Vicia root micronucleus assay on the clastogenicity of water samples from the Xiaoqing River in Shandong Province of the People's Republic of China.

Vicia root micronucleus assay was used to determine the clastogenicity of water samples from Xiaoqing River that passes through Jinan City. Positive results were obtained from eight water collecting sites. This indicates that the water in most areas of this river was polluted with industrial waste and municipal sewage. Results of this study proves that biomonitoring with Vicia root micronucleus test is an efficient way to assess the water quality of this river.     

Tradescantia bioassays for the determination of genotoxicity of water in the Panlong River, Kunming, People's Republic of China.

The Panlong river passes through Kunming City and receives a large quantity of municipal sewage and wastewater from industrial effluent. Along the river, 20 sites were selected to collect water samples to assess the genotoxicity using two Tradescantia assays, the micronucleus (Trad-MCN) and the stamen-hair-mutation (Trad-SHM) assays. The lowest frequencies in the Trad-MCN assay and the Trad-SHM assay are 3.19 MCN/100 tetrads and 1.32 M/1000 stamen hairs, respectively. In the water samples obtained from the Songhua Reservoir, the MCN frequencies and mutation rates are not statistically significantly different from the data found for the negative control (2.49 MCN/100 tetrads and 0.71 M/1000 stamen hairs). Among the other water samples, 19 in Trad-MCN assay and 17 in Trad-SHM assay show significantly higher genotoxicity than the control. The highest genotoxicity was in samples No. 19 for the MCN assay (8.73 MCN/100 cells), over three times higher than the negative control, and in sample No. 11 for the SHM assay (4.30 M/1000), six times higher than the negative control, and were about the same as for the positive control (10.0 mg/l NaN3, 9.28 MCN/100 tetrads and 7.44 SHM/1000 stamen hairs), respectively. The peak frequencies for the Trad-MCN assays were observed in the water samples obtained from the sites that were near industrial and municipal wastewater that ran into the river as effluent. In general, the frequency of MCN and SHM mutations increased where the river passed through Kunming. The Trad-MCN assay seemed more sensitive than that of the Trad-SHM assay in detecting genotoxicity of the river water pollution.     

Two aberrant Tubificidae (Oligochaeta) from Pearl River in the People's Republic of China

The enigmaticIlyodrilus mastix Brinkhurst, 1978, andTectidrilus achaetus sp.nov. are described from the Guangzhou Reach of Pearl River, southern China. The first species is characterized by its greatly enlarged, eversible, feeding apparatus, and was previously known only from British Columbia, Canada.Tectidrilus achaetus is unique within the Tubificidae by lacking setae. A slightly modified definition of the, otherwise marine, genusTectidrilus Erséus, 1982 is provided.     

A new freshwater heteronemertean from the Zhujiang (Pearl River), People's Republic of China

A new genus and species of freshwater heteronemertean, Amniclineus zhujiangensis, from the Zhujiang (Pearl River), People's Republic of China, is described and illustrated. The species is placed in the family Lineidae along with the existing freshwater heteronemertean taxa, with which its anatomy is compared.     

Genetics education in the People's Republic of China.

The National Education Commission of the People's Republic of China directs all educational course content from kindergarten to graduate level in all disciplines. The study of genetics is thus controlled by the members of the commission, so there is little variation of course offerings from one institution to another. Formal genetics education begins in lower middle school and is expanded somewhat in upper middle school (high school). Middle school marks the end of the formal education for most Chinese students, although many graduates learn the practical aspects of genetics while working in agricultural plant and animal breeding. Students who continue the study of genetics in universities find that course work is concentrated and research is encouraged, although facilities and supplies are limited. On graduation from a university, most students are sent to factories to use their expertise for increasing food production, while a very small percentage of students continue on to graduate school and eventual research and university teaching. The area of human genetics is handled exclusively in medical schools.     

Effect of floods on the transmission of schistosomiasis in the Yangtze River valley, People's Republic of China

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of floods on the transmission of schistosomiasis in the Yangtze River valley, People's Republic of China. Retrospective analyses of malacologic, clinical and epidemiologic data, covering a 22-year period, were carried out to elucidate the dispersal patterns of intermediate host snails (Oncomelania hupensis), and acute and chronic infections with Schistosoma japonicum in humans in relation to floods. Potential O. hupensis habitats in years with floods were 2.6-2.7 times larger than in years when water levels were normal. Both the density and infection rate of O. hupensis dropped in the first two years after a flood, but significantly increased in the third year. The number of acute cases with schistosomiasis japonica was markedly higher in years characterized by floods; on average, 2.8 times more cases were observed when compared to years that the Yangtze River had normal water levels. In view of our findings, emergency responses are warranted as soon as possible after the occurrence of a flood in order to avoid or mitigate the reemergence and spread of human schistosomiasis in the People's Republic of China.     

Genotoxicity of water samples from Dianchi lake detected by the Vicia faba micronucleus test.

Dianchi Lake covers about a 300 km2 area. Kunming city on the edge of the lake is surrounded by industrial establishments. Farm land surrounds the remaining areas of the lake. The lake water is polluted by the Kunming city municipal sewage from 3 million inhabitants, the industrial effluent and farm runoff. Water samples were collected from 12 sites along the shore of the lake during the dry (May) and rainy (August) seasons for genotoxicity testing with the Vicia micronucleus assay during the year 1995. Genotoxicity in terms of micronuclei (MCN) frequencies in the root tip cells of Vicia showed a consistent elevated frequency of MCN over the control sample at the 0.05-0.01 levels of significance in both seasons. The MCN frequencies of sites A (Daguanhe), B (Gaoqiao) and C (Xiyuan) were 3.5-4 times as high as the control values (5.25/1000 cells) in the dry season. In the rainy season, the MCN frequencies of water samples from most of the 12 sites were relatively lower than those of the dry season except sites J (Haikou), and K (Kunyang). The average MCN frequency of the dry season samples was 14.97 per 1000 cells and that of the rainy season samples was 12.24 per 1000 cells while the average control value was around 5.00/1000 cells.     

Schistosomiasis control in the People's Republic of China

Schistosomes, snail-transmitted trematodes (blood flukes), cause a major parasitic disease that ranks second only to malaria in terms of human suffering in the tropics. Schistosoma japonicum has occupied its ecological niche in China for thousands of years; through natural selection it has evolved survival mechanisms that make it difficult (if not impossible) to eradicate. As discussed here by Allen Ross, Li Yuesheng, Adrian Sleigh and Don McManus, vaccination, in combination with current control strategies, may significantly reduce the morbidity of this disease and ultimately improve the quality of life for those living adjacent to endemic zones. This article provides a special focus in Hunan province and examines the potential impact of the Three Gorges Super Dam Project on schistosomiasis control.     

Molecular identification of three Trichinella isolates from Heilongjiang Province, People's Republic of China

DNAs of Trichinella dog isolate (HC), Trichinella swine isolate (HH) and Trichinella cat isolate (SW), obtained from Heilongjiang Province, were amplified by the fragments of 18S rDNA and ITS2. Two reference strains, Trichinella spiralis (ISS3) and Trichinella nativa (ISS10) were used for sequence comparison. Sequence and dendrogram analysis indicated that HC belonged to T.nativa and HH together with SW belonged to T.spiralis. This method permits rapid species identification of Trichinella isolates, although further evaluation is required before precisely identification.     

The uptake of copper by plants dominantly growing on copper mining spoils along the Yangtze River,the People's Republic of China

Elsholtzia haichowensis Sun., Commelina communis Linn., and Rumex acetosa Linn. are the dominant species that vastly grow over the copper mining spoil heaps and copper-contaminated soil of the areas along the middle and lower streams of the Yangtze River. Each has its own ecological habits. Chemical analytical data show that these plants can accumulate copper to various extents, depending on the copper content of the supporting soils and plant species. The highest concentration copper was found in R. acetosa with the leaf copper concentration ranging from 340 to 1102 mg/kg and averaging 601 mg/kg (dry weight basis). C. communis also contained high copper concentration in its leaves ranging from 19 to 587 mg/kg and averaging 157 mg/kg. E. haichowensis has the lowest copper concentration in its leaves from 18 to 391 mg/kg and averaging 102 mg/kg. The copper content of the soils supporting all the species varies to a great extent from place to place. All these lines of evidence suggest that E. haichowensis, C. communis, and R. acetosa can serve as pioneer species for reclamation of copper mined land and can be used as model plants for investigation of plant tolerance mechanisms, and geochemical prospecting. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Photosynthesis research in the People's Republic of China1

The first research paper on photosynthesis in China was published by T.T. Li² in 1929. Two photosynthesis laboratories were established in Shanghai and Beijing in the 1950s and the 1960s, respectively. A photophosphorylation `intermediate' was discovered after the energy conversion process was separated into light and dark phases in the 1960s. Since the 1980s, research has accelerated at several different levels through efforts of a large number of scientists in China. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ecological survey of the aquatic oligochaetes in the Lower Pearl River (People's Republic of China)

The species composition, distribution and abundance of the Tubificidae (8 spp.) and Naididae (at least 4 spp.) in the Guangzhou reach of the Lower Pearl River were investigated. Limnodrilus spp. (particularly L. hoffmeisteri) constitutes the greatest part in nearly all samples, which were taken in both clean and polluted parts of the reach. In the polluted sites, total oligochaete densities reach values of up to 700 000 ind. m^–2. The importance and problems of using oligochaetes as indicators of organic pollution are discussed.     

Bacillus thuringiensis subspecies huazhongensis, serotype H40, isolated from soils in the People's Republic of China

DAI JINGYUAN, YU LING, WANG BO, LUO XIXIA, YU ZINIU AND M.-M. LECADET. 1996. Two isolates (YBt-981 and Ybt-978) of Bacillus thuringiensis were isolated from soil samples from Shanxi and Neimeng provinces in China. The isolates produced small and irregular parasporal inclusions that were not toxic to larvae of Culex fatigans, Culex pipiens, Anopheles sinensis, Aedes aegypti, Spodoptera littoralis, Spodoptera exigua, Plutella xylostella and Bombyx mori . H-antigens from isolates of YBt-981 and YBt-978 differed from those of the known B. thuringiensis H1 to H39 serotypes. YBt-981 and YBt-978 had the same H-antigens and the same biochemical characters. The two isolates were identified as a new serotype designated H40. The name of B. thuringiensis serovar huazhongensis for this new subspecies represented by YBt-981 and YBt-978 is proposed.     

Some ecological aspects of aquatic oligochaetes in the Lower Pearl River (People's Republic of China)

Densities of the 8 most important species or genera of the 15 taxa found at a series of stations along the Guangzhou Reach of the Pearl River are given. Shannon-Weaver diversity index values were low throughout the area studied. No clear correlations were found between oligochaetes and NH₃-N or a combination of 6 chemical factors (COD, NH₃-N, NO₃-N, Cr, Pb, Hg). However, when the main groups of the benthos, including the oligochaetes, were taken together, and a BPI (Biological Pollution Index) approach used, a correlation between the macroinvertebrate community and the combined chemical factors was noted.     

Activity of lymantriid NPVS from the People's Republic of China against North AmericanLymantria Dispar

Six different geographical sources ofLymantria dispar (L.) andLymantria mathura (L.) in the People's Republic of China were sampled for nucleopolyhedrosis virus. Comparative bioassays of theL. dispar sources showed the U.S. Hamden standard to be more effective than the PRC nucleopolyhedrosis viruses. TheL. mathura NPV equalled the effectiveness of the Hamden standard even after 3 passages in lab rearedL. dispar larvae. This is the 1st report ofL. mathura NPV effect on a U.S. strain ofL. dispar.

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Résumé Six populations deLymantria dispar L. et desLymantria mathura L. provenant de différentes régions de République populaire de Chine furent examinées pour la présence de virus de la nucléopolyhédrose. Des essais comparatifs sur ces populations deL. dispar ont démontré que l'étalon de virus du “U.S. Hamden” est plus actif que ceux de la Chine. Le NPV deL. mathura, après passages successifs dans des larves en élevage en laboratoire fut également actif par rapport à l'étalon “Hamden” après le 3ème passage. Ceci est le premier rapport concernant l'effet du NPV deL. mathura contre une population deL. dispar d'origine américaine.