Toxicological effect of MPA-CdSe QDs exposure on zebrafish embryo and larvae

Cadmium selenium (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) are semiconductor nanocrystals that hold wide range of applications and substantial production volumes. Due to unique composition and nanoscale properties, their potential toxicity to aquatic organisms has increasingly gained a great amount of interest. However, the impact of CdSe QDs exposure on zebrafish embryo and larvae remains almost unknown. Therefore, the lab study was performed to determine the developmental and behavioral toxicities to zebrafish under continuous exposure to low level CdSe QDs (0.05-31.25 mg L⁻¹) coated with mercaptopropionic acid (MPA). The results showed MPA-CdSe exposure from embryo to larvae stage affected overall fitness. Our findings for the first time revealed that: (1) The 120 h LC₅₀ of MPA-CdSe for zebrafish was 1.98 mg L⁻¹; (2) embryos exposed to MPA-CdSe resulted in malformations incidence and lower hatch rate; (3) abnormal vascular of FLI-1 transgenic zebrafish larvae appeared after exposure to MPA-CdSe including vascular junction, bifurcation, crossing and particle appearance; (4) larvae behavior assessment showed during MPA-CdSe exposure a rapid transition from light-to-dark elicited a similar, brief burst and a higher basal swimming rate; (5) MPA-CdSe induced embryos cell apoptosis in the head and tail region. Results of the observations provide a basic understanding of MPA-CdSe toxicity to aquatic organisms and suggest the need for additional research to identify the toxicological mechanism.     

长江干流不同江段鱼卵及仔鱼漂流特征昼夜变化的初步分析

根据2007~2009年在长江干流的泸州、珞璜、宜都、武穴4个江段分别采集的数据,对这些江段鱼卵及仔鱼漂流特征的昼夜变化规律进行初步分析。结果显示,长江上游泸州江段和珞璜江段鱼卵及仔鱼昼夜漂流密度有一定差异,但不显著;长江中游宜都江段,鱼卵漂流密度在昼夜时间上有显著性差异（〖WTBX〗n=38,p〖WTBZ〗=000）,表现为6〖DK〗∶00的平均漂流密度13.02 ind./100 m3明显大于18〖DK〗∶00的密度3.28 ind./100 m3,仔鱼夜间漂流密度明显大于白天,于22〖DK〗∶00达到高峰值;武穴江段仔鱼漂流密度在昼夜时间上有显著性差异（〖WTBX〗n=62,p〖WTBZ〗=000）,8〖DK〗∶00的平均漂流密8621 ind./100 m3明显大于18〖DK〗∶00的密度4485 ind./100 m3。不同物种的鱼卵及仔鱼漂流密度亦呈现出一定的昼夜差异,宜都江段贝氏〖FK（W*5/5。1〗〖PS黎明政造字2.EPS;%84%84,BP〗〖FK)〗,草鱼和银鲴鱼卵主要分布在白天,鳙、鲢等种类分布在夜间;另外,鳙、银鮈、铜鱼和翘嘴鲌等多数种类的仔鱼仅在夜间有分布,而飘鱼属的种类主要分布在白天。通过采集到鱼卵发育期推算,四大家鱼、贝氏〖FK（W*5/5。1〗〖PS黎明政造字2.EPS;%84%84,BP〗〖FK)〗、银鲴和翘嘴鲌的繁殖时间主要集中在夜间,而花斑副沙鳅和鳊全天均有繁殖     

响应面法优化黄粉虫幼虫处理餐厨垃圾饲养条件的研究

研究了黄粉虫幼虫处理餐厨垃圾的方法.首先在饲养温度、饲料含水量和饲养密度等条件下进行单因素实验,然后,以利用率为指标,运用响应面法优化了黄粉虫幼虫处理餐厨垃圾的饲养条件,结果表明,最佳饲养条件为饲养温度26.7℃、饲料含水量14.5％、饲养密度4.1头/cm2.在此饲养条件下,黄粉虫对餐厨垃圾利用率理论值为38.72％,实际餐厨垃圾利用率为38.88％,相对误差为0.41％,说明利用黄粉虫幼虫处理餐厨垃圾具有较好的效果.     

Latent effects of early life stage exposure to triclosan on survival in fathead minnows,Pimephales promelas

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of early life stage triclosan (5-chloro-2-(2,4, dichlorophenoxy)phenol, TCS) exposure on hatching, development, and survival in the fathead minnow, Pimephales promelas. Embryonic minnows were exposed to TCS (50 and 100 µg L^?1) for 10 days followed by 6 weeks depuration. Mortality and morphological deformities were recorded and quantified during exposure and at the end of depuration. No significant effects on embryonic survival, time to reach the eyed stage, or hatching were found. However, at the conclusion of the depuration period, survival was significantly reduced in TCS exposed fish depending on the concentration. Visual inspection of the exposed fish suggests that mortality is related to spinal deformities, emaciation, and reduced foraging ability. Triclosan exhibits deleterious effects in fish at lower concentrations over longer durations than previously reported. Further, mortality in exposed fish 6 weeks after exposure demonstrates the need for various exposure assays to evaluate effects of TCS.     

Intraspecific hyperparasitism in a primary hymenopteran parasitoid

In solitary parasitoids, in which only one individual can emerge per host, the adaptive value of conspecific superparasitism is a function of the survival probability of the egg laid by the superparasitizing female. In the few cases which these probabilities are compared, the oldest immature has an advantage over the other individuals. We measured the acceptance rate of parasitized hosts and survival rate of supernumerary larvae in Anaphes victus (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) in relation to the interval between ovipositions. When this interval was 5–7 days, the first immature was at the prepupa and pupa stage respectively, and female Anaphes victus changed their oviposition behavior markedly. They killed the developing parasitoid of their own species before ovipositing in it. The progeny of these females, which are normally primary parasitoids, developed thereafter as hyperparasitoids. Indeed, in contrast with other species, the survival of the second female's progeny increased with the time interval between ovipositions. This type of facultative intraspecific hyperparasitism is different from autoparasitism in Aphelinidae and has never been mentioned in other parasitoids; it would be adaptive if females of this short-lived species encounter low-quality patches.     

用14C示踪技术研究摇蚊幼虫对农药的富集作用

摇蚊幼虫是淡水湖泊中分布广泛、数量极大的底栖动物。它们生活在底泥中,位移能力很小,个体又较大,被认为是水质监测和生态毒理学研究的理想生物。底栖动物能大量富集水中微量的有毒物质,这已有许多报道,而有关摇蚊幼虫富集底泥中的有毒物质的报道甚少,国内至今尚未见报道。摇蚊幼虫富集毒物与其它底栖动物比较,其生态学意义更大,因为摇蚊幼虫除了作为鱼饵通过水生食物链浓缩和转移毒物外,大量的幼虫终将羽化为成虫,一批批飞离水体,有毒物质有可能较快地被消除掉。     

甲氰菊酯对罗氏沼虾幼体急性致毒的研究

用甲氰菊酯对罗氏沼虾幼体进行急性毒性试验，在30℃水温条件下，甲氰菊酯对罗氏沼虾Z1、Z2、Z4、Z6、Z8幼体的24hEC50分别为0．050、0．040、0．035、0．030、0．028μg／L；在26℃条件下，分别为0．080、0．069、0．060、0．050、0．035μg／L，随着发育期的递进，幼体对甲氰菊酯变得更加敏感；对于同一期的幼体来说，甲氰菊酯的毒性随水温的升高增强．     

Vibrational signals in a gregarious sawfly larva (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Perga affinis</Emphasis>): group coordination or competitive signaling?

Group living confers both benefits and costs to the individuals involved. Benefits may include enhanced defense, thermoregulation, and increased foraging efficiency while costs often involve competition for resources such as food, shelter, and mates. Communication provides a medium of exchange among individuals engaged in either cooperative or competitive interactions. The functional analysis of signals within groups therefore requires testing both cooperative and competitive functions, although the latter is infrequently done. In this paper, I study the use of two vibrational signals in a gregarious, processionary Australian sawfly larva, Perga affinis: tapping and contractions. Tapping involves striking the substrate with the sclerotized portion of the abdominal tail and a contraction is a fast, whole-body twitch, which is both tactile and vibrational in its transmission. For tapping, I first demonstrate that it is a form of communication, as tapping of one larva elicits tapping in another, and that it is transmitted through substrate vibrations. I then test whether the signal is mostly cooperative or competitive in nature by examining it in light of two hypotheses: (1) the Group Coordination hypothesis, stating that the signal functions to maintain group cohesiveness and (2) the Competitive Signaling hypothesis, stating that tapping serves as a competitive assessment signal between larvae while feeding. For contractions, I test only the group coordination hypothesis that they serve to coordinate and initiate group movement. Results support the group coordination hypothesis for each signal. While feeding, lone larvae (without potential competitors) were significantly more likely to tap than those in groups, and this trend continued in non-feeding situations. Contractions regularly preceded periods of group movement during processions and were given with increasing frequency before departure from preforaging clusters. The vibrational signals in this processionary species likely function cooperatively to maintain group cohesiveness and coordinate movement.     

Defence effectiveness of easy bleeding sawfly larvae towards invertebrate and avian predators

Summary. Easy bleeding is a phenomenon discovered in some tenthredinid insects which possess a particularly low mechanical resistance of the integument, leading under mechanical stress to haemolymph exudation. It has a defensive effect against ants and wasps through harmful plant compounds which are sequestered in the haemolymph. Here we describe etho-ecological and some chemical aspects of the defence of easy bleeders and specify the range of predators to which easy bleeding might be effective. Beside a high haemolymph deterrence associated with low integument resistance across sawfly species, we also detected toxicity of the haemolymph of some species to workers of the ant Myrmica rubra. The behaviour of easy bleeders is to move slowly and, once disturbed, to become motionless, thereby probably impeding the tendency of a predator to attack. This behaviour had no beneficial effect for easy bleeders when attacked by the predatory bug Podisus maculiventris. Bugs could successfully and without harm prey on sawfly larvae without evoking easy bleeding. For the easy bleeder Athalia rosae, host plants with different secondary metabolite profiles, and, consequently, changes in haemolymph chemistry only slightly affected the feeding behaviour of the bugs. To test the effectiveness of easy bleeding towards a vertebrate predator, easy bleeders were offered to birds, Sturnus vulgaris. The body colouration of the sawfly larvae was of prime importance in determining the predators response when testing birds in a group. It is likely that easy bleeding is a defence strategy directed primarily towards foraging insects with biting-chewing mandibles and that it is much less active towards predatory insects with piercing-sucking mandibles as well as birds. The involvement of chemical and/or physical cues in the strategy is discussed with respect to these types of predators.     

黑水虻转化厨余垃圾过程中病原菌灭活规律的研究与综合评价

黑水虻能够有效取食厨余垃圾等有机固体废弃物,其自身转化为昆虫蛋白和脂肪等生物质,将厨余垃圾转化为虫沙有机肥,处理过程是一种有机固体废弃物的资源化新方法.为评估黑水虻处理厨余垃圾的效率与安全性,本课题研究黑水虻在厨余垃圾处理过程中,对大肠杆菌O157：H7（EC）、鼠伤寒沙门氏菌（ST）及金黄色葡萄球（SA）的灭活能力,评价黑水虻体内的抑菌因子,分析3种病原菌对黑水虻生长增重及厨余转化效率的影响.经过18 d的黑水虻处理,研究发现：①第0和第6 d两次以6.4~7.1 log₁₀ CFU·g^-1的浓度向厨余垃圾中分别接种EC、ST和SA以后,EC经4~6 d处理被全部灭活、ST经3~4 d处理被全部灭活,SA经6 d处理,浓度下降到1.9~2.6 log₁₀ CFU·g^-1,但不能被全部灭活,病原菌的灭活效率呈现EC=ST>SA的趋势（p < 0.001）,且黑水虻体内无EC、ST或SA残留;②厨余垃圾降解过程中,初期和中期pH值主要呈现酸性（4.0~5.3）,对抑制EC、ST和SA起到了促进作用,后期pH值呈中性至弱碱性;③黑水虻对于EC和ST能够产生自身免疫抑制因子,且抑制活性ST>EC,但对SA无明显的免疫抑制能力,SA的灭活主要依赖于黑水虻肠道菌群的竞争性抑制作用;④黑水虻的体长、体重、预蛹率、产率,以及厨余垃圾的生物转化率和减量化率未受病原菌存在的影响,18 d后EC组、ST组和SA组的预蛹率均达到在80%以上,厨余减量化率分别达到74.0%、79.1%和78.5%,生物转化率分别达到13.0%、13.2%、19.4%.综上,黑水虻能够在彻底灭活EC、ST,99%灭活SA的同时,高效降解厨余垃圾（减量化率>74%）,并转化为虫体有机质（虫产率>10%）,是一种高效卫生的厨余垃圾资源化方法.今后的研究中,还需要加强以金葡菌为代表的抗逆性病原菌的灭活机制的探讨.