Male-biassed response of garden chafer, Phyllopertha horticola L., to leaf alcohol and attraction of both sexes to floral plant volatiles

Summary. Field tests were performed to evaluate the response of the garden chafer, Phyllopertha horticola (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) to known scarab attractants and to investigate the influence of trap colour and height on the number of captured beetles. Both sexes were attracted by a lure mixture composed of geraniol, eugenol, and 2-phenylethyl propionate (PEP) (ratio 3:7:3). When testing floral volatiles individually, only geraniol, eugenol and methyl anthranilate but not PEP was attractive. Response of garden chafer to (Z)- 3-hexen-1-ol was strongly male-biassed. Both the response to floral volatiles and (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol was increased by using funnel traps with yellow instead of grey vanes. Traps positioned at 50 and 125 cm above ground captured significantly more garden chafers than those at 200 cm. The strongly male-biassed response to (Z)-3-hexen-1-ol suggests that in P. horticola (subfamily Rutelinae) orientation towards plant volatiles emitted upon mechanical damage of plants is part of the male mate finding strategy as recently demonstrated for cockchafers of the genus Melolontha (subfamily Melolonthinae). Possible application of plant volatiles for control of P. horticola is discussed.     

Effects of bifenthrin on Daphnia magna during chronic toxicity test and the recovery test

IntroductionWiththedevelopmentandapplicationofnewpesticide ,insecticidehasgreatlyreducedtheharmofpesttocrops .Bifenthrinisaneffectivepyrethroidinsecticideandacaricideagainstawiderangeofinsectpests ,anditisverypoisonoustomammal,aquatic .Thisinsecticideiswi…     

Prenatal diagnosis of the hurler syndrome: Report on 40 pregnancies at risk

In 40 pregnancies at risk for the Hurler syndrome 13 affected fetuses were detected by the demonstration of an α-L -iduronidase deficiency and an increased level of ³⁵S-sulphate incorporation. The diagnoses were confirmed by the analysis of fetal tissues and/or cultured fetal skin fibroblasts. Microassays for α-L -iduronidase, using phenyl α-L -iduronide and more recently 4–methyl-umbelliferyl α-L -iduronide, enabled a reliable diagnosis to be made within 15 to 18 days after amniocentesis. ³⁵S-sulphate incorporation has been a valuable adjunct in cases with a low (heterozygote) enzyme activity.     

Detection of fetal HLA-DQα sequences in maternal blood: A gender-independent technique of fetal cell identification

The objective of this study was to detect fetal HLA-DQα gene sequences in maternal blood. HLA-DQα genotypes of 70 pregnant women and their partners were determined for type A1. We specifically sought couples where the father, but not the mother, had genotype A1. In 12 women, maternal blood samples were flow-sorted. Candidate fetal cells were isolated and amplified by using PCR primers specific for a paternal HLA-DQα A1 allele. Fetal HLA-DQα A1 genotype was predicted from sorted cells; amniocytes or cheek swabs were used for confirmation. Six of twelve sorted samples had amplification products indicating the presence of the HLA-DQα A1 allele; 6/12 did not. Prediction of the fetal genotype was 100 per cent correct, as determined by subsequent amplification of amniocytes or cheek swabs. We conclude that paternally inherited uniquely fetal HLA-DQα gene sequences can be identified in maternal blood. This system permits the identification of fetal cells independent of fetal gender, and has the potential for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of paternally inherited conditions.     

Enzymatic degradation of poly([R,S] β-hydroxybutyrate)

The synthetic analogue of a bacterially produced polyester, poly(-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) was synthesized from racemic -butyrolactone using anin situ trimethyl aluminum-water catalyst. The polymer was fractionated into samples differing in molecular weight and isotactic diad content. The latter was closely related to degree of crystallinity. The biodegradation of these fractions were examined by monitoring mass loss over time in the presence of anAlcaligenes faecalis T1 extracellular bacterial poly(-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase. The fraction with high isotactic diad tacticity content showed little or no degradation over a 50 hour incubation period, whereas the fraction of intermediate isotactic diad content degraded in a continuous steady fashion at a rate that was less than that for bacterial PHB. The low isotactic diad fraction underwent a rapid initial degradation, followed by no further mass loss. The presence of stereoblocks in the polymer structure of the various fractions was an influence on the degree of susceptibility towards degradation and is related to sample crystallinity.     

活性污泥和生物膜复合模型的建立与模拟

针对近年来出现的城市污水处理厂活性污泥和生物膜复合工艺,首先建立了能同时描述碳氧化、脱氮和除磷的修正ASM1（Activated Sludge Model No.1）,以及与ASM1中微生物生长过程速率方程结构形式相同、物理意义明确的生物膜模型。然后将该生物膜模型与修正的ASM1相结合,形成了活性污泥和生物膜复合模型,利用VB6.0编写了相应的模拟软件。以西安市第五污水处理厂复合工艺为对象,对其碳、氮和磷的去除进行模拟,结果表明该模型可以较好地反映出水各污染指标的变化规律。通过对进水流量、填料区的位置及填料区填料的投加率进行模拟,为填料区的优化和系统运行提出了建议。     

生物酶生态修复重金属污染土壤

以多种重金属污染的土壤为材料,研究了酶对重金属的去除效果.在单因素实验基础上,采用响应面法对重金属去除的反应条件进行优化,结果表明,α-淀粉酶质量浓度0.2%、pH 3.5、反应时间12 h为最佳淋洗修复条件,Cd、Cr、Cu、Ni、Zn去除率分别为82.36%、75.02%、38.38%、34.69%和57.54%,去除率的大小顺序为Cd >Cr >Zn >Cu >Ni.酶作为土壤的组成部分,利用酶修复重金属污染的土壤,可以降低环境风险,具有较好应用前景.     

纳米零价铁-聚乳酸-生物炭复合材料协同微生物去除水中1, 1, 1-三氯乙烷

针对地下水1, 1, 1-三氯乙烷污染问题,通过溶液插层和液相还原法制备了纳米零价铁-聚乳酸-生物炭复合材料;采用扫描电镜观察、热重分析、傅里叶变换红外光谱分析和X射线衍射分析等手段对复合材料进行了表征;研究了复合材料在厌氧条件下协同胞外呼吸菌(Shewanella oneidensis MR-1)去除水中1, 1, 1-三氯乙烷的效果;确定了材料的最佳使用条件;探讨了协同体系中污染物的去除机理。结果表明：复合材料中纳米零价铁和聚乳酸颗粒较为均匀地分散于生物炭表面;材料中生物炭、聚乳酸和纳米零价铁的最佳质量比为7∶1∶2,材料最佳投加量为1.0%,且其对不同浓度污染物均有明显去除效果;在最佳条件下,培养360 h后协同体系中1, 1, 1-三氯乙烷的最大去除率为94.61%;复合材料促进胞外呼吸菌的异化铁还原脱氯是协同体系去除污染物的主要机理。该铁基生物炭复合材料能够有效协同胞外呼吸菌提高水中1, 1, 1-三氯乙烷的去除率,且具有良好的缓释长效性。     

TEPA调控AMP-DGDE水溶液相变吸收CO2性能及机理

相变吸收剂在降低CO₂捕集能耗方面具有较大优势,但现有吸收剂普遍存在再生性能差的问题。基于2-氨基-2-甲基-1-丙醇 (AMP) 的吸收剂再生性能优异,但通常难以发生相变。利用四乙烯五胺 (TEPA) 作为相变调控剂引入AMP-二乙二醇二甲醚 (DGDE) 水溶液,构建了具有良好再生性能的新型相变吸收剂AMP-DGDE-TEPA。在最佳配比下,AMP-DGDE-TEPA的吸收负荷可达0.88 mol∙mol⁻¹,其中97.6%的CO₂富集于溶液下层,下层体积仅占总体积51%。经7次吸收-解吸循环,吸收剂的吸收负荷仍能保持0.63 mol∙mol⁻¹,再生效率为71.6%。¹³C核磁共振结果表明,AMP与CO₂反应生成易于分解的碳酸氢盐,因而吸收剂具有良好的再生性能;而TEPA的引入可使系统中生成稳定的质子化TEPA和氨基甲酸盐。质子化TEPA和氨基甲酸盐具有高极性,可打破吸收剂原有的均相状态,促使吸收剂发生液-液相变。相比于DGDE,H₂O和极性反应产物之间具有更强的相互作用力,这些物质聚集形成CO₂富相,而DGDE则单独形成CO₂贫相。此外,AMP-DGDE-TEPA的再生显热和潜热仅为0.33和0.43 GJ∙t⁻¹ CO₂,具有良好的节能潜力。该研究结果可为高效低能耗碳捕集材料的制备提供参考。     

The difference of morphological characteristics and population structure in PAO and DPAOgranular sludges

We examined how long-term operation of anaerobic–oxic and anaerobic–anoxic sequencing batch reactors(SBRs) affects the enhanced biological phosphorus removal(EBPR)performance and sludge characteristics. The microbial characteristics of phosphorus accumulating organism(PAO) and denitrifying PAO(DPAO) sludge were also analyzed through a quantitative analysis of microbial community structure. Compared with the initial stage of operation characterized by unstable EBPR, both PAO and DPAO SBR produced a stable EBPR performance after about 100-day operation. From day 200 days(DPAO SBR)and 250 days(PAO SBR) onward, sludge granulation was observed, and the average granule size of DPAO SBR was approximately 5 times larger than that of PAO SBR. The DPAO granular sludge contained mainly rod-type microbes, whereas the PAO granular sludge contained coccus-type microbes. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed that a high ratio of Accumulibacter clade I was found only in DPAO SBR, revealing the important role of this organism in the denitrifying EBPR system. A pyrosequencing analysis showed that Accumulibacter phosphatis was present in PAO sludge at a high proportion of 6%,whereas it rarely observed in DPAO sludge. Dechloromonas was observed in both PAO sludge(3.3%) and DPAO sludge(3.2%), confirming that this organism can use both O_2 and NO_3~- as electron acceptors. Further, Thauera spp. was identified to have a new possibility as denitrifier capable of phosphorous uptake under anoxic condition.