Study of chest injuries to 3-year-old child occupants seated in impact shield and 5-point harness CRSs

Objective: The objective of this study was to investigate whether the 5-point harness or the impact shield child restraint system (CRS) or both have the potential to cause chest injuries to children. This is determined by examining whether the loading to the chest reaches the internal organ injury threshold for children.

Method: The chest injury risk to a child occupant in a CRS was investigated using Q3 dummy tests, finite element (FE) simulations (Q3 dummy and human models), and animal tests. The investigation was done for 2 types of CRSs (i.e., the impact shield CRS and 5-point harness CRS) based on the UN R44 dynamic test specifications.

Results: The tests using a Q3 dummy indicated that although the chest deflection of the dummy in the impact shield CRS was large, it was less than the injury threshold (40 mm). Computational biomechanics simulations (using finite element FE analysis) showed that the Q3 dummy's chest is loaded by the shield and deforms substantially under this load. To clarify whether chest injuries due to chest compression can occur with an impact shield or with the 5-point harness CRS, 7 experiments were performed using Tibetan miniature pigs with weights ranging from 9.7 to 13 kg. Severe chest and abdominal injuries (lung contusion, coronary artery laceration, liver laceration) were found in the tests using the impact shield CRS. No chest injuries were present when using the 5-point harness CRS.

Conclusion: When using the impact shield CRS, the chest deformed substantially in dummy tests and FE simulations, and chest and abdominal injuries were observed in pig tests. It is possible that these chest injuries could also occur to child occupants sitting in the impact shield CRS.     

Comparison of physical technologies for biomass control in biofilters treating gaseous toluene

Excessive accumulation of biomass within gas-phase biofilters often results in the deterioration of removal performance. Compared with chemical and biological technologies, physical technologies are more effective in removing biomass and inducing less inhibition of the biofilter performance. This study applied different physical technologies, namely, air sparging, mechanical mixing, and washing with water at various temperatures, to remove excess biomass in biofilters treating toluene. Filter pressure drop, removed dry biomass, biofilter performance, and microbial metabolic characteristics were analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods. Results showed that air sparging was inefficient for biomass removal (1 kg dry biomass/m³ filter), whereas mechanical mixing significantly inhibited removal efficiencies (<30%). Washing of the packing with fluids was feasible, and hot fluids can remove a large amount of biomass. However, hot fluids reduce microbial activity and inhibit removal performance. Washing of the packing with either 20°C or 50°C water showed efficiency as >3 kg dry biomass/m³ filter can be removed at both temperatures with removal efficiencies at approximately 40% after treatment. Finally, different technologies were compared and summarized to propose an optimized strategy of biomass control for industrial biofilters.

Implications: This study is to apply different physical technologies, namely, air sparging, mechanical mixing, and washing with water of different temperatures, to remove the excess biomass in biofilters treating toluene. The filter pressure drop, removed dry biomass, biofilter performance, and microbial metabolic characteristics were all analyzed to evaluate the effectiveness of the methods. The results of this study provide useful information regarding biomass control of industrial biofilters.     

Conservation prioritization with machine learning predictions for the black-necked crane Grus nigricollis,a flagship species on the Tibetan Plateau for 2070

Regional Environmental Change - Ongoing global climate change greatly alters the distribution of species, and such impacts are even amplified on the Tibetan Plateau. The black-necked crane (Grus...     

The effect of plasma components on hemoglobin release test in red blood cells (RBC)

Electrophoresis release test (ERT) was established by our lab to observe the re-released hemoglobin (Hb) from red blood cells (RBCs) and whole blood. In this study, ERT was performed to study the effects of different plasma components including plasma, serum, albumin, globulin, fibrinogen, glucose, amino acid, vitamin, insulin, hormone, and inorganic ions on re-released Hb from RBC and whole blood samples during ERT. The results showed that plasma, serum, albumin, globulin, compound amino acid, essential amino acid, vitamin C, insulin, hormone, NaCl, KCl, CaCl₂, and NaHCO₃^? decreased re-released RBC Hb; while glucose, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, and vitamin B12 elevated re-released RBC Hb. The differing effects of various plasma components on re-released Hb of RBC may play a significant role in blood conservation.     

大连地区唐氏筛查孕中期妇女羊水中甲状腺激素水平与PBDEs内暴露关系初探

多溴联苯醚(polybrominated diphenyl ethers,PBDEs)是一类常用的溴代阻燃剂,由于使用广泛,已成为普遍存在的环境污染物。研究表明,PBDEs具有内分泌干扰作用,影响甲状腺功能,对胚胎发育、婴幼儿及儿童的健康存在潜在的危害。本研究采集了100例具羊水穿刺指征的孕妇的孕中期羊水样本,采用罗氏全自动电化学发光免疫分析仪测定羊水中促甲状腺激素(TSH)、三碘甲状腺原氨酸(TT3)、游离三碘甲状腺原氨酸(FT3)、甲状腺素(TT4)、游离甲状腺素(FT4)、抗甲状腺过氧化酶抗体(TPOA)和抗甲状腺球蛋白抗体(TGA)的含量,用气相色谱-负化学源-质谱法测定羊水样品中16种PBDEs同系物含量。结果显示,羊水中TSH、TT3、FT3、TT4、FT4中位数分别为0.342μIU·m L-1、0.949 nmol·L-1、1.52 pmol·L-1、11.02 nmol·L-1和3.91pmol·L-1,95%参考区间值分别为0.174~0.872μIU·m L-1、0.835~1.01 nmol·L-1、1.26~2.72 pmol·L-1、9.42~20.68 nmol·L-1和2.16~6.35 pmol·L-1。具有唐氏筛查高风险和甲状腺激素水平低下的羊水样品中共检出6种BDEs(BDE-47、BDE-71、BDE-138、BDE-183、BDE-190、BDE-209),其中BDE-71、183和190在被检羊水样品中均被检出,并且,TSH水平低下的羊水中BDE-190和209负荷水平显著高于正常组。这些结果提示,大连地区孕中期妇女羊水存在PBEDs内暴露,并且PBDEs内暴露可能与羊水的甲状腺激素水平低下、尤其TSH水平升高有关,提示PBDEs暴露可能与胎儿中枢神经系统损伤产生的下丘脑-垂体-甲状腺(HPT)轴功能失调有关。因此,羊水PBDEs内暴露对新生儿出生结局的影响值得进一步关注。     

Pickling of chanterelle <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cantharellus cibarius</Emphasis> mushrooms highly reduce cadmium contamination

Mushrooms are considered as potential bio-remediation agents in soil polluted with heavy metals, while many species which efficiently accumulate them in flesh are edible. Question is if there is any possible culinary use of edible mushrooms with high heavy metal contents? This study aimed to investigate and discuss a fate of cadmium (Cd) in common household-treated fruitbodies of common chanterelle Cantharellus cibarius. The samples of Cantharellus cibarius Fr. were collected from five spatially distanced sites in Poland in 2011–2012. We examined from 267 to 358 fruiting bodies per collection, and in total 1565 fruiting bodies were used. Cadmium in fungal materials from all treatments and processes (mushrooms dried, deep frozen, blanched and pickled) was determined using validated methods by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry with dynamic reaction cell. Blanching of fresh chanterelles caused decrease of Cd by around 11 ± 7 to 36 ± 7%, while blanching of deep-frozen mushrooms by around 40 ± 6%. A rate of Cd decrease in chanterelles was similar when the fruiting bodies were blanched for 5 or 15 min and when used was potable or deionized water. Pickling of blanched chanterelles with a diluted vinegar marinade had a pronounced effect on further removal of Cd. Blanched chanterelles when pickled lost an extra 37–71% of Cd. Total leaching rate of Cd from fresh or deep-frozen fruitbodies of chanterelle when blanched and further pickled was between 77 ± 7 and 91 ± 4%. Blanching and pickling highly decreased content of Cd in C. cibarius.     

甲醛暴露时间延长加剧小鼠哮喘模型肺氧化损伤并促进IL-17表达

为了探究不同暴露时间甲醛对小鼠哮喘模型肺氧化应激及IL-17表达的影响,用浓度为3.0 mg·m~(-3)的甲醛气体吸入染毒,同时将48只雄性Balb/c小鼠随机分为6组:(1)对照组(生理盐水组);(2)ovalbumin(OVA)致敏组;(3)0.5 h甲醛+OVA组;(4)1h甲醛+OVA组;(5)1.5 h甲醛+OVA组;(6)2 h甲醛+OVA组,以不同时间长度进行甲醛暴露,连续35 d。OVA致敏组、0.5 h甲醛+OVA组、1 h甲醛+OVA组、1.5 h甲醛+OVA组、2 h甲醛+OVA组均在第11、18及25天腹腔注射OVA致敏液(5 mg OVA+175 mg Al(OH)_3+30 mL生理盐水),第29~35天(共计1周)进行1%OVA雾化(30 min·d~(-1)),每日1次,诱发哮喘。第36天进行以下操作:取肺组织测定肺系数并制作肺匀浆,检测肺组织中活性氧自由基(ROS)、丙二醛(MDA)和还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)的含量,并采用ELISA法检测肺组织中IL-17的水平。同时,采用HE染色法观察小鼠肺部气道的病理学变化。结果显示,在浓度为3.0 mg·m~(-3)的甲醛气体吸入染毒条件下,与对照组相比,1.5 h甲醛+OVA染毒组、2 h甲醛+OVA染毒组ROS、MDA、IL-17含量上升,具有统计学意义(P0.01)。同时,随着暴露时间长度的增加,小鼠肺部气道出现明显病理学变化。综上所述,每天2 h甲醛+OVA染毒能对小鼠肺造成损伤并恶化OVA对小鼠肺的损伤,产生炎症反应,并通过氧化应激反应介导。     

The effect of Mg<Superscript>2+</Superscript> on digestion performance and microbial community structures in sludge digestion systems

The important criteria in anaerobic digestion is the rate-limiting step which decides the fate of value-added products especially from waste-activated sludge (WAS). Hence, the present study investigated the effect of magnesium (Mg²⁺) addition on anaerobic digestion of WAS. The lab-scale experiments were conducted at 25 °C with Mg²⁺ doses ranging from 0.01 to 0.2 mol/L. Maximum total volatile fatty acids (VFAs) production (372.78 mg COD/L) occurred at a Mg²⁺ dose of 0.2 mol/L, which was about eight times higher than the control tests. Further, Mg²⁺ addition facilitated sludge dewaterability and phosphorus removal. The mechanism of improved VFAs generation was analyzed from the view of both chemical and biological effects. Chemical effect significantly enhanced the release of calcium and iron in WAS, resulting in the disintegration of WAS, which benefited hydrolysis and acidification processes. Illumina MiSeq sequencing analysis revealed that enrichment of functional bacteria and the increase of bacterial diversity were obtained in the 0.2 mol Mg²⁺/L experiment, while the influence was negative on the reactor with 0.025 mol/L Mg²⁺. Meanwhile, methanogens were accordantly inhibited in the experiments with Mg²⁺ addition.     

Effect of culturing temperatures on cadmium phytotoxicity alleviation by biochar

Biochar produced from rice straw at 400 °C (RS400) was prepared to determine its alleviating effect on Cd phytotoxicity to wheat seedlings under different cultivation temperatures and pH. A hydroponic system (pH 4.3) and a loam soil slurry system were designed to respectively simulate acidic and neutral soil condition, and cultivation at increasing temperatures (20, 25, and 30 °C) were performed to evaluate the greenhouse effect. The root and shoot elongation and the Cd concentration in root and solution were measured; furthermore, batch experiments for Cd adsorption were undertaken. An increasing inhibition of the root by Cd addition was observed at increasing temperatures. The inhibition rate was 50.50 and 20.80% in hydroponic system and slurry system at 25 °C, respectively; however, the corresponding inhibition rates of root were significantly decreased to 25.5 and 3.5% with addition of RS400. This is mainly attributed to the reduction of Cd migration into the roots by RS400, which decreased Cd bioavailability. The mechanism behind the reduced Cd bioavailability is attributed to the Cd adsorption and the strong buffering capacity of acidity by RS400. Therefore, biochar could be a potential amendment for the remediation of Cd-contaminated soil even at increasing culturing temperatures.

     

Potential biodiesel-producing microalgae: two new strains of Amphikrikos sp.

BH32 and BH43 were isolated and identified as Amphikrikos sp. based on morphological characteristics and phylogenetic trees. They shared the same 18S rRNA sequences, but possessed different amounts of introns in their 18S rDNAs. The specific growth rate, cellular component and fatty acid profile under different growth stages have been surveyed. Their main fatty acids were found to be C16 and C18 groups. Our results indicated that both of them could be taken as excellent candidates of biodiesel. Moreover, the intra-genus polymorphism of 18S rDNA caused by intron presence/absence can provide valuable information for the study of intron evolution.