Glial fibrillary acidic protein in amniotic fluids from pregnancies with fetal neural tube defects

The glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) is the subunit protein of intermediate filaments in astrocytes and closely related cell types. By means of an enzyme immunoassay we have determined the concentration of GFAP in amniotic fluids from normal pregnancies and from pregnancies complicated by various fetal malformations. The group of 20 cases of fetal anencephaly had a significantly higher mean amniotic fluid GFAP concentration (115 μg/1±133.6 (S.D.), range 6–378 μg/1) than the control group of 117 normal pregnancies (13 μg/1k±5.5 (S.D.), range 0–31 μg/1), (P<0.001). Two cases of fetal encephalocele likewise had very high amniotic fluid GFAP concentrations. None of the other cases of fetal malformations investigated, including 12 cases of spina bifida, had increased amniotic fluid GFAP concentrations. We conclude that determination of the amniotic fluid GFAP concentration may give additional information in the prenatal diagnosis of fetal nervous system malformations.     

Biologische Sanierung von Rüstungsaltlasten

Many sites of former ammunition plants are contaminated with the explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene, its derivatives and reduction products. Such nitroaromatic compounds have a high human and ecotoxic potential. Plant uptake of these organic pollutants is known and could be confirmed under field conditions. In this paper rhizospheric soil was analyzed to characterize the effect of vegetation on TNT-contaminated soil. Common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) were used as test plants. The experiments were performed on two areas with different TNT concentrations. The data reveal a significant decrease of extractable TNT in rhizospheric soil by a factor of 5 to 6 during the vegetation period. On the area with high TNT concentration, an enrichment of nitroaromatic compounds in root tissue was found compared to the rhizospheric soil. Aminodinitrotoluene could be confirmed as the primary pollutant in the root. These results refer to a potential application of plants to biological remediation of soil contaminated with ammunition-specific pollutants.     

Xenobiotic benzotriazoles—biodegradation under meso- and oligotrophic conditions as well as denitrifying,sulfate-reducing,and anaerobic conditions

The intensive use of benzotriazoles as corrosion inhibitors for various applications and their application in dishwasher detergents result in an almost omnipresence of benzotriazole (BTri), 4-methyl- and 5-methyl-benzotriazole (4-TTri and 5-TTri, respectively) in aquatic systems. This study aims on the evaluation of the biodegradation potential of activated sludge communities (ASCs) toward the three benzotriazoles regarding aerobic, anoxic, and anaerobic conditions and different nutrients. ASCs were taken from three wastewater treatment plants with different technologies, namely, a membrane bioreactor (MBR-MH), a conventional activated sludge plant CAS-E (intermittent nitrification/denitrification), and CAS-M (two-stage activated sludge treatment) and used for inoculation of biodegradation setups. All ASCs eliminated up to 30 mg L^?1 5-TTri and BTri under aerobic conditions within 2–7 and 21–49 days, respectively, but not under anoxic or anaerobic conditions. 4-TTri was refractory at all conditions tested. Significant differences were observed for BTri biodegradation with non-acclimated ASCs from MBR-MH with 21 days, CAS-E with 41 days, and CAS-M with 49 days. Acclimated ASCs removed BTri within 7 days. Furthermore, different carbon and nitrogen concentrations revealed that nitrogen was implicitly required for biodegradation while carbon showed no such effect. The fastest biodegradation occurred for 5-TTri with no need for acclimatization, followed by BTri. BTri showed sludge-specific biodegradation patterns, but, after sludge acclimation, was removed with the same pattern, regardless of the sludge used. Under anaerobic conditions in the presence of different electron acceptors, none of the three compounds showed biological removal. Thus, presumably, aerobic biodegradation is the major removal mechanism in aquatic systems.     

Spaces of flow as technical and cultural mediators between society and nature

Modern societies organize and consume their basic natural resources in great technical infrastructures of transport, supply, communication, and information. Together with these infrastructures a new culture emerged, which influences since the 19th century the perception of nature. This article reflects on technical infrastructures as spaces of flow, which mediate technically and culturally between society and nature and on the necessity to evolve a new cultural perception of them. The vital importance of technical spaces of flow for daily life will be shown in the first part. The second part reveals the history and some characteristics and environmental impacts of technical spaces of flow. Their threefold spatial structure and typical conflicts arising at each spatial segment will be described in the third part. The last part investigates the cultural perception of technical spaces of flow, the natural resources they mediate and the environmental impacts they cause. They are the technical spaces and flowing processes themselves, which lead to a false cultural perception of the modern interaction with nature and to the necessity of political, technical, esthetical, and planning measures in order to make spaces of flow and flowing processes “visible” and to evolve a new, sustainable consumption culture.     

Weighting and valuation in selected environmental systems analysis tools – suggestions for further developments

In environmental systems analysis tools like Life Cycle Assessment, strategic environmental assessment, cost–benefit analysis and environmental management systems, results need to be presented in a comprehensible way to make alternatives easily comparable. One way of doing this is to aggregate results to a manageable set by using weighting methods. In this paper, we explore how weighting methods are used in some selected Environmental Systems Analysis Tools (ESATs), and suggest possible developments of their use. We examine the differences in current use patterns, discuss the reasons for and implications of such differences, and investigate whether observed differences in use are necessary. The result of our survey shows that weighting and valuation is broadly used in the examined ESATs. The use of weighting/valuation methods is different in different tools, but these differences are not always related to the application; rather, they are related to traditions and views on valuation and weighting. Also, although the requirements on the weights/values may differ between tools, there are intersections where they coincide. Monetary weights, using either endpoint or midpoint methods, are found to be useful in all the selected tools. Furthermore, the inventory shows that that there is a common need for generic sets of weights. There is a need for further research focusing on the development of consistent value sets derived with a wide range of methods. In parallel to the development of weighting methods it is important with critical evaluations of the weighting sets with regard to scientific quality, consistency and data gaps.     

The impact of the 12 May 2008 Wenchuan earthquake on industrial facilities

This study describes the results of a field trip to the area affected by the 12 May, 2008, Wenchuan earthquake to analyse its impact on industrial facilities. The damage severity correlates well with the age of the plant, with older facilities having suffered more extensive and severe damage than those built more recently according to the latest design codes. The main cause of worker death and injury was the collapse of warehouses, office and manufacturing buildings. This concerned mostly concrete structures with insufficient confinement or poor reinforcement. The falling debris resulted in equipment damage and loss, as well as pipe severing and crushing. Pipes were also severed or bent when connected tanks were displaced or buildings collapsed. Numerous hazardous-materials releases occurred with spills being the dominant accident scenario. In some sites soil–liquefaction induced damage was evident, highlighting the need to consider potential site effects when selecting the location for a facility. The impact of the Wenchuan earthquake on chemical facilities confirms the findings from other earthquakes in terms of typical Natech damage and failure modes, as well as of hazardous-materials release potential and mechanisms.     

Echolocation and foraging behavior of the lesser bulldog bat, Noctilio albiventris : preadaptations for piscivory?

We studied variability in foraging behavior of Noctilio albiventris (Chiroptera: Noctilionidae) in Costa Rica and Panamá and related it to properties of its echolocation behavior. N. albiventris searches for prey in high (>20 cm) or low (<20 cm) search flight, mostly over water. It captures insects in mid-air (aerial captures) and from the water surface (pointed dip). We once observed an individual dragging its feet through the water (directed random rake). In search flight, N. albiventris emits groups of echolocation signals (duration 10–11 ms) containing mixed signals with constant-frequency (CF) and frequency-modulated (FM) components, or pure CF signals. Sometimes, mostly over land, it produces long FM signals (duration 15–21 ms). When N. albiventris approaches prey in a pointed dip or in aerial captures, pulse duration and pulse interval are reduced, the CF component is eliminated, and a terminal phase with short FM signals (duration 2 ms) at high repetition rates (150–170 Hz) is emitted. Except for the last pulses in the terminal phase N. albiventris avoids overlap between emitted signals and echoes returning from prey. During rakes, echolocation behavior is similar to that in high search flight. We compare N. albiventris with its larger congener, N. leporinus, and discuss behavioral and morphological specializations that can be interpreted as preadaptations favoring the evolution of piscivory as seen in N. leporinus. Prominent among these specializations are the CF components of the echolocation signals which allow detection and evaluation of fluttering prey amidst clutter-echoes, high variability in foraging strategy and the associated echolocation behavior, as well as morphological specializations such as enlarged feet for capturing prey from the water surface. Received: 21 April 1997 / Accepted after revision: 12 January 1998     

High prevalence of infections and pathological changes in burbot (Lota lota) from a polluted lake (Lake Mjøsa,Norway)

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether exposure to high levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) affected a fish population in Lake Mjøsa. Lake Mjøsa is known to be contaminated by polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), a subgroup of brominated flame retardants from local industrial activities. Fish from Lake Losna, a less contaminated lake located close to Lake Mjøsa, was used as reference (control).The sampling of burbot (Lota lota) was carried out between 2005 and 2008. Hepatic levels of POPs were analysed in burbot from the two lakes, and the fish were examined for bacterial- and parasite infection and histopathological changes. The levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs), and PBDEs were about 10, 15 and 300 times higher in fish from Lake Mjøsa compared to fish from Lake Losna. Mycobacterium salmoniphilum was present in 7% and 35% of the fish from Lake Losna and Lake Mjøsa respectively. Significantly higher number of external and visceral macroscopic lesions, histopathological diffuse changes and granulomas were seen in fish from Lake Mjøsa compared to Lake Losna. Furthermore the parasite infection was higher and the hepatic lipid content was significantly lower in burbot from Lake Mjøsa. The results of the present study suggest that the high level of contamination in Lake Mjøsa could have a negative impact on the health status of wild fish inhabiting the lake.