Pollution by nitrogen oxides: an approach to NO(x) abatement by using sorbing catalytic materials

This article summarises the abatement of NO(x) pollution by using sorbing catalytic materials with special relevance to the challenge presented in fixed installations sources. A general vision of the origins of the different pollutants, with emphasis on nitrogen oxides formation, is presented as introduction. The impact of NO(x) pollution comprises additionally a quick view of its toxicity and environmental effects. Actual solutions are presented especially the case of the selective catalytic reduction (SCR) process with its advantages and difficulties. The new concepts for NO(x) abatement are also analysed. In such a way, updated information on solid sorbents for NO(x) removal is provided by including metal oxides, spinelles, perovskites, double-layered cuprates, zeolites, carbonaceous materials, heteropolyacids (HPAs), and supported heteropolyacids. The possibility of reducing those sorbed NO(x) is also underlined. Sorption mechanisms are analysed and clarified by emphasising convergence and disagreement points.     

Effects of moderate pollution on toxic and trace metal levels in calves from a polluted area of northern Spain

This study evaluated the contribution of anthropogenic pollution to toxic metal residues (Cd, Pb and As) in cattle in an industrialized area of Asturias (northern Spain), and investigated possible implications of toxic metal exposure for metabolism of essential metal elements (Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn). Samples of liver, kidney, muscle and blood from animals aged 9-12 months were obtained from an industrialized area (78 calves) and from a rural area (92 calves). Samples were acid-digested, and levels of metals determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Cadmium and lead contents in the liver and kidney were moderately and significantly higher in calves from the industrialized area (Cd: liver 29.6, kidney 161; Pb: liver 38.1, kidney 38.3 microg/kg wet weight) than in calves from the rural area (Cd: liver 22.9, kidney 96.4; Pb: liver 20.7, kidney 15.9 microg/kg kg wet weight). Although these toxic metals were only moderately raised, our results suggest that they may nevertheless have interfered with trace element metabolism, as reported previously for severely polluted regions. Notably, copper levels in calves from the industrialized area were generally low, and nearly half of these animals showed tissue copper levels indicating risk of copper deficiency.     

Survival of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus in Goat Cheese and Milk

Food and Environmental Virology - Survival of tick-borne encephalitis virus was studied from pasteurized and unpasteurized goat milk and from salted/unsalted and spiced/unspiced cheese made from...     

Responses of female lizards,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Lacerta monticola</Emphasis>, to males' chemical cues reflect their mating preference for older males

Female mate choice based on visual traits appears to be rare in lizards. Field observations suggest that females of the lizard Lacerta monticola preferred to mate with larger/older males. Although older males are usually green and larger, and younger males brown and smaller, there is some overlap in size and coloration between age classes. Thus, visual cues may not always be reliable indicators of a male's age. We hypothesized that female mate-choice preferences may be based on males' pheromones, which might transmit information about characteristics such as age. In a laboratory experiment, we analyzed the effect of age of males on attractiveness of their scents to females. When we offered scents of two males of different age, females associated preferentially with scents of older males. This suggested that females were able to assess the age of males by chemical signals alone, and that females preferred to be in areas scent-marked by older males. Thus, females may increase their opportunities to mate with males of high quality, or may avoid harassment by sneaking young males. This result agreed with field observations on females mating with old males, and rejection of advances by young males. Our results also suggested that female preference for older males may depend on their own body size. Large females showed a strong preference for older males, whereas smaller females were not so selective. This, together with males' preference for large females, might lead to size-assortative matings. We suggest that the quality and/or quantity of male pheromones could communicate to the female heritable male genetic quality (i.e. age) and thereby serve as the basis of adaptive female choice in lizards.Communicated by W.E. Cooper     

Banding pattern of mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) chromosomes induced by 2 × SSC/Giemsa-stain treatment

Mytilus galloprovincialis were collected from an intertidal population in NW Spain in 1988, and chromosomes from the gill tissue of 37 individuals were studied. The present paper describes the banding pattern of aM. galloprovincialis population which enabled us to identify all pairs of chromosomes. Banding was induced by means of a 2 × SSC (0.3M sodium chloride:0.03M sodium citrate)/Giemsa-staining technique, and a diagrammatic representation was constructed based on mean number of bands. The application of this banding technique may prove useful in future research related to the cytogenetics and cytotaxonomy of mussels and other molluscs.     

Proliferation kinetics of mussel (Mytilus galloprovincialis) gill cells

A technique of sister chromatid differentiation (SCD) using bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation and a modification of the fluorescence plus Giemsa (FPG) method was employed to determine cell-proliferation kinetics in gill tissue of the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis. Dose-dependent proliferation inhibition was examined. In vivo administration of BrdU for 12, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, and 96 h was studied. Our data show that the highest yield of second-generation metaphase plates is obtained after 60 h BrdU treatment; the duration of a cell cycle is 24 to 30 h. On the basis of these data, a BrdU incorporation period of 48 to 60 h would seem to be most appropriate for the sister chromatid exchange (SCE) tests carried out in gill cells of M. galloprovincialis, whereas the 12 to 24 h exposure would give the best results for replication band analysis.     

Chemosensory cues allow male lizards<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Psammodromus algirus</Emphasis> to override visual concealment of sexual identity by satellite males

Males of many species of lizards show conspicuous breeding colors but, in some species, young competitively inferior males conceal their sexual identity by a female-like dull coloration that allows them to evade aggression from dominant males and to adopt an alternative satellite-sneaking mating tactic. However, large males of the lizard Psammodromus algirus reacted aggressively to young intruder males despite their female-like coloration, suggesting that they might have the ability to recognize competitor males by chemosensory cues. We experimentally manipulated the head coloration (brown vs orange) and scents (male vs female) of small young males. For staged agonistic encounters, we compared the response of resident unmanipulated large males to the different manipulated small males. When we manipulated only the color of small males, the response of resident large males was independent of the paint manipulation; brown and orange males elicited a similar aggressive response. However, when we also manipulated the scent, small males painted orange or brown, but bearing the scent of males, received a significantly higher number of aggressive responses than small males painted orange or brown, but bearing the scent of females. The results showed that, at close range, the reaction of large males to manipulated individuals was dependent on the scent, whereas color seemed to be less important. Coloration may be, however, more important in long-distance communication as shown by the outcome of the first encounters. Also, orange coloration may increase the intensity of the aggressive response. Effective sex recognition by territorial large males is important in natural situations to avoid sneak matings by young male competitors. Thus, even if small males visually conceal their sexual identity, chemosensory cues allow large males to identify them at close range.     

Studies on the defensive behaviour ofHypselodoris species (Gastropoda: Nudibranchia): Ultrastructure and chemical analysis of mantle dermal formations (MDFs)

The mantle dermal formations (MDFs) ofHypselodoris webbi (D'orbigny, 1839), andH. cantabrica (Bouchet and Ortea, 1980) are globular sub-epidermal structures located in the cephalic and caudal regions. Histologically they consist of an accumulation of vacuolate cells surrounded by a basal lamina and an outer muscular capsule. Chemical analysis ofH. webbi MDFs reveals the presence of high concentrations of longifolin, a well known deterrent furanosesquiterpenoid that had been previously isolated from this species. In the present paper it is demonstrated that the great majority of longifolin accumulated in the mantle ofH. webbi is stored in the MDF vacuolar cells. This finding strongly suggests that such structures act as chemical weapons against predation, mainly protecting vital organs such as the head, rhinophores and gills.