随着氨氮浓度的增加,亚硝态氮积累率逐渐升高,当氨氮浓度达到300mg/L时,积累率达到90%左右。DGGE分析结果表明,随着运行时间的延长,微生物区系多样性减少;氨氮负荷为50mg/L与400mg/L相比,相似性为0.24。     

Development and application of a two-dimensional water quality model for the Daqinghe River Mouth of the Dianchi Lake

Water quality models are important tools to support the optimization of aquatic ecosystem rehabilitation programs and assess their efficiency. Basing on the flow conditions of the Daqinghe River Mouth of the Dianchi Lake, China, two-dimensional water quality model was developed in the research. The hydrodynamics module was numerically solved by the alternating direction iteration (ADI) method. The parameters of the water quality module were obtained through the in situ experiments and the lab analyses that were conducted from 2006 to 2007. The model was calibrated and verified by the observation data in 2007. Among the four modelled key variables that were water level, CODcr, NH3-N and PO4-P, the minimum value of the coefficient of determination (CoD) was 0.69, which mean the model performed reasonably well. The developed model was then applied to simulate the water quality changes at the downstream cross-section assuming that the designed restoration programs were implemented. According to the simulated results, the restoration programs could cut down the loads of CODcr and PO4-P about 15%, however, they would have very little effect on the NH3-N removal. Besides, the water quality at the outlet cross-section would be still in class V (3838-02), indicating more measures should be taken to further reduce the loads. The study demonstrated the capability of water quality models to support aquatic ecosystem restorations.     

硝基苯胺同牛血清白蛋白的相互作用及其毒性

运用毛细管电泳相互作用分析的峰漂移模型 ,在接近于生物大分子与配体作用所需要的生理条件下 ,测定了典型有机物邻 、间 、对 硝基苯胺三种化合物共存时与牛血清白蛋白的相互作用的结合常数 .结合常数大小顺序是 :邻 硝基苯胺 >对 硝基苯胺 >间 硝基苯胺 .根据三种物质作用前后紫外吸收强度的变化推算出的结果与实验结果具有一致性 .对这些结合常数与该三种物质的生物实验毒性她据及其分子结构参数的相关性进行比较分析 ,发现它们之间存在一定的相关性 .这表明用毛细管电泳相互作用分析方法评价硝基苯胺的生物毒性具有一定可行性 .     

环境污染物的分子毒理机制研究进展

以分子生物学技术为基础研究污染物的毒理机制．从分子水平揭示了污染物毒作用的本质。综述了国内外分子毒理机制的研究进展。详细阐述了毒理芯片、单细胞凝胶电泳等分子生物学技术应用与毒理学研究中的特点、应用前景以及存在的问题。提出了分子毒理机制今后的研究方向。     

氯化汞对小鼠睾丸生殖细胞的DNA损伤作用

探索氯化汞对雄性小鼠生殖细胞毒性的分子遗传机制。分别以 0 .0 1、0 .10、1.0 0 mmol/L的氯化汞体外处理小鼠睾丸细胞和以 0 .5、1.0、5 .0 μmol/kg的氯化汞体内暴露小鼠 ,应用单细胞凝胶电泳技术检测生殖细胞 DNA的损伤。体外处理 3种剂量组小鼠睾丸生殖细胞 DNA损伤率显著高于阴性对照组 ( 0 mmol/L组 ,P<0 .0 0 1) ;0 .1、1.0 mmol/L剂量组慧星细胞迁移率显著高于阴性对照组 ( P<0 .0 0 1,P<0 .0 5 )。体内暴露 3种浓度氯化汞组小鼠睾丸生殖细胞 DNA损伤率显著高于阴性对照组 ( 0μmol/kg,P<0 .0 0 1) ,5 .0 μmol/kg组慧星迁移率显著高于阴性对照组 ( P<0 .0 5 )。一定剂量的氯化汞处理引起生殖细胞 DNA损伤作用可能是氯化汞细胞毒性的机制之一。     

电子产品野外环境下温循加速载荷谱编制方法

目的 将电子产品在野外环境下日变化波动与季节差异明显的温度载荷编制成温循载荷谱和转换为加速载荷谱。方法 通过四点雨流计数法提取原谱中的载荷循环信息,对提取的循环信息进行分布拟合、相关性检验等统计分析,进而构建循环均值与范围值的联合概率密度函数,再运用概率密度法,编制出8×8二维环境载荷谱。在二维载荷谱基础上,编制出温循载荷谱,使用针对电子部件参数修正的加速方程转化为加速载荷谱。结果 利用野外作业现场1个作业周期内的气温纪录,提供了一套编制温循载荷谱和转换加速载荷谱的合理化流程和解决方案。结论 该制谱方法可以利用原始环境谱中绝大部分有效信息,较好地还原电子部件野外作业阶段经历的温度变化过程,为电子产品的加速寿命试验和使用寿命预测奠定基础。     

Biochemical speciation in chromium genotoxicity

The biochemical speciation of chromium compounds in mammalian cells is discussed with respect to uptake, metabolism, DNA binding and damaging. Whereas soluble hexavalent chromium is taken up rapidly and accumulated intracellularly after its reduction, compounds of trivalent chromium penetrate biomembranes about three orders of magnitude slower. Cr(VI) after its uptake is metabolised by electron donating compounds via Cr(V) to Cr(III) compounds. Chromium from various Cr(III) compounds, but not chromate, binds to chromatin in isolated cell nuclei. The DNA‐protein crosslinks and DNA strand breaks observed in rat liver and kidney after chromate administration are also found in vitro, when Cr(III) compounds (but not chromate) interacts with isolated nuclei. In the Chinese Hamster cell HGPRT mutation assay, three out of four tested Cr(III) complexes were found to be mutagenic. In a direct DNA strand break assay with supercoiled bacteriophage PM 2 DNA, neither chromate nor the four Cr(III) compounds tested caused nicks. However, the combined action of chromate plus glutathione as well as the isolated complex of pentavalent chromium, Na₄Cr(glutathione)₄, did cause DNA breaks. Reactive oxygen species are inferred to be the ultimate DNA nicking agents in this assay. In conclusion there appear to be two mechanisms of chromate genotoxicity; one with direct DNA damage caused by Cr(V) species and one via DNA‐protein crosslinks formed with Cr(III), the final reduction state of chromate.