Natural radioactivity content in groundwater of Mt. Etna’s eastern flank and gamma background of surrounding rocks

Waters of Mt. Etna are the main source of drinking water for the local population and are also distributed in municipal supply systems to neighbouring areas. Radioactivity in underground waters and surrounding rocks from the eastern flank of Mt. Etna was investigated on the basis of 9 water and 8 rock samples from 12 localities altogether. Three samples were from water drainage galleries and six from water wells. All water intakes are used for consumption. Activity concentration of uranium isotopes 234,238U, radium isotopes 226,228Ra and radon 222Rn were determined with the use different nuclear spectrometry techniques. The determination of uranium isotopes was carried out with the use of alpha spectrometry. The measurements of radium and radon activity concentration in water were performed with the use of a liquid scintillation technique. Additionally, rocks surrounding the intakes were examined with gamma spectrometry. All water samples showed uranium concentration above Minimum Detectable Activity (MDA), with the highest total uranium (234U + 238U) activity concentration equal to 149.2±6 mBq/L. Conversely, all samples showed radium isotopes activity concentrations below MDA. Radon activity concentration was within the range from 2.91±0.36 to 21.21±1.10 Bq/L, hence these waters can be classified as low-radon waters. Gamma natural background of the rocks surrounding the water sampling sites was found on the same levels as other volcanic rocks of Italy

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts

The 42nd Symposium Chromatographic Methods of Investigating Organic Compounds : Book of abstracts. June 4-7, 2019, Szczyrk, Polan

Poziom antyoksydantów po zbiorze jabłek a ich zawartość w czasie przechowywania owoców w chłodni

This study was to discover if there is any relationship between antioxidant status after harvest and bioactives fate during apple storage. The clearer link in this issue concerned enzymatic part of antioxidant apparatus, for which the particularly high year effect was noted. Except for anthocyanins, non-enzymatic bioactives end-status was not strictly related to their harvest size. However the content during the first months of storage might be closely connected with antioxidant status measured after harvest. A significantly higher concentration of majority assessed antioxidants was characterized by apple harvested and stored in 2005/2006 season, on the average. Simultaneously many, statistically proved, correlations over storage between the examined antioxidants at that time existed. Total antioxidant power (FRAP assay) significantly increased after the first storage period, probably as a result of fruit acclimatory response to storage conditions, and next decreased. In general, changes of FRAP value reflected fluctuations of individual compounds measured in this study.Celem badań było określenie, czy istnieje związek między stężeniem antyoksydantów po zbiorze jabłek a ich poziomem w czasie przechowywania. Pewną zależność można było odnotować dla antyoksydantów enzymatycznych, których aktywność była szczególnie zależna od warunków wegetacji w danym sezonie. Z wyjątkiem antocyjanów, stężenie antyoksydantów nieenzymatycznych oznaczone po zakończeniu przechowywania nie było ściśle związane z ich poziomem odnotowanym po zbiorze owoców. Jednakże ich zawartość w pierwszym miesiącu (miesiącach) przechowywania może mieć związek ze stanem pozbiorczym. Istotnie wyższe, przeciętne stężenie większości związków biologicznie aktywnych, a jednocześnie wiele istotnych statystycznie korelacji między nimi odnotowano w sezonie 2005/2006. Całkowita aktywność przeciwutleniająca istotnie wzrosła po pierwszym etapie przechowywania owoców w chłodni (prawdopodobnie jako efekt aklimatyzacji owoców do warunków przechowywania), a następnie obniżyła się. Zmiany tego wskaźnika odzwierciedlały na ogół wahania indywidualnych składników aparatu antyoksydacyjnego

Wpływ odmiany i terminu zbioru na zawartość związków tiolowych, askorbinianu oraz fenoli w owocach borówki wysokiej

The study was carried out on two highbush blueberry cultivars: Bluecrop and Darrow in 2001 and 2002 seasons. Analyses for phytochemical contents in berries were made during commercial maturity of fruit. Concentration of anthocyanins and low molecular weight thiol compounds was significantly higher in ´Darrow´ berries in comparison to Bluecrop cv., irrespective of the harvest year. Tested cultivars did not differ in the ratio of the reduced form of glutathione in its total quantity. As opposed to this, the higher proportion of the reduced form of ascorbate in its total concentration was noted for ´Bluecrop´, but it was statistically proven only in the first year of research. A very low activity of antioxidative enzymes was noted, however on the average, considerably higher activity of glutathione reductase showed ´Darrow´, whereas ´Bluecrop´ had higher catalase activity. The ascorbate peroxidase activity was not detected in the extracts of ´Bluecrop´s’ berries. Berries of ´Darrow´, which exhibited, in general, the higher antioxidants content in the first year of the study, were harvested at two different dates in 2002: in the middle of July and at the end of August. The harvest date had a significant effect on the level of some phytochemicals. The fruit harvested in August had lower content of cysteine, glutathione, phenolics, flavonols and anthocyanins than the ones harvested in July. Ascorbate content was similar at both harvest dates. Growing season also had the influence on antioxidant properties, especially on the content of ascorbic acid.Badania przeprowadzono w latach 2001–2002. Ocenie poddano dwie odmiany borówki wysokiej: Bluecrop i Darrow. Analizy chemiczne dotyczące zawartości fitozwiązków w owocach wykonano w fazie dojrzałości zbiorczej. Stężenie antocyjanów oraz niskocząsteczkowych związków tiolowych było istotnie wyższe w owocach odmiany Darrow w porównaniu z odmianą Bluecrop, niezależnie od roku badań. Udział zredukowanego glutationu w jego całkowitej zawartości kształtował się na zbliżonym poziomie u obu ocenianych odmian. Przeciwnie, istotnie wyższą zawartością zredukowanego askorbinianu charakteryzowała się odmiana Bluecrop, ale tylko w pierwszym roku badań. Aktywność enzymów oksydacyjnych w dojrzałych owocach borówek była bardzo niska. Jakkolwiek przeciętnie, wyższą aktywnością reduktazy glutationowej charakteryzowała się odmiana Darrow, natomiast ekstrakt z owoców odmiany Bluecrop wykazywał wyższą aktywność katalazy. Ekstrakty z owoców odmiany Bluecrop nie wykazywały aktywności peroksydazy askorbinianowej. Owoce odmiany Darrow, które charakteryzowały się na ogół wyższym stężeniem antyoksydantów w pierwszym roku badań, w roku kolejnym poddano analizie w dwóch terminach: w połowie lipca i końcu sierpnia. Termin zbioru wpłynął istotnie na poziom fitozwiózków. W owocach zebranych w sierpniu stwierdzono niższą zawartość cysteiny, glutationu, związków fenolowych ogółem jak i flawonoli oraz antocyjanów w porównaniu do zbioru wcześniejszego. Poziom askorbinianu był zbliżony, niezależnie od terminu zbioru. Stwierdzono wyraźny wpływ sezonu wegetacyjnego na poziom analizowanych antyoksydantów, szczególnie dotyczyło to stężenia askorbinianu

Calibration of a groundwater-radon monitoring station for seismic precursor study

A groundwater-radon monitoring station is in operation at Gallicano, a thermomineral spring located in Garfagnana, a high seismic area in Tuscany (Italy). The station automatically and continuously measures the radon concentration of the groundwater, and then transmits online the data to a dedicated web page [1]. Radon monitoring is performed along with the measurement of some geochemical parameters of the water, done by another dedicated station which operates together with the previous one, and belongs to a wider geochemical monitoring network operating in Tuscany since 2002 [2]. The purpose of these two stations is examining possible correlations between radon levels and geochemical parameter anomalies before an earthquake. The radon station measures the radon concentration in groundwater by means of gamma spectroscopy with a 2”x2” NaI(Tl) scintillation detector, analysing groundwater samples drawn into a Marinelli-type container after equilibrium is reached between radon and its short decay progenies. The energy and efficiency calibration of the scintillator detector is performed using a radon source with known radon concentration, placed inside a Marinelli beaker like the one used in the station. In this work, an independent verification of the efficiency calibration of the radon station is obtained by an intercomparison with the liquid scintillation counting of radon in groundwater, considering the same water sample as that one of the station. Prior to the measurements, a precise determination of the efficiency of radon counting with the liquid scintillation spectrometer was determined by measuring a set of calibrations vials [3]. The vials contained 226Ra standard solution diluted with distilled water and organic scintillation cocktail. 226Ra activity concentration covered the anticipated activity range of the samples to be analyzed. An accurate knowledge of radon concentration is mandatory to validate the acquired data series and to identify possible anomalies with respect to the radon average value and correlations with the geochemical parameters of the water. When an anomaly is identified, after removing all the other possible causes of radon concentration variation, this may be considered as a possible index of variation of the seismic activity

EBI2 is expressed in glial cells in multiple sclerosis lesions and its knock-out modulates remyelination in the cuprizone model

EBI2 receptor regulates the immune system and in multiple sclerosis is upregulated in the central nervous system infiltrating lymphocytes. In newborn EBI2-deficient mice, myelin development is delayed and its persistent antagonism inhibits remyelination in chemically-demyelinated organotypic cerebellar slices. We used the cuprizone model of multiple sclerosis to elucidate the role of central nervous system-expressed EBI2 in de- and remyelination. The wild-type and EBI2 knock-out mice were fed 0.2% cuprizone in chow for five weeks and allowed to recover on a normal diet for two weeks. The data showed less efficient recovery of myelin, attenuated oligodendrocyte loss, fewer astrocytes and increased total cholesterol levels in the EBI2 knock-out mice after recovery. Moreover, the wild-type mice upregulated EBI2 expression after recovery confirming the involvement of EBI2 signalling during recovery from demyelination in the cuprizone model. The pro-inflammatory cytokine levels were at comparable levels in the wild-type and EBI2 knock-out mice, with only minor differences in TNFα and IL1β levels either at peak or during recovery. The neuroinflammatory signalling molecules, Abl1 kinase and NFКB1 (p105/p50) subunit, were significantly downregulated in the EBI2 knock-out mice at peak of disease. Immunohistochemical investigations of EBI2 receptor distribution in the CNS cells in MS brain revealed strong expression of EBI2 in astrocytes and microglia inside the plaques implicating glia-expressed EBI2 in multiple sclerosis pathophysiology. Taken together, these findings demonstrate the involvement of EBI2 signalling in the recovery from demyelination rather than in demyelination and as such warrant further research into the role of EBI2 in remyelination