亚洲Ⅰ型口蹄疫病毒核酸检测标准物质的制备研究

针对目前口蹄疫病毒核酸扩增检测缺乏标准物质的现状,以口蹄疫病毒亚洲Ⅰ型核酸为模板,分别设计引物扩增具有检测意义的5′端1nt～2208nt的片段(含完整的5′NCR)和3012nt～5155nt片段(含完整1D～2B区域),并克隆于pMD20-T。测序后采用体外转录方法制备2种RNA纯品,进行初步定量稀释后等量混合分装。采用荧光定量RT-PCR方法进行均匀性和稳定性检验后,委托外部实验室对RNA片段进行拷贝数定值。结果显示,制备的标准品均匀性和稳定性良好。     

Development of a Chemosensor for the In Situ Monitoring of Thallium in the Water Network

Thallium is an emerging contaminant, which can be retained in scale encrustation within the pipeline and then released to drinking water. It is included in the Priority Pollutant List of the U.S. EPA. In this study, a sample from the water pipeline of Pietrasanta (Italy), affected by the contamination of thallium, is characterized by SEM-EDS, TGA, and FT-IR. Fluorescence spectroscopy is then proposed as the optimal technique for the detection of the contaminant. The functionality of a previously reported fluorescent calix[4]arene-based chemosensor is verified first on a standard solution of thallium nitrate and then on the sample under investigation. The quenching of the fluorescence of the sensor during the complexation of thallium is confirmed, identifying an ON-OFF sensor with high sensitivity, able to detect concentrations as low as 10^?6 M and with high potential of development for the in situ and fast monitoring of the pollutant in the water network.     

Effects of Glyphosate on Somatic and Ovarian Growth in the Estuarine Crab <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neohelice granulata</Emphasis>, During the Pre-Reproductive Period

Adult females of the estuarine crab Neohelice granulata were exposed during the 3-month pre-reproductive period (winter) to the herbicide glyphosate, the most used pesticide in Argentina, at three different concentrations (0.02, 0.2, and 1 mg/L, as active ingredient). At the end of the in vivo assay, the body weight gain and the ovarian growth were estimated, the last one in terms of the gonadosomatic index (GSI), the relative proportion of the different kind of oocytes, and their relative size. A decrease in the body weight gain was observed by effect of pure glyphosate, at all concentrations assayed. Although no differences in either the GSI or vitellogenic protein content of the ovary were noted between any glyphosate concentration and control, a higher proportion of reabsorbed vitellogenic oocytes was observed in the ovaries of crabs exposed to glyphosate at 1 mg/L, together with an increased area of previtellogenic oocytes. These effects were confirmed in vitro, at a glyphosate concentration of 0.2 mg/L. In fact, a higher area of previtellogenic oocytes was seen when glyphosate was added to the culture medium containing ovarian tissue, but a significant higher incidence of reabsorbed vitellogenic oocytes was seen only when eyestalk tissue was also added to the vials, suggesting that the secretion of some neurohormone involved in reabsorption is enhanced. The obtained results indicate that glyphosate is able to harm, in the studied species, both somatic and the ovarian growth.     

Historic and current fire regimes in the Great Xing’an Mountains,northeastern China: Implications for long-term forest management

Understanding both historic and current fire regimes is indispensable to sustainable forest landscape management. In this paper, we use a spatially explicit landscape simulation model, LANDIS, to simulate historic and current fire regimes in the Great Xing’an Mountains, in northeastern China. We analyzed fire frequency, fire size, fire intensity, and spatial pattern of burnt patches. Our simulated results show that fire frequency under the current fire scenario is lower than under the historic fire scenario; total area burnt is larger with lower fire intensity under the historic fire scenario, and smaller with higher fire intensity under the current fire scenario. We also found most areas were burned by high intensity fires under the current fire scenario, but by low to moderate fires under the historic fire scenario. Burnt patches exhibit a different pattern between the two simulation scenarios. Large patches burnt by high intensity class fires dominate the landscape under the current fire scenario, and under historic fire scenario, patches burnt by low to moderate fire intensity fires have relatively larger size than those burnt by high intensity fires. Based on these simulated results, we suggest that prescribed burning or coarse woody debris reduction should be incorporated into forest management plans in this region, especially on north-facing slopes. Tree planting may be a better management option on these severely burned areas whereas prescribed burning after small area selective cutting, retaining dispersed seed trees, may be a sound forest management alternative in areas except for the severely burned patches.     

New alleles of chicken CD8 alpha and CD3d found in Chinese native and western breeds

Chinese native chicken breeds provide useful resources for the study of genetic diversity. In this study, the alleles of CD8 alpha and CD3d cDNA from Chinese native and introduced western breeds of chicken were analyzed at the sequence level. Six alleles were found, due to 13 amino acid replacements in the extracellular domain of the CD8 alpha sequence. There were four alleles detected in the Chinese strains, and alleles 5 and 6 were identified for the first time. Allele 6 was shared by Langshan, Beijing Fatty and Recessive White Feather chickens. Allele 2, found in the Bigbone strain, was the same as that found in the Leghorn strain H.B15.H7, and allele 3 in the Xianju breed was also the same as in the Leghorn strain H.B15.H12. Two Leghorn lines (RPL line 7 and AY519197) and the Camellia possessed an allele (alleles 1, 4 and 5), respectively, that was not found in the other lines. Nine out of 13 amino acid replacements were situated in the putative major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I binding CDR1 (positions 30, 33 and 34), CDR2 (positions 58, 62, 63 and 65) and CDR3 (positions 90 and 106). Except for the Xianju breed, the CD8 alpha cDNA of Chinese native chicken breeds shared high homology. Two alleles were found in CD3d. Three additional nucleotides were found at positions 64, 65 and 66 in the newly discovered allele 2. This led to a difference of four amino acids (at residues 22, 23, 24 and 25) in the extracellular domain of CD3d cDNA from the Gushi, Recessive White Feather and ISA chickens compared with these of the White Leghorn and T11.15 (NM_205512). Five hybridoma clones (1C9, 1H5, 4B11, 6G5 and 13C5) against chicken CD8 alpha were generated by DNA immunization. Two monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 6G5 and 4B11, showed reactivity to the splenocytes from five Chinese native chicken breeds, the Recessive White Feather chicken and the Leghorn (AY519197), while mAbs 1C9, 1H5 and 13C5 showed no reaction with these breeds.     

Sorption of copper(II) from synthetic oil sands process-affected water (OSPW) by pine sawdust biochars: effects of pyrolysis temperature and steam activation

Purpose

Remediate metal contamination is a fundamental step prior to reclaim oil sands tailing ponds, and copper (Cu(II)) is the most abundant metal in the tailings water or oil sands process-affected water (OSPW). Biochars produced at four pyrolysis conditions were evaluated for sorption of Cu(II) in synthetic OSPW to explore different biochar potentials in removing Cu(II) from the contaminated water.

Materials and methods

Pine sawdust biochars pyrolyzed at 300 and 550 °C with and without steam activation were investigated by batch sorption experiments. Isotherm and kinetic studies were conducted to compare the sorption capacities of the four biochars and to examine potential mechanisms involved.

Results and discussion

For all the biochars, Langmuir and pseudo-second order models were the best-fit for isotherm and kinetic studies, respectively. According to the Langmuir parameters, the maximum adsorption capacities of the biochars produced at 550 °C were around 2.5 mg Cu(II)?g^?1, which were 30-folds higher than those produced at 300 °C. However, steam activation did not cause any significant difference in the biochars’ sorption performance. The kinetic study suggested that chemisorption involving valence forces was the limiting factor of the sorption. In addition, ion exchange and precipitation were likely the primary mechanisms for Cu(II) sorption which outweigh complexation with functional groups on the biochars’ surface.

Conclusions

Pine sawdust biochar produced at 550 °C without steam activation could be utilized as a sustainable and cost-effective material to remove Cu(II) from the OSPW.

     

Quantitative trait loci mapping for yield-related traits under low and high planting densities in maize (Zea mays)

Average maize yield per hectare has increased significantly because of the improvement in high-density tolerance, but little attention has been paid to the genetic mechanism of grain yield response to high planting density. Here, we used a population of 301 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross YE478 × 08–641 to detect quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for 16 yield-related traits under two planting densities (57,000 and 114,000 plants per ha) across four environments. These yield-related traits responded differently to high-density stress. A total of 110 QTLs were observed for these traits: 33 QTLs only under low planting density, 50 QTLs under high planting density and 27 QTLs across both densities. Only two major QTLs, qCD6 and qWKEL2-2, were identified across low- and high-density treatments. Seven environmentally stable QTLs were also observed containing qED6, qWKEL3, qRN3-3, qRN7-2, qRN9-2 and qRN10 across both densities, as well as qRN9-1 under low density. In addition, 16 and eight pairs of loci with epistasis interaction (EPI) were detected under low and high planting densities, respectively. Additionally, nine and 17 loci showed QTL × environment interaction (QEI) under low- and high-density conditions, respectively. These interactions are of lesser importance than the main QTL effects. We also observed 26 pleiotropic QTL clusters, and the hotspot region 3.08 concentrated nine QTLs, suggesting its great importance for maize yield. These findings suggested that multiple minor QTLs, loci with EPI and QEI, pleiotropy and the complex network of “crosstalk” among them for yield-related traits were greatly influenced by plant density, which increases our understanding of the genetic mechanism of yield-related traits for high-density tolerance.     

Can mouth part deformities of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chironomus riparius</Emphasis> serve as indicators for water and sediment pollution? A laboratory approach

Purpose  

The significance of chironomids mouthpart deformities as suitable indicators for pollutant contamination of natural waters and sediments has been investigated and discussed for several decades. Uncertainties still exist as further laboratory studies, with different pollutants and with the same experimental design are required.     

超干燥水稻种子贮藏研究

硅胶作干燥剂,超干燥水稻种子（灿,粳）。研究不同干燥方式的干燥速度及对种子生活力的影响。由含水量８．１％￣９．４％干燥至７％、５％、４％、３％,２％后密封贮存于０℃,温室（１５￣３０℃）,４５℃。定期测定种子生活力和活力。结果表明,种子与硅胶重量之比１：１０加风扇干燥速度最快,几种干燥方式对种子生活力没有影响。水稻种子的超干燥临界含水量为３％。经过５年３个月的贮藏后表明,贮于４５℃老化的籼,粳稻种