Experience in quantitative analysis of floristic structure and diversity in Samarskaya Luka

Quantitative methods have been applied to the study of floristic structure and diversity in Samarskaya Luka. The results show that Samarskaya Luka is a floristically heterogeneous area in which six elementary floras can be distinguished. This area has been assessed as a floristically autonomous formation, and its floristic representativeness was estimated.     

First-trimester fetal sex determination in maternal serum using real-time PCR

An Erratum has been published for this article in Prenatal Diagnosis 22(13) 2002, 1241. Fetal sex prediction can be achieved using PCR targeted at the SRY gene by analysing cell-free fetal DNA in maternal serum. Unfortunately, the results reported to date show a lack of sensitivity, especially during the first trimester of pregnancy. Therefore, determination of fetal sex by maternal serum analysis could not replace karyotype analysis following chorionic villus sampling. A new highly sensitive real-time PCR was developped to detect an SRY gene sequence in maternal serum. Analysis was performed on 121 pregnant women during the first trimester of pregnancy (mean gestational age: 11.8 weeks). Among them, 51 had at least one previous male-bearing pregnancy. Results were compared with fetal sex. SRY PCR analysis of maternal serum was in complete concordance with fetal sex. Among the 121 pregnant women, 61 were bearing a male fetus and 60 a female fetus. No false-negative results were observed. Furthermore, no false-positive results occurred, even though 27 women carrying a female fetus during the current pregnancy had at least one previous male-bearing pregnancy. This study demonstrates that a reliable, non-invasive sex determination can be achieved by PCR analysis of maternal serum during the first trimester of pregnancy. This non-invasive approach for fetal sex prediction should have great implications in the management of pregnant women who are carriers of an X-linked genetic disorder. Prenatal diagnosis might thus be performed for male fetuses only, avoiding invasive procedures and the risk of the loss of female fetuses. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Preimplantation genetic diagnosis of the fragile X syndrome by use of linked polymorphic markers

Fragile X syndrome is the most common cause of familial mental retardation. The most common mutation is expansion of a triplet (CGG)_n repeat in the 5′ untranslated region of the FMR1 gene on Xq27.3. The expansion is refractory to PCR due to preferential amplification of the smaller allele in heterozygous cells and the high GC content of the repeat and surrounding sequences. Direct detection of the normal parental alleles in preimplantation embryos has been used for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) of this disorder. However, this approach is only suitable for approximately 63% of couples due to the heterozygosity of the repeat in the normal population. As an alternative we investigated the use of polymorphic markers flanking the mutation to track the normal and premutation carrying maternal chromosomes in preimplantation embryos. Using a panel of 11 polymorphisms, six (CA)_n repeats and five single nucleotide polymorphisms, diagnosis was developed for 90% of referred couples. Multiplex amplification of informative markers was tested in 300 single buccal cells from interested couples with efficiency and allele drop out (ADO) rates ranging from 69% to 96% and 6% to 18%, respectively. Use of this approach is accurate and applicable to a larger number of patients at risk of transmitting fragile X to their offspring. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A comparison of different lysis buffers to assess allele dropout from single cells for preimplantation genetic diagnosis

Single cell polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) requires high efficiency and accuracy. Allele dropout (ADO), the random amplification failure of one of the two parental alleles, remains the most significant problem in PCR-based PGD testing since it can result in serious misdiagnosis for compound heterozygous or autosomal dominant conditions. A number of different strategies (including the use of lysis buffers to break down the cell and make the DNA accessible) have been employed to combat ADO with varying degrees of success, yet there is still no consensus among PGD centres over which lysis buffer should be used (ESHRE PGD Consortium, 1999 ). To address this issue, PCR amplification of three genes (CFTR, LAMA3 and PKP1) at different chromosomal loci was investigated. Single lymphocytes from individuals heterozygous for mutations within each of the three genes were collected and lysed in either alkaline lysis buffer (ALB) or proteinase K/SDS lysis buffer (PK). PCR amplification efficiencies were comparable between alkaline lysis and proteinase K lysis for PCR products spanning each of the three mutated loci (ΔF508 in CFTR 90% vs 88%; R650X in LAMA3 82% vs 78%; and Y71X in PKP1 91% vs 87%). While there was no appreciable difference between ADO rates between the two lysis buffers for the LAMA3 PCR product (25% vs 26%), there were significant differences in ADO rates between ALB and PK for the CFTR PCR product (0% vs 23%) and the PKP1 PCR product (8% vs 56%). Based on these results, we are currently using ALB in preference to PK/SDS buffer for the lysis of cells in clinical PGD. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

淹水时间对土壤粘闭的影响

本文研究了植稻前淹水时间长短对土壤物理性质和粘闭作用的影响。结果表明,淹水可以显著地降低土壤强度,但土壤抗穿透力并不随淹水时间的延长而进一步明显下降;延长淹水时间,可以促进土壤粉粒和粘粒的分散,但土壤粘闭胼形成的有效粘闭层厚度以及粘闭后表层土壤强度的降低、主要受所使用的粘闭机具的影响,而与淹水时间的长短无关。因此,过分地延长淹水时间的措施,在生产实践上的意义并不大。     

现行财税体制下我国耕地资源数量变化的实证研究

耕地资源数量变化受到人口、经济等诸多因素的影响，而财税体制是影响耕地资源数量变化的更深屡次原因。通过数量关系的初步观察和作用机理分析说明我国现行财税体制对耕地资源数量变化存在正反两方面作用，总体来看，对耕地资源保护不利。计量结果进一步证实了我国现行财税体制对耕地资源数量变化存在显著影响。揭示了其影响的方向和大小。根据研究结果，文章有针对性地提出了增加地方财政预算收入，合理分配土地出让金比例和科学使用土地出让金等相关政策建议。     

Pitfalls in molecular diagnosis in a family with severe factor VII (FVII) deficiency—misdiagnosis by direct sequence analysis using a PCR product

Molecular diagnostic tests are becoming a routine analysis in many laboratories. These modern analyses are widely used in clinical medicine, forensic, genetic and prenatal diagnosis and also in preimplantation genetic diagnosis. The accuracy of analysis is highly dependent on the success achieved in minimising genotyping errors. The pitfalls in molecular diagnostic tests can be due to a simple technique such as the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) used universally. This technique is routinely used for its apparent accuracy, but it is also a well-known source of errors. We report an error introduced during PCR reaction that leads to a wrong sequence result and consequently to a ‘false’ molecular result in a next prenatal diagnosis in a family with severe factor VII (FVII) deficiency. This error was verified using an unsuitable primer design in a rich repetitive sequence of the FVII gene that leads to a false annealing and then to a wrong molecular diagnosis. It is essential to link closely molecular data with clinical and phenotype analysis in order to avoid false-negative or false-positive results, which is of great importance to diagnosis and molecular prevention. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

离子液体吸收废印刷线路板热拆解过程中挥发性有机物——基于COSMO-RS模型

模拟废印刷线路板（WPCB）的热拆解过程,分析热拆解过程中的挥发性有机物（VOCs）组分;利用真实溶剂似导体屏蔽（COSMO-RS）模型对浓度较高的污染物进行量子力学模拟,研究离子液体（ILs）组成单元对目标污染物溶解度的影响差异,分析溶解过程中主导分子间作用力类型,确定优选吸收剂;测定不同溶剂进行溶解性,验证模型适用性.结果表明：①乙酸乙酯和环戊酮是浓度较高的VOCs组分,在240和250℃时浓度分别为43.1,153mg/m³和105,252mg/m³,质量百分比总和分别为76.3%和67.3%.②高表面屏蔽电荷密度分布峰、长烷基链阴阳离子和亲电基团的存在可提高乙酸乙酯和环戊酮在ILs中的溶解度.双三氟甲磺酰基亚胺盐（NTf₂^-）类ILs是一类优良吸收剂.静电力和范德华力对溶解过程起主导作用.③COSMO-RS模型可定性和半定量用于预测乙酸乙酯和环戊酮的溶解度.     

pH值对亚硝酸盐氧化菌动力学及功能基因的影响

为探究pH值对亚硝酸盐氧化菌（NOB）活性动力学影响,本试验采用序批式活性污泥（SBR）反应器,以富含NOB的活性污泥为对象,基于Monod模型考察不同pH值对NOB活性动力学的影响并进行统计学分析.结果表明,Monod方程可较好地反映不同pH值条件下基质底物浓度对NOB比亚硝态氮氧化速率（SNiOR）的影响,且pH=7.0时动力学参数Ks为（6.167mg/L）,r_max为[1.134g/（g·d）],此时NOB活性最好.利用钟形经验模型进行非线性回归拟合,最大比降解速率（r_max）随pH值的增大呈钟形变化,本试验NOB的最佳pH值为（6.9±0.1）,其中r_max维持在r_opt一半以上的pH值范围（ω）为（3.26±0.4）.以亚硝酸盐氧化还原酶类基因（nxrA、nxrB）为引物,基于荧光定量PCR技术分析结果显示,在不同pH值条件下nxrA基因和nxrB基因拷贝数的变化趋势均与动力学参数（Ks、r_max）的规律一致,且nxrA和nxrB基因在系统的降解过程中起协同作用.