The aryl receptor inhibitor epigallocatechin-3-gallate protects INS-1E beta-cell line against acute dioxin toxicity

The aim of this research was to investigate the mechanism(s) underlying the acute toxicity of dioxin in pancreatic beta cells and to evaluate the protective effects of epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the most abundant of the green tea’s catechins and a powerful inhibitor of the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Using the insulin-secreting INS-1E cell line we have explored the effect of 1 h exposure to different concentrations of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), alone or in the presence of EGCG, on: (a) cell survival; (b) cellular ultrastructure; (c) intracellular calcium levels; (d) mitochondrial membrane potential; (e) glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and (f) activation of MAP kinases. Our results demonstrate that TCDD is highly toxic for INS-1E cells, suggesting that pancreatic beta cells should be considered a relevant and sensitive target for dioxin acute toxicity. EGCG significantly protects INS-1E cells against TCDD-induced toxicity in terms of both cell survival and preservation of cellular ultrastructure. The mechanism of this protective effect seems to be related to: (a) the ability of EGCG to preserve the mitochondrial function and thus to prevent the TCDD-induced inhibition of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and (b) the ability of EGCG to inhibit the TCDD-induced activation of selected kinases, such as e.g. ERK 1/2 and JNK. Our results clearly show that EGCG is able to protect pancreatic beta cells against dioxin acute toxicity and indicate the mitochondrion as the most likely target for this beneficial effect.     

Control strategies for biohydrogen production by immobilized co-culture of Clostridium butyricum and Rhodopseudomonas palustris

In this study, we evaluated biohydrogen production of Clostridium butyricum and Rhodopseudomonas palustris by immobilized co-culture. Effects of free cells and immobilized cells, immobilized biomass ratio, sucrose concentration, and initial pH on hydrogen production were investigated. The immobilized co-culture can achieve high cumulative hydrogen volume yield (604 mL) as compared to free co-culture cumulative hydrogen volume (513 mL) while the initial sucrose concentration was 17.8 g/L. The optimum C. butyricum/R. palustris ratio was 1:10, yielding the highest cumulative hydrogen (728 mL). High sucrose concentration (above 35.6 g/L) would inhibit hydrogen production. The optimal initial pH value for hydrogen production of immobilized co-culture was 7.0 (cumulative hydrogen volume 830 mL).     

Pesticide exposure and serum organochlorine residuals among testicular cancer patients and healthy controls

The incidence of testicular cancer (TC) has been increasing worldwide during the last decades. The reasons of the increase remains unknown, but recent findings suggest that organochlorine pesticides (OPs) could influence the development of TC. A hospital-based case-control study of 50 cases and 48 controls was conducted to determine whether environmental exposure to OPs is associated with the risk of TC, and by measuring serum concentrations of OPs, including p,p’-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p’-DDE) isomer and hexachlorobenzene (HCB) in participants. A significant association was observed between TC and household insecticide use (odds ratio [OR] = 3.01, 95 % CI: 1.11-8.14; OR_adjusted = 3.23, 95 % CI: 1.15-9.11). Crude and adjusted ORs for TC were also significantly associated with higher serum concentrations of total OPs (OR = 3.15, 95 % CI: 1.00-9.91; OR_adjusted = 3.34, 95 % CI: 1.09-10.17) in cases compared with controls. These findings give additional support to the results of previous research that suggest that some environmental exposures to OPs may be implicated in the pathogenesis of TC.     

铁碳布空气阴极微生物燃料电池的产电性能

使用铁代替铂作为阴极催化剂,制作含铁碳布空气阴极并构建单室MFC(Fe-C-ACMFC)。以乙酸钠为燃料,通过稳态放电法和循环伏安测试等测试手段,分析了不同铁含量对Fe-C-ACMFC产电性能的影响以及性能最优Fe-C-ACM-FC的连续运行稳定性。结果表明,随着铁含量的增加,Fe-C-ACMFC启动期开路电压(OCV)逐步提高,达到峰值后,随着铁含量的增加而降低;同样,Fe-C-ACMFC极化性能和功率密度等产电性能也随铁含量的增加先升高再降低;当铁含量为0.7 mg/cm2时,MFC的产电性能最优,最大开路电压为593 mV,表观内阻为89Ω,最大功率密度达到12 907 mW/m3,并且经循环伏安测试,电池放电容量几乎没有变化,表明Fe-C-ACMFC的性能比较稳定,能够长期运行。由于铁催化剂价格远远低于铂催化剂,因此,铁碳布空气阴极MFC更利于推广应用。     

脱氮副球菌YF1微生物燃料电池生物阴极脱氮和产电

以脱氮副球菌YF1构建纯种生物阴极微生物燃料电池(microbial fuel cell,MFC)进行脱氮和产电机理的研究。研究结果发现,阴极碳氮比、pH值对产电和脱氮效率有明显影响。当MFC的阴极运行条件pH值为8.0,碳氮比为20时,运行时间15 h时,脱氮率高达100%,输出电压为150 mV。上述结果表明,微生物燃料电池运行过程中,细菌降解硝酸根的机理为将硝酸根还原为N2或者直接将其作为自身的营养物质而利用。循环伏安(CV)与扫描电镜(SEM)的结果表明,在微生物燃料电池运行中,副球菌YF1通过接触导电作为产电的电子供体。     

从HPRT和CD59基因的变化研究石英（MQZ）的诱变效应

通过用３１,６２．５,１２５和２５０μｇ／ｍＬ的ＭＱＺ剂量处理人与中国仓鼠杂交ＡＬ细胞２４ｈ,探讨石英对细胞生长、存活和突变效应。研究发现,细胞对ＭＱＺ微粒的吞噬作用随着处理剂量的增加而增大。吞噬的ＭＱＺ微粒多位于细胞质中。细胞的存活率与处理剂量成正比。基因突变率研究显示,ＭＱＺ的致突变效应并不强,对于ＨＰＲＴ基因位点,其最高处理剂量（ρ＝５００μｇ／ｍＬ）的基因突变率略高于４Ｇｙ的γ射线的突变频     

Community analysis of ammonia and nitrite oxidizers in start-up of aerobic granular sludge reactor

A lab-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) was setup and the aerobic granular sludge was successfully incubated by using anaerobic granular sludge as seed sludge. Nitrogen was partially removed by simultaneous nitrification and denitrification (SND) via nitrite with free ammonia (FA) of about 10 mg/L. The denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) method was used to investigate community structure of α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, ammonia oxidizing bacteria (AOB), and Nitrospira populations during start-up. The population sizes of bacteria, AOB and Nitrospira were examined using real-time PCR method. The analysis of community structure and Shannon index showed that stable structure of AOB population was obtained at the day 35, while the communities of α-Proteobacteria, β-Proteobacteria, and Nitrospira became stable after day 45. At stable stage, the average cell densities were 1.1×1012, 2.2×1010 and 1.0×1010 cells/L for bacteria, AOB and Nitrospira, respectively. The relationship between characteristics of nitrifying bacteria community and nitrogenous substrate utilization constant was discussed by calculating Pearson correlation. Certain correlation seemed to exist between population size, biodiversity, and degradation constant. And the influence of population size might be greater than that of biodiversity.     

废旧晶硅太阳能电池的回收拆解及进展研究

日益壮大的光伏产业为人类的发展做出了突出的贡献,当前晶硅太阳能电池的研究热点是如何提高产能效率,但报废阶段的回收拆解工作也应当引起足够的重视.目前国内尚无专门的晶硅太阳能电池回收厂,直接丢弃退役的晶硅太阳能电池会引起资源的浪费.在此基础上介绍了晶硅太阳能电池在国内外的研究进展,阐明未来发展趋势.分析老化的原因,以及晶硅太阳能电池产业的回收利用现状,进一步阐述晶硅太阳能电池在拆解方面的研究进展.     

双酚-A和17β-雌二醇对人乳腺癌细胞生长的影响

通过MTT-细胞增殖活性测定法和双参数流式细胞光度术研究了双酚-A和17b-雌二醇对人乳腺癌细胞株MCF-7增殖、细胞周期以及核酸和蛋白合成的影响.结果表明,在310^-16～310^-8mol/L范围内,双酚-A和17b-雌二醇都能促进细胞增殖;在310^-14mol/L时,细胞增殖活性达到最高值.当作用浓度为310^-14mol/L时,细胞周期的S期比例增加,细胞总蛋白表达量明显增加.统计结果表明,双酚-A和17b-雌二醇对MCF-7细胞生长特性的雌激素效应非常相似.     

含硫芳香族化合物降解酶的定域及胞内产物的鉴定

为研究含硫芳香族化合物的生物降解途径 ,采用静息细胞技术提取假单胞杆菌 (Pseudomonas sp.)不同部位的酶 .结果表明 ,对硝基苯砜基乙酸异丁酯降解酶主要定域在细胞膜周及膜内 .被试化合物在膜内酶的作用下 ,发生碳硫键断裂 ,降解产物是对硝基苯磺酸 .在膜周酶的作用下 ,发生碳硫键和酯的烷氧键 2种方式的断裂 ,生成对硝基苯磺酸和对硝基苯砜基乙酸 .