Assessing the impact of episodic pollution

The increased tightening of controls on industrial and municipal wastewater discharges has resulted in steady improvements in the quality of many important rivers over recent years. However, episodic pollution, particularly from farm wastes and combined sewer overflows continues to pose a major problem, and is one of the main causes of poor quality rivers today. Despite our acknowledgement of this continuing problem, very little is known of the mechanistic basis of responses and recovery of aquatic organisms and communities exposed to intermittent pulses of common pollutants. The majority of ecotoxicological studies to date have been concerned with the effects of continuous exposure. Although such studies may provide a means of predicting the impact of episodic pollution events, a more appropriate test design would be to assess toxicity under pulsed and fluctuating exposure. Studies should also include a post-exposure observation period and should consider recovery of individuals and communities. This paper reviews the results of reported studies relevant to the investigation of episodic pollution and pays particular attention to the effects of magnitude, duration and frequency of exposure. Results of field investigations using an in situ bioassay technique are also presented to emphasize the importance of field validation of proposed water quality criteria for intermittent pollution events.     

Optimization of norovirus virus‐like particle production in Pichia pastoris using a real‐time near‐infrared bioprocess monitor

The production of norovirus virus‐like particles (NoV VLPs) displaying NY‐ESO‐1 cancer testis antigen in Pichia pastoris BG11 Mut⁺ has been enhanced through feed‐strategy optimization using a near‐infrared bioprocess monitor (RTBio^® Bioprocess Monitor, ASL Analytical, Inc.), capable of monitoring and controlling the concentrations of glycerol and methanol in real‐time. The production of NoV VLPs displaying NY‐ESO‐1 in P. pastoris has potential as a novel cancer vaccine platform. Optimization of the growth conditions resulted in an almost two‐fold increase in the expression levels in the fermentation supernatant of P. pastoris as compared to the starting conditions. We investigated the effect of methanol concentration, batch phase time, and batch to induction transition on NoV VLP‐NY‐ESO‐1 production. The optimized process included a glycerol transition phase during the first 2 h of induction and a methanol concentration set point of 4 g L^?1 during induction. Utilizing the bioprocess monitor to control the glycerol and methanol concentrations during induction resulted in a maximum NoV VP1‐NY‐ESO‐1 yield of 0.85 g L^?1. © 2016 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 32:518–526, 2016     

儿童阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停低通气综合征与肥胖的相关性研究

目的:探讨儿童阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停/低通气综合征(OSAHS)与肥胖的相关性。方法:收集单纯性肥胖儿童120例和体重正常儿童110例作为研究对象,进行统一的体格检查和专科检查,并进行多导睡眠监测记录阻塞性呼吸暂停指数(OAI)、呼吸暂停/低通气指数(AHI)、中枢性呼吸暂停指数(CAI)、最低血氧饱和度(LSa O2)和睡眠效率。结果:肥胖组OSAHS患病率为58.33%显著高于对照组的31.82%,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);OAI、AHI、CAI均显著高于对照组,而LSa O2、睡眠效率指标显著低于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05);多因素回归分析显示,肥胖、扁桃体增生、腺样体增生是导致OSAHS的独立危险因素,差异有统计学意义(均P0.05)。结论:肥胖是儿童OSAHS发病的重要影响因素,特别是合并扁桃体肿大或腺样体肿大的患儿应注意预防OSAHS的发生。     

Potential exposure assessment errors associated with body-worn RF dosimeters

Personal exposure meters for assessing exposure to RF electric or magnetic fields are subject to errors associated with perturbations of the fields by the presence of the human body. Although these alterations are complex they are not completely unpredictable. This article concludes that this error in a common worst-case scenario could reach up to 30 dB and therefore is of concern for exposure assessment. We present several guidelines to address this issue and a useful insight into the overall problem based on finite-difference time-domain simulations and experimental verification.     

Simpler is better: fewer non‐target insects trapped with a four‐component chemical lure vs. a chemically more complex food‐type bait for Drosophila suzukii

Baits – fermented food products – are generally attractive to many types of insects, which makes it difficult to sort through non‐target insects to monitor a pest species of interest. We test the hypothesis that a chemically simpler and more defined attractant developed for a target insect is more specific and attracts fewer non‐target insects than a chemically more complex food‐type bait. A four‐component chemical lure isolated from a food bait and optimized for the spotted wing drosophila (SWD), Drosophila suzukii (Matsumura) (Diptera: Drosophilidae), was compared to the original wine/vinegar bait to assess the relative responses of non‐target insects. In several field experiments in Washington State, USA, it was shown that numbers of pest muscid flies, cutworm and armyworm moths, and pest yellowjackets were reduced in traps baited with the chemical lure compared to the wine/vinegar bait. In other field experiments in the states of Washington, Oregon, and New York, numbers of non‐target drosophilid flies were also reduced in traps baited with the chemical lure relative to wine/vinegar bait. In Washington, numbers of Drosophila melanogaster Meigen and Drosophila obscura Fallen species groups and Drosophila immigrans Sturtevant were reduced in the chemical lure traps, whereas in New York, D. melanogaster and D. obscura species groups, D. immigrans, Drosophila putrida Sturtevant, Drosophila simulans Sturtevant, Drosophila tripunctata Loew, and Chymomyza spp. numbers were reduced. In Oregon, this same effect was observed with the D. melanogaster species group. Taken together, these results indicate that the four‐component SWD chemical lure will be more selective for SWD compared to fermentation baits, which should reduce time and cost involved in trapping in order to monitor SWD.     

豫医无毛小鼠分离近交系的建立及其遗传纯度测定

采用强迫杂合性史妹酱方式培育携带无毛突变基因的分离近交系,然后用生化标记法,皮肤移植实验和毛色基因测试法对其进行遗传监测。并对其基本生物学特性进行了研究。结果育成了具有独特生物学特性的豫医无毛小鼠分离近交系,现已达30代,生化标记法测定的9条染色体上13个生化标记位点全部纯合;同系异体间皮肤移植100天后,未见排斥现象,为同系组织遗传性;与DBA/2交配进行的毛色基因测试,杂交的F1代相同,全部为野生色,基因型为AABBccDD ,表明豫医无毛小鼠已成为一个达到国际标准的新品系。     

Vision and Eating Behavior

Objective: Eating behavior is influenced by internal and external factors. Vision is one part of the complex pattern of factors influencing the amount of food consumed during a meal. The aim of this study was to explore the impact of vision on the microstructure of eating behavior and the subjective motivation to eat. Research Methods and Procedures: Nine blind subjects and nine matched seeing control subjects consumed a standardized meal registered by VIKTOR, an eating monitor, measuring the microstructure of the eating behavior. The eating behavior of the control subjects was registered twice, with and without blindfold. Results: The eating behavior of the blind subjects did not differ from that of seeing control subjects. However, the eating behavior of seeing subjects eating with blindfold demonstrated a clear impact of vision on eating behavior. When blindfolded, subjects ate 22% less food (p < 0.05), had shorter meal durations (p < 0.05), and had less decelerated eating curves (p < 0.05). Despite a smaller amount of food consumed when blindfolded, the reported feeling of fullness was identical to that reported after the larger meal consumed without blindfold. Discussion: The importance of vision in regulating our eating behavior is further stressed in this study. Eating with a blindfold decreased the intake of food, without making subjects feel less full. Eating blindfolded, therefore, may force subjects to rely more on internal signals. These results might be used as an aid in the development of new treatment strategies for obese subjects.     

Life cycle assessment study of color computer monitor

The environmental performance of a color computer monitor is investigated by implementing a Life Cycle Assessment. The goal of this study is to collect LCI data of foreground systems, to identify hot spots, and to introduce life cycle thinking at the product design stage. Secondary data are used in the background system, and site-specific data are collected in the foreground system. Results show that the use phase is the most contributing phase. The operating mode and the energy saving mode during the overall use phase contribute to the total by 59% and by 9.9%, respectively. In the production phase, the cathode ray tube assembly process and the printed circuit board assembly process are the most contributing processes. The sensitivity analysis on the use pattern scenario shows that the contribution ratio of the use phase ranges from 32% to 84%. Even in the home use case, which is the best case scenario, the use phase is one of the most contributing processes to the environmental performance of the color computer monitor. There is no significant difference in the choice of the impact assessment methodologies for identifying the improvement opportunities. For the external use of Life Cycle Assessment in a short-run product for the market, it is recommended that Life Cycle Assessment should be carried out in parallel with the product design stage. It is also necessary to have a pre-existing, in-house database for a product group in order to accelerate life cycle procedures.     

外泌体在白血病中的重要调控作用

目前,白血病复发是患者死亡的主要原因之一。肿瘤细胞和微环境的相互作用,以及隐匿在骨髓中的肿瘤干细胞,促进了白血病的复发和向淋巴组织的转移,因此白血病的治疗、转移和复发问题受到广泛关注。外泌体是由绝大多数细胞分泌的双层脂质膜囊泡,可以调控细胞间的交流和信息传递。在白血病细胞、基质细胞和内皮细胞之间的相互联系中都涉及到外泌体,白血病细胞来源的外泌体存在于白血病患者的血浆中,能把其携带的白血病相关抗原及微小RNA呈递给靶细胞,促进白血病肿瘤细胞的增殖,有助于肿瘤细胞实现免疫逃避,保护白血病细胞抵抗化疗药物导致的细胞毒性作用,促进血管生成及肿瘤细胞的迁移。因此,外泌体与白血病的转移、治疗及预后密切相关,可以用来检测和监测白血病的进展。本文综述了外泌体的来源、形成与分泌机制,以及外泌体在白血病发生前、发展中、预后和免疫治疗中所扮演的重要角色。     

Genetic structure and gene flow among Komodo dragon populations inferredby microsatellite loci analysis

A general concern for the conservation of endangered species is the maintenance of genetic variation within populations, particularly when they become isolated and reduced in size. Estimates of gene flow and effective population size are therefore important for any conservation initiative directed to the long-term persistence of a species in its natural habitat. In the present study, 10 microsatellite loci were used to assess the level of genetic variability among populations of the Komodo dragon Varanus komodoensis. Effective population size was calculated and gene flow estimates were compared with palaeogeographic data in order to assess the degree of vulnerability of four island populations. Rinca and Flores, currently separated by an isthmus of about 200 m, retained a high level of genetic diversity and showed a high degree of genetic similarity, with gene flow values close to one migrant per generation. The island of Komodo showed by far the highest levels of genetic divergence, and its allelic distinctiveness was considered of great importance in the maintenance of genetic variability within the species. A lack of distinct alleles and low levels of gene flow and genetic variability were found for the small population of Gili Motang island, which was identified as vulnerable to stochastic threats. Our results are potentially important for both the short- and long-term management of the Komodo dragon, and are critical in view of future re-introduction or augmentation in areas where the species is now extinct or depleted.