Impact of irrigation on oxygen flux into the sediment: intermittent pumping by Callianassa subterranea and “piston-pumping” by Lanice conchilega

O₂-flux into sediments attributed to the pumping behaviour of two macrofauna species, Callianassa subterranea (Decapoda) and Lanice conchilega (Polychaeta) was investigated. Samples were obtained from the North Sea near Helgoland in 1989 and 1990. The two species were found to transport roughly similar amounts (3 mmolm^-2d^-1) of oxygen into the sediment although they displayed markedly different pumping behaviours. Irrigation by C. subterranea was intermittent and characterized by regularly recurring breathing currents which lasted 2.6 min and were separated by 40-min pauses. In addition to this regular intermittent irrigation, an irregular mode was observed. C. subterranea constructed a complex burrow system. At least half of the burrow wall was not in contact with oxygenated water, however, and thus not effective as additional interface for O₂-exchange. Sediment expelled from the burrow increased the total oxygen uptake (TOU) relative to the surrounding sediment surface. L. conchilega moved water much more frequently (every 4 min) than C. subterranea. We suggest that L. conchilega acted as a piston when moving in its tube, exchanging burrow water with the overlying water. This mechanism, termed piston-pumping, is also potentially important in other smaller tube dwelling organisms. At a shallow water station in the southern North Sea 21 ind of C. subterranea constructed 1.6 m² burrow surface per m². L. conchilega (300 ind m^-2) created only 0.37 m²m^-2 tube surface. On the basis of the abundance and oxygen transport associated with pumping activity, it is calculated that the two species increase TOU by 85% compared to O₂-flux across the sediment-water interface.     

“污水-微藻-能源”串联技术新进展

水资源危机和能源危机给人类社会的可持续发展带来前所未有的挑战。微藻具有特殊的生理生态功能和突出的优点,是开展污水净化和生物质能源生产的不二选择。文章在简介微藻清除水体氮磷的特点、作用机理及其影响因素、微藻生产生物质能源的优势、油脂积累机制及其影响因素的基础上,提出一种基于微藻为中介以实现污水氮磷去除与生物质能源开发的串联技术体系。该＂污水-微藻-能源＂串联技术体系从微藻自身的生理生态特色出发,将其在污水净化与生物质能源生产上的优势有机结合起来,实现从污水中索要营养物质供微藻生长需要,以低成本、高效开发利用微藻生物质能源,为共同协调解决水资源危机和能源危机提供了新的思路与途径。通过探讨＂污水-微藻-能源＂串联技术体系的核心理念与开发基础,指出串联技术体系必须重视优质微藻品种的选育、光合生物反应器优化、耦合系统的完善以及高附加值胞内物质后续开发等几个关键技术环节。文章最后展望其发展趋势与应用前景。＂污水-微藻-能源＂串联技术体系的开发应用,有望缓解当前社会面临的水环境污染和能源紧缺双层压力,实现社会、经济、资源与环境的可持续发展,具有极其广阔的应用前景。     

Metabolic transformations of acquired lucibufagins by firefly “femmes fatales”

Summary. Female Photuris fireflies sequester defensive steroidal pyrones (lucibufagins) from male fireflies of the genus Photinus. Lucibufagin analyses of Photuris females and Photinus ignitus males show that the lucibufagin mixtures of predator and prey differ in their composition. Analyses of whole body extracts showed that P. ignitus males contain a mixture of eight non-glycosylated lucibufagins, composed mostly of compounds with two oxygenated positions in the steroidal A-ring (C-3, C-5). After feeding on P. ignitus males, Photuris females contain six major lucibufagins. Three of these compounds are not present in the prey, including the novel lucibufagin glycoside 5β,11α-dihydroxy-12-oxo-3β-O-β-D-xylopyranosylbufalin, and two other lucibufagins with a trioxygenated A-ring (C-2, C-3, C-5). These results indicate that Photuris females transform the sequestered lucibufagins both by glycosylation and oxidation, which could affect the systemic transportability of these compounds due to an increase in their polarity. Received 18 February 1999; accepted 19 April 1999.     

Editorial board page for “Chemistry and Ecology”, Volume 10, Number 1-2

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Editorial board page for “Chemistry and Ecology”, Volume 10, Number 3-4

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The “second dividend” and the demographic structure

The demographic structure of a country influences economic activity. The “second dividend” modifies growth. Accordingly, in general equilibrium, the second dividend and the demographic structure are interrelated. This paper aims at assessing empirically the “second dividend” in a dynamic, empirical and intertemporal setting that allows for measuring its impact on growth, its intergenerational redistributive effects, and its interaction with the demographic structure. The paper uses a general equilibrium model with overlapping generations, an energy module and a public finance module that distinguishes between non-ageing-related public spending and a pension regime. Policy scenarios compare the consequences of different scenarios of recycling a carbon tax through lower proportional income taxes rather than higher public lump-sum expenditures. They are computed for two countries with different demographics (France and Germany). Results suggest that the magnitude of the “second dividend” is significantly related with the demographic structure. The more concentrated the demographic structure on cohorts with higher income and saving rate, the stronger the effect on capital supply of the second dividend. The second dividend weighs on the welfare of relatively aged working cohorts. It fosters the wellbeing of young working cohorts and of future generations. The more concentrated the demographic structure on aged working cohorts, the higher the intergenerational redistributive effects of the second dividend.     

天津市“城-郊-乡”样带土壤种子库特征分析

为了解天津市不同地理位置土壤种子库物种组成和群落结构的变化,沿天津市设置＂城区—城郊—远郊＂的生态样带,在6个典型样地选取20个样方进行土壤种子库的采样工作并进行萌发试验。结果表明：土壤种子库的密度、物种组成及群落结构差异性明显,除趋势对应分析后分异出典型的城市土壤种子库、城郊土壤种子库、远郊土壤种子库3种类型。从远郊到城区,土壤种子库的密度递增,相似性指数也递增,而物种丰富度却递减。相比远郊地区,城区、城郊区土壤种子库物种丰富度损失率分别为66.67%、45.23%。城区因城市化水平较高及频繁的人为干扰致使土壤种子库物种呈现匀质化特点,物种多为一年生的耐踩踏草本。城郊区的多样性指数、生态优势度指数、均匀度指数最低,但是种子库密度较大,物种丰富,萌发种子中木本植物可观,适合用于进行植被恢复的试验研究。     

Pulmonary inflammation induced by office dust and the relation to 1 → 3-β-glucan using different extraction techniques

It is observed that 1?→?3-β-glucan, a major cell wall component of fungi, induces pulmonary inflammation. There is inconsistency in determining the correlation between the levels of glucan measured by current extraction methods and the respiratory inflammation observed in individuals or lab animals exposed to environmental dust samples. The glucan-specific limulus amebocyte lysate (G-LAL) method was used after extraction with dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) or sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to analyze the glucan content of office dust samples collected from a water-damaged building. C3HeB/FeJ mice, an endotoxin-sensitive strain, were treated with different dust samples (2.5?mg?kg^?1 body weight) or saline (vehicle control) by pharyngeal aspiration. At 1?day after aspiration, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) was performed, and lung inflammation and injury were assessed by measuring: (1) neutrophil (PMN) infiltration, (2) inflammatory cytokine (IL-6, IL-10, MCP-1, IFN-γ, TNF-α, and IL12-p70) levels, and (3) albumin and lactate dehydrogenase in recovered BAL fluid. Both DMSO and NaOH extraction increased the detection of glucan by approximately 20-fold compared to water extraction. However, only the DMSO extraction method showed a statistically significant positive correlation between 1?→?3-β-glucan and albumin levels, total numbers of BAL, polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs) cells recovered, levels of TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-6. In conclusion, 1?→?3-β-glucan is a potent inflammatory agent in dust samples and DMSO extraction for glucan analysis may prove useful in understanding the impact of environmental contamination by glucans on lung disease.     

The inertial range “outer scale” and optical turbulence

The crucial parameter used to calculate turbulence effects upon light waves propagating through the atmosphere is known as the structure constant, . As Tatarski has shown, this parameter depends upon the “outer scale” of the inertial sub-range of the turbulence. Recently there have been successful predictions of astronomical “seeing” conditions at Mauna Kea Astronomical Observatory which have increased interest in this subject and in the use of the so-called “Dewan Optical Turbulence Model”. In the case of the Air Force, there has been a longstanding need for such optical turbulence prediction, especially in the stratosphere. In the past researchers have used a relation due to Tatarski, (which plays a prominent role in this model) in order to deduce values of the “outer scale” from measurements. When doing this, they have been surprised to find values very much smaller than expected. The goal of the paper is to explain this unexpected result. As we will show, this result can be explained by two factors: (a) the average turbulent layer thicknesses are smaller than originally believed, and, more importantly, (b) only a minor fraction of the stratosphere is turbulent. In order to arrive at this conclusion, we used the high-resolution (10 m) wind profiles that were originally used to formulate the previously mentioned optical turbulence model. The U.S. Government’s right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty-free license in and to any copyright is acknowledged.