Protective effect of Broussonetia papyrifera against hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidative stress in SH-SY5Y cells.

This study compared the antioxidant activity of various parts of Broussonetia papyrifera (BP), and further evaluated the protective effects of BP against hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2))-induced neuronal injury in human neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. Among four BP parts, BP radix and leaf possessed the best scavenging activities for 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), 2,2'-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical, and H(2)O(2). These two BP parts also had higher phenolic and phenylpropanoid contents.

Using tracer technique to study the flow behavior of surfactant foam.

Surfactant foam was used to remove absorbed hydrocarbons from soils. The nature and extent of the foam pathway decide the efficiency of this technology. The characteristics and behavior of foam flow are difficult to visually observe.

Coupled acidification and ultrasound with iron enhances nitrate reduction.

Contaminated soils, especially when pollutant concentrations are high, pose potentially serious threats to surface and groundwater quality, when there are spills, discharges, or leaking storage tanks. For in situ remediation of nitrate in groundwater, the use of zero-valent iron (Fe(0)) is suggested. The formation of passivating scales on Fe(0) over time may limit the long-term reduction potential of Fe(0).

Air distribution and size changes in the remediated zone after air sparging for soil particle movement.

In an unconsolidated porous medium, soil particles can be mobilized by physical perturbation. In model systems of fluids flowing over spherical particles attached to flat surfaces, the hydrodynamic shear force depends on the fluid viscosity, particle radius, and flow velocity. Soil particles can be reasonably expected to be transported by flowing water during air sparging when the particle-size distribution does not fit the densest possible particle arrangement.

Identification of regional air pollution characteristic and the correlation with public health in Taiwan.

This study aims to classify regions with different air pollution characteristics into groups in Taiwan, and further to evaluate and compare the air quality of various groups. A selected multivariate analysis technique, cluster analysis, is applied to the pollution monitoring dataset which including PM10, SO2, NO2, CO and O3. The obtained results have proved that the regions with similar air pollution characteristic can be appropriately grouped by applying cluster analysis.