Insect cell-based impedance biosensors: a novel technique to monitor the toxicity of environmental pollutants

Cell biosensors are currently emerging as novel, sensitive techniques to monitor the toxicity of environmental pollutants. Here, we have developed electric cell-substrate impedance sensing (ECIS) for on-line monitoring of the behavior of insect cells. Cells were cultured on a microarray of eight small gold electrodes, deposited on the bottom of tissue culture wells. Upon inoculation, cells showed a tendency to drift downward and attached to the gold surface precoated with the protein Concanavalin A to accelerate the cell attachment. The impedance increased because the cells acted as insulating particles to restrict the current flow. The resulting impedance, a coordination of many biological reactions within the cell, was continuously monitored in real-time to reveal information about cell spreading and micromotion. As the cell behavior was sensitive to external chemicals, the applicability of ECIS for inhibition assays was demonstrated with HgCl₂, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), 2-amino 4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-ADNT) and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB). Electronic Publication     

基于间隔偏最小二乘法短程硝化反硝化中无机盐氮的近红外光谱

采用序批式活性污泥反应器(SBR)研究短程硝化反硝化系统中稳定条件下无机盐氮的变化规律,利用小波去噪法对无机盐氮的近红外光谱进行预处理,并用间隔偏最小二乘法(iPLS)建立无机盐氮含量的校正模型(iPLS模型).结果表明:小波去噪法对原始光谱中的部分噪声进行滤除,从而提高了模型的精度.采用最小二乘法对预处理后的光谱进行建模,优选出最佳波长区间并将光谱划分为20个子区间,优选出的氨氮特征波数为8243~8663cm-1,亚硝酸盐氮特征波数为4000~4420cm-1.所建模型对氨氮、亚硝酸盐氮校正时的相关系数(rc)分别达到0.9582、0.9544,校正均方根误差(RMSECV)分别为0.0321、0.0406;预测时的相关系数(rp)分别为0.9184、0.8816,预测均方根误差(RMSEP)分别为0.0790、0.0451.采用实际污水为原水时校正模型对氨氮、亚硝酸盐氮预测的相关系数(rp￠)分别为0.9190、0.8739,预测均方根误差(RMSEP′)分别为0.0578、0.0229.模型对氨氮和亚硝酸盐氮的预测总体效果较好.用小波去噪和最小二乘法建立模型不仅能有效减少建模所需变量数、缩短运算时间,而且模型预测精度较高,为无机盐氮的快速测定提供了一种可行的分析技术.     

闸控河段水质多相转化模型

针对闸控河段水质转化机理复杂的特点,提出在“水体-悬浮物-底泥-生物体”界面内开展水质多相转化研究的总体思路,推导了描述各种相态水质之间传质过程的数学表达式,构建了具有一定物理机制的闸控河段水质多相转化模型.结合槐店闸调度影响实验数据,对水质多相转化模型进行了参数识别和验证,进而模拟了不同相态水质成分的时空变化过程.结果发现:来水流量和闸门调度方式使闸上和闸下断面各相水质浓度发生变化,同时影响到藻类的生长和富集状态;闸门调度会改变闸上、闸下河段的水质主导反应机制;由于闸门调度增加了对水体的扰动,水体与外界的物质交换效果增强;在实验前期蓝藻数量的变化主要受水流的迁移作用影响,在后期闸上断面主要受闸门阻隔的影响,闸下断面主要受流速、流量和营养物质浓度改变等作用综合影响.     

Characterization of fulvic acids during olive mill waste composting (Elemental,Thermal and fluorescence analyses)

Elemental analysis, fluorescence spectroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were applied to the study of fulvic acids isolated from different stages during olive mill waste composting. The fulvic extracted acids are characterized by a high nitrogen content and O/C ratio values that may result from the high degree of humification and the synthesis of more condensed humic complexes. This was confirmed by fluorescence spectroscopy in the synchronous-scan mode by the decrease of shoulder intensities at intermediate wavelengths indicating the increase of polycondensation and conjugation of unsaturated structures and the greater uniformity of fluorophores. Fluorescence spectra in the emission, excitation and synchronous modes became simpler with compost maturation. This was confirmed by DSC results which proved the high degree of polycondensation of aromatic nuclei of fulvic acid molecules during olive mill waste composting.     

Estimation of Similarity in the Qualitative Composition of Humic Substance in Marine Sediments By Means of an Uv-Spectroscopic Library

In this paper a method for the study of the qualitative similarity of extractable humic substance (EHS) in marine sediments based on the realisation of UV spectral library of EHS is described. the spectral library was built including the digitised spectra of humic substance extracted from several marine sediments (46 samples) and two samples of standard materials (lignin sulphonate and humic substance) in a Statistica data file. the data matrix was elaborated by means of different multivariate statistic techniques such as Cluster Analysis (CA), Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and the univariate technique Spectral Correlation Analysis (SCA). This approach allows us to show the contribution of different organic compounds (aromatic, lipid and acid) to the composition of EHS and moreover it evidences also the structural characteristics of EHS in terms of similarities in the qualitative composition of samples such as presence of terrestrial and/or vegetal contributions. the UV library is an objective tool to study the qualitative composition of EHS and it represents a complementary approach to the most common methods based on the application of spectroscopic (IR, ¹³CNMR), potentiometric and chromatographic techniques.     

Employment of passive sampling in monitoring indoor air quality in selected residences in a Tri-city area in Poland

Time-weighted average concentrations of selected volatile compounds were measured in chosen residences in a Tri-City area of Poland by means of passive sampling. The results were compared to those obtained by dynamic technique – sorption tubes filled with Tenax TA sorbent. Results obtained by employing the two techniques were similar. Total volatile organic compound (TVOC) parameters were also determined. An attempt was also made to evaluate the influence of outdoor air pollutants on indoor air quality.     

A simple and robust method for determination of neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) oil in neem oil coated urea

The production of neem oil coated urea (NOCU), a technology developed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, has been grown to over 2.0 million tons per year. The estimation of neem oil content in NOCU is important due to its significance in ensuring agronomic efficiency. Therefore, this study was taken up to develop a simple method for the determination of neem oil in NOCU. The procedure involves extraction of neem oil from NOCU; saponification of extracted oil; oxidation of released glycerol to formaldehyde, and subsequent conversion of formaldehyde to a dihydrolutidine derivative. Its concentration was determined spectrophotometrically. The recoveries of neem oil from NOCU with oil load of 500 and 1000?ppm were 87.6?±?3.0% and 90.0?±?4.8% respectively with direct method; and improved to 92.6?±?4.0% and 96.7?±?3.8% after including the in situ purification. A simple method based on the Hantzsch reaction was developed for the determination of neem oil in NOCU. This method is superior to earlier methods in terms of sensitivity, simplicity, and time required.     

森林地下火探测仪的研制

FHD型森林地下火探测仪为最新研制的一种光机电一体化的便携式探测设备,采用红外探测技术原理,借助红外焦平面成像器件、可见光摄像器件采集目标图像,利用图像处理技术完成对目标视频图像的获取、显示、温度分析处理及存储过程。它集成了红外与可见光两种模式,两种模型的简单切换有利于辨识目标并可对热像的中心区域进行测温显示。该设备操作界面简单快捷,图片存储方便、容量大,可用于户外多热源连续监测作业。     

拟合水工设计反应谱的人工地震波的生成与Huang变换校正

根据非平稳输入下建立的功率谱与均值反应谱之间的关系,合成基于水工设计反应谱的人工地震波,并对其幅值进行修正,降低了高频区误差作用;为了解决加速度时程积分后的速度、位移时程的零线漂移现象,利用Huang变换得到加速度时程的固有模态函数,由Huang变换方法得到的最低频率固有模态函数分量通常情况下代表原始信号的趋势或均值,对去掉均值后的加速度时程进行积分得到的速度、位移时程不存在零线漂移问题。