Biodegradation of Polycaprolactone Powders Proposed as Reference Test Materials for International Standard of Biodegradation Evaluation Method

Polycaprolactone (PCL) powders were prepared from PCL pellets using a rotation mechanical mixer. PCL powders were separated by sieves with 60 and 120 meshes into four classes; 0–125 μm, 125–250 μm, 0–250 μm and 250–500 μm. Biodegradation tests of PCL powders and cellulose powders in an aqueous solution at 25°C were performed using the coulometer according to ISO 14851. Biodegradation tests of PCL powders and cellulose powders in controlled compost at 58°C were performed by the Mitsui Chemical Analysis and Consulting Service, Inc. according to ISO 14855-1 and by using the Microbial Oxidative Degradation Analyzer (MODA) instrument according to ISO/DIS 14855-2. PCL powders were faster biodegraded than cellulose powders. The reproducibility of biodegradation of PCL powders is excellent. Differences in the biodegradation of PCL powders with different class were not observed by the ISO 14851 and ISO/DIS 14855-2. An enzymatic degradation test of PCL powders with different class was studied using an enzyme of Amano Lipase PS. PCL with smaller particle size was faster degraded by the enzyme. PCL powders with regulated sizes from 125 μm to 250 μm are proposed as a reference material for the biodegradation test.     

Coordinating a group departure: who produces the piping signals on honeybee swarms?

A swarm of honeybees provides a striking example of an animal group performing a synchronized departure for a new location; in this case, thousands of bees taking off at once to fly to a new home. However, the means by which this is achieved remain unclear. Shortly before takeoff, one hears a crescendo of a high-pitched mechanical signal—worker piping—so we explored the role of this signal in coordinating a swarm’s mass takeoff. Specifically, we examined whether exclusively nest site scouts produce the worker piping signal or whether it is produced in a relay or chain reaction fashion. We found no evidence that bees other than the scouts that have visited the swarm’s chosen nest site produce piping signals. This absence of relay communication in piping suggests that it is a signal that only primes swarms for takeoff and that the release of takeoff is triggered by some other signal or cue; perhaps the takeoff of bees on the swarm periphery as they reach flight temperature in response to piping.     

Disease prevention and resistance in social insects: modeling the survival consequences of immunity,hygienic behavior,and colony organization

Understanding the origin of disease resistance in social insects is difficult due to the lack of well-established phylogenies of presocial and eusocial species and the absence of extant basal and intermediate forms. Moreover, comprehensive accounts of infection-control traits in social insect lineages are not available. Therefore, to explore the evolution of pathogen control in social insects we used cellular automata models to analyze the efficacy of immunity and nest hygiene, which we assumed were basal traits, and allogrooming, which likely followed the transition to eusociality, and their interactions with colony demography and patterns of worker spatial distribution. Models showed that nest hygiene provided an immediate survival benefit and that immunity lowered overall disease susceptibility under both constant and periodic exposure scenarios. Allogrooming increased survivorship in chronically challenged colonies but also increased pathogen transmission rates under conditions of periodic exposure. Colonies having demographies biased towards young or old individuals had slightly higher mortality than those with heterogeneous demographies. The distribution of older individuals relative to the nest center had no significant effect on susceptibility and provided only a minor survival advantage. Models indicated that nest hygiene and immunity function on different temporal scales and can interact with demography to lower disease risks. Our results suggest how infection control systems in social insects could have been built upon the inducible immune defenses and nest hygienic behaviors of solitary and presocial ancestors and served as important preadaptations to manage disease exposure and transmission in colonies of eusocial species.     

珍贵油料植物诸葛菜的研究

四川大学植物遗传研究室经过几年的调查研究,发现诸葛菜的农艺性状较好,分枝多、角果多,每果子粒多,千粒重较重,含油量较高,特别是油分品质优异,其营养价值高的脂肪酸如油酸和亚油酸的含量较高,分别为20.32％,和53.17％,其营养价值低的脂肪酸如亚麻酸和芥酸的含量较低,分别为4.76％和0.94％,是油菜优质育种的优异新种源,可以作为油菜远缘杂交育种亲本,并可能选育出优质油料新作物。本文对诸葛菜的开花授粉习性作了观察,对核型特点作了分析,可供育种工作的参考,诸葛菜主产中国。四川大学在国内外首先推荐这种有希望的油料新种源。     

First inter-laboratory comparison exercise for the determination of anticancer drugs in aqueous samples

The results of an inter-laboratory comparison exercise to determine cytostatic anticancer drug residues in surface water, hospital wastewater and wastewater treatment plant effluent are reported. To obtain a critical number of participants, an invitation was sent out to potential laboratories identified to have the necessary knowledge and instrumentation. Nine laboratories worldwide confirmed their participation in the exercise. The compounds selected (based on the extent of use and laboratories capabilities) included cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, 5-fluorouracil, gemcitabine, etoposide, methotrexate and cisplatinum. Samples of spiked waste (hospital and wastewater treatment plant effluent) and surface water, and additional non-spiked hospital wastewater, were prepared by the organising laboratory (Jo?ef Stefan Institute) and sent out to each participant partner for analysis. All analytical methods included solid phase extraction (SPE) and the use of surrogate/internal standards for quantification. Chemical analysis was performed using either liquid or gas chromatography mass (MS) or tandem mass (MS/MS) spectrometry. Cisplatinum was determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). A required minimum contribution of five laboratories meant that only cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, methotrexate and etoposide could be included in the statistical evaluation. z-score and Q test revealed 3 and 4 outliers using classical and robust approach, respectively. The smallest absolute differences between the spiked values and the measured values were observed in the surface water matrix. The highest within-laboratory repeatability was observed for methotrexate in all three matrices (CV?≤?12 %). Overall, inter-laboratory reproducibility was poor for all compounds and matrices (CV 27–143 %) with the only exception being methotrexate measured in the spiked hospital wastewater (CV?=?8 %). Random and total errors were identified by means of Youden plots.     

曲霉对水中重金属的吸附去除

利用2种曲霉A.sojae M146和A.oryzae M149的菌体，作为吸附剂对水中Pb^2＋和Cd^2 进行去除实验。结果表明，曲霉菌体的最佳培养时间为72h，吸附的最佳pH为5．5、温度为30℃、时间为1h。在最佳实验条件下，A.sojae M146对Pb^2 和Cd^2 的吸附率，分别为69．76％和72．28％；A.oryzae M149对Pb^2 和Cd^2 的吸附率，分别为60．64％和81．34％。使用稀碱溶液对曲霉菌体进行浸泡预处理后，可提高对重金属的吸附去除效果；而使用稀释、乙醇水溶液以及蒸馏水对菌体浸泡后，明显降低了重金属的去除效果。Na2CO3和EDTA溶液，可以有效地将重金属从曲霉体上解吸下来，从而达到重复利用菌体作为吸附剂的目的。     

人工湿地对水产养殖废水典型污染物的去除

考察了5种常见湿地植物黄菖蒲、芦苇、千屈菜、再力花和香蒲对水产养殖废水的净化能力以及生理生长指标,结果表明,黄菖蒲的氮磷吸收能力最强而芦苇较差。构建黄菖蒲、芦苇水平潜流人工湿地研究植物对水产养殖废水典型污染物的净化效果的影响,发现两者对COD、TP、TN和抗生素均有较好去除效果。其中,黄菖蒲湿地对TN的去除效果(HRT=4 d,去除率71%)显著优于芦苇湿地(HRT=4 d,去除率29%),分析其原因在于黄菖蒲湿地因其较强的吸收能力和反硝化作用使其对高NO3--N废水有较好的去除效果。研究中还发现,水力停留时间对TN、NO3--N、NH4+-N和NO2--N的去除效果有较大的影响。两种湿地对恩诺沙星的去除效果优于磺胺甲恶唑和氟甲砜霉素,不同人工湿地植物对3种抗生素的去除效果差异不大,水力停留时间对磺胺甲恶唑的去除有显著的影响。     

黄河源区鄂陵湖中多环芳烃的百年沉积记录

为研究黄河源区多环芳烃（PAHs）的污染历史,于2016年7月在鄂陵湖中采集了沉积物柱芯,采用²¹⁰Pb定年,利用气相色谱串联三重四级杆质谱仪（GC-MS/MS）分析了16种PAHs,运用有序聚类分析对PAHs的垂向分布进行分带,并采取主成分分析及多元线性回归定量分析了PAHs的来源.结果表明,鄂陵湖沉积柱的沉积速率为0.176cm/a,慢于青藏高原多数湖泊.总PAHs的含量为11.3~54.7ng/g,平均值为29.2ng/g,与其他高原和偏远地区湖泊沉积物相比,处于较低水平,可被视为PAHs的全球沉积物背景值.PAHs的垂向变化分为1948年以前、1948~1976和1976~2016年3个时间段,5~6环PAHs在1948~2016年间呈上升趋势,与青海省人口及大型牲畜数量显著相关,反映了鄂陵湖地区近70a来的人类活动以农牧业为主.PAHs来源分为本地源（23%）以及长距离迁移与本地混合源（77%）.本地源的垂向变化与5~6环PAHs一致,代表了青藏高原地区以牛粪饼为主要燃料的生物质燃烧源.     

Land use change and landslide characteristics analysis for community-based disaster mitigation

On August 8, 2009, Typhoon Morakot brought heavy rain to Taiwan, causing numerous landslides and debris flows in the Taihe village area of Meishan Township, Chiayi County, in south-central Taiwan. In the Taihe land is primary used for agriculture and land use management may be a factor in the area’s landslides. This study explores Typhoon Morakot-induced landslides and land use changes between 1999 and 2009 using GIS with the aid of field investigation. Spot 5 satellite images with a resolution of 2.5 m are used for landslide interpretation and manually digitalized in GIS. A statistical analysis for landslide frequency–area distribution was used to identify the landslide characteristics associated with different types of land use. There were 243 landslides with a total area of 2.75 km² in the study area. The area is located in intrinsically fragile combinations of sandstone and shale. Typhoon Morakot-induced landslides show a power–law distribution in the study area. Landslides were mainly located in steep slope areas containing natural forest and in areas planted with bamboo, tea, and betel nut. Land covered with natural forest shows the highest landslide ratio, followed by bamboo, betel nut, and tea. Landslides thus show a higher ratio in areas planted with shallow root vegetation such as bamboo, betel nut, and tea. Furthermore, the degree of basin development is proportional to the landslide ratio. The results show that a change in vegetation cover results in a modified landslide area and frequency and changed land use areas have higher landslide ratios than non-changed. Land use management and community-based disaster prevention are needed in mountainous areas of Taiwan for hazard mitigation.