Worker reproduction in honey-bees (Apis) and the anarchic syndrome: a review

Honey-bees, Apis, are an important model system for investigating the evolution and maintenance of worker sterility. The queen is the main reproductive in a colony. Workers cannot mate, but they can lay unfertilized eggs, which develop into males if reared. Worker reproduction, while common in queenless colonies, is rare in queenright colonies, despite the fact that workers are more related to their own sons than to those of the queen. Evidence that worker sterility is enforced by 'worker policing' is reviewed and worker policing is shown to be widespread in Apis. We then discuss a rare behavioural syndrome, 'anarchy', in which substantial worker production of males occurs in queenright colonies. The level of worker reproduction in these anarchic colonies is far greater than in a normal queenright honey-bee colony. Anarchy is a counterstrategy against worker policing and an example of a 'cheating' strategy invading a cooperative system.     

Integrating decay, storage, kinetic selection, and filamentous backbone factors in a bacterial competition model.

Filamentous bulking in activated sludge systems occurs when filamentous organisms outgrow floc-forming bacteria and interfere with sludge settling. The competition between filaments and floc formers has been described previously using the kinetic selection and filamentous backbone theories. We hypothesized that differences in decay rates and storage abilities also affect this competition. We tested this hypothesis by integrating these four factors into a substrate-utilization model to predict and explain coexistence in a completely mixed reactor. In addition, filamentous and nonfilamentous sludges were developed in laboratory-scale reactors and analyzed to determine decay rates. The modeling results showed coexistence of the two organism types, and sensitivity analysis showed that the kinetic parameters, storage rate constants, and backbone coefficient had the greatest effect on the simulation results. Monte Carlo simulation showed the effect of storage, and the ranges of dilution rates wherein one group outcompeted the other were delineated.     

Green synthesis and characterization of gold and silver nanoparticles using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Mussaenda glabrata</Emphasis> leaf extract and their environmental applications to dye degradation

Plant-derived nanomaterials opened a green approach in solving the current environment issues. Present study focused on rapid microwave-assisted synthesis and applications of gold and silver nanoparticles mediated by aqueous leaf extract of Mussaenda glabrata. The synthesized nanoparticles were characterized by UV-vis, FT-IR, powder XRD, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron (TEM), and atomic force microscopic techniques (AFM). FCC crystal structure of both nanoparticles was confirmed by peaks corresponding to (111), (200), (220), and (311) planes in XRD spectra and bright circular spots in SAED pattern. IC₅₀ values shown by gold and silver nanoparticles (44.1 ± 0.82 and 57.92 ± 1.33 μg/mL) reflected their high free radical scavenging potential. The synthesized gold and silver nanoparticles revealed their potency to inhibit pathogenic microorganisms Bacillus pumilus, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Aspergillus niger, and Penicillium chrysogenum. Anthropogenic pollutants rhodamine B and methyl orange were effectively degraded from aquatic environment and waste water sewages of dye industries using the prepared nanocatalysts. The catalytic capacities of the synthesized nanoparticles were also exploited in the reduction of 4-nitrophenol.

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Short-term interactions of aniline and benzidine with three soils in both natural and artificial matrices

The fate of aromatic amines in natural systems is important to understand due to the persistence and toxicity of these chemicals. Laboratory experiments were performed to elucidate aniline and benzidine behavior in silty-clay, sandy loam, and sandy soils, and six background matrices (rainwater, 12.5 mM CaCl(2), 25 mM CaCl(2), and each passed through soil columns). The goals of this study were to test the validity of using CaCl(2) as a laboratory simulation for rainwater and to observe how short-term sorption (24 h) of aniline and benzidine changed when these solutions were passed through soil columns. Results indicated that neither CaCl(2) solution exactly predicted the sorption of these chemicals in corresponding rainwater solutions, likely due to varying soil properties that influenced the sorption mechanisms. Statistical analyses revealed that the passage of rainwater or CaCl(2) solutions through soil columns did not significantly affect the sorption of aniline or benzidine. Cation exchange and solubility plots were created to identify the sorption mechanisms taking place in the short-term batch experiments. These plots indicated that cation exchange played a role in the sorption of both aniline and benzidine under all conditions, while solubility plots showed higher correlations for benzidine, a consequence of its lower aqueous solubility.     

Cadmium and methylmercury bioaccumulation by nymphs of the burrowing mayflyHexagenia rigida from the water column and sediment

Based on a three compartment microcosm-water column, natural sediment,Hexagenia rigida nymphs-an experimental study was set up to compare cadmium (Cd) and methylmercury (MeHg) bioaccumulation by a burrowing mayfly species, after exposure via the water column or the sediment as initial contamination sources. Results from a wide concentration range for each exposure condition revealed very marked differences between the two metals: MeHg was readily accumulated from the two contamination sources, leading to important metal concentrations in the nymphs after the 2 weeks’ exposure; Cd bioaccumulation, on the other hand, was negligible when the metal was added to the water compartment, even though significant transfers were observed from the sediment source. The average Cd concentrations in the nymphs were proportional to the sediment contamination levels. Turbidity measurements in the water column, reflecting the bioturbation activity of the nymphs, revealed that the effect of Cd was significant, but only when the metal was initially added to the sediment. The results are discussed according to the uptake routes and the structural and functional properties of the biological barriers involved (gills and gut).     

含锌离子模拟废水沉淀研究及污泥表征

采用氢氧化钙、碳酸钠和硫化钠处理含锌废水,在溶液pH、锌离子浓度、颗粒粒径、颗粒Zeta电位、上清液浊度和污泥体积等指标测定的基础上,结合沉淀产物表征,探讨了沉淀剂用量对锌离子去除率的影响及沉淀机理。研究结果表明,n(Ca(OH)2∶n(Zn)=1.5,去除率达到最大值99.65%,n(Na2CO3)∶n(Zn)=1.5,去除率达到最大值99.89%,n(Na2S)∶n(Zn)=2.5,去除率达到最大值99.95%。X-射线衍射和热重分析表明,氢氧化钙与废水生成的沉淀物为碳酸钙和氧化锌,碳酸钠与废水生成的沉淀物为氧化锌和碱式碳酸锌,硫化钠与废水生成的沉淀物为硫化锌,这对污泥处理处置以及回收利用有指导意义。     

Impact of a smelter closedown on metal contents of wheat cultivated in the neighbourhood

BACKGROUND: The contamination of soils by heavy metals engenders important environmental and sanitary problems in Northern France where a smelter has been located for more than one hundred of years. It has been one of the most important Pb production sites in Europe until its closedown in March 2003. Ore smelting process generated considerable atmospheric emissions of dust. Despite an active environmental strategy, these emissions were still significant in 2002 with up to 17 tonnes of Pb, 32 tonnes of Zn and 1 tonne of Cd. Over the years, the generated deposits have led to an important contamination of the surrounding soils. Previous studies have shown pollutant transfers to plants, which can induce a risk for human and animal health. The objective of this study was to evaluate the consequences of the smelter closedown on the Cd and Pb contents of wheat (grain and straw) cultivated in the area. METHODS: Paired topsoil and vegetable samples were taken at harvest time at various distances to the smelter. The sample sites were chosen in order to represent a large range of soil metal contamination. Sampling was realised on several wheat harvests between 1997 and 2003. 25 samples were collected before the smelter closedown and 15 after. All ears of about 1 m long of two rows were manually picked and threshed in the lab. Similarly, straw was harvested at the same time. Total metal contents in soil and wheat samples were quantified. RESULTS: A negative correlation between metal concentrations in soil and the distance to the smelter was shown. The wheat grain and straw showed significant Cd and Pb contents. The straw had higher metal contents than the grain. During the smelter activity, the grain contents were up to 0.8 mg kg(-1) DM of Cd and 8 mg kg(-1) DM of Pb. For the straw, maximum contents were 5 mg kg(-1) DM of Cd and 114 mg kg(-1) DM of Pb. After the smelter closedown, we observed a very large decrease of Pb in the grain (82%) and in the straw (91%). A smaller decrease was observed for Cd in grain. Despite this improvement, 80% of the studied samples remained non-acceptable for human consumption, according to the European legislation values, due to a high Cd content. DISCUSSION: Results highlighted a difference in metal accumulation in the plant organs as well as a difference in metal uptake. The approach pointed out the importance of atmospheric fallout in the wheat contamination pathways for Pb. The smelter closedown has lead to a decrease of the Pb content in wheat. It is interesting to relate this finding with the lead blood levels in children living close to the smelter. CONCLUSIONS: Those results have confirmed the importance of dust fallout in the plant contamination pathways. Before the closedown, Pb measured in the plant was principally originating from the smelter dust emissions. It raised the question of the sanitary risks for humans and animals living in the surrounding a of the smelter. RECOMMENDATIONS AND PERSPECTIVES: In the literature, very few articles take the dust deposit as contamination pathways for crops into consideration. However, in highly contaminated sites, this pathway can be very important. Thus, it would be worthy studying the uptake of metal contaminants by plants through the foliar system.     

The impact of prenatal diagnosis on the occurrence of chromosome abnormalities

From the public health point of view, several formal attempts have been made to measure the impact of prenatal diagnosis (PND) on the incidence of Down's Syndrome (DS), but the results have varied widely. The impact of PND (reduction in the birth rate of chromosomally abnormal neonates) is related to utilization rates but quantitative estimates of this have not been established. In a three-year (1981–1983) total population study from Queensland, Australia, we present results to measure the impact of a voluntary PND programme on the birth incidence of DS, and also other chromosomally abnormal births. Utilization rates for the PND service were 15·5 per cent in that population of mothers 35 years and over. Numbers and rates of all cases of chromosomal abnormalities are presented, subclassified by type of diagnosis–-either by PND or by clinical diagnosis after birth. For the total population, 7·3 per cent of cases of DS were detected prenatally, and 15·4 per cent of all chromosome abnormalities. (A method for measuring the impact of PND is described.) Using this in conjunction with our demographic data, we estimate that with a 15 per cent utilization rate of PND by older mothers, 14 per cent of DS births can be prevented in this age group, or a 5 per cent overall reduction can be achieved if mothers of all ages are considered. One index–-the ratio of the percentage of DS births which are preventable compared with the population utilization rates of PND–-has potential for widespread use. Queensland data for this ratio is 0·34, a figure consistent with that from other studies. Thus a 3·5 per cent drop in the overall DS birth rate may be expected for each 10 per cent increase in the utilization rates of PND for mothers of 35 years and over. A diagram is presented which may serve as a model for improved data collection and better impact estimates in the future.     

Estimated trichloroethene transformation rates due to naturally occurring biodegradation in a fractured rock aquifer

Rates of trichloroethene (TCE) mass transformed by naturally occurring biodegradation processes in a fractured rock aquifer underlying a former Naval Air Warfare Center (NAWC) site in West Trenton, New Jersey, were estimated. The methodology included (1) dividing the site into eight elements of equal size and vertically integrating observed concentrations of two daughter products of TCE biodegradation—cis‐dichloroethene (cis‐DCE) and chloride—using water chemistry data from a network of 88 observation wells; (2) summing the molar mass of cis‐DCE, the first biodegradation product of TCE, to provide a probable underestimate of reductive biodegradation of TCE, (3) summing the molar mass of chloride, the final product of chlorinated ethene degradation, to provide a probable overestimate of overall biodegradation. Finally, lower and higher estimates of aquifer porosities and groundwater residence times were used to estimate a range of overall transformation rates. The highest TCE transformation rates estimated using this procedure for the combined overburden and bedrock aquifers was 945 kg/yr, and the lowest was 37 kg/yr. However, hydrologic considerations suggest that approximately 100 to 500 kg/yr is the probable range for overall TCE transformation rates in this system. Estimated rates of TCE transformation were much higher in shallow overburden sediments (approximately 100 to 500 kg/yr) than in the deeper bedrock aquifer (approximately 20 to 0.15 kg/yr), which reflects the higher porosity and higher contaminant mass present in the overburden. By way of comparison, pump‐and‐treat operations at the NAWC site are estimated to have removed between 1,073 and 1,565 kg/yr of TCE between 1996 and 2009. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.*