Toxic masking and synergistic modulation of the estrogenic activity of chemical mixtures in a yeast estrogen screen (YES)

Background, aim and scope

Estrogenic and non-estrogenic chemicals typically co-occur in the environment. Interference by non-estrogenic chemicals may confound the assessment of the actual estrogenic activity of complex environmental samples. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether, in which way and how seriously the estrogenic activity of single estrogens and the observed and predicted joint action of estrogenic mixtures is influenced by toxic masking and synergistic modulation caused by non-estrogenic chemical confounders.

Materials and methods

The yeast estrogen screen (YES) was adapted so that toxicity and estrogenicity could be quantified simultaneously in one experimental run. Mercury, two organic solvents (dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and 2,4-dinitroaniline), a surfactant (LAS-12) and the antibiotic cycloheximide were selected as toxic but non-estrogenic test chemicals. The confounding impact of selected concentrations of these toxicants on the estrogenic activity of the hormone 17ß-estradiol was determined by co-incubation experiments. In a second step, the impact of toxic masking and synergistic modulation on the predictability of the joint action of 17ß-estradiol, estrone and estriol mixtures by concentration addition was analysed.

Results

Each of the non-estrogenic chemicals reduced the apparent estrogenicity of both single estrogens and their mixtures if applied at high, toxic concentrations. Besides this common pattern, a highly substance- and concentration-dependent impact of the non-estrogenic toxicants was observable. The activity of 17ß-estradiol was still reduced in the presence of only low or non-toxic concentrations of 2,4-dinitroaniline and cycloheximide, which was not the case for mercury and DMSO. A clear synergistic modulation, i.e. an enhanced estrogenic activity, was induced by the presence of slightly toxic concentrations of LAS-12. The joint estrogenic activity of the mixture of estrogens was affected by toxic masking and synergistic modulation in direct proportion to the single estrogens, which allowed for an adequate adaptation of concentration addition and thus unaffected predictability of the joint estrogenicity in the presence of non-estrogenic confounders.

Discussion

The modified YES proved to be a reliable system for the simultaneous quantification of yeast toxicity and estrogen receptor activation. Experimental results substantiate the available evidence for toxic masking as a relevant phenomenon in estrogenicity assessment of complex environmental samples. Synergistic modulation of estrogenic activity by non-estrogenic confounders might be of lower importance. The concept of concentration addition is discussed as a valuable tool for estrogenicity assessment of complex mixtures, with deviations of the measured joint estrogenicity from predictions indicating the need for refined analyses.

Conclusions

Two major challenges are to be considered simultaneously for a reliable analysis of the estrogenic activity of complex mixtures: the identification of known and suspected estrogenic compounds in the sample as well as the substance- and effect-level-dependent confounding impact of non-estrogenic toxicants.

Recommendations and perspectives

The application of screening assays such as the YES to complex mixtures should be accompanied by measures that safeguard against false negative results which may be caused by non-estrogenic but toxic confounders. Simultaneous assessments of estrogenicity and toxicity are generally advisable.     

水和废水中化学需氧量测定方法的改进研究

在水的CODcr测定中,将30 ml回流量确定为常规检测回流量,可节省浓硫酸和硫酸银用量50%;将消解回流时间从120 min缩短为30 min,已满足对地表水和各类废水中CODcr的准确测定,可节省水电费用75%以上,含氯水样中Cl-的掩蔽研究表明:按国标法用10倍Cl-重量的HgSO4 掩蔽Cl-,加标(CODcr =100 mg/L)回收率为110%~120%左右,用30~40倍Cl -重量的HgSO4 掩蔽Cl-,加标回收率为100%左右,对HgSO4 掩蔽Cl-的条件和机理作了适当探讨.另外,采用加入H2 SO4-后加入HgSO4 的方法可减少HgSO4 的耗用量70%以上.     

多维度高质量城镇化对能源消费碳排放的传导机制研究

碳排放研究一直是国际气候变化领域研究的热点,高质量的城镇化有利于碳排放减少及全球气候变化减缓。本文从人口、土地、经济三个维度构建高质量城镇化评价指标体系,对2005—2019年中国30个省域的高质量城镇化水平进行评价,在理论机制分析的基础上利用中介效应模型验证了三个维度高质量城镇化对能源消费碳排放的中介效应。结果表明：不同维度的高质量城镇化水平对碳排放的影响不同,当前的人口高质量城镇化具有显著碳减排效果,经济高质量城镇化也具有一定碳减排作用,但现阶段土地高质量城镇化增加了碳排放;不同维度的高质量城镇化与能源消费碳排放之间存在不同的作用机制。具体而言,劳动力结构转型在人口高质量城镇化与碳排放间不存在中介效应,土地财政在土地高质量城镇化与碳排放间存在完全中介效应,经济集聚在经济高质量城镇化与碳排放间存在遮掩效应。     

Effects of Traffic Noise on Occupancy Patterns of Forest Birds

Abstract: Noise may drive changes in the composition and abundance of animals that communicate vocally. Traffic produces low‐frequency noise (<3 kHz) that can mask acoustic signals broadcast within the same frequency range. We evaluated whether birds that sing within the frequency range of traffic noise are affected by acoustic masking (i.e., increased background noise levels at the same frequency of vocalizations reduce detection of vocalization) and are less abundant in areas where traffic noise is loud (44–57 dB). We estimated occupancy, the expected probability that a given site is occupied by a species, and detection probabilities of eight forest‐breeding birds in areas with and without traffic noise as a function of noise and three measures of habitat quality: percent forest cover, distance from plot center to the edge of forest, and the number of standing dead trees or snags. For the two species that vocalize at the lowest peak frequency (the frequency with the most energy) and the lowest overall frequency (Yellow‐billed Cuckoo [Coccyzus americanus] and White‐breasted Nuthatch [Sitta carolinensis]), the presence of traffic noise explained the greatest proportion of variance in occupancy, and these species were 10 times less likely to be found in noisy than in quiet plots. For species that had only portions of their vocalizations overlapped by traffic noise, either forest cover or distance to forest edge explained more variation in occupancy than noise or no single variable explained occupancy. Our results suggest that the effects of traffic noise may be especially pronounced for species that vocalize at low frequencies.     

COD测定方法的改进及银的回收

利用浓硫酸的高沸点及氯化氢挥发性的特点,以H2SO4∶AgCl(重量比)=3 5∶1,在加热的条件下制备硫酸银,反应时间约需半小时;以硫酸银在Ag2SO4∶Cl-(重量比)≥40∶1的条件下掩蔽氯离子干扰,其误差与标准法相比小于3%。     

臭氧接触反应器气液两相流数字图像处理方法与实验分析

在单相数字粒子图像测速度(PIV)技术的基础上,研究气液两相流动的PIV图像处理方法,采用数字掩模技术对不同相的流动信息进行标记、识别、提取与计算,编辑了相应的软件.运用改进后的PIV方法对臭氧接触反应器中气-液体两相流动进行了测试与分析.结果表明,臭氧接触反应器中液相轴向流速分布是决定反应器内水力特性的主导因素;进气流量直接影响反应器内液气两相的流速分布;随进气流量的提高,液气两相的轴向速度和横向速度均增大,同时反应器流动结构与流程分布会发生较大变化.     

The function of call alternation in the African reed frog (Hyperolius marmoratus): precise call timing prevents auditory masking

The function of call alternation in the African painted reed frog, Hyperolius marmoratus was studied. Males actively avoided call overlap with neighboring males in their natural habitat. Advertisement calls produced by groups of two or three males showed less overlap than expected if they called at random. In addition, isolated males significantly reduced their calling rate to match the periodicity of a playback of periodic tone pulses, with vocalizations given during the silent intervals between tones. Gap-detection experiments showed that males suppressed vocalizations during playbacks of constant-frequency tone bursts and gave more calls during silent periods than expected by chance. Females discriminated against conspecific advertisement calls with many pulses in favor of calls with few or no pulses. This suggests that there would be little selection pressure on males to alternate calls so that pulses are not obscured. To test if call alternation functions to make calls more conspicuous, females were presented with identical conspecific advertisement calls from two speakers in four different temporal patterns: simultaneous, overlapping, abutting, and alternating. Females did not discriminate when calls were presented in a simultaneous, abutting, or alternating time pattern. When calls overlapped with the trailing call delayed from 0.5 to 70 ms females discriminated in favor of the leading call. When the intensity of the leading call was reduced by 6 dB the preference for the leading call was maintained when calls overlapped by 2 and 40 ms but was abolished or reversed at 0.5 and 70 ms, respectively. These results support the notion that the second of two partially overlapping calls was acoustically masked, rendering female painted reed frogs unwilling to approach or unable to locate such calls. It is suggested that either simultaneous masking or the precedence effect are responsible for the observed behavior. Acoustic masking of the second call by the first when calls overlapped was maintained even when the frequency of the first call was altered by 150 Hz above and below the more preferred frequency of the second call. Received: 13 April 1995/Accepted after revision: 5 November 1995     

电子设备的电磁兼容性设计

电磁兼容性在电子设备中占有重要的地位,电磁干扰直接影响到电子设备能否正常、可靠的工作.为了提高电子设备的工作稳定性,必须解决电子设备在电磁环境中的适应能力,对电子设备进行电磁兼容性设计.     

高氯离子、低COD废水中COD的测定

建立了适用于高氯离子、低COD废水中COD的重铬酸钾测定方法。分别采用甘油、二氯丙醇、β,β′-二氯异丙醚和氯化钙配制模拟高氯废水,考察了氧化剂重铬酸钾溶液浓度、掩蔽剂加入量(以m(HgSO_4)∶m(Cl~-)表示)对测定效果的影响。实验结果表明:以低浓度(0.05 mol/L)重铬酸钾溶液为氧化剂时,测定数据波动范围小,相对误差也低(-1.4%~+0.4%);对于高氯低COD废水的COD测定,当COD大于100 mg/L时按m(HgSO_4)∶m(Cl~-)=10∶1加入硫酸汞掩蔽剂,当COD小于100 mg/L时按m(HgSO_4)∶m(Cl~-)=20∶1加入硫酸汞掩蔽剂,并采用浓度为0.05 mol/L的重铬酸钾溶液作为氧化剂,能较好地消除氯离子对COD测定的干扰,相对误差在5%以内;将优化后的测定条件应用于实际环氧氯丙烷生产废水COD的测定,重现性良好,当m(HgSO_4)∶m(Cl-)分别为10∶1和20∶1时,相对误差分别为+3.3%和+2.9%,COD平均回收率分别为103.4%和102.9%。     

重铬酸钾法测定化学需氧量的实验条件优化

以降低成本、减少二次污染、提供多元化实验条件为主要出发点,开展GB 11914-89中氯离子掩蔽剂加入量和催化剂种类等优化实验研究。结果表明:采用按比例加入的方式可以降低硫酸汞使用量,m[HgSO4]:m[Cl-]=10∶1即可达到有效掩蔽效果;在标准样品、地表水和一般废水的COD测定中,硫酸镍、硫酸铝钾和磷酸二氢锰作为硫酸银的替代物具有一定的可行性,建议最低加入量为4g/L。