Integrated evaluation of different electromagnetic impacts on biological properties of soils in southern Russia

An integral estimation of the effect of γ radiation at doses of 1, 5, 10, and 20 kGy, microwave radiation of 800 W, and an alternating magnetic field of industrial frequency (50 Hz) on biological properties of soils in southern Russia was performed on the basis of the integral index of the biological soil status (IIBSS). By the degree of resistance to an alternating magnetic field estimated from the IIBSS value, the soils of southern Russia formed the following series: brown forest soil > chernozem ≥ soddy-calcareous soil ≥ gray sandy soil. By the resistance to microwave radiation estimated from the IIBSS value, the soils formed the following series: gray sandy soil > chernozem > chestnut soil ≥ brown forest soil.     

Occurrence and Distribution of Perfluorooctane Sulfonate and Perfluorooctanoic Acid in the Rivers of Tokyo

Comprehensive survey of major rivers in the Tokyo metropolitan area was conducted for clarifying the emission sources of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in Tokyo. PFOS was found at all sampling sites at concentrations ranging from 0.5 to 58 ng L^?1; in addition to this, it was also indicated that unknown PFOS emission sources are present in the midstream of the Tama River basin. The relationship between PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was constant at a ratio of 10:3 (PFOS/PFOA) throughout the Tama River basin. The sum of daily load amounts of PFOS from Tokyo’s major rivers to Tokyo Bay reached 215 g day^?1. This value corresponds to 12.8 μg day^?1 per person using the sum of wastewater treatment district populations. In contrast, an estimation of PFOS contribution of domestic wastewater was also attempted, and the contribution was 1.6 μg day^?1 per person. We took samples up trunk sewers in the Tama River and finally found at the highest PFOS concentration (58,000 ng L^?1) from one of the wastewater of the electronic parts manufacturing facilities.     

Atmospheric new particle formation enhanced by organic acids

Atmospheric aerosols often contain a substantial fraction of organic matter, but the role of organic compounds in new nanometer-sized particle formation is highly uncertain. Laboratory experiments show that nucleation of sulfuric acid is considerably enhanced in the presence of aromatic acids. Theoretical calculations identify the formation of an unusually stable aromatic acid-sulfuric acid complex, which likely leads to a reduced nucleation barrier. The results imply that the interaction between organic and sulfuric acids promotes efficient formation of organic and sulfate aerosols in the polluted atmosphere because of emissions from burning of fossil fuels, which strongly affect human health and global climate.     

Controls on the preservation of biogenic opal in sediments of the eastern tropical pacific

A map of the preservation pattern of siliceous microfossils was constructed from an examination of 125 piston and gravity cores of Quaternary sediments from throughout the eastern tropical Pacific. Preservation is enhanced where high surface water productivity supplies a high input rate of siliceous tests to the sea floor, except in a large area north of 5 degrees N, east of the East Pacific Rise. Here a high input rate of terrigenous silicates may adversely affect preservation of biogenic opal in the sea-floor sediments.     

Human breast cancer: androgen action mediated by estrogen receptor

Growth of the human breast cancer cell line MCF-7 is enhanced by androgens, but only at pharmacological concentrations. Although physiological concentrations of androgens translocate the androgen receptor into the nucleus, no mitogenic effects are observed. By contrast, pharmacological androgens translocate not only the androgen receptor but also the estrogen receptor, and at these high doses significantly increase both DNA and estrogen-dependent protein synthesis. We therefore propose that androgens stimulate MCF-7 cell growth not through the androgen receptor but rather through the estrogen receptor.     

土壤有机矿质复合体的表面电荷特性及对锌的吸附

供试土样为中国的棕壤、红壤和赤红壤及巴基斯坦的ｇｕｊｒａｎｗａｌａｓｅｒｉｅｓ和ｋｏｔｌｉｓｅｒｉｅｓ．与Ｈ－粘粒比，Ｈ－粘粒复合体有较多的净负电荷和较少的正电荷。在红壤和赤红壤中，Ｈ－粘粒复合体的表面积比Ｈ－粘粒大，但在棕壤，ｇｕｊｒａｎｗａｌａｓｅｒｉｅｓ和ｋｏｔｌｉｓｅｒｉｅｓ中则相反。在ｐＨ近７．０时，因有机质而使负电荷百分数增加的次序为赤红壤＞红壤＞ｇｕｊｒａｎｗａｌａｓｅｒｉｅｓ＞ｋｏｔｌｉｓｅｒｉｅｓ＞棕壤。当ｐＨ＜７时有机质可以提高赤红壤、红壤和ｋｏｔｌｉｓｅｒｉｅｓ对锌的吸附，在各种锌浓度下，有机质均能提高棕壤和ｇｕｊｒａｎｗａｌａｓｅｒｉｅｓ对锌的吸附。与Ｌａｎｇｍｕｉｒ和Ｔｅｍｋｉｎ方程比较，Ｆｒｅｕｎｄｌｉｃｈ方程最适合描述Ｈ－粘粒复合体对锌的吸附行为，但Ｌａｎｇｍｕｉｒ方程最适合于自然粘粒复合体。     

Causes of Decadal Climate Variability over the North Pacific and North America

The cause of decadal climate variability over the North Pacific Ocean and North America is investigated by the analysis of data from a multidecadal integration with a state-of-the-art coupled ocean-atmosphere model and observations. About one-third of the low-frequency climate variability in the region of interest can be attributed to a cycle involving unstable air-sea interactions between the subtropical gyre circulation in the North Pacific and the Aleutian low-pressure system. The existence of this cycle provides a basis for long-range climate forecasting over the western United States at decadal time scales.     

Hormone-sensitive lipase: sequence, expression, and chromosomal localization to 19 cent-q13.3

Hormone-sensitive lipase, a key enzyme in fatty acid mobilization, overall energy homeostasis, and possibly steroidogenesis, is acutely controlled through reversible phosphorylation by catecholamines and insulin. The 757-amino acid sequence predicted from a cloned rat adipocyte complementary DNA showed no homology with any other known lipase or protein. The activity-controlling phosphorylation site was localized to Ser563 in a markedly hydrophilic domain, and a lipid-binding consensus site was tentatively identified. One or several messenger RNA species (3.3, 3.5, or 3.9 kilobases) were expressed in adipose and steroidogenic tissues and heart and skeletal muscle. The human hormone-sensitive lipase gene mapped to chromosome 19 cent-q13.3.     

Three-dimensional structure of human serum albumin

The three-dimensional structure of human serum albumin has been solved at 6.0 angstrom (A) resolution by the method of multiple isomorphous replacement. Crystals were grown from solutions of polyethylene glycol in the infrequently observed space group P42(1)2 (unit cell constants a = b = 186.5 +/- 0.5 A and c = 81.0 +/- 0.5 A) and diffracted x-rays to lattice d-spacings of less than 2.9 A. The electron density maps are of high quality and revealed the structure as a predominantly alpha-helical globin protein in which the course of the polypeptide can be traced. The binding loci of several organic compounds have been determined.     

A high-resolution radiation hybrid map of the human genome draft sequence

We have constructed a physical map of the human genome by using a panel of 90 whole-genome radiation hybrids (the TNG panel) in conjunction with 40,322 sequence-tagged sites (STSs) derived from random genomic sequences as well as expressed sequences. Of 36,678 STSs on the TNG radiation hybrid map, only 3604 (9.8%) were absent from the unassembled draft sequence of the human genome. Of 20,030 STSs ordered on the TNG map as well as the assembled human genome draft sequence and the Celera assembled human genome sequence, 36% of the STSs had a discrepant order between the working draft sequence and the Celera sequence. The TNG map order was identical to one of the two sequence orders in 60% of these discrepant cases.