Allelic diversity and forensic estimations of the Beijing Hans: Comparative data on sequence-based and length-based STRs.

Short tandem repeat (STR) profiling is routinely used in forensic genetics. At present, STR analysis is mainly performed by capillary electrophoresis (CE). However, due to limitations associated with the CE method, STR genotyping has been limited to length polymorphisms only. Because next generation sequencing (NGS) is capable of providing full resolution STR data at the sequence variation level, the individual identification capability of forensic STR loci could be significantly improved. Here we present sequence-based STR data for the Beijing Han population in which 291 individuals were screened for 23 commonly used forensic STRs using the SeqTypeR24 CASE kit on an Ion PGM platform. In total, 234 length-based alleles and 356 sequence-based alleles, which included 22 novel core repeat sequences, were observed. The sequence-based matching probability and power of discrimination were superior to the length-based numbers for 16 loci bearing micro-variant alleles. Combined matching probability reached 8.2 × 10-29 for 23 STR loci at the sequence level. This was two orders of magnitude higher than the parameters at length level and provides a data base for sequence-based STR casework applications.

[Distribution and Transportation Characteristics of Heavy Metals in Nanshan Laolongdong Subterranean River System and Its Capacity of Self-Purification in Chongqing].

For figuring out the distribution and transportation characteristics of heavy metals Mn, Pb, Cu and As among overlying water-pore water-surface sediments so as to offer a scientific basis for the development of urban construction and protection of karst groundwater, overlying water, pore water and surface sediment samples were collected in December 2013 ( winter) and June 2014 (summer) respectively. Results show that the detection rates of Mn, Pb, Cu and As are 100% both in overlying water and pore water with the concentration Mn > Pb > Cu > As, summer > winter, pore water > overlying water, respectively, and the groundwater could not be a source of drinking water because of the excessive content of Mn and Pb. In addition, the concentration of heavy metals Mn, Pb, Cu and As in pore water are higher than that in overlying water, indicating that heavy metals could diffuse into overlying water from pore water because of concentration gradient, especially in summertime. Moreover, study also finds that heavy metals are accumulated in surface sediments, the total content of four heavy metals has a decreasing trend between UGR6( sampling site 7) and UGR5 (sampling site 6), but has an increasing trend from UGR5 (sampling site 6) to URG0 (sampling site 1). Mn, in surface sediments, has strong instability and mobility, which can not only cause the pollution of overlying water but also enlarge contaminated area. In a word, Laolongdong subterranean river has strong capacity of self-purification, especially the surface sediments.

[Difference of Karst Carbon Sink Under Different Land Use and Land Cover Areas in Dry Season].

In order to identify the distinction of soil CO2 consumed by carbonate rock dissolution, Baishuwan spring, Lanhuagou spring and Hougou spring were selected as objects to monitor the hydrochemistry from November 2013 to May 2014. The results showed that the highest HCO3- concentration was observed in Baishuwan spring which is covered by pine forest, while the lowest HCO3- concentration was observed in Hougou spring which is mainly covered by cultivated land. In Baishuwan spring, HCO3- was mainly derived from carbonic acid dissolving carbonate rock and the molar ratio between Ca(2+) + Mg2+ and HCO3- was close to 0. 5; while the molar ratio between Ca(2+) + Mg2+ and HCO3- exceeded 0.5 because the carbonate rock in Lanhuagou spring and Hougou spring was mainly dissolved by nitric acid and sulfuric acid. Because of the input of litter and the fact that gas-permeability of soil was limited in Baishuwan spring catchment, most of soil CO2 was dissolved in infiltrated water and reacted with bedrock. However, in Lanhuagou spring catchment and Hougou spring catchment, porous soil made soil CO2 easier to return to the atmosphere in the form of soil respiration. Therefore, in order to accurately estimate karst carbon sink, it was required to clarify the distinction of CO2 consumption by carbonate rock dissolution under different land use and land cover areas.

[Characteristics and Resources of Fly Ash Particles in the Snowpack of Jinfo Mountain, Chongqing].

Snow can preserve the atmospheric information, which makes it become a good media in studying regional environment. Jinfo Mountain with an elevation of 2251.1 m, located at the transition zone between Sichuan basin and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau, is deeply affected by human activities, and snowfall is the main form of precipitation during the winter. While the literature focus on single spherical particles in this area is uncommon. Five snow samples were collected, and determined morphology and chemical composition of 132 single spherical particles by the scanning electron microscope couples with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS). Results show that snowfall in Jinfo Mountain includes the massive fly ash particles with 1.64 µm in average diameter and 1.09 in average roundness which contains smooth particles, rough particles and soot particles, accounting for 80. 31% , 14. 39% and 5.30% of statistical particles respectively. Furthermore, on the basis of chemical information obtained from EDS, the fly ash particles counted in this research can be classified into 5 types, namely, Si-dominant particles, C-dominant particles, Fe-dominant particles, Al-dominant particles and Ti-dominant particles, which make up 34.09%, 49.24%, 12.88%, 2.27% and 1.52% respectively. In conclusion, it can be inferred, based on the analysis of meteorological information, the properties of fly ash particles, and backward air mass trajectory and dispersion analysis, that C-dominant fly ash mainly comes from daily life and industry activities, Si-dominant fly ash particles may originate from the plant industry located in west Chingqing, north of Guizhou province, central of Hunan province, Zhejiang province, Jiangxi province and the west of Guangdong province, while the activities of foundry and iron or steel plants in the west of Chongqing, the north of Guizhou province and the central of Hunan province may be the main sources of Fe-dominant fly ash particles in our samples.

[Value of specific 16S rDNA fragment of algae in diagnosis of drowning: an experiment with rabbits].

OBJECTIVE: To establish a method for amplifying specific 16S rDNA fragment of algae related with drowning and test its value in drowning diagnosis. METHODS: Thirty-five rabbits were randomly divided into 3 the drowning group (n=15), postmortem water immersion group (n=15, subjected to air embolism before seawater immersion), and control group(n=5, with air embolism only). Twenty samples of the liver tissues from human corpses found in water were also used, including 14 diatom-positive and 6 diatom-negative samples identified by microwave digestion-vacuum filtration-automated scanning electron microscopy (MD-VF-Auto SEM). Seven known species of algae served as the control algae (Melosira sp, Nitzschia sp, Synedra sp, Navicula sp, Microcystis sp, Cyclotella meneghiniana, and Chlorella sp). The total DNA was extracted from the tissues and algae to amplify the specific fragment of algae followed by 8% polyacrylamide gelelectrophoresis and sliver-staining. RESULTS: In the drowning group, algae was detected in the lungs (100%), liver (86%), and kidney (86%); algae was detected in the lungs in 2 rabbits in the postmortem group (13%) and none in the control group. The positivity rates of algae were significantly higher in the drowning group than in the postmortem group (P<0.05). Of the 20 tissue samples from human corps found in water, 15 were found positive for algae, including sample that had been identified as diatom-negative by MD-VF-Auto SEM. All the 7 control algae samples yielded positive results in PCR. CONCLUSIONS: The PCR-based method has a high sensitivity in algae detection for drowning diagnosis and allows simultaneous detection of multiple algae species related with drowning.

[Influences of Biological Processes on Geochemical Characteristics: An Example of a Mountain Karst Pool in Spring Season].

Karst hydrologic system is quite sensitive to the surrounding environment, which leads to changes in the quality of karst water within diel, hours even minutes. Many surface water undergoes changes of pH value, dissolved gas, trace elements, nutrition and other hydrochemical parameters in a daily timescale. The Shuifang spring and its draining pool are located in Jinfo Mountain in Chongqing, the middle karst mountain belonging to temperate climate with an elevation of about 2050 m a. s. l. Diel cycles of geochemistry were measured for three days and nights to investigate the influence of biological processes on the geochemistry of the karst pool. Results showed that the geochemistry of Shuifang spring didn't exhibit diel variations, while the pool water appeared diurnal change, even if the variation amplitudes of water temperature, pH value, dissolved oxygen and specific conductance were slight. Under different weather conditions, variation amplitude of the geochemical parameters in the pool appeared discriminatory. pCO2 and concentrations of Ca2+, dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) decreased during the day time and increased in night, while calcite saturation index (SIc) showed an inverse trend. Those phenomena might be attributed to water temperature change, calcite precipitation or dissolution and the process of metabolism by the aquatic plants in the pool. It was found that the influence of water temperature change on pCO2 accounted for only 0.79% to 10.01% by means of calculation of Henry constants. DIC loss contributed by physical factors, such as temperature and calcite precipitation, accounted for 39%, whereas the metabolism of aquatic plants accounted for 61%.

[Formation of geochemistry in underground river under rainfall conditions: an examule for underground river at Xueyu Cave, Chongqing].

Through the monitoring of geochemical indexes in underground river of Xueyu Cave in Chongqing under rainfall conditions, we found that all indexes responded quickly to rainfall, and there was a correlation among them. Each index was analyzed with the principal component analysis, three main components were extracted which can represent 82.761% of the information to reflect the formation of geochemistry in underground river under rainfall conditions. The results showed that the contribution rates of soil leaching represented as increased concentration of total Fe, total Mn, and Al3+, and dilution effect represented as reduced concentration of K+, Na+ and Sr2+ to the change of geochemical characteristics were 41.718%, which should be paid more attentions for its great damage to karst soil and safety of drinking water. Karst water dissolution of dolomite and recharge area of agricultural activities, caverns were 29.958%, as for karst water on limestone dissolution represented, as increased concentration of Ca2+ the contribution rate was 11.084%.