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.     

珠江口表层水中多环芳烃的分布特征及健康风险评估

分别于2015年2、5、8、11月在珠江八大入海口采集表层水体样品,应用固相萃取富集法对该区域表层水体中16种USEPA优控多环芳烃(PAHs)的时空分布特征进行分析,并利用终生致癌风险增量模型(ILCR)对该区域的饮水健康风险进行评价。结果表明:珠江口4个季度所采集的水样中,∑15PAHs的浓度范围为18.0~50.3 ng/L,含量处于中等水平。其中7种强致癌性∑7PAHs的浓度范围为1.53~3.73 ng/L,占∑15PAHs的5.89%~11.1%,∑15PAHs和∑7PAHs在枯水期(2、11月)样品中明显高于丰水期(5、8月)。就组成特征而言,各采样点PAHs以3、4环为主。珠江口表层水中非致癌类PAHs的危害商数值为0.99×10~(-5)~2.73×10~(-5),远低于USEPA规定的阈值(1);致癌类PAHs产生的健康风险为6.50×10~(-8)~2.37×10~(-7),其中Ba P导致的饮水途径健康风险最高,所有点位致癌类PAHs的健康风险均低于USEPA推荐的对致癌物质最大可接受风险水平(10~(-6)),表明珠江口表层水中PAHs尚不具备严重的致癌风险,但是仍然存在潜在的健康风险,需要重点控制和管理。     

土压平衡矩形顶管施工引起的地表沉降规律研究

为了分析与掌握矩形顶管施工引起的地表沉降变形规律，提出基于MIDAS-GTS有限元软件的分析方法，首先，通过工程实例验证MIDAS-GTS有限元软件在分析顶管施工引起地表沉降变形的有效性；其次，通过影响因素的敏感性分析确定不同影响因素作用下的地表沉降变形特性，这些影响因素主要包括开挖面支护压力、侧摩阻力、地层结构特性等；最后，通过地表沉降变形特性分析得出矩形顶管的适用范围。研究结果表明:基于MIDAS-GTS有限元软件的地表沉降规律分析方法和结果，可为矩形顶管施工过程提供相关参考和借鉴。     

Microtargeting for conservation

Widespread human action and behavior change is needed to achieve many conservation goals. Doing so at the requisite scale and pace will require the efficient delivery of outreach campaigns. Conservation gains will be greatest when efforts are directed toward places of high conservation value (or need) and tailored to critical actors. Recent strategic conservation planning has relied primarily on spatial assessments of biophysical attributes, largely ignoring the human dimensions. Elsewhere, marketers, political campaigns, and others use microtargeting—predictive analytics of big data—to identify people most likely to respond positively to particular messages or interventions. Conservationists have not yet widely capitalized on these techniques. To investigate the effectiveness of microtargeting to improve conservation, we developed a propensity model to predict restoration behavior among 203,645 private landowners in a 5,200,000 ha study area in the Chesapeake Bay Watershed (U.S.A.). To isolate the additional value microtargeting may offer beyond geospatial prioritization, we analyzed a new high-resolution land-cover data set and cadastral data to identify private owners of riparian areas needing restoration. Subsequently, we developed and evaluated a restoration propensity model based on a database of landowners who had conducted restoration in the past and those who had not (n = 4978). Model validation in a parallel database (n = 4989) showed owners with the highest scorers for propensity to conduct restoration (i.e., top decile) were over twice as likely as average landowners to have conducted restoration (135%). These results demonstrate that microtargeting techniques can dramatically increase the efficiency and efficacy of conservation programs, above and beyond the advances offered by biophysical prioritizations alone, as well as facilitate more robust research of many social–ecological systems.     

不同好氧预处理方式对餐厨垃圾产甲烷的影响

为了研究不同好氧预处理方式对餐厨垃圾厌氧消化产甲烷的影响,通过建立3个模拟厌氧生物反应器,研究了传统厌氧生物反应器C1、上层好氧预处理-厌氧生物反应器C2和底部好氧预处理-厌氧生物反应器C3 3种不同操作条件下的产甲烷过程.结果表明,挥发性有机酸的累积使C1始终处于产甲烷滞后阶段;而C2、C3的好氧预处理通过加快易水解酸化组分和过量挥发性有机酸的好氧降解,有效缓解了酸性抑制,产甲烷滞后时间明显缩短至10 d内.第32天C2停止上层曝气后,在27 d内甲烷浓度达到了50％以上,同时,产甲烷速率迅速上升,并在第81天可达到峰值773 mL/(kg·d).C3在第11天停止底部曝气后,虽然经过22 d的时间甲烷浓度即上升至50％,但之后产甲烷速率经历回落阶段后再次逐渐上升,在实验结束时仅达到517 mL/(kg·d).上层曝气的好氧预处理方式所需曝气时间相对较长,但其产甲烷启动快,与底部曝气相比,其后期的甲烷化过程更稳定并可达到较高的产甲烷速率.     

灌河口表层土壤多环芳烃污染调查

为了解灌河口工业区表层土壤中多环芳烃的污染水平及健康风险。于2017年4月份在灌河口化工园区、火力发电厂和钢铁工业园区采集30个表层土壤样品,利用气相色谱-质谱联用仪(GC-MS)对16种优控ω(PAH)进行了检测。结果表明,30个采样点16种PAH的ω(T-PAHs)总为1 212.8~12 264.5 ng/g,平均值为3 504.8 ng/g。其中单体PAH以Fl为主,平均比例高达19.4%,其次为Pyr(16.7%)和B[a]P(9.6%)。单体PAH相关性分析表明了污染物来源的一致性,主要来源于本地工业区原油、生物质和煤的燃烧过程。根据加拿大土壤环境质量标准,灌河口工业区87%的土壤PAHs污染超过了安全值,存在潜在的生态风险。     

液液萃取-气相色谱法测定水质可萃取性石油烃C10~C40

建立了以环己烷为萃取剂、气相色谱法(氢火焰离子化检测器,FID)测定水质样品中可萃取性石油烃(C_(10)～C_(40))的分析方法。以正构烷烃混合标准溶液为定性和定量校准标准,以色谱峰面积总和与混合标准溶液总浓度建立校准曲线进行外标法定量。方法检出限为0.01 mg/L,经验证方法精密度和准确度良好。同时,分别以气相色谱法和红外光度法测定了地表水、污水处理厂出水、海水和化工废水等实际样品,对比实验结果表明,在可萃取性石油烃C_(10)～C_(40)的碳数范围内,气相色谱法的测试结果与红外光度法无明显差异,有较好的可比性。     

气相色谱-串联质谱法测定沉积物中多环芳烃

采用ASE法提取沉积物中16种多环芳烃,以固相萃取法净化提取液,用气相色谱-串联质谱法测定。通过优化测定条件,使方法在5.00μg/L~1 600μg/L范围内线性良好,方法检出限为0.15μg/kg~0.66μg/kg。空白石英砂的加标回收率为61.9%~121%,7次测定结果的RSD为2.6%~11.1%。     

红霉素对产甲烷菌的抑制及其驯化

红霉素是一类具有一定生物毒性的抗生素类药品,为探明红霉素对产甲烷菌的抑制作用及其可驯化能力,依次在厌氧瓶中进行厌氧毒性试验、在升流式厌氧污泥床反应器(UASB)中进行连续实验,测定累计甲烷产量、相对产甲烷速率、COD去除率、甲烷含量.结果表明,红霉素为150 mg.L-1时产甲烷速率降为56.1%;250 mg.L-1时反应速率降低99%以上,活性受到完全抑制.保持红霉素投加量为20 mg.L-1连续运行60 d,COD去除率、甲烷含量可达到81.4%、64.2%.红霉素对甲烷菌有抑制作用,半抑制浓度为150 mg.L-1.甲烷菌对红霉素有一定的驯化能力,驯化60 d后COD去除率、甲烷含量较未驯化时可提高15.13%、22.05%.     

民用燃煤源中多环芳烃排放因子实测及其影响因素研究

民用燃煤是我国目前关注较多的多环芳烃(polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,PAHs)排放源.根据我国民用燃煤所涉及的煤种、燃烧方式和炉灶类型,利用全流稀释采样系统对5种不同成熟度的煤种,分别以散块煤和蜂窝煤形式在3种炉灶类型中燃烧产生的烟气进行了采样和分析,初步获取了我国民用燃煤烟气中PAHs排放因子(EFPAHs)的实测数据.结果表明,烟煤的EFPAHs在块煤燃烧方式下的变化范围为1.1～3.9 mg.kg-1,在蜂窝煤燃烧方式下的变化范围为2.5～21.1 mg.kg-1,无烟煤的EFPAHs在块煤与蜂窝煤燃烧方式下分别为0.2 mg.kg-1与0.6 mg.kg-1.在民用燃煤的EFPAHs的各种影响因素中,煤的地质成熟度起主导作用,不同成熟度煤种的EFPAHs差异幅度高达1～2个数量级.其次是燃烧形态(块煤/蜂窝煤),主要表现为同一种地质成熟度的煤在蜂窝煤燃烧方式下排放的PAHs比块煤高2～6倍.炉灶类型的影响最小.