Evaluation of protective effects of sulforaphane on DNA damage caused by exposure to low levels of pesticide mixture using comet assay

The objective of the study was to evaluate the potential risk of DNA damage due to exposure to a mixture of the most widely used pesticides, namely endosulfan, chlorpyriphos and thiram at an environmentally relevant concentration (5 μM each) and the DNA protective capacity of sulforaphane (SFN) (10–30 μg/mL). DNA damage in human lymphocytes was ascertained with Single Cell Gel Electrophoresis (SCGE), also called Comet Assay. For positive control, H₂O₂ at 100 mM was used. The pesticide mixture produced DNA damage at the concentration used in the lymphocytes. SFN was able to offer a statistically significant (P < 0.01), concentration-dependant protection to DNA damage between 10–20 μg/mL in both the pre-incubation and co-incubation strategies. The results indicate that exposure to low levels of these pesticide mixtures can induce DNA damage, and the presence of SFN in diet may reduce the incidence of genetic damage, especially in farm workers. However, it is not clear whether SFN is involved in quenching of the free radicals generated by the pesticide mixture or it is involved in DNA repair mechanism.     

Obligations to animals are not necessarily based on rights

I offer a very qualified argument to the effect that rights are grounded in a certain sort of prejudice that privileges individualistic and perhaps masculinist ways of thinking about moral life. I also propose that we look carefully at other conceptions of social ontology and moral life, including the much discussed care conception.     

四川省科技人力资源潜力与结构变化

通过对四川省科技人力资源的潜力、结构变化的分析,提出建立统一规范的科技人才培养经费投入政策,加强科技人才资源的再开发,不拘一格引进科技人才,建立四川省科技人力资源监测系统等对策。     

生态环境与洪旱灾害

作者将自然运动与人类活动、生态环境与气候结合起来研究，求索洪旱灾害之谜，着重探讨了其中多种生态环境因素。由大灾后的反思，找出灾害加剧的人为原因是：人中激增、生态危机、水利失修等，提出必须加强防灾减灾的对策研究。     

Evaluation of Material Biodegradability in Real Conditions–Development of a Burial Test and an Analysis Methodology Based on Numerical Vision

This work validated a burial protocol for in situ testing and presents a robust, repeatable and time-saving technique to measure degraded areas in the sample, i.e. an image analysis method. 1440 specimens of degraded samples have been compiled in a data base. To this end, twenty samples presenting different levels of biodegradability (i.e. PHBV/HV, PLA, PCL, PCL-Starch, paper, PE, PE-Starch) were buried at 4 different locations and then disinterred at 4, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24-month intervals. The biodegradation levels of these samples were determined by computing weight and area loss. Weight loss was measured after careful cleaning, whereas area loss was quantified using image analysis. Image analysis gives reliable information on visual pollution while only requiring a rudimentary and thus quicker cleaning of the samples.     

泥石流与人类经济活动

山地是泥石流与人类共存的环境,泥石流作用于山地环境,强烈地影响人类经济活动：人类经济活动也作用于山地环境,强烈地影响泥石流。泥石流对山地环境的危害,主要为破坏地表、破坏生态系统和淤堵江河;泥石流对人类及其经济活动的危害,主要为破坏城镇,村庄,工矿,交通水利水电工程,农田和人类自身的安全。泥石流危害的结果,能导致山地坡面破碎化、沟口沙石化、河床宽浅化和植被逆向演替化,以及耕地贫瘠化、经济发展滞后化和     

对灾害研究中几个问题的思考

对灾害研究中有关的几个问题进行了探讨。认为： 灾害学是最重要的自然社会科学; 人文灾害比自然灾害更具毁灭性; 研究人文灾害中的公路交通事故、核战争问题、人口问题、环境污染问题等具有重要的现实意义和深远的历史意义。     

The Truth about Public Health Protection and Community Sewerage and Water Supply Sanitation in Developing Countries

Since the establishment, following World War II, of the World System, by which the affluent industrialized countries established various international assistance agencies (including the multilateral development banks, UN affiliates, and Bilaterals), these assistance agencies have invested very large sums in helping finance planning and construction of community sewerage and water supply facilities in the developing countries. However, much of this large investment has been ineffective and wasted, primarily because of the lack of understanding by the staff of the assistance agencies that the design criteria for the facilities must be modified to suit the socio-economic status of the developing country. The developing countries are relatively very poor in terms of available finances, hence cannot afford to emulate Western environmental standards and design practices, especially as related to operation and maintenance, hence much simpler approaches must be used. Experiences in several Asian countries are discussed, and a recommendation is made on how to go about resolving this problem.     

Cultured human-cell-based bioassay for environmental risk management

Among bioassays for evaluating various impacts of chemicalson humans and ecosystems, those based on culturedmammalian-cells can best predict acute lethal toxicity to humans. Weexpect them to be employed in the future in environmentalrisk management alongside mutagenicity tests and endocrine-disrupting activity tests. We recently developed adisposable bioassay device that immobilizes humanhepatocarcinoma cells in a small micropipette tip. Thisenables very quick (within 2 h) evaluation of acute lethaltoxicity to humans. For bioassay-based environmentalmanagement, 2 promising approaches have been demonstrated bythe US-EPA: toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) andtoxicity reduction evaluation (TRE). The Japanese Ministryof Environment has been supporting a multi-center validationproject, aimed at assembling a bioassay database. To makefull use of these resources, we present a numerical modelthat describes contribution of individual chemical toobserved toxicity. This will allow the selection of the mosteffective countermeasure to reduce the toxicity. Bioassay-based environmental risk management works retrospectively,whereas impact assessment using substance flow models andtoxicity databases works prospective. We expect that these 2approaches will exchange information, act complementarily,and work effectively in keeping our environment healthy inthe 21st century.     

欠发达城市人居环境评价体系构建及应用

在参阅国内城市人居环境评价指标体系研究的基础上，选择安徽省六安市为样区，提出了欠发达城市人居环境评价的原则、指标构成以及评价模式和方法。其中，指标体系共分为目标层、准则层、分类层和指标层4个层次，从居住建设、生态环境和社会经济三大系统构建了39个单项指标，依据六安市2005年的调查统计资料，对其人居环境的建设水平和满意度两方面进行了对比评价，验证结果科学可行，可为同类地区人居环境质量评价提供参考。