Lack of evidence for nepotism by workers tending queens of the polygynous termite <Emphasis Type="Italic">Nasutitermes corniger</Emphasis>

Kin selection theory predicts that workers in social insect colonies should preferentially aid close relatives over less related or unrelated individuals if such behaviors increase inclusive fitness. For example, a worker in a polygynous (multiple-queen) colony is predicted to tend its own mother rather than an unrelated queen if this nepotistic behavior increases its mother’s reproductive success in excess of costs. Despite predictions, experimental tests conducted in the social Hymenoptera have found no clear evidence of nepotism. No tests for nepotism have been carried out in the Isoptera (termites), another major insect taxon showing highly developed sociality. We tested for nepotistic behavior in the termite Nasutitermes corniger by determining if workers preferentially fed and groomed their mothers in a laboratory assay. We collected workers from nine naturally occurring multiple-queen colonies as they tended queens and determined their parentage using highly variable microsatellite markers. Our results provide no evidence that workers tend their mothers in preference to co-occurring queens. The absence of evidence for nepotism is consistent with previous results reported from numerous studies of eusocial hymenopterans.     

Minor sonographic signs of trisomy 21 at 15–20 weeks' gestation in fetuses born without malformations: a prospective study

A prospective study was performed on 2119 pregnancies that underwent genetic amniocentesis. Indications for amniocentesis were either maternal age (⩾35) or triple-test results (risk⩾1/380). The study covered a 36-month period and assessed the prevalence of minor ultrasound markers both in fetuses with Down syndrome and normal control fetuses at 15–19 week' gestation. Only fetuses with normal karyotype or trisomy 21 were considered. Six minor sonographic markers were considered: nuchal thickness, pyelectasia, femur observed/expected and humerus observed/expected ratios, bowel echogenicity, and choroid plexus cysts. One or more ultrasound soft markers were present in 23 out of 33 fetuses with Down syndrome (70%) and in 572 out of 2069 normal fetuses (28%). Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Prenatal interphase FISH diagnosis of PLP1 duplication associated with Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease

A submicroscopic genomic duplication in Xq22.2 that contains the entire proteolipid protein 1 gene (PLP1) is responsible for the majority of Pelizaeus–Merzbacher disease (PMD) patients. We previously developed an interphase FISH assay to screen for PLP1 duplications in PMD patients using peripheral blood and lymphoblastoid cell lines. This assay has been utilized as a clinical diagnostic test in our cytogenetics laboratory. To expand usage of the interphase FISH assay to prenatal diagnosis of PLP1 duplications, we examined three PMD families with PLP1 duplications utilizing aminiotic fluid samples. In two families the FISH assay revealed fetuses with PLP1 duplications, whereas the other fetus showed a normal copy number of PLP1. Haplotype analyses, as well as an additional FISH analysis using postnatal blood samples, confirmed the results of the prenatal analyses. Our study demonstrates utility of the interphase FISH assay in the prenatal diagnosis of PLP1 duplications in PMD. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

火灾中温度升高对蛋白质构象影响的计算机模拟(Ⅰ)

应用分子力学原理进行了温度对肽链构象影响的计算机模拟,模拟结果显示,火灾中环境温度升高对生物分子的结构和功能是一个很敏感的因素之一,天然生物分子因吸热而使自身构象发生异常变化,进而与特定构象紧密联系的生物活性丧失,发生变性,模拟结果对于从分子水平上揭示火灾对生物体的危害具有重要意义.     

生活垃圾焚烧厂贮坑沥滤液的污染与可处理特性

通过对生活垃圾焚烧厂贮坑沥滤液历时6个月的常规污染物监测,分析了沥滤液中溶解性有机物(DOM)分子量分级和重金属在不同分子量DOM中的分布,以探讨沥滤液的污染与可处理特性结果表明:沥滤液有机污染程度高.沥滤液中有机物以非溶解性(约占有机物总量的23%)和分子量＜4 ku的DOM(超过DOM总量的88%)为主,低碳有机酸和醇的总量占沥滤液中DOM(分子量＜4 ku)的50%.沥滤液中重金属含量高,在DOM各分子量分级中,重金属主要与分子量＜4 ku的DOM相关,尤其是Zn和Ni的分布占90%以上,并且重金属(除As和Hg外)的分布与有机物的分布呈显著的正相关性.根据沥滤液的性质,宜采用混凝或厌氧-好氧生物方法对其进行处理.