Mercury and organochlorine content of Dipper Cinclus cinclus eggs in south-west Ireland: trends during 1990-1999

A sample of 124 deserted/infertile dipper (Cinclus cinclus) eggs was collected in south-west Ireland during six seasons (1990-1994 and 1999) and analysed for mercury and organochlorines. Mercury was detected in three of the 6 years but no trend was observed. DDT occurred above the limit of detection in only two eggs, one each in 1993 and 1994. In contrast, two derivatives of DDT (DDE and TDE) were found much more commonly. DDE occurred in over 87% of eggs, while TDE contamination was less widespread and reached a maximum of 60% in 1993, with none detected in 1991 or 1999. There was no trend in occurrence of DDE or TDE across years. PCB contamination was present consistently over the 10-year period, with little change in the proportion of contaminated eggs collected over time. In all years, the lowest recorded occurrence of total PCBs was 69% expressed on a formulation basis as Arochlor 1254. PCB congeners 138, 153 and 180 dominated. The congener pattern was similar across years with the exception of 1990 when congener 118 dominated. A distinct trend of high values of contaminants was observed in 1990 and 1993. In 1990, PCB 118 was the dominant contaminant, while in 1993, HEOD, DDE, PCB 138 and PCB 153 were primary contributors to the observed result. Other contaminants (HCB, PCB 101, gamma-HCH, PCB 170 and PCB 180) showed little obvious patterns between years and occurred at relatively low levels. No pattern was observed in contaminants when eggs were grouped according to river or altitude. These data provide a baseline for organochlorine contamination levels in Irish freshwater ecosystems against which future trends can be assessed.     

Responses of song sparrows to song-type matching via interactive playback

The aggressive and singing responses of ten territorial male song sparrows, Melospiza melodia, to sustained song-type matching via interactive playback were examined. This auditory stimulus, which involves both synchronous switching and song-type matching, was hypothesized to be a strong aggressive threat. Responses were compared to five other trial types in which the switching pattern and song-type similarity were independently varied. The six trial types were organized into a factorial design with three switching levels (no switching, synchronized switching, and rapid unsynchronized switching) and two matching levels (shared song-types and unshared song-types). The aggressive response of the birds, a composite index of the correlated behaviors of singing rate, perch change rate, and time spent close to the speaker, showed significant main effects of both the switching and the matching factors, with no interaction effect. The response was highest for the shared/unsynchronized switching trial and lowest for the unshared/no switching trial. Since the synchronous switching trials produced aggressive responses intermediate between the no switching and rapid unsynchronized switching trials, our results corroborate earlier studies showing that switching rate, song-type diversity and song similarity are the key determinants of aggressive approach. However, the switching rate of the focal birds during playback was not correlated with the other response variables and showed a very different pattern from the aggressive response. Switching rate increased during unshared/synchronized trials and decreased during shared/synchronized (i.e., song-type matching) trials. The tendency of the birds to refrain from switching when they were song-type matched by playback led to long bouts of matched-type countersinging. These results suggest that song-type matching locks two countersinging birds into a new level of interaction in which information other than aggressive motivation exchanged.     

When evidence is not enough: the challenge of implementing fall prevention strategies

Problem

As the evidence-based movement has advanced in public health, changes in public health practices have lagged far behind creating a science to service gap. For example, science has produced effective falls prevention interventions for older adults. It now is clearer WHAT needs to be done to reduce injury and death related to falls. However, issues have arisen regarding HOW to assure the full and effective uses of evidence-based programs in practice.

Summary

Lessons learned from the science and practice of implementation provide guidance for how to change practices by developing new competencies, how to change organizations to support evidence-based practices, and how to change public health systems to align system functions with desired practices. The combination of practice, organization, and system change likely will produce the public health benefits that are the promise of evidence-based falls prevention interventions.

Impact on public health

For the past several decades, the emphasis has been solely on evidence-based interventions. Public health will benefit from giving equal emphasis to evidence-based implementation.

Impact on Industry

We now have over two decades of research on the effectiveness of fall prevention interventions. The quality of this research is judged by a number of credible international organizations, including the Cochrane Collaboration (http://www.cochrane.org/), the American and British Geriatrics Societies, and the Campbell Collaboration (http://www.campbellcollaboration.org/). These international bodies were formed to ponder and answer questions related to the quality and relevance of research. These developments are a good first step. However, while knowing WHAT to do (an evidence-based intervention) is critical, we also need to know HOW to effectively implement the evidence. Implementation, organization change, and system change methods produce the conditions that allow and support the full and effective use of evidence-based interventions. It is time to focus on utilization of implementation knowledge in public health. Without this focus the vast amount on new evidence being generated on the prevention of falls and related injuries among older adults will have little impact on their health and safety.     

Use of three bivalve species for biomonitoring a polluted estuarine environment

Estuaries are marine areas at great contamination risk due to their hydrodynamic features. PAH are wide and ubiquitous contaminants with a high presence in these marine environments. Chemical analysis of sediments can provide information, although it does not give a direct measure of the toxicological effect of such contaminants in the biota. Samples of Venerupis pullastra, Cerastoderma edule, and Mytilus galloprovincialis were collected from two locations in Corcubión estuary (Norhwest of Spain). The level of PAH in sediment and biota, and its possible origin were assessed. A moderate level of contamination was observed with a predominance of PAH of a pyrogenic origin. Genotoxic damage, measured as single-strand DNA breaks with the comet assay, was evaluated in gill tissue and in hemolymph. The values of DNA damage obtained showed a higher sensitivity of clams and cockles to the pollution load level. These differences among species make us suggest the use of some other species coupled with mussels as an optimal tool for biomonitoring estuarine environments.     

Multi-residue analysis of fifty pesticides in river waters and in wastewaters

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Three sampling campaigns were performed in the Lis River (Leiria, Portugal) in February of 2018, November of 2018, and May of 2019. River water and...     

We're all in this together…except for you: The effects of workload,performance feedback,and racial distance on helping behavior in teams

We draw from social categorization theory and the actor–observer hypothesis to extend previous research regarding receiving high levels of help from team members. Specifically, we explore how a team member's performance feedback on how they handled a disproportionately heavy share of the team's workload and how their racial distance from the rest of their teammates affect the amount of helping that person receives from their teammates. Results from a laboratory study in which 79 teams worked on a computerized, decision‐making task demonstrated a three‐way interaction between workload, performance feedback, and the racial distance between the feedback recipient and the rest of their teammates. Racially distant negative feedback recipients who had a disproportionately heavy share of their team's workload received less help from teammates than their racially similar counterparts. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Temporal distribution patterns of metals in water,sediment, and components of the trophic structure in a tropical coastal lagoon of the Gulf of Mexico

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Trophic transfer and bioaccumulation of trace metals have a profound impact on the structure and function of coastal areas; however, the metal...     

Effects of metal-contaminated soil on the performance of young trees growing in model ecosystems under field conditions

Young Populus tremula, Salix viminalis, Betula pendula and Picea abies trees were grown together in large open-top chambers. The treatments were: without or with (Cu/Zn/Cd/Pb=640/3000/10/90 mg kg-1) metal contamination in the topsoil, irrigation pH 3.5 or 5.5, and acidic or calcareous subsoil. Growth, metal allocation to foliage and wood, as well as leaf gas exchange were measured. Biomass was reduced in P. tremula and B. pendula by the metal-contaminated topsoil relative to uncontaminated topsoil, whereas in P. tremula photosynthesis and transpiration were decreased. These effects were related to the elevated foliar Zn accumulation in P. tremula. S. viminalis showed a significant reduction in growth and an increased Zn and Cd accumulation on acidic vs. calcareous subsoil. Acidic irrigation produced only a few significant effects. P. abies showed the lowest metal uptake and no growth response to metal contamination.     

16S ribosomal RNA tools identify an unexpected predominance of Paenibacillus-like bacteria in an industrial activated sludge system suffering from poor biosolids separation.

Molecular biology tools targeting 16S ribosomal RNA (16S rRNA) were used to identify a predominant bacterial population in a full-scale dairy wastewater activated sludge system suffering from poor biosolids separation. Gram and acridine orange staining indicated that viable, Gram-positive microorganisms were present in samples removed from the influent waste stream and represented approximately 50% of total cell counts in samples removed from the mixed liquor. Subsequently, the "full-cycle 16S rRNA approach" showed that phylogenetic relatives of Paenibacillus spp., a low guanine-plus-cytosine percent DNA-content, Gram-positive microorganism, represented up to 30% of total 4,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole (DAPI)-stained cell counts in samples of mixed liquor. Although fluorescent in situ hybridizations with 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide hybridization probes identified Paenibacillus-like spp. in samples removed from the influent waste stream, their abundance was less than 10% of total stained cell counts. Results of this study suggest that Paenibacillus-like spp. were present in low abundance in the influent waste stream, increased in relative abundance within the treatment system, and should be examined further as a candidate bacterial population responsible for poor biosolids separation. This study demonstrates that the full-cycle 16S rRNA approach can be used to identify candidate bacterial populations that may be responsible for operational upsets in full-scale activated sludge systems without prior information from cultivation or microscopic analyses.