Design and validation of a practical index for trauma assessment

In the past 20 years a variety of indices have been suggested for measuring the severity of trauma, however none of them meets the requirement of being a simple and objective instrument that can be utilized efficiently by lay persons and providers of health services without previous experience in triaging. A new system has been proposed which meets this requirement and which has been validated with 197 injured persons at the emergency ward of the Valle University Hospital in Call, Colombia. The instrument showed a high level of concordance with the conventional triaging method and classifies victims into four categories: critical with recovery unlikely, critical but recoverable, moderately serious, and ambulatory. There is discussion on the reliability of this instrument and it is recommended that it be validated with victims from larger disasters. Regardless, it has the advantage of being specific and free of the subjectivity that characterizes other indices.     

The importance of free amino acids to the energy metabolism of eggs and larvae of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus)

A study was undertaken to establish the role of free amino acids (FAA) in aerobic energy dissipation in embryos of turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) which contain an oil globule in the egg. Laboratory-reared developing eggs and larvae (15°C, 34 salinity) were measured for oxygen uptake, ammonia excretion, contents of FAA, protein, and ammonium, and volumes of yolksac and oil globule. Newly spawned eggs from different batches contained 55 to 90 nmol egg^–1 of FAA. Resorption of FAA occurred in parallel with the consumption of yolk. Resorption of the oil globule, however, occurred predominantly after hatching and mainly after yolk resorption. The combined data suggest that approximately 70% of the FAA are utilized as an energy substrate, while the rest are polymerized into body proteins. FAA become a significant energy substrate in the early egg stage and account for 100% of the aerobic energy dissipation 2 d after Fertilization then decrease to ca. 60% at the time of hatching. Lipids derived from the oil globule seem to be the main fuel after hatching and account for ca. 90% of the energy dissipation at the onset of first-feeding. Thus, the energetics of fish embryos which contain an oil globule seems to be different from those that depend exclusively on the nutritional reserves of the yolk.     

Contribution of canopy leaching to sulphate deposition in a Scots pine forest

Radioactive sulphate (35SO4) was applied to the soil below a Scots pine forest on 23 June 1989, and its movement into the canopy and into throughfall and stemflow was measured over 4 months. The specific activity, Bq (mg S)(-1), of the canopy increased monotonically; uptake by current-year (1989) expanding needles was initially twice as fast as by older needles or live twigs. By 10 October the canopy average specific activity was 62 Bq (mg S)(-1). The specific activity of net throughfall (throughfall + stemflow - rain), deduced from measurements from six throughfall collectors, six stemflow collectors and two rain collectors, fell rapidly from 12.6 Bq (mg S)(-1) in late July to <1 Bq (mg S)(-1) in mid-August. The results suggest (assuming rapid equilibration of 35S with sulphate in soil) that root-derived sulphate contributed c. 3% of sulphate in net throughfall and that dry deposition of SO2 and sulphate particles contributed c. 97% of the 0.56 g S m(-2) measured in net throughfall over the period. Simultaneous measurements of SO2 at canopy height and of NH3 above and within the canopy gave mean concentrations of 5.9 and 0.86 microg m(-3), respectively, sufficient to account for the sulphate measured in net throughfall only if codeposition of NH3 and SO2 occurred to canopy surfaces. The large values of specific activity observed in July, however, indicate that throughfall composition may be closely related to recent soil input of sulphate, and that equilibrium cannot be safely assumed. The possibility of a significant contribution of soil-derived sulphate to sulphate deposition in net throughfall cannot be ruled out on the basis of this experiment.     

Variation of leaf gland volatile oil within a population of sweet gale (Myrica gale) (Myricaceae)

Summary The leaf gland volatile oils of ten sweet gale plants from a Scottish population were extracted in early summer. The results differed notably from reports of other populations in respect of the sesquiterpenes, -elemenone and germacrone, which were major components of the volatile oil. Three dihydrochalcones were also detected in the volatile oil. Variation within the population existed, particularly with respect to the relative importance of germacrone. Five plants were resampled in late summer and exhibited a marked reduction in -elemenone, a lesser reduction in germacrone and changes in the proportions of some monoterpenes.     

Reproductive Success of Marginal Populations of Dactylorhiza maculata (L.) Soó (Orchidaceae)

Russian Journal of Ecology - Populations at the border of ranges are considered more vulnerable than those in the center. However, some recent reviews contradict this hypothesis. We have studied...     

邢台市秋季PM2.5及水溶性离子污染特征

为研究邢台市秋季PM_2.5污染特征,于2017年10月15日~11月14日在邢台市区对PM_2.5样品进行了采集,并对其中水溶性离子（包括Cl^-、NO₃^-、SO₄^2-、NH₄⁺、Ca²⁺、Na⁺、Mg²⁺、K⁺）进行了分析.结果显示,观测期间邢台市ρ（PM_2.5）平均值为（130.0±74.9）μg/m³,其中水溶性离子质量浓度为（69.8±11.4）μg/m³,占ρ（PM_2.5）的53.3%,NO₃^-、SO₄^2-和NH₄⁺为主要离子,占水溶性离子比例达到了89.7%. 当污染加重,水溶性离子质量浓度随ρ（PM_2.5）增大而升高,且NO₃^-、NH₄⁺及SO₄^2-占比亦逐渐升高,但其他离子占比随之下降,Ca²⁺尤为明显,表明ρ（PM_2.5）升高时主要受二次无机转化影响;观测期间SOR（硫转化率）与NOR（氮转化率）的平均值分别为0.36和0.25,表明秋季SO₂与NO₂转化速率较强,二次无机污染严重,另外SOR及NOR与温度及相对湿度呈正相关,且SOR对二者更为敏感;邢台市秋季PM_2.5呈弱碱性,NH₄⁺主要以（NH₄）₂SO₄和NH₄NO₃的形式存在;ρ（NO₃^-）/ρ（SO₄^2-）平均值为2.13,表明移动源对秋季大气颗粒物的来源贡献较大;PMF分析结果表明,二次转化源、燃烧源及扬尘源为邢台市秋季PM_2.5中水溶性离子的主要来源.     

An investigation of changes in water quality throughout the drinking water production/distribution chain using toxicological and fluorescence analyses

Changes in water quality from source water to finished water and tap water at two conventional drinking water treatment plants(DWTPs) were monitored.Beside the routine water quality testing,Caenorhabditis elegans-based toxicity assays and the fluorescence excitation–emission matrices technique were also applied.Both DWTPs supplied drinking water that met government standards.Under current test conditions,both the investigated finished water and tap water samples exhibited stronger lethal,genotoxic and reprotoxic potential than the relative source water sample,and the tap water sample was more lethal but tended to be less genotoxic than the corresponding finished water sample.Meanwhile,the nearly complete removal of tryptophan-like substances and newly generated tyrosine-like substances were observed after the treatment of drinking water,and humic-like substances were identified in the tap water.Based on these findings,toxic pollutants,including genotoxic/reproductive toxicants,are produced in the drinking water treatment and/or distribution processes.Moreover,further studies are needed to clarify the potentially important roles of tyrosine-like and humic-like substances in mediating drinking water toxicity and to identify the potential sources of these contaminants.Additionally,tryptophan-like fluorescence may be adopted as a useful parameter to monitor the treatment performance of DWTPs.Our observations provided insights into the importance of utilizing biotoxicity assays and fluorescence spectroscopy as tools to complement the routine evaluation of drinking water.     

银川市冬季PM2.5重污染特征、来源与成因分析

近年来银川市冬季重污染过程频发,为明确银川市冬季PM_2.5重污染的特征,分析其主要来源及成因,于2016年12月-2017年1月在银川市选取3个采样点开展PM_2.5的样品采集与化学组分分析,利用CMB（化学质量平衡）模型对银川市冬季PM_2.5进行来源解析,对比分析了重污染日与非重污染日污染特征的差异.结果表明:①银川市冬季重污染日ρ（PM_2.5）[（181±33.6）μg/m3]是非重污染日的2.1倍;重污染日和非重污染日的ρ（NO₃-）/ρ（SO₄2-）均小于1,表明燃煤仍是银川市冬季PM_2.5的重要来源.银川市冬季PM_2.5中ρ（SOC）为（14.4±7.34）μg/m3,约占ρ（OC）的65.2%.②与非重污染日相比,重污染日人为源无机元素As、Pb、Cd和Zn质量浓度在ρ（PM_2.5）中的占比分别升高33.2%、18.4%、9.8%和2.9%,表明银川市冬季重污染主要受人为源贡献影响.③源解析结果表明,燃煤源、机动车尾气源、二次离子源和扬尘源是银川市PM_2.5的主要污染源,与非重污染日相比,重污染日机动车尾气源的贡献率明显降低.研究显示,银川市冬季重污染受人为源污染物排放的影响较大,燃煤源是银川市冬季PM_2.5的重要来源.