Early prenatal sonographic diagnosis of neuropathic arthrogryposis multiplex congenita with osseous heterotopia

A prenatal diagnosis of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita (AMC) has been carried out on a 19-week-old fetus by means of echography. The ultrasonographic characteristics were unnatural position of the four limbs associated with articular anomalies together with absence of active fetal movements. A therapeutic interruption of pregnancy was performed and the diagnosis was confirmed. At autopsy, architectural disorder of the motor neurons of the anterior medullary horn revealed a neuropathic pathogenesis of the arthrogryposis. Moreover, at the lumbar level the spinal cord was progressively replaced by heterotopic bony tissue which caused a more severe deformity of the lower limbs compared with the upper. The aspects of anatomo-pathological, genetic, and differential diagnosis are discussed showing the precocity of the prenatal diagnosis and the peculiarity of the aetiology of our case.     

Behavioral and antennal electrophysiological responses of a predator ant to the pygidial gland secretions of two species of Neotropical dung roller beetles

The pygidial gland secretions of Neotropical dung roller beetles appear to function as defensive agents against predator ants. Behavioral and electrophysiological tests were used to evaluate the responses of the ant Camponotus sericeiventris to pygidial compounds secreted by the dung roller beetles Canthon cyanellus cyanellus and Canthon femoralis femoralis (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae). Our behavioral investigation revealed a lower aggressive response of C. sericeiventris to the dung roller beetles compared to their response to the fly Anastrepha ludens. Additionally, C. sericeiventris workers attacked C. f. femoralis more often than C. c. cyanellus. The behavioral aggression of C. sericeiventris was greater toward male than female C. c. cyanellus. Electroantennography showed that the antennae of C. sericeiventris react to pygidial extracts from C. c. cyanellus and C. f. femoralis. Three compounds from male and female C. f. femoralis and C. c. cyanellus elicited coupled gas chromatography-electroantennogram (GC-EAD) activity in the antennae of C. sericeiventris. Geraniol and an unknown compound (A) were specific for C. f. femoralis, whereas guaiacol and another unknown compound (B) were specific to C. c. cyanellus; phenol was shared by both beetle species. This is the first report confirming that the pygidial gland secretions of dung roller beetles play a role in their defense against predators.     

Life style and genetic variation in teleosts: the case of pelagic (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Aphia minuta</Emphasis>) and benthic (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Gobius niger</Emphasis>) gobies (Perciformes: Gobiidae)

The pattern of genetic variability of two species of Mediterranean gobiids was compared, with reference to their different life history traits (Aphia minuta paedomorphic and pelagic; Gobius niger metamorphosed and benthic). The aim was to evaluate how different life histories can affect the genetic structure in these marine teleosts. The study was carried out on populations of both species sampled in the western Mediterranean and in the Adriatic Sea. Seven restriction endonucleases were used for the RFLP analysis of a mitochondrial DNA segment comprising the NADH dehydrogenase subunits 3, 4L and 4. The results highlighted two different patterns of genetic variation, a weak genetic structure in A. minuta and population subdivision in G. niger. These observations may be explained not only in terms of the different dispersal capabilities of these species, but also considering that A. minuta is an abbreviate iteroparous spawner while G. niger is a protracted iteroparous spawner. Because abbreviate iteroparity is a reproductive strategy selected in stable environments with high resource availability, Pliocene and Pleistocene climate oscillations may have represented factors that negatively influenced the reproductive success of A. minuta, producing demographic fluctuations and bottlenecks, as suggested by the mismatch distribution analysis. The weak genetic structure of A. minuta populations seems to be therefore due to a more recent re-colonization of the Mediterranean basin after a severe population decline, rather than to the high vagility of this pelagic goby.     

Microbes to clean indoor pollutants

Formaldehyde is a dangerous indoor pollutant which is introduced in house by common objects such as furniture. Effective microorganisms have the very interesting ability to degrade some pollutants. Here, we tested the removal of formaldehyde and aromatic aldehydes using effective microorganisms including yeast, lactic acid bacteria, and photosynthetic bacteria. Formaldehyde was quantified by GC–MS of formaldehyde dinitrophenylhydrazone. Other aldehydes were analyzed by GC–MS. Results show that effective microorganisms remove 70–100 % of formaldehyde, benzaldehyde, and 4-methylbenzaldehyde in about a week. Experiments on chipboard panels indicate the possibility to decrease the amount of formaldehyde emission by furniture. This is the first report on the removal of formaldehyde by effective microorganisms, to our best knowledge.     

Salmonella survival in manure-treated soils during simulated seasonal temperature exposure

Addition of animal manure to soil can provide opportunity for Salmonella contamination of soil, water, and food. This study examined how exposure of hog manure-treated loamy sand and clay soils to different simulated seasonal temperature sequences influenced the length of Salmonella survival. A six-strain cocktail of Salmonella serovars (Agona, Hadar, Heidelberg, Montevideo, Oranienburg, and Typhimurium) was added to yield 5 log cfu/g directly to about 5 kg of the two soils and moisture adjusted to 60 or 80% of field capacity (FC). Similarly, the Salmonella cocktail was mixed with fresh manure slurry from a hog nursery barn and the latter added to the two soils at 25 g/kg to achieve 5 log cfu/g Salmonella. Manure was mixed either throughout the soil or with the top kilogram of soil and the entire soil volume was adjusted to 60 or 80% FC. Soil treatments were stored 180 d at temperature sequences representing winter to summer (-18, 4, 10, 25 degrees C), spring to summer (4, 10, 25, 30 degrees C), or summer to winter (25, 10, 4, -18 degrees C) seasonal periods with each temperature step lasting 45 d. Samples for Salmonella recovery by direct plating or enrichment were taken at 0, 7, and 15 d post-inoculation and thereafter at 15-d intervals to 180 d. Salmonella numbers decreased during application to soil and the largest decreases occurred within the first week. Higher soil moisture, manure addition, and storage in the clay soil increased Salmonella survival. Salmonella survived longest (> or = 180 d) in both soils during summer-winter exposure but was not isolated after 160 d from loamy sand soil exposed to other seasonal treatments. For all but one treatment decimal reduction time (DRT45d) values calculated from the first 45 d after application were < or = 30 d and suggested that a 30-d delay between field application of manure in the spring or fall and use of the land would provide reasonable assurance that crop and animal contamination by Salmonella would be minimized.     

Degradation of bisphenol A by the UV/H2O2 process: a kinetic study

A theoretical and experimental study of bisphenol A (BPA) degradation by the UV/H₂O₂ process in water is presented. The effects of the H₂O₂ concentration and the specific rate of photon emission (E_P,0) on BPA degradation were investigated. A kinetic model derived from a reaction sequence was employed to predict BPA and hydrogen peroxide concentrations over time using an annular photochemical reactor in batch recirculation mode. The local volumetric rate of photon absorption (LVRPA) inside the photoreactor was computed using a Line Source with Parallel Plane emission model (LSPP). From the proposed kinetic model and the experimental data, the second order rate constants of the reactions between hydroxyl radicals and the main reacting species (H₂O₂ and BPA) were estimated applying a nonlinear regression method. A good agreement between the kinetic model and experimental data, for a wide range of operating conditions, was obtained. For BPA, H₂O₂, and TOC concentrations, the calculated root means square errors (RMSE) were 2.3?×?10^??2, 9.8?×?10^??1, and 9.0?×?10^??2 mmol L^??1, respectively. The simplified kinetic model presented in this work can be directly applied to scaling-up and reactor design, since the estimated kinetic constants are independent of the reactor size, shape, and configuration. Further experiments were made by employing low BPA initial concentration (100 μg L^??1) in water and real wastewater. A lower degradation rate of BPA was observed in the real wastewater, although the UV/H₂O₂ process has also been able to completely degrade the target pollutant in less than 1 h.

     

Mycelium growth and degradation of creosote-treated wood by basydiomycetes

Tolerance of wood decay fungi of the genera Agrocybe, Armillaria, Auricularia, Daedalea, Pleurotus, Trametes to the presence of various amounts of creosote-treated wood (CTW) in the growth medium was compared. In the case of the most tolerant strain, Pleurotus ostreatus SMR 684, extracellular laccase and peroxidase specific activities were monitored during growth in the presence of CTW. Degradation of various creosote-constituting polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons by this strain was evaluated by GC-MS and the ecotoxicity of treated and untreated CTW was compared by Microtox test.