Prevalence and risk assessment of antibiotics in riverine estuarine waters of Larut and Sangga Besar River,Perak

Antibiotics released into the environment through anthropogenic activities exert selective pressure,driving bacteria towards increasing antimicrobial resistance.The prevalence of antibiotics and the ecological risks posed in the riverine estuarine of Larut River and Sangga Besar River,which included wastewater effl uents from hospital,zoo,and poultry slaughterhouse sources were investigated.Solid phase extraction(SPE)followed by high-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass chromatography(HPLC-MS/MS)were used to extract and quantify the antibiotic residues from 22 antibiotics belonging to six major antibiotic classes(sulfonamide,macrolide,fl uoroquinolone,phenicol,trimethoprim,and tetracycline).Sixteen antibiotic residues were detected with concentrations ranging from limit of detection(LOD)to 1262.3 ng/L.Fluoroquinolones and macrolides were the most frequently detected compounds.Erythromycin,clarithromycin,and ofl oxacin detected in hospital and zoo effl uents posed a high risk to algae while tetracycline had low to medium ecological risks toward all the relevant organisms from aquatic environments(algae,invertebrate Daphnia magna,and fi sh).     

凯氏蒸馏法和元素分析仪法测定沉积物中全氮含量的异同及其意义

氮循环是生物地球化学研究领域中最重要的课题之一,全氮含量的测定是农业、生物和环境等多领域研究中的常规测试项目。凯氏蒸馏法和元素分析仪法作为常规方法通用于上述领域的全氮含量测定,但两种方法在实际应用中的差异却常被忽视。通过对中国北方某盐湖沉积物序列近百个样品的全氮含量分析,对两种方法测定结果的异同进行了对比研究。凯氏蒸馏法的分析精密度高于元素分析仪法(前者标准偏差为0.007,后者为0.024),但在样品硝态和亚硝态氮的含量较高时,凯氏蒸馏法所测结果显著低于元素分析仪法的测定结果,此时选择元素分析仪法进行全氮含量的测定更为可靠和准确;对硝态和亚硝态氮含量极低的样品,两种方法的测定结果无显著差异。研究表明,选择全氮含量的测定方法,必须对所测样品的无机氮含量有初步的了解。对于中国北方的多数盐湖和地表环境样品,由于其无机氮的含量较高,选择凯氏蒸馏法进行全氮含量的测定是不适当的。尽管如此,对所研究的湖泊沉积物剖面而言,两种方法的对比却可以提供有价值的气候和环境演变信息。随着沉积物剖面的由深到浅,两种方法的测定结果由一致变化到存在显著差异,表明了湖泊水体从早期的淡水向今天的盐湖演化的过程。因此,凯氏蒸馏法和元素分析仪法测定结果的差异可以作为一种独立的地球化学气候代用指标。     

Antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing potential of 3β-hydroxy-△5-steroidal congeners purified from the soft coral Dendronephthya putteri

The exploration and identification of antiproliferative phytochemicals have received increased attention in medicinal chemistry.In particular,research focused on the toxicology of marine natural products has increased in recent years.Terpenoids,among many secondary metabolites,have been demonstrated to act as effective anticancer agents.Soft corals,a group of marine invertebrates,produce a variety of terpenoids with biofunctional properties.The current study presents the extraction,purification,and identification of sterol congeners from the soft coral Dendronephthya putteri.The method involves 50%chloro form-methanol extraction,polar column fractionation,and analy sis through GC-MS~n.Do se-dependent antiproliferative activity was observed within the sterol-rich fraction(DPCMH 2-4),which consisted of3β-hydroxy-A5-steroidal congeners.This fraction inhibited the growth of HL-60 and MCF-7 cells with IC_(50) values of 25.27±1.43 and 22.81±0.15 μg/mL,respectively.Apoptotic body formation,DNA damage,cell cycle arrest,and apoptotic cell signaling pathway activation were also observed,reinforcing the dosedependent antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity of 3β-hydroxy-A5-steroidal congeners.To our knowledge,this is the first report of anticancer agent identification from the soft coral D.putteri.Based on the observations,these steroidal congeners are promising candidates for the development of anticancer drugs.     

Integration of the nuclease protection assay with sandwich hybridization (NPA-SH) for sensitive detection of Heterocapsa triquetra

Microalgae are photosynthetic microorganisms that function as primary producers in aquatic ecosystems. Some species of microalgae undergo rapid growth and cause harmful blooms in marine ecosystems. Heterocapsa triquetra is one of the most common bloom-forming species in estuarine and coastal waters worldwide. Although this species does not produce toxins, unlike some other Heterocapsa species, the high density of its blooms can cause significant ecological damage. We developed a H. triquetra species-specific nuclease protection assay sandwich hybridization(NPA-SH) probe that targets the large subunit of ribosomal RNA(LSU r RNA). We tested probe specificity and sensitivity with five other dinoflagellates that also cause red tides. Our assay detected H.triquetra at a concentration of 1.5×104 cells/m L, more sensitive than required for a red-tide guidance warning by the Korea Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries in 2015(3.0×104 cells/m L). We also used the NPA-SH assay to monitor H. triquetra in the Tongyeong region of the southern sea area of Korea during 2014. This method could detect H.triquetra cells within 3 h. Our assay is useful for monitoring H. triquetra under field conditions.     

台湾土石流灾害与防治工法

由于近年来人类的活动空间渐往山区发展,使得原本植生条件良好的山坡地,在不当的开发情形下,变成土石流发生的敏感地区,导致灾害不断的传出。拟就土石流之定义,及导致土石流发生机制的各项因子进行探讨,其中包括自然成因：地质、地形和水文等条件,以及人类活动对土石流形成所造成的影响,并依据土石流之各项特性整理,提出有关土石流之防治及预警系统之工法。     

Preliminary Examinations of the Ore-forming Process by Fluid Mixing – a Test of MIX99

Abstract: Possible ore deposition by fluid mixing was preliminarily examined using MIX 99, a FORTRAN program developed for simulating water-rock interactions. We consider mixing of two fluids, the low f_O2 and high temperature source fluid and the high f_O2 and low temperature seawater. Oxygen fugacity of a mixed fluid formed by titration of seawater into the source fluid gradually decreases with decreasing temperature (model A). Sequential precipitation of ore-forming minerals was examined in this model. On the other hand, simultaneous precipitation of the minerals could be followed by simulation of instantaneous overall mixing of the two fluids (model B). Results of simulation of the both models revealed that a temporal sequence of mineralization observed in the Karuizawa mine, NE Japan, can be formed by model A, while model B is suitable for the mineralization of an active chimney found in the Rainbow hydrothermal area of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.     

大气折射率起伏对雷达波的散射

研究大气折射率起伏对雷达波的散射时,得到的主要結果有以下两点: 1.在适当的大气条件下,折射率起伏构成的后向散射波能够超出一般雷达的灵敏度之上,它的量級正好和雷达观測到的气象“仙波”相同.根据这一結果和其他事实,作者认为起伏的后向散射可能是形成气象“仙波”的重要机制。 2.推导了表示雷达波在折射率有起伏的介貭中传播时,强度随距离变化的方程式,結果发現:一般情况下,散射效应不致引起波的强度的显著变化.但是,当大气折射率起伏的尺度长較小、輻度較大、并且雷达波瓣較窄时,散射效应会引起波瓣的加寬。     

Incorporation of parameter uncertainty into spatial interpolation using Bayesian trans-Gaussian kriging

Quantitative precipitation estimation(QPE) plays an important role in meteorological and hydrological applications.Ground-based telemetered rain gauges are widely used to collect precipitation measurements. Spatial interpolation methods are commonly employed to estimate precipitation fields covering non-observed locations. Kriging is a simple and popular geostatistical interpolation method, but it has two known problems: uncertainty underestimation and violation of assumptions.This paper tackles these problems and seeks an optimal spatial interpolation for QPE in order to enhance spatial interpolation through appropriately assessing prediction uncertainty and fulfilling the required assumptions. To this end, several methods are tested: transformation, detrending, multiple spatial correlation functions, and Bayesian kriging. In particular, we focus on a short-term and time-specific rather than a long-term and event-specific analysis. This paper analyzes a stratiform rain event with an embedded convection linked to the passing monsoon front on the 23 August 2012. Data from a total of 100 automatic weather stations are used, and the rainfall intensities are calculated from the difference of 15 minute accumulated rainfall observed every 1 minute. The one-hour average rainfall intensity is then calculated to minimize the measurement random error. Cross-validation is carried out for evaluating the interpolation methods at regional and local levels. As a result,transformation is found to play an important role in improving spatial interpolation and uncertainty assessment, and Bayesian methods generally outperform traditional ones in terms of the criteria.