Bioconcentration of two pharmaceuticals (benzodiazepines) and two personal care products (UV filters) in marine mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) under controlled laboratory conditions

Bioaccumulation is essential for gaining insight into the impact of exposure to organic micropollutants in aquatic fauna. Data are currently available on the bioaccumulation of persistent organic pollutants, but there is very little documentation on the bioaccumulation of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs). The bioconcentration of selected PPCPs was studied in marine mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). The selected PPCPs were two organic UV filters, i.e., 2-ethylhexyl-4-trimethoxycinnamate (EHMC) and octocrylene (OC), and two benzodiazepines (BZP), i.e., diazepam (DZP) and tetrazepam (TZP). Laboratory experiments were performed in which M. galloprovincialis was exposed to these compounds either directly from water, for the less lipophilic substances (BZP) or via spiked food for lipophilic UV filters. M. galloprovincialis uptook and eliminated BZP following first-order kinetics. The biological half-life (t (1/2)) of TZP was 1.4?days, resulting in a bioconcentration factor of 64 and 99?mL?g(-1) dry weight (dw), respectively, for 2.3 and 14.5?μg?L(-1) of exposure, while the biological half-life (t (1/2)) of DZP was 0.4?days, resulting in a bioconcentration factor of 51?mL?g(-1) dw for 13.2?μg?L(-1) of exposure. The uptake of UV filter was rapid in mussels, followed by elimination within 24?h. EHMC increased from 15 to 138?ng?g(-1) dw in 1?h and decreased to 25?ng?g(-1) after 24?h for 11.9?μg?L(-1) exposure. OC reached 839?ng?g(-1) dw after 1?h and decreased to 33?ng?g(-1) after 24?h for 11.6?μg?L(-1) exposure. However, EHMC and OC were slightly accumulated in 48?h, i.e., 38 and 60?ng?g(-1) dw, respectively.     

An assessment of microbial communities associated with surface mining-disturbed overburden

To assess the microbiological changes that occur during the maturation of overburden that has been disturbed by surface mining of coal, a surface mining-disturbed overburden unit in southeastern Ohio, USA was characterized. Overburden from the same unit that had been disturbed for 37 and 16 years were compared to undisturbed soil from the same region. Overburden and soil samples were collected as shallow subsurface cores from each subregion of the mined area (i.e., land 16 years and 37 years post-mining, and unmined land). Chemical and mineralogical characteristics of overburden samples were determined, as were microbial respiration rates. The composition of microbial communities associated with overburden and soil were determined using culture-independent, nucleic acid-based approaches. Chemical and mineralogical evaluation of overburden suggested that weathering of disturbed overburden gave rise to a setting with lower pH and more oxidized chemical constituents. Overburden-associated microbial biomass and respiration rates increased with time after overburden disturbance. Evaluation of 16S rRNA gene libraries that were produced by “next-generation” sequencing technology revealed that recently disturbed overburden contained an abundance of phylotypes attributable to sulfur-oxidizing Limnobacter spp., but with increasing time post-disturbance, overburden-associated microbial communities developed a structure similar to that of undisturbed soil, but retained characteristics of more recently disturbed overburden. Our results indicate that over time, the biogeochemical weathering of disturbed overburden leads to the development of geochemical conditions and microbial communities that approximate those of undisturbed soil, but that this transition is incomplete after 37 years of overburden maturation.     

Extra-pair paternity in the monogamous Alpine marmot revealed by nuclear DNA microsatellite analysis

The genetic parentage and pedigrees of 35 litters from 12 family groups of monogamous Alpine marmot (Marmota marmota) in the French Alps were analyzed using six hypervariable sequence repeat nuclear loci (microsatellites). All of the members of these family groups were sampled during a 5-year period. Hairs taken directly from animals served as a source of DNA for amplification of the loci. Our results indicate that the genetic mating system of the Alpine marmot is quite different from a strictly monogamous breeding system. Extra-pair paternity occurred in 11 of the 35 litters (31.4%). Of the 134 juveniles typed, 26 (19.4%) could be attributed to extra-pair copulation (EPC). We examine hypotheses which could explain the evolution of EPC and discuss the different patterns of extra-pair mating. Received: 11 July 1997 / Accepted after revision: 23 May 1998     

Intrauterine brain teratoma: a case report of imaging (US,MRI) with neuropathologic correlations

Fetal brain tumors are rare and teratoma is considered as the most common. Fetal MR Imaging is currently used to evaluate cases of ventricular dilatation. We report a case of cerebral immature teratoma detected by ultrasonography because of ventricular dilatation at 24 gestational weeks. MRI was the more accurate imaging method in depicting the tumor and its consequences on brain development as well as in taking a decision with regard to the management of pregnancy. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Convergent changes in the maternal emission and pup reception of the rabbit mammary pheromone

Summary. Lactating rabbit females emit volatile odour cues that trigger specialized motor actions leading to sucking. But the activity of these cues may change with advancing lactation. Here, we tested this possibility in three experiments. In Exp. 1, we assessed whether 2-day-old pups respond differently to the odour of milk from females in early (day 2) as compared to late (day 23) lactation. In Exp. 2, a compound bearing pheromonal properties, the Mammary Pheromone (MP), was dosed in these milks to assess whether its concentration is correlated with behavioural activity. In Exp. 3, the responsiveness to a constant level of MP was compared in d2 versus d23-pups. Run on 240 pups, the assays showed that a) the milk activity declines between d2 and d23 of lactation; b) during this same period, the concentration of the MP decreases in milk; c) the MP itself becomes less active to elicit oral grasping in pre-weaning pups than in newborns. These results indicate that the MP is active during the period when pups are exclusively dependent on milk. The convergent changes in emission and reception of this pheromone may sequentially warrant that pups are first attracted to the mammae, and then that they progressively disinvest the mother as they begin to eat solid food and to be attracted by other conspecifics.     

An integrated environmental approach to investigate biomarker fluctuations in the blue mussel Mytilus edulis L. in the Vilaine estuary, France

Estuarine areas represent complex and highly changing environments at the interface between freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems. Therefore, the aquatic organisms living in estuaries have to face highly variable environmental conditions. The aim of this work was to study the influence of environmental changes from either natural or anthropogenic origins on the physiological responses of Mytilus edulis. Mussels were collected in the Vilaine estuary during early summer because this season represents a critical period of active reproduction in mussels and of increased anthropogenic inputs from agricultural and boating activities into the estuary. The physiological status of the mussel M. edulis was evaluated through measurements of a suite of biomarkers related to: oxidative stress (catalase, malondialdehyde), detoxication (benzopyrene hydroxylase, carboxylesterase), neurotoxicity (acetylcholinesterase), reproductive cycle (vitelline, condition index, maturation stages), immunotoxicity (hemocyte concentration, granulocyte percentage, phagocytosis, reactive oxygen species production, oxidative burst), and general physiological stress (lysosomal stability). A selection of relevant organic contaminant (pesticides, (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorobiphenyls) was measured as well as environmental parameters (water temperature, salinity, total suspended solids, turbidity, chlorophyll a, pheopigments) and mussel phycotoxin contamination. Two locations differently exposed to the plume of the Vilaine River were compared. Both temporal and inter-site variations of these biomarkers were studied. Our results show that reproduction cycle and environmental parameters such as temperature, organic ontaminants, and algal blooms could strongly influence the biomarker responses. These observations highlight the necessity to conduct integrated environmental approaches in order to better understand the causes of biomarker variations.     

Distribution of platinum group elements (Pt, Pd, Rh) in environmental and clinical matrices: Composition, analytical techniques and scientific outlook

Trace concentrations of the platinum group elements (PGE; here: Pt, Pd and Rh) play an important role in environmental analysis and assessment. Their importance is based on 1. their increasing use as active compartments in automobile exhaust catalysts, 2. their use as cancer anti-tumor agents in medicine. Due to their allergenic and cytotoxic potential, it is necessary to improve selectivity and sensitivity during analytical investigation of matrices like soil, grass, urine or blood. This paper summarizes the present knowledge of PGE in the fields of analytical chemistry, automobile emission rates, bioavailibility, toxicology and medicine.     

Closing the knowledge-action gap in conservation with open science

The knowledge-action gap in conservation science and practice occurs when research outputs do not result in actions to protect or restore biodiversity. Among the diverse and complex reasons for this gap, three barriers are fundamental: knowledge is often unavailable to practitioners and challenging to interpret or difficult to use or both. Problems of availability, interpretability, and useability are solvable with open science practices. We considered the benefits and challenges of three open science practices for use by conservation scientists and practitioners. First, open access publishing makes the scientific literature available to all. Second, open materials (detailed methods, data, code, and software) increase the transparency and use of research findings. Third, open education resources allow conservation scientists and practitioners to acquire the skills needed to use research outputs. The long-term adoption of open science practices would help researchers and practitioners achieve conservation goals more quickly and efficiently and reduce inequities in information sharing. However, short-term costs for individual researchers (insufficient institutional incentives to engage in open science and knowledge mobilization) remain a challenge. We caution against a passive approach to sharing that simply involves making information available. We advocate a proactive stance toward transparency, communication, collaboration, and capacity building that involves seeking out and engaging with potential users to maximize the environmental and societal impact of conservation science.