Seroprevalence of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Among Skilled Nursing Facility Residents and Staff Members-Los Angeles County, August-September 2020.

Background: The prevalence of current or past coronavirus disease 2019 in skilled nursing facility (SNF) residents is unknown because of asymptomatic infection and constrained testing capacity early in the pandemic. We conducted a seroprevalence survey to determine a more comprehensive prevalence of past coronavirus disease 2019 in Los Angeles County SNF residents and staff members.

Methods: We recruited participants from 24 facilities; participants were requested to submit a nasopharyngeal swab sample for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing and a serum sample for detection of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

Occurrence and fate of nonylphenol ethoxylates and their derivatives in Nansi Lake environments, China.

The vertical and horizontal distribution of nonylphenol polyethoxylates (NPEO(n), n = number of ethoxy units) and their derivatives in the Upper Nansi Lake, North China, were investigated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) methods. For the water-phase concentrations of these compounds, data are omitted because of their low concentration levels. The content of NPEO(n) (n = 1 to 15) bound onto the sediment of this lake changed in the range of 60.

Extracellular-superoxide dismutase expression in COS7 cells exposed to cadmium chloride.

Cadmium (Cd), an industrial and environmental pollutant, preferentially accumulates in the kidney, a major target for Cd-related toxicity. It has been reported that Cd exposure produces reactive oxygen species (ROS) and induces cytotoxicity. Extracellular-superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is an antioxidant enzyme that protects the cells from damaging effects of ROS; however, the effect of Cd on the expression of EC-SOD in COS7 cells remains unclear.

ER stress inducer, thapsigargin, decreases extracellular-superoxide dismutase through MEK/ERK signalling cascades in COS7 cells.

It has been reported that tubular cells suffer an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress during the development of chronic kidney disease, which is a potent risk factor of cardiovascular disease. Moreover, under these conditions, reactive oxygen species are generated and induce cell injury. Extracellular-superoxide dismutase (EC-SOD) is a member of SODs and protects the cells from oxidative stress.

Aerobic batch degradation of 17-beta estradiol (E2) by activated sludge: effects of spiking E2 concentrations, MLVSS and temperatures.

Aerobic batch degradation of 17beta estradiol (E2) spiked into the activated sludge liquor from a sewage treatment plant was studied; and the likely impacts of E2's initial concentrations (C0), microbial population densities (MLVSS) and temperatures (TEMPT) were examined for a variety of combinations of these three factors: C0 = 10, 30 and 50 microgl(-1); MLVSS = 1750, 875 and 435 mgl(-1); and TEMPT = 5, 20 and 35 degrees C. The results, together with those obtained through two control runs performed using a killed sludge sample, demonstrated clearly that E2 was eliminated from the aqueous phase readily under appropriate MLVSS and temperature levels, with the role of sorption by biomass being less significant. By fitting observed concentration data with a first-order rate expression, the degradation rate constants (k) under all experimental conditions were estimated.