FIA/MS analysis of temporally ozonated benzo[a]pyrene and pyrene and their reaction products: inhibition of gap junction-mediated intercellular communication

In this study, the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and pyrene, were subjected to temporal ozonation. The products from ozonation of 5 mg l(-1) BaP and 5 mg l(-1) pyrene, for varying time intervals (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 20, and 30 min) were tested for their effects on gap junction-mediated intercellular communication (GJIC) in Clone 9 rat liver cells. Additionally, the ozonation products were also analyzed by flow injection analysis/mass spectrometry (FIA/MS) and the results were compared with the toxicity observed in the GJIC assay. Treatment of the Clone 9 cells with 5 mg l(-1) of ozonated BaP products resulted in a decrease in GJIC that was inversely proportional to the length of ozonation. The products from 1 min of ozonation resulted in a 92% decrease in the rate of GJIC, but with >5 min ozonation, the products did not suppress GJIC. In contrast, pyrene (0.5 mg l(-1)) required >10 min of ozonation to alleviate its effects on GJIC. FIA/MS, using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI), demonstrated products with higher molecular weights (MW) than their corresponding parent compounds, BaP (MW 252) and pyrene (MW 202). Ozonation of pyrene formed significantly fewer products than BaP. More importantly, pyrene ozonation products were constant from 1 to 10 min, while BaP ozonation products seemed to vary between time intervals. With the longer ozonation times (20 and 30 min), BaP and pyrene formed similar products (m/z peaks 157, 111, and 96). The suppression of GJIC by ozonated products seemed to correlate with oxidation of the aromatic ring framework. Further oxidation (longer ozonation times) to lower MW products correlated with restoration of normal GJIC.     

The effects of light and thallus scour from<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Ecklonia radiata</Emphasis> canopy on an associated foliose algal assemblage: the importance of photoacclimation

Kelp canopies have long been recognised for their influence on the structure of algal assemblages on sublittoral reefs. In Marmion Lagoon, Western Australia, we investigated how a canopy of the small kelp Ecklonia radiata affected the associated foliose algal assemblage and what potential mechanisms were responsible for the effects we observed. Light levels and physical abrasion (thallus scour) by an E. radiata canopy were manipulated in an orthogonal fixed-factor experiment that revealed that changes in light, but not thallus scour, had a significant effect on the composition of the algal assemblage. Reduced light levels were associated with a decrease in the Shannon-Wiener diversity index and an increased dominance of the foliose algae Pterocladia lucida and Rhodymenia sonderi. Photobiological investigations of three foliose species, P. lucida, R. sonderi and Chauviniella coriifolia indicated that they were able to photoacclimate to low light levels by increasing thallus absorption by up to 11%. Photoacclimation was also evident by an increase in the maximum rate of electron transport under low-light conditions. We conclude that the E. radiata canopy in Marmion Lagoon structures the foliose algal assemblage through the modification of the light environment and that this effect may be mediated by differences in the ability of different species of foliose algae to photoacclimate.Communicated by M.S. Johnson, Crawley     

Conservation Genetics of the Common Snapping Turtle (Chelydra serpentina)

Previous studies of relationships among the subspecies of snapping turtles ( Chelydra serpentina } based on morphological and osteological characters have been inconclusive. We investigated relationships among the four currently recognized subspecies using restriction endonuclease fragment patterns of mtDNA and protein electrophoresis. Sixteen six-based recognizing restriction endonucleases yielded 90 variable fragments that define 11 different haplotypes. Individuals of the two North American subspecies, C. s. osceola and C. s. serpentina , are closely related, differing by a maximum of 0.5% sequence divergence. The Central American subspecies, C. s. rossignonii and C. s. acutirostris , are more distinct, both from each other (a minimum of 1.7% sequence divergence) and from the North American samples (an average of 4.45% sequence divergence). The degree of allozymic variation among the four subspecies was found to be limited and could not be used to diagnose the four recognized subspecies. The mtDNA data presented here support the species-level distinctness of C. s. rossignonii and C. s. acutirostris from each other and from a C. s serpentina-C. s. osceola complex. The recognition of three distinctive groups of Chelydra rather than one widespread polytypic species has important conservation implications because it focuses attention on the poorly known middle and South American species.     

Prenatal diagnosis of ring chromosome 6

An amniocentesis was performed on a gravida 1, para 0 23-year-old female because of high maternal serum alpha-fetoprotein and nuchal thickening/cystic mass apparent on the fetal ultrasound. Detailed ultrasound examination revealed multiple anomalies including brain abnormalities. The fetus was found to have a mosaic female karyotype: 45,XX, - 6/46,XX,r(6) (p25q27) (62 per cent:38 per cent). This is the first report of a prenatally diagnosed case of ring chromosome 6.     

Public Response to Media Coverage of Animal Cruelty

Activists’ investigations of animal cruelty expose the public to suffering that they may otherwise be unaware of, via an increasingly broad-ranging media. This may result in ethical dilemmas and a wide range of emotions and reactions. Our hypothesis was that media broadcasts of cruelty to cattle in Indonesian abattoirs would result in an emotional response by the public that would drive their actions towards live animal export. A survey of the public in Australia was undertaken to investigate their reactions and responses to. The most common immediate reaction was feeling pity for the cattle. Women were more likely than men to feel sad or angry. Most people discussed the media coverage with others afterwards but fewer than 10 % contacted politicians or wrote to newspapers. We conclude that the public were emotionally affected by the media coverage of cruelty to cattle but that this did not translate into significant behavioral change. We recommend that future broadcasts of animal cruelty should advise the public of contact details for counseling and that mental health support contacts, and information should be included on the websites of animal advocacy groups to acknowledge the disturbing effect animal cruelty exposes can have on the public.     

Roles of academia in regional sustainability initiatives: outreach for a more sustainable future

Institutions of Higher Education have to cope with an array of challenges in the 21st century including globalization of teaching, research and outreach activities; additionally there are dramatic increases in competition for students, staff and funding sources. Meanwhile, local and regional involvement in regional sustainable development is increasing in importance as well. This latter process is driven by the mandates from many sources for academic involvement in working on the multi-faceted issues pertaining to Sustainable Development (SD). This requires concerted action not only at the global, but also at the local and regional levels. This article provides an overview of this special issue of the Journal of Cleaner Production on the Roles of Academia in Regional Sustainable Development Initiatives. The essence of the 11 articles contained in this special issue is summarized and contextualized within the rapidly evolving academic efforts on SD. Recommendations are made of ways for academia to help their regions to make more rapid progress toward SD via involvement of their faculty, students and staff in Regional SD programs and processes.     

LONGITUDINAL AND SEASONAL WATER CHEMISTRY VARIATIONS IN A NORTHERN APPALACHIAN STREAM1

ABSTRACT: Quaker Run, a fourth order stream located in southwestern New York State, exhibits a highly unusual chemical gradient along its upper reaches. Weekly water samples showed an increase in the mean annual pH from 5.07 to 7.01 along a stretch of only 2.2 km. Mean alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, nitrate-nitrite-nitrogen, silica, and conductivity also increased appreciably over this distance. The study area receives some of the most highly acidic atmospheric deposition in the United States. Minimal buffering of these acidic inputs in the extreme upper watershed, and an abrupt downstream increase in buffering associated with changes in soil type, apparently produce the observed streamwater chemistry gradient. In contrast, a comparison between 11 midstream, downstream, and tributary sites showed relatively little variation in streamwater chemistry. In addition to the pronounced longitudinal chemistry changes along the upper portion of the stream, pronounced temporal chemistry variations were also observed at all sampling sites. High flow during snowmelt and heavy rains produced more dilute, acidic conditions, while streamwater pH and dissolved base cations were generally highest during low flow. Much of this temporal variation in streamwater chemistry is attributed to seasonal variation in residence times of soil water.     

WATERSHEDSS: A DECISION SUPPORT SYSTEM FOR WATERSHED-SCALE NONPOINT SOURCE WATER QUALITY PROBLEMS1

ABSTRACT: A significant portion of all pollutants entering surface waters (streams, lakes, estuaries, and wetlands) derives from non-point source (NPS) pollution and, in particular, agricultural activities. The first step in restoring a water resource is to focus on the primary water quality problem in the watershed. The most appropriate NPS control measures, which include best management practices (BMPs) and landscape features, such as wetlands and riparian areas, can then be selected and positioned to minimize or mitigate the identified pollutant(s). A computer-based decision sup. port and educational software system, WATERSHEDSS (WATER, Soil, and Hydro-Environmental Decision Support System), has been developed to aid managers in defining their water quality problems and selecting appropriate NPS control measures. The three primary objectives of WATERSHEDSS are (1) to transfer water quality and land treatment information to watershed managers in order to assist them with appropriate land management/land treatment decisions; (2) to assess NPS pollution in a watershed based on user-supplied information and decisions; and (3) to evaluate, through geographical information systems-assisted modeling, the water quality effects of alternative land treatment scenarios. WATERSHEDSS is available on the World Wide Web (Web) at http://h2osparc.wq.ncsu.edu .     

The geographic distribution and economic value of climate change-related ozone health impacts in the United States in 2030

In this United States-focused analysis we use outputs from two general circulation models (GCMs) driven by different greenhouse gas forcing scenarios as inputs to regional climate and chemical transport models to investigate potential changes in near-term U.S. air quality due to climate change. We conduct multiyear simulations to account for interannual variability and characterize the near-term influence of a changing climate on tropospheric ozone-related health impacts near the year 2030, which is a policy-relevant time frame that is subject to fewer uncertainties than other approaches employed in the literature. We adopt a 2030 emissions inventory that accounts for fully implementing anthropogenic emissions controls required by federal, state, and/or local policies, which is projected to strongly influence future ozone levels. We quantify a comprehensive suite of ozone-related mortality and morbidity impacts including emergency department visits, hospital admissions, acute respiratory symptoms, and lost school days, and estimate the economic value of these impacts. Both GCMs project average daily maximum temperature to increase by 1–4°C and 1–5 ppb increases in daily 8-hr maximum ozone at 2030, though each climate scenario produces ozone levels that vary greatly over space and time. We estimate tens to thousands of additional ozone-related premature deaths and illnesses per year for these two scenarios and calculate an economic burden of these health outcomes of hundreds of millions to tens of billions of U.S. dollars (2010$).

Implications:?Near-term changes to the climate have the potential to greatly affect ground-level ozone. Using a 2030 emission inventory with regional climate fields downscaled from two general circulation models, we project mean temperature increases of 1 to 4°C and climate-driven mean daily 8-hr maximum ozone increases of 1–5 ppb, though each climate scenario produces ozone levels that vary significantly over space and time. These increased ozone levels are estimated to result in tens to thousands of ozone-related premature deaths and illnesses per year and an economic burden of hundreds of millions to tens of billions of U.S. dollars (2010$).