Perspectives on quantifying and influencing household metabolism

Household metabolism is a concept that is concerned with the analysis of stocks and flows of energy, matter, and information at the household scale. This paper starts by providing a brief overview of the concept of household metabolism. Rather than attempting an in-depth review and analysis of this field, the article subsequently maps the contributions and perspectives of a broad variety of research traditions that have an interface with the concept of household metabolism. Next, this paper highlights a number of controversial issues connected to household metabolism, and studies at the interface of household metabolism. Finally, this paper argues that the concept of household metabolism can provide valuable help in diagnosing misalignments between enacted system dynamics and expressed societal goals, and can help to design research that facilitates their alignment.     

Metabolism of the14C-labeled herbicide clodinafop-propargyl in plant cell cultures of wheat and tobacco

The metabolism of ¹⁴C-clodinafop-propargyl (CfP) was examined in cell cultures of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. ‘Heines Koga II’) and tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L.). Besides the non-transgenic tobacco culture, cultures transformed separately with cDNA of human cytochrome P450-monooxygenases (P450s) CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP3A4, CYP2B6 and CYP2C19 were examined. Experiments with wheat were executed in the presence and absence of safener cloquintocet-mexyl (CqM). After 48 h of incubation, only about 10% of applied ¹⁴C was found in media (both tobacco and wheat). Non-extractable residues of ¹⁴C-CfP in wheat cells were 16.54% (without CqM) and 30.87% (with CqM). In all tobacco cultures, 82.41–92.46% of applied radioactivity was recovered in cell extracts. In contrast to wheat, non-extractable residues amounted only to 1.50–2.82%. As determined by radio-thin layer chromatography (TLC) and -high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), the parent CfP was not found in the cell extracts of wheat; in tobacco cell extracts, only traces of CfP were detected. After a hydrolysis of assumed carbohydrate conjugates of CfP derived polar ¹⁴C-labeled compounds, TLC and HPLC analysis showed that in wheat, a more complex pattern of metabolites of CfP were observed as compared to all tobacco cultures. In hydrolysates resulting from wheat, the identity of three primary products was confirmed by means of GC-EI-MS: free acid clodinafop (Cf), hydroxy-Cf hydroxylated at the pyridinyl moiety, and 4-(5-chloro-3-fluoropyridin-2-yloxy)phenol. In hydrolysates derived from all tobacco cultures, main metabolite was Cf besides only traces of further unidentified products. Differences among the different tobacco cultures (non-transgenic, transgenic) did not emerge. According to kinetics of disappearance of primary metabolite Cf as well as formation of polar soluble products and non-extractable residues, metabolization of CfP proceeded at a noticeably higher rate in wheat cells treated with safener CqM than in cells without CqM treatment. Thus, these results indicated a stimulation of CfP's metabolism by CqM, although metabolic profiles observed in CqM treated and non-treated cells (after hydrolysis) were qualitatively similar. The findings obtained from all tobacco cultures suggested that with the exception of ester cleavage to Cf, CfP cannot be metabolized by tobacco itself or by the human P450s examined.     

Rethinking urban political ecology from the outside in: greenbelts and boundaries in the post-suburban city

This paper engages the existing literature on Urban Political Ecology (UPE) from the perspective of regulating urban expansion through greenbelts. The paper makes a contribution to a better understanding of suburbanisation and postsuburbanisation which have so far not been at the centre of the concerns of UPE. In an era of global suburbanisation greenbelts differ from similar boundary setting exercises in the past and are as varied as the suburbanisation processes and their governance themselves. While conscious of those varieties, we focus here on the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) greenbelt in Ontario that was created by provincial legislation in 2005. With the 2005 legislation, the Ontario government declared 720,000 hectares off limits for conventional urban development. The Greenbelt Act created an expansive area under protection from the Niagara Peninsula in the south to the Bruce Peninsula in the north, the Niagara Escarpment in the west to a series of moraines in the east. We will argue that the GGH greenbelt has become a prime negotiation space for the overall re-regulation of urban political ecologies in Southern Ontario. Largely surrounding the booming Toronto region, the GGH greenbelt is expansion space and projection screen of a suburbanizing region in search of redefinition.     

Applications of isotope differentiation for metabolic studies with di‐(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate

Abstract

The pervasiveness of the plasticizer di‐(2‐ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in the environment and especially in the laboratory results in a background that may cause severe interference with analytical studies. Animal‐to‐animal variability in the distribution of DEHP metabolites in excreta normally makes it necessary to use large groups of animals when different treatments are compared. Finally, radioactive tracers are usually considered undesirable for metabolic studies involving human subjects. All of these problems can be overcome through the use of muliple isotopic labels, especially ¹²C/¹³C/¹⁴C. Examples are given involving rats and monkeys, and applicability to humans is discussed. The principles involved are not limited to any particular class of test compounds. In rats, the competing pathways for metabolism of phthalate esters produce a different distribution of metabolites from a small intravenous dose of DEHP than from a large oral dose.     

Fate and residues of 14C‐chloramphenicol in laying chickens 1

Abstract

Studies were conducted to determine the metabolic fate of chloramphenicol (CAP) in White Leghorn using the ^l4C‐labelled compound. In one experiment birds were administered orally via intra‐crop, a single dose of 100 mg (equivalent to 66 mg kg^‐1 body weight) of CAP containing 14 μCi ¹⁴C‐CAP, and its absorption, elimination and distribution in plasma were recorded. Orally dosed ¹⁴C‐compound was rapidly absorbed, efficiently distributed in plasma and eliminated in excreta (>70% in 5 hr). After 5 h, CAP equivalent residues in tissues were lower than 15 μg g^‐1 for this treatment. In a second experiment birds were given intra‐crop dose of either 0.5 or 5 mg of CAP (each dose contained 2.5 μCi ¹⁴C‐CAP) daily for five consecutive days followed by a seven day withdrawal period and elimination of ¹⁴C in excreta and eggs was monitored. More than 95% of the administered ¹⁴C was eliminated within the first 24 h after dosing. Radiocarbon (¹⁴C) was deposited preferentially in yolks compared to albumen or other tissues. Residues declined when feeding was stopped. Various metabolites were isolated and identified by a combination of TLC, LC, and LC‐MS. The main metabolic route of CAP in laying hens appears to be the glucuronidation. Cleavage of the dichloroacetate moiety was only a minor route.     

水体微塑料丰度与氮代谢功能微生物及基因的响应关系

微塑料（MPs）作为新型污染物对水体的污染影响已成为研究热点.为探究淡水环境中MPs丰度与氮代谢功能之间的响应关系,以乌梁素海为研究对象,借助蔡司显微镜检测水体中MPs丰度,并利用宏基因测序分析水体中氮代谢功能菌群及功能基因的分布特征,使用相关性分析法对MPs丰度与氮代谢功能微生物和氮代谢功能基因之间的作用关系进行探讨分析.结果表明,淡水环境中MPs对优势菌门中蓝细菌门和厚壁菌门的影响更高,MPs的存在会促进其富集和生长;优势菌属中对分枝杆菌属的促进和对Candidatus_Planktophila的抑制更明显,进一步说明在淡水环境中MPs会通过影响微生物群落而影响氮正常代谢,并且碳氮固定和反硝化等途径是MPs影响氮代谢的重要途径.从氮代谢功能基因角度分析,发现MPs丰度对硝化（pmoA-amoA、pmoB-amoB、pmoC-amoC）、反硝化（nirK、napA）和异化硝酸盐还原（nrfA）过程中部分功能基因存在显著影响（P < 0.05）,并且MPs丰度对氮代谢相同途径不同功能基因的影响存在差异性,因此MPs在水环境中的影响非常复杂,对水环境的危害不容忽视.     

北京市地下水中高危害污染物筛选

地下水污染物对用水安全和人民健康造成了巨大的威胁.为开展地下水中高危害污染物筛选,改进了传统的危害评价方法,构建了涵盖毒理学优先指数法（Tox Pi）,吸收、分布、代谢、排泄（ADME）性质评估法和二模网络分析法的污染物危害评估-筛选-表征综合体系,针对北京市地下水中非靶检测到的234种疏水性有机污染物（HOCs）开展危害评估和毒害污染物筛选.利用Tox Pi方法筛选出危害潜力排名前20的污染物,在此基础上耦合其ADME性质进一步识别出17种高优先级HOCs,并通过二模网络分析,系统表征了这17种高优先级HOCs作用的基因分子靶点,通过关联性和加权平均度分析最终得到10种高危害的HOCs,并揭示其毒作用类型多集中于内分泌干扰效应、致癌效应以及遗传毒性.研究结果可为我国区域地下水污染物的防治提供技术支撑.     

能量代谢动力学模型对污水处理参数优化

从本质上说,微生物的降解的过程就是微生物能量代谢的过程,从能量守恒原理出发,通过简化,导出了能量代谢动力学模型,从而从微观领域建立了能量参数与系统参数之间的联系,同时通过模型实验求解出其中的参数,找出微生物比增殖速率和基于ATP的能量比利用速率之间的关系,进而可以根据实际进水水质对系统参数进行计算,优化处理过程,用以确定和校正一些凭经验设计的关键参数。因此,能量代谢方程在理论上和实践上都具有重要的意义。     

循环经济发展中的物质代谢分析

介绍了循环经济发展过程中物质代谢系统边界的确定、代谢主体的认定、物质流的组成,分析了单位产值物质需求量、人均物质消耗强度和物质生产力等物质代谢效率的评价指标,探讨了物质代谢调控对象和手段,提出了当前循环经济理论研究应该从物质代谢入手,从产品的整个生命周期来研究经济系统与生态环境之间的物质流动规律,以形成闭合的物料循环系统。     

Research Articles

The metabolism of phenanthrene was studied both in cell suspension cultures of wheat (Triticum aestivum) and soybean (Glycine max), and in intact plants of the water mossFontinalis antipyretica. Metabolism in cell suspension cultures strongly differed between the monocotyle and the dicotyle plant. Only small amounts oftrans-phenanthrene-9,10-dihydrodiole and phenanthrene-9,10-dione were detectable in the wheat culture. Soybean cultures, in contrast demonstrated a strong turnover resulting in a 75% reduction of the initial phenanthrene concentration. Metabolites were phenanthrene-9,10-dione, not further characterized polar metabolites and bound residues. Intact plants ofFontinalis antipyretica metabolized only small amounts of phenanthrene. Data obtained from cell cultures did not provide information for the metabolic potential in intact plants. Therefore standardized tests with model systems like suspension cultures lead to inadequate assessment of the ecological risk of certain xenobiotics.