Provisional drivers' perceptions of the impact of displaying P plates

Objective: P plates (or decals) identify a driver's license status to other road users. They are a compulsory part of the graduated driver licensing system in Queensland, Australia, for drivers on a P1 (provisional 1) or P2 (provisional 2) license. This study explored the perceptions of young drivers regarding the display of P plates (decals) in Queensland, Australia.

Methods: In this study, 226 young drivers with a provisional (intermediate/restricted) license completed a 30-min online survey between October 2013 and June 2014. t Tests were used to compare the opinions of people who displayed their plates nearly always with those who displayed them less frequently.

Results: Participants approved of the requirement to display P plates with 69% of those on a P1 license and 79% on a P2 license supporting the condition to display P1 (red) plates. Participants on a P1 license (62%) and a P2 license (68%) also approved the requirement to display P2 (green) plates. However, young drivers also perceived that the display of P plates (measured from 1 = never to 5 = nearly all the time) enabled newly licensed drivers to be targeted by police and other drivers (those who do not always display P plates: M = 3.72, SD = 0.94; those who nearly always display P plates: M = 3.43, SD = 1.09).

Conclusions: The study findings suggest that participants who nearly always display their P plates are more likely to report that having to display their plates resulted in them driving more carefully.     

Furanocoumarins and their detoxification in a tri-trophic interaction

The parsnip webworm, Depressaria pastinacella, specializes on wild parsnip, Pastinaca sativa, and several species of Heracleum, hostplants rich in toxic furanocoumarins. Rates of furanocoumarin metabolism in this species are among the highest known for any insect. Within its native range in Europe, webworms are heavily parasitized by the polyembryonic parasitoid wasp Copidosoma sosares. In this study, we determined whether these parasitoids are exposed to furanocoumarins in host hemolymph, whether they can metabolize furanocoumarins, and whether parasitism influences the ability of webworms to detoxify furanocoumarins. Hemolymph of webworms fed artificial diet containing 0.3 % fresh weight xanthotoxin, a furanocoumarin prevalent in wild parsnip hosts, contained trace amounts of this toxin; as well, hemolymph of webworms consuming P. sativa flowers and fruits contained trace amounts of six of seven furanocoumarins present in the hostplant. Thus, parasitoids likely encounter furanocoumarins in host hemolymph. Assays of xanthotoxin metabolism in C. sosares failed to show any ability to metabolize this compound. Parasitized webworms, collected from populations of Heracleum sphondylium in the Netherlands in 2004, were on average 55 % larger by weight than unparasitized individuals. This weight is inclusive of host and parasitoid masses. Absolute rates of detoxification (nmoles min⁻¹) of five different furanocoumarins were indistinguishable between parasitized and unparasitized ultimate instars, suggesting that the intrinsic rates of metabolism are fixed. Thus, although parasitized larvae are larger, detoxification rates are not commensurate with size; rates in parasitized larvae expressed per gram of larval mass were 25 % lower than in unparasitized larvae.     

1998年临猗5.0级地震前Q值的前兆异常

利用西安数字地震遥测台网记录的数字地震资料,采用P波初动半周期残差法求得了1998年7月临猗5.0级地震前后不同路径的Q值变化.发现在地震发生前Q在87(203之间,震后Q在67～164之间,震前震中区附近出现了明显的高Q值异常,表明地震前的高Q值异常可以作为地震预测的一种手段.     

SO_2和BaP复合暴露诱导小鼠心脏线粒体损伤的分子机制初探

采用C57BL6小鼠作为模型,SO2(7 mg·m-3)动式吸入染毒28 d,每天染毒6 h;SO2吸入染毒开始后的第1~5 d,每天在SO2吸入染毒结束后对小鼠进行腹腔注射Ba P(40 mg·kg-1(b.w.)),1 d注射1次.吸入染毒结束后,采用荧光定量PCR技术检测小鼠心肌细胞中由核DNA(n DNA)编码的细胞色素C氧化酶亚基CO4和由线粒体DNA(mt DNA)编码的ATP合酶亚基ATP6,以及调控线粒体呼吸链组分的核转录因子PGC1-α、NRF1和mt TFA的mRNA水平;并采用Western blot技术检测上述3种线粒体调控基因的蛋白表达.结果发现,SO2和Ba P复合暴露后,小鼠心肌线粒体氧化磷酸化复合体亚基CO4和ATP6的mRNA表达水平均显著降低,调控基因PGC1-α、NRF1和mt TFA的mRNA和蛋白水平也显著降低.提示小鼠在SO2和Ba P复合暴露后,可能通过降低心肌中NRF1表达,影响其对mt TFA的调控,进一步抑制相关基因组的转录和翻译,最终可能导致小鼠心肌线粒体的氧化磷酸化功能受损,进而引发心血管疾病.     

人工湿地污水处理系统冬季植物的筛选与评价

选用25种冬季湿地植物进行了污水净化潜力筛选试验,并在综合应用原有湿地植物筛选与评价体系的基础上,增加植物逆境酶和基质酶指标,对试验植物进行了聚类分析.结果表明,测试植物的根系长度、活力、叶片丙二醛含量、生长量、氮磷浓度、氮磷的积累能力、根际基质脲酶活性与磷酸酶活性均存在显著差异.采用建立的净化潜力评价体系将测试植物聚类分为3大类,第1类净化力强,植物种类有水芹、油菜、灯芯草、虎耳草、德国鸢尾、桂花和花菖蒲,第2类净化力中等,植物种类有羽衣甘蓝、金盏菊、撒金珊瑚、女贞、红甜菜、杜鹃和大叶冬青,第3类净化力弱,植物种类有白菜、五月菊、月季、金鱼草、麦冬、葱兰、熊掌木、矮牵牛、小叶冬青、香石竹和红继木.     

Influence of the time factor on the availability of deposits of nonferrous metals

This study presents a probabilistic approach to the assessment of mineral deposits availability. This approach takes into account the joint influence of decision making involving deposits in development and the difficulty in formalizing socio-economic factors. Using this approach, we designed a model for estimating the availability of deposits with regard to the influence of the length of time elapsed prior to beginning development; values for copper deposits in Russia, the USA and Canada were calculated. The characteristics of mineral resources are determined by an experimental method for these countries. These characteristics are defined by periods when the time factor has a positive influence on deposit availability.     

Distribution of benzo[a]pyrene in discrete regions of rat brain tissue using light microscopic autoradiography and gamma counting

In order to study the distribution of benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) in rat brain, Sprague-Dawley male rats, 21-day-old, weighted 40–50 g were given a single intravenous (iv) injection of 3.7 × 10⁵ Bq kg^?1 of ¹⁴C-B[a]P. Rats were sacrificed at 1, 6, 12, 24, or 48 h after the administration of radiolabeled B[a]P. Light microscopic autoradiography and gamma counting were used. Gamma counting and light microscopic autoradiography showed that ¹⁴C-B[a]P localized in hippocampus at 1 h, in cerebral cortex at 6 h, and corpus striatum at 24 h after treatment. After B[a]P administration, silver grains rose with time reaching a peak at 24 h and sharp decrease at 48 h. The silver grains distribution was higher in neurons than in gliocytes. Thus, B[a]P penetrated the blood-brain barrier and distributed in various regions of rat brain.     

Subacute effects of a phosphorothionate pesticide on mixed function oxidases of wistar rats

Abstract

Subacute oral toxicity of a newly developed phosphorothionate insecticide (2‐butenoic acid‐3‐(diethoxy‐phosphinothioyl) methyl ester), coded as RPR‐2, was studied in male rats by oral (multiple) intubation of low (0.014 mg kg^‐1 day^‐1), medium (0.028 mg kg^‐1 day^‐1), and high (0.042 mg kg^‐1 day^‐1) dose for 90 days. The medium and high dose produced toxic symptoms along‐with some mortality (20%) occurred in the high dose treated rats. The medium and high doses caused significant inhibition in cytochrome P‐450 activity in liver, lung, kidney and brain tissues at 45 and 90 days. The high dose caused significant decrease in cyt.b₅ activity of all the four tissues at 45 and 90 days. Whereas, medium dose brought such effect in liver and lung at 45 and 90 days. Kidney and brain cyt.b₅ activity decreased significantly at 90^th day due to medium dose. Low dose also caused inhibition in cyt.b₅ activity in brain at 90^th day. Cytochrome P‐450 reductase activity was decreased significantly in liver, lung, kidney and brain at 45 and 90^th by the medium and high dose. The results indicated that RPR‐2 had potential to modulate hepatic and extra‐hepatic cyt.P‐450 dependent monooxygenase system of rat due to subacute exposure. These metabolic alterations were quite reversible after 28 days withdrawal of treatment.     

Effects of DDT and piperonyl butoxide on the metabolic alterations in pigeon (columba livia)

Abstract

Effect of acute doses of technical grade of dichloro diphenyl trichloro ethane (DDT) and piperonyl butoxide (PB) on hepatic micro‐somal cytochrome P₄₅₀ (Cyt. P450) and cytosolic glutathione‐S‐transferase (GST) activity in pigeon were studied after 24 hours of treatment. A completely reverse trend of changes in Cyt. P450 and GST activity were found as increase in Cyt. ?450 paralleled with decrease in GST activity following exposure to DDT. However, intensity of changes in Cyt. P450 was greater than that of GST. A dose dependent decrease in Cyt. ?450 and GST activity was observed after PB treatment. The study may, therefore, throw some light on metabolic alterations in wild birds resulting from environmental pollution by DDT and allied chemicals.     

Suitable gamma energy for gamma-spectrometric determination of U in surface soil samples of a high rainfall area in India

The paper presents a systematic study on suitability of various gamma lines for monitoring of ²³⁸U activity in soil samples around a uranium mineralized zone of Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah (Domiasiat), Meghalaya in India. The area lies in a plateau region which recieves the highest average annual rainfall (12,000 mm) in the world. The geochemical behaviour of the uranium and its daughter products at such wet climatic conditions imposes restrictions to assess ²³⁸U through gamma lines of radon decay products. Soil samples were collected from nine locations around the uranium mineralization zone for analysis. The ratio of the concentration of uranium obtained from gamma energies of radium daughter products to the 63.29 keV of ²³⁴Th was found to vary from 1.01 to 2.07, which indicates a pronounced disequilibrium between uranium and radium daughters. The results obtained from various gamma energies were validated from the data generated by Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) technique. The ²³⁸U activities from the two analytical methods show a well fitted regression line with correlation coefficient 0.99 which validates the reliability of 63.29 keV energy for estimation of uranium in such conditions.