Natural Variation of Seed Tocopherol Composition in Diverse World Soybean Accessions from Maturity Group 0 to VI Grown in China

Tocopherols are natural antioxidants that increase the stability of fat-containing foods and are well known for their health benefits. To investigate the variation in seed tocopherol composition of soybeans from different origins, 493 soybean accessions from different countries (China, USA, Japan, and Russia) belonging to 7 maturity groups (MG 0–VI) were grown in 2 locations (Beijing and Hainan Provinces of China) for 2 years (2017 and 2018). The results showed that significant differences (p < 0.001) were observed among the accessions and origins for individual and total tocopherol contents. The total tocopherol content ranged from 118.92 μg g−1 to 344.02 μg g−1. Accessions from the USA had the highest average concentration of γ- and total tocopherols (152.92 and 238.21 μg g−1, respectively), whereas a higher level of α-tocopherol (12.82 μg g−1) was observed in the Russian accessions. The maturity group of the accession significantly (p < 0.001) influenced all tocopherol components, and higher levels of α-, γ-, and total tocopherols were observed in early maturing accessions, while late-maturing accessions exhibited higher levels of δ-tocopherol. The inclination of tocopherol concentrations with various MGs provided further evidence of the significance of MG in soybean breeding for seed tocopherol components. Furthermore, the correlation between the seed tocopherol components and geographical factors revealed that α-, γ-, and total tocopherols had significant positive correlations with latitude, while δ-tocopherol showed an opposite trend. The elite accessions with high and stable tocopherol concentrations determined could be used to develop functional foods, industrial materials, and breeding lines to improve tocopherol composition in soybean seeds.

Resting costs too: the relative importance of active and resting energy expenditure in a sub-arctic seabird

Breeding is costly for many animals, including birds that must deliver food to a central place (i.e. nest). Measuring energy expenditure throughout the breeding season can provide valuable insights on physiological limitations by highlighting periods of high demands, and ultimately allows to improve conservation strategies. However, quantifying energy expenditure in wildlife can be challenging, as existing methods do not measure both active (e.g. foraging) and resting energy costs across short and long time scales. Here, we develop a novel method for comparing active and resting costs in 66 pre-breeding and breeding seabirds (black-legged kittiwakes; Rissa tridactyla) by combining accelerometry and triiodothyronine (T3), as proxies for active and resting costs, respectively. Activity energy costs were higher during incubation (p=0.0004) and chick-rearing (p&lt;0.0001) compared to pre-laying, due to an increase in time spent in flight of 11% (p=0.0005) and 15% (p&lt;0.0001), respectively. Levels of T3, reflecting resting costs, peaked marginally during incubation with an average concentration of 4.71±1.97 pg mL−1 in comparison to 2.66±1.30 pg mL−1 in pre-laying (p=0.05), and 3.16±2.85 pg mL−1 in chick-rearing (p=11). Thus, although chick-rearing is often assumed to be the costliest breeding stage by multiple studies, our results suggest that incubation could be more costly due to high resting costs. We highlight the importance of accounting for both active and resting costs when assessing energy expenditure.

Field Test of In Situ Groundwater Treatment Applying Oxygen Diffusion and Bioaugmentation Methods in an Area with Sustained Total Petroleum Hydrocarbon (TPH) Contaminant Flow

Contamination of groundwater by petroleum hydrocarbons is a widespread environmental problem in many regions. Contamination of unsaturated and saturated zones could also pose a significant risk to human health. The main purpose of the study was to assess the efficiency of biodegradation of total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) in situ, in an area with loam and sandy loam soils, and to identify features and characteristics related to groundwater treatment in an area with a persistent flow of pollutants. We used methods of biostimulation (oxygen as stimulatory supplement) and bioaugmentation to improve water quality. Oxygen was added to the groundwater by diffusion through silicone tubing. The efficiency of groundwater treatment was determined by detailed monitoring. Implementation of the applied measure resulted in an average reduction in TPH concentration of 73.1% compared with the initial average concentration (4.33 mg/L), and in the local area, TPH content was reduced by 95.5%. The authors hope that this paper will contribute to a better understanding of the topic of groundwater treatment by in situ biodegradation of TPH. Further studies on this topic are particularly needed to provide more data and details on the efficiency of groundwater treatment under adverse geological conditions.

Potential Risks of PM2.5-Bound Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Heavy Metals from Inland and Marine Directions for a Marine Background Site in North China

Ambient PM2.5-bound ions, OC, EC, heavy metals (HMs), 18 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), 7 hopanes, and 29 n-alkanes were detected at Tuoji Island (TI), the only marine background atmospheric monitoring station in North China. The annual PM2.5 average concentration was 47 ± 31 μg m−3, and the average concentrations of the compositions in PM2.5 were higher in cold seasons than in warm seasons. The cancer and non-cancer risks of HMs and PAHs in cold seasons were also higher than in warm seasons. BaP, Ni, and As dominated the ∑HQ (hazard quotient) in cold seasons, while the non-carcinogenic risk in warm seasons was mainly dominated by Ni, Mn, and As. The ILCR (incremental lifetime cancer risk) values associated with Cr and As were higher in the cold season, while ILCR-Ni values were higher in the warm season. The backward trajectory was calculated to identify the potential directions of air mass at TI. Through the diagnostic ratios of organic and inorganic tracers, the sources of particulate matter in different directions were judged. It was found that ship emissions and sea salt were the main sources from marine directions, while coal combustion, vehicles emissions, industrial process, and secondary aerosols were the main source categories for inland directions. In addition, potential HM and PAH risks from inland and marine directions were explored. The non-cancerous effects of TI were mainly affected by inland transport, especially from the southeast, northwest, and west-northwest. The cancerous effects of TI were mainly simultaneously affected by the inland direction and marine direction of transport.

Air Quality of Work, Residential, and Traffic Areas during the COVID-19 Lockdown with Insights to Improve Air Quality

This study investigated the concentrations of air pollutants (NO, NO2, NOx, SO2, CO, O3, PM10, and PM2.5) at three sites with different traffic loads (work, residential, and traffic sites) before, during, and after the COVID-19 lockdown. The main objective of this study was to evaluate the effects and associated potential pollution control implications of the lockdown on the quality of ambient air at three selected sites in the urban area of Riyadh City. The average concentrations of NO, NO2, NOx, and CO decreased during the lockdown period by 73%, 44%, 53%, and 32% at the work site; 222%, 85%, 100%, and 60% at the residential site; and 133%, 60%, 101%, and 103% at the traffic site relative to the pre-lockdown period, respectively. The average concentration of O3 increased by 6% at the work site, whereas the concentration of SO2 increased by 27% at the residential site and decreased by 6.5% at the work site. The changes in PM10 and PM2.5 varied and did not exhibit a clear pattern. The air quality index (AQI) results indicated that the contribution to “undesired” air quality by O3 was 35.29% of the lockdown period at the work site while contributions to undesired air quality by PM10 and PM2.5 were 75.6% and 100% at the work site, 94.5% and 100% at the residential site, and 96.7% and 100% at the traffic site, respectively. The findings of this study are useful for devising effective urban pollution abatement policies. Applying control measures comparable to the lockdown measures over one week will result in a decrease of approximately 19% and 15% in CO mean concentration and 25% and 18% in NO2 mean concentration at residential and traffic sites, respectively.

Numerical Simulation of the Effect of Construction Dust Emission on Air Quality in Jinan, a Central City in the North China Plain

<p>Numerical simulation was conducted to assess the impact of dust emission on typical environmental sites in Jinan City. The CALPUFF model was applied to five simulation scenarios. The results showed that dust emission had a significant impact on air quality in Jinan. The impact of dust emission on the average concentration of PM10 at 15 monitoring sites was 19.8 μg/m3, accounting for 14.9% of the annual total. The impact of dust emission on the average concentration of PM2.5 was 5.2 μg/m3, accounting for 8.1% of the annual total. Adoption of yellow warning measures in the emission reduction scenarios had insignificant environmental effects due to unfavorable meteorological conditions. Compared with the baseline scenario, the average concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 decreased by 13.6% and 1.9%, respectively. After adoption of orange and red warning measures, the impact of site dust emission on air quality at the monitoring site was reduced significantly. Significant environmental effects were achieved after all construction sites within a 2-km radius of the monitoring site were closed. Compared with the baseline scenario, the average concentrations of PM10 and PM2.5 were reduced by 45.5% and 42.3%, respectively. The results showed that under adverse meteorological conditions, higher-level warning measures should be undertaken to reduce the impact of site emissions on environmental quality. Considering the economic and social effects of emission reduction, temporary construction stoppage within 2 km of the monitoring site is a feasible plan that is in accordance with the goals of comprehensive environmental management.</p>

On the Coupling and Coordination Development between Environment and Economy: A Case Study in the Yangtze River Delta of China

The coupling and coordination development of the environment and economy (CC2E) is one of the most vital issues to sustainable development. This paper adopted the coupling coordination model, projection pursuit algorithm, and random forest model to explore the spatial-temporal evolution and influencing factors of the CC2E in the Yangtze River Delta from 2015 to 2019, respectively. The results showed that: (1) The degree of coupling coordination (DCC) of the CC2E in most cities of the Yangtze River Delta has risen from primary coordination to intermediate coordination. (2) In the spatial perspective, the distribution of DCC is correlated with geographical location. The value of DCC in the western region was significantly lower than that of the eastern cities. (3) The influencing factors results showed that the GDP in the economic subsystem and the annual average concentration of PM2.5 in the environmental subsystem were the most influencing factors of DCC in the Yangtze River Delta. The established index system of CC2E and the measurements of CC2E provide a new idea for how to achieve sustainable development. Meanwhile, this study can provide recommendations for formulating the environmental protection and economic development policy.

First evidence of microplastics in Antarctic snow

In recent years, airborne microplastics have been identified in a range of remote environments. However, data throughout the Southern Hemisphere, in particular Antarctica, are largely absent to date. We collected snow samples from 19 sites across the Ross Island region of Antarctica. Suspected microplastic particles were isolated and their composition confirmed using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μFTIR).We identified microplastics in all Antarctic snow samples at an average concentration of 29 particles L−1, with fibres the most common morphotype and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) the most common polymer. To investigate sources, backward air mass trajectories were run from the time of sampling. These indicate potential long-range transportation of up to 6000 kilometers, assuming a residence time of 6.5 days. Local sources were also identified as potential inputs into the environment, as the polymers identified were consistent with those used in clothing and equipment from nearby research stations. This study adds to the growing body of literature regarding microplastics as a ubiquitous airborne pollutant, and establishes their presence in Antarctica.

Đánh giá nồng độ ferritin, D-dimer và độ nặng ở bệnh nhân Covid-19

TÓM TẮT Đặt vấn đề: Việc điều trị bệnh nhân COVID-19 đặc biệt là những bệnh nhân nặng và nguy kịch vẫn là thách thức đối với nền y tế còn hạn chế trong bối cảnh hiện nay của nước ta. Vì vậy, việc dựa vào các dấu hiệu lâm sàng và các xét nghiệm sẵn có để đánh giá mức độ nặng và khả năng tiến triển nặng của bệnh là rất cần thiết để có hướng tiếp cận kịp thời. Trong đó ferritin và d-dimer được cho là các chỉ dấu sinh học có liên quan đến mức độ nặng của bệnh COVID 19. Nghiên cứu này nhằm: (1) Đánh giá tình trạng tăng nồng độ ferritin và nồng độ d-dimer huyết tương ở bệnh nhân COVID-19. (2) Xác định giá trị điểm cắt nồng độ d-dimer huyết tương nhằm tiên đoán mức độ nặng của bệnh nhân COVID-19. Phương pháp: Nghiên cứu mô tả cắt ngang trên 209 bệnh nhân mắc COVID-19 điều trị tại Trung tâm hồi sức tích cực người bệnh COVID-19 trực thuộc bệnh viện trung ương Huế tại thành phố Hồ Chí Minh từ tháng 08/2021 đến tháng 11/2019. Tất cả bệnh nhân được đánh giá mức độ nặng của bệnh COVID-19 dựa vào triệu chứng lâm sàng và độ bão hòa oxy máu, được tiến hành định lượng nồng độ ferritin và d-dimer. Tăng nồng độ ferritin được định nghĩa: ở nam là từ 400ng/ml trở lên và ở nữ là từ 150ng/ml trở lên, tăng nồng độ d-dimer là từ 500 ng/ml trở lên. Xử lý số liệu bằng phần mềm SPSS 16.0. Kết quả: Tỉ lệ tăng ferritin ở nhóm bệnh nhân nặng là 89,77%. Nồng độ d-dimer ở nhóm bệnh nhân nặng trung bình là 4732,43ng/ml. Khi nồng độ d-dimer > 1537ng/ml thì sẽ có nguy cơ là bệnh COVID-19 sẽ nặng với diện tích dưới đường cong (AUC) 0,699 (khoảng tin cậy 95%: 0,627 - 0,771); độ nhạy 57,95% và độ đặc hiệu 75,83%; p < 0,0001. Kết luận: Ferritin và d-dimer huyết tương là yếu tố liên quan độc lập với độ nặng của bệnh COVID-19. ABSTRACT EVALUATION OF THE PLASMA CONCENTRATIONS OF FERRITIN, D - DIMER AND SEVERITY IN COVID-19 PATIENTS Background: The treatment of COVID-19 patients, especially the severely ill and critically ill, is still a challenge for the limited health sector in the current context of our country. Therefore, it is necessary to rely on clinical signs and available tests to assess the severity and possibility of severe progression of the disease to have a timely approach. Among them, ferritin and d-dimer are thought to be biomarkers related to the severity of COVID-19 disease. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the increase in plasma ferritin concentration and the plasma concentrations of d-dimer in COVID-19 patients and to determine the cut-off of d-dimer to prognosis the severity in COVID-19 patients. Methods: A cross - sectional study was performed on 209 COVID-19 patients at COVID-19 Intensive Care Center ofHue Central Hospital in Ho Chi Minh city from August 2021 to November 2021. All patients were evaluated the severity of disease based on symptoms, signs, and saturation of oxygen in the blood and were measured plasma concentration of ferritin and d-dimer. The increase ferritin concentration is defined as higher than 400ng/ml in men and 150ng/ml in women; d-dimer was elevated when ≥ 500ng/ml. Data were analyzed by SPSS version 16.0. Results: In the severe patient group, the increase ferritin concentration accounted for 89.77%, the average concentration of d-dimer was 4732.43ng/ml. When the d-dimer concentration was more than 1537ng/ml, there was a risk that COVID-19 would be severe with the area under the curve (AUC) 0.699 (95% CI: 0.627 - 0.771); sensitivity 57.95% and specificity 75.83%; p < 0.0001. Conclusion: Plasma ferritin and d-dimer concentrations are independent risk factors for severity in COVID-19 patients. Key words: Ferritin, d-dimer, COVID-19 patients.

Progress in Structure Determination, Reaction and Classification of Organic Compounds

In recent years, with the continuous development of synthetic organic chemistry, a large number of new compounds are synthesized every year. Many of these compounds not only have novel structures, but also have complex structures. The traditional four spectral analysis methods are difficult to understand its spatial structure clearly and comprehensively. At the same time, with the understanding of the spatial structure of related compounds, it is possible to further explore the relationship between the structure and properties of compounds. This paper analyzes different kinds of organic compounds, including nitrogen-containing organic compounds, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and volatile organic compounds. The detection methods of volatile organic compounds and derivatization chromatography were discussed. Through VOC test, the results show that the average concentration of each substance decreases with time.