Effect of in vitro administered 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) on DNA-binding activities of nuclear transcription factors in NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblasts

Abstract

Most modern pesticides are expensive. Application of excessive dosage rates is likely to cause undesirable biological side‐effects and is economically wasteful. Non‐uniform distribution of the spray cloud, or application at the wrong time, may result in failure to control the pest. It is the responsibility of the field operator to acquire sufficient knowledge and skill to ensure proper use of the control agents, to increase efficiency of their usage and to reduce unwanted side‐effects. To achieve this goal, he must take into consideration the various physical factors that govern field performance of pesticides.

A simple relationship exists between the spray volume and emission rate used, and droplet size produced. The use of extremely low spray volumes (i.e., those less than 2.0 litre per ha) for forest insect control in Canada, as opposed to higher volumes used in agriculture, necessitates the release of fine droplets (ranging from 20 to 70 μm in diameter) to obtain adequate coverage of the target area. These droplets take a long time to sediment downwards, evaporate in‐flight, become smaller in size and/or form powdery residues, thus contributing to off‐target drift and impaired droplet adhesion to target surfaces. Physical factors such as rain washing, degradation by sunlight and erosion by wind also influence the longevity of pesticide deposits on foliage which is crucial during the critical period of pest control.

Factors affecting the mode of entry into insects are related to the type of ingredients used in formulation. If a pesticide acts via crawling contact, formulations which would provide surface deposits would be more beneficial than emulsions or oil‐based mixes which tend to undergo penetration into foliar cuticle. Physical factors that affect field performance of a pesticide tank mix are related to phase separation and ‘breakdown of emulsions’ in the application equipment; ‘agglomeration and caking’ of wettable powder dispersions at the bottom of the tank; impaired flow behaviour of highly viscous formulations; and coarse atomization of high‐viscosity tank mixes leading to poor target cover.     

Photodegradation of soluble microbial products (SMPs) from membrane bioreactor by GO-COOH/TiO2/Ag

This study aimed to explore a new degradation method - photocatalysis technology to polish membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent, using 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol (2,6-DTBP) as a model soluble microbial product (SMP). 2,6-DTBP is one of the predominant SMPs in MBR effluent, which is refractory and difficult to biodegrade. This study developed a novel carboxylated graphene oxide/titanium dioxide/silver (GO-COOH/TiO₂/Ag) nanocomposite to photodegrade 2,6-DTBP. GO-COOH/TiO₂/Ag was successfully synthesized, using l-cysteine as the linker bonding TiO₂/Ag to GO-COOH. The structural, morphological and optical properties of the GO-COOH/TiO₂/Ag nanocomposite were characterized using various techniques. Owing to synergistic effects, the GO-COOH/TiO₂/Ag nanocomposite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic degradation performance under solar light irradiation when compared to TiO₂, Ag and GO-COOH. To remove 25 mg/L 2,6-DTBP, the reaction time for GO-COOH/TiO₂/Ag was only 30 min, faster than the 90 min required for pure TiO₂ or Ag. In addition, the 200 mg/L GO-COOH/TiO₂/Ag nanocomposite aqueous solution showed the best performance under solar light, with 99% removal of 2,6-DTBP. This enhanced capability is likely due to the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect contributed by Ag nanoparticles (NPs) doped onto the TiO₂. In addition, GO-COOH had a high effective surface area, which assisted in degrading the 2,6-DTBP through improved adsorption. The stability study showed that the photocatalytic activity of the GO-COOH/TiO₂/Ag was stable enough for recycling multiple times. The effective degradation performance and excellent stability demonstrates that the GO-COOH/TiO₂/Ag nanocomposite can be a promising photocatalyst in the field of effluent SMP photodegradation, which solves the problem of the difficult biodegradation of highly toxic 2,6-DTBP.     

油轮压舱含油污水处理技术分析

原设计污水处理工艺除油效果不理想，将曝气浮选法改为溶气气浮浮选法，通过对污水静置沉降、斜板隔油、溶气气浮、果壳过滤、CSF过滤等各单元处理，及污水中的油分分析，特别是对斜板隔油、溶气气浮单元加入药剂前后的除油效果进行对比，从结果可知，处理后的污水中油分含量低于10mg/L，实现了达标排放。     

Amniotic fluid pregnancy-specific β1-glycoprotein (SP1) in fetal developmental disorders

Concentration of pregnancy-specific β1-glycoprotein (SP1) was studied in second and third trimester amniotic fluid from pregnancies with various fetal developmental disorders. The material consisted of 26 cases with chromosomal disorders and 19 cases with nonchromosomal fetal malformations. The SP1 concentration was elevated in two cases of Meckel's syndrome (mean + 2.7–4.0 S.D.) as well as in one case of fetal triploidy (mean + 22 S.D.), while it was normal in all other 14 different fetal disorders.     

作物根系对干旱胁迫逆境的适应性研究进展

主要就作物根系的形态性状、根系提水作用、生理代谢、根系细胞壁蛋白及其生长性能与干旱胁迫间的关系作了综述;指出应加强对干旱逆境下根系发育及根系生长性状变化上的遗传机理研究。     

Amniotic fluid pregnancy-specific β1-glycoprotein (SP1) in Meckel's syndrome: A new test for prenatal diagnosis?

Amniotic fluid levels of pregnancy-specific β₁-glycoprotein (SP₁) were elevated in four pregnancies with Meckel's syndrome at 16 and 26 weeks, and the levels of hCG were also elevated in three out of four cases. These findings suggest a potential new application of SP₁ measurement for prenatal diagnosis.     

The effect of continuous Ni(Ⅱ) exposure on the organic degradation and soluble microbial product(SMP) formation in two-phase anaerobic reactor

A two-phase anaerobic reactor fed with glucose substrate (3 g chemical oxygen demand (COD)/L) was used to investigate the effects of toxic metals on the degradation of organics and the soluble microbial product (SMP) formation. Low concentrations of Ni(II) (5 and 10 mg/L) promoted the acid phase, whereas high concentrations (15, 20, and 25 mg/L) exhibited an inhibitory effect on, but did not alter the fermentative method, which mainly involved the fermentation of propionic acid. The methanogenic microorganism exhibited a strong capability adapting constantly increased Ni(II) levels. The acid phase was an accumulation stage of SMP. In the absence of Ni(II), the high-molecular-weight material in the effluent SMP mainly contained polysaccharide, tryptophan, and casein. Methanogens metabolized most of the polysaccharide, the whole tryptophan content, and part of the casein, leading to the presence of humic acid and protein in effluent. After Ni(II) dosage, the protein and polysaccharide of the acid phase increased, and tryptophan changed, while casein remained stable. More protein than polysaccharide was produced, suggesting the prominent function of protein when addressing the negative effect of toxic metals. The analysis of DNA confirmed the change of bacterial activity.     

土壤和底质中砷形态分析前处理技术

利用可溶性砷（包括有机砷、砷的无机含氧化合物）和硫化砷的特性进行砷的形态分析。在２ｍｏｌ／Ｌ盐酸中提取可溶性砷,与硫化砷进行分离,分别测定总砷和可溶性砷后差值为硫化砷,在９ｍｏｌ／Ｌ硫酸－碘化钾溶液中用苯萃取砷的无机含氧化合物与有机砷进行分离,可分别测定有机砷的砷的无机含氧化合物。     

Profenofos induced modulation in physiological indices,genomic template stability and protein banding patterns of Anabaena sp. PCC 7120

To understand the mechanism underlying organophosphate pesticide toxicity, cyanobacterium Anabaena PCC 7120 was subjected to varied concentrations (0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 mg L^?1) of profenofos and the effects were investigated in terms of changes in cellular physiology, genomic template stability and protein expression pattern. The supplementation of profenofos reduced the growth, total pigment content and photosynthetic efficiency of the test organism in a dose dependent manner with maximum toxic effect at 30 mg L^?1. The high fluorescence intensity of 2′, 7′ –dichlorofluorescin diacetate and increased production of malondialdehyde confirmed the prevalence of acute oxidative stress condition inside the cells of the cyanobacterium. Rapid amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprinting and SDS-PAGE analyses showed a significant alteration in the banding patterns of DNA and proteins respectively. A marked increase in superoxide dismutase, catalase, peroxidase activity and a concomitant reduction in glutathione content indicated their possible role in supporting the growth of Anabaena 7120 up to 20 mg L^?1. These findings suggest that the uncontrolled use of profenofos in the agricultural fields may not only lead to the destruction of the cyanobacterial population, but it would also disturb the nutrient dynamics and energy flow.