The Water Poverty Index: An application in the Indian context

For developing countries, the proportion of households covered by improved water resources is conventionally used to assess the water stress situation. However, in a developing country like India with a high population growth rate, water demand and supply are considerably mismatched. An agro-based economy with large variations in socio-economic conditions and changing rainfall patterns across the states imposes greater challenge on water resources. Therefore, there is a need to assess the water situation across the country in a holistic manner. This paper proposes application of the Water Poverty Index as a comprehensive policy tool to assess actual water-stress situation across 20 major states in India. This index covers important socio-economic parameters such as access, capacity, use and environment in addition to water resources of each state. The results and findings are expected to be of use to policymakers and implementing agencies. In view of policy formulation, a state performing well on a Water Poverty Index component can act as a benchmark for another state.     

Mitochondrial toxicity and in vitro biological effects of ambient PM2.5 from an urban site in China

Abstract

The roles of PM_2.5-induced mitochondrial damage and oxidative stress on mast cell degranulation were examined in vitro. Mast cells were treated with suspensions of PM_2.5 in Dulbecco’s modified Eagle’s medium at concentrations from 25 to 200?mg/L in the absence or presence of 10?mmol/L N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Biological effects and mitochondrial function were assessed by determining cell viability, β-hexosaminidase release, interleukin-4 secretion, reactive oxygen species generation, adenosine triphosphate production, potential alteration of mitochondrial membrane, and activities of mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes I and III. Exposure of mast cells to PM_2.5 induced reduction of adenosine triphosphate production, collapse of mitochondrial membrane potential, and inhibition of the activity of complex III. Co-treatment of mast cells exposed to PM_2.5 with N-acetyl-L-cysteine attenuated cytotoxicity and the production of reactive oxygen species, and decreased the release of β-hexosaminidase and interleukin-4. Evidently, PM_2.5-induced oxidative stress plays an essential role in mitochondrial toxicity and mast cell activation.     

交通荷载作用下饱和软粘土孔压-应变分析模型

针对交通荷载的作用特点设计了循环三轴试验,进而对交通荷载作用下饱和软粘土的动力特件进行厂研究.结果表明:循环荷载作用下,饱和软粘土存在临界循环应力比,采用孔压曲线所得到的临界循环应力比要小于采用应变曲线所得到的临界循环应力比.当土样不存在初始剪应力时,随着循环次数的增加,土样的应力-应变关系曲线近似原点对称,但随着初始剪应力的增大,应力-应变关系曲线逐渐表现为一系列平行曲线,峰值孔压与循环孔压幅值均逐渐减少;同时,轴应变的发展加快,但循环应变幅值逐渐减小.当循环应力比小于临界循环应力比时,对于同一初始剪应力,不同循环应力比下的孔压比-动应变曲线近似集中在同一条曲线上.通过对试验数据进行回归分析,得到了交通荷载作用下饱和软粘土残余孔压-累积塑性应变关系模型.     

焊点热疲劳失效原因分析

某PCBA样品在使用约半年后出现功能失效,该PCBA在封装后进行整体灌胶,将失效样品剥离,发现部分器件直接脱落,通过表面观察、切片分析、EBSD分析、应力分析、热膨胀系数测试等手段对样品进行分析,结果表明:各封装材料存在热失配,且焊点缺陷较多且存在应力集中区,加速焊点的疲劳失效进程,导致PCBA功能失效。     

Oxidative properties of ambient PM2.5 and elemental composition: Heterogeneous associations in 19 European cities

We assessed the extent to which constituents of PM_2.5 (transition metals, sodium, chloride) contribute to the ability to generate hydroxyl radicals (OH) in vitro in PM_2.5 sampled at 20 locations in 19 European centres participating in the European Community Respiratory Health Survey. PM_2.5 samples (n = 716) were collected on filters over one year and the oxidative activity of particle suspensions obtained from these filters was then assessed by measuring their ability to generate OH in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. Associations between OH formation and the studied PM constituents were heterogeneous. The total explained variance ranged from 85% in Norwich to only 6% in Albacete. Among the 20 centres, 15 showed positive correlations between one or more of the measured transition metals (copper, iron, manganese, lead, vanadium and titanium) and OH formation. In 9 of 20 centres OH formation was negatively associated with chloride, and in 3 centres with sodium. Across 19 European cities, elements which explained the largest variations in OH formation were chloride, iron and sodium.     

高锰酸钾降解地下水中PCE的研究

以氯代有机污染物中常见的PCE为目标污染物,以自制高锰酸钾溶液为氧化剂,采用批实验方法,探讨了高锰酸钾降解PCE的反应动力学、影响因素以及反应机理。反应结果表明,高锰酸钾降解PCE的反应符合一级动力学方程,反应活化能E为57.119 kJ/mol,在30℃条件下,反应速率常数为0.0076 min^-1,半衰期为91.20 min。在pH在3～10,离子强度在0～0.1030 mol/L之间变化时,反应速率不受明显影响。     

六自由度气锤振动技术与电磁斜面振动技术比较

六自由度气锤振动与电磁斜面振动是两种模拟产品三轴振动的振动技术。由于两种振动技术的机理不同,其对样品的振动影响也会有区别。本文研究讨论两种不同振动技术的不同特点,以及对不同产品的振动效果别,我们可以根据样品特点和测试需求,选择更合适的震动技术。     

Extended geometric method: a simple approach to derive adsorption rate constants of Langmuir-Freundlich kinetics

A new and simple equation has been presented here for calculation of adsorption and desorption rate constants of Langmuir-Freundlich kinetic equation. The derivation of new equation is on the basis of extension and correction to the geometric method which has been presented by Kuan et al. [Kuan, W.-H., Lo, S.-L., Chang, C.M., Wang, M.K., 2000. A geometric approach to determine adsorption and desorption kinetic constants. Chemosphere 41, 1741-1747] for the kinetics of adsorption/desorption in aqueous solutions. The correction is to consider that the concentration of solute is not constant and changes as adsorption proceeds. The extension is that we applied Langmuir-Freundlich kinetic model instead of Langmuir kinetic model to consider the heterogeneity and therefore it is more applicable to the real systems. For solving Langmuir-Freundlich kinetic model, some geometric methods and also Taylor expansion were used and finally a simple and novel equation was derived (Eq. (20)) for calculation of adsorption rate constant. This new method was named "extended geometric method". The input data of the obtained equation can be simply derived from initial data of adsorption kinetics. Finally the adsorption of methyl orange onto granular activated carbon was carried out at dynamic and equilibrium conditions and the capabilities of extended geometric method were examined by the experimental data.     

How Plants Cope with Foreign Compounds. Translocation of xenobiotic glutathione conjugates in roots of barley (Hordeum vulgare) (9 pp)

Background, Aim and Scope Numerous herbicides and xenobiotic organic pollutants are detoxified in plants to glutathione conjugates. Following this enzyme catalyzed reaction, xenobiotic GS-conjugates are thought to be compartmentalized in the vacuole of plant cells. In the present study, evidence is presented for long range transport of these conjugates in plants, rather than storage in the vacuole. To our knowledge this is the first report about the unidirectional long range transport of xenobiotic conjugates in plants and the exudation of a glutathione conjugate from the root tips. This could mean that plants possess an excretion system for unwanted compounds which give them similar advantages as animals. Materials and Methods: Barley plants (Hordeum vulgare L. cv. Cherie) were grown in Petri dishes soaked with tap water in the greenhouse. - Fluorescence Microscopy. Monobromo- and Monochlorobimane, two model xenobiotics that are conjugated rapidly in plant cells with glutathione, hereby forming fluorescent metabolites, were used as markers for our experiments. Their transport in the root could be followed sensitively with very good temporal and spatial resolution. Roots of barley seedlings were cut under water and the end at which xenobiotics were applied was fixed in an aperture with a thin latex foil and transferred into a drop of water on a cover slide. The cover slide was fixed in a measuring chamber on the stage of an inverse fluorescence microscope (Zeiss Axiovert 100). - Spectrometric enzyme assay. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was determined in the protein extracts following established methods. Aliquots of the enzyme extract were incubated with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), or monochlorobimane. Controls lacking enzyme or GSH were measured. - Pitman chamber experiments. Ten days old barley plants or detached roots were inserted into special incubation chambers, either complete with tips or decapitated, as well as 10 days old barley plants without root tips. Compartment A was filled with a transport medium and GSH conjugate or L-cysteine conjugate. Compartments B and C contained sugar free media. Samples were taken from the root tip containing compartment C and the amount of conjugate transported was determined spectro-photometrically. Results: The transport in roots is unidirectional towards the root tips and leads to exsudation of the conjugates at rates between 20 and 200 nmol min-1. The microscopic studies have been complemented by transport studies in small root chambers and spectroscopic quantification of dinitrobenzene-conjugates. The latter experiments confirm the microscopic studies. Furthermore it was shown that glutathione conjugates are transported at higher rates than cysteine conjugates, despite of their higher molecular weights. This observation points to the existence of glutathione specific carriers and a specific role of glutathione in the root. Discussion: It can be assumed that long distance transport of glutathione conjugates within the plant proceeds like GSH or amino acid transport in both, phloem and xylem. The high velocity of this translocation of the GS-X is indicative of an active transport. For free glutathione, a rapid transport-system is essential because an accumulation of GSH in the root tip inhibits further uptake of sulfur. Taking into account that all described MRP transporters and also the GSH plasmalemma ATPases have side activities for glutathione derivatives and conjugates, co-transport of these xenobiotic metabolites seems credible. - On the other hand, when GS-B was applied to the root tips from the outside, no significant uptake was observed. Thus it can be concluded that only those conjugates can be transported in the xylem which are formed inside the root apex. Having left the root once, there seems to be no return into the root vessels, probably because of a lack of inward directed transporters. Conclusions: Plants seem to possess the capability to store glutathione conjugates in the vacuole, but under certain conditions, these metabolites might also undergo long range transport, predominantly into the plant root. The transport seems dependent on specific carriers and is unidirectional, this means that xenobiotic conjugates from the rhizosphere are not taken up again. The exudation of xenobiotic metabolites offers an opportunity to avoid the accumulation of such compounds in the plant. Recommendations and Perspectives: The role of glutathione and glutathione related metabolites in the rhizosphere has not been studied in any detail, and only scattered data are available on interactions between the plant root and rhizosphere bacteria that encounter such conjugates. The final fate of these compounds in the root zone has also not been addressed so far. It will be interesting to study effects of the exuded metabolites on the biology of rhizosphere bacteria and fungi.     

浸水冷应激对雏鸡某些酶活性及消化道粘膜充血的影响

以海兰雄性雏鸡为试验对象,研究急性浸水冷应激对健康雏鸡某些酶活性消化道粘膜充血的影响。结果表明：雏鸡在浸水冷应激后血清肌酸激酶（CrK）呈一致性升高趋势;而丙氨酸氨基转肽酶（ALT）的活性则在冷应激后15min明显升高（P＞0.05）,而后降低,至120min时又恢复致冷应激前水平,雏鸡血清乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）在冷应激后15－60min呈渐进性升高,而后降低;血清γ－谷氨酰转肽酶（γ－GT）的变化趋势为,在冷应激后15min稍升高,而后则逐渐下降;血清尿素氮（BUN)的变化无是,在冷应激后60min降低,浸水应激后不同时间对海兰雏鸡消化道粘膜充血的结果表明：雏鸡在浸水应激后即刻观察造成消化道充血现象并不严重;而浸水应激后不同时间却对雏鸡消化道产生相对较强的影响,特别是冷应激后1－2h胃肠道充血比较严重。