Cytogenetic analysis of chorionic villi for prenatal diagnosis: An ACC collaborative study of U.K. data

A prospective 3-year collaborative study was undertaken in 1987 to collect cytogenetic data from diagnostic chorionic villus samples (CVS) in the U.K. in order to determine the predictive value of the chromosome abnormalities encountered. Twenty-seven laboratories contributed a total number of 7595 cases, of which 97·6 per cent were successful. Excluding single cell anomalies, a total of 480 cytogenetic abnormalities were reported, of which 137 were familial structural rearrangements and 343 were de novo problems. Non-mosaic trisomies of chromosomes 13, 18, and 21 (n=157), non-mosaic sex chromosome abnormalities (n=33), and triploidy (n=6) were all confirmed in cells of fetal origin where follow-up information was available. Of the nine remaining non-mosaics including tetraploidy, trisomies of other autosomes, and extra markers, only a trisomy 16 and a case of a supernumerary marker proved genuine. Eighty-eight cases of mosaicism were reported to the study, of which only nine were confirmed as genuine: two cases involving chromosome 13, one trisomy 18, two examples of extra marker chromosomes, three 45,X, and one 47,XXX. There were no reports of false-negative findings. Presumptive maternal cell contamination was encountered in 39 cases, a detected incidence of 0·5 per cent. Four cases of presumptive ‘vanishing twin’ were recorded: in three of these, direct preparations showed a female karyotype, whereas cultures indicated a male (with male fetuses in two cases). The fourth case was of a female fetus with male and female cells in the CVS cultures. Subtle structural chromosome abnormalities were missed in three instances. Accurate prediction of the fetal karyotype was shown to require detailed knowledge of both the nature and the distribution of abnormal cells in the extra-embryonic tissues. In many cases, this could only be made where results from direct preparations and cultured cells were available. A number of conclusions were reached from these and similar data in the literature regarding the reliability of chromosome findings in CVS.     

How Many Species Are There in Brazil?

Abstract:  We produced estimates of the total number of species currently known and the total numbers predicted to occur in Brazil. Lists of species recorded in Brazil were obtained from specialists and the literature. For taxa lacking information on total known species, we produced estimates based on bootstrap resampling from a set of 87 taxa with checklists for Brazil and the world. The estimated proportion of Brazilian species was 9.5% of the world total (95% CI, 8.5 to 11.5%). From this we estimated a known Brazilian biota of 170,000 to 210,000 species. We used a similar procedure to estimate Brazil's total biota—known plus undiscovered. Based on 17 relatively well-known taxa, the average Brazilian share in the world's biota was estimated at 13.1% (CI 10.0 to 17.6%). Accordingly we estimated the country's total biota at 1.8 million species (CI 1.4 to 2.4 million). Given that the Neotropics is the least-studied major region of the world, these figures are still likely to be underestimates and hence may be taken as a lower bound of the actual proportion of the world's species that occur in Brazil. Scientists, policy makers, and citizens will find these numbers useful in appreciating the magnitude of the tasks involved in surveying, describing, and conserving the country's biota. The numbers also bring proposals and priorities into a more realistic perspective.     

Habitat Split as a Cause of Local Population Declines of Amphibians with Aquatic Larvae

Abstract:  Most amphibian species have biphasic life histories and undergo an ontogenetic shift from aquatic to terrestrial habitats. In deforested landscapes, streams and forest fragments are frequently disjunct, jeopardizing the life cycle of forest-associated amphibians with aquatic larvae. We tested the impact of habitat split—defined as human-induced disconnection between habitats used by different life-history stages of a species—on four forest-associated amphibian species in a severely fragmented landscape of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We surveyed amphibians in forest fragments with and without streams (referred to as wet and dry fragments, respectively), including the adjacent grass-field matrix. Our comparison of capture rates in dry fragments and nearby streams in the matrix allowed us to evaluate the number of individuals that engaged in high-risk migrations through nonforested habitats. Adult amphibians moved from dry fragments to matrix streams at the beginning of the rainy season, reproduced, and returned at the end of the breeding period. Juveniles of the year moved to dry fragments along with adults. These risky reproductive migrations through nonforested habitats that expose individuals to dehydration, predation, and other hazards may cause population declines in dry fragments. Indeed, capture rates were significantly lower in dry fragments compared with wet fragments. Declining amphibians would strongly benefit from investments in the conservation and restoration of riparian vegetation and corridors linking breeding and nonbreeding areas.     

Challenges and Opportunities for Biodiversity Conservation in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Abstract:  With endangered status and more than 8,000 endemic species, the Atlantic Forest is one of the world's 25 biodiversity hotspots. Less than 100,000 km² (about 7%) of the forest remains. In some areas of endemism, all that is left are immense archipelagos of tiny and widely separated forest fragments. In addition to habitat loss, other threats contributing to forest degradation include the harvesting of firewood, illegal logging, hunting, plant collecting, and invasion by alien species—all despite the legislation that exists for the forest's protection. More than 530 plants and animals occurring in the forest are now officially threatened, some at the biome level, some throughout Brazil, and some globally. Many species have not been recorded in any protected areas, indicating the need to rationalize and expand the parks system. Although conservation initiatives have increased in number and scale during the last two decades, they are still insufficient to guarantee the conservation of Atlantic Forest biodiversity. To avoid further deforestation and massive species loss in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest, the challenge is to integrate the diverse regulations, public policies, new opportunities, and incentive mechanisms for forest protection and restoration and the various independent projects and programs carried out by governments and nongovernmental organizations into a single and comprehensive strategy for establishing networks of sustainable landscapes throughout the region.     

“绿色流域建设”的湖泊富营养化防治思路及其在洱海的应用

虽然经过“十一五”阶段的治理,但我国湖泊富营养化形势依然严峻,湖泊富营养化治理仍然是目前我国水环境领域最为艰巨的任务之一. 根据长期在湖泊富营养化治理领域的研究与实践经验,提出我国应“立足流域进行统筹规划和治理,建设湖泊绿色流域”的湖泊富营养化防治思路. 通过梳理和提炼,提出了湖泊绿色流域构建的六大体系,即“产业结构调整控污减排、污染源工程治理与控制、低污染水处理与净化、清水产流机制修复、湖泊水体生境改善、流域系统管理与生态文明建设”. 同时,将“湖泊绿色流域建设”思路应用在洱海水污染防治工作中,针对洱海水污染特征与治理定位,提出了洱海水污染防治的技术路线,构建了洱海绿色流域建设的六大体系.      

石化企业地震次生火灾危险性评估与对策研究

研究了石化企业地震次生火灾起火概率与可燃物危险性分类级别和设备地震破坏级别之间的关系，提出了石化企业地震次生火灾起火概率的计算方法，并对国内某石化厂厂区的地震次生大灾源进行了危险性分析，评估了在未来可能发生的地震灾害中地震次生火灾的危险性。同时，提出了防止和减轻地震次生火灾的时策。     

太湖、巢湖水体CDOM吸收特性和组成的异同

2009年4、6月,分别对太湖、巢湖进行了野外试验.利用光谱微分技术分析了2个湖泊CDOM吸收光谱的变化特征,根据吸收系数的光谱微分特征,对240～450nm的吸收系数进行分段,分别对每一段计算光谱斜率S值.在A段,巢湖、太湖CDOM的S值分别在:0.0166～0.0102nm-1[平均值(0.0132±0.0017)nm-1]和0.029～0.017nm-1[平均值(0.0214±0.0024)nm-1]之间,在B段,其S值分别在:0.0187～0.0148nm-1[平均值(0.0169±0.001)nm-1]和0.0179～0.0055nm-1[平均值(0.0148±0.002)nm-1]之间,在C段,其S值分别在:0.0208～0.0164nm-1[平均值(0.0186±0.0009)nm-1]和0.0253～0.0161nm-1[平均值(0.0197±0.002)nm-1]之间.结果表明:①太湖水体的吸收系数及对各组分吸收的贡献要小于巢湖水体的,标准化吸收系数要大于巢湖水体的.②不管是太湖还是巢湖,CDOM的吸收系数的微分光谱在260nm左右为谷值,在290nm左右为峰值,CDOM吸收系数可以分成(A、B、C)3段.③太湖水体中CDOM腐殖酸的相对含量整体要低于巢湖水体的.④S值反映CDOM组成的敏感性,与CDOM的组成有关,当CDOM中腐殖酸相对含量较高时,敏感性最强的是B段的S值,其次是C段的;反之,敏感性最高的是C段的,其次是A段的,最弱的是B段的.     

Antibiotic Resistance of Enterococcus spp. Isolated from Wastewater and Sludge of Poultry Slaughterhouses

Antibiotimicrobial resistance was investigated in 537 Enterococcus spp. isolates recovered from 22 samples of crude inflow, treated effluent and sludge collected in wastewater treatment plants of eight poultry slaughterhouses of Portugal. No significant differences (P > 0.05) were found in the resistance to each antimicrobial agent with regards to the origin of the sample (inflow, sludge and effluent). Many of the isolates displayed resistance to tetracycline (85.7%), erythromycin (45.7%), nitrofurantoin (34.0%) and rifampicin (17.8%). Resistance was also observed, but to a lesser extent, to ciprofloxacin (10.2%), ampicillin (8.0%), chloramphenicol (4.6%), vancomycin (0.9%) and gentamicin (0.4%). Resistance to three or more antimicrobial classes was present in 37.1% of the isolates. Wastewater treatment resulted in viable enterococci decrease between less than 1 log and 4 log; nevertheless, more than 4.4 × 10⁵ colony forming units (CFU)/100 mL were present in the outflow of the plants and thus resistant enterococci are not prevented from reaching the general environment.     

美国的“百年老刊”《科学》（SOIENCE）杂志探微

通过对美国《科学》，这一在国际科技界享有很高声望的“百年老刊”的分析研究，指出《科学》杂志在文本结构，来稿录用，定价发行，主编意识等方面值得我国科技期刊应该学习和借鉴之处。