合成孔径激光成像雷达(Ⅰ):离焦和相位偏置望远镜接收天线

把合成孔径激光成像雷达的目标衍射区分为三个区域,提出采用离焦或者附加空间相位调制板的光学接收望远镜补偿回波像差。当目标处于菲涅耳衍射区时可采用离焦或偏置望远镜补偿回波二次项离焦像差并产生用于孔径合成的二次项相位历程;目标处于夫琅和费衍射区时可以采用离焦或偏置望远镜补偿回波二次项离焦像差但不产生相位历程;目标处于瑞利-索末菲衍射区域时不可能补偿回波高阶像差。

Structure-function analysis of USP1: insights into the role of Ser313 phosphorylation site and the effect of cancer-associated mutations on autocleavage

Background: In complex with its cofactor UAF1, the USP1 deubiquitinase plays an important role in cellular processes related to cancer, including the response to DNA damage. The USP1/UAF1 complex is emerging as a novel target in cancer therapy, but several aspects of its function and regulation remain to be further clarified. These include the role of the serine 313 phosphorylation site, the relative contribution of different USP1 sequence motifs to UAF1 binding, and the potential effect of cancer-associated mutations on USP1 regulation by autocleavage. Methods: We have generated a large set of USP1 structural variants, including a catalytically inactive form (C90S), non-phosphorylatable (S313A) and phosphomimetic (S313D) mutants, deletion mutants lacking potential UAF1 binding sites, a mutant (GG/AA) unable to undergo autocleavage at the well-characterized G670/G671 diglycine motif, and four USP1 mutants identified in tumor samples that cluster around this cleavage site (G667A, L669P, K673T and A676T). Using cell-based assays, we have determined the ability of these mutants to bind UAF1, to reverse DNA damage-induced monoubiquitination of PCNA, and to undergo autocleavage. Results: A non-phosphorylatable S313A mutant of USP1 retained the ability to bind UAF1 and to reverse PCNA ubiquitination in cell-based assays. Regardless of the presence of a phosphomimetic S313D mutation, deletion of USP1 fragment 420-520 disrupted UAF1 binding, as determined using a nuclear relocation assay. The UAF1 binding site in a second UAF1-interacting DUB, USP46, was mapped to a region homologous to USP1(420-520). Regarding USP1 autocleavage, co-expression of the C90S and GG/AA mutants did not result in cleavage, while the cancer-associated mutation L669P was found to reduce cleavage efficiency. Conclusions: USP1 phosphorylation at S313 is not critical for PCNA deubiquitination, neither for binding to UAF1 in a cellular environment. In this context, USP1 amino acid motif 420-520 is necessary and sufficient for UAF1 binding. This motif, and a homologous amino acid segment that mediates USP46 binding to UAF1, map to the Fingers sub-domain of these DUBs. On the other hand, our results support the view that USP1 autocleavage may occur in cis, and can be altered by a cancer-associated mutation.

Assobios do boto-cinza, Sotalia guianensis, (Cetacea, Delphinidae) em três áreas de concentração na costa do Rio de Janeiro

A espécie Sotalia guianensis apresenta um variado repertório de assobios que estão ligados a interação social e a diferentes contextos de comportamento. As variações intraespecíficas nas estruturas dos assobios podem indicar diferenças entre populações dessa espécie. O presente estudo caracterizou e comparou o repertório dos assobios de Sotalia guianensis, em três baías do estado do Rio de Janeiro: Baía de Guanabara (BG), Baía de Sepetiba (BS) e Baía da Ilha Grande (BI), utilizando um sistema de gravação com limite superior de frequência de 48 kHz e através da aplicação das análises quantitativas e qualitativas dos parâmetros acústicos. As gravações dos assobios foram realizadas com embarcações de 5,5 e 7m e sistema de gravação composto por um hidrofone High Tech, modelo HTI-96-MIN, e um gravador digital modelo PMD 671 Marantz, com limite superior de frequência de 48 kHz. As análises dos espectrogramas foram realizadas com os softwares Adobe Audition 1.5 e Raven 1.3. Os assobios foram classificados em seis categorias de forma de contorno e 11 parâmetros acústicos foram medidos para cada assobio. Para comparar os parâmetros acústicos de mesma forma de contorno entre as três baías, foram aplicados a análise descritiva e testes estatísticos de comparação de média. Um total de 1800 assobios foi selecionado e 61,38% (N=1105) dos assobios apresentaram forma de contorno ascendente. Assobios com zero ou um ponto de inflexão foram mais frequentes (N=1476), correspondendo a 82%. A amplitude de frequência encontrada variou de 1,03 a 46,87 kHz, maior alcance registrado para essa espécie no Brasil. A média de duração dos assobios da BG foi menor do que as médias encontradas na BS e na BI. Os resultados de todas as comparações realizadas demonstraram que os parâmetros de frequência (FI, FF, FMAX e F3/4) foram os que mais apresentaram diferenças significativas entre as três áreas. A variação encontrada nos assobios de S. guianensis entre as três áreas estudadas pode também estar ligada aos tipos de assobios mais comuns em cada área, representados pelos assobios ascendentes, que apesar de apresentarem a mesma forma de contorno, possuem diferenças em seus parâmetros acústicos, possivelmente ligados a informações individuais. A utilização de um sistema de gravação com limite superior de 48 kHz possibilitou a análise de muitos assobios. Com isso, foi possível verificar a importância do limite de frequência aplicado para caracterizar o repertório acústico dessa espécie, juntamente com as análises qualitativas das formas de contorno e as análises quantitativas dos parâmetros acústicos dos assobios. A aplicação dessa metodologia foi eficaz na comparação intraespecífica dos assobios, e futuramente, estudos mais detalhados da classificação dos assobios, poderá acrescentar informações relevantes sobre a variação desse tipo de emissão sonora no repertório acústico S. guianensis

The coastal environment and human health: microbial indicators, pathogens, sentinels and reservoirs

Innovative research relating oceans and human health is advancing our understanding of disease-causing organisms in coastal ecosystems. Novel techniques are elucidating the loading, transport and fate of pathogens in coastal ecosystems, and identifying sources of contamination. This research is facilitating improved risk assessments for seafood consumers and those who use the oceans for recreation. A number of challenges still remain and define future directions of research and public policy. Sample processing and molecular detection techniques need to be advanced to allow rapid and specific identification of microbes of public health concern from complex environmental samples. Water quality standards need to be updated to more accurately reflect health risks and to provide managers with improved tools for decision-making. Greater discrimination of virulent versus harmless microbes is needed to identify environmental reservoirs of pathogens and factors leading to human infections. Investigations must include examination of microbial community dynamics that may be important from a human health perspective. Further research is needed to evaluate the ecology of non-enteric water-transmitted diseases. Sentinels should also be established and monitored, providing early warning of dangers to ecosystem health. Taken together, this effort will provide more reliable information about public health risks associated with beaches and seafood consumption, and how human activities can affect their exposure to disease-causing organisms from the oceans.

人工湿地强化净化太湖水体富营养化研究

为了进一步降低水中营养盐浓度、提高水体透明度，为湖泊生态系统的恢复创造条件，促进湖泊水体生态系统良性循环，以太湖五里湖富营养化水体为研究对象，采用中试规模的人工湿地技术来强化净化富营养化水体。重点研究了不同流态、不同基质、不同植物及植物有无条件下各人工湿地系统对富营养化水体的处理效果。此外，还对生长在人工湿地中的7种湿地植物芦苇(Phragmites communis)、香蒲(Typha angustifolia)、茭白(Zizania caduciflora)、水葱(Scirpus validus.)、菖蒲(Acorus calamus)、鸢尾(Iris pseudacorus)和千屈菜(Lythrum salicaria)的生长、生理生态特性如气体交换、叶绿素荧光、光合色素含量及氮、磷吸收能力进行了研究，旨在探索高等植物在富营养化水体净化过程中的机理和规律，为人工湿地污水净化机理奠定一定的科学和理论基础。主要研究结果如下： 通过对垂直潜流、水平潜流和自由表面流三种类型的人工湿地系统对富营养化水体净化效果的对比研究，我们发现在水力负荷0.64 m d-1，进水污染物浓度化学需氧量(COD) 7.37 mg L-1、氨氮(NH4+-N) 1.63 mg L-1、硝氮(NO3--N )1.41 mg L-1、总氮(TN) 4.82 mg L-1和总磷(TP) 0.15 mg L-1的条件下，三种不同流态的人工湿地对富营养化水体均有一定的净化功能。三种类型的人工湿地对主要污染物COD、NH4+-N、NO3--N、TN和TP的去除效果分别为：垂直潜流40.4%、45.9%、62.9%、51.6%和64.3%;水平潜流39.6%、32.0%、65.3%、52.1%和65.7%;自由表面流16.5%、22.8%、34.2%、19.8%和35.1%。相比之下，垂直潜流、水平潜流对主要的污染物的去除效果明显好于自由表面流人工湿地。除垂直潜流湿地NH4+-N的平均去除率显著大于水平潜流外，两人工湿地在其余指标的去除效果上无显著差异。考虑到土地面积的限制，就太湖五里湖富营养化水体治理而言，垂直潜流和水平潜流较自由表面流更为适合。 以沸石为基质的人工湿地较以砾石为基质的人工湿地对NH4+-N有很好的去除效果，除此之外两种基质类型的人工湿地在其余各污染指标的去除效果方面差异不显著。但随着湿地运行时间的延长，沸石对NH4+-N的吸收能力会逐渐减弱，考虑到湿地构建成本，建议就地取材，以当地较为廉价的砾石为人工湿地基质比较经济适用。 有无植物对有机污染物COD的去除效果影响差异不显著，但对TN和TP去除效果影响差异极显著，有植物的人工湿地对TN的去除率比无植物的分别高出12.5%和13.4%，对TP去除率分别高出16.9%和31.0%。不同植物对人工湿地处理效果的影响差异不显著，可见湿地流态对处理效果的影响大于植物的影响。 各湿地植物叶片的净光合速率(Pn)日变化均为双峰曲线，有光合“午休”现象。其中芦苇、茭白、鸢尾、菖蒲、水葱和千屈菜Pn的下降主要是由气孔导度(gs)的下降造成的，而香蒲则更多的受叶肉光合能力下降的影响。除千屈菜的Pn与gs之间呈显著正相关外，其余植物的Pn与gs之间均呈极显著正相关。气孔行为对湿地植物光合作用碳的固定显示了明显的主导控制作用。 各湿地植物的光补偿点(LCP)差异不显著，其均值都在10µmol m-2 s-1以上，显示了阳生植物的特性。但湿地植物的光饱和点 (LSP)差异极显著，LSP大小依次为香蒲1476.3µmol m-2 s-1>水葱1140.0µmol m-2 s-1>菖蒲753.7µmol m-2 s-1>芦苇751.7µmol m-2 s-1>茭白640.7µmol m-2 s-1>千屈菜567.3µmol m-2 s-1>鸢尾479.0µmol m-2 s-1。7种湿地植物的CO2补偿点差异极显著，CO2补偿点大小依次为水葱47.1µmol mol-1>茭白28.4µmol mol-1>香蒲23.7µmol mol-1>鸢尾16.8µmol mol-1>菖蒲16.7µmol mol-1>千屈菜15.2µmol mol-1>芦苇14.8µmol mol-1。与此相反，湿地植物的CO2饱和点差异不显著。 各湿地植物的Fv/Fm值大小差异也极显著，Fv/Fm值大小依次为千屈菜0.8168>水葱0.8348>香蒲0.8262>菖蒲0.8198>芦苇0.8168>茭白0.8040>鸢尾0.7930。由此可见千屈菜、水葱较芦苇和茭白有较高的PSⅡ效率。7种湿地植物叶片的叶绿素a、叶绿素b和类胡萝卜素含量水平差异极显著，芦苇和茭白叶片的叶绿素和类胡萝卜素含量水平都较高，这在客观上解释了他们为何拥有较强的光合能力。 不同湿地植物的生物量大小差异极显著，平均生物量(干重)变化范围在0.26-6.65 kg m-2之间。除香蒲和水葱的地下部生物量显著大于地上部外，其余植物都是地上部生物量大于地下部，这非常有利于人工湿地生态工程中通过收获植物地上部生物量来达到去除氮、磷污染目的。 不同湿地植物植株氮、磷含量差异极显著。湿地植物对氮吸收总量变化范围为6.09-93.96 g m-2，吸收氮最高是芦苇，最低是菖蒲;对磷吸收总量变化范围为0.51-8.95 g m-2，吸收磷最高是香蒲，最低是菖蒲。经测算，植物吸收的总氮量占人工湿地总氮去除量的0.6-17.1%，总磷量占人工湿地总磷去除量的1.4-40.5%。本次试验中香蒲和芦苇对氮、磷的吸收去除能力比较高，茭白、鸢尾、水葱和千屈菜的吸收去除能力中等，而菖蒲的吸收能力较弱。