Probing the microenvironmental conditions for induction of superficial zone protein expression

SummaryObjectiveTo determine the in vitro conditions which promote expression of superficial zone protein (SZP).MethodsChondrocytes from 6-month-old calves were expanded in monolayer culture and the expression of SZP in alginate bead and monolayer culture was quantified with quantitative real time-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunostaining. The effect of oxygen tension on SZP expression was determined by qRT-PRC analysis of cells cultured in two dimension (2D) and three dimension (3D) under hypoxic (1% pO2) or normoxic (21% pO2) conditions. Finally, to examine the effect of cyclic tensile strain on expression of SZP in 2D and 3D cultures, chondrocytes encapsulated in alginate beams or seeded on type I collagen coated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) chambers were subjected to 5% strain at 1 Hz, 2 h/day for 4 days or 2 h at the fourth day of culture and mRNA levels were quantified.ResultsBovine chondrocytes in monolayer showed a drastic decrease in SZP expression, similar in trend to the commonly reported downregulation of type II collagen (Col2). Chondrocytes embedded in alginate beads for 4 days re-expressed SZP but not Col2. SZP expression was higher under normoxic conditions whereas Col2 was upregulated only in alginate beads under hypoxic conditions. Cyclic mechanical strain showed a tendency to upregulate mRNA levels of SZP.ConclusionsA microenvironment encompassing a soft encapsulation material and 21% oxygen is sufficient for fibroblastic chondrocytes to re-express SZP. These results serve as a guideline for the design of stratified engineered articular cartilage and suggest that microenvironmental cues (oxygen tension level) strongly influence the pattern of SZP expression in vivo

Spatial Distribution of PM\u3csub\u3e2.5\u3c/sub\u3e-Related Premature Mortality in China

PM2.5 is a major component of air pollution in China and has a serious threat to public health. It is very important to quantify spatial characteristics of the health effects caused by outdoor PM2.5 exposure. This study analyzed the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentration (45.9 μg/m3 national average in 2016) and premature mortality attributed to PM2.5 in cities at the prefectural level and above in China in 2016. Using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM), the total premature mortality in China was estimated to be 1.55 million persons, and the per capita mortality was 11.2 per 10,000 persons in the year 2016, resulting in higher estimates compared to the integrated exposure-response model. We assessed the premature mortality attributed to PM2.5 through common diseases, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular disease (CEV), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer (LC), and lower respiratory infections (LRI). The premature mortality due to IHD and CEV accounted for 68.5% of the total mortality, and the per capita mortality (per 10,000 persons) for all ages due to IHD was 3.86, the highest among diseases. For the spatial distribution of disease-specific premature mortality, the top two highest absolute numbers of premature mortality associated with IHD, CEV, LC, and LRI, respectively, were found in Chongqing and Beijing. In 338 cities of China, we have found a significant positive spatial autocorrelation of per capita premature mortality, indicating the necessity of coordinated regional governance for an efficient control of PM2.5. Plain Language Summary Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations have increased in general, in most developing countries in recent decades. In China, PM2.5 pollution has become a major component of air pollution and has serious health impacts. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the national health impacts of PM2.5 in China, we have used the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) to estimate the premature mortality associated with PM2.5 exposure in 338 cities in China at the prefectural level and above. In addition, we analyzed the spatial distribution of premature mortality attributed to PM2.5 for five diseases, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular disease (CEV), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer (LC), and lower respiratory infections (LRI). Our study finds that the total premature mortality associated with PM2.5 exposure in China for 2016 was 1.55 million persons. The top two highest absolute numbers of premature mortality associated with IHD, CEV, LC, and LRI, respectively were found in Chongqing and Beijing. Furthermore, cities with high per capita premature mortality tended to be spatially connected with other cities with high per capita premature mortality, indicating the coordinated regional governance should be adopted to reduce the impact of PM2.5 on human health

Spatiotemporal Variations of City-Level Carbon Emissions in China during 2000–2017 Using Nighttime Light Data

China is one of the largest carbon emitting countries in the world. Numerous strategies have been considered by the Chinese government to mitigate carbon emissions in recent years. Accurate and timely estimation of spatiotemporal variations of city-level carbon emissions is of vital importance for planning of low-carbon strategies. For an assessment of the spatiotemporal variations of city-level carbon emissions in China during the periods 2000–2017, we used nighttime light data as a proxy from two sources: Defense Meteorological Satellite Program’s Operational Linescan System (DMSP-OLS) data and the Suomi National Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite’s Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (NPP-VIIRS). The results show that cities with low carbon emissions are located in the western and central parts of China. In contrast, cities with high carbon emissions are mainly located in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region (BTH) and Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Half of the cities of China have been making eorts to reduce carbon emissions since 2012, and regional disparities among cities are steadily decreasing. Two clusters of high-emission cities located in the BTH and YRD followed two dierent paths of carbon emissions owing to the diverse political status and pillar industries. We conclude that carbon emissions in China have undergone a transformation to decline, but a very slow balancing between the spatial pattern of high-emission versus low-emission regions in China can be presumed

Spatial Distribution of PM\u3csub\u3e2.5\u3c/sub\u3e-Related Premature Mortality in China

PM2.5 is a major component of air pollution in China and has a serious threat to public health. It is very important to quantify spatial characteristics of the health effects caused by outdoor PM2.5 exposure. This study analyzed the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentration (45.9 μg/m3 national average in 2016) and premature mortality attributed to PM2.5 in cities at the prefectural level and above in China in 2016. Using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM), the total premature mortality in China was estimated to be 1.55 million persons, and the per capita mortality was 11.2 per 10,000 persons in the year 2016, resulting in higher estimates compared to the integrated exposure-response model. We assessed the premature mortality attributed to PM2.5 through common diseases, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular disease (CEV), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer (LC), and lower respiratory infections (LRI). The premature mortality due to IHD and CEV accounted for 68.5% of the total mortality, and the per capita mortality (per 10,000 persons) for all ages due to IHD was 3.86, the highest among diseases. For the spatial distribution of disease-specific premature mortality, the top two highest absolute numbers of premature mortality associated with IHD, CEV, LC, and LRI, respectively, were found in Chongqing and Beijing. In 338 cities of China, we have found a significant positive spatial autocorrelation of per capita premature mortality, indicating the necessity of coordinated regional governance for an efficient control of PM2.5. Plain Language Summary Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentrations have increased in general, in most developing countries in recent decades. In China, PM2.5 pollution has become a major component of air pollution and has serious health impacts. To obtain a comprehensive understanding of the national health impacts of PM2.5 in China, we have used the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) to estimate the premature mortality associated with PM2.5 exposure in 338 cities in China at the prefectural level and above. In addition, we analyzed the spatial distribution of premature mortality attributed to PM2.5 for five diseases, including ischemic heart disease (IHD), cerebrovascular disease (CEV), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer (LC), and lower respiratory infections (LRI). Our study finds that the total premature mortality associated with PM2.5 exposure in China for 2016 was 1.55 million persons. The top two highest absolute numbers of premature mortality associated with IHD, CEV, LC, and LRI, respectively were found in Chongqing and Beijing. Furthermore, cities with high per capita premature mortality tended to be spatially connected with other cities with high per capita premature mortality, indicating the coordinated regional governance should be adopted to reduce the impact of PM2.5 on human health

Mapping Cumulative Environmental Risks: Examples from The EU NoMiracle Project

We present examples of cumulative chemical risk mapping methods developed within the NoMiracle project. The different examples illustrate the application of the concentration addition (CA) approach to pesticides at different scale, the integration in space of cumulative risks to individual organisms under the CA assumption, and two techniques to (1) integrate risks using data-driven, parametric statistical methods, and (2) cluster together areas with similar occurrence of different risk factors, respectively. The examples are used to discuss some general issues, particularly on the conventional nature of cumulative risk maps, and may provide some suggestions for the practice of cumulative risk mapping

Sheep Updates 2003 - Posters

This session covers eleven papers from different authors:1 Sheep production on annual stubbles/pastures vs lucerne Maxine Brown Gaye Krebs Muresk Institute, Curtin University Diana Fedorenko Kathryn Egerton-Warburton Centre for Cropping Systems, Department of Agriculture Western Australia 2. The value chain of the Lake Grace livestock industry Evan Burt Nazrul Islam Department of Agriculture Western Australia 3. Native pastures, Dorper sheep and the 2002 drought Roy Butler Department of Agriculture Western Australia 4. Commercial sheep breeders can improve their sheep breeding program using wether trials L.G. Butler, S.R. Brown, M.F. D’Antuono, J.C. Greeff Department of Agriculture 5. Western Australia Linked ewe trials to benchmark wool traits and reproductive performance of Western Australian sheep flocks Ken Hart Department of Agriculture Western Australia 6. Damara sheep - what is their potential? A case study from the North-eastern wheatbelt Tanya Kilminster Evan Burt Department of Agriculture Western Australia 7, Australian Sheep Industry CRC - nutrition sub-program Rachel Kirby Sheep CRC Research Fellow 8. Dust penetration is not genetically and phenotypically the same trait as dust content M.E. Ladyman J.C. Greeff Department of Agriculture Western Australia A.C. Schlink CSIRO Livestock Industries, Private Bag 5, Wembley WA I.H. Williams P.E. Vercoe University of Western Australia, Crawley WA 9.Developing sustainable fodder crop systems with new annual pasture legumes Anyou Lui Department of Agriculture Western Australia 10. Seasonal pricing and seasonality of supply of prime lambs in the western wheatbelt Karen Smith Martin Bent Muresk Institute, Curtin University 11. The role of alternative and exotic sheep breeds in the Western Australian sheep industry Matthew Young Department of Agriculture Western Australi

Proteolytic enzyme engineering : a tool for wool

One of the goals of protein engineering is to tailor the structure of enzymes to optimize industrial bioprocesses. In the present work, we present the construction of a novel high molecular weight subtilisin, based on the fusion of the DNA sequences coding for Bacillus subtilis prosubtilisin E and for an elastin-like polymer (ELP). The resulting fusion protein was biologically produced in Escherichia coli, purified and used for wool finishing assays. When compared to the commercial protease Esperase, the recombinant subtilisinE-VPAVG220 activity was restricted to the cuticle of wool, allowing a significant reduction of pilling, weight loss and tensile strength loss of wool fibers. Here we report, for the first time, the microbial production of a functionalized high molecular weight protease for controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of wool surface. This original process overcomes the unrestrained diffusion and extended fiber damage which are the major obstacles for the use of proteases for wool finishing applications

Balancing, Proportionality, and Constitutional Rights

In the theory and practice of constitutional adjudication, proportionality review plays a crucial role. At a theoretical level, it lies at core of the debate on rights adjudication; in judicial practice, it is a widespread decision-making model characterizing the action of constitutional, supra-national and international courts. Despite its circulation and centrality in contemporary legal discourse, proportionality in rights-adjudication is still extremely controversial. It raises normative questions—concerning its justification and limits—and descriptive questions—regarding its nature and distinctive features. The chapter addresses both orders of questions. Part I centres on the justification of proportionality review, the connection between proportionality, balancing and theories of rights and the critical aspects of this connection. Part II identifies and analyses the different forms of proportionality both in review, as a template for rights-adjudication, and of review, as a way of defining the scope and limits of adjudication