Behaviour of Campylobacter jejuni in experimentally contaminated bottled natural mineral water

AIMS: The main objective of the present study was to estimate the survival of microaerophilic Campylobacter jejuni in filtered natural mineral water at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C. The influence of the presence of biodegradable organic matter was tested, assuming that the bacterial contamination of a bottled natural mineral water could be associated with contamination by organic matter. METHODS AND RESULTS: Washed Campylobacter cultures were inoculated in natural mineral water and sterile natural mineral water, and incubated in the dark at 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C. The effect of temperature, the biodegradable organic matter added, incubation atmosphere and autochthonous microflora were tested on the cultivability of Camp. jejuni. CONCLUSIONS: The survival of Camp. jejuni in natural mineral water was better at 4 degrees C than at 25 degrees C, and the presence of organic matter led to a deceleration in the loss of cultivability and to the multiplication of Camp. jejuni in natural mineral water. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study highlighted the fact that, in the event of dual contamination of a bottled natural mineral water (Campylobacter and biodegradable organic matter), the pathogen could survive (and even grow) for a relatively long time, especially at low temperature and in spite of the presence of oxygen.     

Effects of inorganic nutrient levels on the biodegradation of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) by Pseudomonas spp. in a laboratory porous media sand aquifer model

The effect of inorganic nutrients (sulfate, phosphate, and ammonium chloride) on the aerobic biodegradation of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) by Pseudomonas spp. was studied in the laboratory using a glass sand tank. The increase of nutrient levels resulted in enhanced bacterial growth and BTX degradation. Sulfate and phosphate serve as key electron acceptors in the microbiological processes degrading BTX. The observed bacterial morphological changes during BTX degradation reveal that the filamentous bacteria were the dominant species at low temperatures about 20 degrees C. The spherical and rod-shaped cells became dominant at higher temperatures ranging from 25 degrees C to 28 degrees C. When the BTX mixture was allowed to be biodegraded for longer incubation periods of 21-42 h at high phosphate concentrations, large amounts of rod-shaped cells were clustered. The morphological adaptation appears to be controlled by the temperature and nutrient levels in the sandy medium where Pseudomonas spp. thrives.     

进境小麦下脚料养殖黑水虻幼虫的饲料配比研究

黑水虻Hermetia illucens是一种备受关注的资源昆虫,主要用于处理粪便和餐厨余垃圾,虫体也可作为蛋白源进入下游的牲畜饲料。本研究以黑水虻幼虫为试验对象,设置5个不同配比的黑水虻饲料配方,探究进境小麦下脚料用于黑水虻饲养的可行性。研究发现,黑水虻幼虫抗逆性极好,不同饲料配方饲养的黑水虻幼虫存活率均超过95%。幼虫干虫的营养成分分析表明,进境小麦下脚料所养殖的幼虫蛋白成分可达45%,油脂含量可达30%,比常规蛋白饲料豆粕的44.2%蛋白含量稍高。综合黑水虻幼虫鲜重、干重、干重率以及饲料降解量的养殖结果,小麦下脚料含量为60%的饲料配方具有最佳的转化产出。     

不同寄主对小线角木蠹蛾幼虫消化解毒酶的影响

小线角木蠹蛾Streltzoviella insularis是一种重要的林木蛀干害虫,在我国北方地区广泛分布,其寄主范围广,尤其对城市园林树种威胁严重。本研究测定了小线角木蠹蛾幼虫分别取食3种喜食寄主(洋白蜡、银杏和国槐)和4种普通寄主(旱柳、栾树、香椿、毛桃)后的解毒酶(细胞色素P450酶、谷胱甘肽S转移酶和羧酸酯酶)和消化酶(内切-β-1,4-葡聚糖酶、外切-β-1,4-纤维二糖水解酶、β-葡萄糖苷酶和木聚糖酶)的活性。结果表明,不同寄主对小线角木蠹蛾幼虫的消化酶和解毒酶都存在显著影响,其中取食普通寄主的幼虫3种解毒酶的平均活性(P450、GST和CarE酶活性分别为21.12、4876.86、0.035μmoL/min/mg protein)均高于取食喜食寄主的幼虫(P450、GST和CarE酶活性分别为15.87、3760.55、0.027μmoL/min/mg protein),且普通寄主的平均次生代谢物质含量更高(普通寄主总酚、类黄酮和单宁含量分别为173.10、110.07、88.77 mg/g,喜食寄主为105.22、14.05、55.74 mg/g);而取食普通寄主与喜食寄主的幼虫EG和CBH酶活性之间没有显著差异,仅取食普通寄主的幼虫β-葡糖苷酶活性和木聚糖酶活性略高于取食喜食寄主的幼虫,幼虫的消化酶活性(纤维素酶和半纤维素酶)和寄主营养物质(纤维素和半纤维素)并未在普通寄主和喜食寄主中表现出明显趋势。因此本研究认为小线角木蠹蛾的寄主适应性与寄主次生代谢物质(总酚、类黄酮和单宁)含量的关联性更强,而与营养物质(纤维素和半纤维素)含量的相关性较弱。     

Binocular fusion in Panum’s limiting case of stereopsis obeys the uniqueness constraint

In the information processing procedure of stereo vision, the uniqueness constraint has been used as one of the constraints to solve the “correspondence problem”. While the uniqueness constraint is valid in most cases, whether it is still valid in some particular stimulus configuration (such as Panum’s limiting case) has been a problem of widespread debate for a long time. To investigate the problem, we adopted the Panum’s limiting case as its basic stimulus configuration, and delved into the phenomenon of binocular fusion from two distinct aspects: visual direction and orientation disparity. The results show that in Panum’s limiting case binocular fusion does not comply with the rules governing regular binocular fusion as far as visual direction and orientation disparity are concerned. This indicates that double fusion does not happen in Panum’s limiting case and that the uniqueness constraint is still valid.     

Spatial Variability of Soil Properties in a Floodplain Forest in Northwest Spain

Floodplain forests are generally areas of high plant diversity compared with upland forests. Higher environmental heterogeneity, especially variation in belowground properties may help explain this high diversity. However, there is little information available on the spatial scale and pattern of belowground resources in floodplain forests. Geostatistics and coefficient of variation (CV) were used to describe the spatial variability of 20 soil properties ranging from essential plant nutrients, such as NH₄ or PO₄, to nonessential elements like Ti or V. The spatial variation of Si-to-(Al + Fe) ratio, an index of soil development, was also analyzed. Semivariograms and maps of selected properties were used to discriminate between the effect of flooding (and other mechanisms that may contribute to large scale trends in data) and local heterogeneity. The hypothesis that elements mainly cycled through biological processes (such as N) show different spatial properties than elements cycled through both biological and geological processes (such as P) or elements under strict geological control (such as Ti or V) is also presented. Redox potential was the most variable property (CV = 1.35) followed by mineral N, phosphate, organic matter, and carbon. Nonessential elements for organisms such as Si, Al, Ti, Rh, or V were less variable, supporting the hypothesis that biological control on soil properties leads to higher spatial variability. The range (the average distance within which the samples correlate spatially) varied between 3.89 m for water content to 18.5 m for the Si-to-(Al + Fe) ratio. The proportion of the total variance that can be modeled as spatial dependence (structural variance) was very variable, ranging between 0.34 for Fe and 0.96 for K. The addition of the large trend had a strong influence on the CV of most soil variables and created a gradient in C accumulation and the mineral weathering rate. The results suggest that flooding and other processes that are responsible for large spatial trends in the floodplain forest differentially affect biologically and geologically controlled variables with different turnover rates, thus providing a heterogeneous edaphic environment.     

有机无机结合施肥对红壤稻田土壤氮素供应和水稻生产的影响

1999年以不同施肥制度对红壤稻田系统生产力和土壤环境影响的长期定位试验的为依托,比较研究了9a定位试验后．不施肥、单施无机肥、有机物循环和有机天机结合施肥对红壤稻田生态系统土壤供氮能力、水稻吸氮特性和水稻生产的影响。结果表明：红壤稻田系统长期不施肥(CK)土壤速效氯含量低,最高为16．7mg／kg,平均为14．2mg／kg,水稻累积吸收氮量较少,早稻为32,84kg／hm^2,晚稻为59．79kg／hm^2,系统生产力低．早稻生物量为3887kg／hm^2。稻谷产量为2180kg／hm^2,晚稻生物量为7164kg／hm^2,稻谷产：量为3719kg／hm^2;施用N肥可以改善土壤供氯状况。提高土壤速效氯含量,且N、NP、NK、NPK处理间没有显著差异．土壤速效氮含量最大可达到29．7mg／kg,平均为21．4mg／kg,而水稻累积吸收氯量与系统生产力随着NPK配合程度的增加而提高,NPK处理的早稻累积吸收氮量、生物量和稻谷产量分别比CK处理增加122．6％、87．1％和65.4％,晚稻分别增加85．O％、48．2％和46．O％;系统内有机物循环利用(C)水稻各生育期土壤速效氯含量显著提高．最高为30．2mg／kg,平均为20.8mg／kg,水稻累积吸收氮量早、晚稻分别比CK增加111．1％和48．9％,早稻生物量与稻谷产量显分别比CK高85．6％和55．2％,晚稻分别高28．9％和35．2％;有机无机结合施肥土壤速效氮含量最大为43．1mg／kg．平均为29．1mg／kg,且N C、NP C和NPK C处理间没有显著差异,但水稻累积吸收氮量和系统生产力有随着有机肥与NPK配合程度增加而提高的趋势。     

Examining variation in the leaf mass per area of dominant species across two contrasting tropical gradients in light of community assembly

Understanding variation in key functional traits across gradients in high diversity systems and the ecology of community changes along gradients in these systems is crucial in light of conservation and climate change. We examined inter‐ and intraspecific variation in leaf mass per area (LMA) of sun and shade leaves along a 3330‐m elevation gradient in Peru, and in sun leaves across a forest–savanna vegetation gradient in Brazil. We also compared LMA variance ratios (T‐statistics metrics) to null models to explore internal (i.e., abiotic) and environmental filtering on community structure along the gradients. Community‐weighted LMA increased with decreasing forest cover in Brazil, likely due to increased light availability and water stress, and increased with elevation in Peru, consistent with the leaf economic spectrum strategy expected in colder, less productive environments. A very high species turnover was observed along both environmental gradients, and consequently, the first source of variation in LMA was species turnover. Variation in LMA at the genus or family levels was greater in Peru than in Brazil. Using dominant trees to examine possible filters on community assembly, we found that in Brazil, internal filtering was strongest in the forest, while environmental filtering was observed in the dry savanna. In Peru, internal filtering was observed along 80% of the gradient, perhaps due to variation in taxa or interspecific competition. Environmental filtering was observed at cloud zone edges and in lowlands, possibly due to water and nutrient availability, respectively. These results related to variation in LMA indicate that biodiversity in species rich tropical assemblages may be structured by differential niche‐based processes. In the future, specific mechanisms generating these patterns of variation in leaf functional traits across tropical environmental gradients should be explored.     

湿地植物根表的铁锰氧化物膜

湿地植物根系具有泌氧能力 ,使其根表及根际微环境呈氧化状态。因而 ,土壤溶液中一些还原性物质被氧化 ,如 Fe2 ,Mn2 ,形成的氧化物呈红色或红棕色胶膜状包裹在根表 ,称为铁锰氧化物膜。铁锰氧化物膜及其根际微环境是湿地植物根系吸收养分和污染物的门户 ,势必会影响这些物质的吸收。主要综述了铁锰氧化物膜的形成和组成 ,以及根表形成的氧化物膜的生态效应 ,也就是氧化物胶膜对植物根系吸收外部介质中的养分及污染物质——重金属离子的影响     

The Nutrient Status of Mgazana,a Warm Temperate Mangrove Estuary in the Transkei,Eastern Cape,South Africa

Mgazana, a rural southern African mangrove system, was visited monthly from August, 1995 to February, 1997 to collect water samples for nutrient analysis. Surface and bottom samples were taken during spring low tide at seven stations along the estuary and the following physico-chemical parameters measured: river flow, temperature, salinity, oxygen, transparency, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, inorganic carbon (IC), organic carbon (OC), total carbon (TC), soluble nitrogen (SN), particulate nitrogen (PN) and total nitrogen (TN). Using correlation matrix analysis and ANOVA, river flow was found to affect estuarine salinity, transparency and stratification, which influenced nutrient dynamics. Significant seasonal (winter and summer) differences were found for temperature, river flow, nitrate, SN, TN, IC and OC. Most nutrients were significantly correlated with river flow showing gradients down the estuary, indicating allochthonous input from the catchment. OC levels within the estuary were high, probably due to autochthonous mangrove leaf-fall processing by the various in-fauna, but high levels measured at the head of the estuary during high river flow suggested additional allochthonous input from coastal forest litter. Conversely, IC was negatively correlated with river flow suggesting that autochthonous faunal and microbial mineralisation of organic matter occurs within creeks, which is then diluted by increased stream-flow. An N:P ratio of 2.7:1 was obtained for this rural mangrove system, which was low compared with Spartina-based East Cape estuaries subject to urban, industrial and agricultural pollution.