Wax-ester metabolism in the orange roughyHoplostethus atlanticus (Beryciformes: Trachichthyidae)

Freshly caught orange roughy (Hoplostethus atlanticus) obtained at the edge of the Chatham Rise, east of the South Island of New Zealand, in June 1988, were used to investigate tissue-specific lipid synthesis and to obtain blood for plasma lipoprotein analysis. Tissue slices prepared from an intraneurocranial fat deposit, pieces of skull (neurocranium), swimbladder and liver were incubated with radioactive acetate, palmitate and oleate, and the labelled lipids extracted and analysed. All four tissues could incorporate acetate label into fatty acids which were themselves incorporated into triacylglycerols and phospholipids although not into wax esters, the most abundant lipid class in these tissues. Exogenous palmitate and oleate were also incorporated into more complex lipids, with the label from oleate (but not palmitate) being found in wax esters as well as triacylglycerols and phospholipids. The distribution of the label in the wax esters showed that some reduction of the fatty acid to fatty alcohol had occurred. The only exception to this pattern was the swimbladder, which incorporated small amounts of palmitate-label into both the fatty acid and fatty alcohol portions of the wax esters. Lipoproteins were isolated from serum by centrifugation. All lipoprotein classes contained phospholipid, cholesterol, triacylglycerol, cholesteryl esters and wax esters. A very low-density lipoprotein class also contained large amounts of unesterified fatty acids, which are possibly artefacts resulting from storage of the samples. Significant quantities of-3 fatty acids were also found in the serum lipids.     

Introducing a common taxonomy to support learning from failure in conservation

Although some sectors have made significant progress in learning from failure, there is currently limited consensus on how a similar transition could best be achieved in conservation and what is required to facilitate this. One of the key enabling conditions for other sectors is a widely accepted and standardized classification system for identifying and analyzing root causes of failure. We devised a comprehensive taxonomy of root causes of failure affecting conservation projects. To develop this, we solicited examples of real-life conservation efforts that were deemed to have failed in some way, identified their underlying root causes of failure, and used these to develop a generic, 3-tier taxonomy of the ways in which projects fail, at the top of which are 6 overarching cause categories that are further divided into midlevel cause categories and specific root causes. We tested the taxonomy by asking conservation practitioners to use it to classify the causes of failure for conservation efforts they had been involved in. No significant gaps or redundancies were identified during this testing phase. We then analyzed the frequency that particular root causes were encountered by projects within this test sample, which suggested that some root causes were more likely to be encountered than others and that a small number of root causes were more likely to be encountered by projects implementing particular types of conservation action. Our taxonomy could be used to improve identification, analysis, and subsequent learning from failed conservation efforts, address some of the barriers that currently limit the ability of conservation practitioners to learn from failure, and contribute to establishing an effective culture of learning from failure within conservation.     

Physical and ecological thresholds for deposited sediments in streams in agricultural landscapes

Excessive sedimentation in streams and rivers remains a pervasive problem for the protection of aquatic habitat and the sustainability of aquatic communities. Whereas water quality criteria have been determined for suspended sediments in many jurisdictions across North America, comparably little has been done for deposited (also known as bedded) sediments. Through Canada's National Agri-Environmental Standards Initiative, assessment techniques and analytical tools were developed for estimating environmental thresholds for deposited sediments in agricultural watersheds in New Brunswick (NB) and Prince Edward Island (PEI) in the Atlantic Maritimes of Canada. Physical thresholds were developed through assessment of geomorphic metrics, which were then analyzed using y-intercept and 25th percentile approaches. For NB, there was strong agreement in physical thresholds for both analytical approaches (e.g., percent fines <2 mm were 7.5 for y-intercept and 6.9 for 25th percentile approaches). In contrast, physical thresholds for PEI differed considerably between approaches (e.g., percent fines <2 mm were 6.1 for y-intercept and 19.6 for 25th percentile approaches), likely due to a narrower range in agricultural land cover. Cross-calibration of our provisional physical thresholds for NB with ecological (i.e., benthic macroinvertebrate) assessments show that ecological thresholds, calculated as change-points in relationships between Ephemeroptera-Plecoptera-Trichoptera relative abundance or Modified Family Biotic Index and geomorphic criteria, were more liberal than physical thresholds. These results suggest that provisional thresholds developed using geomorphic criteria should demarcate change from the least disturbed condition and reduce the risk of sedimentation degrading benthic ecosystems.     

Effectiveness of a Coral-Derived Surfacing Material for Reducing Sediment Production on Unpaved Roads, Schoffield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii

This study evaluated the effectiveness of two application rates of a coral-derived surfacing material for both traffic and nontraffic road conditions using simulated rainfall (110–120 mm h⁻¹ for 30–90 min) on 0.75-m (wide) × 5.0-m (long) plots of similar slope (roughly 0.1 m m⁻¹). The coral is a locally available material that has been applied to unpaved roads surfaces on Schoffield Barracks, Oahu, Hawaii (USA), where this experiment was conducted. The simulations show that compared with a bare control plot, the coral-based surface application rates of 80 and 160 kg m⁻² (equivalent to only 10- and 20-mm thicknesses) reduced road sediment production by 75% and 95%, respectively, for nontraffic conditions. However, after two passes of the research vehicle during wet conditions, sediment production rates for the two coral treatments were not significantly different from those on the bare road plots. The overall effectiveness of the coral-derived surfacing material is unsatisfactory, primarily because the on-road surface thickness associated with the application rates tested was too small. These rates were selected to bracket those applied to training roads in the study area. Furthermore, the composition of the coral-based material does not facilitate the development of a sealed, erosion-resistant surface. When applied at the low rates tested, the coral material breaks down under normal traffic conditions, thereby losing its ability to counter shearing forces exerted by overland flow on long hillslopes where erosion measures are most needed. These simulations, combined with observations on roads in the study area, indicate that this material is not an appropriate road surfacing material for the site—at least for the low application rates examined. These results are preliminary; extended testing of higher applications rates at the hillslope scale under natural climate and traffic conditions is needed to better judge the effectiveness of this material over time.     

Biotransformation of flumequine by the fungus Cunninghamella elegans

The metabolism of the antibacterial fluoroquinolone drug flumequine by Cunninghamella elegans was investigated using cultures grown in Sabouraud dextrose broth with 308microM flumequine. The cultures were extracted with ethyl acetate; metabolites were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography and identified by mass spectrometry and proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Flumequine was transformed to two diastereomers of 7-hydroxyflumequine (23 and 43% of the total chromatographic peak area at 280nm) and 7-oxoflumequine (11% of the total peak area). This is the first time that the two 7-hydroxy diastereomers have been characterized structurally; the hydroxyflumequines are known to have less antimicrobial activity than flumequine.     

Grain size partitioning of platinum-group elements in road-deposited sediments: implications for anthropogenic flux estimates from autocatalysts

Twelve road-deposited sediment samples were analyzed for platinum-group elements (PGEs) and Pb in the <63 microm fraction of an urban watershed in Hawaii. Three samples were further fractionated into five size classes, from 63-125 microm to 1000-2000 microm, and these were analyzed for PGEs and Pb. Concentrations in the <63 microm fraction reached 174 microg/kg (Pt), 101 microg/kg (Pd), 16 microg/kg (Rh), and 1.3 microg/kg (Ir). Enrichment ratios followed the sequence Rh>Pt=Pd>Ir. Iridium was geogenic in origin, while the remaining PGEs indicated significant anthropogenic contamination. Palladium, Pt and Rh concentrations and enrichment signals were consistent with PGE bivariate ratios and PGE partitioning in three-way catalysts. Size partitioning indicated that the <63 microm fraction had the lowest PGE concentrations and mass loading percentages. These data suggest that autocatalyst PGE flux estimates into the environment will be significantly underestimated if only a fine grain size fraction is analyzed.     

Discourses of on-farm wind energy generation in the UK farming press

As the owners of the majority of land in the U.K., farmers are well placed to contribute to renewable energy targets. Media coverage can both drive and reflect farmers’ views about renewable energy but has been largely unexplored to date. This article uses discourse analysis to examine the evolution of coverage of one form of renewable energy – on-farm wind – in the U.K. farming press from 1980 to 2013. We identified a diverse debate with five major discourses. On-farm wind turbines are alternatively represented as: profitable farm diversification opportunities; producers of clean energy; important for rural development and sources of conflict. Although press coverage predominantly encourages wind energy production, a further discourse advises farmers to ‘Proceed with Caution’. While emphasising images and values which have widespread affinity among U.K. farmers, the press have increasingly employed an economic frame, constructing wind energy generation as a farm diversification strategy. The most recent farming press coverage predominantly encourages an instrumental approach to wind energy, crowding out other (non-economic) rationales and marginalising local community concerns. This appears to reflect the financial orientation of recent policy support (particularly Feed-in Tariffs), and may have long-term costs in enabling sustainable energy production systems.     

Evaluating the impact of caribou habitat restoration on predator and prey movement

Fragmentation of the boreal forest by linear features, including seismic lines, has destabilized predator–prey dynamics, resulting in the decline of woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) populations. Restoration of human-altered habitat has therefore been identified as a critical management tool for achieving self-sustaining woodland caribou populations. However, only recently has testing of the response of caribou and other wildlife to restoration activities been conducted. Early work has centered around assessing changes in wildlife use of restored seismic lines. We evaluated whether restoration reduces the movement rates of predators and their associated prey, which is expected to decrease predator hunting efficiency and ultimately reduce caribou mortality. We developed a new method for using cameras to measure fine-scale movement by measuring speed as animals traveled between cameras in an array. We used our method to quantify speed of caribou, moose (Alces alces), bears (Ursus americanus), and wolves (Canis lupus) on treated (restored) and untreated seismic lines. Restoration treatments reduced travel speeds along seismic lines of wolves by 1.38 km/h, bears by 0.55 km/h, and caribou by 1.57 km/h, but did not reduce moose travel speeds. Reduced predator and caribou speeds on treated seismic lines are predicted to decrease encounter rates between predators and caribou and thus lower caribou kill rates. However, further work is needed to determine whether reduced movement rates result in reduced encounter rates with prey, and ultimately reduced caribou mortality.     

Chronic and episodic acidification of Adirondack streams from acid rain in 2003-2005

Limited information is available on streams in the Adirondack region of New York, although streams are more prone to acidification than the more studied Adirondack lakes. A stream assessment was therefore undertaken in the Oswegatchie and Black River drainages; an area of 4585 km(2) in the western part of the Adirondack region. Acidification was evaluated with the newly developed base-cation surplus (BCS) and the conventional acid-neutralizing capacity by Gran titration (ANC(G)). During the survey when stream water was most acidic (March 2004), 105 of 188 streams (56%) were acidified based on the criterion of BCS < 0 microeq L(-1), whereas 29% were acidified based on an ANC(G) value < 0 microeq L(-1). During the survey when stream water was least acidic (August 2003), 15 of 129 streams (12%) were acidified based on the criterion of BCS < 0 microeq L(-1), whereas 5% were acidified based on ANC(G) value < 0 microeq L(-1). The contribution of acidic deposition to stream acidification was greater than that of strongly acidic organic acids in each of the surveys by factors ranging from approximately 2 to 5, but was greatest during spring snowmelt and least during elevated base flow in August. During snowmelt, the percentage attributable to acidic deposition was 81%, whereas during the October 2003 survey, when dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were highest, this percentage was 66%. The total length of stream reaches estimated to be prone to acidification was 718 km out of a total of 1237 km of stream reaches that were assessed.     

Societal implications of nanotechnology: occupational perspectives

Nanotechnology-infused products have begun to enter the market in spite of the fact that many sectors of society are still debating whether or not exposure to such products will result in detrimental side effects. Due to a lack of regulation of nanoproducts, it is difficult to track these products to assess how they interact with humans and the environment. Acknowledging this limitation, several studies are starting to investigate situations where individuals are exposed to nanoparticles in the workplace; it is to be noted that manufacturing of materials is the first stage in the product life cycle where exposure may occur. This paper reviews and discusses the potential societal implications associated with the manufacturing of nanoparticles: health concerns, workers’ perceptions, rights, ethics, and the role of policy and regulation. Scenarios are presented, possible implications are discussed, and recommendations are given for appropriate action. Finding the right solution to the identified implications represents a critical challenge. In summary, it is imperative that all stakeholders including industry, academia, government entities, and the public adopt a proactive attitude to ensure that nanotechnology matures in a sustainable manner.