Geochemistry of trace elements in paddy (rice) soils of Sri Lanka – implications for iodine deficiency disorders (IDD)

Iodine Deficiency Disorders (IDD) are a common health problem prevalent in the wet zone of Sri Lanka with a prevalence of >25 of the population. In comparison, in the dry zone of Sri Lanka IDD occurs in <10 of the population. Seventy soil samples from 14 villages selected on the basis of the incidence of goitre, were collected and analysed for 13 trace elements using ICP-MS. In order to identify any prevailing differences in antecedent chemical environments, soil samples from each pre-selected village were classified into three groups in terms of their geographical location. Among the elements investigated, the total soil concentrations of Rb, Sr, Ba, Mn and Co are lower in the wet zone of Kalutara. In contrast, total soil Rb, Sr, Ba and Mn contents are higher in the dry zone of Anuradhapura. Further soil total Mo and Nb levels are relatively similar in all pre-selected study locations. The high endemic goitre regions (IDD >25 of the population) show low levels of Rb, Sr, Ba, and Mn and higher levels of V, Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb as compared with moderate and non-goitre areas. Factor analysis was used to exploit the correlation structure present in data and yielded three groups in all cases. This indicated that most transition group elements and iodine are associated with the Mn phase in the low IDD areas whereas iodine shows a high affinity for the organic phase in high IDD regions. The variable distribution of trace elements, therefore, must be due to differences in mobility and capacity for incorporation into the structure of secondary minerals or organic phases.     

A novel method for investigating the collective behaviour of fish: introducing ‘Robofish’

Collective animal behaviour has attracted much attention recently, but cause-and-effect within interaction sequences has often been difficult to establish. To tackle this problem, we constructed a robotic fish (‘Robofish’) with which three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus L.) interact. Robofish is a computer-controlled replica stickleback that can be programmed to move around a tank. First, we demonstrated the functioning of the method: that the sticklebacks interacted with Robofish. We examined two types of interaction: recruitment and leadership. We found that Robofish could recruit a single fish from a refuge and could initiate a turn in singletons and in groups of ten, i.e. act as a leader. We also showed that the influence of Robofish diminished after the first 30 min that fish spent in a new environment. Second, using this method, we investigated the effects of metric and topological inter-individual distance on the influence that Robofish had on the orientation of fish in a shoal of ten. We found that inter-individual interactions during this turn were predominantly mediated by topological, rather than metric, distance. Finally, we discussed the potential of this novel method and the importance of our findings for the study of collective animal behaviour.     

The reduction of selenate by fulvic acids in soils of a high gastric cancer risk area in Sri Lanka∗

In order to elucidate the probable etiological factors for the incidence of gastric cancer, the interaction between selenate and fulvic acids was investigated under chemically controlled conditions. The reduction ability of selenate by fulvic acids was enhanced in acidic conditions. The fulvic acids may play an important role in the nitrosation process. Thus the investigations of the mechanism by which selenate interact with fulvic acids will provide a new insight into the chemical activation process by which selenium supplementation is supposed to act as an anticarcinogen.     

Voluntary participation for sustainability transition: experiences from the ‘Commitment to Sustainable Development 2050’

Voluntary and active participation by a wide variety of actors is a prerequisite for successful societal transitions towards sustainability. The ‘Commitment to Sustainable Development 2050’ is a national-level initiative in Finland, aiming to mobilise a large-scale transition involving various societal actors through openly communicated commitments to concrete actions. Each commitment should focus on at least one of the eight nationally defined sustainability objectives connected to the global Sustainable Development Goals. This article assesses the implementation and the development needs of the commitment process based on a range of materials. The results highlight the importance of securing adequate resources for long-term coordination and continuous development of the commitment process, trust creation through long-term and open communication, and flexibility allowing for experimentation aimed at finding new modes of interaction between the public and private sectors.     

Anti-diffusion and source identification with the ‘RAW’ scheme: A particle-based censored random walk

This paper presents a novel methodology for time reversal in advective-diffusive pollutant transport in groundwater systems and other environmental flow systems (specifically: time reversal of diffusive terms). The method developed in this paper extends previous particle-based approaches like the Reversed Time Particle Tracking Method of Bagtzoglou [6]. The reversal of the ‘diffusive’ and/or ‘macrodispersive’ component of pollutant migration is especially under focus here. The basis of the proposed scheme for anti-diffusion is a continuous time, censored, non-local random walk capable of tracking groundwater solute concentration profiles over time while conserving the (reverse) Fickian properties of the anti-diffusing particle cloud in terms of moments. This scheme is an alternative to the direct solution of the eulerian concentration-based diffusion PDE, which is notoriously unstable in reverse time. Our analysis leads to the conclusion that an adaptive time stepping scheme—with decreasing time step—is necessary in order to maintain a constant amount of anti-diffusion (the reverse form of Fick’s law). Specifically, we study the relations between the following parameters: time step evolution vs. time (or vs. number of steps); variance evolution (decrease rate); total time (or number of steps) required to reach a fully anti-diffused solution. The proposed approach is shown to be quite efficient; typically, for every ten time steps, one to two orders of magnitude reduction of the dispersion width of the plume can be attained. Furthermore, the method is shown to be asymptotically exact for reverse Fickian diffusion. The method is applied with success to several situations involving the diffusive transport of a conservative solute in the following cases: (i) Single source recovery in one-dimensional space with constant diffusion parameters (this example serves as a validation test for the theory); (ii) Single source recovery in two-dimensional space with constant isotropic diffusion (this example also serves as a test for the theory); (iii) Multiple source recovery in two-dimensional space, assuming isotropic diffusion. It is expected that the methodology tested in this paper is applicable more generally to complex environmental pollution problems involving multiple sources, anisotropic hydrodynamic dispersion, and space-time variable advection-diffusion flow systems; the modeling of reverse diffusion/dispersion in such systems is currently under investigation.     

Colour discrimination and associative learning in hatchling lizards incubated at ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ temperatures

The ability of an animal to acquire, process and learn from information in their environment is thought to be fundamental to fitness. We currently have a poor understanding of the learning ability of young animals within the first few months of their life, the types of learning they use and the extent of their learning ability. Furthermore, an animal’s developmental environment, such as nest incubation temperature, may profoundly influence motor and cognitive skills. We first tested the ability of hatchling three-lined skinks (Bassiana duperreyi) incubated at ‘hot’ and ‘cold’ temperatures to solve an instrumental (motor) task before assessing their ability to learn colour associations in a multi-stage instrumental task, with a choice reversal. While 53 (88.3 %) lizards successfully completed the training phase, 14 (46.7 %) of the ‘hot’ incubated and none of the ‘cold’ incubated lizards successfully completed the instrumental task. Thirteen of these lizards rapidly learnt to discriminate colours, and this culminated in eight individuals successfully completing a choice reversal. Hatchling B. duperreyi demonstrated surprisingly rapid learning, and these results highlight the potentially important role of cognition during development and ultimately, in fitness.     

Parasitismus und ‘Endokrine Disruption’ in Fischen

Background

Since the 1960s the scientific community has become increasingly aware of the need for integrative and holistic approaches to solve environmental issues. It has not only been recognized that changing environmental conditions can alter toxicological properties of pollutants but also that susceptibility of organisms to man-made chemicals strongly depends on environmental factors. This is especially true with respect to the endocrine control of reproductive processes in many aquatic species including fish, which are mainly influenced by changes in the surrounding environment such as day length, temperature, water flow, etc. Thus, it is astounding that the use of integrative approaches to address the question of the ecotoxicological relevance of the disruption of endocrine and related reproductive functions is rate. As a consequence of this shortcoming, there is increasing demand both among scientists and politicians regarding more holistic approaches in the endocrine disruptor research.

Aim

This contribution aims to critically discuss current strategies and approaches as well as to identify alternative strategies in context with the environmental risk assessment of endocrine disruptors. This will be exemplified using an ecotoxicological study with bream (Abramis brama) that was conducted along a major European river, the Elbe.

Results and Discussion

Local bream (Abramis brama) populations collected along the river Elbe were characterized by different magnitudes and/or types of endocrine alterations. Although there is a relatively extensive data set available regarding its contamination with wide range of chemicals in the Elbe, it has not been possible to conclusively relate the observed endocrine effects to the exposure to individual compounds or mixtures of chemicals. However, during the gross morphological evaluations of the fish it was observed that at some locations a great number of the individuals caught were parasitized with the tapeworm Ligula intestinalis. Furthermore, statistical analysis revealed that a relatively great percentage of the variation of the biological endpoints observed both among individuals and sampling sites could be explained by the occurrence of this parasite. Overall, the findings of these studies indicate that there is a complex interaction not only among the exposure to chemicals and parasitism but also of both of these aspects with the occurrence of biological effects in fish.

Conclusions

The gaps in our current knowledge as well as the findings from the few studies available indicate, the there is a need to revise our current approaches to characterize and evaluate exposure scenarios regarding their potential to cause endocrine disruption in wild organisms. Given the complexity of most environmental exposure scenarios, involving multiple factors including anthropogenic and natural influences and their interactions, I therefore see the urgent need to initiate a discussion on more integrative approaches in this field in favor of true ‘ecotoxicological studies’ that integrate both ecology and toxicology.     

Reflections on the ‘sustainable development’ debate

The paper examines the way in which the term ‘sustainable development’ has been used. Beginning with a short review of responses to a publication of the author's on sustainable development, it goes on to explore the different assumptions behind the discussion of the concept, and the different dimensions of sustainability: economic, political and epistemological. It is argued that, like the environment itself, the concept of sustainable development is a contested domain. We can learn from exploring the way the concept is used and contested.     

Photodegradation of the organophosphorus insecticide ‘Phorate’

The photolysis of Phorate(I) (0,0‐diethyl S‐ethyl thiomethyl phosphordithioate) has been studied as a thin film on a glass surface and in a solution of methanol‐water (60:40) by ultraviolet light (λ > 290 nm). The rate of disappearance of Phorate in the solution show first order Kinetics with a rate constant of 4.9 × 10^–5 S ^–1. The half‐life of (I) exposed on a glass surface is found to be 5 hours. The structure of the major photoproducts were characterised by ¹H NMR and mass spectroscopy.     

The ‘Bayesics’ of Ranked Set Sampling

Ranked set sampling can be useful when measurements are expensive but units from the popu- lation can be easily ranked. In this situation one may draw k units from the population, rank them, select one on which to make the expensive measurement, draw another k units, rank them, select one, and so on. The method was originally suggested by McIntyre (1952) in connection with pasture yields and is obviously applicable in other situations as well. Dell and Clutter (1972) and Patil et al. (1994) explain the basics from a classical point of view. Our aim is to examine the procedure from a Bayesian point of view, determine whether ranked set sampling provides advantages over simple random sampling and explore some optimality questions     

A framework of enabler’s relationship for implementation of green manufacturing in Indian context

This study aims to recognize and select the appropriate strategy for implementing green manufacturing (GM) in Indian manufacturing industry by developing an instrument which could measure the progress of an organization towards the GM philosophy. This study identifies and analyses the key enablers behind the successful achievement of environmental sustainability in Indian manufacturing industry. Based on extensive literature review and discussions with experts, the critical success factors (CSFs) of GM have been identified. After examining the internal consistency of enablers, weightage is identified for finalizing the priority by analytical hierarchical process (AHP). The pairwise comparison method of AHP identified that top management commitment, green procurement practices and societal concern for protection of natural environment art the most important enablers, and competitiveness and availability of clean technology have comparatively less importance for the studied manufacturing industries. The purpose of this paper is to rank the enablers on identified weightage and develop the framework for offering the useful insights and guides about how industries should link CSFs of GM to improve the environmental and operational performance.     

A predator’s preference for egg-carrying prey: a novel cost of parental care

Using a subsocial spitting spider (Scytodes pallida) as the prey and a spider-eating jumping spider (Portia labiata) as the predator, the cost of parental care is investigated. Our findings suggest that being singled out as preferred prey by P. labiata is, for egg-carrying females of S. pallida, an important cost of parental care. In survival tests, during which P. labiata was given access to egg-carrying and eggless S. pallida females, egg-carrying females were preyed on more often than eggless females. In preference tests, motionless lures instead of living S. pallida were used. The lures were made by mounting dead egg-carrying and dead eggless S. pallida females in lifelike posture in webs. In these tests, P. labiata detected and identified, by vision alone, both kinds of prey (egg-carrying and eggless), and singled out egg-carrying females as preferred prey.Communicated by M.A. Elgar     

‘A powerful alternative to Williams’ test with application to toxicological dose-response relationships of normally distributed data

The comparison of increasing doses of a treatment to a negative control is frequently part of toxicological studies. For normally distributed data Williams (1971, 1972) introduced a maximum likelihood test under total order restriction. But until now there seems to have been no solution for the arbitrary unbalanced case. According to the idea proposed by Robertson et al. (1988) we will apply in this article the basic concept of Williams on the class of multiple contrast tests for the general unbalanced parametric set-up. Simulation results for size and power and two examples for estimating the minimal toxic dose (MTD) are given.     

Evaluating 22 EU member states’ ‘waste culture’ using Hofstede’s and Schwartz’s cultural dimensions

The issue of municipal solid waste (MSW) arisings has received great attention recently since it is not only a by-product of economic activity but also serves as an input to the economy through material or energy recovery. The main focus of this study is cultural formation and especially the current picture of waste culture and public perception across European Union (EU) member states. Thus, this study will first evaluate environmental efficiency with data envelopment analysis (DEA) based on five parameters: waste, gross domestic product (GDP), labour, capital, and population density for 22 EU Member States and for the years 2005, 2010 and 2015 in order to evaluate which Member States are more efficient. Then the efficiency results are contrasted to Hofstede’s and Schwartz’s cultural dimensions on STATA with the use of regression modelling. Results show that for year 2005 no significant relationship is noticed for both cultural models, whereas for years 2010 and 2015 there appears to be a significant connection. The above-mentioned findings can be associated with the financial crisis that has hit Europe after 2008 making people more sceptical, while EU legislations have laid out some important directives in the field of waste management. Finally, along with the factors above, EU has faced severe environmental challenges due to waste arisings, as well as accidents and injuries for people working in this sector, which in turn have widely modified EU’s waste culture as supported by this study’s results.     

Field identification of ‘types’ A and B of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis in a region of sympatry

The ascidian species Ciona intestinalis is a major model chordate in developmental and evolutionary biology, and an important fouling organism and invasive species. However, genomic investigation has recently revealed the existence of two cryptic species, genetically distinct yet without obvious morphological differences, currently referred to as types A and B. Here, we show that they are externally distinctive in a zone of sympatry in the western English Channel. Examining genotyped specimens, we found that types A and B of C. intestinalis can generally be distinguished by body colour, pigmentation at the distal end of the siphons and the presence or absence of tubercles on the sides of the siphons. Detecting specimens of hybrid descent still requires detailed molecular analysis, but these visual characters in combination will identify living specimens of types A and B with high probability. These differences are shown to be inherited.     

日本红枫‘珊瑚阁’嫁接繁殖技术研究

从嫁接方法、嫁接时间、砧木径级等方面探讨了日本红枫‘珊瑚阁’嫁接繁殖技术,结果表明:切接法嫁接日本红枫‘珊瑚阁’成活率高于撕皮嵌接法,嫁接时间以2月日本红枫‘珊瑚阁’腋芽未萌动时为佳,砧木地径越粗越有利于嫁接后接穗的生长,嫁接后需注意嫁接口的保湿遮阴.     

Dioxin-/Furan-‘Verbrennungsprofile’ in Abgasen aus Hochtemperaturprozessen

Different mechanisms operating downstream from high temperature processes lead to the formation of polychlorinated dibenzo(p) dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs). Independent of the level of concentration, these mechanisms lead to comparable PCDD/F patterns, as has been observed from the proportion of single congeners to the total of 17 2,3,7,8-Cl-substituted congeners or to the individual homologous groups related to the sum of the homologous tetra to octa CDD/F groups. A comparison of these so-called “combustion profiles” with the congeners Heats of Formation (HoF), as calculated via semiempirical molecular orbital methods, may provide an idea of the course of thermodynamical forced reaction.