Oxidative stress mediated cytotoxicity of TiO2 nano anatase in liver and kidney of Wistar rat

This study examined the adverse effects of TiO₂ nanoparticle (nano-TiO₂) on the kidney and liver of Wistar rats. Changes of serum biochemical parameters and pathological lesions indicated that liver and kidney were significantly affected in animals treated with 50?mg?kg^?1 of nano-TiO₂. The inverse relationship between the level of reactive oxygen species and the activities of superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase indicates that nano-TiO₂ induces oxidative stress. A significant increase in the apoptosis of liver and kidney in a dose-dependent manner was also observed. The ultrastructural observations confirmed the internalization of nano-TiO₂ and their direct involvement in the mitochondria-mediated cytotoxicity. Data indicated that nano-TiO₂ induce oxidative stress which produces genotoxicity such as oxidative DNA damage, micronuclei (MN) induction, and cell apoptosis in liver and kidney.     

改进的产业碳关联系数及应用 ——以上海为例

投入产出分析中重要的影响力系数和感应度系数被引入到我国的产业环境关联研究中,但采用的计算方法却多是存在缺陷的传统公式,对指标的政策意义解读也有待深入.在梳理2项指标前沿发展的基础上,以部门最终产品构成系数为权数,改进了表征产业碳关联的碳影响力系数和碳影响诱导系数(代替原碳感应度系数)的计算公式,并指出前者主要对应产业政策,对部门划分水平较不敏感,而后者主要对应节能减排政策,对部门划分水平较敏感.将改进的指标应用于2010年上海市,结果表明,其产业政策应扶植服务业和先进制造业,鼓励重化工业和专用设备制造业转型,逐步淘汰多数传统中低端制造业,节能减排政策的重点实施部门则应扩大到部分高能耗服务业.     

Where are the Sunday babies? III. Caesarean sections,decreased weekend births,and midwife involvement in Germany

A previous study has shown a marked and continuing decline in weekend births in Germany between 1988 and 2003 (Lerchl, Naturwissenschaften 92:592-594, 2005). The present study was performed to investigate the possible influence of caesarean sections (CS) on weekend birth number and on the involvement of midwives in births for all 16 German states for the year 2003. In total, data from 706,721 births were sorted according to weekday of births and state, respectively, and the weekend births avoidance rates were calculated. Weekend births were consistently less frequent than births during the week, with an average of -15.3% for all states and due to fewer births on Saturdays (-13.6%) and Sundays (-16.7%). Between the states, weekend births avoidance rates ranged from -11.6% (Bremen) to -24.2% (Saarland). The proportion of CS was 25.5% for all states, ranging from 19.2% (Sachsen and Sachsen-Anhalt) to 30.5% (Saarland). CS and weekend births avoidance rates were significantly correlated, consistent with the hypothesis that primary (planned) CS are regularly scheduled on weekdays. The number of births per midwife (BPM) was calculated according to the number of active members in the states' professional midwives' organizations. The mean number of BPM was 59.5, ranging from 45.2 (Bremen) to 82.4 (Sachsen-Anhalt). CS and BPM were significantly correlated, consistent with the hypothesis that higher CS ratios are associated with lower midwife involvement in births. It is concluded that the decline in weekend births and lower involvement of midwives are caused, at least in part, by an increased number of caesarean sections.     

9种硝基苯对鱼肝微粒体EROD活性的影响

混合功能氧化酶系(mixed function oxidase,MFO)中的敏感指标,7-乙氧基-异吩唑酮-脱乙基酶(7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase,EROD)已作为生物标志物,应用于生态毒理学研究领域.笔者以苯并(a)芘作为阳性对照,采用鲤鱼肝脏体外直接染毒测定EROD的方法,分析了9种硝基苯对EROD活性的诱导影响.      

风电机舱内典型混合液态油品热诱导燃烧特性

为探究不同尺寸方形油盘对双馈异步风力发电机组机舱中典型混合油品燃烧特性的影响,自主设计和搭建了热平板诱导油品加热燃烧测定实验系统。将液压油(CALTEXRANDO HDZ32)和齿轮箱油(CALTEXMEROPA320)按1∶1质量(各40.0g)比例均匀混合后,盛装于横截面尺寸分别为6.5cm×6.5cm、10.0cm×10.0cm、13.5cm×13.5cm 的钢制油盘中,利用热平板加热和诱导盘内同样质量混合油品燃烧,利用摄像机记录其燃烧行为和阶段节点时间,利用热电偶树、温度采集模块对油品燃烧对应阶段节点液内和上方火焰中心轴温度分布进行测定。观察发现,液/齿混合油品在加热后出现液内流动、蒸发、冒泡、气化、燃烧、发烟、火焰蹿高等典型传热传质和液相燃烧现象。实验结果表明,随油盘横截面尺寸递增,混合油品着火时间依次缩短(最高1048.0s),燃烧持续时间依次递减(最高1980.0s),燃烧液内最高温度依次升高(最高564.3 ℃),中心轴第一层火焰熄灭温度依次升高(最高489.2 ℃)。小尺寸油盘内油品交流换热过程缓慢,质量损失速率较低,着火前阶段出现最大质量损失速率(0.041g/s);中大尺寸油盘内对流、传质和传热过程明显增强,质量损失速率较高,火焰蹿高节点时出现最大质量损失速率(0.25g/s和0.29g/s)     

亚硒酸钠对水稻愈伤诱导和绿苗分化的影响

实验证明，亚硒酸钠对水稻外植体（成熟胚、幼穗）、愈伤组织和再生绿芽体细胞的生长都有不同程度的抑制作用，其抑制程度依次为再生绿芽＞愈伤组织＞外植体，但能促进它们的绿苗分化频率，特别在低硒浓度（１ｍｇ／Ｌ）处理组，并可改变它们的过氧化物酶同工酶的活性。     

Simultaneous denitrifying phosphorus accumulation in a sequencing batch reactor

In order to achieve simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal in the biological treatment process, denitrifying phosphorus accumulation (DNPA) and its affecting factors were studied in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR) with synthetic wastewater. The results showed that when acetate was used as the sole carbon resource in the influent, the sludge acclimatized under anaerobic/aerobic operation had good phosphorus removal ability. Denitrifying phosphorus accumulation was observed soon when fed with nitrate instead of aeration following the anaerobic stage, which is a vital premise to DNPA. If DNPA sludge is fed with nitrate prior to the anaerobic stage, the DNPA would weaken or even disappear. At the high concentration of nitrate fed in the anoxic stage, the longer anoxic time needed, the better the DNPA was. Induced DNPA did not disappear even though an aerobic stage followed the anoxic stage, but the shorter the aerobic stage lasted, the higher the proportions of phosphorus removal via DNPA to total removal. Translated from Environmental Science, 2004, 25(6): 92–96 [译自: 环境科学]     

激光相变硬化提高模具寿命的探讨

介绍了激光相变硬化的原理 ,并分析其提高模具寿命的针对性 ,进而讨论了激光相变硬化提高模具寿命的机理     

Effects of lindane on the photosynthetic apparatus of the cyanobacterium<Emphasis Type="Italic">anabaena</Emphasis>

INTENTION, GOAL, SCOPE, BACKGROUND: Cyanobacteria have the natural ability to degrade moderate amounts of organic pollutants. However, when pollutant concentration exceeds the level of tolerance, bleaching of the cells and death occur within 24 hours. Under stress conditions, cyanobacterial response includes the short-term adaptation of the photosynthetic apparatus to light quality, named state transitions. Moreover, prolonged stresses produce changes in the functional organization of phycobilisomes and in the core-complexes of both photosystems, which can result in large changes in the PS II fluorescence yield. The localization of ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase (FNR) at the ends of some peripheral rods of the cyanobacterial phycobilisomes, makes this protein a useful marker to check phycobilisome integrity. OBJECTIVE: The goal of this work is to improve the knowledge of the mechanism of action of a very potent pesticide, lindane (gamma-hexaclorociclohexane), in the cyanobacterium Anabaena sp., which can be considered a potential candidate for bioremediation of pesticides. We have studied the effect of lindane on the photosynthetic apparatus of Anabaena using fluorescence induction studies. As ferredoxin-NADP+ reductase plays a key role in the response to oxidative stress in several systems, changes in synthesis, degradation and activity of FNR were analyzed. Immunolocalization of this enzyme was used as a marker of phycobilisome integrity. The knowledge of the changes caused by lindane in the photosynthetic apparatus is essential for rational further design of genetically-modified cyanobacteria with improved biorremediation abilities. METHODS: Polyphasic chlorophyll a fluorescence rise measurements (OJIP) have been used to evaluate the vitality and stress adaptation of the nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7119 in the presence of increasing concentrations of lindane. Effects of the pesticide on the ultrastructure have been investigated by electron microscopy, and FNR has been used as a marker of phycobilisome integrity. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Cultures of Anabaena sp. treated with moderate amounts of lindane showed a decrease in growth rate followed by a recovery after 72 hours of pesticide treatment. Concentrations of lindane below 5 ppm increased the photosynthetic performance and activity of the cells. Higher amounts of pesticide caused a decrease in these activities which seems to be due to a non-competitive inhibition of PS II. Active PS II units are converted into non-QA reducing, so called heat sink centers. Specific activity and amount of FNR in lindane-treated cells were similar to the values measured in control cultures. Release of FNR from the thylakoid after 48 hours of exposure to 5 ppm of lindane towards the cytoplasm was detected by immunogold labeling and electron microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: From these results, we conclude that the photosynthetic performance and activity of the cells are slightly increased in the presence of lindane up to 5 ppm. Moreover, in those conditions, lindane did not produce significant changes in the synthesis, degradation or activity of FNR. The high capability of Anabaena to tolerate lindane makes this cyanobacterium a good candidate for phytoremediation of polluted areas. RECOMMENDATION AND OUTLOOK: The results of this study show that cultures of Anabaena PCC 7119 tolerate lindane up to 5 ppm, without significant changes in the photosynthetic vitality index of the cells. However, a slight increase in phycobiliprotein synthesis is observed, which is related to total protein content. This change might be due to degradation of proteins less stable than phycobiliproteins. An identification of the proteins with altered expression pattern in the presence of the pesticide remains the subject of further work and will provide valuable information for the preparation of strains which are highly tolerant to lindane.     

Spatial,temporal, and environmental limits on xanthotoxin induction in wild parsnip foliage

Summary Although present constitutively in large amounts, furanocoumarins in leaves of wild parsnip,Pastinaca sativa, are inducible to even higher concentrations by mechanical and insect damage. We conducted several experiments in order to characterize the nature and extent of xanthotoxin inducibility inP. sativa foliage. In order to determine the extent to which induction is localized, we mechanically damaged a single leaflet of a compound leaf on seven plants. Xanthotoxin concentrations increased significantly only in the damaged leaflet and in the half of the terminal leaflet closest to the damaged leaflet; thus, xanthotoxin induction is localized to the immediate vicinity of damage. To determine whether xanthotoxin induction results fromin situ biosynthesis or translocation from other plant parts, we detached individual leaflets from ten plants, damaged half of these detached leaflets, and compared xanthotoxin concentrations after 6 h in damaged and intact leaflets. We found that xanthotoxin concentrations increased 41% in damaged leaflets compared to detached leaflets that were not damaged. We also determined the rapidity and duration of the induction response. In leaflets that were damaged and then harvested after 0, 3, 24, 72, 120 and 168 h, xanthotoxin concentrations increased rapidly compared to undamaged leaflets on the opposite side of the leaf, reaching maximum levels within 24 h. This response was of comparatively short duration; concentrations declined to preinduction levels after seven days. To determine whether availability of resources influences the induced response, we performed two experiments, one in which soil nutrients were manipulated and one in which light level was manipulated. The low nutrient treatment was sufficiently extreme to cause cessation of aboveground growth, and the low light treatment caused etiolation. Extremes of resource limitation notwithstanding, leaflets significantly increased xanthotoxin production (2 to 3-fold increase under nutrient limitation and 3-fold increase under light limitation) in response to damage in both experiments.