Influences and mechanisms of nanofullerene on the horizontal transfer of plasmid-encoded antibiotic resistance genes between E. coli strains

• Sub-inhibitory levels of nC₆₀ promote conjugative transfer of ARGs. • nC₆₀ can induce ROS generation, oxidative stress and SOS response. • nC₆₀ can increase cell membrane permeability and alter gene expression. • Results provide evidence of nC₆₀ promoting antibiotic resistance dissemination. The spread and development of antibiotic resistance globally have led to severe public health problems. It has been shown that some non-antibiotic substances can also promote the diffusion and spread of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs). Nanofullerene (nC₆₀) is a type of nanomaterial widely used around the world, and some studies have discovered both the biological toxicity and environmental toxicity of nC₆₀. In this study, cellular and molecular biology techniques were employed to investigate the influences of nC₆₀ at sub-minimum inhibitory concentrations (sub-MICs) on the conjugation of ARGs between the E. coli strains. Compared with the control group, nC₆₀ significantly increased the conjugation rates of ARGs by 1.32‒10.82 folds within the concentration range of 7.03‒1800 mg/L. This study further explored the mechanism of this phenomenon, finding that sub-MICs of nC₆₀ could induce the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), trigger SOS-response and oxidative stress, affect the expression of outer membrane proteins (OMPs) genes, increase membrane permeability, and thus promote the occurrence of conjugation. This research enriches our understanding of the environmental toxicity of nC₆₀, raises our risk awareness toward nC₆₀, and may promote the more rational employment of nC₆₀ materials.     

Biodiversity of plants and soils in landscapes adjacent to the Buzuluk Pine Forest

The influence of the Buzuluk Pine Forest on biodiversity of plants and soil properties in adjacent territories has been studied. The results show that in the immediate vicinity of the pine forest, under the influence of the relatively mild and humid mesoclimate, natural phytocenoses are dominated by mesophytic species. Biodiversity reaches a peak at a distance of 17–18 km from the forest, which is explained by the presence of both mesophytes and xerophytes in the same phytocenosis. The same zone is also characterized by the maximum diversity of soil properties and structural complexity of the soil cover. Grass communities on ordinary chernozems with a homogeneous soil cover, typical of the steppe zone, are formed at greater distances from the forest.     

苏州市危险废物管理现状及对策

介绍了苏州市危险废物的种类及产生量，分析了目前的管理现状，指出了存在的问题和不足，并提出了相应的防治对策及具体应投资的项目。     

污染物的原位生物处理—生物清消技术

生物清消技术是一种迅速发展的污染物处理的生物技术,用于处理分散在土壤、地下水、海洋和湖泊中的污染物。生物清消技术通过向环境供给营养物、共作基质和供氧,并依靠有机污染物自身的碳源促进天然微生物群体的生长繁殖,也可进一步向污染环境中补充在实验中筛选和增殖的微生物(强化技术)稳定和加速生物降解过程。本文介绍了生物清消的几种方法:生物促进法、生物耕作法、固相清消法、土壤堆制法、生物泥浆法,还介绍了强化技术应用的几个方面。     

Use of biomarkers in zooplankton for assessment of the 'health status' of marine and brackish environments: a short overview

The biomarker approach has been used for 25 years to study the environmental quality of marine, brackish and freshwater ecosystems. Biomarkers may indicate health status and can be applied to organisms of all zoological phyla by destructive or non destructive methods. For 5 years we have been using this approach in zooplankton to detect ecotoxicological alterations at low levels of the food chain due to contaminants. Here we review our approach to validate and apply biomarker techniques in zooplankton. We discuss advantages, limitations, some results and future research. We indicate that biomarkers in zooplankton can be used as new indices of trophic status and ecological integrity of Italian marine coastal and lagoon environments, to be included among the tools specified by Italian law D.Lgs. 152/2006.     

如何优化经济欠发达地区农村客运网

经济欠发达地区农村的道路情况和客运网络的建设相对落后,同时,由于受交通不便的制约,农村经济发展速度受到很大的影响,农民出行难的问题仍然没有得到根本上的解决。本文通过对经济欠发达地区农村客运网现状的分析,找出目前造成农村客运网络落后的原因,并提出相应的对策和建议。     

A Review of Waste Tyre Utilisation in the Marine Environment

Waste tyres pose a major disposal problem on land creating a fire hazard and, in warmer climates, providing breeding pools for mosquitoes. the void space in tyres makes them unsuitable for land burial. Schemes to use shredded tyres for road bases and asphalt filler are being pursued in the USA. Tyre combustion for electricity production is being investigated in the UK.

The widespread availability and durability of tyres has led to their use in the marine environment for breakwaters/coastal defence structures and as artificial reefs for promoting fisheries.

Tyres have a low density and have been used in floating breakwaters. Schemes have been proposed to protect and strengthen shorelines with tyre structures.

The void space in tyres facilitates the construction of artificial reefs to attract fish. the most intensive use is in the south west Pacific and Australia. Tyre surfaces are colonised by algae and a wide range of faunal species, including corals and shellfish. the wide acceptance of tyres as a suitable reef construction material appears to be based largely on these observations. Experience of initial poor deployment practices in the USA led to tyres washing ashore after storms and resulted in the banning or restriction of their use in coastal states of the USA. A review of the scientific literature has yielded limited information on the environmental impact of tyres and in particular the leaching of heavy metals and organic compounds from tyres into sea water.

Preliminary results of tyre dust/sea water leaching studies are presented. These identify zinc as the major leachate (totalling 10mg/tyre after 3 months). Diluted leachates have not shown significant effects of the growth of the phytoplankton Phaeodactylum and Isocrysis.

Further work to characterise the sea water leaching of tyre compounds is recommended.     

石油污染土壤的生物修复技术

石油污染土壤的生物修复技术具有高效、无二次污染和操作管理简便的优点，正逐步成为石油污染治理研究的一个重要领域。本从土壤中石油类物质降解了基本原理出发，总结了近年发展起来的强化生物降解效率的各种技术措施和工程方案及其适用条件，并在此基础上进一步分析了生物修复技术的发展方向和应用前景。中首先详细介绍了土壤中降解石油类物质的生物相组成及降解过程的基本生化原理，并指出影响微生物降解速率的因素主要有土壤pH值，温度、湿度、充氧量和各种营养物质及微量元素含量等。接着，重点重点阐述了石油污染土壤的非原位修复技术和原位修复技术并深入探讨了土地处理、生物堆积处理、堆肥处理等非原位修复技术和所采取的技术措施，主要包括应用高效降解微生物、投加氧化剂和表面活性剂等。最后，本还展望了石油类污染土壤生物治理的未来发展趋势。     

Auditing a flooded quarry prior to marina development

Development of a marina in a flooded brownstone quarry will require construction of a canal to the Connecticut River through an isthmus separating the two systems. An environmental audit over a 16-month period developed quantitative limnological data required by regulatory agencies. The deep quarry basin, protected by high sandstone walls, became strongly stratified in summer. Development of littoral vegetation in the quarry was prevented by the steep sides of the basin. Unusual characteristics of the manmade quarry basin, compared to most natural lakes in Connecticut, included a mean depth of 14 m, an intense thermocline, and negative heterograde oxygen profiles with metalimnetic minima. Alkalinity, conductivity, and nutrient levels differed significantly between the quarry and the river. Mean chlorophyll a concentrations in the two systems were similar, but the distribution of phytoplankton classes were quite different. The environmental audit, by comparing physical, chemical, and biological characteristics of the quarry to those of the river, allowed prediction of changes in trophic status when the two systems are joined.