Effect of ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nicotine on the structure of Aβ42 protein

● B[a]P, nicotine and phenanthrene molecules altered the secondary structure of Aβ₄₂. ● β-content of the peptide was significantly enhanced in the presence of the PAHs. ● Nicotine made stable cluster with Aβ₄₂ peptide via hydrogen bonds. ● Phenanthrene due to its small size, interfered with the Aβ₄₂ monomer more strongly. Recent studies have correlated the chronic impact of ambient environmental pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, either by using statistical data from various cities, or via tracking biomarkers during in-vivo experiments. Among different neurodegenerative disorders, PAHs are known to cause increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, related to the development of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide oligomers. However, the complex molecular interactions between peptide monomers and organic pollutants remains obscured. In this work, we performed an atomistic molecular dynamics study via GROMACS to investigate the structure of Aβ₄₂ peptide monomer in the presence of benzo[a]pyrene, nicotine, and phenanthrene. Interestingly the results revealed strong hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bond based interactions between Aβ peptides and these environmental pollutants that resulted in the formation of stable intermolecular clusters. The strong interactions affected the secondary structure of the Aβ₄₂ peptide in the presence of the organic pollutants, with almost 50 % decrease in the α-helix and 2 %–10 % increase in the β-sheets of the peptide. Overall, the undergoing changes in the secondary structure of the peptide monomer in the presence of the pollutants under the study indicates an enhanced formation of Aβ peptide oligomers, and consequent progression of Alzheimer’s disease.     

Considering science needs to deliver actionable science

Conservation practitioners, natural resource managers, and environmental stewards often seek out scientific contributions to inform decision-making. This body of science only becomes actionable when motivated by decision makers considering alternative courses of action. Many in the science community equate addressing stakeholder science needs with delivering actionable science. However, not all efforts to address science needs deliver actionable science, suggesting that the synonymous use of these two constructs (delivering actionable science and addressing science needs) is not trivial. This can be the case when such needs are conveyed by people who neglect decision makers responsible for articulating a priority management concern and for specifying how the anticipated scientific information will aid the decision-making process. We argue that the actors responsible for articulating these science needs and the process used to identify them are decisive factors in the ability to deliver actionable science, stressing the importance of examining the provenance and the determination of science needs. Guided by a desire to enhance communication and cross-literacy between scientists and decision makers, we identified categories of actors who may inappropriately declare science needs (e.g., applied scientists with and without regulatory affiliation, external influencers, reluctant decision makers, agents in place of decision makers, and boundary organization representatives). We also emphasize the importance of, and general approach to, undertaking needs assessments or gap analyses as a means to identify priority science needs. We conclude that basic stipulations to legitimize actionable science, such as the declaration of decisions of interest that motivate science needs and using a robust process to identify priority information gaps, are not always satisfied and require verification. To alleviate these shortcomings, we formulated practical suggestions for consideration by applied scientists, decision makers, research funding entities, and boundary organizations to help foster conditions that lead to science output being truly actionable.     

Experimental investigation on the effect of liquid phase and vapor phase separation over performance of falling film evaporator

Energy, cost, and environmental concerns play a vital role in understanding governing parameters of distributor design in falling film evaporators. Distributor design is a hidden parameter in many experimental papers. The uniform distribution of liquid refrigerant over the tube bundle mostly depends on two-phase liquid refrigerant and vapor refrigerant. This work conducted experiments with two distribution systems with and without separation of liquid-vapor refrigerant after expansion valve for the same evaporator capacity with R134a as a refrigerant. Results reveal that; separating vapor refrigerant has a positive impact on the approach of the evaporator with an open system distributor arrangement. The highest delta T and lowest practice are found at a heat flux of 13.97 kW/m² with an available system distributor compared to a closed system with a heat flux of 14.25 kW/m². The open system arrangement in the distributor is the novel parameter for distributor design, ensuring uniform distribution with minimum pressure drop and dry suction. An open system distributor has an average 16.1% capacity increase over a closed system. The experimental analysis helps to understand different parameters for the design of distributors in falling film evaporators for uniform distribution.     

煤与瓦斯共采在错层位巷道布置中的机理研究及应用构想

为了完善现有煤与瓦斯共采技术，创新煤与瓦斯共采方法，对错层位巷道布置下的煤与瓦斯共采系统展开研究，利用相似模拟试验，分析错层位巷道布置覆岩运动情况，预测其开采围岩裂隙发育和瓦斯运移形式，提出了创新煤与瓦斯共采技术构想。研究结果表明:采空区覆岩三带高度随接续工作面的增加而增大，相邻采空区垮落矸石压实区呈现“O-L-O”形变化，多个相邻采空区覆岩出现大“O”形圈裂隙带；相邻采空区内瓦斯可实现相互运移，大“O”形圈裂隙带内赋存大量瓦斯气体；研究提出了地面钻井抽采瓦斯、走向高位瓦斯抽采巷和外错尾巷穿层钻孔3种煤与瓦斯共采技术，比传统巷道布置情况下的煤与瓦斯共采技术在安全、经济等方面更具优势。     

Enhanced debromination of 2,2′,4,4′-tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47) by zero-valent zinc with ascorbic acid

• Highly efficient debromination of BDE-47 was achieved in the ZVZ/AA system. • BDE-47 debromination by the ZVZ/AA can be applied to a wide range of pH. • AA inhibits the formation of (hydr)oxide and accelerates the corrosion of ZVZ. • Reduction mechanism of BDE-47 debromination by the ZVZ/AA system was proposed. A new technique of zero-valent zinc coupled with ascorbic acid (ZVZ/AA) was developed and applied to debrominate the 2,2′,4,4′-Tetrabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-47), which achieved high conversion and rapid debromination of BDE-47 to less- or non-toxic forms. The reaction conditions were optimized by the addition of 100 mg/L ZVZ particles and 3 mmol/L AA at original solution pH= 4.00 using the solvent of methanol/H₂O (v:v= 4:6), which could convert approximately 94% of 5 mg/L BDE-47 into lower-brominated diphenyl ethers within a 90 min at the ZVZ/AA system. The high debromination of BDE-47 was mainly attributed to the effect of AA that inhibits the formation of Zn(II)(hydr)oxide passivation layers and promotes the corrosion of ZVZ, which leads to increase the reactivity of ZVZ. Additionally, ion chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry analyses revealed that bromine ion and lower-debromination diphenyl ethers formed during the reduction of BDE-47. Furthermore, based on the generation of the intermediates products, and its concentration changes over time, it was proposed that the dominant pathway for conversion of BDE-47 was sequential debromination and the final products were diphenyl ethers. These results suggested that the ZVZ/AA system has the potential for highly efficient debromination of BDE-47 from wastewater.     

土壤污染物的生态毒理效应和风险评估研究进展

环境生态风险评估（ERA）流程已经被纳入全球环境政策中，既用于规范新化学物质的授权和营销（前瞻性环境生态风险评估），也用于评估潜在的污染场地（回顾性环境生态风险评估）。将土壤生态毒理学应用于风险评估，能阐明有毒物质对土壤生态系统中生命有机体的危害程度与范围。笔者主要介绍了应用评估因子法和物种敏感度分布法对基于效应数据进行的外推与估算，并综述了欧美等主要国家和地区的土壤生态风险评估框架、相关法律法规及其实施情况等，为中国开展土壤污染物生态毒理效应和风险评估等相关研究提供参考。     

基于数字信息化的消防呼吸气瓶检验管理系统研究与开发

为解决碳纤维缠绕式消防呼吸气瓶检验中因单机作业而存在的检验效率低、检验质量差、受人为因素影响的问题，研究开发基于数字信息化的碳纤维缠绕式消防呼吸气瓶检验管理系统，该检验系统包括消防呼吸气瓶数据库、OA系统、呼吸气瓶检验软件和手机APP。利用二维码技术和计算机网络，实现呼吸气瓶数据库、检验软件、OA约检和报告审核审批系统、手机APP的数据传输。结果表明:该检验管理系统实现了呼吸气瓶检验的无纸化、过程的可追溯性、检验结果的防伪性等功能，其对于碳纤维缠绕式消防呼吸气瓶检验具有较强的适用性和可行性。     

基于响应曲面法的遗煤自燃分析与研究*

为研究高瓦斯易自燃煤层不同供风量、高抽巷抽采流量、低抽巷抽采流量3因素对采空区自燃“三带”分布影响规律，选取阳煤五矿8406工作面为研究对象，在数值模拟研究基础上，采用Design Expert软件进行Box Behnken试验设计，构建采空区氧化升温带宽度在3因素、3水平条件下的二次回归响应曲面模型，并对不同条件下采空区氧化升温带宽度进行预测与分析。结果表明:二次回归方程P值为0.001 6，预测模型显著，模型的失拟项为0.606 3，不显著，回归方程具有统计学意义；当供风量为1 500~2 000 m3/min，低抽流量为450~650 m3/min，高抽流量为100~200 m3/min时，对氧化升温带宽度一次项重要度排序为C（高抽巷抽采流量）>A（供风量）>B（低抽巷抽采流量），二次项重要度排序为AC（供风量和高抽巷抽采流量）>AB（供风量和低抽巷抽采流量）>BC（低抽巷抽采流量和高抽巷抽采流量），且AB,AC,BC之间均无交互作用。     

肥煤自燃全过程热动力学特征参数研究

实验测定了林西矿肥煤样品30~900℃煤自燃全过程热动力学特征参数,得出:TG/DTG曲线显示煤样DTG初始临界温度45℃,干裂温度122℃,活性温度195℃,增速温度265℃,质量极大值温度342℃,着火温度465℃,最大热失重速率温度515℃和燃尽温度690℃;DSC曲线显示,煤样初始放热温度60℃、最大热释放速率温度511℃。结合TG-DTG-DSC曲线综合分析可知,煤温达到510℃左右时煤样反应最剧烈。由煤自燃标志气体测定实验系统得出:煤温130℃后CO,CO 2释放量迅速增加,210℃增加速度下降;CH 4,C 2 H 6含量变化具有规律性且两者变化相近;C 2 H 4出现温度为130℃;C 2 H 4/C 2 H 6比值在190~350℃有较强的规律性,呈上升趋势且上升速度较快;350℃之后,CH 4,C 2 H 6,C 2 H 4体积分数均开始急剧增大;C 2 H 4/CO与C 2 H 4/CO 2变化趋势大致相同,在130~350℃时缓慢增长,达到350℃后比值呈指数形式上升。经拟合曲线,得到活化能的3个突变点温度:70,180,220℃,其中180℃与交叉点温度相吻合。通过以上研究,得到了肥煤自燃全过程的热力学特征参数,为实际生产中防治煤自燃提供了理论依据。