颍上八里河自然保护区鹭卵3种重金属残留分析

2005年5月,采集了淮河地区颍上八里河集群繁殖的夜鹭(Nycticorax nycticorax)和小白鹭(Egrettagarzetta)鸟卵共18枚,用原子吸收法测定了卵壳、内容物中重金属Cd、Pb、Cr的残留量。结果表明,所有卵壳样品中均检出一定水平的Cd、Pb和Cr残留量,夜鹭卵壳中重金属残留量为Pb>Cr>Cd,小白鹭卵壳中重金属残留量为Cr>Pb>Cd,卵壳中Pb和Cr残留量的种间差异都不显著,但Cd的种间差异显著;在2种鹭卵内容物中,Cr都被检出,在夜鹭卵内容物样品中,Pb只被部分检出,Cd在2种鹭卵内容物样品中都没有被检出,3种重金属在内容物中残留量的种间差异都不显著。2种鹭卵壳中Pb和Cd残留量极其显著地高于卵内容物,但Cr的这种残留分布上的差异不显著。本研究进一步证明卵壳可用作重金属污染物的指示物,监测和评价湿地生态系统中重金属的污染状况。     

The effect of seed freezing on morphological characteristics of four pink species

The effects of nondeep (?10°C) and deep (?196°C) seed freezing on the morphological characteristics of four pink species were studied. As a rule, various regimes of seed freezing weakly affected plant growth and development. Relatively stable traits (flower diameter, the number of stem nodes, and root length) did not change. Reproductive shoots became slightly shorter, and the pattern of their distribution changed. The number of variable traits (the number of vegetative shoots and the number of flowers) was reduced. However, in the following year, the number of flowers was restored. Characteristics valuable for cryopreservation (the number of fruits and seed germinability) were essentially unchanged. Some stimulatory effects of seed freezing were noted: enhanced seed germination under unfavorable conditions and an increased upper limit of some indices, including the number of reproductive organs.     

An innovative spectroelectrochemical reflection cell for rapid protein electrochemistry and ultraviolet/visible/infrared spectroscopy

A novel electrochemical reflection cell combining electrochemical techniques and spectroscopy which uses a solid gold working electrode as an optical mirror is described. This cell can be used at path lengths as low as a few micrometers and thus is suitable for ultraviolet/visible (UV/Vis) and infrared spectroscopy even for aqueous solutions and suspensions. The cell was designed for small sample volumes of only a few microliters, thus reducing the effort for sample preparation. Due to the short path length of some micrometers, the entire volume is within the Nernst diffusion layer, hence resulting in fast equilibration. Evaluation of the technique is described with direct electrochemistry of horse heart cytochrome c at the gold electrode modified with 4,4'-dithiodipyridine. Cyclic voltammograms indicate rapid and reversible electrochemistry with the correct midpoint potential (52 mV vs Ag/AgCl/3 M KCl). Chronoamperometry and coulometry confirm rapid and complete oxidation and reduction; the cell volume can be entirely fully reduced within less than 10-20 s. Spectroscopy in the UV/Vis region, with potentials at the working electrode stepped between -390 and 390 mV, show perfect titration of the cytochrome c heme bands. A Nernst fit of the alpha band absorption, with redox potential Em and number of electrons n left as parameters, yields a midpoint potential of 49 mV and n=0.9. The potential of this cell in the investigation of biological electron transfer reactions and in the study of bioenergetic systems is discussed.     

Biodiversity of Streptomyces of high-mountainous ecosystems of Kyrgyzstan and its biotechnological potential

The prevalence of actinomyces of Streptomyces class in various types of soils of Kyrghyzstan and the variety of its species have been investigated. It is shown that predominant members of Streptomyces complex are in the Cinereus section of Chromogenus series which are basically adapted to chestnut and black soil while species of the section Roseus of the Fuscus series are adapted in gray, brown, and chestnut soils. Their antibiotic and growth-stimulating effect and a great opportunity of use in biotechnological process have been determined.     

Chrysoperla rufilabris (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) females do not avoid ovipositing in the presence of conspecific eggs

Previous experiments have demonstrated that green lacewing (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae) adults could be attracted to field crops using artificial honeydew. To be effective as a biological control method, such a technique would require that the increase in female abundance translate in an increase egg deposition. An experiment was conducted to evaluate whether the honeydew-feeding females of the green lacewing Chrysoperla rufilabris (Burmeister) avoid laying eggs in the presence of conspecific eggs. The potential risk associated with oviposition in a site already occupied by conspecific eggs was also studied. The preference of C. rufilabris larvae for kin and non-kin eggs and the susceptibility of C. rufilabris eggs to cannibalism relative to their age was determined. The results demonstrate that females are not reluctant to oviposit in the presence of conspecific eggs. Larvae show no preference for kin or non-kin eggs, and lacewing eggs become less susceptible to cannibalism as they age. This indicates that the risk of egg cannibalism by neonate in the field may be low. The results are discussed from ecological and biological control points of view.     

Effect of herbivory by Teleonemia scrupulosa on the performance of Longitarsus bethae on their shared host, Lantana camara

Herbivory by insects may change the characteristics of nutrients and secondary plant chemicals of the foliage, thereby altering the acceptability and suitability of the plant for oviposition, feeding and development for subsequent herbivores. In the current study, the effect of herbivory by the sap-sucking lace bug, Teleonemia scrupulosa Stäl (Heteroptera: Tingidae), on the suitability of Lantana camara L. (Verbenaceae) for the root-feeding flea beetle, Longitarsus bethae Savini & Escalona (Chrysomelidae: Alticinae), was investigated under laboratory conditions. Preference of adult L. bethae was not influenced by the intensity of feeding damage caused by T. scrupulosa adults. However, high densities of T. scrupulosa nymphs and their feeding damage caused L. bethae adults to emigrate and colonize less infested or uninfested plants. Oviposition by L. bethae was significantly reduced at high densities of T. scrupulosa nymphs. While low infestation of T. scrupulosa had no effect the survival of L. bethae, moderate and high infestations caused significant reduction in percentage survival of L. bethae. The number of T. scrupulosa nymphs was negatively correlated with the percentage survival of L. bethae. Neither the duration of development nor the body size of L. bethae was influenced by the intensity of T. scrupulosa infestation. Overall, undamaged or slightly damaged plants that allowed better survival of L. bethae were often chosen as oviposition sites in preference to those that were highly infested, and on which survival was poor. Although the present study indicates the likelihood of inter-specific competition between L. bethae larvae and T. scrupulosa, this is likely to be mitigated by female flea beetles choosing to oviposit on less infested or uninfested plants in the field.     

Reproductive and developmental biology of Gonatocerus ashmeadi (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), an egg parasitoid of Homalodisca coagulata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

The reproductive and developmental biology of Gonatocerus ashmeadi Girault, a parasitoid of the glassy-winged sharpshooter Homalodisca coagulata (Say), was determined at five constant temperatures in the laboratory: 15; 20; 25; 30; 33 °C. At 30 °C, G. ashmeadi maintained the highest successful parasitism rates with 46.1% of parasitoid larvae surviving to adulthood. Lifetime fecundity was greatest at 25 °C and fell sharply as temperature either increased or decreased around 25 °C. Temperature had no effect on sex ratio of parasitoid offspring. Mean adult longevity was inversely related to temperature with a maximum of 20 days at 15 °C to a minimum of eight days at 33 °C. Developmental rates increased nonlinearly with increasing temperatures. Developmental rate data were fitted with the modified Logan model for oviposition to adult development times across each of the five experimental temperatures to determine optimal and upper lethal temperature thresholds. The lower developmental threshold estimated by the Logan model and linear regression were 1.10 and 7.16 °C, respectively. Linear regression of developmental rate for temperatures 15–30 °C indicated that 222 degree-days were required above a minimum threshold of 7.16 °C to complete development. A temperature of 37.6 °C was determined to be the upper development threshold with optimal development occurring at 30.5 °C. Demographic parameters were calculated and pseudo-replicates for intrinsic rate of increase (r_m), net reproductive rates (R_o), generation time (T_c), population doubling time (T_d), and finite rate of increase (λ) were generated using the bootstrap method. Mean bootstrap estimates of demographic parameters were compared across temperatures using ANOVA and nonlinear regression.     

The spatial distribution of bacteria in Grana-cheese during ripening

The microbial composition and its spatial distribution of Grana Trentino, a hard Parmesan-like cheese, was determined, from vat milk to cheese. After cutting along the vertical axis of the cheese wheels, three layers were sampled diagonally across the cheese: under the cheese rind, an intermediate section and the cheese core. After two different ripening periods (9 and 18 months), the cheese samples were analysed using traditional culture dependent and culture independent methods. Milk samples were dominated by mesophilic and psychrophilic bacterial counts. Thermophilic bacteria (Lactobacillus helveticus) were found in high amounts in cooked whey and natural whey starter cultures. After 9 months of ripening, lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts were higher than those after 18 months. Furthermore, the LAB numbers in the cheese core was lower than those under the rind or in the intermediate section. The main LAB species isolated from milk (Lactococcus lactis, Pediococcus pentosaceus, Streptococcus uberis and Lactococcus garvieae) were not found in the corresponding cheeses. Some differences were observed in the species composition among the three cheese sections. Microbiota under the rind and in the intermediate section was similar and dominated by Lactobacillus paracasei and Lactobacillus rhamnosus. The core, after 18 months of ripening, was characterized by a total absence of LAB. In each sample, all LAB were genotypically grouped and the different biotypes were subjected to several technological tests indicating that some non-starter LAB (NSLAB) displayed technological features that are favorable for the production of Grana Trentino cheese.     

Evaluating prognostic accuracy of biomarkers under competing risk

To develop more targeted intervention strategies, an important research goal is to identify markers predictive of clinical events. A crucial step toward this goal is to characterize the clinical performance of a marker for predicting different types of events. In this article, we present statistical methods for evaluating the performance of a prognostic marker in predicting multiple competing events. To capture the potential time-varying predictive performance of the marker and incorporate competing risks, we define time- and cause-specific accuracy summaries by stratifying cases based on causes of failure. Such definition would allow one to evaluate the predictive accuracy of a marker for each type of event and compare its predictiveness across event types. Extending the nonparametric crude cause-specific receiver operating characteristics curve estimators by Saha and Heagerty (2010), we develop inference procedures for a range of cause-specific accuracy summaries. To estimate the accuracy measures and assess how covariates may affect the accuracy of a marker under the competing risk setting, we consider two forms of semiparametric models through the cause-specific hazard framework. These approaches enable a flexible modeling of the relationships between the marker and failure times for each cause, while efficiently accommodating additional covariates. We investigate the asymptotic property of the proposed accuracy estimators and demonstrate the finite sample performance of these estimators through simulation studies. The proposed procedures are illustrated with data from a prostate cancer prognostic study.