海南岛万泉河口沉积环境演变

根据对柱样沉积物²¹⁰Pb定年及有机碳、硫和有机碳同位素含量分析, 研究万泉河口沉积环境演变. 硫和δ¹³C均自19世纪初期开始持续减少, 硫从1.92%逐渐减少到0.36%, δ¹³C从−20.63‰减少到−23.64‰. C/S比在20世纪之前一直很稳定, 处于0.47~0.80之间, 有机碳与硫呈正相关; 在此之后, C/S比急剧增加, 至表层为3.94, 硫的含量与有机碳的增加没有相关关系. 结果表明在19世纪之前万泉河口尚为开阔的海湾, 处于正常海洋环境,未形成被沙坝围封的泻湖, 海水能够直接出入. 19世纪初期开始, 随着玉带滩沙坝向北发育, 河口逐渐被围拦成泻湖型, 进入的海水量逐渐减少; 在19与20世纪之交, 水体已开始明显淡化, 发展成为今天近乎淡水的泻湖.     

Identification of low-frequency variants associated with gout and serum uric acid levels

We tested 16 million SNPs, identified through whole-genome sequencing of 457 Icelanders, for association with gout and serum uric acid levels. Genotypes were imputed into 41,675 chip-genotyped Icelanders and their relatives, for effective sample sizes of 968 individuals with gout and 15,506 individuals for whom serum uric acid measurements were available. We identified a low-frequency missense variant (c.1580C>G) in ALDH16A1 associated with gout (OR = 3.12, P = 1.5 × 10(-16), at-risk allele frequency = 0.019) and serum uric acid levels (effect = 0.36 s.d., P = 4.5 × 10(-21)). We confirmed the association with gout by performing Sanger sequencing on 6,017 Icelanders. The association with gout was stronger in males relative to females. We also found a second variant on chromosome 1 associated with gout (OR = 1.92, P = 0.046, at-risk allele frequency = 0.986) and serum uric acid levels (effect = 0.48 s.d., P = 4.5 × 10(-16)). This variant is close to a common variant previously associated with serum uric acid levels. This work illustrates how whole-genome sequencing data allow the detection of associations between low-frequency variants and complex traits.     

Change in the sedimentary environment of Wanquan River Estuary,Hainan Island,China

Pb geochronology and sediment core profiles of organic carbon, total sulfur and organic carbon isotope (d 13C) values were used to reconstruct the local environ-mental history of the Shamei Lagoon, located in the Wan-quan River Estuary, eastern Hainan Island, China. Totalsulfur and d 13C values decreased upwards in the top 30 cm of a sediment core that spanned the last 200 years of deposi-tion. Total sulfur concentration and d 13C values respectively decreased upward from 1.92% to 0.36%, and -20.63?to -23.64? The C/S ratio in the 19th century and earlier was relatively stable in the range of 0.47—0.80, and there was a positive correlation between organic carbon and total sulfur. Since around 1900 AD, the C/S ratio increased rapidly to a maximum of 3.94, but no simple correlation was found be-tween organic carbon and total sulfur during this more re-cent period. These results indicated that before 1800 AD, the lagoon had a fully marine character, and the location of to-day抯 Wanquan River Estuary was an open embayment.From 1800 to 1900, the salinity of Shamei Lagoon decreased noticeably. The amount of seawater which could enter thelagoon decreased gradually as the Yudai spit grew. Today,seawater scarcely affects the lagoon; it is essentially a fresh-water basin.     

The optical afterglow of the short gamma-ray burst GRB 050709

It has long been known that there are two classes of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), mainly distinguished by their durations. The breakthrough in our understanding of long-duration GRBs (those lasting more than approximately 2 s), which ultimately linked them with energetic type Ic supernovae, came from the discovery of their long-lived X-ray and optical 'afterglows', when precise and rapid localizations of the sources could finally be obtained. X-ray localizations have recently become available for short (duration <2 s) GRBs, which have evaded optical detection for more than 30 years. Here we report the first discovery of transient optical emission (R-band magnitude approximately 23) associated with a short burst: GRB 050709. The optical afterglow was localized with subarcsecond accuracy, and lies in the outskirts of a blue dwarf galaxy. The optical and X-ray afterglow properties 34 h after the GRB are reminiscent of the afterglows of long GRBs, which are attributable to synchrotron emission from ultrarelativistic ejecta. We did not, however, detect a supernova, as found in most nearby long GRB afterglows, which suggests a different origin for the short GRBs.     

An RNA gene expressed during cortical development evolved rapidly in humans

The developmental and evolutionary mechanisms behind the emergence of human-specific brain features remain largely unknown. However, the recent ability to compare our genome to that of our closest relative, the chimpanzee, provides new avenues to link genetic and phenotypic changes in the evolution of the human brain. We devised a ranking of regions in the human genome that show significant evolutionary acceleration. Here we report that the most dramatic of these 'human accelerated regions', HAR1, is part of a novel RNA gene (HAR1F) that is expressed specifically in Cajal-Retzius neurons in the developing human neocortex from 7 to 19 gestational weeks, a crucial period for cortical neuron specification and migration. HAR1F is co-expressed with reelin, a product of Cajal-Retzius neurons that is of fundamental importance in specifying the six-layer structure of the human cortex. HAR1 and the other human accelerated regions provide new candidates in the search for uniquely human biology.     

Phenol and HCl at 550 degrees C yield a large variety of chlorinated toxic compounds

During the past decade it has been shown conclusively that the incineration of municipal and industrial wastes gives rise to emissions of chlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans. However, the mechanism by which these toxic compounds are formed has not yet been fully established. Some researchers believe that the presence of organically bound chlorine is necessary, but others consider that inorganic forms of chlorine may also participate in the process. We now report the synthesis of a large number of chlorinated environmental pollutants in a simple high-temperature experiment. The results show that phenol and HCl are the most likely precursors of the chlorinated dibenzodioxins and dibenzofurans formed in the combustion of wastes. The dependence of the reaction on the concentration of HCl indicates a way of controlling the formation of these toxic compounds during incineration.