Ethyl mercury induces Ca2+ uptake through the P2×7 receptor in a mouse cerebellar microglia cell line

Many observations are reported that organic mercury compounds are involved in increasing intracellular Ca²⁺ levels. However, the issue of which substances on the cell membrane participate in the Ca²⁺ uptake that is induced by ethyl mercury is unclear. The findings of this study suggest that the P2X receptor participates in this process. The uptake of Ca²⁺ by C8-B4 cells was induced in the presence of ethyl mercury. Ca channels in the cell membrane were not affected in this process. In contrast, pretreatment with suramin, an antagonist of the P2X receptor, inhibited the Ca²⁺ uptake induced by ethyl mercury, and also brilliant blue G, a nonselective antagonist of P2×4, P2×5, and P2×7 receptors. In addition, A438079 and A740003, selective antagonists of P2×7 receptor, reduced Ca²⁺ uptake, while 5-BDBD, a selective antagonist of P2×4 receptor, did not. Furthermore, the mRNAs of both the P2×4 and P2×7 receptors were expressed in the presence of ethyl mercury, but the P2×5 receptor mRNA was not. These findings suggest that ethyl mercury may induce Ca²⁺ uptake through the P2×7 receptor of the cell membrane.     

Studies on the insecticidal activity,cytogenecity and metabolism of fatty acid rich fraction of Hydnocarpus laurifolia

The fatty acid rich fraction obtained from the petroleum ether extractable portion of Hydnocarpus laurifolia (PHL) seeds exhibited significant insecticidal action on rice bug, Leptocorisa acuta (LC₅₀ 8?mg/mL). Analysis of the fatty acid content of PHL by GC/MS showed that it contained chaulmoogric acid, hydnocarpic acid, gorlic acid, lignoceric acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid and stearic acid. Among these fatty acids chaulmoogric acid and hydnocarpic acid were present in highest amount. The PHL showed no genotoxic effect in bone marrow erythrocytes of Swiss mice as compared with methyl methane sulfonate. Metabolism of PHL was evaluated by monitoring the activities of xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes and on comparison with malathion (a synthetic pesticide) revealed that PHL was found to be metabolized and excreted from the body of Sprague-Dawley rats within 72?h of exposure.     

Light‐induced changes in rabbit pineal gland n‐acetyltransferase activity

N‐acetyltransferase (NAT) activity was determined in different ages of New Zealand White rabbit pineal gland using 2‐aminofluorene and p‐aminobenzoic acid as substrates and it was assayed by high pressure liquid chromatography. Rabbits of different ages were either sacrificed during the light phase, exposed to darkness or light for 1 min during the dark phase of the lighting cycle, returned to their cages in darkness for 30 min and then sacrificed. Pineal gland NAT activity in animal nocturnally exposed to 1 min of light was inhibited in animals 1 ‐day‐old of age. Nocturnal light exposure did not inhibit enzyme activity in 1‐day‐old rabbit, even though these animal displayed clear light : dark differences in pineal gland NAT activity. Nocturnal light exposure also did not inhibit night time levels of NAT activity in 1‐day‐old animals who had been bilaterally enucleated. The result suggested that this effect is retinally mediated. Pre‐treatment of 1‐day‐old and 60‐day‐old animals with the isoproterenol (beta‐noradrenoreceptor agonist drug), prevented the nocturnal light‐induced inhibition of NAT activity. The different sensitivity of 60‐day‐old and 1‐day‐old animals to different illuminances or durations of nocturnal light exposure, was that the duration or intensity of light exposure was enable to inhibit nocturnal NAT activity. The NAT activity was at least 3.2‐ to 4.6‐fold greater in 1‐day‐old rabbits compared to 60‐day‐old rabbits. Kinetic constants for arylamine NAT activity in pineal gland from rabbits were determined. K_m and F_max values for 2‐aminofluorene were 2.6‐fold higher for light exposure than for no light exposure rabbits. This is the first demonstration of the retina‐pineal gland pathway appears light‐induced changes in pineal glands of animals in 1‐day‐old of ages or older; but this pathway does not function in 60‐day‐old rabbits like manner in 1‐day‐old rabbits.     

岷江干旱河谷灌木幼苗的土壤养分适应性研究

岷江上游干旱河谷地区的植被恢复是目前急需解决的问题,小马鞍羊蹄甲（Bauhinia faberi var. microphylla）是干旱河谷地区的优势乡土灌木,并作为当地植被恢复过程中的重要备选物种,因而进行小马鞍羊蹄甲种群在土壤贫瘠的干旱河谷的养分限制研究十分必要。针对性地进行施肥将影响到小马鞍羊蹄甲幼苗存活、生长和定殖,而如何有效提高该物种的存活和生长速率对于干旱河谷植被恢复将具有重要的意义。采用野外调查与模拟实验相结合的方法,分别研究了干旱河谷地区3个典型群落（干旱河谷的核心区——飞虹,干旱河谷灌丛与亚高山森林的过渡区——北部的石大关、干旱河谷灌丛与温性森林的过渡区——南部的蓝新镇）中小马鞍羊蹄甲幼苗叶片的化学计量特征,和施肥试验[w（有效氮）分别为100、280、460 mg·kg–1、w（有效磷）分别为12、24、48 mg·kg–1、w（氮）分别为40、70、100 mg·kg–1、w（磷）分别为12和24 mg·kg–1]中叶片化学计量特征及幼苗生长参数（叶片数、基径和株高）和各器官（根茎叶）生物量。结果表明：在野外各演替阶段的小马鞍羊蹄甲幼苗生物量和营养元素质量分数都随着磷肥的增加而增加,表明磷素是植物生长的限制因子,同时N∶P比均大于16,也暗示其受到P养分的限制;在室内施肥试验中,施加N肥没有促进小马鞍羊蹄甲生物量的积累,反而抑制了幼苗生长;施加P肥促进了幼苗生物量的积累,表明幼苗缺乏P元素,养分限制类型为P限制。     

流溪河水库流域非点源溶解态氮磷污染负荷估算

流溪河水库作为广州市最重要的水源地之一,其水环境质量受到广泛关注. 利用基于SCS模型的污染负荷输出,对流溪河水库流域非点源溶解态氮磷污染负荷进行估算. 结果表明:流域非点源溶解态氮污染负荷为384.31 t/a,溶解态磷污染负荷为20.68 t/a.其中氮贡献最大的为林地,占50.93%;其次为园地,占18.10%.磷贡献最大的亦为林地,占49.22%;其次为旱地,占15.85%.溶解态氮单位面积污染负荷道路最高,为50.57 kg/(hm2·a);其次是水田,为33.60 kg/(hm2·a).而溶解态磷单位面积污染负荷最大是水田,为3.43 kg/(hm2·a);其次是道路,为3.19 kg/(hm2·a). 与水库流域颗粒态氮磷污染负荷比较表明,溶解态氮大于颗粒态氮,氮以溶解态迁移为主;溶解态磷则小于颗粒态磷,但由于颗粒态磷易随泥沙受阻或沉降,溶解态磷对水库水质的影响依然是总磷关注的重点.      

珠江三角洲稻田土壤砷及其向水稻籽粒迁移特征

采集珠江三角洲区域水稻(Oryze sativa L.)植株的根系、秸秆、稻谷和对应的耕层土壤(0～15锄)样品,分析土壤和水稻植株中砷含量,初步研究土壤砷与土壤基本理化性质的关系及砷在土壤-水稻系统中的迁移规律.结果表明,土壤砷含量在1.83～18.14 mg·kg~(-1)之间,土壤砷与土壤有机质、砂粒含量呈显著负相关,与土壤粉粒含量呈显著正相关.糙米中的砷含量在0.21～0.43mg·kg~(-1)之间,均未超过国家食品卫生标准(0.7mg·kg~(-1)),砷在水稻植株中的分布规律为根>秸秆>颖壳>糙米.糙米砷含量与秸秆砷含量呈极显著正相关,与秸秆中P/As、Si/As摩尔比呈极显著负相关,因此,降低秸秆中As的积累、增加秸秆中P、Si的积累可降低水稻籽粒中的砷含量.     

污泥EPS作为阻燃剂的机制归纳与潜力分析

高附加经济价值回收产物胞外聚合物（EPS）提取可以有效推动剩余污泥资源化目标.EPS除可替代传统藻酸盐应用于食品、医药、纺织、印染、造纸和日化等行业外,它在阻燃方面独特的性能已展现出用作高端航空器防火涂层的诱人潜力.这得益于EPS本身复杂的化学结构与物质成分,其优异的相容性、黏附性和生物合成性等优势使它的阻燃与环保性能可能优于市场目前已应用上各种阻燃剂.因此,系统分析和总结EPS的阻燃特性机制对其广泛应用极具现实意义.首先,在总结市售现有各类阻燃剂之优缺点基础上,对比分析EPS阻燃特性以及应用潜力.其次,在阐述EPS中磷（P）元素与类藻酸盐（ALE）物质阻燃原理的情况下,厘清EPS胞外蛋白的协同阻燃过程,以揭示EPS阻燃性能的可能机制.以此为基础上,随之综合评价EPS阻燃特性,并与其他阻燃剂横向对比,总结EPS作为阻燃剂的优势所在.最后,为进一步提高EPS用作表面涂层阻燃材料性能,提出增加EPS磷元素含量、提高和纯化EPS中ALE以及优化EPS与基质的修饰策略.     

玻璃纤维负载P25光催化接触氧化活性艳红X-3B

在玻璃纤维上焙烧P25制备了负载型TiO2光催化剂,探讨了焙烧温度对催化活性的影响,设计了光催化接触氧化反应器,并以活性艳红X-3B为模型污染物,考察溶液pH值、共存阴离子(CO₃^2-、SO₄^2-、Cl-)对光催化反应的影响.结果表明,焙烧温度直接影响负载后催化剂的活性,300℃负载时活性最高,SEM照片显示此时P25与载体结合牢固、负载颗粒均匀.酸性条件对活性艳红X-3B的降解有利,当溶液初始pH由2.0上升到10.0时,活性艳红X-3B的降解率从90.06%下降至42.71%.共存的CO₃^2-、SO₄^2-对活性艳红X-3B降解的影响不大,但Cl^-对氧化过程有明显的抑制,使活性艳红X-3B的降解率下降17.03%.利用成熟的光催化剂P25,通过烧结的方法制备负载型催化剂是当前替代粉末催化剂的较为可行的方案.     

沟渠系统氮、磷输出特征研究

通过对水稻种植期内农业源头沟渠中氮、磷的输出进行长期测定,研究了沟渠系统氮、磷的输出特征及其迁移转化规律. 结果表明:试验期间,沟渠系统输出的ρ(总氮)最大值为4.00 mg/L,氮输出的主要形态为氨氮和硝氮,ρ(氨氮)和ρ(硝氮)的最大值分别为3.00和1.83 mg/L;磷输出的主要形态为可溶性磷酸盐,ρ(总磷)和ρ(可溶性磷酸盐)的最大值达1.00 mg/L. 灌溉一段时间后,氮、磷的输出呈单调递减变化;降雨后,由于流失方式的变化,氮的输出逐渐增加,2～3 d后才有所降低,而可溶性磷酸盐无大的流失. 沟渠系统中不同断面对氮、磷的截留转化作用相似. 其中,ρ(总磷)单调递减;ρ(总氮)和ρ(氨氮)在灌溉后随时间逐渐降低,降雨后其随时间虽有所增加,但最终趋势是降低的.      

Predicting preference for familiar,everyday objects: An experimental confrontation between two theories of aesthetic behaviour

The work reported compared the predictive ability of two theories of aesthetic behaviour, using normal, everyday objects. This involved utilizing simulated items of furniture in three experiments in which predictions deduced from the ‘collative-motivation’ model and what has been termed a ‘preference-for-prototypes’ model were made to compete empirically. For each of the five pairs of discrepant expectations formulated in the three experiments the outcomes were inconsistent with Berlyne's model, while supporting the prototypicality model. A number of theoretical implications are drawn from these findings.