Microbial Reduction of Cr (VI)-loaded Schwertmannite by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1

Microbial transformation of sulfate minerals plays an important role in controlling the behavior of heavy metals in mining areas. Here, the anaerobic reduction of Cr (VI)-loaded schwertmannite by Shewanella oneidensis MR-1 (S. oneidensis MR-1) was investigated. The release of ferrous iron (Fe(II)) to the solution demonstrated the microbial reduction of structural Fe(III) from the schwertmannite to Fe(II). The concentration of Cr in solution decreased in all treatments, indicating that no Cr was released to the solution during this bio-reduction process of schwertmannite. The incorporation of chromate into the mineral structure of schwertmannite increased the microbial stability of the mineral, retarding the formation of secondary phases during bio-reduction process. Analysis of the XRD, SEM and fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results further showed that goethite formed after 3 or 7 days with a lower content (0.22% or 0.37%) of Cr in schwertmannite, while no secondary mineral was observed with a higher concentration of Cr (0.6 wt%) incorporated in schwertmannite until 22 days. These results imply that microbial reduction of Cr(VI)-loaded schwertmannite does not lead to the release of Cr to the solution, and the microbial stability of schwertmannite will be increased by the incorporation of chromate.     

Two Rubisco activase isoforms may play different roles in photosynthetic heat acclimation in the rice plant

Studies on some plant species have shown that increasing the growth temperature gradually or pretreating with high temperature can lead to obvious photosynthetic acclimation to high temperature. To test whether this acclimation arises from heat adaptation of ribulose 1,5‐bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco, EC 4.1.1.39) activation mediated by Rubisco activase (RCA), gene expression of RCA large isoform (RCA_L) and RCA small isoform (RCA_S) in rice was determined using a 4‐day heat stress treatment [40/30°C (day/night)] followed by a 3‐day recovery under control conditions [30/22°C (day/night)]. The heat stress significantly induced the expression of RCA_L as determined by both mRNA and protein levels. Correlative analysis indicated that RCA_S protein content was extremely significantly related to Rubisco initial activity and net photosynthetic rate (Pn) under both heat stress and normal conditions. Immunoblot analysis of the Rubisco–RCA complex revealed that the ratio of RCA_L to Rubisco increased markedly in heat‐acclimated rice leaves. Furthermore, transgenic rice plants expressing enhanced amounts of RCA_L exhibited higher thermotolerance in Pn and Rubisco initial activity and grew better at high temperature than wild‐type (WT) plants and transgenic rice plants expressing enhanced amounts of RCA_S. Under normal conditions, the transgenic rice plants expressing enhanced amounts of RCA_S showed higher Pn and produced more biomass than transgenic rice plants expressing enhanced amounts of RCA_L and wild‐type plants. Together, these suggest that the heat‐induced RCA_L may play an important role in photosynthetic acclimation to moderate heat stress in vivo, while RCA_S plays a major role in maintaining Rubisco initial activity under normal conditions.     

Diabetes with hypertension as risk factors for adult dengue hemorrhagic fever in a predominantly dengue serotype 2 epidemic: a case control study

Background

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) is a severe form of dengue, characterized by bleeding and plasma leakage. A number of DHF risk factors had been suggested. However, these risk factors may not be generalized to all populations and epidemics for screening and clinical management of patients at risk of developing DHF. This study explored demographic and comorbidity risk factors for DHF in adult dengue epidemics in Singapore in year 2006 (predominantly serotype 1) and in year 2007–2008 (predominantly serotype 2).

Methods

A retrospective case-control study was conducted with 149 DHF and 326 dengue fever (DF) patients from year 2006, and 669 DHF and 1,141 DF patients from year 2007–2008. Demographic and reported comorbidity data were collected from patients previously. We performed multivariate logistic regression to assess the association between DHF and demographic and co-morbidities for year 2006 and year 2007–2008, respectively.

Results

Only Chinese (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.90; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–3.56) was independently associated with DHF in year 2006. In contrast, age groups of 30–39 years (AOR = 1.41; 95% CI:1.09–1.81), 40–49 years (AOR = 1.34; 95% CI:1.09–1.81), female (AOR = 1.57; 95% CI:1.28–1.94), Chinese (AOR = 1.67; 95% CI:1.24–2.24), diabetes (AOR = 1.78; 95% CI:1.06–2.97), and diabetes with hypertension (AOR = 2.16; 95%CI:1.18–3.96) were independently associated with DHF in year 2007–2008. Hypertension was proposed to have effect modification on the risk of DHF outcome in dengue patients with diabetes. Chinese who had diabetes with hypertension had 2.1 (95% CI:1.07–4.12) times higher risk of DHF compared with Chinese who had no diabetes and no hypertension.

Conclusions

Adult dengue patients in Singapore who were 30–49 years, Chinese, female, had diabetes or diabetes with hypertension were at greater risk of developing DHF during epidemic of predominantly serotype 2. These risk factors can be used to guide triaging of patients who require closer clinical monitoring and early hospitalization in Singapore, when confirmed in more studies.     

Contrasting effects of clipping and nutrient addition on reproductive traits of Heteropappus altaicus at the individual and population levels

This study was conducted to examine the effects of clipping and nutrient addition on plant traits of a dominant perennial forb species, Heteropappus altaicus (Willd.) Novopokr. (Compositae), at both the individual and population levels in a temperate steppe in northern China. A nested experimental design was used with clipping as the main factor and nutrient, including nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and both, addition as the second factor. The main effect of clipping reduced plant height, aboveground biomass (AGB) per plant, and pollen production per floret by 15.8, 34.3, 28.0% (all p < 0.05), respectively, but enhanced reproductive allocation and population density by 8 and 28.2% (both p < 0.05), respectively, suggesting contrary effects of clipping on H. altaicus traits at the individual and population levels. N addition significantly stimulated plant height, AGB per plant, reproductive allocation, pollen diameter, and pistil length, but decreased population density. The main effects of P addition also stimulated the plant traits at individual level, but did not change population traits. The significant interactions of clipping and nitrogen addition were observed on AGB per plant, pollen production, and population density. The differential responses of H. altaicus at the individual and population levels to clipping and nutrient addition indicate that the future dynamics of H. altaicus in the temperate steppe are uncertain and need long-term research to demonstrate.     

Polymorphism attribution of cSNPs in cancer-related genes located in loss regions with a high frequency of HCC between HBV and health groups

Cancer-related genes harbored in the loss regions containing a high frequency of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were selected.Related information was gathered and the coding single nucleotide polymorphism (cSNP) sequences were obtained from the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) database.The appropriate primers and oligonucleotide probes were then designed in accordance with the SNP sites,and subsequently,the gene chips for detecting SNPs were constructed.Genomic DNA was extracted from blood samples of healthy controls and from patients with HBV infection.The sequences,including the SNPs,were amplified via polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and labeled using digoxigenin deoxyuridine tri-phosphate (Dig-dUTP).The labeled products were then hybridized with the SNP chips.Results confirmed that the differences in allele frequencies of three SNPs EGFL3 (rs947345),Caspase9 (rs2308950),and E2F2 (rs3218171) were distinct between HBV-infected patients and controls,suggesting that these SNPs ocuring in high frequency in HBV-infected individuals may be associated with susceptibility to HCC.     

河南省冬小麦需水量的时空变化及影响因素

基于河南省17个气象监测站点1961-2012年逐旬气象数据,采用FAO推荐的Penman-Monteith公式计算参考作物需水量,结合“全国灌溉试验资料数据库”中冬小麦生育期、作物系数等数据计算冬小麦生育期需水量,利用时间序列分析法和灰色关联分析法,分析河南省冬小麦需水量近51年来的时空分布特征、变化规律及其主要影响因素.结果表明: 1961-2011年,河南省冬小麦平均需水量在345~492 mm,卢氏站冬小麦平均需水量最低,孟津站最高.大部分站点1980-1989年冬小麦平均需水量最低,1961-1969年冬小麦平均需水量最高.17个站点中,新乡、栾川、开封、西峡、南阳、信阳、固始7站冬小麦需水量随年份呈上升趋势,其余10个站点需水量均呈下降趋势;豫北需水量高于豫南,豫西地区需水量跨度较大.河南省17站冬小麦生育期日平均高温、日平均低温均随年份呈上升趋势,生育期日平均风速、日平均相对湿度、日照时数基本呈下降趋势.河南省冬小麦生育期日平均高温、日照时数是影响冬小麦需水量的主要因素,日平均相对湿度对其影响最小.     

对-氯代苯胺(PCA)在填充床生物反应器中的降解作用

以氯代苯胺(PCA)为选择基质,用驯化技术从降解对二氯苯(p-DCB)的富集培养物中得到了以同化PCA为唯一碳源和氮源的混合微生物。将这种固定在填充床反应器中的微生物用于PCA的降解作用研究中。在该反应器里,PCA的生物降解遵循Logistic方程q=q_max/(1+e^α-βU_v).由方程求出了主要的动力学常数,K_s(半速率常数)和q_max(最大比基质降解速率).于PCA降解的同时,释放氯离子到培养基中。在水力停留时间3h, 进水PCA浓度为360mg·L^-1情况下,基质的体积降解率达到125mg·L^-1·h^-1;基质的百分去除率为91%.     

Heterologous expression of Arabidopsis C-repeat binding factor 3 (AtCBF3) and cold-regulated 15A (AtCOR15A) enhanced chilling tolerance in transgenic eggplant (Solanum melongena L.)

Key message

Our study shows that the expression of AtCBF3 and AtCOR15A improved the chilling tolerance in transgenic eggplant.

Abstract

In an attempt to improve chilling tolerance of eggplant (Solanum melongena L) plants, Arabidopsis C-repeat binding factor 3 (AtCBF3) and cold-regulated 15A (AtCOR15A) genes both driven by an Arabidopsis RESPONSIVE TO DESSICATION 29A promoter (AtRD29A) were transferred into the plants of eggplant cultivar Sanyueqie. Two independent homozygous transgenic lines were tested for their cold tolerance. The leaves of the transgenic plants in both lines withered much slower and slighter than the wild-type plants after exposure to cold stress treatment at 2 ± 1 °C. The gene expression of AtCBF3 and AtCOR15A was significantly increased as well as the proline content and the levels of catalase and peroxidase activities, while the relative electrical conductivity and the malondialdehyde content were remarkably decreased in the transgenic plants compared with the wild type at 4 ± 0.5 °C. The results showed that the expression of the exogenous AtCBF3 and AtCOR15A could promote the cold adaptation process to protect eggplant plants from chilling stress.