Mountain cheese factory wastewater treatment with the use of a hybrid constructed wetland

This paper describes the activity period of an experimental hybrid wetland system placed in a cold climate region. The aim is to determine the efficiency of the system in reducing TSS, BOD₅, COD and other pollutants. The constructed wetland consists of a fat-removal unit and a basin for the storage and the distribution of the wastewater which precedes three phytoremediation beds: the first two are parallel and they work as submerged vertical flow wetland with gravel medium for an area of 180 m²; the last is a submerged horizontal flow wetland with sand medium and an area of 360 m². The CW was designed to process a total estimated BOD₅ loading rate of about 24 g m⁻² d⁻¹, which was less than half of the average actual loading rate. The wastewater treatment did not meet the required Italian law outflow limits, most likely due to BOD₅ overloading.     

Leaching potential and forms of phosphorus in deep row applied biosolids underlying hybrid poplar

Biosolids deep row incorporation (DRI) offers an alternative recycling approach for bioenergy crop production, but phosphorus additions in excess of the vegetation requirements can potentially impair water quality. The effects of DRI of anaerobically digested (AD) and lime-stabilized (LS) biosolids at four rates (213, 426 Mg ha⁻¹ for AD and 328, 656 Mg ha⁻¹ for LS) and a single rate of conventional P fertilizer on leaching of PO₄-P, and TKP were investigated in a hybrid poplar plantation in a coastal plain heavy mineral mine reclamation site. The effects of AD and LS biosolids aging on the transformations and losses of P applied with the biosolids were also studied. Zero tension lysimeters were installed at the site to collect leachate. Samples were collected at least monthly for 30 months between July 2006 and December 2008. We also analyzed biosolids P (labile P, Al-, Fe-bound-P, Ca-bound-P, total P, Mehlich 1 P) fractions. The loss of P was determined and P binding constituents were described via regression analysis. Orthophosphate and TKP from the DRI biosolids leached in negligible amounts, and were similar to leaching from conventional P fertilization. Most of the P was Al- and Fe-bound in the AD biosolids and Ca-bound in the LS biosolids. Labile P decreased with decrease in organic C, which indicated that P leaching potential from the DRI biosolids decreased with aging. Our results indicated that P mobility from biosolids of the type used should not pose a water quality risk.     

Differential sensitivity of Ctenocephalides felis and Drosophila melanogaster nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α1 and α2 subunits in recombinant hybrid receptors to nicotinoids and neonicotinoid insecticides

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are the binding sites for nicotinoid drugs, such as nicotine and epibatidine, and are the molecular targets of the selectively insecticidal neonicotinoids. In this study we report the full length cDNA cloning of the three Ctenocephalides (C.) felis (cat flea) nAChR α subunits Cfα1, Cfα2, and Cfα3. When expressed in Xenopus oocytes as hybrid receptors with the Gallus gallus (chicken) β2 (Ggβ2) subunit, these cat flea α subunits formed acetylcholine-responsive ion channels. Acetylcholine-evoked currents of Cfα2/Ggβ2 were resistant to α-bungarotoxin, while those of Cfα1/Ggβ2 were sensitive to this snake toxin. The pharmacological profiles of Cfα1/Ggβ2, Cfα2/Ggβ2 and the chicken neuronal receptor Ggα4/Ggβ2 for acetylcholine, two nicotinoids and 6 insecticidal neonicotinoids were determined and compared. Particularly remarkable was the finding that Cfα1/Ggβ2 was far more sensitive to acetylcholine, nicotine and neonicotinoid agonists than either Cfα2/Ggβ2 or Ggα4/Ggβ2: for the anti flea neonicotinoid market compound imidacloprid the respective EC??s were 0.02 μM, 1.31 μM and 10 μM. These results were confirmed for another insect species, Drosophila melanogaster, where the pharmacological profile of the Dmα1 and Dmα2 subunits as hybrid receptors with Ggβ2 in Xenopus oocyte expressions resulted in a similar sensitivity pattern as those identified for the C. felis orthologs. Our results show that at least in a Ggβ2 hybrid receptor setting, insect α1 subunits confer higher sensitivity to neonicotinoids than α2 subunits, which may contribute in vivo to the insect-selective action of this pesticide class.     

香水莲花提取物抑制酪氨酸酶活性的研究

本实验以L-酪氨酸为底物,从马铃薯中提取酪氨酸酶,以熊果苷为阳性对照,采用比色法测定了香水莲花醇提物、水提物及总黄酮提取物对酪氨酸酶的抑制率,以探讨香水莲花醇提物、水提物及总黄酮提取物对酪氨酸酶的活性的抑制作用。结果表明,三种提取物对酪氨酸酶活性的抑制效果从高到低依次为总黄酮提取物、醇提物、水提物,说明其有效成分为醇溶性物质;总黄酮提取物对酪氨酸酶活性的抑制效果明显高于醇提物和水提物对酪氨酸酶活性的抑制效果,可以考虑将其作为一种新型的植物源美白剂,应用于化妆品行业。     

A hybrid systems framework for cellular processes

With the availability of technologies that allow us to obtain stimulus-response time series data for modeling and system identification, there is going to be an increasing need for conceptual frameworks in which to formulate and test hypotheses about intra- and inter-cellular dynamics, in general and not just dependent on a particular cell line, cell type, organism, or technology. While the semantics can be quite different, biologists and systems scientists use in many cases a similar language (notion of feedback, regulation, etc.). A more abstract system-theoretic framework for signals, systems, and control could provide the biologist with an interface between the domains. Apart from recent examples to identify functional elements and describing them in engineering terms, there have been various more abstract developments to describe dynamics at the cell level in the past. This includes Rosen's (M,R)-systems. This paper presents an abstract and general compact mathematical framework of intracellular dynamics, regulation and regime switching inspired by (M,R)-theory and based on hybrid automata.     

Responses of hybrid striped bass to waterborne and dietary copper in freshwater and saltwater

Mechanisms of copper toxicity and consequences of exposure vary due to uptake route and ionoregulatory status. The goal of this research was to develop a model fish system to assess the influence of different Cu exposure routes (waterborne or dietary) on bioavailability, uptake, and effects in hybrid striped bass (Morone chrysops x Morone saxatilis) acclimated to fresh- or saltwater. Initially, hybrid striped bass were exposed to dietary Cu concentrations of 571, 785, and 1013 mug Cu/g, along with a control (approximately 5 microg Cu/g), for 14 days in saltwater. Intestinal and liver Cu accumulated in a dose-dependent manner in fish exposed to increasing levels of dietary Cu. Chronic (42 days) experiments were then conducted to determine sub-lethal effects of aqueous, dietary, and combined aqueous and dietary Cu exposures to both freshwater- and saltwater-acclimated hybrid striped bass. Growth and Cu accumulation in the gill, intestine, and liver were measured. Although no significant effects were observed in fish exposed to waterborne Cu, those exposed through the diet accumulated significant liver and intestinal Cu but showed no significant change in growth. Overall, these results suggest that at the levels tested, exposure to elevated waterborne Cu did not cause significant long-term tissue Cu accumulation, whereas dietary Cu exposure caused significant liver and intestinal Cu accumulation in hybrid striped bass which was comparable in both freshwater and saltwater (15 g/L).     

Molecular evidence of a reed warbler × great reed warbler hybrid ( Acrocephalus scirpaceus × A. arundinaceus) in Belgium

We report on the second case of a reed warbler × great reed warbler hybrid (Acrocephalus scirpaceus and A. arundinaceus). The bird was captured during a standardised ringing session in Belgium in autumn 1999, and fell between the parental species in all measurements. Molecular analyses of two microsatellite loci verified that the bird was a female that had a reed warbler father and a great reed warbler mother.     

几个棉花核不育抗虫杂交种(F1)的抗虫性及经济性状分析

用两个不抗虫和一个抗虫的核不育系为母本,用抗虫品系为父本,配制3个杂交组合(GA×HB、GA5×R27、GA18×HB),研究分析杂交种的抗虫性、产量性状和纤维品质.结果表明3个杂交组合均高抗棉红铃虫,GA5×R27和GA18×HB以及GA×HB分别抗、中抗棉铃虫;3个组合的产量和纤维品质均优于对照.用核不育系作母本,特别是用抗虫核不育系作母本生产抗虫杂种,比用人工去雄生产杂种种子成本低,且有较好的抗虫性和丰产性,因而在棉花生产上具有更加广阔的应用前景.     

同源四倍体高粱与约翰逊草杂交的细胞遗传学研究

对约翰逊草、人工诱变四倍体高粱品系四沈甜及二者杂交种中期Ⅰ染色体构型、后期Ⅰ染色体行为进行了观察,并对花粉育性与结实率关系进行了研究。结果表明：约翰逊草、四沈甜及杂交种的染色体构型分别是：0．49Ⅰ＋15．83Ⅱ＋0．15Ⅲ＋1．60Ⅳ、0．72Ⅰ＋15．23Ⅱ＋0．075Ⅲ十2．15Ⅳ、0．68Ⅰ＋17．00Ⅱ＋0．18Ⅲ＋0．95Ⅳ。双亲及杂交种都是不规则的四倍体遗传群体。约翰逊草与同源四倍体高粱的染色体组间存在一定程度的同源性,杂交容易成功。     

一种抗菌肽和aFGF融合蛋白的构建和表达

利用PCR技术扩增出带有凝血酶Xa因子切割位点的天蚕素蜂毒素杂合肽和aFGF的融合基因,插入大肠杆菌表达载体pET-3c中,构建出表达质粒pET-aF-CM,并转化至大肠杆菌BL21（DE3）中,氨苄青霉素抗性筛选重组转化子。IPTG诱导4h后,以包涵体形式表达的融合蛋白约占菌体总蛋白的17%。将包涵体溶解后透析复性,并利用肝素亲和层析纯化,得到电泳纯的融合蛋白。Western blot分析表明,该蛋白能与aFGF抗体产生免疫反应。MTT法检测显示,融合蛋白具有促3T3Bal/b细胞分裂活性,其比活为1.471×106IU/mg。利用凝血酶Xa因子裂解融合蛋白,可以获得抗菌肽和含凝血酶Xa因子裂解序列的aFGF蛋白。分子筛回收含杂合抗菌肽,抑菌活性检测表明其对大肠杆菌K12D31具有明显抑菌活性。微量稀释法检测结果表明,回收的抗菌肽对大肠杆菌DH5α、大肠杆菌K12D31、沙门氏菌、金黄色葡萄球菌、枯草芽孢杆菌和绿脓杆菌的MIC分别达6.25μg/ml、10μg/ml、2.5μg/ml、1.25μg/ml、0.625μg/ml和5μg/ml。