Investigating potential for effects of environmental endocrine disrupters on wild populations of amphibians in UK and Japan: status of historical databases and review of methods.

Concern over global declines among amphibians has resulted in increased interest in the effects of environmental contaminants on amphibian populations, and more recently, this has stimulated research on the potential adverse effects of environmental endocrine disrupters in amphibians. Laboratory studies of the effects of single chemicals on endocrine-relevant endpoints in amphibian, mainly anuran, models are valuable in characterizing sensitivity at the individual level and may yield useful bioassays for screening chemicals for endocrine toxicity (for example, thyroid disrupting activity). Nevertheless, in the UK and Japan as in many other countries, it has yet to be demonstrated unequivocally that the exposure of native amphibians to endocrine disrupting environmental contaminants results in adverse effects at the population level. Assessing the potential of such effects is likely to require an ecoepidemiological approach to investigate associations between predicted or actual exposure of amphibians to (endocrine disrupting) environmental contaminants and biologically meaningful responses at the population level. In turn, this demands recent but relatively long-term population trend data. We review two potential sources of such data for widespread UK anurans that could be used in such investigations: records for common frogs and common toads in several databases maintained by the Biological Records Centre (UK Government Centre for Ecology and Hydrology), and adult toad count data from 'Toads on Roads' schemes registered with the UK wildlife charity 'Froglife'. There were little abundance data in the BRC databases that could be used for this purpose, while count data from the Toads on Roads schemes is potentially confounded by the effects of local topology on the detection probabilities and operation of nonchemical anthropogenic stressors. For Japan, local and regional surveys of amphibians and national ecological censuses gathering amphibian data were reviewed to compile survey methodologies and these were compared with methods used in the UK and other countries. Substantial consensus exists in amphibian survey methodologies and this should be exploited in the initiation of coordinated monitoring programs for widespread and common anuran amphibians in Japan and the UK to generate long-term robust and standardized population trend data. Such data would support comparative ecoepidemiological assessments of the impact of environmental endocrine disrupters in these two cooperating countries.     

Higher calcification costs at lower temperatures do not break the temperature-size rule in an intertidal gastropod with determinate growth

The vast majority of ectothermic organisms grow larger when developing at cooler environmental temperatures, a pattern frequently referred to as the temperature-size rule (TSR). Assuming that this reaction norm has adaptive significance, life history theory predicts that converse patterns may evolve if favored by natural selection, namely if the costs associated with complying to the TSR outweigh the benefits. Calcifying ectotherms may comprise such an exception not following the TSR, because calcification is expected to be more costly at lower temperatures thus increasing associated costs. To test this hypothesis, we reared wild-caught juveniles of the intertidal gastropod Monetaria annulus and compared their shell sizes at the end of the juvenile stage between two rearing temperatures. Contrary to our prediction, M. annulus does follow the TSR, suggesting that increased calcification costs at lower temperatures are not high enough to break the TSR. Such plastic responses should be considered when interpreting geographical patterns such as latitudinal size clines, which may be caused at least partly by phenotypic plasticity.     

Production of 2-Pyrrolidone from Biobased Glutamate by Using Escherichia coli

We have developed a simple and highly efficient process for the production of 2-pyrrolidone (2-PRN) from biobased l-glutamic acid (Glu). First, we produced γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) from Glu obtained by fermentation of biomass using Escherichia coli, which is known to possess GABA producing activity. The reaction solution contained only the substrate Glu, bacterial cells, and water, and did not require buffers or coenzymes, pyridoxal-5′-phosphate (PLP). Every 24 h, cells were removed by centrifugation, and GABA containing supernatant was obtained. This reaction can be repeated 14 times by adding water and Glu, without any decrease in activity. Finally, 303.7 g of GABA was produced from 560 g (40 g × 14 times) of Glu with a yield of 77.4 %. The concentration of this solution was almost 40 %. The GABA was then converted to biobased 2-PRN by heating and distillation under reduced pressure without pretreatment. The yield obtained with this chemical process was 95.8 %. These results showed that biobased 2-PRN could be produced from biomass-derived Glu. Biobased 2-PRN has great potential as a raw material to change other petroleum-based materials to biobased materials.     

Mechanism and Characterization of Polyamide 4 Degradation by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudomonas</Emphasis> sp.

We identified a biodegrading microorganism of polyamide (nylon) 4, a linear polymer of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA). From activated sludge, the biodegrading bacteria strains of Pseudomonas sp. were isolated and identified by their taxonomic characteristics and nucleotide sequences of 16S rDNA. One strain, ND-11, was grown on a minimal medium containing polyamide 4 (PA4) as the sole carbon source. The strain produced GABA as a degradation intermediate, as identified by analyzing the NMR spectra of degraded products. The culture supernatant of strain ND-11 degraded the emulsified PA4 completely within one day. These results suggest that the ND-11 strain degraded PA4 using its extracellular enzymes to hydrolyze amide bonds.     

Traditional Farming Landscapes for Sustainable Living in Scandinavia and Japan: Global Revival Through the Satoyama Initiative

Traditional, pre-industrial farming was adapted to the natural environment—topography, geology, hydrology, climate, and biota. Traditional land use systems are still to be traced in Scandinavia as an “infield/outland landscape”, and in Japan as a “Satoyama landscape.” There are obvious similarities and differences in land use—the main difference being that pasturing of cattle and sheep has been less important in Japan. These land use systems can be traced back to early sedentary settlements 1500–2500 years ago. In both regions, traditional management almost ceased in the mid-twentieth century leading to afforestation and decreased biological diversity. Today, there is in Japan a growing movement for landscape restoration and promotion of a sustainable living countryside based on local agrarian and forestry production, local energy, tourism, etc. With this background, the so-called Satoyama Initiative has been organized and introduced as a global socio-ecological project with ecosystem services for human well-being.     

Relationship between indoor and outdoor carbonaceous particulates in roadside households

Concentrations of particulate matter (PM) and carbonaceous particulates in indoor and outdoor air at roadside private households were measured in Osaka, Japan. The particulate samples were collected on filters using a portable AND sampler capable of separating particles into three different size ranges: over 10 microm, 2-10 microm (coarse) and below 2 microm (fine) in aerodynamic diameter. The filters were weighed and then analyzed for elemental carbon (EC) and organic carbon (OC) by thermal oxidation using a CHN CORDER. The results showed that indoor fine PM concentration is considerably affected by fine EC and the fine EC in indoor air is significantly correlated to that in outdoor air, r=0.86 (n=30, p<0.001). A simple estimation from EC content ratio in diesel exhaust particles indicated that about 30% of indoor particulates of less than 10 microm (PM10) were contributed from diesel exhaust. Additionally, the size characteristics of outdoor PM at roadside and background sites were examined using Andersen Cascade Impactors.     

Methane production potential from anaerobic digestion of plant biomass residues and food waste as substrates

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - This research aimed to evaluate the production of biogas from anaerobic digestion (AD) using swine manure inoculum associated with different...     

Consequence of altered nitrogen cycles in the coupled human and ecological system under changing climate: The need for long-term and site-based research

Anthropogenically derived nitrogen (N) has a central role in global environmental changes, including climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution, greenhouse gas emission, water pollution, as well as food production and human health. Current understanding of the biogeochemical processes that govern the N cycle in coupled human–ecological systems around the globe is drawn largely from the long-term ecological monitoring and experimental studies. Here, we review spatial and temporal patterns and trends in reactive N emissions, and the interactions between N and other important elements that dictate their delivery from terrestrial to aquatic ecosystems, and the impacts of N on biodiversity and human society. Integrated international and long-term collaborative studies covering research gaps will reduce uncertainties and promote further understanding of the nitrogen cycle in various ecosystems.     

Determination of nitrous oxide, methane, and ammonia emissions from a swine waste composting process

The amounts of harmful gas emissions from the process of composting swine waste were determined using an experimental composting apparatus. Forced aeration (19.2–96.1 l/m³/min) was carried out continuously, and exhaust gases were collected and analyzed periodically. With weekly turning and the addition of a bulking agent in order to decrease the moisture content and increase air permeability, the temperature of most of the contents rose to 70°C and composting was complete within 3–5 weeks. NH₃, CH₄, and N₂O emissions were high in the early stage of composting. About 10%–25% of the nitrogen in the raw material was lost as NH₃ gas during composting. The emission rate of NH₃ mainly depended on the aeration rate, so that as the aeration rate rose, the level of NH₃ emissions increased. The CH₄ and N₂O emissions could be kept lower with adequate treatment at more than 40 l/m³/min aeration. N₂O may be mainly the result of the denitrification of NO _x -N in the additional matured compost used as a composting accelerator. Received: September 11, 1998 / Accepted: November 8, 1999     

Effects of low protein diet and sex difference on the amounts of metallothionein in liver and kidney of cadmium-administered rats

Cadmium (Cd) was orally administered in a dose of 100 μg daily for a total of 100 times to investigate the effects of the intake of low (5%) protein diet and sex difference on the amounts of metallothionein (MT) in the liver and kidney. The amount of MT in the liver was significantly increased by the intake of low protein diet. In females, the increase in the amount of MT was proportional to the amount of Cd accumulated. The concentration of copper-thionein in the liver was higher in females than in males and further increased after intake of low protein diet. The levels of MT, cadmium-thionein, zinc-thionein and copper-thionein in the kidney were not influenced by the intake of low protein diet nor did show a sex difference.