Submarine Elevations and Ridges: Wild Cards in the Poker Game of UNCLOS Article 76

Submarine elevations and ridges present an array of definitional uncertainties to coastal states that are engaged in the high-stakes process of delimiting extended continental shelves. Faced with the imprecise terminology of Article 76, with the nonspecific wording of the Scientific and Technical Guidelines of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS), and with the Commission's rules of confidentiality that hamper the open exchange of information concerning ridge and elevation assessments in previous continental shelf implementations, a coastal state needs to develop its own evaluations of what might and might not pass the “test of appurtenance.” Significant components of a continental shelf submission might thus be formulated on the basis of these national evaluations, only to have the CLCS question them, which could necessitate a potentially expensive and time-consuming reworking of the submission. This article outlines the ramifications of this wild card effect.     

Arbovirus surveillance using FTATM cards in modified CO2‐baited encephalitis virus surveillance traps in the Northern Territory,Australia

In 2016, modified CO₂‐baited encephalitis virus surveillance (EVS) traps were evaluated for flavivirus surveillance in the Northern Territory, Australia. The traps were fitted with honey‐soaked nucleic acid preservation cards (FTA^TM) for mosquitoes to expectorate virus while feeding on the cards. Cards were tested for the presence of selected arboviruses, with two cards testing positive for Kunjin virus and Alfuy, while sentinel chickens tested in parallel also showed Kunjin virus activity at the same time. The results from the cards and vector mosquito feeding rates indicate that CO₂‐baited EVS traps coupled with honey‐baited FTA^TM cards are an effective tool for broad‐scale arbovirus surveillance.     

Dried Blood Spots - Preparing and Processing for Use in Immunoassays and in Molecular Techniques

The idea of collecting blood on a paper card and subsequently using the dried blood spots (DBS) for diagnostic purposes originated a century ago. Since then, DBS testing for decades has remained predominantly focused on the diagnosis of infectious diseases especially in resource-limited settings or the systematic screening of newborns for inherited metabolic disorders and only recently have a variety of new and innovative DBS applications begun to emerge. For many years, pre-analytical variables were only inappropriately considered in the field of DBS testing and even today, with the exception of newborn screening, the entire pre-analytical phase, which comprises the preparation and processing of DBS for their final analysis has not been standardized. Given this background, a comprehensive step-by-step protocol, which covers al the essential phases, is proposed, i.e., collection of blood; preparation of blood spots; drying of blood spots; storage and transportation of DBS; elution of DBS, and finally analyses of DBS eluates. The effectiveness of this protocol was first evaluated with 1,762 coupled serum/DBS pairs for detecting markers of hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus infections on an automated analytical platform. In a second step, the protocol was utilized during a pilot study, which was conducted on active drug users in the German cities of Berlin and Essen.     

FTA-DNA直接提取法在病原真菌分子鉴定中的应用

目的建立并评价FTA-DNA直接提取法在病原真菌分子鉴定中的应用。方法采用whatman FTA-DNA直接提取法从25个不同种属的45株培养的菌株和6例临床标本中提取病原真菌DNA,用于病原真菌的测序鉴定。配制不同浓度的孢子悬液探索该方法的检测限和安全性。结果 45株菌株扩增后均能得到1条清晰的DNA扩增片段,并成功测序。应用该方法亦成功从腹水、胸水、口腔拭子、宫颈拭子来源的临床标本中直接提取DNA并成功鉴定病原真菌。该DNA提取方法联合降落PCR能检测到1.0×103个cell/mL的孢子悬液,1.0×104个cell/mL及以下浓度的孢子悬液可以被FTA卡完全灭活。结论 FTA-DNA直接提取法可快速有效地从培养的菌株及部分临床标本中提取并保存病原真菌DNA,用于病原真菌的测序鉴定。     

FTA卡和普通定性滤纸提取DNA方法研究

用FTA采样卡和普通定性滤纸采集藏绵羊血样,采用NaOH法提取血液基因组DNA,利用设计的一对引物对DRB1基因第三外显子进行扩增,通过PCR产物琼脂糖凝胶检测,对普通定性滤纸与FTA采样卡的两种提取DNA的方法进行比较,结果认为采用普通定性滤纸-NaOH法提取血液基因组DNA,NaOH的最佳洗涤浓度是25 mmol/L,采用FTA-NaOH法提取血液基因组DNA,NaOH的最佳洗涤浓度是20 mmol/L,但普通定性滤纸法提取血液基因组DNA平均成本远低于FTA采样卡,普通定性滤纸法提取血液基因组DNA具有快速、便捷、经济及高效的特点.     

一种新型瓷嵌体修复用树脂粘接材料生物安全性评价

目的：初步评价一种新型瓷嵌体修复用树脂粘接材料的生物安全性。方法：按照国标GBl6886．5-1997,医药行业标准YY／T0268-2001、YY／T0279—1995、以及YY/T0244—1996所规定的方法对本院材料科新研制的复合树脂粘按材料的生物安全性进行评价,内容包括短期急性全身毒性试验,粘膜刺激实验,细胞毒性试验。结果：此种新型瓷嵌体修复用树脂粘接材料无细胞毒性,无短期全身毒性,对口腔黏膜无刺激。结论：此种新型瓷嵌体修复用树脂粘接材料具有良好的生物安全性,可以进行进一步安全性检测。     

Special wishes for the members of Antwerp Zoo; 65 years of history in pictures (1850-1914)

Antwerp Zoo in Belgium was founded in 1843 and is one of the oldest zoos in the world. It is part of the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp (RZSA) which also manages Planckendael Wild Animal Park, De Zegge Nature Reserve, Flanders Congress and Concert Center and - since 2009 - Blankenberge Serpentarium - a reptile collection.During its almost 175 years existence the RZSA and Antwerp Zoo in particular went through periods with many highlights but also years with great difficulties. The early years till the start of World War I Antwerp Zoo went through a period that was important for the present zoological garden. The expansion and lay out of the park, the construction of buildings for visitors or to house animals, the offer for visitors to welcome them: much of it still exists or can still be noticed in the park or as part of the day to day operations of Antwerp Zoo and RZSA.For the young society, it was important to have a significant and satisfied membership. Members gave the RZSA not only a key appearance but their financial contributions were also needed for the further development of the gardens. To pamper the members from 1850 on a special annual wishing card was offered to them. This initiative came to an end in 1914. With a few exceptions all of them were very nicely illustrated with pictures of the animals, new constructions or other illustrations which illustrate the development of the zoological garden.The article describes in detail 62 (of 65) known wishing cards, analyzing the relevance of the illustrations for each year. Very often newly arrived species or new constructions are shown. As far as possible more details of these species were gathered. And the future existence of buildings and enclosures and the development of the gardens were also examined.We can conclude that the period before World War I was one with many highlights for Antwerp Zoo. The special whishing cards are very important historical documents and they continue to illustrate the evolution the Zoo went through during the first seventy years.     

Population suppression of Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) using yellow sticky traps and Eretmocerus nr. rajasthanicus (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) on tomato plants in greenhouses

We conducted three experiments for management of Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius) biotype ‘B’ on tomatoes under greenhouse conditions: (i) vertically placing yellow sticky cards either parallel or perpendicular to tomato rows at a rate of 1 per 3‐m row; (ii) releasing Eretmocerus sp. nr. rajasthanicus once at 30 adults/m² in the high whitefly density greenhouses (> 10 adults/plant), or twice at 15 adults/m² at a 5‐day interval in the low whitefly density greenhouses (< 10 adults/plant); and (iii) using combinations of yellow sticky cards that were placed vertically parallel to tomato rows and parasitoids released once at 30/m² in high whitefly density greenhouses or twice at 15/m² at a 5‐day interval in low whitefly density greenhouses. Our data show that yellow sticky cards trapped B. tabaci adults and significantly reduced whitefly populations on tomato. The yellow sticky cards that were placed parallel to tomato rows caught significantly more whitefly adults than those placed perpendicular to tomato rows on every sampling date. In the treatment where parasitoids were released once at 30/m² in high whitefly density greenhouses, the number of live whitefly nymphs were reduced from 4.6/leaf to 2.9/leaf in 40 days as compared with those on untreated plants on which live whitefly nymphs increased from 4.4/leaf to 8.9/leaf. In the treatment where parasitoids were released twice at 15/m² in low whitefly density greenhouses, the numbers of live nymphs of B. tabaci on tomato leaves were reduced from 2.1/leaf to 1.7/leaf in 20 days as compared with those on untreated plants on which numbers of live nymphs of B. tabaci increased from 2.2/leaf to 4.5/leaf. In the treatment of yellow sticky cards and parasitoid release once at 30/m² in high whitefly density greenhouses, the numbers of live nymphs of B. tabaci on tomato leaves were reduced from 7.2/leaf to 1.9/leaf, and in the treatment of yellow sticky cards and parasitoid release twice at 15/m² at a 5‐day interval at low whitefly density, the numbers of live nymphs of B. tabaci on tomato leaves were reduced from 2.5/leaf to 0.8/leaf; whereas the numbers of live nymphs of B. tabaci on untreated plants increased from 4.4/leaf to 8.9/leaf. An integrated program for management of B. tabaci on greenhouse vegetables by using yellow sticky cards, parasitoids and biorational insecticides is discussed.     

不同烤瓷牙内冠材料对产生龈缘黑线影响的分析

目的：分析镍铬合金,金合金材料制作烤瓷内冠以及镍铬合金内冠涂制金粉对冠修复后产生龈缘黑线的影响。方法：对3052例烤瓷冠病例,分别用镍铬合金,金合金制作内冠以及运用金粉涂制镍铬合金内冠进行修复,经一年以上随访。对上述三种材料对产生龈缘黑线状况进行评价。结果：采用金合金制作内冠及对镍铬合金内冠粉制金涂制作烤瓷冠未产生龈缘黑线,而单纯用镍铬合金制作内冠,可能产生龈缘黑线。结论：镍铬合金烤瓷内冠不可避免会产生龈缘黑线,金合金烤瓷内冠避免了上述缺点,而镍铬合金内冠涂制金粉则是一条经济,实效的制作工艺。