Cyclophosphamide (CY) was injected intraperitoneally into mice at varying dosage levels 48 hours prior to intravenous inoculation of constant amounts of dialysable leucocytic transfer factor (TF). Bovine TF to coccidioidin and Brucella abortus and porcine TF to Mycobacterium avium were used. Twenty-four hours after TF injections, mice were tested for delayed hypersensitivity by footpad inoculation with specific antigens. The results show that CY slightly enhanced the delayed hypersensitivity response to the specific test antigens in all three systems. This was not true at every CY dose level, however, since there was a correlation between the dosage of CY and the time of peak footpad swelling. Cyclophosphamide at a low level (20 mg/kg body wt) caused the maximal reading at 24 hours after test, whereas the high level dose (200 mg/kg) showed greatest thickening of the footpad at 48 hours. Transfer factor dosage differences appeared to change the response relatively little, if at all. The cyclophosphamide dose response, on the other hand, showed disparities among various antigen systems and at the different observation times. Under these conditions, no consistent, striking effects of CY on transfer could be noted.

Voltage (lighting) flicker is mainly caused by the electric arc furnaces (EAF) facility supplied by the medium and high voltage power network. In addition to that, because of the increase of wind power generation in both quantity and capacity, intermittent power output of wind turbines under wind speed variation could also cause voltage flickers that affect the performance of lighting and electronics devices in the neighboring feeder buses. Successful voltage flicker prediction and propagation estimation would help both utility and customers in dealing with the problem. This dissertation presents a nonlinear model for the short term prediction of voltage flicker due to EAF operations. In this study, synchronized voltage flicker measurement was conducted at several EAF facilities to understand the stochastic behavior of voltage flicker. The electric loading condition during EAF melting process shows a long term qualitative behavior of a dynamic system and illustrates a special structure of a fractal system. With the fractal structure identification, the behavior hidden behind the voltage flicker time series measurement could be grasped. Using a phase space reconstruction technique and Lyapunov exponent (LE) of state trajectory in the phase space, based on actual voltage flicker measurements, it is proved that the voltage flicker time series is chaos. By using LE, three formulations are adopted to build the prediction models and illustrate the feasibility of short term EAF voltage flicker prediction. Currently, some Asian countries are using the Japanese £GV10 flicker voltage standard. Due to the adoption of IEC standard by IEEE and European countries, a rational conversion of flicker planning limits between different standards would help utilities consider revising or changing their voltage flicker standards and planning limits. Statistical analyses of Pst and £GV10 measurement are conducted in this study. Under different EAF types and operation conditions, reasonable conversion factors between Pst and £GV10 standards are derived, and the flicker transfer factor between different voltage levels of the power supply system are presented.

In der Arbeit werden nach einer detaillierten Beschreibung der eingesetzten Böden mit erhöhter Konzentration an den Radionukliden 210Pb, 226Ra, 227Ac, 230Th und 238U und der angewandten Analysenverfahren eine umfangreiche Übersicht über die Transferfaktoren Boden - Pflanze für die einzelnen Pflanzenteile der in der menschlichen Ernährung genutzten Gemüse und in Futterpflanzen vorgestellt. Die gammaspektrometrischen Bestimmungen von geringen Radioaktivitäten wurden einem Untertagemesslabor durchgeführt. Die Unterschiede in den Transferfaktoren für die Pflanzen und deren Teile und Böden und die Beziehungen zwischen Transferfaktoren und eluierbaren Anteilen der Böden, Pflanzenteile; sowie zwischen den radioaktiven Elementen Radium und Actinium und den Elementen Barium und Lanthan wurden dargestellt. Es wurde bei den Pflanzen eine Abnahme der Radioaktivität von der Wurzel über Stängel und Blatt zur Frucht festgestellt. Die Transferfaktoren für das bisher kaum bestimmten 227Ac ist relativ hoch und liegt in der Größenordnung der sehr konservativ angesetzten Richtwerte des Strahlenschutzes, während sie für die anderen Radionuklide weit unter den Richtwerten liegen. / The used soils with enhanced activity of the radionuclides 210Pb, 226Ra, 227Ac, 230Th, and 238U and the analytical methods for the determination of soil-plant transfer factors are described and a survey of the obtained values for parts of plants used for human nutrition are presented. Gamma spectrometric determination of low radioactivities has been performed in an underground laboratory. For comparison the factors are determined for the plants of similar elements Ba for Ra and La for Ac. In all cases the values decreases from the roots over the leaves to the fruits. The values for 227Ac are relatively high and are in the magnitude of the „Richtwerte“ for radiation protection, in spite of the other radionuclides, which are lower than the „Richtwerte“.

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Bruno Lemos Batista / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia/Química, 2017. / A atividade mineradora é uma das principais responsáveis pela acumulação de elementos potencialmente tóxicos no meio ambiente. Estes contaminantes são absorvidos por plantas alimentícias; colocando em risco a saúde humana por exposição oral. O colapso recente de uma barragem de mineração (Fundão), operado pela Mineradora Samarco, na cidade de Mariana (estado de Minas Gerais, Brasil), derramou cerca de 50 milhões de m3 de resíduos de mineração de ferro no meio ambiente. O arroz é um alimento básico com acumulação conhecida de elementos potencialmente tóxicos (As, Cd, Pb). A este respeito, o presente estudo determinou os níveis de As, Cd, Pb, Co, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Al, Se e Sr em solos, raízes e grãos de plantas de arroz cultivadas em solo contendo concentrações de lama aumentadas (0, 16, 34 e 50%). Além disso, os parâmetros agronômicos da planta de arroz (clorofila, carotenóides, rendimento de grãos, massa, altura) foram avaliados. Em geral, o arroz cultivado na lama residual da Samarco produziu grãos com baixos níveis de As, Cd e Pb. No entanto, o excesso de lama (50%) durante o cultivo do arroz diminuiu a produtividade do arroz. Os teores de clorofila (a e b) e carotenóides foram significativamente menores em todos os tratamentos com lama, principalmente no grupo com maior concentração de lama. Nossos achados sugerem que a lama não representa um risco de contaminação para alimentos, entranto, não permitiu um crescimento adequado para as plantas de arroz. A baixa concentração de matéria orgânica e as propriedades físicas da lama, tornam as práticas de agricultura e reflorestamento nas áreas afetadas pela lama um desafio. / Mining activity is one of the main responsible for accumulation of potentially toxic elements in the environment. These contaminants are absorbed by plants served as food; posing risk to human health by oral exposure. The recent collapse of a mining dam (Fundão), operated by Samarco Mining Company, at Mariana city (State of Minas Gerais, Brazil), spilled around 50 million m3 of iron mining waste in the environment. Rice is a staple food with known accumulation of potentially toxic elements (As, Cd, Pb). In this regard, the present study determined the levels of As, Cd, Pb, Co, Zn, Mn, Cu, Fe, Al, Se, and Sr in soils, roots and grains of rice plants cultivated in soil containing increased mud-concentrations (0, 16, 34 and 50%). Further, rice plant agronomic parameters (chlorophyll, carotenoids, grain yield, mass, height) were assessed. Overall, rice cultivated at Samarco`s residual mud produced grains with low levels of As, Cd, Hg, and Pb. However, the excess of mud (50%) during the rice cultivation reduced grains yield. Chlorophyll (a and b) and carotenoids contents were significantly lower in all treatments with mud, mainly mud-50%. Our findings suggest that the mud does not pose a risk of food contamination, however, did not allow adequate growth for rice plants. The low concentration of organic matter and the physical properties of the mud make agricultural and reforestation practices in the areas affected by mud a challenge.

In der Arbeit werden nach einer detaillierten Beschreibung der eingesetzten Böden mit erhöhter Konzentration an den Radionukliden 210Pb, 226Ra, 227Ac, 230Th und 238U und der angewandten Analysenverfahren eine umfangreiche Übersicht über die Transferfaktoren Boden - Pflanze für die einzelnen Pflanzenteile der in der menschlichen Ernährung genutzten Gemüse und in Futterpflanzen vorgestellt. Die gammaspektrometrischen Bestimmungen von geringen Radioaktivitäten wurden einem Untertagemesslabor durchgeführt. Die Unterschiede in den Transferfaktoren für die Pflanzen und deren Teile und Böden und die Beziehungen zwischen Transferfaktoren und eluierbaren Anteilen der Böden, Pflanzenteile; sowie zwischen den radioaktiven Elementen Radium und Actinium und den Elementen Barium und Lanthan wurden dargestellt. Es wurde bei den Pflanzen eine Abnahme der Radioaktivität von der Wurzel über Stängel und Blatt zur Frucht festgestellt. Die Transferfaktoren für das bisher kaum bestimmten 227Ac ist relativ hoch und liegt in der Größenordnung der sehr konservativ angesetzten Richtwerte des Strahlenschutzes, während sie für die anderen Radionuklide weit unter den Richtwerten liegen. / The used soils with enhanced activity of the radionuclides 210Pb, 226Ra, 227Ac, 230Th, and 238U and the analytical methods for the determination of soil-plant transfer factors are described and a survey of the obtained values for parts of plants used for human nutrition are presented. Gamma spectrometric determination of low radioactivities has been performed in an underground laboratory. For comparison the factors are determined for the plants of similar elements Ba for Ra and La for Ac. In all cases the values decreases from the roots over the leaves to the fruits. The values for 227Ac are relatively high and are in the magnitude of the „Richtwerte“ for radiation protection, in spite of the other radionuclides, which are lower than the „Richtwerte“.

The thesis is composed of three parts - theoretical, computational and a project part. The theoretical part deals with heat sharing through conduction, flow and radiation. The computational part is focused on the overall calculation of the heating system to operate smoothly and reliably. Three gas condensing boilers are designed as a source of heat. The heating of the water is solved as a reservoir. It's source of heat is one gas condensation boiler. The project part contains a technical report and the project documentation on the stage of the implementation dossier.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Chronic inflammatory disorders are characterized by an increase in excitability of small diameter sensory neurons located in dorsal root ganglia (DRGs). This sensitization of neurons is a mechanism for chronic inflammatory pain and available therapies have poor efficacy and severe adverse effects when used chronically. Prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) is an inflammatory mediator that plays an important role in sensitization by activating G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) known as E-series prostaglandin receptors (EPs) coupled to the protein kinase A (PKA) pathway. EPs are known to downregulate upon prolonged exposure to PGE₂ or in chronic inflammation, however, sensitization persists and the mechanism for this is unknown. I hypothesized that persistence of PGE₂-induced hypersensitivity is associated with a switch in signaling caused by prolonged exposure to PGE₂ or the neurotrophin nerve growth factor (NGF), also a crucial inflammatory mediator. DRG cultures grown in the presence or absence of either PGE₂ or NGF were used to study whether re-exposure to the eicosanoid is able to cause sensitization and activate PKA. When cultures were grown in the presence of NGF, PGE₂-induced sensitization was not attenuated by inhibitors of PKA. Activation of PKA by PGE₂ was similar in DRG cultures grown in the presence or absence of NGF when phosphatase inhibitors were added to the lysis and assay buffers, but significantly less in cultures grown in the presence of NGF when phosphatase inhibitors were not added. In DRG cultures exposed to PGE₂ for 12 hours-5 days, sensitization after re-exposure to PGE₂ is maintained and resistant to PKA inhibition. Prolonged exposure to the eicosanoid caused complete loss of PKA activation after PGE₂ re-exposure. This desensitization was homologous, time dependent, reversible, and insurmountable by a higher concentration of PGE₂. Desensitization was attenuated by reduction of expression of G-protein receptor kinase 2 and was not mediated by PKA or protein kinase C. The presented work provides evidence for persistence of sensitization by PGE₂ as well as switch from the signaling pathway mediating this sensitization after long-term exposure to NFG or PGE₂.

<p dir="ltr">Urban agriculture has grown in popularity in recent decades, due to its ability to provide access to healthy fruits and vegetables in urban zones, as well as its importance in fostering knowledge of agriculture within communities. However, urban agriculture may struggle with unique challenges due to its proximity to urban and industrial activities, such as food safety risks due to toxic heavy metals and metalloids which may be present in urban soils in high concentrations. Heavy metals and metalloids (HM) like arsenic, cadmium, and lead are absorbed by plants from the soil, and may accumulate in the plants’ edible tissues, which are consumed by humans. Carrot (<i>Daucus carota</i> L.), in particular, hyperaccumulates these toxic heavy metals in its edible taproots, leading to food safety risks on urban farms.</p><p dir="ltr">One potential way to help address this challenge is to breed carrot varieties with low uptake of HM. In recent years, researchers have identified lines with high and low uptake in greenhouse trials and single location breeding nurseries. However, to be viable, these lines must consistently vary in HM across sites despite differences in environmental and management factors that can also greatly influence HM bioavailability and uptake. Moreover, screening for differences in HM uptake is time-consuming and expensive, and breeders need new tools to select among segregating breeding populations. By using on-farm participatory research as well as advanced phenotyping technologies, we investigate the viability of breeding carrots for HM uptake and the potential of new tools to advance these efforts in order to mitigate the risks on urban farms.</p><p dir="ltr">In the summers of 2021 and 2022, participatory on-farm trials were conducted to determine the HM risks on Indiana urban farms and to investigate the consistency of differences in HM uptake between carrot breeding lines taken from breeding trials (Chapter 2). Results of these trials indicated that while carrot genotype had an effect, there was still significant variability in carrot uptake of arsenic, cadmium and lead between farm sites and years. Results indicated significant differences between site-years, and carrot HM concentrations that correlated strongly with soil concentrations for that particular element. However, there were some site-years with low soil HM content and other soil factors expected to reduce uptake such as pH and phytoavailable zinc concentrations (such as site-year H), that had high carrot HM content. There were significant differences in carrot cadmium (Cd) and arsenic (As) content between carrot breeding lines. For instance, breeding line 3271 had a high As average concentration but low Cd average concentration, while breeding lines 6220 and 2327 had low As and high Cd concentrations. We identify the possibility of other mediating factors, such as uptake of antagonistic micronutrients, or microbe-assisted HM uptake and amelioration that need further attention.</p><p dir="ltr">In the fall of 2022, a study was conducted to investigate the possibility of using phenotyping technologies such as RGB and hyperspectral imaging to detect Cd stress in carrot and attempt to predict uptake (Chapter 3). RGB (red green blue) is a digital color model in which cameras can capture important visual cues compiled from information about each pixel. Hyperspectral imaging uses cameras to capture wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum, which can detect plant stress indicators like increased anthocyanin content for specific environmental stresses. Results of this trial were useful, with some time points and indices noting differences between carrot lines. For instance, RGB factors hue and fluorescence as well as hyperspectral reflectance plots and vegetative indices swirNDVI and ANTH were the most diagnostic. Breeding lines 6636 and 8503 showed the greatest separation between Cd treated and control carrots in imaging indices. However, further studies will be needed to optimize this approach for breeding programs.</p><p dir="ltr">This research demonstrates that growing carrots on most urban farms in Indiana is safe. The studies also provide further evidence that it will be possible to help lower food safety risks by selecting carrot varieties with low HM uptake, and phenotyping can help to advance these efforts. At the same time, new research to understand how soil factors such as microbiomes influence HM bioavailability and uptake on urban farms are also needed to further reduce potential risks. In the meantime, farmers should continue to test their soil for HM and take appropriate actions to reduce risks such as using raised beds and soil amendments that can bind metals like biochar. Consumers should also continue to wash and peel their carrots before consumption, as well as consume a balanced diet with a diverse set of vegetables and other crops.</p>

Landfills have served as the major sites for waste disposal in both developed and developing countries. Upon closure of a landfill site, the surface could be converted to a golf course, recreation park, playground, animal refuge, tennis court and industrial site. Even when closed, landfills still have the potential to contaminate the surrounding environment as a result of the migration of leachate from decomposing waste contained in the site. This study focused on assessing the impacts of a closed landfill on soils and plants at Lumberstewart closed landfill site in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. Soil samples were collected at three different depths (0-30 cm, 30 - 60 cm and 60-90 cm) at the landfill and a control site. The soil samples were analysed for their texture, pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter content, cation exchange capacity and concentrations of Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Ni and Zn. Samples of jimson weed and pigweed growing at the closed landfill and the control site were collected from the same sites where soil samples were collected, and the concentrations of the same set of heavy metals in these weeds determined. Soil samples were digested using EPA method 3050B: Acid Digestion of Sediments, Sludge and soils whereas nitric acid and hydrogen peroxide was used for digestion of plant samples. Both plant and soil digests were analyzed for heavy metals concentrations using Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry (AAS). Soils from the landfill as well as the control site had a high content of sand with soil pH values which were alkaline. The electrical conductivity values of the soil samples were relatively low ranging from 0.39 to 1.67 dS/m, indicating low levels of salts in soils at the landfill. The concentrations of heavy metals at the closed landfill site were higher than the control site. Heavy metals concentrations in soils at the closed landfill followed the order Fe>Zn>Cu>Cr>Ni>Cd. Results indicated that Fe was exceptionally higher than the other metals with concentration values averaging 45690±17255 mg/kg. Cadmium on the other hand had the least concentration with values of 0.01±0.00 mg/kg. Values of Enrichment Factors of heavy metals around the soil at different depths indicated that the enrichment of heavy metals increased with depth at the landfill up to 30-60 cm after which a decrease was observed. Values for heavy metal Contamination Factor of soils around the landfill ranged from low concentration (CF<1) to very high concentration (CF>6). The Pollution Load Index (PLI) values for the soil at the Lumberstewart landfill indicated that all sites were polluted (PLI>1). Site 6 had significantly higher mean concentration of heavy metals in soils at the landfill whereas site 11 had the least. The concentrations of Cd and Ni in soils at the landfill were below permissible limits of South African National Norms and Standards (NNS) as prescribed by NEMA (2008) in South Africa whereas Cr, Cu and Zn in soils were above the NNS permissible limits. Heavy metal concentrations in soils at the landfill were above World Health (WHO) permissible limits except for Cd which was equal (0.01 mg/kg) to the permissible values of Cd in the soils at sites 5, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Mean concentrations of heavy metals in jimson weed and pigweed were in the order Fe>Zn>Cu>Cr>Ni>Cd. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe and Zn in both plants from all sites at the landfill were significantly higher than the control site. Heavy metal transfer coefficient for both plants indicated that heavy metal uptake was more species dependent than soil heavy metal concentration dependent. The results from this research indicate that though the Lumberstewart Landfill has been closed, it is still affecting the soils in the vicinity of the landfill. Plants and water around the Lumberstewart closed landfill could be at risk from heavy metal contamination. High concentrations of heavy metals observed in the soil could present a health risk to communities should they decide to use the landfill site for arable purposes. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Science)