Epigenetic effect of long-term bisphenol A exposure on human breast adenocarcinoma cells

In this research, epigenetic effects of bisphenol A (BPA) on human breast cancer MCF-7 cells were analyzed. Genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression were analyzed in MCF-7 cells exposed to BPA (10^?5 and 10^?6 mol/L for 5 weeks). No significant changes in the global level of 5-methyl-2′-deoxycytidine and 5-hydroxymethyl-2′-deoxycytidine were observed. DNA methylation profiling analysis indicated that BPA exposure resulted in the hypermethylation of FOXK2, LKB1, LMX1A and CUGBP2 and the hypomethylation of PTPRN2, TRIM27, BCAS3 and ZNF423. Decreased expression of apoptosis genes (P38 and BCL2L1) and increased expression of chemokine (Cxcl2 and ccl20) were detected. Changes of these genes were speculated to affect the ERα-related cell growth as well as cell apoptosis.     

Spatial and seasonal distribution of nitrate-N in groundwater beneath the rice�Cwheat cropping system of India: a geospatial analysis

Increased use of nitrogenous fertilizers in the intensively cultivated rice (Oryza sativa)?Cwheat (Triticum aestivum) cropping system (covers a 13.5-ha m area in South Asia) has led to the concentration of nitrates (NO₃-N) in the groundwater (GW) in Haryana State of India. Six districts from the freshwater zone were selected to identify factors affecting NO₃-N enrichment in GW. Water and soil samples were collected from 1,580 locations and analyzed for their chemical properties. About 3% (26,796, and 10,588 ha) of the area was estimated to be under moderately high (7.5?C10 mg l^???1) and high (>10 mg l^???1) risk categories, respectively. The results revealed that NO₃-N was 10?C50% higher during the pre-monsoon season than in the monsoon season. Nitrate-N decreased with the increase in aquifer depth (r ²?=?0.99). Spatial and proximity analyses using ArcGIS (9.2) revealed that (1) clay material in surface and sub-surface texture restricts N leaching, (2) piedmont and rolling plains act as an N sink, and (3) perennial rivers bring a dilution effect whereas seasonal rivers provide favorable conditions for NO₃ ^? enrichment. The study concludes that chemical N fertilizers applied in agro-ecosystems are not the sole factor determining the NO₃ in groundwater; rather, it is an integrated process governed by several other factors including physical and chemical properties of soils, proximity and type of river, and geomorphologic and geographical aspects. Therefore, future studies should adopt larger area (at least watershed scale) to understand the mechanistic pathways of NO₃ enrichment in groundwater and interactive role of the natural drainage system and surrounding physical features. In addition, the study also presents a conceptual framework to describe the process of nitrate formation and leaching in piedmont plains and its transportation to the mid-plain zone.     

稻草覆盖对红壤旱地棉田土壤肥力和生物学性状的影响

通过对棉田进行不同量的稻草覆盖,研究了不同稻草覆盖量对土壤的化学性状和生物学性状的影响。结果表明：稻草覆盖不但能改善土壤的化学性状,增加土壤微生物,同时能增强土壤酶活性。棉花种植前和收获后相比,稻草覆盖能够明显增加土壤有机质、全氮、全磷、全钾和速效钾的质量分数,并随着覆盖量的增加而升高,而速效氮、速效磷质量分数在棉花种植前和收获后相比呈下降趋势。少量覆盖最有利于土壤微生物的增加,中量覆盖放线菌和硝化细菌会有所减少,大量覆盖反而会让部分微生物减少。另外,稻草覆盖处理均有提高土壤中过氧化氢酶、蔗糖酶及脲酶活性的作用,且过氧化氢酶、蔗糖酶的活性随着稻草覆盖量的增加而增强。     

嗜水气单胞菌强化老化纳米零价铁去除水中Cr(VI)

基于老化对纳米零价铁（NZVI）去除水中Cr（VI）的不利影响,本研究考察了接种嗜水气单胞菌（Aeromonas hydrophila）强化老化NZVI对水中Cr（VI）的去除,并分析了溶解氧、温度、pH、Cr（VI）初始浓度对其去除Cr（VI）的影响,同时利用扫描电镜（SEM）、X射线光电子能谱（XPS）等分析了反应前后材料的形貌特征及Cr的价态变化.结果表明,接种嗜水气单胞菌能显著提高无氧条件下老化NZVI对Cr（VI）的去除效果,且在酸性条件和30~40 ℃条件下去除效果较好,可能是因为该条件下更有利于老化NZVI的腐蚀和微生物的生长,此外,Cr（VI）去除效率随Cr（VI）初始浓度升高而降低.在pH=6,温度为30 ℃,老化nZVI投加量为0.1 g·L^-1,Cr（VI）初始浓度为50 mg·L^-1的条件下反应24 h后,Cr（VI）的去除率可达到100%.XPS分析表明,反应后NZVI表面沉积的Cr主要以Cr（III）的形式存在,可能为Cr（OH）₃沉淀或Fe_xCr_1-x（OH）₃共沉淀物.动力学研究发现,Cr（VI）去除过程符合准二级动力学,去除机制为Cr（VI）的吸附、还原与共沉淀,其中以还原作用为主.     

Measuring team trust: A critical and meta-analytical review

Team trust is gaining attention in research and practice due to its benefits for team performance, yet clarity about the intricacies of its measurement is needed. Therefore, we meta-analyzed 118 studies (N = 7,738) to untangle the role of measurement features by investigating the degree to which they influence the trust–performance relationship. Results showed that the trust–performance relationship is contingent upon time lag and source of measurement. Specifically, cross-sectional and single-source studies produced higher effect sizes than time-lagged and different-source studies. In contrast, the moderating roles of conceptualization–operationalization alignment and referent of trust measures were not supported. Post hoc analyses revealed that affective trust is more strongly related to global, versus specific team outcomes, and that mixed-referent items are particularly effective within intact teams, whereas the trust–performance relationship is constrained when direct consensus items are used within ad hoc teams. Furthermore, we provided a critical review that highlights the importance of composites, multilevel forces, and item content and wording. Finally, we clarified key gaps in the literature, calling for research where needed. This review serves as a bridge between conceptualization and measurement and lays the groundwork for advancing knowledge of team trust.     

Parasitoids and competitors influence colony-level responses in the red imported fire ant,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Solenopsis invicta</Emphasis>

Social insect colonies respond to challenges set by a variable environment by reallocating work among colony members. In many social insects, such colony-level task allocation strategies are achieved through individual decisions that produce a self-organized adapting group. We investigated colony responses to parasitoids and native ant competitors in the red imported fire ant (Solenopsis invicta). Parasitoid flies affected fire ants by decreasing the proportion of workers engaged in foraging. Competitors also altered colony-level behaviours by reducing the proportion of foraging ants and by increasing the proportion of roaming majors, whose role is colony defence. Interestingly, the presence of both parasitism and competition almost always had similar effects on task allocation in comparison to each of the biotic factors on its own. Thus, our study uniquely demonstrates that the interactive effect of both parasitism and competition is not necessarily additive, implying that these biotic factors alter colony behaviour in distinct ways. More generally, our work demonstrates the importance of studying the dynamics of species interactions in a broader context.     

Weed and arthropod populations in conventional and genetically modified herbicide tolerant fodder beet fields

The introduction of genetically modified herbicide tolerant (GMHT) crops has raised concerns from both scientists and non-governmental organisations about possible effects on arable flora and fauna due to the changes in herbicide application and management that such crops involve. Three consecutive studies were performed, covering flora and fauna in fields of GMHT and conventional fodder beets over the season, at different locations and under different spraying regimes. At all locations and in the 3 years, a denser and more diverse weed flora and arthropod fauna were found in GMHT beets in early and mid-summer than in conventional beets when glyphosate-treatment occurred at or after label recommendation. Following the herbicide applications the GMHT fields had fewer weed species and seeds and lower weed densities and biomass than conventional fields. However, application of glyphosate earlier than recommended resulted in an extremely low weed diversity, density and biomass during the entire season. Timing of the first glyphosate applications, i.e. the duration of the herbicide free period, was essential in terms of biodiversity improvements. In the long term reduced production of weed seeds in GMHT fields may deplete the weed flora if the GMHT strategy becomes widely adopted.     

Polyandry and enhanced reproductive success in the harlequin-beetle-riding pseudoscorpion

The growing molecular evidence that females of many species mate with several males calls for a critical reassessment of the selective forces which act to shape female mating tactics. In natural populations of the harlequin-beetle-riding pseudoscorpion, Cordylochernes scorpioides, females are polyandrous and typically produce mixed-paternity broods. Laboratory behavioral analyses and breeding experiments indicate that polyandry in this pseudoscorpion is an active strategy which increases female reproductive success. Females restricted to mating with a single male experienced a higher rate of embryo failure and produced significantly fewer offspring than either females mated to more than one male in the laboratory or females naturally inseminated in the field. Forced copulation, insufficient sperm from a single mating, male nutrient donations and variation in inherent male genetic quality cannot explain the greater number of nymphs hatched by polyandrous females in this study. Evidence suggests that, by mating with several males, C. scorpioides females may exploit postcopulatory mechanisms for reducing the risk and/or cost of embryo failure resulting from fertilization by genetically incompatible sperm. Received: 5 May 1996 / Accepted after revision: 16 October 1996     

Air quality and health benefits from potential coal power plant closures in Texas

As power production from renewable energy and natural gas grows, closures of some coal-fired power plants in Texas become increasingly likely. In this study, the potential effects of such closures on air quality and human health were analyzed by linking a regional photochemical model with a health impacts assessment tool. The impacts varied significantly across 13 of the state’s largest coal-fired power plants, sometimes by more than an order of magnitude, even after normalizing by generation. While some power plants had negligible impacts on concentrations at important monitors, average impacts up to 0.5 parts per billion (ppb) and 0.2 µg/m³ and maximum impacts up to 3.3 ppb and 0.9 µg/m³ were seen for ozone and fine particulate matter (PM_2.5), respectively. Individual power plants impacted average visibility by up to 0.25 deciviews in Class I Areas. Health impacts arose mostly from PM_2.5 and were an order of magnitude higher for plants that lack scrubbers for SO₂. Rankings of health impacts were largely consistent across the base model results and two reduced form models. Carbon dioxide emissions were relatively uniform, ranging from 1.00 to 1.26 short tons/MWh, and can be monetized based on a social cost of carbon. Despite all of these unpaid externalities, estimated direct costs of each power plant exceeded wholesale power prices in 2016.

Implications: While their CO₂ emission rates are fairly similar, sharply different NO_x and SO₂ emission rates and spatial factors cause coal-fired power plants to vary by an order of magnitude in their impacts on ozone, particulate matter, and associated health and visibility outcomes. On a monetized basis, the air pollution health impacts often exceed the value of the electricity generated and are of similar magnitude to climate impacts. This suggests that both air pollution and climate should be considered if externalities are used to inform decision making about power-plant dispatch and retirement.