Sanfilippo D syndrome: Correction of glucosamine-6-sulphatase deficiency following fibroblast culture in chang's media

The de-O-sulphation of α-linked glucosamine-6-sulphate residues in heparan sulphate requires a specific sulphatase, glucosamine-6-sulphatase, which has been shown to be deficient in tissues of Sanfilippo D, or mucopolysaccharidosis type IIID (MPS IIID), patients. MPS IIID fibroblasts cultured in Basal Eagle's medium supplemented with either fetal calf serum or heat-inactivated fetal calf serum, MDCB or Ultraserg media had residual glucosarnine-6-sulphatase activities towards a heparin-derived trisaccharide substrate, O-(α-N-acetylglucosamine-6-sulphate)-(1→4)-L -O-(α-iduronic acid-2-sulphate)-(1→4)-D -O-2,5-anhydro [1-³H]mannitol-6-sulphate, GlcNAc6S-IdoA2S-anM6S, which were less than 1 per cent of the normal range for fibroblasts cultured in Basal Eagle's medium supplemented with fetal calf serum. However, the glucosamine-6-sulphatase activities of MPS IIID fibroblasts grown in Chang's medium were similar to the activities in normal control fibroblasts which were cultured in Basal Eagle's medium. These results indicate that caution is required for prenatal diagnosis of MPS IIID patients using chorionic villi or amniotic cells cultured in Chang's medium.     

Re-evaluation of thyroid hormone signaling antagonism of tetrabromobisphenol A for validating the T3-induced Xenopus metamorphosis assay

We developed the T3-induced Xenopus metamorphosis assay, which is supposed to be able to sensitively detect thyroid hormone(TH) signaling disruption of chemicals. The present study aimed to validate the T3-induced Xenopus metamorphosis assay by re-evaluating the TH signaling antagonism of tetrabromobisphenol A(TBBPA), a known TH signaling disruptor. According to the assay we developed, Xenopus tadpoles at stage 52 were exposed to 10–500 nmol/L TBBPA in the presence of 1 nmol/L T3. After 96 hr of exposure, TBBPA in the range of 10–500 nmol/L was found to significantly inhibit T3-induced morphological changes of Xenopus tadpoles in a concentration-dependent manner in term of body weight and four morphological endpoints including head area(HA), mouth width(MW), unilateral brain width/brain length(ULBW/BL), and hind-limb length/snout-vent length(HLL/SVL).The results show that these endpoints we developed are sensitive for characterizing the antagonistic effects of TBBPA on T3-induced metamorphosis. Following a 24-hr exposure,we found that TBBPA antagonized expression of T3-induced TH-response genes in the tail,which is consistent with previous findings in the intestine. We propose that the tail can be used as an alternative tissue to the intestine for examining molecular endpoints for evaluating TH signaling disruption. In conclusion, our results demonstrate that the T3-induced Xenopus metamorphosis assay we developed is an ideal in vivo assay for detecting TH signaling disruption.     

Shifts in microbial community structure and diversity in a MBR combined with worm reactors treating synthetic wastewater

The chemical oxygen demand (COD) and NH₃-N removal, membrane fouling, sludge characteristics and microbial community structure in a membrane bioreactor (MBR) coupled with worm reactors (SSBWR) were evaluated for 210 days. The obtained results were compared to those from a conventional MBR (C-MBR) operated in parallel. The results indicated that the combined MBR (S-MBR) achieved higher COD and NH₃-N removal efficiency, slower increase in membrane fouling, better sludge settleability and higher activities of the related enzymes in the activated sludge. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis was used to analyze the microbial community structures in the C-MBR and the S-MBR. The microbial community structure in the S-MBR was more diverse than that in the C-MBR. Additionally, the slow-growing microbes such as Saprospiraceae, Actinomyces, Frankia, Clostridium, Comamonas, Pseudomonas, Dechloromonas and Flavobacterium were enriched in the S-MBR, further accounting for the sludge reduction, membrane fouling alleviation and wastewater treatment.     

军用电子设备的防雷措施研究

近年来,随着微电子技术和计算机网络在军用装备上的日益普及,雷电带来的危害和经济损失大大增加,仅依靠避雷针防雷己远远达不到电子、微电子、通信等设备的实际防雷需求。分析了雷电灾害对电子设备的危害,并针对目前军用电子设备的防雷现状提出了综合防雷措施。     

Polychlorinated biphenyls and organochlorine pesticides in various bird species from northern China

Little data are available on organochlorine contamination in Chinese terrestrial birds of prey. This study examined the presence of PCBs, DDTs and other organochlorine pesticides in various raptors from northern China. DDE exhibited the highest concentrations among targeted compounds. Greatest levels (23.5-1020 mg/kg lipid weight) were observed in Eurasian sparrowhawks. This may be due to their stopover in southeastern China, where high DDT and dicofol applications have been documented. Residential kestrels exhibited much lower DDE, but similar PCB and HCH concentrations. ΣTEQs and PCB-126/-77 concentration ratios exhibited significant positive correlations with ΣPCB concentrations, respectively. Similar results were also demonstrated by a meta-analysis of previously published data across avian species. Possible hepatic sequestration of coplanar PCB-77, -126, -169 and -118 was observed as liver TEQs increased in Eurasian sparrowhawks. These observations may indicate an induction of CYP1A enzymes, as a result of elevated contamination in some species.     

The impact of sewage sludge compost on tree peony growth and soil microbiological,and biochemical properties

In order to assess the suitability of sludge compost application for tree peony (Paeonia suffruticosa)–soil ecosystems, we determined soil microbial biomass C (C_mic), basal respiration (R_mic), enzyme activities, and tree peony growth parameters at 0–75% sludge compost amendment dosage. Soil C_mic, R_mic, C_mic as a percent of soil organic C, enzyme (invertase, urease, proteinase, phosphatase, polyphenoloxidase) activities, and plant height, flower diameter, and flower numbers per plant of tree peony significantly increased after sludge compost amendment; however, with the increasing sludge compost amendment dosage, a decreasing trend above 45% sludge compost amendment became apparent although soil organic C, total Kjeldahl N, and total P always increased with the sludge compost amendment. Soil metabolic quotient first showed a decreasing trend with the increasing sludge compost application in the range of 15–45%, and then an increasing trend from compost application of 45–75%, with the minimum found at compost application of 45%. As for the diseased plants, 50% of tree peony under the treatment without sludge compost amendment suffered from yellow leaf disease of tree peony, while no any disease was observed under the treatments with sludge compost application of 30–75%, which showed sludge compost application had significant suppressive effect on the yellow leaf disease of tree peony. This result convincingly demonstrated that ?45% sludge compost application dosage can take advantage of beneficial effect on tree peony growth and tree peony–soil ecosystems.     

Species-specific effects of elevated ozone on wetland plants and decomposition processes

Seven species from two contrasting wetlands, an upland bog and a lowland rich fen in North Wales, UK, were exposed to elevated ozone (150 ppb for 5 days and 20 ppb for 2 days per week) or low ozone (20 ppb) for four weeks in solardomes. The rich fen species were: Molinia caerulea, Juncus subnodulosus, Potentilla erecta and Hydrocotyle vulgaris and the bog species were: Carex echinata, Potentilla erecta and Festuca rubra. Senescence significantly increased under elevated ozone in all seven species but only Molinia caerulea showed a reduction in biomass under elevated ozone. Decomposition rates of plants exposed to elevated ozone, as measured by carbon dioxide efflux from dried plant material inoculated with peat slurry, increased for Potentilla erecta with higher hydrolytic enzyme activities. In contrast, a decrease in enzyme activities and a non-significant decrease in carbon dioxide efflux occurred in the grasses, sedge and rush species.     

Rough Set Rule Induction for Suitability Assessment

The data that characterize an environmental system are a fundamental part of an environmental decision-support system. However, obtaining complete and consistent data sets for regional studies can be difficult. Data sets are often available only for small study areas within the region, whereas the data themselves contain uncertainty because of system complexity, differences in methodology, or data collection errors. This paper presents rough-set rule induction as one way to deal with data uncertainty while creating predictive if–then rules that generalize data values to the entire region. The approach is illustrated by determining the crop suitability of 14 crops for the agricultural soils of the Willamette River Basin, Oregon, USA. To implement this method, environmental and crop yield data were spatially related to individual soil units, forming the examples needed for the rule induction process. Next, four learning algorithms were defined by using different subsets of environmental attributes. ROSETTA, a software system for rough set analysis, was then used to generate rules using each algorithm. Cross-validation analysis showed that all crops had at least one algorithm with an accuracy rate greater than 68%. After selecting a preferred algorithm, the induced classifier was used to predict the crop suitability of each crop for the unclassified soils. The results suggest that rough set rule induction is a useful method for data generalization and suitability analysis.     

Modification of the biochemical pathways of plants induced by ozone: what are the varied routes to change?

When plants are observed under a low dose of ozone, some physiological and metabolic shifts occur. Barring extreme injury such as tissue damage or stomata closure, most of these disruptive changes are likely to have been initiated at the level of gene expression. The belief is oxidative products formed in ozone exposed leaves, e.g. hydrogen peroxide, are responsible for much of the biochemical adjustments. The first line of defense is a range of antioxidants, such as ascorbate and glutathione, but if this defense is overwhelmed, subsequent actions occur, similar to systemic acquired resistance or general wounding. Yet there are seemingly unrelated metabolic responses which are also triggered, such as early senescence. We discuss here the current understanding of gene control and signal transduction/control in order to increase our comprehension of how ozone alters the basic metabolism of plants and how plants counteract or cope with ozone.     

外源硫诱导下的Desulfovibrio desulfuricans sub sp.EPS特性及对Zn(Ⅱ)的吸附

研究了3种外源硫(Na₂SO₄、Na₂SO₃和Na₂S₂O₃·5H₂O)对Desulfovibrio desulfuricans sub sp.(D.desulfuricans sp.)的胞外聚合物(EPS)的胁迫/诱导作用。结果表明,在还原性硫源0.50g/L Na₂SO₃的条件下,EPS产量最高,为2104.39mg/g VSS,蛋白质含量为1888.52mg/g VSS,较胁迫/诱导前均提高了300%以上;其对Zn(Ⅱ)的吸附性能最好,为954.4mg/g EPS,提高了98.17%。三维荧光(3D-EEM)结果表明,胁迫/诱导后EPS中类酪氨酸均大量增加;傅里叶红外光谱(FTIR)结果表明,胁迫后-OH、C=O、C-O-C等官能团均大量增加,在Zn(Ⅱ)的吸附中发挥了重要作用;X光电子能谱(XPS)结果表明,在还原性硫源(Na₂SO₃和Na₂S₂O₃·5H₂O)胁迫/诱导后,EPS中C-O/C-N、C=N和某种含氧基团(X)大量增加,可能是吸附Zn(Ⅱ)的主要基团。