Holcombotto6979

We mailed 4080 questionnaires containing items on sleep, health and noise disturbance to residences around ATL that were exposed to at least 35 dB Lnight aircraft noise. From 407 questionnaire respondents, 34 participants completed five nights of unattended sleep measurements. Data of sufficient quality and quantity to investigate the effects of aircraft noise on sleep were obtained. Self-reported awakenings increased as a function of the highest maximum aircraft noise level occurring during the sleep period. Event-related physiologic awakenings increased as a function of the maximum noise level of individual aircraft noise events, although this effect was of only borderline statistical significance (p = 0.057) likely due to the low sample size of this pilot study. The approach used in the presented pilot study has been demonstrated to be feasible for the purpose of the larger-scale study among a representative population around multiple airports in the future. V.With a high rejection coefficient for trace pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs), forward osmosis (FO) membrane separation has become a cutting-edge technology in water treatment owing to its low energy consumption and low membrane fouling. Wastewater contains many types of PPCPs, and one pharmaceutical molecule affects the separation behaviors of other pharmaceuticals in FO. Therefore, simultaneous FO of multiple PPCPs needs to be investigated. In this study, the separation behaviors of four trace pharmaceuticals (ciprofloxacin (CIP), sulfamethoxazole (SMX), acetaminophen (ACP), carbamazepine (CBZ)), individually (termed "single pharmaceuticals") and in combination (termed "binary pharmaceuticals" as two pharmaceuticals were studied simultaneously), during FO were investigated at trace concentrations using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). read more The results showed that for single pharmaceuticals, the molecular sieve dominates their retention rate-the larger molecule weight and increasing the retention rate of the pharmaceuticals (80.4 → 88.2% (SMX) when pH = 7 → 5 for SMX + CIP). The results suggest that the interactions between pharmaceuticals cannot be ignored in the process of removing PPCPs by FO. Metal contamination of watersheds is a global problem. Here, we conducted litter decomposition studies with Neonectria lugdunensis, a cosmopolitan aquatic fungus. Fungal isolates from four reference (non-impacted) and six metal-contaminated streams (due to mine drainage) were exposed to mine drainage and reference stream waters in Central Portugal. Impact of mine drainage waters on N. lugdunensis hyphae was investigated by performing metabolomic profiling of 200 lipids and 25 amino acids (AA) with ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. In parallel, functional response of N. lugdunensis isolates was assessed through expression profiles of a functional gene, cellobiohydrolase I (CbhI). Ecological performance via leaf mass loss was also determined. Exposure to mine drainage waters altered the concentration of numerous AA and lipids. Most strikingly, a gradual increase in the concentration of the triacylglycerols (TAG) with shorter acyl chains and lesser unsaturation was observed after the exposure to mine drainage waters. In addition, the changes in the concentration of numerous TAG, lysophosphatidylcholines, and AA were more significant in the isolates from the metal-contaminated streams after exposure to mine drainage water. CbhI gene of the isolates from reference streams was down-regulated by metal stress, while those from metal-contaminated streams remained unaffected. Finally, leaf mass loss was influenced by both exposure to mine drainage waters and the origin of isolates. Overall, our study demonstrates unique functional signatures displayed by fungi under metal stress and the relevant role that fungal AA and lipids play to cope with metal toxicity. V.Pyrolysis of organic waste or woody materials yields a stable carbonaceous product that can be mixed into soil and is often termed "biochar". During pyrolysis carbon-containing gases are emitted, mainly volatile organic carbon species, carbon monoxide and aerosols. In modern pyrolysis units, gases are after-combusted, which reduces emissions substantially. However, emission data for medium- to large-scale pyrolysis units are scant, both regarding gases, aerosols, heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH). Making biochar from lightly contaminated waste timber (WT) is a promising waste handling option as it results in the potential valorization of such residues into e.g. sorbents for contaminant stabilization. For this process to be environmentally sustainable, emissions during the process need to be low and the resulting biochar of sufficient quality. To investigate both issues, we pyrolyzed three batches of WT and one reference batch of clean wood/leaves in a representative medium-scale pyrolysiurther improvement or investigation would be limited to ex situ use, not improving soil fertility or in situ remediation. V.Mercury (Hg) is an environmental pollutant that threatens aquatic life. Many environmental factors, including water temperature, are reported to influence the toxicity of dissolved chemicals in the aquatic ecosystem. Therefore, we investigated the impact of thermal stress on Hg-induced subchronic toxicity in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). Fish were randomly allocated into five groups. Group I served as the control and kept at 25 °C. Groups II, III, IV, and V were reared at 25, 28, 31, and 34 °C, respectively, and co-exposed to HgCl2 (1/10 LC50) for 42 days. Blood and tissue samples were collected after 21 and 42 days. All HgCl2-exposed groups exhibited significant elevations in serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), urea, and creatinine, along with decreases in the serum total protein and albumin. In addition, marked reductions in antioxidant enzymes, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSPx), were observed. Remarkable increases in Hg tissue concentrations were detected along with increases in heat shock protein (HSP) 70 mRNA expression.