The effect of oxygen tension on colony formation and cell proliferation of amniotic fluid cellsin vitro

The effects of reduced oxygen concentrations in the gas phase over the culture medium on colony formation and cell proliferation were investigated in high and low cell density primary and secondary cultures of amniotic fluid cells. Using two standard culture methods (25 cm² plastic flasks and Leighton type tubes) a significantly reduced culture time was observed at high cell density for mass cultures by incubation within a low oxygen tension gas phase (2.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent O₂) instead of conventional air (18 per cent O₂). At low cell density colony formation was significantly enhanced in cultures grown at reduced oxygen tension. Using gas permeable membranes as support, lowering the oxygen tension from 7.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent yielded an increase in plating efficiency of cells from approximately 5 per cent to 25 per cent, whereas plating efficiency was less than 2 per cent for cells grown at ambient 18 per cent O₂. It is suggested that low oxygen tension in the gas phase is an effective means of enhancing clonal growth in amniotic fluid cell cultures, thereby reducing both culture time and risk of culture failure.     

Anticipating Climate Threshold Damages

Several integrated assessment studies have concluded that future learning about the uncertainties involved in climate change has a considerable effect on welfare but only a small effect on optimal short-term emissions. In other words, learning is important but anticipation of learning is not. We confirm this result in the integrated assessment model “model of investment and technological development” for learning about climate sensitivity and climate damages. If learning about an irreversible threshold is included, though, we show that anticipation can become crucial both in terms of necessary adjustments of pre-learning emissions and resulting welfare gains. We specify conditions on the time of learning and the threshold characteristic, for which this is the case. They can be summarized as a narrow “anticipation window.”     

Formation of indoor nitrous acid (HONO) by light-induced NO<Subscript>2</Subscript> heterogeneous reactions with white wall paint

Gaseous nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) represents an oxidant that is present in relatively high concentrations in various indoor settings. Remarkably increased NO₂ levels up to 1.5 ppm are associated with homes using gas stoves. The heterogeneous reactions of NO₂ with adsorbed water on surfaces lead to the generation of nitrous acid (HONO). Here, we present a HONO source induced by heterogeneous reactions of NO₂ with selected indoor paint surfaces in the presence of light (300 nm?<?λ?<?400 nm). We demonstrate that the formation of HONO is much more pronounced at elevated relative humidity. In the presence of light (5.5 W m^?2), an increase of HONO production rate of up to 8.6?·?10⁹ molecules cm^?2 s^?1 was observed at [NO₂]?=?60 ppb and 50 % relative humidity (RH). At higher light intensity of 10.6 (W m^?2), the HONO production rate increased to 2.1?·?10¹⁰ molecules cm^?2 s^?1. A high NO₂ to HONO conversion yield of up to 84 % was observed. This result strongly suggests that a light-driven process of indoor HONO production is operational. This work highlights the potential of paint surfaces to generate HONO within indoor environments by light-induced NO₂ heterogeneous reactions.     

Achieving forest carbon information with higher certainty: A five-part plan

International negotiations on the inclusion of land use activities into an emissions reduction system for the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have been partially hindered by the technical challenges of measuring, reporting, and verifying greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and the policy issues of leakage, additionality, and permanence. This paper outlines a five-part plan for estimating forest carbon stocks and emissions with the accuracy and certainty needed to support a policy for Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation, forest conservation, sustainable management of forests, and enhancement of forest carbon stocks (the REDD-plus framework considered at the UNFCCC COP-15) in developing countries. The plan is aimed at UNFCCC non-Annex 1 developing countries, but the principles outlined are also applicable to developed (Annex 1) countries. The parts of the plan are: (1) Expand the number of national forest carbon Measuring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) systems with a priority on tropical developing countries; (2) Implement continuous global forest carbon assessments through the network of national systems; (3) Achieve commitments from national space agencies for the necessary satellite data; (4) Establish agreed-on standards and independent verification processes to ensure robust reporting; and (5) Enhance coordination among international and multilateral organizations.     

Die Bedeutung der Zeit

The consideration of time in environmental research allows new insights into the fundamentals of environmental research and new pathways for perceiving and answering questions which might arise in environmental research. In order to take this all into account, one must realize that ecological systems have a history and that both the spatial aspects and the chronological expansion of these systems must be taken into consideration. Considering temporalities, rhythms and time scales as well as their interdependencies in environmental research and environmental protection enables us to obtain a better understanding. The significance of relationships and functions in ecological systems can be perceived better as well. The impact of pollutants as well as the outcome of human actions in ecology, and in economics and politics, is consequently mandatory for not only a spatial, but also for the involved temporal scales.     

Early genetic amniocentesis—4 years' experience

Four hundred and thirty early amniocenteses (EAC) from 10 to 14 weeks' gestation were compared with 300 routine amniocenteses (RAC) from 15 weeks' gestation (control A) and 733 routine amniocenteses from 16 to 18 weeks' gestation (control B) with regard to success rates, various growth parameters, and cytogenetic results. Using both in situ and trypsiniz-ation techniques, the success rate was 99·8 per cent for EAC versus 100 per cent for RAC. The average turn-around time for establishing a diagnosis was 8·4 days in EAC versus 8·3 days in 15 weeks' specimens (n.s.) and 7·7 days in 16 to 18 weeks' specimens (p ≦ 0·0001) for the last 200 samples. The banding quality of early specimens compared favourably with that of controls (both 500–550 bphs) and was much better than that in long-term cultured chorionic villus sampling (CVS) (350–400 bphs). For level I and level II mosaicism, no statistically significant differences were noted between EAC and control group A. Comparing EAC with control group B, a significant increase in the number of numerical and structural single cell aberrations was observed (p ≦ 0·025 and p ≦ 0·001, respectively), whereas for multiple cell aberrations only the increase in numerical aberrations was statistically significant (p ≦ 0·001) (x²-test). Clinical problems arising from the detection of mosaicism were solved in all cases by investigating parallel cultures. It is concluded that early amniocentesis is a reliable procedure which permits prenatal diagnosis of numerical and structural chromosome aberrations to a high standard.