Impact of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus mite body raw material on house dust mite allergy diagnosis in a Serbian population

House dust mite (HDM) allergy has different clinical and immunological patterns in different geographic regions. The impact of raw material of commercial Dermatophadoides pteronyssinus (Acari: Pyroglyphidae) mite bodies on the quality of allergen extracts for allergy diagnosis in the Serbian population has not been previously evaluated. House dust mite bodies obtained from manufacturers in Europe, South America and Australia were used in the preparation of allergen extracts for in vivo diagnosis and serological analysis in a group of 14 HDM‐allergic adults. In the group of mite‐allergic patients, there was no statistically significant difference in skin test reactivity (Wilcoxon matched pairs test) among the three HDM body extract preparations. In a CAP inhibition assay, two extracts (A and C) achieved maximum inhibition of >90%, whereas extract B demonstrated a different inhibition slope and lower inhibition potential (80%). However, a remarkable difference in immunoglobulin E reactivity using Western blot analysis with individual patients' sera was observed in one of the preparations (extract B). These findings emphasize the need for the careful selection of starting material for the preparation of HDM diagnostic reagents intended for use in patients from geographically distinct regions as these preparations can have implications on the selection criteria for patient‐tailored immunotherapy of HDM allergy.     

沙尘胁迫对阿月浑子光合作用及叶绿素荧光特性的影响

为了探讨长期沙尘胁迫下阿月浑子叶片光合性能的变化机制,以室内盆栽阿月浑子为材料,对叶片进行覆盖厚度为2mg/cm2(轻度),9 mg/cm2(重度)的沙尘处理,无沙尘覆盖为对照,并分别在处理后第7天、14天、28天和42天,测定叶片光合CO2同化速率,叶绿素含量以及叶绿素荧光特性等参数。结果表明,阿月浑子叶片的净光合速率(Pn)和气孔导度(Gs)随沙尘处理时间延长而下降,重度沙尘处理下Pn和Gs下降幅度比轻度大,胞间CO2浓度(Ci)处理前期增加而后期下降,重度沙尘处理下Ci增幅比轻度小;叶绿素a(Chl-a)、叶绿素b(Chl-b)和总叶绿素含量均随处理时间的延长而下降,在重度沙尘处理下下降幅度比轻度沙尘处理大,Chl-a的下降速率大于Chl-b,叶绿素a和b的比值(Chl-a/Chl-b)在重度沙尘处理下逐渐下降,而在轻度沙尘处理下呈升-降-升趋势;PSⅡ最大光化学效率(Fv/Fm)不同程度下降,在重度沙尘处理下下降幅度比轻度沙尘处理大;轻度沙尘覆盖下实际光化学效率(ΦPSⅡ)及非环式电子传递效率(ETR)在处理第42天显著下降,而重度覆盖处理先急剧下降,后期逐渐恢复;非光化学荧光猝灭(NPQ)在轻度胁迫下先下降而后逐步上升,在重度处理下则在处理前期就迅速上升。从而得出结论,阿月浑子轻度沙尘胁迫条件下前期其光合作用非气孔限制贡献率大于气孔限制,随胁迫时间气孔限制逐渐占优势,并且随处理时间的延长其吸收的光能用于保护性耗散量逐渐增加,使其光合CO2同化效率下降。     

Cumulative effects of volcanic ash on the food preferences of two Orthopteran species

Inert dusts are an early form of insecticide which is still in use. One of the most common inert dusts is volcanic ash. In order to study the reaction of rangeland grasshoppers, Dichroplus vittigerum (Acrididae) and a katydid, Burgilis mendosensis (Phaneropteridae), to the presence of volcanic ash in their food sources and how this reaction changed as a function of time, we conducted paired preference tests between clean leaves of their preferred host plant and leaves exposed to volcanic ash of different grain size. The behavioral response was measured as the rating on the Thurstonian preference scale of leaves with ash in relation to clean leaves. The results showed that the avoidance of volcanic ash increased as a function of time in both species. Both species studied are occasionally exposed to volcanic activity, and come from an area in which a volcanic eruption had recently occurred. As their populations did not decrease after the ash fall, we propose that some behavioral responses such as avoidance of places with ash, works as tolerance mechanism to inert dusts exposure.     

中国东部花粉比值与气候的关系及其在定量古气候重建中的应用

在中国东部连续的尘土孢粉样基础上,用转换函数的方法研究中国东部孢粉与气候的定量关系,研究结果证明,中国东部现代花粉的分布与年均温有密切关系,某些草本植物花粉之间的含量变化很大程度上与太阳辐射量和不同纬度的温度变化有关,因此定量重建古植被带的迁移及古气候的变化就成为可能,通过对比,选择Artemisisa与Poaceae的比值作为温度替代指标,Arte/Poac与纬度相关系数的平方值（R2）为0．9579,它与年均温的相关系数平方值也达到0．9162,用回归方程定量重建了中国东部海域钻孔DGKS－9602的古气候,由于末次盛冰期草本植物花粉丰富,获得的气候值可信度最好,即年均温比现代降低了8℃左右（6－10℃）,植被带向南推移了约8－10纬度,这一结果与前人的研究结果基本吻合。     

神头二电厂灰场植物群落分析研究

火电厂贮灰场常位于电厂附近平原地带,占地面积大,贮留时间长,以山西省神头二电厂马邑贮灰场为例,采用等级聚合分类分析。群落多样性与环境因子的方差分析和相关分析等方法。系统研究了灰场环境对植物群落类型,分布,多样性的影响。结果表明：灰场区植物分为4个群落,以强耐盐碱的碱蓬群落为优势群落,群落分布和多样性受灰场的影响较小,但随着土壤盐渍化程度的加重,植物群落多样性,均匀性呈下降趋势。     

Pilotstudie zum Biomonitoring für Ochratoxin A bei Beschäftigten im Getreide-und Rohkaffee-Umschlag

Handling cargo such as grains and raw coffee beans may result in an inhalation mycotoxin-containing dusts from these commodities. Ochratoxin A (OTA) was analyzed in blood samples obtained from nine cargo workers who handle these commodities at the Hamburg harbour. The OTA plasma levels ranged between 0.14 and 1.04 ng/ml. The mean (0.5±0.3) and median value (0.42 ng/ml) for this sample are slightly higher than those reported previously for the general population in Germany resulting from dietary OTA exposure alone. Our preliminary data point to a possible inhalation exposure, but further investigations are necessary for a definite proof of this exposure. This pilot study is an example of the usefulness of biomonitoring for OTA in occupational contexts.

Presented at the 27^th Mykotoxin-Workshop Dortmund. Germany June 13–15, 2005     

北京市8种常绿阔叶树种滞尘能力

为筛选适用于北京地区的具有优良滞尘能力的常绿阔叶型绿化树种,提高城市植被滞尘能力,选取北京地区园林绿化应用广泛的8种常绿(含半常绿)阔叶绿化树种,应用洗脱-质量差值法,于2014年冬、春季节对其单位叶面积滞尘量进行测定,计算单叶滞尘量和单株滞尘量,并对树种综合滞尘能力进行聚类分析.结果表明: 小叶黄杨、冬青卫矛、小叶女贞、金叶女贞、胶东卫矛、箬竹、早园竹和黄槽竹8种主要常绿(含半常绿)阔叶树种的滞尘能力存在较大差异,冬青卫矛具有最大的单位叶面积与单株滞尘能力,为1.36 g·m^-2和59.63 g·plant^-1,而箬竹的单叶滞尘能力最强(1.62 mg·leaf^-1).选择不同的滞尘量计量单位,树种滞尘量排序会发生变化.对8种常绿(含半常绿)阔叶树种做基于多指标综合滞尘能力的聚类分析可得到相应的分类,各类别代表不同级别的综合滞尘能力水平.其中,冬青卫矛、早园竹的综合滞尘能力较优良,而小叶黄杨、金叶女贞和黄槽竹的综合滞尘能力较弱.     

Influence of Matrix Composition on the Bioaccessibility of Copper,Zinc, and Nickel in Urban Residential Dust and Soil

This study examines factors affecting oral bioaccessibility of metals in household dust, in particular metal speciation, organic carbon content, and particle size, with the goal of addressing risk assessment information requirements. Investigation of copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) speciation in two size fractions of dust (< 36 μ m and 80–150 μ m) using synchrotron X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) indicates that the two metals are bound to different components of the dust: Cu is predominately associated with the organic phase of the dust, while Zn is predominately associated with the mineral fraction. Total and bioaccessible Cu, nickel (Ni), and Zn were determined (on dry weight basis) in the < 150 μ m size fraction of a set of archived indoor dust samples (n = 63) and corresponding garden soil samples (n = 66) from the City of Ottawa, Canada. The median bioaccessible Cu content is 66 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 5 μ g g^?1 in soil; the median bioaccessible Ni content is 16 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 2 μ g g^?1 in soil; and the median bioaccessible Zn content is 410 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 18 μ g g^?1 in soil. For the same data set, the median total Cu content is 152 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 17 μ g g^?1 in soil; the median total Ni content is 41 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 13 μ g g^?1 in soil; and the median total Zn content is 626 μ g g^?1 in dust compared to 84 μ g g^?1 in soil. Organic carbon is elevated in indoor dust (median 28%) compared to soil (median 5%), and is a key factor controlling metal partitioning and therefore bioaccessibility. The results show that house dust and soil have distinct geochemical signatures and should not be treated as identical media in exposure and risk assessments. Separate measurements of the indoor and outdoor environment are essential to improve the accuracy of residential risk assessments.     

Animal and worker exposure to dust and biological particles in animal care houses

An aerobiological study was performed to evaluate the potential exposure of animals and workers to dust constituents generated during routine animal house work. Different rooms of air conditioned (A, control) and passively ventilated (B, non-air conditioned) animal facilities were sampled, in order to evaluate total airborne culturable fungi and bacteria, fungal spore concentrations and particle levels. Airborne room particles were analyzed gravimetrically and for endotoxin content. All parameters, except for culturable fungi, were higher in facility B and statistically significant, with respect to those from the control facility A. Median values for airborne particle concentration, endotoxin and fungal spores in facility B were: 115 µg m^–3, 25 EU m^–3, and 2173 spores m^–3, respectively. Median values for facility A were: 66 µg m^–3, 9 EU m^–3, and 248 fungal spores m^–3. Broncheoalveolar lavage from rats kept in the rat room of B, presented median concentrations of total cells and lactate dehydrogenase, higher than those found in the control facility (4.4 × 10⁵ vs. 1.1 × 10⁵ and 2.7 UmL^-1 vs. 0.39 UmL^–1, respectively). Values of total and biological particles of both facilities, as well as the time spent in different rooms, showed that worker exposure was higher during cage washing. It was especially high in the passively ventilated facility (airborne particles 686 µg m^–3 3.5 h^–1 vs. 976 µg m^–3 3.5 h^–1, endotoxin 70 EU m^–3 3.5 h^–1 vs. 108 EU m^–3 3.5 h^–1). The type of basidiospores and ascospores found, as well as the significant correlation between particle levels and endotoxin contents suggests that wood chip bedding disturbance during cage washing is an important source for airborne biological particles. The changes in broncheoalveolar lavage components found in rats from these facilities and previously reported changes in pro-inflammatory cellular responses found in workers, indicate that these relatively low levels of exposure are enough to induce a biological response. Studies considering the composition of mixed organic dusts, would be needed to reevaluate current occupational standards.     

植物叶片对沙尘的短时间生理生态反应

通过对在北京分布普遍的包括行道树,果树,林木,庄稼等的22种植物对模拟的沙尘在短时间的生理生态指标变化测定,表明沙尘在瞬时内确实影响各种植物叶片的生理生态过程,5种植物的净光合速率降低超过35％,但是银杏（Ginkgo biloba L.)的净光合速率增加超过57％,12个物种的呼吸速度显增加,但是苹果（Malus pumila Mill.)(M.communis D C.)和黄栌（Cotinus coggygria(L.)Scop.)的呼吸速率显降低,另外8个种变化不大。5个种的蒸腾速度显增加,9个种蒸腾速率显降低,美国梧桐（Platanus occidentalis L.)有较大的附尘力。还对3个种柿（Diospyros kaki L.f.),银杏和毛白杨（Populus tomentosa Carr.)在沙尘覆盖2h后测定生理生态指标。本研究表明在沙尘源附近种植欧州白榆（Ulmus laevis Pall.),苹果,柿和银杏等比较适合阻挡沙尘还有利于当地经济,而在离沙尘源较远的城市（如北京)真有较大附尘力的植物有利于净化空气。