Cyclopenta[c]phenanthrene induction of CYP1A in brain of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

We assessed the effects of cyclopenta[c]phenanthrene (CP[c]Ph) and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P; positive control) on CYP1A gene expression in brain of juvenile rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) using the quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (Q-RT-PCR). A group of hatchery raised rainbow trout, with an average body mass of 49.4 g and total length of 15.5 cm were given an intraperitoneal injection (10 mg*kg-1) of either CP[c]Ph or B[a]P in corn oil (2 mg*mi-1 corn oil) or corn oil alone (control). After 24 and 48 h, trout brains were collected for mRNA isolation and analysis. After 24 hours of the exposure, only B[a]P-treated rainbow trout had 10-fold higher number of CYP1A transcripts (mean = 3.63*106 transcripts*µg-1 total RNA) than control fish (3.24*105 transcripts*µg-1 total RNA; Tukey test, P<0.05). After 48 hrs, significantly higher levels of CYP1A expression (Tukey test, P<0.001) were found in either CP[c]Ph- or B[a]P- induced group (1.45*106 and 6.92*106 transcriptsźµg-1 total RNA, respectively) over a control group (mean=1.41*105 transcripts*µg-1 total RNA). The finding that CYP1A in brain tissue was inducible by CP[c]Ph, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) of different than B[a]P planar characteristics, may further validate the use of rainbow trout brain CYP1A mRNA levels as a biomarker of PAH exposure

Autonomous Energy Regions as a Proposed Choice of Selecting Selected EU Regions—Aspects of Their Creation and Management

There is a high demand for energy production, which is dependent on energy consumption and input. This demand affects socioeconomic development and quality of life. However, the lack of an innovative formal, legal, and organizational structure regarding public space in the European Union (EU) is problematic; one solution could be preparing and implementing grid services as part of distributed energy solutions (based on local and regional renewable resources), and involving local public, private, and profitable entities. Autonomous energy regions (AREs) are a response to this type of problem, as they can contribute to the creation of organizational and legal tools that counteract the marginalization of crisis areas, where undesirable socioeconomic phenomena intensify (and the conditions and management of the natural environments deteriorate). Investments in energy infrastructure based on distributed energy (mainly renewable energy sources) will be a tool for socioeconomic changes in affected areas. In terms of practical considerations in the energy field (i.e., keywords, barriers to energy consumption, and access to it), it is important to formulate recommendations regarding the creation, management, identification, and designation of autonomous energy regions (AREs) in the EU. In this case, postal questionnaires and a taxonomic method (Hellwig&rsquo;s method) were used. It is worth emphasizing that the creation of AREs is a modern requirement in connection with global CO2 emissions. Sustainable low-emission economies, according to the conducted research, may be introduced to the entire European Union. The lack of proposals for direction of regional development, in terms of autonomous energy regions, was indicated in this paper. There is a need to formulate specific recommendations regarding the possibility of creating and managing autonomous energy regions (AREs) in the European Union. Fortunately, there are natural, organizational, and social opportunities to begin this process. For example, local authorities may become leaders in creating a network of connections in emerging AREs, and communities might willingly make the effort to co-create AREs

Management of Delay Optimization at Intersections

Congestion extends the time of the journey for both people and goods. Therefore, transport solutions should be optimized. Management scientists and technical scientists worked together in order to develop a proprietary solution to increase efficiency in terms of productivity improvements for intelligent transport systems. The most fundamental functions of management have been paired with a detailed analysis of city traffic. The authors developed a method for determining the order of vehicles at traffic lights and connected it with vehicle-to-vehicle communication and GPS signals. As a result, a novel method to increase the throughput of intersections is presented. This solution generates a sound signal in order to inform the driver that the preceding car has started moving forward. The proposed solution leads to the shortening of the reaction time of the drivers waiting in a queue. This situation is most common at red lights. Consequently, the traffic simulation shows that the discharge of queues at traffic lights may be quicker by up to 13.5%. Notably, that proposed solution does not require any modification of the infrastructure as well as any additional devices for vehicle-to-infrastructure communication at the road intersections. To conclude, proper implementation of the proposed solution will certainly contribute to efficiency improvements within intelligent transport systems, with the potential to reduce traffic jams