Sulfur dioxide,a double-faced molecule in mammals

Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) is a common air pollutant and is detrimental to many organs. Its toxic effects including oxidative damage, deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) damage and inflammation have been extensively studied. However, recent studies showed that SO₂ can be generated endogenously in mammals. In contrast to the toxic effects of SO₂, protective effects have also been found in mammals. Endogenous SO₂ has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-hypertension, and anti-atherogenic effects and regulates vascular tone and cardiac function in mammals. SO₂ may have a dual role in regulating physiological and pathophysiological effects in mammals. The biological effects of SO₂ in mammals are reviewed in this study.     

Molybdenum doped titanium dioxide photocatalytic coatings for use as hygienic surfaces: the effect of soiling on antimicrobial activity

Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) surfaces doped with molybdenum (Mo) were investigated to determine if their photocatalytic ability could enhance process hygiene in the brewery industry. Doping TiO₂ with Mo showed a 5-log reduction in bacterial counts within 4 to 24?h and a 1-log reduction in yeast numbers within 72?h. The presence of a dilute brewery soil on the surface did not interfere with antimicrobial activity. The TiO₂–Mo surface was also active in the dark, showing a 5-log reduction in bacteria within 4 to 24?h and a 1-log reduction in yeast numbers within 72?h, suggesting it could have a novel dual function, being antimicrobial and photocatalytic. The study suggests the TiO₂–Mo coating could act as a secondary barrier in helping prevent the build-up of microbial contamination on surfaces within the brewery industry, in particular in between cleaning/disinfection regimes during long production runs.     

三种暖季型草坪草对二氧化硫抗性的比较

二氧化硫(SO_2)是城市大气污染的重要污染物之一,这已经越来越成为国家迫在眉睫须彻底解决的环境问题,解决SO_2污染问题仍是一个重要的生态与环保课题。草坪植物现已成为城市绿化的主要造景材料,依据植物对大气污染的反应特性来选择城市草坪草种,使之在发挥景观效果的同时,发挥其更好的生态效果。采用人工模拟熏气法,以CK(自然状态)、S1(4.29mg/m~3)、S2(6.44mg/m~3)、S3(8.58mg/m~3)、S4(10.73mg/m~3)5个SO_2浓度水平,对城市常用的3种暖季型草坪草:结缕草(Zoysiajaponica)、百喜草(Paspalum notatum)、狗牙根(Cynodon dactylon)进行SO_2胁迫处理,并测定3种草坪草生理生化指标,最终比较3种草坪草对SO_2的抗性。结果表明:随SO_2浓度增加,3种草坪草的可溶性糖含量(SS)、脯氨酸含量(Pro)、丙二醛(MDA)含量呈增加趋势;结缕草可溶性蛋白(SP)呈先降后升趋势,百喜草则呈先升后降趋势,狗牙根各胁迫处理下其SP含量均低于CK;结缕草和狗牙根过氧化物酶(POD)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)和超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)活性呈增加趋势,百喜草SOD和CAT活性呈先升后降趋势,同时其POD活性在各SO_2胁迫处理下均低于CK。将所有测定指标采用模糊数学隶属度公式进行综合相关分析,得出3种草坪草对SO_2的抗性由强到弱的排序为:结缕草狗牙根百喜草。结缕草在SO_2胁迫下与其它两种草坪草相比,表现出了更好的抗性能力,因此,在城市空气不断遭受污染的今天,结缕草可以作为热带和亚热带城市绿化草坪植物的优选草种之一。     

CO2转化酶的固定化研究

CO2是导致温室效应的主要气体,固定和转化CO2的研究对于温室效应的减缓和环境保护方面具有重要意义。近年来CO2转化的研究取得了迅猛发展,其中生物法固定CO2由于其反应条件温和且绿色无污染的优点而备受关注。本文对转化CO2有关的乳酸脱氢酶（LDH）、苹果酸脱氢酶（MDH）和草酰乙酸脱羧酶（OAADC）进行了初步的固定化分析。首先以碳纳米管、壳聚糖和海藻酸钠为原料,制备了包埋上述CO2转化酶的微胶囊固定化体系,然后分别比较了游离酶和固定化酶的操作稳定性和储存稳定性。研究结果表明,固定化的CO2转化酶的操作稳定性和储存稳定得到明显的提高。本研究对CO2的转化和应用方面具有重要参考价值。     

Effects of carbon dioxide exposure on early brain development in rats

The developing brain is vulnerable to environmental factors. We investigated the effects of air that contained 0.05, 0.1 and 0.3% CO₂ on the hippocampus, prefrontal cortex (PFC) and amygdala. We focused on the circuitry involved in the neurobiology of anxiety, spatial learning, memory, and on insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), which is known to play a role in early brain development in rats. Spatial learning and memory were impaired by exposure to 0.3% CO₂ air, while exposure to 0.1 and 0.3% CO₂ air elevated blood corticosterone levels, intensified anxiety behavior, increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzyme activity and MDA levels in hippocampus and PFC; glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme activity decreased in the PFC with no associated change in the hippocampus. IGF-1 levels were decreased in the blood, PFC and hippocampus by exposure to both 0.1 and 0.3% CO₂. In addition, apoptosis was increased, while cell numbers were decreased in the CA1 regions of hippocampus and PFC after 0.3% CO₂ air exposure in adolescent rats. A positive correlation was found between the blood IGF-1 level and apoptosis in the PFC. We found that chronic exposure to 0.3% CO₂ air decreased IGF-1 levels in the serum, hippocampus and PFC, and increased oxidative stress. These findings were associated with increased anxiety behavior, and impaired memory and learning.     

Two Channels of Charge Generation in Perylene Monoimide Solid‐State Dye‐Sensitized Solar Cells

The mechanism of charge generation in solid‐state dye‐sensitized solar cells using triarylamine‐substituted perylene monoimide dyes is studied by vis‐NIR broadband pump‐probe transient absorption spectroscopy. The experiments demonstrate that photoinduced electron injection into the TiO₂ can only occur in regions where Li⁺, from the commonly used Li‐TFSI additive salt, is present on the TiO₂ surface. Incomplete surface coverage by Li⁺ means that some dye excitons cannot inject their electron into the TiO₂. However it is observed in the solar cell structure that some of the dye excitons that cannot directly inject an electron still contribute to free charge generation by the previously hypothesized reductive quenching mechanism (hole transfer to the solid‐state hole transporter followed by electron injection from the dye anion into the TiO₂). The contribution of reductive quenching to the quantum efficiency of charge generation is significant, raising it from 68% to over 80%. Optimization of this reductive quenching pathway could be exploited to maintain high quantum efficiency in dyes with greater NIR absorption to achieve overall enhancements in device performance. It is demonstrated that broadband NIR transient spectroscopy is necessary to obtain population kinetics in these systems, as strong Stark effects distort the population kinetics in the visible region.     

Elevated carbon dioxide and ozone alter productivity and ecosystem carbon content in northern temperate forests

Three young northern temperate forest communities in the north‐central United States were exposed to factorial combinations of elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) and tropospheric ozone (O₃) for 11 years. Here, we report results from an extensive sampling of plant biomass and soil conducted at the conclusion of the experiment that enabled us to estimate ecosystem carbon (C) content and cumulative net primary productivity (NPP). Elevated CO₂ enhanced ecosystem C content by 11%, whereas elevated O₃ decreased ecosystem C content by 9%. There was little variation in treatment effects on C content across communities and no meaningful interactions between CO₂ and O₃. Treatment effects on ecosystem C content resulted primarily from changes in the near‐surface mineral soil and tree C, particularly differences in woody tissues. Excluding the mineral soil, cumulative NPP was a strong predictor of ecosystem C content (r² = 0.96). Elevated CO₂ enhanced cumulative NPP by 39%, a consequence of a 28% increase in canopy nitrogen (N) content (g N m^?2) and a 28% increase in N productivity (NPP/canopy N). In contrast, elevated O₃ lowered NPP by 10% because of a 21% decrease in canopy N, but did not impact N productivity. Consequently, as the marginal impact of canopy N on NPP (?NPP/?N) decreased through time with further canopy development, the O₃ effect on NPP dissipated. Within the mineral soil, there was less C in the top 0.1 m of soil under elevated O₃ and less soil C from 0.1 to 0.2 m in depth under elevated CO₂. Overall, these results suggest that elevated CO₂ may create a sustained increase in NPP, whereas the long‐term effect of elevated O₃ on NPP will be smaller than expected. However, changes in soil C are not well‐understood and limit our ability to predict changes in ecosystem C content.