Particulate matter (PM2.5) exposure season-dependently induces neuronal apoptosis and synaptic injuries

Epidemiological studies have shown that particulate matter 2.5 (PM_2.5) not only increases the incidence of cardiopulmonary illnesses but also relates to the development of neurodegenerative diseases. Considering that PM_2.5 is highly heterogeneous with regional disparity and seasonal variation, we investigated whether PM_2.5 exposure induced neuronal apoptosis and synaptic injuries in a season-dependent manner. The results indicated that PM_2.5 altered the expression of apoptosis-related proteins (mainly bax and bcl-2), activated caspase-3 and caused neuronal apoptosis. Additionally, PM_2.5 decreased the levels of synaptic structural protein postsynaptic density (PSD-95) and synaptic functional protein N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunit (NR2B) expression. These effects occurred in a season-dependent manner, and PM_2.5 collected from the winter showed the strongest changes. Furthermore, the effect was coupled with the inhibition of phosphorylated extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and phosphorylated cAMP-response element binding protein (p-CREB). Based on the findings, we analyzed the correlations between the chemical composition of PM_2.5 samples and the biological effects, and confirmed that winter PM_2.5 played a major role in causing neuronal apoptosis and synaptic injuries among different season samples.     

An insight into the removal of fluoroquinolones in activated sludge process: Sorption and biodegradation characteristics

The detailed sorption steps and biodegradation characteristics of fluoroquinolones(FQs)including ciprofloxacin, enrofloxacin, lomefloxacin, norfloxacin, and ofloxacin were investigated through batch experiments. The results indicate that FQs at a total concentration of 500 μg/L caused little inhibition of sludge bioactivity. Sorption was the primary removal pathway of FQs in the activated sludge process, followed by biodegradation, while hydrolysis and volatilization were negligible. FQ sorption on activated sludge was a reversible process governed by surface reaction. Henry and Freundlich models could describe the FQ sorption isotherms well in the concentration range of 100–300 μg/L. Thermodynamic parameters revealed that FQ sorption on activated sludge is spontaneous, exothermic, and enthalpy-driven. Hydrophobicity-independent mechanisms determined the FQ sorption affinity with activated sludge. The zwitterion of FQs had the strongest sorption affinity, followed by cation and anion, and aerobic condition facilitated FQ sorption. FQs were slowly biodegradable, with long half-lives( 100 hr). FQ biodegradation was enhanced with increasing temperature and under aerobic condition,and thus was possibly achieved through co-metabolism during nitrification. This study provides an insight into the removal kinetics and mechanism of FQs in the activated sludge process, but also helps assess the environmental risks of FQs resulting from sludge disposal.     

Endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoylglycerol protects inflammatory insults from sulfur dioxide inhalation via cannabinoid receptors in the brain

Sulfur dioxide(SO_2) pollution in the atmospheric environment causes brain inflammatory insult and inflammatory-related microvasculature dysfunction.However,there are currently no effective medications targeting the harmful outcomes from chemical inhalation.Endocannabinoids(eCBs) are involved in neuronal protection against inflammation-induced neuronal injury.The 2-arachidonoylglycerol(2-AG),the most abundant eCBs and a full agonist for cannabinoid receptors(CB1 and CB2),is also capable of suppressing proinflammatory stimuli and improving microvasculature dysfunction.Here,we indicated that endogenous 2-AG protected against neuroinflammation in response to SO_2 inhalation by inhibiting the activation of microglia and astrocytes and attenuating the overexpression of inflammatory cytokines,including tumor necrosis factor alpha(TNF-a),interleukin(IL)-1β,and inducible nitric oxide synthase(iNOS).In addition,endogenous 2-AG prevented cerebral vasculature dysfunction following SO_2 inhalation by inhibiting endothelin 1(ET-1),vascular cell adhesion molecule-1(VCAM-1) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1(ICAM-1) expression,elevating endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS) level,and restoring the imbalance between thromboxane A2(TXA2) and prostaglandin 12(PGI2).In addition,the action of endogenous 2-AG on the suppression of inflammatory insult and inflammatory-related microvasculature dysfunction appeared to be mainly mediated by CB1 and CB2 receptors.Our results provided a mechanistic basis for the development of new therapeutic approaches for protecting brain injuries from SO_2 inhalation.     

气提式循环反应器处理污水试验研究

主要探讨了气提式循环反应器处理污水的几个有关问题 :载体选择 ,提升区的截面大小选择 ,载体生物膜和游离活性污泥的特点。试验结果表明 :载体材料中 ,焦炭稍优于炉渣 ,塑料效果最差 ;提升区应该存在最优截面尺寸 ,使载体的提升循环量最高 ;载体生物膜的存在 ,增加了生物量 ,提高了处理效率 ,而且是促进硝化作用的主要因素     

Matching innovations with potential users, a case study of potato IPM practices

Through interviews and mail surveys, Ohio potato (Solanum tuberosum) growers were surveyed concerning their willingness to adopt three cultural controls being developed for management of the Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), which had become increasingly difficult to control. The principal objective of the research was to obtain a deeper understanding of how farmers make decisions to adopt or not adopt new techniques and how these decisions are related to farmers' educational backgrounds and the way they currently manage their farms. The three cultural management options emphasized ecological approaches to habitat management rather than ecologically disruptive chemical control: (1) using host plants in overwintering sites to slow the spring movement of the beetles to potato fields, (2) using larger potato plants at field borders than in the center of the field as a spring trap crop, and (3) concentrating beetles in relatively small undefoliated areas to be killed with heat in late summer. Most respondents would not adopt these alternative pest management strategies, mainly because they perceived an unsatisfactory trade-off between logistic difficulties and expenses and population suppression they would achieve compared with traditional chemical control measures. Education correlated positively and experience in farming negatively with the willingness to try new pest management techniques. Additionally, growers responding more negatively to questions regarding integrated pest management strategies were more willing to experiment with the alternative techniques, a result attributed to either the survey design or an indication of experience with the more intensive management effort required for integrated pest management. This profile of potential innovators should be used by researchers to establish partnerships with farmers that could assist with both the research and development of new farming techniques and the adoption of successful systems by other farmers.     

Acute exposure to naphthalene reduces oxyregulating capacity of the brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus, subjected to progressive hypoxia

The brown shrimp, Penaeus aztecus, in the northern Gulf of Mexico is faced with dual stresses of environmental hypoxia, which occurs as a result of oxygen depletion from microbial decomposition of organic materials from algal blooms, and pollution from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from petroleum and gas production on the continental shelf of the northern Gulf of Mexico. This study investigated the effect of naphthalene, a PAH, on oxyregulating capacity of P. aztecus, when shrimps were subjected to progressive hypoxia. It was found that P. aztecus is an oxyregulator with a critical oxygen concentration of 2.53 mg/l at 19–21°C, below which the animal becomes an oxyconformer. Acute exposure to naphthalene at 2.0 mg/l significantly reduced the oxyregulating capacity by 112%. This is the first report on the alteration of an aquatic animal’s oxyregulating capacity by a PAH. Possible mechanism for the impaired oxyregulation in the presence of naphthalene was discussed.     

污泥颗粒对染料的吸附特性及评价

研究了污泥颗粒对染料的吸附特性。并对pH以及离子强度对染料吸附的影响做出了评价。结果显示染料吸附经过 30min便达到了平衡 ;pH值是决定染料吸附的最重要的因素 ,随着 pH值的降低吸附量明显增大 ;染料吸附量随着离子强度的增加而减小。染料吸附可以用多层吸附等温线来描述。     

鄱阳湖自然资源及其特征

本文简述了鄱阳湖土地、水、气候和生物资源现状,分析了它们的特征。鄱阳湖是中国最大的淡水湖泊,但洪、枯水期湖水面积变化很大,枯水期由众多的子湖泊组成。它是一个过水性湖泊,年均迳流量高达1457×10⁸m³,然而年际和月际变化很大,对长江水量调蓄作用不大,也不适时。总体水质良好,但已受到污染。鄱阳湖是本地区的日照时数、水体蒸发量和风能高值区,是气温调节器。鄱阳湖生物资源丰富,形成了完整的水域生态系统和水陆交替的湖滩草洲生态系统。     

Vermicomposting of winery wastes: a laboratory study

In Mediterranean countries, millions of tons of wastes from viticulture and winery industries are produced every year. This study describes the ability of the earthworm Eisenia andrei to compost different winery wastes (spent grape marc, vinasse biosolids, lees cakes, and vine shoots) into valuable agricultural products. The evolution of earthworm biomass and enzyme activities was tracked for 16 weeks of vermicomposting, on a laboratory scale. Increases in earthworm biomass for all winery wastes proved lower than in manure. Changes in hydrolytic enzymes and overall microbial activities during the vermicomposting process indicated the biodegradation of the winery wastes. Vermicomposting improved the agronomic value of the winery wastes by reducing the C:N ratio, conductivity and phytotoxicity, while increasing the humic materials, nutrient contents, and pH in all cases. Thus, winery wastes show potential as raw substrates in vermicomposting, although further research is needed to evaluate the feasibility of such wastes in large-scale vermicomposting systems.     

Do laboratory salinity tolerances of freshwater animals correspond with their field salinity?

The degree to which laboratory derived measures of salinity tolerance reflect the field distributions of freshwater biota is uncertain. In this paper we compare laboratory-derived acute salinity tolerance (LC(50) values) of freshwater macroinvertebrates (range 5.5-76 mS/cm) and fish (range 2.7-82 mS/cm) from southeastern Australia with the salinity from which they have been collected in the field. Only 4% of the macroinvertebrates were collected at salinity levels substantially higher than their 72-h LC(50) obtained from directly transferring animals from low salinity water to the water they were tested (direct transfer LC(50)). This LC(50) value was correlated with the maximum salinity at which a species had been collected. For common macroinvertebrates, the maximum field salinity was approximated by the direct transfer 72-h LC(50). For adult freshwater fish, 21% of species were collected at salinities substantially greater than their acute direct transfer LC(50) and there was a weak relationship between these two variables. Although there was a weak correlation between the direct transfer LC(50) of early life stages of freshwater fish and the maximum field salinity, 58% of the field distribution were in higher than their LC(50) values. In contrast, LC(50) determined from experiments that acclimated adult fish to higher salinity (slow acclimation) provided a better indication of the field distribution: with only one fish species (7%) being in conflict with their maximum field salinity and a strong positive relationship between these variables. This study shows that laboratory measures of acute salinity tolerance can reflect the maximum salinity that macroinvertebrate and fish species inhabit and are consistent with some anecdotal observations from other studies.