Oxidative stress in Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) and armored catfish (Pterygoplichthys anisitsi) exposed to diesel oil

Considering that diesel oil is one of the most common aquatic contaminants, we compare the oxidative stress between two species of fish with different habitats (Pterygoplichthys anisitsi, benthic and Oreochromis niloticus, nektonic) exposed to diesel oil. Malondialdehyde concentrations (MDA) and the activities of ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD), glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase were all analyzed in the fishes' livers and gills after 2 and 7 days of exposure to different concentrations of diesel (0.1 and 0.5 mL/L). In the tilapia, MDA levels and the activities of EROD and GST activity in the liver, as well as MDA levels and the activities of GST and SOD in the gill had statistically significant differences between the treatments and between the times of exposure. For the catfish, the same occurred in the case of MDA, EROD, and SOD in the liver and in CAT and SOD in the gills. There were significant differences in the enzyme activity and lipid peroxidation between the species. Although the activity of most enzymes seemed to be more expressive and responsive to diesel in O. niloticus, diesel oil also caused significant effects on oxidative stress parameters in P. anisitsi, even though this species is benthic and thus has less access to insoluble fractions of diesel oil. Therefore, both species can be used as sentinel organisms in environmental biomonitoring of diesel contamination.     

Co-assessment of biomass and soil organic carbon stocks in a future reservoir area located in Southeast Asia

An assessment of the organic carbon stock present in living or dead vegetation and in the soil on the 450 km² of the future Nam Theun 2 hydroelectric reservoir in Lao People??s Democratic Republic was made. Nine land cover types were defined on the studied area: dense, medium, light, degraded, and riparian forests; agricultural soil; swamps; water; and others (roads, construction sites, and so on). Their geographical distribution was assessed by remote sensing using two 2008 SPOT 5 images. The area is mainly covered by dense and light forests (59%), while agricultural soil and swamps account for 11% and 2%, respectively. For each of these cover types, except water, organic carbon density was measured in the five pools defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: aboveground biomass, litter, deadwood, belowground biomass, and soil organic carbon. The area-weighted mean carbon densities for these pools were estimated at 45.4, 2.0, 2.2, 3.4, and 62.2 tC/ha, respectively, i.e., a total of about 115 ± 15 tC/ha for a soil thickness of 30 cm, corresponding to a total flooded organic carbon stock of 5.1 ± 0.7 MtC. This value is much lower than the carbon density for some South American reservoirs for example where total organic carbon stocks range from 251 to 326 tC/ha. It can be mainly explained by (1) the higher biomass density of South American tropical primary rainforest than of forests in this study and (2) the high proportion of areas with low carbon density, such as agricultural or slash-and-burn zones, in the studied area.     

Assessment and sources of nonaromatic hydrocarbons in surface sediments of three harbors in Santa Catarina State, Brazil

Nonaromatic hydrocarbons and geochemical parameters from 17 sediment?Cwater interface samples were used to assess sources of organic matter in three harbors, located in Santa Catarina State, southern Brazil. The evaluation was based on the molar C/N/P ratios, abundance of resolved nonaromatic hydrocarbons (3.0?C25.9 ??g g^???1), unresolved complex mixture, and two indexes: the carbon preference index (CPI) and the low molecular weight to high molecular weight ratio. The results indicate that the organic matter is predominantly of terrestrial origin (C/N > 10 and CPI > 2). Variations in the total organic carbon from 0.43 to 2.98 mmol g^???1 and total phosphorus from 82.4 to 464.3 ??g g^???1 showed no clear correlation with the silt and clay fractions of the sediments possibly due to anthropogenic input. In contrast to the low level of contamination based on the acyclic hydrocarbon distribution, the results obtained from a series of geologically stable hopanes and steranes reveal the presence of less degradable petroleum derivatives.     

Heat Gain From Thermal Radiation Through Protective Clothing With Different Insulation,Reflectivity and Vapour Permeability

The heat transferred through protective clothing under long wave radiation compared to a reference condition without radiant stress was determined in thermal manikin experiments. The influence of clothing insulation and reflectivity, and the interaction with wind and wet underclothing were considered. Garments with different outer materials and colours and additionally an aluminised reflective suit were combined with different number and types of dry and pre-wetted underwear layers. Under radiant stress, whole body heat loss decreased, i.e., heat gain occurred compared to the reference. This heat gain increased with radiation intensity, and decreased with air velocity and clothing insulation. Except for the reflective outer layer that showed only minimal heat gain over the whole range of radiation intensities, the influence of the outer garments’ material and colour was small with dry clothing. Wetting the underclothing for simulating sweat accumulation, however, caused differing effects with higher heat gain in less permeable garments.     

75 Jahre Theorie des expandierenden Kosmos: Friedmann Modelle und der “Einstein–Limit”

  Die geschichtliche Entwicklung der kosmologischen Modelle für den homogen–isotropen Kosmos, beginnend mit Alexander Friedmanns epochalen Arbeiten (1922 und 1924) bis zur heutigen Diskussion aktueller Modelle wird dargestellt. Eine kardinale Rolle spielt die offene Frage: Besteht die Materie des Kosmos zum weit überwiegenden Teil aus nicht–baryonischer (sog. exotischer) Dunkel–Materie oder reicht die gesamte baryonische Materie aus, die aus den bekannten Atomen und Molekülen besteht, um die Entwicklung des Kosmos zu verstehen. Auch von der normalen (baryonischen) Materie im Kosmos ist nur ein geringer Anteil (etwa 20 5 Prozent) in leuchtenden Objekten (Sterne, Gas, Staub) direkt beobachtbar. Im Abschnitt 3 wird der “Einstein–Limit” für die kosmologische Konstante erl?utert und eine leicht einsichtige Herleitung des Zahlenwertes gegeben.     

Identification of chlordane compounds in harbour seals from the coastal waters of the Netherlands

In a study of two unknown compounds in blubber of harbour seals (Phoca vitulina) of the Dutch North Sea coast combined capillary gas chromaiographic mass spectrometric data indicated the presence of trans-nonachlor and oxychlordane. These compounds have never been identified in environmental biota in The Netherlands before.