Responses of serum chemokines to dramatic changes of air pollution levels,a panel study

Abstract

Background: Despite the in vitro and in vivo evidence, studies are limited in evaluating whether chemokines are potential inflammatory mediators in response to air pollution exposure in humans.

Methods: We conducted a panel study coinciding with the Beijing Olympics, when temporary air pollution controls were implemented. We measured a suite of serum chemokines among healthy adults before, during and after the Olympics, respectively. Linear mixed-effect models were used to evaluate changes in chemokine levels over the three time periods.

Results: In response to the 50% drop in air pollution levels during the games, levels of RANTES, MCP-2, and TARC decreased by 25.8%, 20.9% and 35.3%, respectively (p?<?0.001) from pre-Olympics, and then increased by 45.8%, 34.9% and 61.5%, respectively (p?<?0.001) after the games when air pollution levels went up again. Similar patterns were observed in subgroup analyses by sex, age, smoking and body mass index. GRO-α and IL-8 decreased significantly during the games (22.5% and 30.4%), and increased non-significantly after the games. Eotaxin-1 only increased significantly from during- to post-games.

Conclusions: The strongest associations with air pollution levels were observed among RANTES, TARC and MCP-2. Those chemokines may play important roles in the air pollution-induced inflammatory pathway.     

Modeling and analysis of soybean (Glycine max. L) Cu/Zn,Mn and Fe superoxide dismutases

Superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1) is an important metal-containing antioxidant enzyme that provides the first line of defense against toxic superoxide radicals by catalyzing their dismutation to oxygen and hydrogen peroxide. SOD is classified into four metalloprotein isoforms, namely, Cu/Zn SOD, Mn SOD, Ni SOD and Fe SOD. The structural models of soybean SOD isoforms have not yet been solved. In this study, we describe structural models for soybean Cu/Zn SOD, Mn SOD and Fe SOD and provide insights into the molecular function of this metal-binding enzyme in improving tolerance to oxidative stress in plants.     

Heavy metal pollution negatively correlates with anuran species richness and distribution in south‐eastern Australia

Heavy metal pollution has likely played an important role in global biodiversity decline, but there remains a paucity of information concerning the effects of metals on amphibian diversity. This study assessed anuran species richness and distribution in relation to sediment metal content and water chemistry in wetlands located along the Merri Creek corridor in Victoria, south‐eastern Australia. Anurans were present in 60% (21/35) of study sites, with a total of six species detected: the eastern common froglet (Crinia signifera), the eastern sign‐bearing froglet (Crinia parinsignifera), the southern brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii), the growling grass frog (Litoria raniformis), the eastern banjo frog (Limnodynastes dumerilii) and the spotted marsh frog (Limnodynastes tasmaniensis). Mean species richness was 1.77 ± 0.32 per site, and species richness ranged from zero to six species per site. Across sites, species richness correlated negatively with sediment concentrations of six heavy metals: copper, nickel, lead, zinc, cadmium and mercury. Species richness also correlated negatively with wetland water electrical conductivity (a proxy for salinity) and concentrations of orthophosphate. Distributions of the three most commonly observed frog species (C. signifera, L. tasmaniensis and L. ewingii) were significantly negatively associated with the total level of metal contamination at individual sites. The study is the first to provide evidence for an association between metal contamination and anuran species richness and distribution in the southern hemisphere, adding to a small but growing body of evidence that heavy metal pollution has contributed to global amphibian decline.     

High prevalence of asthma symptoms in Warao Amerindian children in Venezuela is significantly associated with open-fire cooking: a cross-sectional observational study

Background

The International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) reported a prevalence of asthma symptoms in 17 centers in nine Latin American countries that was similar to prevalence rates reported in non-tropical countries. It has been proposed that the continuous exposure to infectious diseases in rural populations residing in tropical areas leads to a relatively low prevalence of asthma symptoms. As almost a quarter of Latin American people live in rural tropical areas, the encountered high prevalence of asthma symptoms is remarkable. Wood smoke exposure and environmental tobacco smoke have been identified as possible risk factors for having asthma symptoms.

Methods

We performed a cross-sectional observational study from June 1, 2012 to September 30, 2012 in which we interviewed parents and guardians of Warao Amerindian children from Venezuela. Asthma symptoms were defined according to the ISAAC definition as self-reported wheezing in the last 12 months. The associations between wood smoke exposure and environmental tobacco smoke and the prevalence of asthma symptoms were calculated by means of univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses.

Results

We included 630 children between two and ten years of age. Asthma symptoms were recorded in 164 of these children (26%). The prevalence of asthma symptoms was associated with the cooking method. Children exposed to the smoke produced by cooking on open wood fires were at higher risk of having asthma symptoms compared to children exposed to cooking with gas (AOR 2.12, 95% CI 1.18 - 3.84). Four percent of the children lived in a household where more than ten cigarettes were smoked per day and they had a higher risk of having asthma symptoms compared to children who were not exposed to cigarette smoke (AOR 2.69, 95% CI 1.11 - 6.48).

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that children living in rural settings in a household where wood is used for cooking or where more than ten cigarettes are smoked daily have a higher risk of having asthma symptoms.     

鹰嘴豆种质资源对Ascochyta rabiei的抗性评价及遗传多态性分析

以25 个鹰嘴豆品系为试验材料,通过叶面喷雾的方式进行Ascochyta rabiei菌悬液室内外人工接种,评价不同鹰嘴豆种质资源的抗病性;同时利用RAPD方法进行基因型鉴定,采用NTSYSpc 2.10t软件对分子标记结果进行遗传相似性的统计分析并建立各品系间的亲缘关系聚类图,探讨不同鹰嘴豆品系对A.rabiei抗性与遗传多态性间的关系。通过室内和田间鹰嘴豆抗A.rabiei鉴定结果综合分析表明：在25个鹰嘴豆供试品系中,“系选 03”和“216”品系均表现出稳定抗性特性;北园春品系表现出稳定中抗特性。通过RAPD多态性引物对这25 个供试品系进行PCR扩增,共获得129 个扩增条带,其中多态性条带共有67 条,多态性比例达51.94%,遗传相似系数为0.3731-0.9254。结合抗病性和遗传多态性,经方差分析表明,本研究所采用的鹰嘴豆品系对A.rabiei的抗性强弱与其遗传相似性之间无显著相关性。     

紫花苜蓿多元杂交后代优良株系筛选研究

通过对甘农3号、甘农5号和游客紫花苜蓿多元杂交后代选育的36个株系及其亲本的生长、产量、品质等相关指标的测定,采用灰色关联度理论,构造综合评价模型进行供试材料综合评价,筛选出速生12#、速生11#株系为最理想的优良株系,生长高度分别为105.44cm、105.42cm;生长速度分别为1.74cm/d、1.68cm/d;茎叶比分别为0.30、0.35;分枝数分别为23、17;鲜草产量分别为39.99 t/hm2、35.13 t/hm2;粗蛋白含量分别为19.95%、23.89%;相对饲用价值为153.15%、157.02%。多叶2#、速生5#、速生20#、速生21#等4个株系为较理想的优良株系。     

膜生物膜法在水污染控制及资源回收中的研究进展

传统以达标排放为核心目标的废水处理工艺往往以高能耗、高物耗换取污染物削减,形成了"减排污染物、增排温室气体"的尴尬局面,并不符合可持续发展理念。作为一种新型的膜处理技术,膜生物膜法可利用无泡曝气的方式将气态电子供体(甲烷、氢气)或受体(氧气)提供给附着在膜表面的微生物,从而驱动水体中的污染物去除,并产生一些极具回收潜力的物质,最终实现污染物削减、节能减排及资源回收三大目标的有机整合。本文系统介绍了膜生物膜的传质过程及其去除污染物的微观机制,探讨了膜生物膜法在水处理资源回收方面的研究前景,梳理了膜生物膜反应器在水污染控制方面的实验研究和中试应用现状,并总结了膜生物膜法面临的挑战及发展趋势。     

工业有机污染对小型水体沉积物真菌群落的影响分析

【背景】有机污染对水体沉积物中的微生物多样性影响极大,而目前有关污染水体沉积物中真菌多样性的研究较少。【目的】研究不同程度有机污染下水体沉积物中真菌种群的多样性特征,探究工业有机污染对真菌群落的影响。【方法】应用化学分析方法和高通量测序技术进行研究,并分析水质、沉积物成分等环境因子与沉积物真菌多样性的相关性。【结果】随着污染程度的降低,水体沉积物中真菌序列数、OTU数和Shannon多样性指数均呈上升趋势。未分类真菌、子囊菌门和担子菌门是沉积物真菌群落中的主要优势种类,主要优势属为Zopfiella、Westerdykella、Clypeosphaeria、Ilyonectria、Paracremonium、Aspergillus。真菌Shannon指数与水体溶解氧(dissolvedoxygen,DO)极显著正相关,与沉积物有机质和总磷含量显著负相关,Simpson指数与水体总氮(total nitrogen,TN)、氨氮(NH3-N)、总磷(total phosphorus,TP)显著相关。【结论】有机污染导致水体溶解氧下降和沉积物有机质增加,从而导致污染区真菌多样性显著下降。Zopfiella、Penicillium、Emericellopsis、Westerdykella、Jugulospora、Chromelosporium可能参与曝气处理区域沉积物兼氧条件下污染物的去除,Ilyonectria、Mortierella、Epicoccum可能主要参与水生生物残体分解、污染物的吸附沉降等过程。     

聚乙烯塑料的微生物降解

聚乙烯(polyethylene,PE)是产量最大的通用塑料之一,通常被加工成一次性包装材料(包括塑料袋及容器)和农用薄膜等。PE塑料的广泛应用导致大量PE废弃物的累积,对生态环境造成严重的威胁。自20世纪70年代以来,一些研究陆续报道了PE塑料被微生物降解的现象,并从土壤、海洋、垃圾堆置点及昆虫肠道等生境中分离筛选到了若干种具有一定PE塑料降解能力的菌株,而且发现一些单加氧酶、过氧化物酶和漆酶等氧化还原酶对PE塑料具有氧化降解能力。这些研究为发展PE塑料废弃物生物降解处理技术提供了一定的依据。本文总结和分析了PE塑料降解微生物的分离和筛选方法,以及已报道的PE塑料降解微生物和降解酶的研究进展,以期为进一步研究PE塑料的微生物降解机理和处理技术提供参考。