Analysis of the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic spacers (IGSs) of marine vibrios for species-specific signature DNA sequences

Vibrios are widespread in the marine environment and a few pathogenic species are known to be commonly associated with outbreaks of diarrheal diseases in humans due to the consumption of raw or improperly cooked seafood. However, there are also many Vibrio species which are potentially pathogenic to vertebrate and invertebrate aquatic animals, and of which little is known. In an attempt to develop rapid PCR detection methods for these latter class of vibrios, we have examined the 16S-23S intergenic spacers (IGSs) of 10 lesser-known Vibrio species and successfully developed species-specific primers for eight of them--Vibrio costicola, V. diazotrophicus, V. fluvialis, V. nigripulchritudo, V. proteolyticus, V. salmonicida, V. splendidus and V. tubiashii. The IGS amplicons were amplified using primers complementary to conserved regions of the 16S and 23S rRNA genes, and cloned into plasmid vectors and sequenced. Analysis of the IGS sequences showed that 37 ribosomal RNA (rrn) operons representing seven different IGS types have been cloned from the 10 vibrios. The three IGS types--IGS(0), IGS(IA) and IGS(Glu)--were the most prevalent forms detected. Multiple alignment of representative sequences of these three IGS types from different Vibrio species revealed several domains of high sequence variability, which were used to design species-specific primers for PCR. The specificity of the primers were evaluated using total DNA prepared from different Vibrio species and bacterial genera. The results showed that the PCR method can be used to reliably detect eight of the 10 Vibrio species in marine waters in this study.     

Small SiC grains and a nitride grain of circumstellar origin from the Murchison meteorite: implications for stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis

We report the results of SIMS isotopic analyses of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and silicon made on 849 small (approximately 1 micrometer) individual silicon carbide grains from the Murchison meteorite. The isotopic compositions of the major elements carbon and silicon of most grains (mainstream) are similar to those observed in larger grain studies suggesting an AGB star origin of these grains. In contrast, the trace element nitrogen shows a clear dependency on grain size. 14N/15N ratios increase with decreasing grain size, suggesting different stellar sources for grains of different size. Typically observed 14N/15N ratios in the small grains of this study are approximately 2700, clearly larger than the values expected from model calculations of AGB stars. In addition to the three dredge-up episodes characteristic for the evolution of AGB stars, extra-mixing of CNO-processed matter in low mass AGB stars appears to be a promising possibility in order to explain the high 14N/15N ratios of the small circumstellar SiC grains. A small fraction of grains shows a silicon isotopic signature not observed in larger circumstellar SiC grains from Murchison. Their stellar origin is still uncertain. The minor type A, B, Y, and X grains were found to be present at a level of a percent, which is similar to their abundance in the larger-grain SiC separates from Murchison. Oxygen isotopic compositions are normal within the experimental uncertainties of several 10%, indicating that oxygen of stellar origin is rare or even absent in the SiC grains. We conclude that most of the oxygen is a contaminant which was introduced into the SiC grains after their formation, e.g., during sample processing in the laboratory. We identified a nitride grain, most likely Si3N4 with little carbon, with highly anomalous isotopic compositions (12C/13C = 157 +/- 33, 14N/15N = 18 +/- 1, delta 29 Si = -43 +/- 56%, delta 30 Si = -271 +/- 50%). The isotopic patterns of carbon, nitrogen, and silicon resemble those of the rare SiC X grains suggesting that these two rare constituents of circumstellar matter formed in the same type of stellar source, namely, Type II supernovae.     

Induction, adaptation and recovery of biological responses: implications for environmental monitoring

A wide range of biological responses have been used to identify exposure to contaminants, monitor spatial and temporal changes in contamination levels, provide early warning of environmental deterioration and indicate occurrences of adverse ecological consequences. To be useful in environmental monitoring, a biological response must reflect the environmental stress over time in a quantitative way. We here argue that the time required for initial induction, maximum induction, adaptation and recovery of these stress responses must first be fully understood and considered before they can be used in environmental monitoring, or else erroneous conclusions (both false-negative and false-positive) may be drawn when interpreting results. In this study, data on initial induction, maximum induction, adaptation and recovery of stress responses at various biological hierarchies (i.e., molecular, biochemical, physiological, behavioral, cytological, population and community responses) upon exposure to environmentally relevant levels of contaminants (i.e., metals, oil, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), organochlorines, organophosphates, endocrine disruptors) were extracted from 922 papers in the biomarker literature and analyzed. Statistical analyses showed that: (a) many stress responses may decline with time after induction (i.e., adaptation), even if the level of stress remains constant; (b) times for maximum induction and recovery of biochemical responses are positively related; (c) there is no evidence to support the general belief that time for induction of responses at a lower biological hierarchy (i.e., molecular responses and biochemical responses) is shorter than that at higher hierarchy (i.e., physiological, cytological and behavioral responses), although longer recovery time is found for population and community responses; (d) there are significant differences in times required for induction and adaptation of biological responses caused by different types of contaminants; (e) times required for initial and maximum induction of physiological responses in fish are significantly longer than those in crustaceans; and (f) there is a paucity of data on adaptation and recovery of responses, especially those at population and community levels. The above analyses highlight: (1) the limitations and possible erroneous conclusions in the present use of biomarkers in biomonitoring programs, (2) the importance of understanding the details of temporal changes of biological responses before employing them in environmental management, and (3) the suitability of using specific animal groups as bioindicator species.     

Interaction between inorganic nutrients and organic matter in controlling coral reef communities in Glovers Reef Belize

We studied the responses of algae, corals, and small fish to elevated inorganic fertilizer, organic matter, and their combination over a 49-day summer period in cages that simulated the coral reef in the remote Glovers reef atoll, Belize. The addition of organic matter reduced while fertilization had no effect on the numbers of herbivorous damsel and parrotfishes. All measures of algal biomass were influenced by fertilization. The combined inorganic and organic enrichment produced the highest algal biomass, which is most likely due to the combined effect of higher nutrients and lower herbivory. The cover of turf and total algae were influenced by all treatments and their interactions and most strongly and positively influenced by fertilization followed by organic matter and the combination of organic matter and inorganic fertilizer. The inorganic and combined treatments were both dominated by two turf algae, Enteromorpha prolifera and Digenia simplex, while the nonfertilized treatments were dominated by brown frondose algae Lobophora variegata, Padina sanctae, and Dictyota cervicornis. The organic matter treatment had greater cover of P. sanctae and D. cervicornis than the untreated control, which was dominated by Lobophora variegata, also the dominant algae on the nearby patch reefs. Crustose corallines grew slowly ( approximately 2.5 mm/49 days) and were not influenced by the treatments when grown on vertical surfaces but decreased on horizontal coral plates in the combined organic matter and fertilization treatment. No mortality occurred for the two coral species that were added to the cages. Porites furcata darkened in the fertilized cages while there was a mix of paling and darkening for a small amount of the coral tissue of Diploria labyrinthiformes. Inorganic fertilization stimulates small filamentous turf algae and Symbiodinium living in coral but inhibits brown frondose algae. Organic matter inhibits small herbivorous fish, L. variegata, and encrusting coralline algae when growing on horizontal surfaces.     

印度西北部地盾区高压麻粒岩P—T轨迹

Sand Mata麻粒岩岩组形成印度半岛西北部Rajasthan地区太古宙片麻岩杂岩体。其主要岩石为泥质麻粒岩,由石榴石、矽线石、蓝晶石、黑云母、堇青石、紫苏辉石、石英和长石组成。在各种规模范围内可见由石榴石、石英、长石等组成的成分条带。该岩组另一个岩石类型为基性麻粒岩,其矿物组合为石榴石、透辉石、紫苏辉石、斜长石和少量石英。这些麻粒岩被苏长岩脉侵入,而岩脉的年龄还没有确定。它们主要特征是有变余辉绿结构,同时有时含有橄榄石。麻粒岩岩组为卵形,并被片麻岩-片岩-花岗岩杂岩体围绕,该杂岩体被称为条带状片麻岩杂岩体(Banded Gneissic Complex)。它们的接触界线为韧性剪切带,该剪切带具有陡的下倾线理。基性麻粒岩在紫苏辉石和斜长石表面具有石榴石—透辉石和石英的反应边。反应边矿物的随机方位表明结晶作用是在麻粒岩相变质的静态环境中进行的。石榴石—透辉石—石英组合在冷却过程中还没有形成,这可由其P-T估算以及苏长岩脉中石榴石的发     

地质科学进展

在过去的20年里,遥感技术发展迅速,遥感数据成为地质学、地球物理学、矿产资源及能源各学科研究的一种最强有力的工具。对于地质学及矿产资源研究来说,能够总结出多方面的应用。采用具有不同波段和空间分辨率的多功能传感器及多时相数据,以对所需要参数求得最佳方案,地质科学的主要课题都很感兴趣的类比数字数据已证明是许多应用中心必不可少的基础,在不同的传感器技术发展的这一时期,新的遥感数据具有可用性。在这一方面,许多欧洲地质科学研究者一度从事于发展新的遥感数据应用的方法,比如促进了图像处理技术,出现了多功能传感器与分类算法,特别是最近几十年遥感的适用性,由不同的数据组的组合证实它在许方面应用时具有独特性。     

频带比率应用于估计光径辐射率的一种新方法

频带比率是预处理卫星图像的一种有用方法,特别是对于地形影响非常重要的地区。频带比率方法首先是估计和消除光径辐射率。本文论述了一种估计光径辐射率最小方差比(MRV)的一种新方法。利用MRV技术时,基本优点是在频带比率区有最小的方差。因此,从所给出的最均匀的比率图像角度考虑,所推导出的估算是最理想的。进一步MRV方法的假设比协方差矩阵法所做假设更一般化。而且计算时间与协方差法或回归法一样,这种方法可以应用于一个大图像的某些小部分,以提供对光径辐射率空间变化的估计。本文还讨论了MRV法的误差分析。其设计满足计算机模拟。已证实光径辐射率估值的误差为正值,它受地形、噪声强度、不同波长频带地面内在辐射率比值等影响。在地形影响很强、噪声强度低、内在辐射率之比(较短波长频带与较长波长频带之比)小时,偏差相当小。     

城市热岛

应用陆地卫星/TM数据资料在首都华盛顿地区结合利用推导的波谱反射率与温度资料研究了城市热岛现象,分析了5种地表类型的复合表面能。结果表明城市加热是由于建筑、沥青、裸露土壤和短草草地构成快速加热,使城市地表引起过量热。总之,夏日加热现象开始于早晨,它可以比附近的林区高约10℃。