Health Risk Assessment of Employees Exposed to Chlorination By-products of Recreational Water in Large Amusement Parks in Shanghai

Objective Chlorination is often used to disinfect recreational water in large amusement parks;however,the health hazards of chlorination disinfection by-products(DBPs)to occupational populations are unknown.This study aimed to assess the exposure status of chlorinated DBPs in recreational water and the health risks to employees of large amusement parks.Methods Exposure parameters of employees of three large amusement parks in Shanghai were investigated using a questionnaire.Seven typical chlorinated DBPs in recreational water and spray samples were quantified by gas chromatography,and the health risks to amusement park employees exposed to chlorinated DBPs were evaluated according to the WHO's risk assessment framework.Results Trichloroacetic acid,dibromochloromethane,bromodichloromethane,and dichloroacetic acid were detected predominantly in recreational water.The carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of the five DBPs did not exceed the risk thresholds.In addition,the carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risks of mixed exposure to DBPs were within the acceptable risk limits.Conclusion Typical DBPs were widely detected in recreational water collected from three large amusement parks in Shanghai;however,the health risks of DBPs and their mixtures were within acceptable limits.

Progress in Analytical Methods of Halogenated Disinfection By-Products

Ensuring the health and safety of drinking water is crucial for both nations and their citizens.Since the 20th century,the disinfection of drinking water,effectively controlling pathogens in water sources,has become one of the significant advances in public health.However,the disinfectants used in the process,such as chlorine and chlorine dioxide,react with natural organic matter in the water to produce disinfection by-products(DBPs).Most of these DBPs contain chlorine,and if the source water contains bromine or iodine,brominated or iodinated DBPs,collectively referred to as Halogenated disinfection byproducts(X-DBPs),are formed.Numerous studies have found that X-DBPs pose potential risks to human health and the environment,leading to widespread concern.Mass spectrometry has become an important means of discovering new types of X-DBPs.This paper focuses on the study of methods for analyzing X-DBPs in drinking water using mass spectrometry.

Effects of molasses on the fermentation characteristics of mixed silage prepared with rice straw, local vegetable by-products and alfalfa in Southeast China

This experiment was conducted to study the effect of molasses on the fermentation characteristics of mixed silage ensiled rice straw and vegetable by-products with alfalfa.Mixture（202 g kg^-1 dry matter（DM））consisting of rice straw,broccoli residue and alfalfa at the ratio of 5：4：1 was ensiled with three experimental treatments：（1）no additives（control）;（2）molasses at 2.5%（M1）;（3）molasses at 5%（M2）on a fresh matter basis of mixture,respectively.All treatments were packed into laboratory-scale silos,and three silos per treatment were sampled on days 1,3,5,14 and 30.The result showed that the p H value of all mixed silages decreased gradually with the time of ensiling except for the control silage,in which a significant increase（P〈0.05）on day 30 occurred.The lactic acid content increased gradually with the time of ensiling and reached the highest value on day 14,and a marked decrease（P〈0.05）was found in the control silage on day 30.The changes of acetic acid content showed similar pattern with lactic acid content.A trace amount of propionic and butyric acid contents were found in the three mixed silages during the fermentation period.Comparing to the control,M1 and M2 treatments improved the fermentation quality of mixed silages as indicated by higher（P〈0.05）lactic acid contents and lower（P〈0.05）p H and ammonia-N contents.The Flieg points also showed that M1 and M2 silages were well preserved,whereas the control silage had a bad quality.Overall,the findings of this study suggested that adding molasses could improve fermentation quality of mixed silage,and M1 was more suitable for practical application.

非线性非一致介质二维Maxwell方程leap-frogCrank-Nicolson多区域Legendre-tau配置谱方法

该文研究了具有非线性电导率的非一致介质二维Maxwell方程的数值求解方法,提出了多区域Legendre-tau配置谱方法.该数值方法空间上达到谱精度,时间上是二阶精度.时间方向采用leap-frog Crank-Nicolson三层格式进行离散.非线性项放在中间已知层采用谱配置法显式处理,线性项采用Legendre谱方法隐式处理.利用显隐数值格式,既有较好的稳定性又方便算法实施.基于合理的弱形式,不需要使用额外附加的连接条件,以自然边界条件的方式处理交界面条件.定义不同次数多项式逼近空间,构建一致的数值格式.详细证明了半离散和全离散数值格式的稳定性和收敛性,并得到L^(2)-范数的最优误差估计.算例中,利用快速Legendre变换在Chebyshev点上计算非线性项,提高算法效率.数值结果证实了该数值方法求解此类非线性问题的有效性,并且没有因为解的间断而损失谱精度.

Population Variation and Food Habits of Ranid Frogs in the Rice-Based Cropping System in Gujranwala Region,Pakistan

The current study aims to investigate the population variation and food habits of ranid frogs in the rice-based cropping system in District Gujranwala,Pakistan.The population in the study area was estimated using capture,mark and release method whereas food habits of the species were studied by analysis of stomach contents.The results showed the highest average population was found during August 2009(93.10±18.64/ha) while the lowest from December 2008 to February 2009.Maximum seasonal populations existed in summer 2009,whereas winter 2008 sizes were at a minimum.Stomach content analysis of the species revealed percent frequency(% F) of occurrence of insects(80.3),earthworms(28.5),whole frogs(15.8),bone pieces(22.5),rodents(1.66),vegetation(5.0),soil particles(13.3) and some unidentified material(7.5) in all the stomach samples.Most frequently consumed prey items were insects(30% by volume),although frogs also preyed upon conspecifics and rodents.Insects recovered from the stomach contents were identified as belonging to Orthoptera,Lepidoptera,Coleoptera,Diptera,Odonata and Homoptera as well as the class Archnida.Insects recovered from the stomach contents were compared to those captured from the study area.

Simultaneous Control of Microorganisms and Disinfection By-products by Sequential Chlorination

Objective To introduce a new sequential chlorination disinfection process in which short-term free chlorine and chloramine are sequentially added. Methods Pilot tests of this sequential chlorination were carried out in a drinking water plant. Results The sequential chlorination disinfection process had the same or better efficiency on microbe （including virus） inactivation compared with the free chlorine disinfection process. There seemed to be some synergetic disinfection effect between free chlorine and monochloramine because they attacked different targets. The sequential chlorination disinfection process resulted in 35.7%-77.0% TTHM formation and 36.6%-54.8% THAA5 formation less than the free chlorination process. The poorer the water quality was, the more advantage the sequential chlorination disinfection had over the free chlorination. Conclusion This process takes advantages of free chlorine＇s quick inactivation of microorganisms and chloramine＇s low disinfection by-product （DBP） yield and long-term residual effect, allowing simultaneous control of microbes and DBPs in an effective and economic way.

Effects of Replacing Fishmeal with Animal By-products Meal Supplementation in Diets on the Growth and Nutrient Utilization of Mangrove Red Snapper

A feeding trial was conducted for 75 d to evaluate the nutritive value of a mixture of animal by-products （MAB） as a possible protein source in diets for juvenile mangrove red snapper, Lutjanus argentimaculatus （mean initial body weight, 30 g）. Fish were fed one of five isonitrogenous diets （40% crude protein） replacing 0, 25% （MAB25）, 50% （MAB50）, 75% （MAB75） and 100% （MAB100） of fish meal protein with similar percentages of MAB. The MAB consisted of 25% cow liver meal, 20% leather meal, 20% meat and bone meal, 15% blood meal, 10% APC （poultry feather meal）, 8% poultry manure dried, 1.5% choline and 0.5% chromic oxide. After 75 d of feeding, fish fed with diets MAB50, MAB75 and MABI00 exhibited significantly lower growth performance than that of fish fed with control and MAB25 diets. The optimum level of MAB was estimated to be 23%. Replacement of fish meal by MAB23% showed the following performance： maximum weight gain, 510%; SGR, 2.39% and FCE, 2.83%. The MAB substitution up to 75% of fish meal protein in diets did not show differences in apparent protein digestibility （83.6% for MAB25, 79.2% for MAB50, 78.7% for MAB75） compared with control （83.4%）, whereas in MABI00 group digestibility （65.3%） was significantly lower than in other groups. The apparent phosphorus absorption of test diet groups was significantly higher （37.1% for MAB25, 28.5% for MABS0, 55.6% for MAB75 and 54.5% for MABI00） than that of control （1 1.2%）. The levels of protein and ash in the whole body, carcass and viscera increased as MAB substitution in diets increased, whereas lipids and moisture remained consistent among all treatment groups. These results showed that approximately 23% of fish meal protein could be replaced by a mixture of animal by-products for juvenile snapper growing from 30 g to 167 g in 75 d without compromising growth performance and feed efficiency.

Neem by-products in the fight against mosquito-borne diseases:Biotoxicity of neem cake fractions towards the rural malaria vector Anopheles culicifacies(Diptera:Culicidae)

Objective: To evaluate the ovicidal, larvicidal and adulticidal potential of neem cake fractions of different polarity against the rural malaria vector Anopheles culicifacies(An.culicifacies).Methods: Neem cake fractions' total methanol extract(NTMeOH), total ethyl acetate extract(NTAc OEt), ethyl acetate fraction after repartition with NTMe OH(NRAc OEt),butanol fraction after repartition with NTMeOH(NRBuOH), and aqueous fraction after repartition of NTMeOH(NRH2O) were tested against An. culicifacies eggs, fourth instar larvae and adults.Results: In larvicidal experiments, NTMeOH, NTAcOEt, NRAcOEt, NRBuOH and NRH2O achieved LC50 values of 1.32, 1.50, 1.81, 1.95 and 2.54 mg/L, respectively. All fractions tested at 150 mg/L were able to reduce egg hatchability of more than 50%, with the exception of NTAc OEt and NRAc OEt. In adulticidal assays, NTMeOH, NTAcOEt,NRAcOEt, NRBuOH and NRH2O achieved LC50 values of 3.01, 2.95, 3.23, 3.63 and3.00 mg/L, respectively.Conclusions: Overall, this study suggests that the methanolic fractions of neem cake may be considered as a new and cheap source of highly effective compounds against the rural malaria vector An. culicifacies.

Comprehensive utilization of corn starch processing by-products:A review

Corn is a high starchy cereal crop with the highest production and provides over 85%of the starch produced worldwide.Various by-products,differentiated by technological process features such as steep liquor,corn germ,corn bran,gluten,are created largely during corn starch processing.They are inexpensive,nutrient-rich,and vary widely in chemical composition such as proteins,oils,carbohydrates,and minerals.In an increasingly resource-constrained modern world,the utilization approach of these by-products for non-starch industrial processing is attractive widely considering both nutritive value and economic aspects.In fact,at present,applications of these by-products can often be found in feed,fermentation,nutrient extraction and other industries.For example,protein-rich corn gluten can be used as a good animal feed,and corn germ can be used as a raw material for the high-quality edible oil industry.Undoubtedly,increasing utilization means that these by-products will no longer be treated as waste but will be transformed into high value-added products.In this work,the separation process and chemical composition of several main by-products of the corn starch industry is briefly described,and the application in many industrial fields of these by-products over the last ten years are discussed in particular.This review attempts to summarize all aspects of the application and research of these by-products.For the by-products of the corn starch industry,the most promising way is to be utilized in high value and used to produce high value-added products.According to the characteristics of their chemical composition,they have a better application prospect and research significance in the industries directly related to human beings,such as medicine,green food and health care products.In fact,in recent years,some researchers have recognized this and carried out the research.It is clear fromthese studies that the main issues to be faced nowand in the future are how to produce efficiently while maintaining the quality of the product and using it effectively.The retrospective discussions also provide some ideas for other grain and oilseed crops to be fully utilized.

Nitric acid pressure leaching of limonitic laterite ores:Regeneration of HNO3 and simultaneous synthesis of fibrous CaSO4·2H2O by-products

An innovative technology,nitric acid pressure leaching of limonitic laterite ores,was proposed by our research team.The HNO3 regeneration is considerable significance for the improvement of the proposed technology and its commercial application,but it has not been systematically investigated.Herein,regenerating HNO3 from Ca(NO3)2 solution with low-cost H2SO4,and simultaneous synthesis of fibrous CaSO4·2H2O by-products were studied.As a theoretical basis,the solubility of CaSO4·2H2O in HNO3 medium is studied.It is concluded that the solubility of CaSO4·2H2O increases with increasing temperature or increasing HNO3 concentration,which has considerable guiding significance for the subsequent experimental research and analysis.Then,the effects of various factors on the residual Ca^2+ concentration of filtrate,the regenerated HNO3 concentration and the morphology of synthesized products are investigated using ICP-AES and SEM.And the effect mechanism is also analyzed.The results indicate the regenerated HNO3 concentration reaches 116 g/L with the residual Ca^2+ concentration being 9.7 g/L at the optimum conditions.Moreover,fibrous CaSO4·2H2O by-products with high aspect ratios(length,406.32μm;diameter,14.71μm;aspect ratio,27.62)can be simultaneously synthesized.

Female mate choice and the potential for ornament evolution in túngara frogs Physalaemus pustulosus

The potential for ornament evolution in response to sexual selection rests on the interaction between the permissive- ness or selectivity of female preferences and the constraints on male development of signaling related traits. We investigate the former by determining how latent female preferences either exaggerate the magnitude of current traits （i.e. elaborations） or favor novel traits （i.e. innovations）. In tt^ngara frogs, females prefer complex mating calls （whine-chucks） to simple calls （whine only）. The whine is critical for mate recognition while the chuck further enhances the attractiveness of the call. Here we use a combina- tion of synthetic and natural stimuli to examine latent female preferences. Our results show that a diversity of stimuli, including conspecific and heterospecific calls as well as predator-produced and human-made sounds, increase the attractiveness of a call when added to a whine. These stimuli do not make simple calls more attractive than a whine-chuck, however. In rare cases we found stimuli that added to the whine decrease the attractiveness of the call. Overall, females show strong preferences for both elaborations and innovations of the chuck. We argue that the emancipation of these acoustic adornments from mate recognition allows such female permissiveness, and that male constraints on signal evolution are probably more important in explaining why males evolved their specific adornment. Experimentally probing latent female preferences for stimuli out of the species＇ range is a useful means to gain insights about the potential of female choice to influence signal evolution and thus the astounding diversity in male sexually-selected traits [Current Zoology 56 （3）： 343-357, 2010].

Flexibility as a Strategy for Avoiding Call Overlap in Male Anhui Treefrogs

Male-male vocal competition is critical for mating success in anuran species;however,it remains unknown that how males regulate their competitive strategies dynamically during competition because calling is highly time-consuming,energetically demanding and likely to increase predation risks.Since different parts of calls will encode different information for vocal communication,we hypothesized that competitive strategies of male frogs may be modulated by the temporal and spectral features of different call notes.To test this hypothesis,the natural advertisement calls(OC),its modified versions with the first call note replaced by white noise(WN)or other notes and with the fifth call note replaced by WN,were played back to the Anhui tree frogs(Rhacophorus zhoukaiyae).Results showed that 1)males produced more competitive calls in response to acoustic stimuli compared to their baseline calling during silence;and 2)males emitted more non-overlapping calls compared to overlapping calls in response to the acoustic stimuli.These results are consistent with the idea that males are flexible to acoustic signals and their competition strategies are modulated dynamically by social contexts.

Removal of disinfection by-products formation potential by biologically intensified process

The removal of disinfection by-products formation potential(DBPFP) in artificially intensified biological activated carbon(IBAC) process which is developed on the basis of traditional ozone granular activated carbon was evaluated. By IBAC removals of 31% and 68% for THMFP and HAAFP were obtained respectively. Under identical conditions, the removals of the same substances were 4% and 32% respectively only by the granular activated carbon(GAC) process. Compared with GAC, the high removal rates of the two formed potential substances were due to the increasing of bioactivity of the media and the synergistic capabilities of biological degradation cooperating with activated carbon adsorption of organic compounds. A clear linear correlation(R 2=0.9562 and R 2=0.9007) between DOC HAAFP removal rate and Empty Bed Contact Time(EBCT) of IBAC process was observed, while that between THMFP removal rate and EBCT of GAC was R 2=0.9782. In addition certain linear correlations between THMFP, HAAFP and UV 254 (R 2=0.855 and R 2=0.7702) were found for the treated water. For IBAC process there are also more advantages such as long backwashing cycle time, low backwashing intensity and prolonging activated carbon lifetime and so on.

Circadian Rhythm and Intersexual Differences in Auditory Frequency Sensitivity in Emei Music Frogs

In anurans, calling behaviour is strongly seasonal and circadian. Previous studies have revealed that a uditory sensitivity in frogs exhibits seasonal plasticity, and electroencephalographic signals exhibit highly correlated circadian patterns;of which, the circadian rhythm remains unknown. In this study,the circadian rhythm and intersexual differences of auditory sensitivity were tested in the Emei music frog(Nidirana daunchina). This was achieved by comparing thresholds and latencies of auditory brainstem responses(ABRs) evoked by tones and clicks stimuli between male and female frogs during the day and at night,respectively. Our results revealed that both auditory thresholds and latencies had no differences between day and night except the la tencies in 3.5–4.0 kHz frequencies. However, the thresholds of tone pip evoked ABRs differed significantly between male and female frogs from 2.5 to 5.0 kHz. This demonstrated that the auditory sensitivity of Emei music frogs exhibits sexual dimorphism at high frequencies, with female frogs exhibiting greater auditory sensitivity than that of male frogs. Simultaneously, the power spectra of male advertisement calls are matched well with the frequency range of auditory sensitivity in male and female frogs,which supports the matched filter hypothesis. Our study enhances the understanding of circadian plasticity and sexual dimorphism of auditory sensitivity in frogs.

Enzymatic recovery of glycopeptides from different industrial grades edible bird’s nest and its by-products:nutrient,probiotic and antioxidant activities,and physicochemical characteristics

This study was conducted to recover edible bird’s nest(EBN)hydrolysates from different grades of EBN,including the industrial by-products,using enzymatic treatment.The nutrient,physicochemical properties and antioxidant activities of the recovered hydrolysates at different hydrolysis times were evaluated.Results showed that the recovery yield of enzymatic hydrolysis was above 89%for all grades of EBN and the degree of hydrolysis increased over time.Nitrite content(0.321-0.433 mg/L)was below the permissible tolerance level for all samples.Interestingly,the antioxidant activities(DPPH and ABTS scavenging activities and ferric reducing antioxidant powder(FRAP)activity)were significantly higher(P≤0.05)in hydrolysates recovered from EBN by-products(EBNhC and EBNhD)as compared to the high grade EBN hydrolysates(EBNhA and EBNhB).The in-vitro probiotic activity of EBN and its hydrolysates were examined using the probiotic bacterium Lactobacillus plantarum.Evidently,EBN by-products hydrolysate(EBNhD)recorded the highest number of L.plantarum(1.1×1011 CFU/mL),indicating that low grade EBN has the potential as prebiotic material that promotes probiotic activity.This study demonstrated the concept of using EBN by-products hydrolysates for various applications,such as functional ingredients with enhanced bioactivities,to improve its economic value.

Age Structure of Two Species of Odorous Frogs(Odorrana margaretae and Odorrana grahami)

Variation in age structure and body size benefits are identified to understand the evolution of life history.Here,we estimated the age structure and body size of two species of odorous frogs(Odorrana margaretae and Odorrana grahami)by using skeletochronology.The ages at sexual maturity of O.grahami and O.margaretae in both sexes were 1 and 2 years,respectively.For both sexes,the maximum age observed in O.margaretae was six years.For O.grahami,the maximum age observed in males and females were 4 and 5 years,respectively.Males and females did not differ in mean age in the two species.The average body size of both species considerably differed between sexes,with females being larger than males.The body size of females was also larger than that of males when the effect of age was removed.We also found positive correlations between body size and age within each sex in O.margaretae,but only for female in O.grahami.The female-biased sexual size dimorphism of the two species suggested that fecundity selection for larger female size may increase the reproductive output.

Reduction of Precursors of Chlorination By-products in Drinking Water Using Fluidized-bed Biofilm Reactor at Low Temperature

Objective To investigate the reduction of chlorination by-products （CBPs） precursors using the fluidized-bed biofdm reactor （FBBR）. Methods Reduction of total organic carbon （TOC）, ultraviolet absorbance （UV254）, tfihalomethane （THM） formation potential （THMFP）, haloacetic acid （HAA） formation potential （HAAFP）, and ammonia in FBBR were evaluated in detail. Results The reduction of TOC or UV254 was low, on average 12.6% and 4.7%, respectively, while the reduction of THMFP and HAAFP was significant. The reduction of ammonia was 30%-40% even below 3℃, however, it could quickly rise to over 50% above 3℃. Conclusions The FBBR effectively reduces CBPs and ammonia in drinking water even at low temperature and seems to be a very promising and competitive drinking water reactor for polluted surface source waters, especially in China.

Development of Techniques for Animal Feed from Corn and Their By-Products

Research results concerned （ 1 ） quantification of pH value and contents of ammonia nitrogen, volatile fatty acids （VFAs）, and lactic acid, which were indicators of fermentative quality of corn stover silage and other crop by-product silages ; （2） introduction of methods for analyses of fiber content in feeds such as detergent and enzymatic analyses; （3） determination of digestive characteristics in the tureen by artificial digestion trials （ in vitro and in situ ） ; （ 4 ） evaluation of meat productivity and quality by feeding corn stover silage to beef cattle in feeding experiments and; （5） preparation of feed composition and feeding standards for animals in Jilin Province. These results and methods substantially contributed to stabilization of feed supply as well as an increase in the efficiency of meat production, resulting in sustainable development of livestock management in China.

Removal characteristics of disinfection by-products formation potential by bioaugmentation activated carbon process

The high-active bacteria were screened from 8 dominant bacteria obtained from the natural water body,and then the bioaugmentation activated carbon was formed by hydraulic immobilization of the high-active bacteria. Plant-scale studies on removal characteristics of disinfection by-products formation potentials (DBPFP) by bioaugmentation activated carbon process were conducted for micro-polluted raw water treatment. The results show that the bioaugmentation activated carbon process has adopted better purification efficiency to THMFP and HAAFP than traditional biological activated carbon process,and that average removal efficiencies of THMFP and HAAFP can reach 35% and 39.7% during the test period,increasing by more than 10% compared with traditional biological activated carbon process. The removal efficiencies of THMFP and HAAFP are stable because of the biodegradation of the high-active bacteria and the adsorption of active carbon. The biodegradability of CHCl3 formation potential is better as compared with that of CHCl2Br and CHClBr2 formation potentials among THMFP,and high removal efficiency of CHCl3formation potential is obtained by bioaugmentation degradation of the high-active bacteria. The biodegradability of HAAFP is better in comparison with that of THMFP,and the chemical properties of HAAFP are propitious to adsorption of activated carbon. Thus,HAAFP is on predominance during the competitive removal process with THMFP.

Behavioral and Neurogenomic Responses to Acoustic and Visual Sexual Cues are Correlated in Female Torrent Frogs

Diverse a nimal species use multimodal communica tion signals to coordina te reproductive behavior.Despite active research in this field,the brain mechanisms underlying multimodal communication remain poorly understood.Similar to humans and many mammalian species,anurans often produce auditory signals accompanied by conspicuous visual cues(e.g.,vocal sac inflation).In this study,we used video playbacks to determine the role of vocal-sac inflation in little torrent frogs(Amolops torrentis).Then we exposed females to blank,visual,auditory,and audiovisual stimuli and analyzed whole brain tissue gene expression changes using RNAseq.The results showed that both auditory cues(i.e.,male advertisement calls)and visual cues were attractive to female frogs,although auditory cues were more attractive than visual cues.Females preferred simultaneous bimodal cues to unimodal cues.The hierarchical clustering of differentially expressed genes showed a close relationship between neurogenomic states and momentarily expressed sexual signals.We also found that the Gene Ontology terms and KEGG pathways involved in energy metabolism were mostly increased in blank contrast versus visual,acoustic,or audiovisual stimuli,indicating that brain energy use may play an important role in response to these stimuli.In sum,behavioral and neurogenomic responses to acoustic and visual cues are correlated in female little torrent frogs.