Soil selenium concentration and Kashin-Beck disease prevalence in Tibet, China

In order to investigate the correlation between the prevalence of Kashin-Back disease (KBD) and Se concentrations, natural soil samples and cultivated soil samples were collected from southeastern Tibet, China; and the soil Se concentrations were measured by atomic fluorescent spectrophotometer. It was found that the mean Se concentrations of natural soil samples in KBD areas, from the first layer to the third layer, were 0.17 mg/kg, 0.11 mg/kg, and 0.10 mg/kg, respectively, and in nondisease areas were 0.21 mg/kg, 0.24 mg/kg, and 0.13mg/kg, respectively. The mean Se concentrations of cultivated soil samples were 0.10 mg/kg in KBD areas and 0.23 mg/kg in non-disease areas, respectively. Soil Se concentrations in KBD areas were lower than that in non-disease areas, and the mean concentrations of soil Se in Tibet were lower than the average of China (0.29 mg/kg). Therefore, there is a close relationship between soil Se concentrations and KBD in Tibet. More studies should be concentrated on the impacts of Se deficiency in soils and its relationship with Se concentrations in food-grain and the human body in Tibet areas.     

疾病预防控制中心废水处理技术工程实例

疾病预防控制机构废水具有重金属种类繁多、含病原体数量大、间断性排放等特点,通过运用混凝沉淀＋曝气生物滤池（BIOFOR）＋ClO2消毒工艺对其废水进行处理,处理后废水达到《医疗机构水污染物排放标准（》GB18466-2005）排放标准。     

Isolation and characteristics of a novel biphenyl-degrading bacterial strain, Dyella ginsengisoli LA-4

A novel biphenyl-degrading bacterial strain LA-4 was isolated from activated sludge. It was identified as Dyella ginsengisoli according to phylogenetic similarity of 16S rRNA gene sequence. This isolate could utilize biphenyl as sole source of carbon and energy, which degraded over 95 mg/L biphenyl within 36 h. The major metabolites formed from biphenyl, such as 2-hydroxy-6-oxo-6-phenylhexa-2,4-dienoic acid (HOPDA) and benzoic acid, were identified by LC-MS. The crude cell extract of strain LA-4 exhibited the activity of 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase (2,3-DHBD) and the kinetic parameters were Km= 26.48 μmol/L and Vmax= 8.12 μmol/mg protein. A conserved region of the biphenyl dioxygenase gene bphA1 of strain LA-4 was amplified by PCR and confirmed by DNA sequencing.     

Exploring the association between working memory and driving performance in Parkinson's disease

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore whether varying levels of operational and tactical driving task demand differentially affect drivers with Parkinson's disease (PD) and control drivers in their sign recall.

Methods: Study participants aged between 50 and 70 years included a group of drivers with PD (n = 10) and a group of age- and sex-matched control drivers (n = 10). Their performance in a sign recall task was measured using a driving simulator.

Results: Drivers in the control group performed better than drivers with PD in a sign recall task, but this trend was not statistically significant (P =.43). In addition, regardless of group membership, subjects' performance differed according to varying levels of task demand. Performance in the sign recall task was more likely to drop with increasing task demand (P =.03). This difference was significant when the variation in task demand was associated with a cognitive task; that is, when drivers were required to apply the instructions from working memory.

Conclusions: Although the conclusions drawn from this study are tentative, the evidence presented here is encouraging with regard to the use of a driving simulator to examine isolated cognitive functions underlying driving performance in PD. With an understanding of its limitations, such driving simulation in combination with functional assessment batteries measuring physical, visual, and cognitive abilities could comprise one component of a multitiered system to evaluate medical fitness to drive.     

Enterobacter sp.CV-v对孔雀石绿的脱色特性及机理研究

采用单因素实验研究了各种操作因素对菌株Enterobacter sp.CV-v降解孔雀石绿的影响.结果表明,在供试碳源中,葡萄糖对脱色的促进效果最为显著,而供试氮源中,酵母粉对脱色的促进效果最优;同时,供试金属离子中,锰离子对脱色的促进效果最优.在p H=3.0~10.0、温度20~50℃之间时,菌株CV-v对孔雀石绿的12 h脱色率在90%以上.此外,该菌株可在6 h内完全脱色浓度低于500 mg·L-1的孔雀石绿.动力学实验结果表明,该菌株对孔雀石绿脱色的动力学数据与一级动力学模型拟合度最好(R2=0.9755).酶分析实验结果表明,锰过氧化物酶和孔雀石绿还原酶可能与菌株CV-v降解孔雀石绿相关.此外,代谢产物分析实验结果表明,菌株CV-v降解孔雀石绿的主要产物为二甲氨基二苯甲酮和4-羟基-N,N-二甲基苯铵.     

影响人体硒低的环境因素——陕西渭北高塬大骨节病区的调查

对陕西渭北高塬的调查研究证明,大骨节病发病率不同的相邻村庄内,居民发中的9种重要生命元素,唯硒的含量与各村居民患病率呈极显著的负相关。同时,该病流行地点的人发中各元素含量唯硒低于国内外健康人的发硒水平.通过对病区内不同地貌环境的土壤及饮水类型分布等项研究,阐明了重、中、轻病村交错分布的人体硒低的原因,这对大骨节病的产生与环境通过食物链导致人体硒低有关又再次提出一些新的依据。     

皖江流域及其以南地区的血吸虫病害度区划

皖江流域及其以南地区是安徽省血吸虫病害的主要区域。本文通过对血吸虫病害的孕灾环境,致灾因子和承灾体的分析,探讨了血吸虫病害的区划指标,并进行了病害度分区。     

咪唑烟酸在土壤中的微生物降解及其代谢物分析

通过分析咪唑烟酸在4种典型土壤中灭菌和非灭菌条件下的降解动力学差异,初步探讨了土壤中的微生物对其降解的贡献率。结果表明,咪唑烟酸在非灭菌条件下的半衰期为29～44d,在灭菌条件下的半衰期为81～134d,在非灭菌条件下的降解速率比灭菌条件下提高1 3～3 4倍。在小粉土中微生物降解的理论半衰期约为48d,为灭菌条件下的近3倍,充分说明了土壤中的微生物在咪唑烟酸的降解中起着非常重要的作用。运用LC-ESI-MS检测到4种微生物降解产物,它们的分子量分别为219,222,201和149,并由此推断了咪唑烟酸在土壤中降解转化的主要途径为:首先被微生物转化成更为稳定的氨盐产物,然后再进一步脱甲基、羧基和异丙基及咪唑啉酮环的开裂和重排等。      

Effect of ambient polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and nicotine on the structure of Aβ42 protein

● B[a]P, nicotine and phenanthrene molecules altered the secondary structure of Aβ₄₂. ● β-content of the peptide was significantly enhanced in the presence of the PAHs. ● Nicotine made stable cluster with Aβ₄₂ peptide via hydrogen bonds. ● Phenanthrene due to its small size, interfered with the Aβ₄₂ monomer more strongly. Recent studies have correlated the chronic impact of ambient environmental pollutants like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the progression of neurodegenerative disorders, either by using statistical data from various cities, or via tracking biomarkers during in-vivo experiments. Among different neurodegenerative disorders, PAHs are known to cause increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease, related to the development of amyloid beta (Aβ) peptide oligomers. However, the complex molecular interactions between peptide monomers and organic pollutants remains obscured. In this work, we performed an atomistic molecular dynamics study via GROMACS to investigate the structure of Aβ₄₂ peptide monomer in the presence of benzo[a]pyrene, nicotine, and phenanthrene. Interestingly the results revealed strong hydrophobic, and hydrogen-bond based interactions between Aβ peptides and these environmental pollutants that resulted in the formation of stable intermolecular clusters. The strong interactions affected the secondary structure of the Aβ₄₂ peptide in the presence of the organic pollutants, with almost 50 % decrease in the α-helix and 2 %–10 % increase in the β-sheets of the peptide. Overall, the undergoing changes in the secondary structure of the peptide monomer in the presence of the pollutants under the study indicates an enhanced formation of Aβ peptide oligomers, and consequent progression of Alzheimer’s disease.