TOXIC EFFECTS OF PETROLEUM AND SHALE JP-4 AND JP-8 AVIATION FUELS ON FATHEAD MINNOWS1

ABSTRACT: Static 96-hour median lethal concentrations were determined for the water-soluble fraction (WSF) of both petroleum-derived and shale-derived avaiation fuels (JP-4 and JP-8) using fathead minnows. JP-8 was more toxic than JP-4 except for one shale JP-4 sample that was as toxic as the JP-8. Petroleum and shale JP-8 were similar in toxicity. The toxicity of shale JP-4 was less clear. Shale JP-4 from three vendor sources revealed differing toxicity values. One shale JP-4 sample was more toxic and one less toxic than its petroleum analogue, with the third being equally toxic. Toxicity of the fuels may be enhanced by compounds in the WSF that correspond to chemicals containing 10 or more carbon atoms.     

“大数据”预测分析与三丁基锡暴露有关疾病

通过毒理学“大数据”,挖掘三丁基锡（TBT）潜在的生物影响信息,预测分析TBT暴露与人类相关疾病的关系.通过比较毒理组学数据库（CTD）搜集到488个和TBT具有相互作用的基因.基因相互作用网络图显示TP53拥有相关联基因最多,处于中心地位;其次是ESR1和FN1.CTD分析与TBT相关的疾病,发现前10类疾病分别是癌症、神经系统疾病、心血管疾病、泌尿生殖系统疾病（女）、消化系统疾病、代谢疾病、泌尿生殖系统疾病（男）、内分泌系统疾病、免疫系统疾病、呼吸道疾病.KEGG通路和DAVID基因功能注释分析,发现TBT不仅和代谢性疾病有较高的关联性,其相互作用基因在糖代谢途径上亦有较密集的基因功能注释.PASS的活性预测也发现TBT可能影响多种与糖代谢相关的酶生物活性.这提示TBT对糖代谢相关疾病的影响应引起人们的注意.     

石油污染对非洲鲫鱼血清蛋白的影响

本文通过分析非洲鲫鱼清蛋白含量的变化，研究油对鱼类的致毒效应，试验结果表明，对血清蛋白影响的方式为：（１）油既能提高血清总蛋白和球蛋白含量，又能降低血清白蛋白含量和白蛋白／球蛋白的比值；（２）油对非洲鲫鱼血清蛋白产生作用的浓度阈值为０．０５ｍｇ／Ｌ。     

Regulation of honey bee division of labor by colony age demography

The age at which worker honey bees begin foraging varies under different colony conditions. Previous studies have shown that juvenile hormone (JH) mediates this behavioral plasticity, and that worker-worker interactions influence both JH titers and age at first foraging. These results also indicated that the age at first foraging is delayed in the presence of foragers, suggesting that colony age demography directly influences temporal division of labor. We tested this hypothesis by determining whether behavioral or physiological development can be accelerated, delayed, or reversed by altering colony age structure. In three out of three trials, earlier onset of foraging was induced in colonies depleted of foragers compared to colonies depleted of an equal number of bees across all age classes. In two out of three trials, delayed onset of foraging was induced in colonies in which foragers were confined compared to colonies with free-flying foragers. Finally, in three out of three trials, both endocrine and exocrine changes associated with reversion from foraging to brood care were induced in colonies composed of all old bees and devoid of brood; JH titers decreased and hypopharyngeal glands regenerated. These results demonstrate that plasticity in age-related division of labor in honey bee colonies is at least partially controlled by social factors. The implications of these results are discussed for the recently developed ‘‘activator-inhibitor” model for honey bee behavioral development. Received: 8 November 1995/Accepted after revision: 10 May 1996     

Robust benchmark dose determination based on profile score methods

We investigate several methods commonly used to obtain a benchmark dose and show that those based on full likelihood or profile likelihood methods might have severe shortcomings. We propose two new profile likelihood-based approaches which overcome these problems. Another contribution is the extension of the benchmark dose determination to non full likelihood models, such as quasi-likelihood, generalized estimating equations, which are widely used in settings such as developmental toxicity where clustered data are encountered. This widening of the scope of application is possible by the use of (robust) score statistics. Benchmark dose methods are applied to a data set from a developmental toxicity study.     

Sperm traits in the quacking frog (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Crinia georgiana</Emphasis>), a species with plastic alternative mating tactics

In species where males use alternative reproductive tactics and male phenotypes are confronted with different risks of sperm competition, theory predicts that between-male-type differences in sperm expenditure may evolve. In the frog Crinia georgiana big males can monopolize females, whereas small males often engage in polyandrous matings. Consequently, big males may experience a lower risk of sperm competition than do small males. We tested if the predictions from theoretical models can be applied to the mating system of C. georgiana. Our results showed that small males do not have larger testes relative to their body size compared to their larger counterparts and that the efficiency with which sperm number, size, motility, and longevity are produced by the testes does not differ between small and large males in the predicted way. These results are not in alignment with predictions from a loaded raffle model of sperm competition on sperm expenditure in males with alternative phenotypes. The plasticity in mating tactics used by C. georgiana males and a high intraseasonal variation in male densities may have prevented the evolution of enhanced sperm performance in smaller males. A fair raffle in the sperm competition game played by C. georgiana males could also explain the observed patterns in sperm traits. Future investigations determining the parameters responsible for the deviation from theoretical predictions in this system will test the degree to which current theoretical models can indeed be applied to species with plastic reproductive tactics.     

稀有鮈鲫Dmrt基因家族13个成员的克隆与序列分析

已经发现果蝇Doublesex、线虫Mab-3、青DMRT1Y/DMY和人类DMRT1等性别决定与分化基因均含有一个具有DNA结合能力的保守基序--DM结构域,对性别决定和性别分化具有调控功能.利用简并PCR,从稀有鲫基因组DNA中克隆了13个具有不同DM结构域的Dmrt基因家族成员.基于DM保守基序,建立了各物种的进化树.结果表明,稀有鲫基因组存在多个Dmrt基因成员,该基因在脊椎动物和非脊椎动物中具有高度保守性,是一种理想的环境内分泌干扰物研究的分子模型,在分子生态毒理学研究中具有很好的应用前景.     

Effects of worker genotypic diversity on honey bee colony development and behavior (Apis mellifera L.)

There have been numerous reports of genetic influences on division of labor in honey bee colonies, but the effects of worker genotypic diversity on colony behavior are unclear. We analyzed the effects of worker genotypic diversity on the phenotypes of honey bee colonies during a critical phase of colony development, the nest initiation phase. Five groups of colonies were studied (n = 5–11 per group); four groups had relatively low genotypic diversity compared to the fifth group. Colonies were derived from queens that were instrumentally inseminated with the semen of four different drones according to one of the following mating schemes: group A, 4 A-source drones; group B, 4 B-source drones; group C, 4 C-source drones; group D, 4 D-source drones; and group E, 1 drone of each of the A-D drone sources. There were significant differences between colonies in groups A-D for 8 out of 19 colony traits. Because the queens in all of these colonies were super sisters, the observed differences between groups were primarily a consequence of differences in worker genotypes. There were very few differences (2 out of 19 traits) between colonies with high worker genotypic diversity (group E) and those with low diversity (groups A-D combined). This is because colonies with greater diversity tended to have phenotypes that were average relative to colonies with low genotypic diversity. We hypothesize that the averaging effect of genotypic variability on colony phenotypes may have selective advantages, making colonies less likely to fail because of inappropriate colony responses to changing environmental conditions.     

THE CASE FOR DIRECT MEASUREMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE TO HAZARDOUS MATERIALS1

ABSTRACT: Direct measurement of response thresholds of complex biological systems to toxic chemicals is now possible using microcosms and other simulation techniques. Extrapolation to no-observable response using application factors and data from single species toxicity tests is less precise than direct measurements.     

Low concentrations of atrazine, glyphosate, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid, and triadimefon exposures have diverse effects on Xenopus laevis organ morphogenesis

Many chemicals are released into the environment, and chemical contamination has been suggested as a contributing factor to amphibian declines. To add to a growing body of knowledge about the impact of individual chemicals on non-target organisms, we examined the specificity of deformities induced by exposure to four pesticides (atrazine, 2,4-dichloropheoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), triadimefon, and glyphosate) in the model amphibian species, Xenopus laevis. We focused on the period of organ morphogenesis, as it is frequently found to be particularly sensitive to chemical exposure yet also commonly overlooked.We found similar levels of intestine malformations and edemas, as well as disruption of skeletal muscle, in atrazine and triadimefon exposed tadpoles. The e ects of 2,4-D were only apparent at the highest concentrations we examined; glyphosate did not induce dramatic malformations at the concentrations tested. While researchers have shown that it is important to understand how chemical mixtures a ect non-target organisms, our results suggest that it is first crucial to determine how these chemicals act independently in order to be able to identify consequences of individual pesticide exposure.