Achievements and current activities of the Canadian radon program

Based on new scientific information and broad public consultation, the Government of Canada updated the guideline for exposure to indoor radon and launched a multi-year radon program in 2007. Major achievements accomplished in the past 3 y and current activities underway are highlighted here.     

Anthropogenic forcing of estuarine hypoxic events in sub-tropical catchments: landscape drivers and biogeochemical processes

Episodic hypoxic events can occur following summer floods in sub-tropical estuaries of eastern Australia. These events can cause deoxygenation of waterways and extensive fish mortality. Here, we present a conceptual model that links key landscape drivers and biogeochemical processes which contribute to post-flood hypoxic events. The model provides a framework for examining the nature of anthropogenic forcing. Modification of estuarine floodplain surface hydrology through the construction of extensive drainage networks emerges as a major contributing factor to increasing the frequency, magnitude and duration of hypoxic events. Forcing occurs in two main ways. Firstly, artificial drainage of backswamp wetlands initiates drier conditions which cause a shift in vegetation assemblages from wetland-dominant species to dryland-dominant species. These species, which currently dominate the floodplain, are largely intolerant of inundation and provide abundant labile substrate for decomposition following flood events. Decomposition of this labile carbon pool consumes oxygen in the overlying floodwaters, and results in anoxic conditions and waters with excess deoxygenation potential (DOP). Carbon metabolism can be strongly coupled with microbially-mediated reduction of accumulated Fe and Mn oxides, phases which are common on these coastal floodplain landscapes. Secondly, artificial drainage enhances discharge rates during the flood recession phase. Drains transport deoxygenated high DOP floodwaters rapidly from backswamp wetlands to the main river channel to further consume oxygen. This process effectively displaces the natural carbon metabolism processes from floodplain wetlands to the main channel. Management options to reduce the impacts of post-flood hypoxia include i) remodifying drainage on the floodplain to promote wetter conditions, thereby shifting vegetation assemblages towards inundation-tolerant species, and ii) strategic retention of floodwaters in the backswamp wetlands to reduce the volume and rate during the critical post-flood recession phase.     

最大化利用老化的输电和配电设施

正输电和配电设施已成为美国电力公用事业的高管们最关注的事情。电力企业在对待输电设施时,应从基于设备年龄的模式转变为基于设备性能的模式,不仅要关注故障概率,还要关注保养和维修的费用。截至2010年,美国70%的输电线路和电力变压器至少已经服役超过25年,60%的断路器服役已经超过30年。Brattle Group预计美国需要在2010年到2030年间投资8793亿美元用于电力传输设施,其中的5815亿美元将用于配电设施,1134亿美元将用于主输电网(230kV及以上),1844亿美元将用于低压输电设施。     

Executive functioning and olfactory identification in young adults with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder.

Young adults with attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD; N?=?105) were compared with a control group (N?=?64) on 14 measures of executive function and olfactory identification using a 2 (group) × 2 (sex) design. The ADHD group performed significantly worse on 11 measures. No Group × Sex interaction was found on any measures. No differences were found in the ADHD group as a function of ADHD subtype or comorbid oppositional defiant disorder. Comorbid depression influenced the results of only 1 test (Digit Symbol). After IQ was controlled for, some group differences in verbal working memory, attention, and odor identification were no longer significant, whereas those in inhibition, interference control, nonverbal working memory, and other facets of attention remained so. Executive function deficits found in childhood ADHD exist in young adults with ADHD and are largely not influenced by comorbidity but may be partly a function of low intelligence. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Receptor-Independent Anti-Ferroptotic Activity of TrkB Modulators

Dysregulated brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)/tropomyosin receptor kinase B (TrkB) signalling is implicated in several neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease. A failure of neurotrophic support may participate in neurodegenerative mechanisms, such as ferroptosis, which has likewise been implicated in this disease class. The current study investigated whether modulators of TrkB signalling affect ferroptosis. Cell viability, C11 BODIPY, and cell-free oxidation assays were used to observe the impact of TrkB modulators, and an immunoblot assay was used to detect TrkB expression. TrkB modulators such as agonist BDNF, antagonist ANA-12, and inhibitor K252a did not affect RSL3-induced ferroptosis sensitivity in primary cortical neurons expressing detectable TrkB receptors. Several other modulators of the TrkB receptor, including agonist 7,8-DHF, activator phenelzine sulphate, and inhibitor GNF-5837, conferred protection against a range of ferroptosis inducers in several immortalised neuronal and non-neuronal cell lines, such as N27 and HT-1080 cells. We found these immortalised cell lines lack detectable TrkB receptor expression, so the anti-ferroptotic activity of these TrkB modulators was most likely due to their inherent radical-trapping antioxidant properties, which should be considered when interpreting their experimental findings. These modulators or their variants could be potential anti-ferroptotic therapeutics for various diseases.     

The elastic contact of a rough surface

The elastic contact of an isotropically rough surface with a plane is treated by approximating the summits of a random process model by paraboloids with the same principal curvatures and applying the classical Hertzian solution for their deformation. The errors in this approximation are computed in terms of the separation and of a bandwidth parameter α. Load and real contact area are derived as functions of separation. For large separation the fractional area of real contact is found to be half the bearing area fraction and the separation may be eliminated to give direct porportionality between load and area. For all separations the load is approximately proportional to the contact area. The constant of proportionality depends only on the Hertzian elastic modulus and the profile absolute mean slope. Experimental measurements of the latter and of α for a variety of surfaces show little variation in either, and the measured values of α are within the range of applicability of the model. The theory is critically compared with existing theories.