南方九孔鲍培苗过程中潜在致病菌胞外产物的分析

从广东汕尾一养殖场鲍苗掉板池中(包括水、藻膜和变白鲍苗)分离筛选到105株菌,并对之进行了致病毒力因子(胞外酶及溶血作用)的分析,同时应用PCR对溶血毒素的归属进行了初步的探讨,采用API对菌株进行了种类鉴定。结果表明,105株菌中,仅35株菌具有较强的分泌胞外蛋白酶、明胶酶和脂肪酶的能力,尤其以菌株1、2、3、5、9以及16相对强大。在此35株菌中,85.6%的菌株(3035株)表现出溶血现象,但仅16株菌的TlhPCR呈阳性。API鉴定表明,35株菌中弧菌约占50%,溶藻弧菌又占弧菌的70%。研究结果揭示,和其它菌株相比,分离自变白鲍苗的6株溶藻弧菌(菌株1、2、3、5,13和16)和2株副溶血弧菌(菌株9和21)具有较强的分泌胞外酶和或溶血的能力,意味着极有必要对其作进一步的研究,以观测它们对鲍苗的影响。     

Reduction in virulence of Babesia bovis due to rapid passage in splenectomized cattle.

A marked loss of virulence of Babesia bovis for normal cattle was observed during its rapid serial, blood passage in splenectomized calves. In 2 strains studied closely, responses to infection in cattle inoculated with parasites collected from the 11th passages were minimal, although the splenectomized donors were severely affected. The change was reversed by passaging in intact hosts, and in one experiment the parasites had become very virulent at passage 5. The finding has proved useful in the preparation of safe, living vaccines to control babesiosis. Selection either for immunogenic antigens, against immunosuppressive ones, or a combination of these effects may cause the decrease in virulence.     

Reconstruction of pollutant lead invasion into the tropical North Atlantic during the twentieth century

In this study we reconstruct pollutant lead transport and input into the Caribbean basin in relation to the meteorological changes and past industrial activities. These reconstructions are based on the geochemical data obtained from massive corals collected in 1998 in Mona Island. Lead concentration profile mimics the general atmospheric lead trend obtained from the previous investigations on ice cores, carbonate skeletons and in sediments from the North Atlantic. This similarity corroborates the significance of anthropogenic impact on all reservoirs of the North Atlantic as associated with the proliferation of the automobile and use of leaded gasoline during the twentieth century. Our high-resolution record reveals a 2–4 years shift between the maximum pollutant lead input to Mona Island and leaded gasoline consumption peaks in North America, suggesting a possible longer secondary oceanic transport of US lead within the Subtropical North Atlantic Gyre system. A striking relationship is found between lead isotopic imprints and the winter North Atlantic oscillation (NAO) index for two specific periods (1914–1929 and 1965–1997). These periods are characterized by distinct isotopic signatures from the main pollutant lead emitter to the North Atlantic troposphere, North America and Western Europe. This involves a noteworthy influence of the NAO on pollutant input and distribution in the North Atlantic that strengthens the usefulness of lead isotopes as tracers of paleo-atmospheric circulation and changes in marine circulation pathways.     

应用脾动脉结扎法行全腹腔镜巨脾切除术的临床研究

目的:探讨应用脾动脉结扎法行全腹腔镜巨脾切除术的安全性、可行性及手术技巧。方法:将2010年1月1日至2012年1月1日因肝硬化门脉高压脾机能亢进巨脾患者随机分为腹腔镜脾切除(Laparoscopic Splenectomy,LS)组及开腹脾切除(OpenSplenectomy,OS)组,比较两组的临床特征及围手术期差异。结果:LS组与OS组在性别组成、术前肝功能child分级、年龄组成及脾脏长径方面均无统计学意义。LS组手术时间比OS组略长,但无统计学意义,LS组术中出血量明显低于OS组(P<0.01),LS组术后进食、术后排气、引流管拔除及出院时间均明显早于OS组(P<0.01)。结论:腹腔镜脾切除术为治疗门脉高压巨脾的一种有效、安全、可行的手术方式。     

南方九孔鲍鲍苗掉板病原菌的药敏测定

为提高鲍鱼培苗的成活率,对分离自广东汕尾一养殖场鲍苗掉板池中(包括水、藻膜和变白鲍苗)的、经回归感染试验证明为致病菌的菌株进行了鉴定和药物敏感性测定。API鉴定表明,这些致病菌株由Vibrio alginolyticus,Vibrio cholerae,Vibrio parahaemolyticus等组成,其中弧菌17株,约占总分离菌株的50％,而溶藻弧菌则为弧菌的优势菌株,有11株,约占弧菌总数的70％。药敏结果显示,绝大多数菌株对链霉素、红霉素和庆大霉素敏感;相反,四环素和新生霉素则对它们没有作用或不敏感。     

The origin of Jurassic reefs: Current research developments and results

Summary In order to elucidate the control of local, regional and global factors on occurrence, distribution and character of Jurassic reefs, reefal settings of Mid and Late Jurassic age from southwestern Germany, Iberia and Romania were compared in terms of their sedimentological (including diagenetic), palaeoecological, architectural, stratigraphic and sequential aspects. Upper Jurassic reefs of southern Germany are dominated by siliceous sponge—microbial crust automicritic to allomicritic mounds. During the Oxfordian these form small to large buildups, whereas during the Kimmeridgian they more frequently are but marginal parts of large grain-dominated massive buildups. Diagenesis of sponge facies is largely governed by the original composition and fabric of sediments. The latest Kimmeridgian and Tithonian spongiolite development is locally accompanied by coral facies, forming large reefs on spongiolitic topographic elevations or, more frequently, small meadows and patch reefs within bioclastic to oolitic shoal and apron sediments. New biostratigraphic results indicate a narrower time gap between Swabian and Franconian coral development than previously thought. Palynostratigraphy and mineralostratigraphy partly allow good stratigraphic resolution also in spongiolitic buildups, and even in dolomitised massive limestones. Spongiolite development of the Bajocian and Oxfordian of eastern Spain shares many similarities. They are both dominated by extensive biostromal development which is related to hardground formation during flooding events. The Upper Jurassic siliceous sponge facies from Portugal is more localised, though more differentiated, comprising biostromal, mudmound and sponge-thrombolite as well as frequent mixed coral-sponge facies. The Iberian Upper Jurassic coral facies includes a great variety of coral reef and platform types, a pattern which together with the analysis of coral associations reflects the great variability of reefal environments. Microbial reefs ranging from coralrich to siliceous sponge-bearing to pure thrombolites frequently developed at different water depths. Reef corals even thrived within terrigeneous settings. In eastern Romania, small coral reefs of various types as well as larger siliceous sponge-microbial crust mounds grew contemporaneously during the Oxfordian, occupying different bathymetric positions on a homoclinal ramp. Application of sequence stratigraphic concepts demonstrates that onset or, in other cases, maximum development of reef growth is related to sea level rise (transgressions and early highstand) which caused a reduction in allochthonous sedimentation. The connection of reef development with low background sedimentation is corroborated by the richness of reefs in encrusting organisms, borers and microbial crusts. Microbial crusts and other automicrites can largely contribute to the formation of reef rock during allosedimentary hiatuses. However, many reefs could cope with variable, though reduced, rates of background sedimentation. This is reflected by differences in faunal diversities and the partial dominance of morphologically adapted forms. Besides corals, some sponges and associated brachiopods show distinct morphologies reflecting sedimentation rate and substrate consistency. Bathymetry is another important factor in the determination of reefal composition. Not only a generally deeper position of siliceous sponge facies relative to coral facies, but also further bathymetric differentiation within both facies groups is reflected by changes in the composition, diversity and, partly, morphology of sponges, corals, cementing bivalves and microencrusters. Criteria such as authigenic glauconite, dysaerobic epibentic bivalves,Chondrites burrows or framboidal pyrite in the surrounding sediments of many Upper Jurassic thrombolitic buildups suggest that oxygen depletion excluded higher reefal metazoans in many of these reefs. Their position within shallowing-upwards successions and associated fauna from aerated settings show that thrombolitic reefs occurred over a broad bathymetric area, from moderately shallow to deep water. Increases in the alkalinity of sea water possibly enhanced calcification. Reefs were much more common during the Late Jurassic than during the older parts of this period. Particularly the differences between the Mid and Late Jurassic frequencies of reefs can be largely explained by a wider availability of suitable reef habitats provided by the general sea level rise, rather than by an evolutionary radiation of reef biota. The scarcity of siliceous sponge reefs on the tectonically more active southern Tethyan margin as well as in the Lusitanian Basin of west-central Portugal reflects the scarcity of suitable mid to outer ramp niches. Coral reefs occurred in a larger variety of structural settings. Upper Jurassic coral reefs partly grew in high latitudinal areas suggesting an equilibrated climate. This appears to be an effect of the buffering capacity of high sea level. These feedback effects of high sea level also may have reduced oceanic circulation particularly during flooding events of third and higher order, which gave rise to the development of black shales and dysaerobic thrombolite reefs. Hence, the interplay of local, regional and global factors caused Jurassic reefs to be more differentiated than modern ones, including near-actualistic coral reefs as well as non-actualistic sponge and microbial reefs.     

Non-coding RNAs, epigenetics and complexity

Several aspects of epigenetics are strongly linked to non-coding RNAs, especially small RNAs that can direct the cytosine methylation and histone modifications that are implicated in gene expression regulation in complex organisms. A fundamental characteristic of epigenetics is that the same genome can show alternative phenotypes, which are based in different epigenetic states. Some of the most studied complex epigenetic phenomena including transposon activity and silencing recently exemplified by piRNAs (piwi-interacting RNAs), position effect variegation, X-chromosome inactivation, parental imprinting, and paramutation have direct or indirect participation of an RNA component. Conceivably, most of the non-coding RNAs with no described function yet, are players in epigenetic mechanisms that are still not completely understood. In that regard, RNAs were recently implicated in new mechanisms of genetic information transfer in yeast, plants and mice. In this review article, the hypothesis that non-coding RNAs might be the main component of complex organisms acquired during evolution will be explored. The question of how evolutionary theories have been challenged by these molecules in association with epigenetic mechanisms will also be discussed here.