Cadmium (Cd) levels in paddy fields across Taiwan have increased due to emission from industry. To ensure the production of rice that meets food quality standards, predictive models or suitable soil ...tests are needed to evaluate the quality of soils to be used for rice cropping. Levels of Cd in soil and rice grains were measured in 19 paddy fields across the western plains in Taiwan. Cadmium levels in soil range from less than 0.1 mg kg
−1 to 30 mg kg
−1. Measured Cd levels in brown rice were predicted very well (
R
2 > 0.8) based on Cd and Zinc in a 0.01 M CaCl
2 extract or a soil–plant transfer model using the reactive soil Cd content, pH, and cation exchange capacity. In contrast to current soil quality standards used in Taiwan, such models are effective in identifying soils where Cd in rice will exceed food quality standards.
Cadmium uptake by 12 rice cultivars is predicted well by a single soil–plant transfer model based on 0.01 M CaCl
2 or a combination of pH, CEC, and the 0.43 N HNO
3-extractable soil Cd concentration.
Zinc bioavailability to aquatic organisms varies greatly under different pH values. In the present study, five native species in China and four common international test species were selected to ...investigate the influence of changing pH on acute zinc toxicity. The results showed that the higher trophic levels exhibited increasing sensitivity to zinc as pH decreased. However, when the pH value was between 8 and 11, the acute toxicity of zinc was relatively constant. In addition, by using a species-sensitivity distribution (SSD) method, the short-term hazardous concentrations of zinc at different pH values (based on the 5th percentiles of the pH-specific SSDs) were determined to be 17.26 µg/L (pH 4), 48.31 µg/L (pH 5), 80.34 µg/L (pH 6) and 230.6 µg/L (pH 7), respectively. The present study provides useful information for deriving water quality criteria and assessing the risks of metals in the near future.
Abstract Previous studies have demonstrated that pioglitazone (Piog), a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonist, inhibits ischemia-induced brain injury. Piog has also been ...shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects by attenuation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation after myocardial ischemia/reperfusion injury. Because NF-κB is known to play a major role in the pathophysiology of brain ischemia, the present study was undertaken to elucidate whether pioglitazone attenuates ischemic neuronal damage through PPARγ-mediated suppression of NF-κB apoptotic signaling pathway. Permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO) model was induced by using an intraluminal filament technique in rats. Piog was administrated i.p. twice (24 h before and at the time of ischemia insult) or once (10 min after ischemia). The neuroprotection of Piog was analyzed by assessing neurological deficits, infarction volume and morphological changes. The inhibition of NF-κB signaling pathway by Piog was evaluated by detecting the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 with immunohistochemistry and its target gene p53 by real-time PCR, and the expression of phospholated NF-κB p65 (p- NF-κB p65) in primary cultured neurons and the protein levels of IκBα and p-ERK in the ischemic cortex or striatum with Western blotting analysis. The contribution of a PPARγ mechanism to Piog's inhibitory effects on NF-κB and neuroprotection was evaluated by pretreatment with the PPARγ irreversible antagonist GW9662. In vitro ischemia in cultured primary neurons was induced by the oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) and the protective effect of Piog on cultured neurons was measured by lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assay. Piog (0.5, 1, 2 mg/kg) reduced infarction volume, and improved morphological changes and motor deficits. Piog markedly up-regulated the protein levels of IκBα or p-ERK 6 h or 12 h after ischemia. Piog reduced the nuclear translocation of NF-κB p65 in the ischemic cortical cells and repressed the expression of p53 12 h after ischemia. Pre-treatment with GW9662 blocked Piog-elicited reduction in infarction volume, the increase in protein levels of IκBα and p-ERK, the reduction in the nuclear translocation of NF-κB subunit p65 and the repression of p53 mRNA expression. In addition, Piog attenuated the OGD-induced neuronal damage and inhibited the OGD-induced increases in p- NF-κB p65 in neurons. The present findings suggest that Piog's neuroprotection appears to be associated with PPARγ-mediated suppression of NF-κB signaling pathway.
The probe route as well as the material flow around the keyhole during weld termination were tracked and used to determine the probe position just prior to weld termination. This approach enables ...analysis of in-situ microstructure distribution and the nature of material flow during friction stir welding (FSW). A FSW flow model was established. During steady state FSW, the material at the advancing side (AS) recrystallized rapidly when it was swept by the hot rotating probe. The recrystallized grains were driven to rotate around the probe along the tool rotation direction, forming the material flow zone (MFZ). As the base material approached the probe, it was compressed initially, forming a compression zone (CPZ) mainly consisted of coarse deformed grains. When the coarse deformed grain in CPZ collided with the hot material in the MFZ, it recrystallized and added into the MFZ, thickening the MFZ ahead of the probe. During FSW, the material intersecting the path of probe was displaced to rotate around the probe and then deposited behind the probe at roughly the same transverse position as its initial position.
Display omitted
•The probe route as well as the material flow around the keyhole during weld termination were tracked.•The in-situ microstructure distribution and material flow during FSW were analyzed and presented.•The formation mechanism of compression zone (CPZ) and material flow zone (MFZ) were clarified.•A material flow model was established to describe the in-situ material flow during FSW.
Summary
Background
Foam sclerotherapy has been one of the most frequently applied therapeutic methods for the treatment of varicose veins and venous malformation. Few studies have investigated the ...sterile condition of the air used for foam creation.
Objectives
To evaluate the bacterial conditions in foam created from the air in outpatient and operating rooms used for sclerotherapy treatment, in order to provide the basis for clinical applications in foam sclerotherapy.
Materials and methods
In this study, we measured the amount of airborne microorganisms in the air in the operating room, and in the outpatient room, the polidocanol (POL) foam created using the air in the respective rooms, and the microorganisms present in the liquid POL. We used the settle plate method for air sampling. We used the Tessari method to generate foam. The experiment was repeated three times.
Results
Typical bacterial colonies were formed on nutrient agar plates in both the outpatient room and operating room air groups. No colonies were cultivated in the liquid POL. Although the use of sterile or nonsterile air in sclerotherapy produces significantly different results in the counts of colony‐forming units, there was no difference in the foam created using sterile or nonsterile air (i.e. no colonies were cultivated on either foam).
Conclusions
There is no increased risk of infection when using foam sclerotherapy in outpatient rooms compared with using foam created under sterile operating‐room conditions.
What's already known about this topic?
Polidocanol (POL) is one of the most commonly used sclerosant foams in clinical sclerotherapy.
Although recent European Guidelines on foam sclerotherapy state that there is no evidence of adverse effects attributable to the use of nonsterile air in foam production, few studies have been carried out on the bacterial conditions of the air used for foam creation.
What does this study add?
We have demonstrated that there is no increased risk of infection when using POL foam sclerotherapy created under nonsterile conditions.
THE ARCTIC SYSTEM REANALYSIS, VERSION 2 Bromwich, D. H.; Wilson, A. B.; Bai, L. ...
Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society,
04/2018, Letnik:
99, Številka:
4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The Arctic is a vital component of the global climate, and its rapid environmental evolution is an important element of climate change around the world. To detect and diagnose the changes occurring ...to the coupled Arctic climate system, a state-of-the-art synthesis for assessment and monitoring is imperative. This paper presents the Arctic System Reanalysis, version 2 (ASRv2), a multiagency, university-led retrospective analysis (reanalysis) of the greater Arctic region using blends of the polar-optimized version of the Weather Research and Forecasting (Polar WRF) Model and WRF three-dimensional variational data assimilated observations for a comprehensive integration of the regional climate of the Arctic for 2000–12. New features in ASRv2 compared to version 1 (ASRv1) include 1) higher-resolution depiction in space (15-km horizontal resolution), 2) updated model physics including subgrid-scale cloud fraction interaction with radiation, and 3) a dual outer-loop routine for more accurate data assimilation. ASRv2 surface and pressure-level products are available at 3-hourly and monthly mean time scales at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). Analysis of ASRv2 reveals superior reproduction of near-surface and tropospheric variables. Broadscale analysis of forecast precipitation and site-specific comparisons of downward radiative fluxes demonstrate significant improvement over ASRv1. The high-resolution topography and land surface, including weekly updated vegetation and realistic sea ice fraction, sea ice thickness, and snow-cover depth on sea ice, resolve finescale processes such as topographically forced winds. Thus, ASRv2 permits a reconstruction of the rapid change in the Arctic since the beginning of the twenty-first century–complementing global reanalyses. ASRv2 products will be useful for environmental models, verification of regional processes, or siting of future observation networks.
Amorphous coatings with a composition of Fe
48Cr
15Mo
14C
15B
6Y
2 were prepared by means of high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) thermal spraying under different conditions. Microstructural studies show ...that the coatings present dense layered structure and low porosity with a fraction of nanocrystals precipitated. The porosity and amorphous fraction of the coatings decrease as the kerosene and oxygen flow increase within the parameter range examined. Corrosion behavior of the amorphous coatings was investigated by electrochemical measurement. The results show that the coatings are spontaneously passivated with wide passive region and low passive current density in 3.5% NaCl, 1
N HCl and 1
N H
2SO
4 solutions, and exhibit an excellent ability to resist localized corrosion. However, the corrosion resistance of the coatings decreases in 1
N NaOH solution with lower transpassive potential and passive region. In addition, the optimal spraying parameter improves the corrosion resistance of the amorphous coatings obviously due to the proper proportion of porosity and amorphous fraction.
The association between herpes zoster (HZ) infection and subsequent risk of end stage renal disease (ESRD) in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients is unknown. We aim to conduct a population-based ...cohort study to investigate the risks of developing ESRD after a HZ attack in CKD patients. From the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database, we identified 1,144 CKD patients who had HZ over the period 1997–2008 as HZ cohort. We selected 3,855 age- and sex–matched CKD patients without HZ as comparison cohort. All subjects were followed until the end of 2008 or censored. Cox-proportional hazard regression model was used to estimate the effects of HZ on ESRD risks. A total of 396 patients developed ESRD during the follow-up period, of which 108 subjects were from the HZ cohort and 288 from the comparison cohort. The log–rank test demonstrated that the HZ cohort had significantly higher risk of developing ESRD than the comparison cohort (
P
= 0.0071). The adjusted hazard ratio of subsequent ESRD in the HZ cohort was 1.36 (95 % CI 1.09–1.70) and the hazard ratio increased to 8.71 (95 % CI 5.23–14.5) if the HZ cohort was with concomitant diabetes and hypertension. CKD patients with HZ are at an increased risk of subsequent ESRD. CKD patients with HZ, diabetes, and hypertension have extremely high risk of developing ESRD.
ABSTRACT
The Nearby Evolved Stars Survey (NESS) is a volume-complete sample of ∼850 Galactic evolved stars within 3 kpc at (sub-)mm wavelengths, observed in the CO J = (2–1) and (3–2) rotational ...lines, and the sub-mm continuum, using the James Clark Maxwell Telescope and Atacama Pathfinder Experiment. NESS consists of five tiers, based on distances and dust-production rate (DPR). We define a new metric for estimating the distances to evolved stars and compare its results to Gaia EDR3. Replicating other studies, the most-evolved, highly enshrouded objects in the Galactic Plane dominate the dust returned by our sources, and we initially estimate a total DPR of 4.7 × 10−5 M⊙ yr−1 from our sample. Our sub-mm fluxes are systematically higher and spectral indices are typically shallower than dust models typically predict. The 450/850 $\mu$m spectral indices are consistent with the blackbody Rayleigh–Jeans regime, suggesting a large fraction of evolved stars have unexpectedly large envelopes of cold dust.
An ultrafine-grained (UFG) Al–4Mg–1Zr alloy with a grain size of ∼0.7
μm with predominantly high-angle boundaries of 97% was produced by friction stir processing (FSP). The UFG Al–4Mg–1Zr retained ...submicrometer grains even after static annealing at 425
°C, and exhibited excellent superplasticity at 175–425
°C. High strain rate and low-temperature superplasticity of >1200% were observed at 1
×
10
−2–1
×
10
−1
s
−1 and 300–350
°C. Even at 425
°C, a superplasticity of 1400% was achieved at 1
s
−1. A linear relationship between log
ε
˙
opti and
T was observed (where
ε
˙
opti is the optimum strain rate, and
T is the temperature). The analyses on the superplastic data revealed the presence of threshold stress, a stress exponent of 2, an inverse grain size dependence of 2, and an activation energy of 142
kJ
mol
–1. This indicated that the dominant deformation mechanism was grain boundary sliding, which was controlled by lattice diffusion. Based on this notion, a constitutive equation has been developed. A new superplastic deformation mechanism map for FSP aluminum alloys is proposed.
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