From chocolate mousse to acid drops: an introduction to FSG research

Research has always been one of the functions of the Field Studies Council. One facet of this is the great diversity of small projects which support educational courses at the Field Centres. There has also been the growth, from small beginnings in 1967, of the Oil Pollution Research Unit at Orielton. OPRU has operated internationally for many years and undertakes both basic research and contract work for industry and governments. A more recent development involving contract work is 'acid rain' monitoring. These industrial facets of FSC Research have useful educational spin-offs.     

Associations between social jetlag and mental health in young people: A systematic review

ABSTRACT

Adolescence and early adulthood (collectively categorized as “young people”) is a transitional period associated with a number of key physiological, social and psychological changes. Sleep difficulties, notable in this age group, may adversely affect physical and mental health. Of interest is the impact of the natural shift in young people towards a more evening-type sleep pattern (chronotype), whilst social constraints encourage early waking to fit with school/work timings. This leads to a misalignment in sleep timing between weekdays and weekends, known as social jetlag, which may contribute to emerging mental health difficulties seen during this age group. A systematic literature review was undertaken to investigate the association between social jetlag and mental health outcomes.

Systematic searching of electronic databases (The Cochrane Library; PsycINFO; CINAHL; Scopus; and PubMed), grey literature and review of reference lists identified seven studies which assessed associations between social jetlag and mental health outcomes in young people. Quality appraisal was completed using the Appraisal Tool for Cross-Sectional Studies.

Findings appeared equivocal; however significant associations were revealed with social jetlag associated with clinical depression and seasonal depression, in female participants and high latitude regions. Quality of included studies was moderate (10–13 criteria met). A lack of homogeneity between study methodologies precluded the conduct of a meta-analysis.

The ambiguous results found may result from confounding factors including non-comparable methods of measuring social jetlag and mental health both in this age group and the selected studies. Future research should address a lack of homogeneity through the development of an interdisciplinary core outcome set, and agreement on a standardized measure and calculation for social jetlag.     

Encouraging consumption of fruit and vegetables by young people through school-based interventions

The Nutrition Division of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) held a seminar in November 2001 to discuss results from research projects related to encouraging good diets and identifying needs to ensure an integrated approach within schools. The principle aim of the seminar was to discuss the results from school-based interventions designed to increase fruit and vegetable consumption by young people and, in particular, to disseminate results from four FSA-commissioned interventions to interested parties. Six presentations on a range of school-based interventions were given in the morning; four discussion workshops, arranged such that participants provided a mixture of perspectives in each group, were held in the afternoon. Participants identified common issues of interest and concern as a result of discussing topics related to school-based nutrition, namely: What works to encourage fruit and vegetable consumption? What doesn't work? What impedes progress? and Where do we go from here? A general feeling was that there is a lot of activity in this area but it needs to be more coordinated. Successful aspects and learning experiences from each of the initiatives could be encompassed into a single intervention. The FSA will be discussing with colleagues in the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health how to build further on the experiences gained from the projects.     

条石鲷仔、稚、幼鱼脂肪酸组成变化研究

通过采用GC/MS法研究了条石鲷(Oplegnathus fasciatus)仔鱼、稚鱼及幼鱼阶段的脂肪酸组成和变化特点。共检测到28种脂肪酸,其中饱和脂肪酸(SFA)13种,单不饱和脂肪酸(MUFA)7种,多不饱和脂肪酸(PUFA)8种。结果表明:条石鲷鱼苗内源性营养阶段以饱和脂肪酸C16∶0、C20∶0及单不饱和脂肪酸C16∶1、C18∶1作为能量代谢的主要来源;必需脂肪酸C20∶4(n-6)(AA)、C22∶5(n-3)(DPA)和C22∶6(n-3)(DHA)在稚鱼期含量较低,∑EPA+DHA仅为6.89%,认为是发生稚鱼胀鳔病的主要原因;仔鱼开口前体内的DHA和EPA是由母体卵黄提供的。     

利用红树植物监测海岸油污染方法初探

一、前言在海洋污染物中,石油污染是最普遍和最严重的一种。这种污染主要来自海上油船运输泄漏、海洋油田开发、油层自然渗出造成的远洋石油污染。近年来,随着沿海各地拆船工业的迅速发展,由于忽视环保工作或环保措施跟不上生产发展,拆船作业中大量含油压仓水排入海中,以及船只轮机部位大量存油,油垢溢     

水稻叶片对模拟酸雨伤害的生理反应

水稻暴露于ｐＨ２．５～４．２的模拟酸雨中２个月后测定表明：叶片叶绿素含量下降,细胞液离子外渗率增加,气孔阻抗增高,蒸腾速率降低。不同叶位的水稻叶片对模拟酸雨的敏感性不同,杂交稻（汕优６３）对模拟酸雨的敏感性较粳稻（中粳８６４）高     

Short-term ascorbic acid deficiency induced oxidative stress in the retinas of young guinea pigs

We examined whether short-term ascorbic acid deficiency induces oxidative stress in the retinas of young guinea pigs. Four-week-old guinea pigs were given a scorbutic diet (20 g/animal/day) with and without adequate ascorbic acid (400 mg/animal/day) in drinking water for 3 weeks. The serum concentrations of the reduced form of ascorbic acid and the oxidized form of ascorbic acid in the deficient group were 14.1 and 4.1%, respectively, of those in the adequate group. The retinal contents of the reduced form of ascorbic acid and the oxidized form of ascorbic acid in the deficient group were 6.4 and 27.3%, respectively, of those in the adequate group. The retinal content of thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, an index of lipid peroxidation, was 1.9-fold higher in the deficient group than in the adequate group. Retinal reduced glutathione and vitamin E contents in the deficient group were 70.1 and 69.4%, respectively, of those in the adequate group. This ascorbic acid deficiency did not affect serum thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances and reduced glutathione concentrations but increased serum vitamin E concentration. These results indicate that short-term ascorbic acid deficiency induces oxidative stress in the retinas of young guinea pigs without disrupting systemic antioxidant status.     

An on-line sampling system for fermentation monitoring using membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS): application to phenoxyacetic acid monitoring in penicillin fermentation

A sampling system for on-line monitoring of organic compounds of low volatility in complex fermentation media uses membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MIMS). A Syringe pump draws a continuous flow of microfiltered broth from the reactor and circulates it after acidification through a membrane inlet, in which a membrane is the only interface between the sample and the high vacuum of a mass spectrometer. All operations run automatically, i.e., sampling, acidification measurement, and calibration. The on-stream acidification enables MIMS monitoring of carboxylic acids, as they must be undissociated in order to pass the hydrophobic membrane. The performance of the monitoring system was tested by measurements of standard solutions of phenoxyacetic acid (POAA, the sie chain precursor of penicillin-V) as well as on POAA during 200 h penicillin-V fermentation. During the entire fermentation POAA was monitored n low millimolar concentrations with high accuracy and fast response to step changes in POAA concentration. Tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) allowed direct identification of peaks in the mass spectrum of the broth that were not accounted for by POAA. These peaks were identified as SO(2) and SCO. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

An artificial intelligence tool for bioprocess monitoring: application to continuous production of gluconic acid by immobilized Aspergillus niger

Experimental data on continuous fermentation of sucrose and glucose solution at low pH to gluconic acid by Asprgillus niger immobilized on cellulose fabric show complex dynamic behaviour including a decline in yield. The data have been analyzed using an artificial intelligence based symbolic regression technique to provide a mathematical model for predicting values of conversion 5, 10 and 15 h ahead values of conversion. These predictions can be used during continuous operations to monitor the bioprocess and adjust the residence time of fermentation to get complete and more efficient conversion of sucrose or glucose to gluconic acid.     

Effects of acid irrigation and liming on the production of fruit bodies by ectomycorrhizal fungi

The aim of this work was to examine the effects of an increase in acid rain upon community diversity and productivity of the ectomycorrhizal fungi in a Norway spruce stand and the possible amelioratory effects of liming. No obvious adverse effects on either the diversity or productivity were found. Acid irrigation appeared to enhance the fruiting of Russula ochroleuca, as did irrigation with normal rain. A combination of acid irrigation and liming resulted in a large increase in the fruiting of Hygrophorus pustulatus. Thirty times more fruit bodies were recorded from this treatment than from the control. A principal component analysis of the fruit body data suggested that soil organic horizon pH may be an important determinant of ectomycorrhizal community structure within the spruce stand.     

Effects of heavy metal soil pollution and acid rain on growth and water use efficiency of a young model forest ecosystem

In a 4-year lysimeter experiment, we investigated the effects of topsoil heavy metal pollution (3,000 mg kg⁻¹ Zn, 640 mg kg⁻¹ Cu, 90 mg kg⁻¹ Pb and 10 mg kg⁻¹ Cd) and (synthetic) acid rain (pH 3.5) on tree growth and water use efficiency of young forest ecosystems consisting of Norway spruce (Picea abies), willow (Salix viminalis), poplar (Populus tremula) and birch (Betula pendula) trees and a variety of understorey plants. The treatments were applied in a Latin square factorial design (contaminated vs uncontaminated topsoil, acidified rain vs ambient rain) to 16 open-top chambers, with 4 replicates each. Each open-top chamber contained two lysimeters, one with a calcareous, and the other with acidic subsoil. The four tree species responded quite differently to heavy metal pollution and type of subsoil. The fine root mass, which was only sampled at the end of the experiment in 2003, was significantly reduced by heavy metal pollution in P. abies, P. tremula and B. pendula, but not in S. viminalis. The metal treatment responses of above-ground biomass and leaf area varied between years. In 2002, the heavy metal treatment reduced above-ground biomass and leaf area in P. tremula, but not in the other species. In 2003, metals did not reduce above-ground growth in P. tremula, but did so in the other species. It appears that the responses in above-ground biomass and leaf area, which paralleled each other, were related to changes in the relative competitive strength of the various species in the two experimental years. S. viminalis gained relative to P. tremula in absence of metal stress, in particular on calcareous subsoil, while P. abies showed the largest increases in growth rates in all treatments. Above- and below-ground growth was strongly inhibited by acidic subsoil in S. viminalis and to a lesser degree also in P. abies. In P. abies, this subsoil effect was enhanced by metal stress. Acid rain was not found to have any substantial effect. Whole-system water use efficiency was reduced by metal stress and higher on calcareous than on acidic subsoil.     

The effect of kinetin on the indoleacetic acid level and indoleacetic acid oxidase activity in roots of young plants

Kinetin treatment increased the extractable IAA content in roots of young plants of Phaseolus vulgaris L., Zea mays L. and Avena sativa L. The highest increase was obtained with roots of beans and the lowest with oat roots. Maize was intermediate between these two species. Kinetin treatment decreased the activity of IAA-oxidase but the correlation between the decrease of the activity of this enzyme and the increase in the level of IAA was not good. The decrease of the oxidase activity was greatest in oat roots where kinetin had very little effect on the IAA level, and was rather small in bean roots, where kinetin treatment significantly increased the IAA level.     

Determination of free and total S-phenylmercapturic acid by HPLC/MS/MS in the biological monitoring of benzene exposure

Urinary S-phenylmercapturic acid (SPMA) is a biomarker suggested by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) for assessing occupational exposure to benzene. A possible cause of the miscorrelation between environmental monitoring and biological monitoring for benzene exposure, which many authors complain about, is the existence of a urinary metabolite that turns into SPMA by acid hydrolysis. Forty urine samples were tested to determine which concentration value would correspond to the ACGIH Biological Exposure Index (BEI) of 25 µg g^-1 creatinine if exposure assessment was based on the determination of SPMA after quantitative hydrolysis of its precursor. An aliquot of each sample was hydrolysed with 9 M H₂SO₄, a second one was brought to pH 2 and a third one was used as it was (free SPMA). SPMA was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometric technique (HPLC/MS/MS) using an internal standard. The analytical method was validated in the range 0.5-50 µg l^-1. The average SPMA in pH 2 samples is 45-60% of the total, while free SPMA varies from 1% to 66%. The hydrolysis of pre-SPMA reduces the likelihood of variability in the results by reducing pH differences in urine samples and increasing the amount of measured SPMA. The BEI limit value would be about 50 µg g^-1 creatinine.     

Preventive psychiatry: a blueprint for improving the mental health of young people

Preventive approaches have latterly gained traction for improving mental health in young people. In this paper, we first appraise the conceptual foundations of preventive psychiatry, encompassing the public health, Gordon''s, US Institute of Medicine, World Health Organization, and good mental health frameworks, and neurodevelopmentally‐sensitive clinical staging models. We then review the evidence supporting primary prevention of psychotic, bipolar and common mental disorders and promotion of good mental health as potential transformative strategies to reduce the incidence of these disorders in young people. Within indicated approaches, the clinical high‐risk for psychosis paradigm has received the most empirical validation, while clinical high‐risk states for bipolar and common mental disorders are increasingly becoming a focus of attention. Selective approaches have mostly targeted familial vulnerability and non‐genetic risk exposures. Selective screening and psychological/psychoeducational interventions in vulnerable subgroups may improve anxiety/depressive symptoms, but their efficacy in reducing the incidence of psychotic/bipolar/common mental disorders is unproven. Selective physical exercise may reduce the incidence of anxiety disorders. Universal psychological/psychoeducational interventions may improve anxiety symptoms but not prevent depressive/anxiety disorders, while universal physical exercise may reduce the incidence of anxiety disorders. Universal public health approaches targeting school climate or social determinants (demographic, economic, neighbourhood, environmental, social/cultural) of mental disorders hold the greatest potential for reducing the risk profile of the population as a whole. The approach to promotion of good mental health is currently fragmented. We leverage the knowledge gained from the review to develop a blueprint for future research and practice of preventive psychiatry in young people: integrating universal and targeted frameworks; advancing multivariable, transdiagnostic, multi‐endpoint epidemiological knowledge; synergically preventing common and infrequent mental disorders; preventing physical and mental health burden together; implementing stratified/personalized prognosis; establishing evidence‐based preventive interventions; developing an ethical framework, improving prevention through education/training; consolidating the cost‐effectiveness of preventive psychiatry; and decreasing inequalities. These goals can only be achieved through an urgent individual, societal, and global level response, which promotes a vigorous collaboration across scientific, health care, societal and governmental sectors for implementing preventive psychiatry, as much is at stake for young people with or at risk for emerging mental disorders.     

The use of fish metabolic, pathological and parasitological indices in pollution monitoring

  An integrated biological effect monitoring concept has been tested in flounder (Platichthys flesus L.) from four locations with different anthropogenic impact in the German Bight. During 3 years of sampling, biomarkers at all levels of biological organisation from the molecular to the ecosystem level were applied and tested on 742 individual fish of body lengths between 18 and 25 cm. At the ecosystem level, the fish were taken as a habitat for the parasite assemblage. The hypothesis was that changes in the environment might lead to changes in the species diversity of parasites and in the infection intensity of single species, as well as between heteroxenic and monoxenic parasite species (H/M ratio). At the molecular level, activity of the CYP1A-dependent monooxygenase ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD) was used as a biomarker of exposure. At the subcellular level, the integrity of lysosomal membranes in hepatocytes was taken as an indicator of non-specific acute and chronic toxic effects. Both biomarkers are recommended by the ICES Advisory Committee on the Marine Environment for the application in biological effects monitoring programmes. In addition, neutral lipid content in the liver was used as a marker for pathologically induced fat accumulation. In the same individual fish, a new method for the measurement of macrophage aggregate activity in the liver was tested for its application and reliability in reflecting immunosuppression. Tests were accompanied by chemical analysis of standard organochlorine and heavy metal residues in flounder tissue. A total of 33 parasite species were found. As an indicator species, the mean abundance of Trichodina sp. reflected best the pollution gradient observed with highest infection intensity at the most polluted location. Species diversity was significantly higher in fish caught near the reference site and significantly lower in fish from the polluted Elbe estuary. The use of the heteroxenous/monoxenous species ratio as a marker was not useful at the locations investigated because of the dominance of heteroxenous species at all habitats. Since EROD activity and macrophage aggregate activity were dependent on sex and maturity of female flounder, only male fish were taken into consideration for the integrated evaluation of data. All biochemical and histochemical tests were able to reflect accurately the site-specific differences, as well as an observed pollution event at the end of 1995 as determined by chemical analyses. The correlation analysis revealed a connection not only between the single parasitological and biochemical parameters but also within these groups. The non-specific immune response and Trichodina infection intensity were correlated with all other parameters, leading to the assumption that these may serve as links between the lowest and the highest levels of biological organisation. The simultaneous use of metabolic and parasitological results facilitated the interpretation of the observed variations of the data and the distinction between natural variation and pollution-mediated effects. Received: 1 March 1999 / Received in revised form: 25 May 1999 / Accepted: 7 June 1999     

外生菌根缓解植物酸雨胁迫的机理研究进展

森林作为陆地生态系统的主体,是酸雨污染的主要受体,酸雨对生态系统产生着巨大的影响。菌根是菌根真菌与植物营养根的共生体。外生菌根真菌与宿主植物间互惠互利,在森林生态系统中,外生菌根在维持生态系统的养分平衡和改善树木营养等方面有重要的作用。本文综述了国内外关于菌根和酸雨关系的研究,酸雨能抑制外生菌根的形成,降低其活力;但另一方面,外生菌根能够缓解酸雨造成的植物危害,提高植株对酸雨的耐受力。外生菌根主要通过以下几方面缓解酸雨胁迫:(1)菌根形态结构的物理屏蔽作用;(2)增加养分吸收,增加御酸能力;(3)增强酶活性,提高植物生存能力;(4)产生有机酸或其他物质。     

Habitat monitoring in Europe: a description of current practices

Monitoring of biodiversity at the level of habitats is becoming increasingly common. Here we describe current practices in habitat monitoring based on 150 schemes in Europe. Most schemes were initiated after 1990 in response to EU nature directives or habitat management/restoration actions, with funding mostly from European or national sources. Schemes usually monitor both the spatial distribution and the quality of the habitats, and they frequently collect data on environmental parameters and potential causes of changes. Many schemes are local or regional rather than national or international in scope, and sampling effort varies greatly across spatial and temporal scales. Experimental design is used in half of the schemes, however, data are rarely analysed by advanced statistics. Most schemes require two months or less per year in manpower and are typically run by professionals rather than by volunteers. Estimated salaries plus equipment costs average 650,000 Euro per year per scheme, and add up to 80 million Euros annually. Costs are particularly high for schemes based on European or international law and for schemes funded by European or national sources. Costs are also high in schemes in which sampling sites are selected subjectively rather than based on sampling theory, and in schemes that do not use field mapping or remote sensing to document spatial variation in habitats. Our survey demonstrates promising developments in European habitat monitoring but also underlines the need for better spatial coverage, documentation of spatial variaton, improved sampling design and advanced data analysis. Such improvements are essential if we are to judge progress towards the 2010 biodiversity targets.     

The use of innate immune responses as biomarkers in a programme of integrated biological effects monitoring on flounder (Platichthys flesus) from the southern North Sea

Immunological biomarkers that reflect the effects of exposure to environmental contaminants in coastal marine habitats were sought in European flounder (Platichthys flesus) from five locations in the German Bight with different anthropogenic impacts. During a 2-year period of sampling, innate immune responses were monitored from a total of 331 individual flounder of a body length of 18 to 25 cm. From the fish, plasma lysozyme, phagocytosis and respiratory burst activity of head kidney leucocytes were analysed and implemented as part of an integrated biological effects monitoring programme. As the measurements of the parameters applied here varied within wide ranges at some locations, spatial differences could not always be established, but some general trends could be drawn: plasma lysozyme activity was decreased in flounder contaminated with DDT adducts and some PCBs, while cellular functions such as phagocytosis and respiratory burst were stimulated by some chlorinated hydrocarbons. Correlation analysis also revealed connections not only between the parameters applied here and some contaminants but also with some biochemical parameters used as biomarkers in pollution monitoring: in flounder with decreased integrity of hepatocyte lysosomal membranes, immune functions also were impaired, and plasma lysozyme as well as phagocytosis activity of head kidney cells were impaired when the activity of cytochrome P450 1A was induced. The data presented here indicate that innate immune responses may be useful parameters to monitor cellular functions in a battery of biomarkers of different levels of biological organisation. Communicated by H. v. Westernhagen, A. Diamant