Regulation of sensory nerve conduction velocity of human bodies responding to annual temperature variations in natural environments

The extensive research interests in environmental temperature can be linked to human productivity / performance as well as comfort and health; while the mechanisms of physiological indices responding to temperature variations remain incompletely understood. This study adopted a physiological sensory nerve conduction velocity (SCV) as a temperature‐sensitive biomarker to explore the thermoregulatory mechanisms of human responding to annual temperatures. The measurements of subjects’ SCV (over 600 samples) were conducted in a naturally ventilated environment over all four seasons. The results showed a positive correlation between SCV and annual temperatures and a Boltzmann model was adopted to depict the S‐shaped trend of SCV with operative temperatures from 5°C to 40°C. The SCV increased linearly with operative temperatures from 14.28°C to 20.5°C and responded sensitively for 10.19°C‐24.59°C, while tended to be stable beyond that. The subjects’ thermal sensations were linearly related to SCV, elaborating the relation between human physiological regulations and subjective thermal perception variations. The findings reveal the body SCV regulatory characteristics in different operative temperature intervals, thereby giving a deeper insight into human autonomic thermoregulation and benefiting for built environment designs, meantime minimizing the temperature‐invoked risks to human health and well‐being.     

Characterizing physical habitat preferences and thermal refuge occupancy of brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) at high river temperatures

Anthropogenic influences, including climate change, are increasing river temperatures in northern and temperate regions and threatening the thermal habitats of native salmonids. When river temperatures exceed the tolerance levels of brook trout and Atlantic salmon, individuals exhibit behavioural thermoregulation by seeking out cold‐water refugia – often created by tributaries and groundwater discharge. Thermal infrared (TIR) imagery was used to map cold‐water anomalies along a 53 km reach of the Cains River, New Brunswick. Trout and salmon parr did not use all identified thermal anomalies as refugia during higher river temperature periods (>21°C). Most small‐bodied trout (8–30 cm) were observed in 80% of the thermal anomalies sampled. Large‐bodied trout (>35 cm) required a more specific set of physical habitat conditions for suitable refugia, that is, 100% of observed large trout used 30% of the anomalies sampled and required water depths >65 cm within or adjacent to the anomaly. Densities of trout were significantly higher within anomalies compared with areas of ambient river temperature. Salmon parr were less aligned with thermal anomalies at the observed temperatures, that is, 59% were found in 65% of the sampled anomalies; and densities were not significantly different within/ outside anomalies. Salmon parr appeared to aggregate at 27°C, and after several events over 27°C variability in aggregation behaviour was observed – some fish aggregated at 25°C, others did not. We stipulate this is due to variances of thermal fatigue. Habitat suitability curves were developed for velocity, temperature, depth, substrate, and deep water availability to characterize conditions preferred by fish during high‐temperature events. These findings are useful for managers as our climate warms, and can potentially be used as a tool to help conserve and enhance thermal refugia for brook trout and Atlantic salmon in similar systems.     

Effect of marinating ingredients on temperature-induced denaturation of hemoglobin and its relation to red blood spot formation in cooked chicken breast

Red blood spot (RBS) commonly found in cooked chicken breast has caused severe economic loss as it is perceived as a sign of undercooked product. The objectives of this study were to investigate the cause of RBS as related to common ingredients used in marination, based on both chicken breast and isolated chicken hemoglobin (Hb) models. The effect of sodium chloride (NaCl), sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP), and glucose on thermal denaturation of Hb was investigated along with the extent of RBS formation in cooked marinated chicken breast. After vacuum tumbling for 65 min and subsequent storage at 4 °C for 20 hr, STPP and glucose were not absorbed into the center of chicken breast. However, Na⁺ was absorbed after 12 hr storage. The denaturation temperature (T_d) of isolated chicken Hb decreased to 65.8 °C in the presence of 1.5 M NaCl, while that of the control was 69.4 °C. STPP at pH 9 decreased T_d of Hb to 61.4 °C. The alkaline pH induced by STPP destabilized the Hb structure. RBSs were observed at 100% incidence when cooked to core temperatures of 50 and 70 °C for 1 min. RBSs were completely eliminated at core temperature of 85 °C. The ingredients used during marination appeared to have a minimal effect on RBS formation due to their limited absorption into the chicken breast. The cooking temperature is a major factor governing RBSs, as it directly affects the denaturation of Hb.     

超高效液相色谱串联质谱法测定烟草中的噁霉灵残留

为降低烟草中噁霉灵检测中的基质干扰，提高检测灵敏度和和稳定性，通过试验建立了以QuEChERS为样品前处理方法、液相色谱串联质谱仪为检测仪器的烟草中噁霉灵残留检测方法。样品加水浸润后，经丙酮提取、盐析试剂包除水、石墨化炭黑除杂后，采用Agilent ZORBAX 300SB-C8液相色谱柱（2.1 mm×100 mm，1.8 μm）分离，甲醇-水程序洗脱，ESI雾化，串联质谱MRM检测。结果发现，该方法在0.0025~0.0500 mg/L范围内线性良好，决定系数r²=0.9996，定量检测限1.06 μg/L，回收率在90.8%~92.0%之间，相对标准偏差为5.1%。运用该方法测定烟草中的噁霉灵，操作简单，检测精度高，满足CORESTA对烟草农残检测的要求。     

Temperature cycling and its effect on mechanical behaviours of highporosity chalks

Temperature history can have a significant effect on the strength of water-saturated chalk.In this study,hydrostatic stress cycles are applied to understand the mechanical response of chalk samples exposed to temperature cycling between each stress cycle,compared to the samples tested at a constant temperature.The total accumulated strain during a stress cycle and the irreversible strain are reported.Chalk samples from Kansas(USA)and Mons(Belgium),with different degrees of induration(i.e.amount of contact cementation),were used.The samples were saturated with equilibrated water(polar)and nonpolar Isopar H oil to quantify water weakening.All samples tested during 10 stress cycles with varying temperature(i.e.temperature cycled in between each stress cycle)accumulated more strain than those tested at constant temperatures.All the stress cycles were performed at 30℃.The two chalk types behaved similarly when saturated with Isopar H oil,but differently when saturated with water.When saturated with water,the stronger Kansas chalk accumulated more total strain and more irreversible strain within each stress cycle than the weaker Mons chalk.     

基于热负荷自动调节的延迟焦化加热炉三点注汽量智能优化

针对国内某炼油厂延迟焦化加热炉三点注汽问题，采用热负荷自动调节的算法进行了研究。运用该模型方法，分析了三点注汽量对加热炉热负荷和炉管结焦系数的影响，发现三点注汽量的改变均会对热负荷和炉管结焦系数产生影响，主要表现为提高注汽量将会提高热负荷，同时降低结焦系数；第1点注汽量和第2点注汽量对热负荷和结焦系数的影响较强，第3点注汽量对热负荷和结焦系数的影响较弱。在实际操作中，加热炉中的结焦程度既不能太强也不能太弱，合适的结焦系数能够保证正常开工周期里炉管不结焦，也能保证瓦斯、注汽量等参数的合理分配。通过对热负荷、注汽量的智能分配，可得到不同原料油加工负荷条件下更加合理的装置运行方案。     

Selective Analysis of Sulfur-Containing Species in a Heavy Crude Oil by Deuterium Labeling Reactions and Ultrahigh Resolution Mass Spectrometry

A heavy crude oil has been treated with deuterated alkylating reagents (CD₃I and C₂D₅I) and directly analyzed without any prior fractionation and chromatographic separation by high-field Orbitrap Fourier Transform Mass Spectrometry (FTMS) and Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry (FT-ICR MS) using electrospray ionization (ESI). The reaction of a polycyclic aromatic sulfur heterocycles (PASHs) dibenzothiophene (DBT), in the presence of silver tetrafluoroborate (AgBF₄) with ethyl iodide (C₂H₅I) in anhydrous dichloroethane (DCE) was optimized as a sample reaction to study heavy crude oil mixtures, and the reaction yield was monitored and determined by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-NMR). The obtained conditions were then applied to a mixture of standard aromatic CH-, N-, O- and S-containing compounds and then a heavy crude oil, and only sulfur-containing compounds were selectively alkylated. The deuterium labeled alkylating reagents, iodomethane-d₃ (CD₃I) and iodoethane-d₅ (C₂D₅I), were employed to the alkylation of heavy crude oil to selectively differentiate the tagged sulfur species from the original crude oil.     

Simultaneous determination of mycotoxin in commercial coffee

Mycotoxins are secondary metabolites produced by filamentous fungi that usually contaminate food products. Coffee is a natural product susceptible to mycotoxin contamination. The present study evaluates the presence of nivalenol, deoxynivalenol, T-2 and HT-2 Toxin, diacetoxyscirpenol, aflatoxin B₁, aflatoxin B₂, aflatoxin G₁, aflatoxin G₂, fumonisin B₁, fumonisin B₂, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, enniatin A, enniatin A₁, enniatin B, enniatin B₁, and beauvericin in coffee samples, using liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The results show that zearalenone was not present in any sample. In the positive samples the contents of fumonisins ranged from 58.62 to 537.45 μg/kg, emerging mycotoxins ranged from 0.10 to 3569.92 μg/kg, aflatoxins ranged from 0.25 to 13.12 μg/kg, and trichothecenes, excepting nivalenol, ranged from 5.70 to 325.68 μg/kg. Nivalenol presented the highest concentrations, from 0.40 to 25.86 mg/kg. Ochratoxin A ranged from 1.56 to 32.40 μg/kg, and five samples exceeded the maximum limit established by the European Commission.