Bigger testes do work more: experimental evidence that testis size reflects testicular cell proliferation activity in the marine invertebrate,the free-living flatworm<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Macrostomum</Emphasis> sp.

Evolutionary theory predicts that more resources are allocated to sperm production when sperm competition is high. This prediction is supported by both comparative and experimental data on static measures of male allocation, such as testis and ejaculate size. However, resource allocation is a dynamic process, and it is therefore important to evaluate if the static measures reflect this. Such an evaluation has to our knowledge never been done. Immunocytochemical labelling with bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) allows visualisation of cells in S-phase. BrdU becomes incorporated into cells if, and only if, they are actively undergoing DNA duplication, which is a dynamic process. The number of BrdU-positive cells in the testis can hence serve as a dynamic measure of male allocation, i.e. testicular activity. We evaluate the relationship between testis size and testicular activity in the marine flatworm Macrostomum sp. In a previous study, we showed that testis size is phenotypically plastic in this species, and that worms make larger testes when they are raised in larger groups. We use this plasticity to experimentally produce variation in testis size, and demonstrate that larger testes are associated with higher testicular activity. Moreover, testis size and testicular activity were related linearly. We have thus, for the first time, shown that testis size is a good measure of resource allocation to the male function. Moreover, increased testicular activity is probably one of the first steps in the upregulation of sperm production. It is thus expected that testicular activity is a more sensitive measure of short-term variation in male allocation than the commonly used static measures.Communicated by N. Wedell     

高含硅量高盐地下水处理工艺

本文通过对高含硅量，高盐地下水这一特殊水质进行纯化处理研究，经实际运行及分析，得出一套行之有效的工艺流程。     

Reside0ntial solar water heating as a potential Clean Development Mechanism project: A South African case study

A community-based Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) project – asolar water heating project in a low-income community in South Africa –is analysed to illustrate the methodological and policy challenges that faceimplementation of the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change. We evaluate four baseline options, andthree potential CDM interventions. The emissions reductions range from –670 to +5 929 Mg CO₂ per year, with all option but oneshowing positive emission reductions. Using metered solar water heatingwith liquefied petroleum gas back-up as the CDM intervention, and electricstorage geysers as the baseline, the annual emissions reductions are 5686 Mg CO₂. The cost-effectiveness from the national perspective,which is the incremental life cycle costs divided by the lifetime emissionsreductions, is –$18 per Mg CO₂ From the perspective of theCDM investor, however, the cost-effectiveness is $5.2 per mgCO₂, assuming that the investor receives all of the carbon credits forproviding the incremental capital investment. From our analysis, weconclude that using the current technology (kerosene stoves) as a baselineis probably not appropriate because it does not reflect likely future trendsand also penalises the community for their poverty and current lack ofinfrastructure. We also highlight the importance of credit sharing, and howit affects the cost-effectiveness of the project from the CDM investor'sperspective. The lessons from this analysis are important for the currentinternational policy debate on how to preferentially treat small-scale CDMprojects.     

Fetal granulocytes in maternal venous blood detected by in situ hybridization

Fetal male cells from maternal venous blood were detected by a non-radioactive in situ hybridization method using the biotinylated Y-specific DNA probe pY431. The hybridizations were performed on Ficoll-Paque-isolated nucleated blood cells obtained from 11 pregnant women in the seventh to 31st week of gestation. A Y-specific signal was detected in both granulocytes and lymphocyte-like cells in seven of the 11 women studied. These women gave birth to boys. In one of the four remaining cases, a Y-specific signal was detected in the lymphocyte-like cells but not in the granulocytes. This woman gave birth to a girl. The other three women had no cells with a Y-specific signal and all three gave birth to girls. Altogether, 83 500 nucleated cells were analysed. One hundred and three cells showed a Y-specific signal. Of these Y-specific cells, 62 per cent were granulocytes and 38 per cent lymphocyte-like cells. Our results suggest that fetomaternal transfer of granulocytes is common and that it occurs as early as in the seventh week of gestation. None of the ten non-pregnant female control samples showed positive cells with the Y-chromosome-specific probe; approximately 97 per cent of the cells from the five adult male controls showed a Y-specific signal. Our results indicate that in situ hybridization using a Y-specific DNA probe performed on granulocytes in maternal blood can be used for fetal male sex determination.     

Amylo-1,6-glucosidase activity in cultured cells: A deficiency in type III glycogenosis with prenatal studies

Deficiency of amylo-1,6–glucosidase activity was expressed in parallel in liver and skin fibroblasts from a patient with type III glycogenosis. In crude extracts of control liver and muscle, amylo-1, 6–glucosidase (M.W. 164000) was identified by immunoprecipitation; no cross-reacting material was found in the patient's liver. Assay of amylo-1,6–glucosidase activity in cultured skin fibroblasts from the affected family revealed less than 10 per cent of control value in mutant homozygous cells whereas in cells from the parents, activity was reduced to 40–60 per cent of the control value. Activity in cultured amniotic fluid cells was similar to that of control fibroblasts. In cultured amniotic fluid cells obtained during the mother's subsequent pregnancy, the normal amylo–1,6–glucosidase activity measured, predicted correctly the outcome of this pregnancy prior to the 20th week of gestation.     

太阳能-TiO_2非均相光催化氧化染料污水脱色研究

采用开放式悬浮型光催化反应器，以太阳能中紫外光替代紫外灯，激发染料污水悬浮液中ＴｉＯ２产生ＯＨ自由基将染料催化氧化脱色，探讨了催化剂用量，催化剂活性，曝气，污水流速，反应器受辐射面积，Ｆｅ３＋离子等对染料污水脱色率的影响，实验结果表明：在一般晴天的条件下，经过２小时太阳能辐射后，阳离子蓝Ｘ－ＧＲＲＬ染料脱色率在８０％－９３％之间，说明太阳能是非均相光催化氧化染料污水脱色处理的有效紫外光源，太阳能非均相光催化氧化染料污水脱色处理是经济实用，效率高，很有发展前景的污水脱色处理技术     

Low dose exposure of patulin and protective effect of epicatechin on blood cells in vitro

In the present study, we aimed to assess antioxidant status in erythrocytes in vitro after patulin (PAT) and epicatechin exposure by measuring antioxidant enzymes (superoxide-dismutase – SOD, glutathione peroxidase – GPx and catalase – CAT) and parameters associated with oxidative stress (malondialdehyde – MDA and ROS). We also investigated the effect of PAT on viability and count of lymphocytes and lymphocyte subpopulations in rabbit blood in vitro. Whole blood of rabbits was used for analysis of antioxidant changes in rabbit erythrocytes after epicatechin and PAT treatment (separately or in combination, at concentrations of 0.2; 2; 20; 200?µg mL^–1 of epicatechin and 0.5; 5; 10?µg mL^–1 of PAT). Whole blood of rabbits was also used for analysis of count and viability of lymphocytes after PAT treatment at concentrations of 10; 25 and 50?µg mL^–1. Results from our experiment confirmed the ability of epicatechin to protect cells against oxidative stress and lipoperoxidation. Our findings indicate that mycotoxin PAT in low concentrations did not affect the activity of antioxidant enzymes in erythrocytes of rabbits significantly. Only slight non-significant changes in lymphocytes count after treatment with low doses of PAT in rabbit blood were observed.     

负载型TiO2膜太阳光光催化降解活性深蓝K-R的研究

采用抛物线槽型反应装置，研究了玻璃弹簧和微珠负载型TiO₂膜太阳光催化降解活性深蓝K-R，结果表明,由于玻璃弹簧具有良好的光透距离，脱色性能显著优于玻璃微珠，玻璃弹簧为载体，水溶液浓度为15mg/L,pH为3,流速为20mL/s,太阳光强度在1200 μW/cm₂以上，光降解6h时，脱色率达到96%； 该降解反应可用一级反应动力学方程进行描述，反应速率常数（K）与光强I的关系为：K∝I1.92。     

Chemical recognition of queen cells by honey bee workersApis mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Summary Honey bee workers are able to nurse or to destroy and thus to recognize the capped queen cells containing a pupa. Fatty acid esters, especially methyl oleate, methyl palmitate and ethyl oleate were found in significant amounts on the queen pupal cuticle. Methyl oleate, the major component, along with smaller amounts of methyl linoleate and methyl linolenate, were involved in the recognition of queen cells by workers. In natural conditions of the colony, queen cells containing a paraffin pupal lure with methyl oleate were accepted 5.9 days by workers, releasing about 1.8 queen pupa equivalents during that period, when control cells (without ester) were kept only 2.1 days. Although these esters are non specific to honey bees, they are of great importance in social regulation of the honey bee colony.     

Protective effects of vitamin C and curcumin against acrylamide toxicity in embryonic fibroblast cells

Abstract

Acrylamide is a highly soluble and widely produced industrial chemical that has been shown to pose numerous health hazards. This study aimed to assess the effects of acrylamide on the cytotoxicity and oxidative damage in embryonic fibroblast cells (BALB/c 3T3) and to measure protective roles of the natural antioxidants vitamin C and curcumin. Embryonic fibroblast cells were exposed to acrylamide at concentrations of 1, 10, 100, and 1000?μmol/L and vitamin C (50?μmol/L) or curcumin (2.5?μmol/L) for 24?h. Cell viability, cytotoxicity, the activities of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase, glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione peroxidase and catalase, and the markers of oxidative lipid peroxidation, hydroxyl radical, hydrogen peroxide and glutathione were measured. Co-treatment of the acrylamide-exposed fibroblast cells with vitamin C or curcumin attenuated the cytotoxicity and formation of reactive oxygen species and decreased the antioxidant enzyme activity. Thus, it was concluded that vitamin C and curcumin may play a protective role against acrylamide toxicity; the treatment with 50?μmol/L vitamin C was found to be more effective than the treatment with 2.5?μmol/L curcumin.