How Can the Eco‐efficiency of a Region be Measured and Monitored?

The concept of eco-efficiency is commonly referred to as a business link to sustainable development. In this article, ecoefficiency is examined at a regional level as an approach to promoting the competitiveness of economic activities in the Finnish Kymenlaakso region and mitigating their harmful impacts on the environment. The aim is to develop appropriate indicators for monitoring changes in the eco-efficiency of the region. A starting point is to produce indicators for the environmental and economic dimensions of regional development and use them for measuring regional eco-efficiency. The environmental impact indicators are based on a life-cycle assessment method, producing different types of environmental impact indicators: pressure indicators (e.g., emissions of CO₂), impact category indicators (e.g., CO₂ equivalents in the case of climate change), and a total impact indicator (aggregating different impact category indicator results into a single value). Environmental impact indicators based on direct material input, total material input, and total material requirement of the Kymenlaakso region are also assessed. The economic indicators used are the gross domestic product, the value added, and the output of the main economic sectors of Kymenlaakso. In the eco-efficiency assessment, the economic and environmental impact indicators are monitored in the same graph. In a few cases eco-efficiency ratios can also be calculated (the economic indicators are divided by the environmental indicators). Output (= value added + intermediate consumption) is used as an economic indicator related to the environmental impact indicators, which also cover the upstream processes of the region's activities. In the article, we also discuss the strengths and weaknesses of using the different environmental impact indicators.     

Mitochondrial respiratory control in the myocardium

The heart muscle has proved to be a practical model for studying respiratory control in intact tissues. It also demonstrates that control at the level of the respiratory chain is augmented by metabolic control at the substrate level as exemplified by the very narrow range of changes in the redox state of the mitochondrial NADH/NAD couple even during extensive changes in ATP and oxygen consumption. The behaviour of mitochondria when isolated can largely be duplicated in the intact myocardium. Moreover, the high intracellular concentrations of enzymes, coenzymes and adenine nucleotides create conditions of high reaction rates, enabling the formation of a near equilibrium network of certain main pathways. This equilibrium network in connection with metabolic regulation of the hydrogen pressure upon the matrix NADH/NAD pool is a prerequisite for the regulation of cellular respiration at a high efficiency of energy transfer. Experimentation on the intact myocardium also seems to be capable of resolving some of the uncertainties about prevailing mechanisms for the regulation of cellular respiration.     

Sensitivity to NN''-dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide of proton translocation by mitochondrial NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase.

Proton extrusion during ferricyanide reduction by NADH-generating substrates or succinate was studied in isolated rat liver mitochondria with the use of optical indicators. NN'-Dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide (DCCD) caused a decrease of 84% in the H+/e- ratio of NADH:cytochrome c reduction, but a decrease of only 49% in that of succinate:cytochrome c reduction, even though electron transfer was decreased equally in both spans. The data indicate that a DCCD-sensitive channel operates in the NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase region of the respiratory chain.     

Changes in the distribution of integrins and their basement membrane ligands during development of human thyroid follicular epithelium

Interactions between cells and basement membrane components are crucial for the regulation of epithelial cell differentiation and polarization. We have studied by immunohistochemical methods the distribution of integrin adhesion proteins and some of their basement membrane ligands in foetal (16--19 weeks) and adult thyroid follicular epithelia. A diffuse immunoreactivity for only 3, v and 1 integrins was found in foetal follicular epithelium, whereas in adult follicular epithelium these integrins were expressed basally in a polarized manner. Additionally, 3 integrin was seen in a more basolaterally confined manner in adult follicular epithelium. Among basement membrane components, laminin 1, 1, 1 and 2 chains were found in epithelial basement membranes of the foetal thyroid gland, suggestive of the presence of laminins-1 and -3. In contrast, the basement membranes of adult follicular epithelium presented a much weaker immunoreactivity for the laminin 2 chain. Furthermore, immunoreactivity for the laminin 2 chain was occasionally seen in adult thyroid glands, apparently confined to myofibroblasts. Immunoreactivity for type IV collagen 1 and 2 (IV) chains was found in follicular basement membranes of foetal as well as adult thyroid gland. The results suggest that during maturation of foetal thyroid follicular epithelium a distinct polarization of integrins takes place. In mature thyroid follicular epithelium, the presumable adhesion-mediating integrin complexes are 31, v1 and/or v3 mediating adhesion to laminin-1 (1-1- 1) and type IV collagen trimer 12 (IV)     

Elimination and replenishment of tricarboxylic acid-cycle intermediates in myocardium.

1. The contribution of Co2 fixation to the anaplerotic mechanisms in the myocardium was investigated in isolated perfused rat hearts. 2. K+-induced arrest of the heart was used to elicit a transition in the concentrations of the intermediates of the tricarboxylic acid cycle. 3. Incorporation of 14C from [14]bicarbonate into tricarboxylic acid-cycle intermediates was measured and the rates of the reactions of the cycle were estimated by means of a linear optimization program which solves the differential equations describing a simulation model of the tricarboxylic acid cycle and related reactions. 4. The results showed that the rate of CO2 fixation is dependent on the metabolic state of the myocardium. Upon a sudden diminution of cellular ATP consumption, the pool size of the tricarboxylic acid-cycle metabolites increased and the rate of label incorporation from [14C]bicarbonate into the cycle metabolites increased simultaneously. The computer model was necessary to separate the rapid equilibration between bicarbonate and some metabolites from the potentially anaplerotic reactions. The main route of anaplerosis during metabolite accumulation was through malate + oxaloacetate. Under steady-state conditions there was a constant net outward flow from the tricarboxylic acid cycle via the malate + oxaloacetate pool, with a concomitant anaplerotic flow from metabolites forming succinyl-CoA (3-carboxypropionyl-CoA).     

Effect of prolonged ethanol ingestion on hepatic lipogenesis and related enzyme activities

1. Hepatic lipogenesis in vivo and the activities of enzymes associated with fatty acid synthesis in the liver were studied in rats fed for 21 days on liquid diets containing ethanol. 2. The ethanol-fed rats developed a moderate hepatic triacylglycerol accumulation during this period. When carbohydrate was replaced by ethanol in the diet, the rate of fatty acid synthesis was slower in the ethanol-fed rats on low-, medium- and high-fat diets than in the appropriate controls. However, when the fat/carbohydrate ratio was kept the same in the ethanol-fed and control rats, ethanol had no influence on the rate of fatty acid synthesis. 3. Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was lower in the ethanol-fed group. ;Malic' enzyme activity did not change during the ethanol treatment when the fat/carbohydrate ratio was kept unchanged. 4. The ATP citrate lyase activity was lower in the ethanol-fed rats on all diets, whereas acetyl-CoA synthetase activity was independent of the composition of the control diet, but was lower in the ethanol-fed rats, in which the concentration of the active form of pyruvate dehydrogenase was also lower. 5. It is concluded that hepatic fatty acid synthesis does not play any major role in ethanol-induced triacylglycerol accumulation. Careful design of the diets is necessary to reveal the specific effects of ethanol on the enzymes associated with lipogenesis.     

Oxidation-reduction midpoint potentials of mitochondrial flavoproteins and their intramitochondrial localization

Spectrophotometric and fluorimetric substrate couple titrations and potentiometric spectrophotometric titrations were used to determine the oxidation-reduction potentials of components showing absorbance or fluorescence at the wavelengths attributable to the flavoproteins of mitochondria fractionated using digitonin together with sonication. A pure mitoplast fraction devoid of cytochrome b₅ contamination could be obtained using 230 µg digitonin/mg of mitochondrial protein. The digitonin-soluble fraction contained a species havingE _m 7 .4=–123 mV and probably represents the outer membrane flavoproteins. The inner membrane-matrix fraction, treated with ultrasound, provided evidence of a flavoprotein species with low redox potential (E _m 7 .4=–302 mV) in the matrix fraction. The –302 mV component is probably lipoamide dehydrogenase. A high redox potential species withE _m 7 .4=+19 mV in titrations with the succinate fumarate couple was located in the inner membrane vesicles and is probably identical with succinate dehydrogenase. The electron-transferring flavoprotein (ETF) was isolated from bovine heart mitochondria and itsE _m 7 .4=–74 mV determined. The component in the matrix fraction with an apparentE _m 7 .4=–56 mV probably represents ETF, and that in the inner membrane fraction with an apparentE _m 7 .4=–43 mV the NADH dehydrogenase flavoprotein. A component in an apparently low concentration withE _m 7 .4=+30 mV was detected in the inner membrane fraction. This probably represents the ETF-dehydrogenase flavoprotein. The origin of the flavoprotein fluorescence of mitochondria and intact tissues is discussed.     

Pyruvate carboxylation as an anaplerotic mechanism in the isolated perfused rat heart.

1. The role of pyruvate carboxylation in the net synthesis of tricarboxylic acid-cycle intermediates during acetate metabolism was studied in isolated rat hearts perfused with [1-14C]pyruvate. 2. The incorporation of the 14C label from [1-14C]pyruvate into the tricarboxylic acid-cycle intermediates points to a carbon input from pyruvate via enzymes in addition to pyruvate dehydrogenase and citrate synthase. 3. On addition of acetate, the specific radioactivity of citrate showed an initial maximum at 2 min, with a subsequent decline in labelling. The C-6 of citrate (which is removed in the isocitrate dehydrogenase reaction) and the remainder of the molecule showed differential labelling kinetics, the specific radioactivity of C-6 declining more rapidly. Since this carbon is lost in the isocitrate dehydrogenase reaction, the results are consistent with a rapid inactivation of pyruvate dehydrogenase after the addition of acetate, which was confirmed by measuring the 14CO2 production from [1-14C]pyruvate. 4. The results can be interpreted to show that carboxylation of pyruvate to the C4 compounds of the tricarboxylic acid cycle occurs under conditions necessitating anaplerosis in rat myocardium, although the results do not identify the enzyme involved. 5. The specific radioactivity of tissue lactate was too low to allow it to be used as an indicator of the specific radioactivity of the intracellular pyruvate pool. The specific radioactivity of alanine was three times that of lactate. When the hearts were perfused with [1-14C]lactate, the specific radioactivity of alanine was 70% of that of pyruvate. The results suggest that a subcompartmentation of lactate and pyruvate occurs in the cytosol.     

Effect of clofibrate on the hepatic concentrations of citric acid cycle intermediates and malonyl-CoA in the rat

The effect of clofibrate [ethyl 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-2-methylpropionate] administered subcutaneously to rats (600 mg/kg per day for 7 days) on the hepatic concentrations of the citric acid cycle intermediates and malonyl-CoA was studied. The concentration of isocitrate increased by 40%, whereas that of oxaloacetate, succinyl-CoA and malate tended to decrease. No significant changes were found in the concentrations of 2-oxoglutarate, fumarate, succinate and citrate. A significant decrease in hepatic malonyl-CoA content was found. This reduction of malonyl-CoA may be the reason for the reported increase in hepatic fatty acid oxidation during clofibrate treatment.     

Climatic Factors Influencing the Anthrax Outbreak of 2016 in Siberia,Russia

In 2016, an outbreak of anthrax killing thousands of reindeer and affecting dozens of humans occurred on the Yamal peninsula, Northwest Siberia, after 70 years of epidemiological situation without outbreaks. The trigger of the outbreak has been ascribed to the activation of spores due to permafrost thaw that was accelerated during the summer heat wave. The focus of our study is on the dynamics of local environmental factors in connection with the observed anthrax revival. We show that permafrost was thawing rapidly for already 6 years before the outbreak. During 2011–2016, relatively warm years were followed by cold years with a thick snow cover, preventing freezing of the soil. Furthermore, the spread of anthrax was likely intensified by an extremely dry summer of 2016. Concurrent with the long-term decreasing trend in the regional annual precipitation, the rainfall in July 2016 was less than 10% of its 30-year mean value. We conclude that epidemiological situation of anthrax in the previously contaminated Arctic regions requires monitoring of climatic factors such as warming and precipitation extremes.