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。     

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.     

碘代乙酸体外暴露诱导斑马鱼(Danio rerio)淋巴细胞内源性凋亡可能机理研究

以斑马鱼(Danio rerio)为试验生物,经淋巴细胞体外暴露试验,从细胞内源性凋亡角度,研究了饮用水消毒副产物—碘代乙酸诱导斑马鱼淋巴细胞损伤的致毒机理.结果表明,在碘代乙酸的环境浓度1μg·L-1下暴露24、36、48和96 h后,细胞凋亡率从对照组的3.52%分别增加到15.89%、22.47%、40.76%和52.13%,与对照组差异均为极显著(p0.01);线粒体膜电位分别较对照组下降了32.9%、50.1%、68.6%和81.5%,与对照组差异均为极显著(p0.01);细胞色素C的相对释放量分别增加了0.85、1.37、1.86和2.66倍,与对照组差异均为极显著(p0.01).暴露36、48和96 h后,Caspase-3酶活性分别增加了0.49、0.86和1.43倍,与对照组差异均为极显著(p0.01);Caspase-9酶活性分别增加了0.73、1.41和1.88倍,与对照组差异均为极显著(p0.01);抑制凋亡Bcl-2基因的相对表达量分别下降27.0%、35.3%和52.3%,与对照组差异均为极显著(p0.01);而促进凋亡的Bax基因相对表达量分别增加1.1、2.3和3.2倍,与对照组差异均为极显著(p0.01).碘代乙酸体外诱导斑马鱼淋巴细胞凋亡的可能机制是,线粒体膜电位的崩溃导致细胞色素C持续从线粒体中释放,进而引起细胞凋亡下游通路的变化;Bcl-2基因和Bax基因明显参与了对凋亡的调控.此外,Caspase-9酶的活化导致Caspase-3酶活化,最终引起细胞凋亡.     

川西高原大骨节病典型病区与饮水的相关性分析

本文通过调查川西高原大骨节病典型病区饮水水源类型和水化学特征,研究和探讨了病区不同流域、不同水源类型水的矿化度、PH值、腐植酸等与患病率的关系及病情与饮水质量的相关性,分析表明,大骨节病是诸多地质环境因素综合影响的结果,但饮水中的低矿化度、低总硬度、K＋＋Na＋、Ca2＋、Mg2＋、Cl-、SO24-、HCO3-等偏低...     

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。     

亚硫酸钠回收碘的空气氧化

在用亚硫酸钠和碳酸钠混合液吸收含碘废气的过程中遇到了亚硫酸钠被空气氧化的问题.本文研究了在静止吸氧和鼓泡充氧二种条件下亚硫酸钠被空气氧化的各种影响因素.实验表明,在吸氧条件下,pH值对Na_2SO_3的空气氧化速率有很大的影响,该氧化过程是一个比较复杂的过程.在鼓泡充氧的条件下,Na_2SO_3被氧化速率显著加快.在不同的pH值、温度以及催化剂存在情况下,Na_2SO_3的浓度均随时间呈直线下降.本文也给出了用亚硫酸钠和碳酸钠混合溶液吸收含碘废气的实际工艺过程,回收碘的质量符合中国药典的标准.为减少空气氧化造成Na_2SO_3的损失,亚硫酸钠溶液宜新鲜配制。     

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。     

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.