The transfer of 239/240Pu to cow milk

In summer 1993 we measured the transfer of (239/240)Pu to milk from herbage from a pasture located 5 km from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. In one treatment cows were allowed to graze freely on the pasture. In a second treatment, cows were fed herbage collected from the pasture in stalls. The milk transfer coefficient; F(m) did not vary significantly between treatments and the mean value of 7.5x10(-6)d l(-1) was higher than previously reported values. Despite many values of F(m) for Pu in the literature we identified few relevant original data sets. Transfer coefficient values for Pu are only appropriate when used in conjunction with a specified time period or an appropriate model which allows for the biological half-life. We recommend for screening purposes an F(m) value of 1x10(-5)d l(-1) for Pu, with an order of magnitude lower value being appropriate for cows which are only exposed for one grazing season.     

Presence, biotransformation and effects of sulfophenylcarboxylic acids in the benthic fish Solea senegalensis

The presence of linear alkylbenzene sulfonates (LAS) and their degradation intermediates, sulfophenylcarboxylic acids (SPCs), with concentrations up to 100 ppb has been found in surface waters taken from the estuary of the river Guadalete (Cádiz, SW of Spain). Higher concentrations were found at the sampling site located adjacent to the discharge outlet of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The concentrations decreased downstream to a few ppb as a result of dilution, sorption, and degradation processes, which were taking place along the estuary. Once the presence of both xenobiotics was confirmed in the environment, an in vivo assay was conducted to study their biotransformation and effects in the benthic fish Solea senegalensis. A flow-through system was employed, consisting of an exposure phase (120 h) with environmental levels of the surfactant (200, 500 and 800 microg/L of 2?C(10)LAS), followed by a depuration stage (72 h). The generation of SPCs has been quantified during these phases in both water and fish, with LAS biotransformation shown in all cases. The antioxidant enzymes catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), glutathione reductase (GR), the phase II enzyme glutathione S-transferase (GST), and the phase III acid and alkaline phosphatases (AcP, ALP) were also estimated and utilized as biomarkers.     

Distribution of organotin compounds in the bivalves of the Aegean Sea, Greece

Five bivalve species--Mytilus galloprovinciallis (Mediterranean mussels), Venus gallina (stripped venus), Modiola barbatus L. (bearded horse mussels), Pecten jacobeus (scallops) and Callista chione (hard clams)--were collected from seven areas in Aegean Sea, Greece, between August 2001 and January 2003 and analyzed for organotins (OTs). The concentrations (as geometric means) found were 17.1 ng g-1 for tributyltin (TBT), 18.8 ng g-1 for dibutytltin (DBT), 7.8 ng g-1 for monobutyltin (MBT) and 13.0 ng g-1 for triphenyltin (TPhT) (wet weight), which are at similar or lower levels than those reported worldwide. Studying OTs distribution between different bivalve species, lower concentrations were observed in mediterranean mussels, possibly due to their growth in water column (grown on sea net pens in mussel farms), in contrast to the free-ranging species, collected from fishing grounds. Concentrations of the OTs in the examined bivalves varied seasonally.     

Specific features of the growth of Scots pine vegetative organs in the forest-steppe zone of Cisbaikalia

The dependence of the annual increment of vegetative organs on air temperature and humidity and the amount of precipitation per phenophase, as well as the period of their growth in Scots pine, were studied in the forest-steppe zone of Cisbaikalia. The multiple effect of variation in environmental conditions on the annual increment of organs increased when precipitation in September of the previous year was taken into account. These factors proved to have a stronger effect on variation in the annual increment of needles (R ² = 0.59, p = 0.00005) than that in the annual ring width (R ² = 0.38, p = 0.0002).     

Specific features of phenetic structure of the terrestrial snail <Emphasis Type="Italic">Cepaea vindobonensis</Emphasis> (Pulmonata; Helicidae) in urbanized and natural populations

The phenetic structure of natural and urbanized populations of the terrestrial snail Cepaea vindobonensis has been studied with respect to polymorphism in the shell-band color and pattern. It is noted that C. vindobonensis snails populating different artificial habitats in the city of Nikolaev and its suburbs are characterized by a higher level of both intra-and interpopulation diversity with respect to the type of this polymorphism. In addition, urban populations show a very wide range of variation in the frequencies of particular morphs or their groups. Conversely, natural populations are characterized by a more uniform frequency structure with respect to polymorphism of the shell banding pattern.     

Three-year lifecycle,large body,and very high threshold temperature in the cricket <Emphasis Type="Italic">Gryllus argenteus</Emphasis> for special adaptation to desiccation cycle in Malawi

In temperate climates, the initiation and termination of diapause synchronize the stress-tolerant stage with the stressful season and reproduction with the non-stressful season in many insects. Synchronization is often regulated by photoperiodism.Voltinism and the ultimate size of adults are also important determinants for their lifecycle, and different diapause stages and voltinism patterns are known in crickets.Here, we investigated the life history of the African cricket Gryllus argenteus from Malawi, which is a typical arid tropical highland. The climate is characterized by alternating arid and wet seasons, each of which lasts for half a year, and where the available heat mass is much less than lowlands at the same latitude. We first measured the nymphal duration at each rearing temperature and calculated the lower developmental threshold (t ₀) to be 20.19 °C based on Ikemoto and Takai (2000) and 19.38 °C based on a conventional line-fitting method. These values are very high relative to many other insects. The local temperature in winter does not fall below 15 °C, but this is much higher than the lethal limit. This suggested that critical stress in this locality was not coldness but low precipitation in winter. We estimated, based both on local temperature change and the Ikemoto and Takai’s t ₀, that G. argenteus required 3 years to complete its lifecycle unlike wet lowland species, where univoltinism or multi-voltinism are commonplace. Photoperiodism was observed in this species, but due to a lag between annual cycles in photoperiod, temperature, and humidity, photoperiodism alone cannot atune their lifecycle with local conditions.Synchronization in this species was achieved by three different adaptations: photoperiodism, high t ₀, and large body size, which give it a long lifecycle. Although the species cannot achieve a univoltine lifecycle because of its high t₀ value, it can escape from dry season by entering diapause at moderate temperatures, probably thereby achieving adaptive synchrony of lifecycle with both favorable and unfavorable seasons. A comparison between a conventional photothermogram and a newly formulated photohydrogram or photohygrogram demonstrates that even though sufficient heat is available, scarcity of water and thus scarcity of foliage should force the cricket to maintain diapause at intermediate temperature. The results suggested that high t ₀, large body size, and multi-ennial lifecycle mutually affect each other and formulate a unique adaptation under such an extreme environment.     

Affirmative action programs: an organizational justice perspective

Affirmative Action Programs (AAPs) are becoming increasingly common in the workplace. Typically their effectiveness has been assessed by the number of women and minorities hired and promoted. A neglected, but important measure of effectiveness is how AAPs are perceived by employees. When employees perceive that AAPs violate notions of fairness, negative attitudes and behaviors may occur and lead to decreased organizational performance. A model of perceived AAP fairness is presented using an organizational justice perspective. An initial (partial) test of the model is conducted and avenues for future research are discussed.     

Alteration of dominant cyanobacteria in different bloom periods caused by abiotic factors and species interactions

Freshwater cyanobacterial blooms have drawn public attention because they threaten the safety of water resources and human health worldwide. Heavy cyanobacterial blooms outbreak in Lake Taihu in summer annually and vanish in other months. To find out the factors impacting the cyanobacterial blooms, the present study measured the physicochemical parameters of water and investigated the composition of microbial community using the 16S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer amplicon sequencing in the months with or without bloom. The most interesting finding is that two major cyanobacteria, Planktothrix and Microcystis, dramatically alternated during a cyanobacterial bloom in 2016, which is less mentioned in previous studies. When the temperature of the water began increasing in July, Planktothrix appeared first and showed as a superior competitor for M. aeruginosa in NO₃^?-rich conditions. Microcystis became the dominant genus when the water temperature increased further in August. Laboratory experiments confirmed the influence of temperature and the total dissolved nitrogen (TDN) form on the growth of Planktothrix and Microcystis in a co-culture system. Besides, species interactions between cyanobacteria and non-cyanobacterial microorganisms, especially the prokaryotes, also played a key role in the alteration of Planktothrix and Microcystis. The present study exhibited the alteration of two dominant cyanobacteria in the different bloom periods caused by the temperature, TDN forms as well as the species interactions. These results helped the better understanding of cyanobacterial blooms and the factors which contribute to them.     

Capacity assessment to secure COVID-19 waste treatment in Vietnam

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - The accelerated generation of COVID-19 waste under the Delta-fuelled outbreak placed a sudden burden on waste disposal in Vietnam. To secure the...     

Backwater Confluences of the Ohio River: Organic and Inorganic Fingerprints Explain Sediment Dynamics in Wetlands and Marinas

In the Ohio River (OR), backwater confluence sedimentation dynamics are understudied, however, these river features are expected to be influential on the system’s ecological and economic function when integrated along the river’s length. In the following paper, we test the efficacy of organic and inorganic tracers for sediment fingerprinting in backwater confluences; we use fingerprinting results to evidence sediment dynamics controlling deposition patterns in confluences used for wetland and marina functions; and we quantify the spatial extent of tributary drainages with wetland and marina features in OR confluences. Both organic and inorganic tracers statistically differentiate sediment from stream and river end‐members. Carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes produce greater uncertainty in fingerprinting results than inorganic elemental tracers. Uncertainty analysis of the nonconservative tracer term in the organic matter fingerprinting application estimates an apparent enrichment of the carbon stable isotopes during instream residence, and the nonconservativeness is quantified with a statistical approach unique to the fingerprinting literature. Wetland and marina features in OR confluences impact 42% and 11% of tributary drainage areas, respectively. Sediment dynamics show wetland and marina confluences experience deposition from river backwaters with longitudinally linear and nonlinear patterns, respectively, from sediment sources.