Comparison of Canadian firefighters and healthy controls based on submaximal fitness testing and strength considering age and gender

Introduction. Few studies have addressed whether firefighters are fitter than the general population and possess sufficient levels of aerobic capacity and muscle strength to perform on-duty tasks in a safe and efficient manner, considering age and gender. We aimed to evaluate the fitness levels of Hamilton firefighters, and to determine the effects of age and gender. Methods. In total, 89 participants were recruited. The modified Canadian aerobic fitness test was used to determine participants’ estimated maximal oxygen consumption (V_O2max) levels. For upper and lower body strength levels, a calibrated J-Tech hand-held dynamometer and a National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) lifting device was used respectively. Results. Firefighters’ mean (SD) V_O2max level was 40.30?±?6.25?ml·kg^?1·min^?1. Age proved to have a statistically significant impact on V_O2max (p?<?0.001). Gender displayed statistically significant effects on strength levels. Firefighters’ age was the only statistically significant independent variable, and accounted for 61.00% of the variance in firefighters’ aerobic capacity levels. Conclusions. Firefighters possessed somewhat similar aerobic capacities but much higher levels of body strength when compared with the general population. With age, firefighters’ aerobic capacities decreased; however, their upper and lower body strength levels remained the same.     

浙江天台山茶树光合日变化及光响应

自然条件下使用LCA－4型便携式光合测定系统研究了栽培天天台山主峰华顶山的茶树连体叶片的光合日变化及光响应。结果表明：在初夏晴天,上年越冬叶片（下称二年生叶）的光合速率,表观量子效率,羧化效率和饱和光强比展叶红16d的一年生叶高,CO2补偿点和光补偿点比一年生叶低,两者的净光合速率日进程曲线均为“双峰”型,午间胞间CO2浓度上升表明,此时净光合速率下降主要受非气孔限制因素的影响。一年生叶蒸腾速率高于二年生叶,它们日进程曲线为单峰河,午间最高,而气孔阻力进间最低。不同时段作光响应和CO2响应试验表明,上午茶树的表观量子效率,饱和光强和羧化效率较高,光补偿点和CO2补偿点较低。图3表4参26     

广州城郊环境梯度下马尾松针叶元素质量分数变化特征

城市化、工业化迅速发展及人类活动的加剧给城市及其周边地区森林生态系统带来前所未有的干扰和压力。植物冠层是植物与大气直接进行气体交换的界面,冠层叶组织化学分析已成为评价环境污染对森林树木健康的影响,指示环境污染的有效手段。文章以广州黄埔工业区(丹水坑风景区)、城郊接壤区(华南植物园)和近郊(帽峰山森林公园)这一环境梯度为对象,在各研究点上选定自然生长的、成熟健康的马尾松(Pinus massonianaL.)5株,分别采集树冠中部向阳枝条上的当年生(Current,C)和一年生(Current 1,C 1)针叶,然后将每组针叶区分为带叶鞘针叶、去叶鞘针叶和叶鞘3个组分进行样本制备,测定N、Al、Cu、Cd、Pb、Zn、Cr、Ni元素质量分数,旨在探讨利用马尾松针叶不同组分的元素质量分数用于指示城郊梯度环境质量变化的适宜性和可靠性。研究结果表明:①当年生带叶鞘针叶中Al质量分数显著高于当年生去叶鞘针叶(p<0.05),其余元素在当年生和一年生的去叶鞘针叶与带叶鞘的完整针叶间均无显著差异;②Ni在当年生针叶及其叶鞘间没有显著差异(p<0.05),其它被测定的金属元素无论在当年生还是一年生针叶中,均表现为叶鞘中的元素质量分数均显著高于去叶鞘针叶(p<0.05),体现了针叶与叶鞘在形态结构上的差异引起重金属积累的差异;而非金属元素N质量分数则针叶显著高于叶鞘;③一年生针叶中Ni质量分数显著低于当年生针叶,但Al、Pb、Zn质量分数显著高于当年生针叶,一年生叶鞘中所有金属元素的质量分数都显著高于当年生叶鞘,表现出随暴露时间和针叶寿命的延长而持续累积的特征;而营养元素N质量分数在当年生针叶和一年生针叶以及当年生叶鞘和一年生叶鞘间无显著差异;④城乡环境梯度下生长的马尾松为研究环境质量演变提供了一个天然的实验室,受人类活动干扰大的城区马尾松一年生针叶的Cd和N质量分数及其叶鞘中的Cu、Cr、Ni质量分数显著高于受人为干扰较少的郊区,表明植物组织中元素化学特征反映了城市发展过程中人类活动的足迹。在城市环境尤其是重金属污染的监测中,成熟的一年生叶鞘更具指示意义,效果更显著。     

菜园土壤的理化性质和微生物生态特征与种植年限的关系

为了研究菜园土壤生态系统的演化，在广州白云区采集共计64个不同种植年限的菜园土壤样本。对土壤丰要物理化学性质和土壤微生物生态特征进行分析，结果表明：土壤粘粒和微网粒含量、土壤全磷、全钾的含量随菜园土的种植年限而增加；呼吸商则随年限升高，土壤细菌／真菌、放线菌／真菌亦有升高的趋势，而微生物碳氮比、土壤微生物商、微生物氮／全氮随年限降低；种植10a左右菜园土壤的Shannon多样性指数和AWCD值最低，40a土壤最高，80a以上土壤的微生物多样性指标有所降低，表明种植80a后的老菜园土壤微生物生态系统有退化的迹象。     

Prenatal diagnosis in advanced maternal age. Amniocentesis or CVS,a patient's choice or lack of information?

Ninety-six women of advanced maternal age were interviewed about the way they obtained information on prenatal diagnosis and about how the decision was made as to what procedure was to be performed (transabdominal chorionic villus sampling (TA-CVS) or amnio-centesis). In the CVS group, women visited their physician or midwife earlier in pregnancy (mean 7.1 weeks) than those in the amniocentesis group (mean 10.7 weeks). The availability of prenatal diagnosis was not mentioned during the first antenatal visit in 55 per cent of women from the amniocentesis group as opposed to 25 per cent from the TA-CVS group. Approximately 40 per cent of women eligible for prenatal diagnosis did not receive any information from the referring body prior to counselling at our centre. Only 29 per cent of women who underwent amniocentesis had actually chosen this procedure; 71 per cent were too late to undergo TA-CVS at 12 weeks. It is concluded that information to the patient must be improved in order to ensure early referral for prenatal diagnosis.     

Seasonal variations of monoterpene emissions from coniferous trees of different ages in Korea

Seasonal variations of emission rates and compositions from coniferous species were measured under controlled conditions using a vegetation enclosure method. Total emission rates and compositions of monoterpene compounds from young and adult trees in different seasons were compared.

It was found that the total emission rates and the components of monoterpene varied significantly with tree species, age, and season. Total emissions from C. japonica and P. koraiensis were higher for older trees than for younger trees; however, significantly higher emissions were found from younger trees for C. obtusa. Higher monoterpene emission rates from each plant were found in spring and summer compared with autumn and winter emissions.     

不同填埋时间、不同季节的垃圾渗滤液生物毒性

以武汉市7个城市生活垃圾填埋场渗滤液作为研究对象,探讨不同填埋时间、不同季节渗滤液的生物毒性变化以及理化指标与生物毒性效应的相关性.毒性实验采用嗜热四膜虫(Tetrahymena thermophila)作为试验生物,进行了渗滤液对受试生物的24 h半数致死浓度LC50和生长抑制测定.结果表明,不同填埋时间的渗滤液LC50在0.84%~12.15%之间;随着填埋时间延长,渗滤液LC50有增大的趋势,急性毒性逐渐减小,但渗滤液对嗜热四膜虫种群的生长抑制没有减少的趋势.不同季节渗滤液的LC50没有明显的规律性,夏季的渗滤液LC50较小,急性毒性较强;不同季节的渗滤液对嗜热四膜虫的生长抑制情况不同,春季渗滤液的生长抑制作用最小.渗滤液理化指标与LC50无显著相关性,而渗滤液对嗜热四膜虫种群的生长抑制作用随着COD、BOD5、NH4+-N和邻苯二甲酸二异辛酯(DEHP)的增加而增强.     

武汉阳逻砾石层ESR地层年代学研究

武汉"阳逻砾石层"是长江中下游新生代的一个重要的岩石地层单位,其形成年代一直是地质和地理学者关注的重要问题。为了更深入地探讨这一问题,在它的两个典型的剖面中采集了8个样品进行ESR地质年代测试,测试结果表明,阳逻砾石层形成于新近纪早更新世中晚期。将本次ESR测年数据与前人的热释光的测年数据、江汉平原西缘和北缘相同岩石地层层位和相同地貌位置的砾石层的测年数据、长江中下游网纹砾石层的测年数据比较发现,它们具有较好的一致性。     

Concentrations of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in needles of Masson pine (Pinus massoniana L.) growing nearby di erent industrial sources

Emissions from industrial activities pose a serious threat to human health and impose the need for monitoring both inorganic and organic pollutants in industrial areas.We selected Masson pine (Pinus massoniana L.) as potential biomonitor and collected the current (C) and previous year (C+1) needles from three industrial sites dominated by petrochemical, ceramics manufacturing, and iron and steel smelting plants and one remote site to determine heavy metals (Cu, Cd, Pb, Zn, Cr, Ni and Co) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in unwashed and water-washed needles. Both unwashed and washed C+1 needles showed generally higher concentrations of heavy metals and PAHs than C needles, although the washed needles more clearly spotlighted the accumulation e ect of PAHs over exposure time. Water-washing resulted in a significant decrease in needle PAH concentrations with more significant e ects shown in C needles. By contrast, needle heavy metal concentrations were much less a ected by washing. Although heavy metals and PAHs might di er in adsorption and uptake strategies, their higher concentrations in the needles at the industrial sites indicated conspicuous contamination due to industrial emissions there. The PAH distribution patterns in pine needles accorded with the real types of energy consumption in the study sites and were e ciently used for pinpointing local pollutant sources.     

两级SBR工艺去除磷、氮及有机物效能分析

以模拟生活污水为处理对象,在常温条件下,采用对比试验与机制分析方法,研究了两级SBR工艺分级除磷、去除有机物及脱氮的特性,分析了工艺的效能优势.结果表明,通过控制泥龄(除磷级5~7 d,脱氮级约50 d),可以将异养的PAOs与硝化菌分别控制在2个反应器中优势生长,在出水水质更优的情况下,系统的处理效率可比单级SBR提高1倍以上;两级SBR系统可以有效地缓解有机负荷对硝化过程的冲击影响,在进水COD浓度较高的情况下,能够保持其脱氮级(SBS2)具有稳定的硝化速率,且系统的最终出水可以容易并稳定地达到TP≤0.5 mg.L-1的国家标准;另外,两级SBR的脱氮级(SBS2)除具有优势的硝化菌种外,还能培养出适合降解难降解有机物的异养菌,使其好氧硝化结束时COD浓度较单级SBR系统更低.