Occurrence and congeners specific of poiychlorinated biphenyls in agricultural soils from Southern Jiangsu, China

A total of 198 agricultural soil samples were collected from Zhangjiagang and Changshu in Southern Jiangsu for analysis of 13 polychlorinated biphenyls （PCBs） in order to assess the levels of pollution, sources, area distribution, and potential risk for the environment. All methods were rigorously tested and an adequate quality control was ensured. Only one site had no PCBs residues, and the highest total PCBs concentration in the surface soils was 32.83 ng/g. The average concentration in all the soil samples was 4.13 ng/g, signaling low-level pollution. Tetra-, penta-, and hexa-chlorinated biphenyls were dominant species in soil samples, accounting for more than 75% of ∑PCBs in the soil samples. PCB118 was the most abundant congener in all the samples. The PCB118 was about 20% of ∑PCBs. The soil organic matter content showed only a weak correlation with the levels of all PCB congeners, in which a better correlation was noted for the more volatile lighter PCB congeners than for the heavier homologues. To a certain extent, the sources and land use seemed to influence the levels of PCBs.

Antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing potential of 3β-hydroxy-△5-steroidal congeners purified from the soft coral Dendronephthya putteri

The exploration and identification of antiproliferative phytochemicals have received increased attention in medicinal chemistry. In particular, research focused on the toxicology of marine natural products has increased in recent years. Terpenoids, among many secondary metabolites, have been demonstrated to act as effective anticancer agents. Soft corals, a group of marine invertebrates, produce a variety of terpenoids with biofunctional properties. The current study presents the extraction, purification, and identification of sterol congeners from the soft coral Dendronephthya putteri. The method involves 50% chloroform-methanol extraction, polar column fractionation, and analysis through GC-MSn. Dose-dependent antiproliferative activity was observed within the sterol-rich fraction (DPCMH 2-4), which consisted of 3β-hydroxy-Δ5-steroidal congeners. This fraction inhibited the growth of HL-60 and MCF-7 cells with IC50 values of 25.27±1.43 and 22.81±0.15 μg/mL, respectively. Apoptotic body formation, DNA damage, cell cycle arrest, and apoptotic cell signaling pathway activation were also observed, reinforcing the dose-dependent antiproliferative and apoptosis-inducing activity of 3β-hydroxy-Δ5-steroidal congeners. To our knowledge, this is the first report of anticancer agent identification from the soft coral D. putteri. Based on the observations, these steroidal congeners are promising candidates for the development of anticancer drugs.

Feasibility of Trace Alcohol Congener Detection and Identification Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy

In this paper, a feasible scheme is reported for the detection and identification of trace alcohol congeners that have identical elemental composition using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy （LIBS）. In the scheme, an intensive pulsed laser is used to break down trace alcohol samples and the optical emission spectra of the induced plasma are collected for the detection and identifq ication of alcohol molecules. In order to prepare trace alcohol samples, pure ethanol or methanol is bubbled by argon carrier gas and then mixed into matrix gases. The key issue for the scheme is to constitute indices from the LIBS data of the alcohol samples. Two indices are found to be suitable for alcohol detection and identification. One is the emission intensity ratio （denoted as H/C） of the hydrogen line （653.3 nm） to the carbon line （247.9 nm） for identification and the other is the ratio of the carbon line （as C/Ar） or the hydrogen line （as H/Ar） to the argon lines （866.7 nm） for quantitative detection. The calibration experiment result shows that the index H/C is specific for alcohol congeners while almost being independent of alcohol concentration. In detail, the H/C keeps a specific constant of 34 and 23 respectively for ethanol and methanol. In the meanwhile, the C/Ar and H/Ar indices respond almost linearly to the alcohol concentration below 1300 ppm, and are therefore competent for concentration measurement. With the indices, trace alcohol concentration measurement achieves a limit of 140 ppm using a laser pulse energy of 300 mJ.

Saline Stress Response of Plantlets of Common Wheat （Triticum aestivum） and Its Wild Congeners

The aim of this work was to study the reactions of wheat （T. aestivum L.） and its wild congeners under salt stress. Physiological mechanisms that underlie traits for salt tolerance plantlets have been used to test some wheat species and to identify sources of salty tolerance. Stress conditions were founded by means of exposure of the plantlets in NaCI water solution, 1.68% that demonstrably differentiates the samples by growth parameters. Under laboratory conditions the ability of seedlings to bear a significant shortage of water, their ability to accumulate biomass, changing the parameters of linear growth processes and changes in water content in leaves and roots of seedlings under stress was determined. Interest is also the rate of growth of root fibrils in saline conditions. These experiments allowed to provide a comprehensive diagnosis of studied forms of wheat and make an initial opinion on their salt tolerance. Different features of abiotic stress responses of some wheat species at the early stages of development were shown that testifies necessi~ of great number of approaches at selection of genetic material for improvement of modern wheat eultivars. This work is the first phase of research for practical breeding.

Preliminary Study towards Enhanced Crude Oil Biodegradation Reveals Congeneric Total Peroxidases with Striking Distinctions

Peroxidases (POXs) are the key extracellular enzymes produced by crude oil degrading microbes. Knowledge of optimum conditions for POXs activity is crucial for providing effective environment for bioremediation. In this study, physicochemical properties of POXs produced by Actinomyces israelii and Actinomyces viscosus during growth on crude oil were studied. The POXs exhibited similarities in activity and stability with striking differences in response to two divalent metal ions. The POXs from both species had optimum pH of 7.0 and were very stable over a narrow pH range (6.0 - 8.0). The POXs demonstrated similar thermostability exhibiting relative residual activity of 62% at 50°C after 30 min incubation and 45% residual activity at the same temperature after 60 min despite the fact that POXs from A. viscosus and A. israelii had optimum temperatures of 50°C and 40°C, respectively. The POXs from A. viscosus and A. israelii were greatly activated by Fe2+ at 5.0 and 10.0 mM. The enzymes were both strongly inhibited by Cu2+, Mg2+ and Hg2+. Surprisingly, these congeneric POXs demonstrated striking differences in their response to Ca2+ and Mn2+. POX from A. viscosus was activated by Ca2+ and Mn2+ exhibiting relative activity of 136% and 106% at 5 mM, respectively. In contrast, POX from A. israelii was strongly inhibited by Ca2+ and Mn2+ exhibiting 62.5% relative activity in the presence of 5 mM of each metal ion. Increasing the concentration of Ca2+ and Mn2+ led to further activation of POX from A. viscosus and inhibition of POX from A. israelii. Results provide deeper insights into functional properties of studied POXs from closely related microbes. The physicochemical properties are very similar;however, notable differences provide a strong basis for structural characterization of these congeneric enzymes.

Adenosine amine congener ameliorates cisplatin-induced hearing loss

AIM: To investigate a novel pharmacological intervention to mitigate cisplatin ototoxicity using a selective adenosine A1 receptor agonist adenosine amine congener(ADAC).METHODS: Male Wistar rats(8-10 wk) were exposed to a two-cycle cisplatin treatment similar to clinical course of cancer chemotherapy. Each cycle comprised 4 d of intraperitoneal cisplatin injections(1 mg/kg twice daily) separated by 10 d of rest. ADAC(100 μg/kg) or drug vehicle solution(control) was administered intraperitoneally for 5 d at 24 h intervals during the second cisplatin cycle(Regime 1), or upon completion of the cisplatin treatment(Regime 2). Hearing thresholds were measured using auditory brainstem responses(ABR) before cisplatin administration(baseline) and 7 d after the end of cisplatin treatment. Histological analysis of cochlear tissues included hair cell counting and qualitative assessment of apoptosis using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated d UTP nick end labelling(TUNEL) staining.RESULTS: ABR threshold shifts in cisplatin-treated Wistar rats ranged from 5-29 d B across the frequency range used in the study(4-24 k Hz). Higher frequencies(16-24 k Hz) were mostly affected by cisplatin ototoxicity(mean threshold shift 25-29 d B). ADAC treatment during the second cisplatin cycle reduced cisplatininduced threshold shifts by 12-16 d B(P < 0.01) at higher frequencies compared to control vehicle-treated rats. However, the treatment was ineffective if ADAC administration was delayed until after the completion of the cisplatin regime. Functional recovery was supported by increased survival of hair cells in the cochlea. Qualitative analysis using TUNEL staining demonstrated reduced apoptosis of the outer hair cells and marginal cells in the stria vascularis in animals treated with ADAC during the second cisplatin cycle.CONCLUSION: A1 adenosine receptor agonist ADAC mitigates cisplatin-induced cochlear injury and hearing loss, however its potential interference with antineoplastic effects of cisplatin needs to be established.

A MILD AND REGIOSPECIFIC OXIRANE RING OPENING TO PRECURSORS FOR PROSTANOID CONGENERS

A stereoselective and regiospecific synthesis of procursors(2),(4),(6)and(7)of prostacyclin analogues from 2,3-epoxylbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-6-one(1)are described.

Influence of Saline Stress on Ionic Balance of Wheat （Triticum Aestivum） and Its Wild Congeners

Purpose of this work was to study changes in the ion balance under salt stress in roots and leaves of seedlings of T. aestivum L. and its wild congeners with different genomic composition. Laboratory assessment of salt tolerance in seedlings was carried out and contents of ions K^＋, Na^＋ and Ca^2＋ in roots and leaves were defined. Considerable change of ionic balance in roots and leaves of studied forms of wheat against salt stress is shown. It is noticed that the parity K^＋/Na^＋ decreases in process of strengthening of salt stress. Authentic negative correlation between a relative gain of a biomass of leaves and roots in the stress conditions and accumulation of ions Na^＋ and between a relative gain of a biomass of leaves in the stress conditions and a parity in them of ions K^＋/Na^＋ is revealed. The research results also show that the stability characteristics of indicators of changes in ionic composition or balance in the leaves of young plants are more informative than in the roots and allow to reveal the form, characterized by relatively high of K^＋/Na^＋ ratio and the relatively low accumulation of Ca2^＋ as the most resistant to salt stress.

Comparison of PBDE congener profiles and concentration levels in human specimens from China and the US and identification of human exposure sources

In an effort to investigate the status of human exposure to PBDEs in China,available monitoring data in human specimens(including breast milk,serums,and blood) was collected from the general population as well as specific groups that are occupationally exposed.PBDEs exposure profiles and concentration levels were compared with their counterparts in the United States of America.It was found that PBDE burdens in general Chinese population are one order lower and have different congener profiles from that in the US,showing higher percentages of BDE-28 or BDE-153 in human specimens from China.Workers and residents in electronic wastes recycling regions or areas of commercial PBDE manufacturing have the highest PBDE exposure levels reported worldwide,which are close or higher than the exposure levels of the general population in the US. Highly brominated congeners,such as BDE-207 and 209,are among the major PBDE congeners,and BDE-209 has the highest percentage(above 50%) for all occupational populations studied.Principal components analysis(PCA) demonstrates that the exposure of the general population in the US is closely related to penta-BDE while the human burden in China is not.The PBDE in indoor air(gas phase) in the US is highly correlated with the PBDE burden in the general population in the US,indicating a major exposure pathway.For the occupationally exposed populations in China,the congener profiles are closely related to the commercial deca-BDE products.Examination of exposure profiles for general and occupational populations in China suggests that it is essential to include more highly brominated congeners,such as BDE-207 and 209,in future human exposure studies,in order to assess the real burdens and profiles of PBDEs exposure in China.Strict pollution prevention and occupational protection procedures are in need in China to avoid the PBDE contamination problem that has occurred in the US.

Gas-phase and particle-phase PCDD/F congener distributions in the flue gas from an iron ore sintering plant

The activated carbon injection-circulating fluidized bed（ACI-CFB）-bag filter coupling technique was studied in an iron ore sintering plant. For comparison, the removal efficiencies under the conditions without or with ACI technology were both evaluated. It was found that the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofuran（PCDD/F） removal efficiency for total international toxic equivalence quantity（I-TEQ） concentration was improved from 91.61% to 97.36% when ACI was employed, revealing that ACI was very conducive to further controlling the PCDD/F emissions. Detailed congener distributions of PCDD/Fs in the gas-phase and particle-phase of the Inlet and Outlet samples were determined. Additionally, the PCDD/F distribution for the Fly ash-with ACI sample of was also studied.

Success of native and invasive plant congeners depends on inorganic nitrogen compositions and levels

Aims Successful plant invaders usually exhibit three strategies:Jack-of-all-trades(more robust in stressful sites),Master-of-some(more responsive in favorable sites)and Jack-and-master(both robustness and responsiveness).To revisit these strategies,we examined how soil inorganic nitrogen(N)compositions and levels influence the success of native and invasive plant congeners in the context of plant communities.Methods We conducted an experiment involving three fixed factors:species origin,N composition and N level.Here,we selected 21 plant species(eight pairs of invasive and native congeners and five non-congeneric natives)to assemble plant communities,which were subject to nine N environments consisting of three N compositions(3:1,2:2 and 1:3 NO3−/NH4+)and three N levels(low,medium and high N).We determined the following metrics:total biomass,relative biomass(a proxy of species success),mortality rate and mortality time.Important Findings Across nine N environments,native and invasive congeners exhibited similar total biomass,relative biomass and mortality time,but invaders had a marginally lower mortality rate than natives.Similar success between native and invasive congeners was linked to their similar growth and tolerance.N compositions influenced mortality time and N levels affected the total biomass and relative biomass.Importantly,species origin,N composition and N level interactively affected the total biomass,relative biomass and mortality time.These findings suggest that native and invasive plant congeners may be similarly successful across different N environments,and that inorganic N compositions and levels both contribute to plant invasion success.

Holographic quantitative structure-activity relationship for prediction of the toxicity of polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners

Polybrominated diphenyl ether congeners (PBDEs) might activate the AhR (aromatic hydrocarbon receptor) signal transduction, and thus might have an adverse effect on the health of humans and wildlife. Because of the limited experimental data, it is important and necessary to develop structure-based models for prediction of the toxicity of the compounds. In this study, a new molecular structure representation, molecular hologram, was employed to investigate the quantitative relationship between toxicity and molecular structures for 18 PBDEs. The model with the significant correlation and robustness (r 2 = 0.991, q 2 LOO = 0.917) was developed. To verify the robustness and prediction capacity of the derived model, 14 PBDEs were randomly selected from the database as the training set, while the rest were used as the test set. The results generated under the same modeling conditions as the optimal model are as follows: r 2 = 0.988, q 2 LOO = 0.598, r 2 pred = 0.955, and RMSE (root-mean-square of errors) = 0.155, suggesting the excellent ability of the derived model to predict the toxicity of PBDEs. Furthermore, the structural features and molecular mechanism related to the toxicity of PBDEs were explored using HQSAR color coding.

关于热电联产电厂热电单耗分摊的讨论

热电联产是节约能源、保护环境的一种重要供热方式 ,热电单耗分摊的重要性不容置疑。用建立在“现代节能理论”基础上的单耗分析理论对热电单耗进行分析 ,并与传统方法进行比较 ,得出了合理的结论。

热、电、冷三联供的效益分析

利用现有热电联产系统发展集中供热，供电和供冷为一体的能源综合利用系统。该系统将溴化锂吸收式制冷机引入到热电厂的热电联产系统中，可增加热电厂的夏季热负荷，从而使冬夏热负荷平衡，保证热电厂更经济高效地运行。通过调查和计算，将热、电、冷联产与热电和冷量分供系统加以比较，表明该系统不但可节能，而且具有增加电能生产和保护环境的效益。

不同定义平行测验等值的群体不变性

群体不变性是等值的一个重要假设,即对不同的考生子群体等值函数一致。本研究对不同平行测验定义下线性等值的群体不变性进行了理论分析和模拟研究,模拟研究REMSD指标通过六种不同加权方式计算。结果显示,严格平行测验在信度较低时REMSD指标更大;子群体均值差异和信度差异对REMSD的影响存在明显的交互作用;REMSD指标在期望权重等权下的最大,在分数权重采用子群体比例加权最小。最后对结果进行了讨论,对REMSD权重使用及进一步研究给出了建议。

热、电、冷三联供的效益分析

利用现有热电联产系统发展集供热、供电和供冷为一体的能源综合利用系统。该系统将溴化锂吸收式制冷机引入到热电厂的热电联产系统中，可增加热电厂的夏季热负荷，从而使冬夏热负荷平衡，保证热电厂更经济高效地运行。通过调查和计算，将热电冷联产与热电和冷量分供系统加以比较，表明该系统不但可节能，而且具有增加电能生产和保护环境的效益。

α系数与测验的同质性

本文从α系数与同质性测验、平行测验和基本τ-等价测验间的关系及三种测验间的关系入手,分析了α系数作为测验同质性信度估计的局限性;根据J reskog给出的信度定义(α系数),讨论了λ系数与α一致性信度、Guttman下限之间的关系,说明了在测验同质的前提下,λ系数在估计测验内部一致性时与α系数相比的优点。同时用模拟数据的方法就不同情景下测验的结构维度与α系数、Guttmanλ2下限和λ系数之间的关系进行了探讨。

三种增温情景对入侵植物紫茎泽兰种子出苗的影响

全球气候变暖影响外来植物的入侵风险,不同增温情景可影响入侵植物的生长和其他表型。种子出苗是种群生活史的重要阶段,但是目前还不了解不同增温情景对入侵植物种子出苗的影响。设置三种增温情景(白天增温、晚上增温、全天增温),通过同属近缘种比较,研究不同增温对入侵植物紫茎泽兰(Eupatorium adenophorum)和本地植物异叶泽兰(Eupatorium heterophyllum)种子出苗的影响。与对照(不增温)相比,三种增温方式都不同程度地降低异叶泽兰的出苗率,白天增温时出苗率最低,其次是全天增温;对于紫茎泽兰而言,晚上增温提高其出苗率,白天增温降低其出苗率,在全天增温条件下紫茎泽兰没有出苗。增温对紫茎泽兰的影响比对异叶泽兰的影响更明显。此外,异叶泽兰与紫茎泽兰种子出苗率与积温基本呈线性关系,且不同增温方式对各线性关系影响存在差异。这些结果初步表明,如果未来的气候变暖发生在夜间,则有利于提高紫茎泽兰的入侵风险;如果发生在白天、尤其是全天,则可能极大降低其入侵风险。

论同类科技期刊间的交流与合作

开展同类科技期刊间的交流与合作,有利于汲取经验、共享资源、提升群体的竞争能力。同类科技期刊应通过交换刊物、召开联谊会、共建网络平台等形式加强在信息、发行、广告等方面的合作。

Occurrence of polybrominated diphenyl ethers in fish and shellfish downstream from electronic-waste recycling plants

We measured 39 polybrominated diphenyl ethers （PBDEs） in the muscle tissue of three species of fish （Sciaenops ocellatus,Sparus macrocephalus,and Lateolabrax japonicus） and four species of shellfish （Tegillarca granosa,Cyclina sinensis,Sinonovacula constricta,and Ostrea cucullata） that were collected downstream of electronic-waste recycling plants in Taizhou,China.A total of 24 PBDE congeners （PBDE 24） in the samples were detected.The PBDE 24 （total PBDE） ranged from 545.4 to 1688.7 ng/kg ww （wet weight）.The mean PBDE 24 concentration was 1382.6 ng/kg ww in fish and 858.1 ng/kg ww in shellfish.The lower brominated congeners were detected at relatively high concentrations in all species.The penta-products,produced from e-waste,were found at relatively low levels.A principal component analysis suggested a significant correlation among di-,tri-,tetra-,and hepta-BDEs for the three species of fish.Similarly,we found a significant correlation between mono-and tri-BDEs in the shellfish.Our results suggested that the processes of PBDE metabolism and elimination were similar in both fish and shellfish.In addition,the primary source of PBDEs appeared to be from the debromination of high brominated PBDEs.