Unusually high levels of thyroid hormones in isolated and/or monolayer-cultured pig thyroid epithelial cells

The Science of Nature -     

Determination of quorum-sensing signal substances in water and solid phases of activated sludge systems using liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry

The detection of acyl homoserine lactones(AHLs) in activated sludge is essential for clarifying their function in wastewater treatment processes. An LC–MS/MS method was developed for the detection of AHLs in both the aqueous and solid phases of activated sludge. In addition, the effects of proteases and extracellular polymeric substances(EPS) on the detection of AHLs were evaluated by adding protease inhibitors and extracting EPS,respectively. Recoveries of each AHL were improved by adding 50 μL of protease inhibitor,and recoveries were also improved from 0 to 56.9% to 24.2%–105.8% by EPS extraction.Applying the developed method to determine the type and concentration of AHLs showed that C4-HSL, C_6-HSL, C_8-HSL and 3-oxo-C_8-HSL were widely detected in a suspended activated sludge system. The dominant AHL was C_8-HSL, with a highest concentration of304.3 ng/L. C_4-HSL was mainly distributed in the aqueous phase, whereas C_6-HSL, C_8-HSL and 3-oxo-C_8-HSL were preferentially distributed in the sludge phase.     

Prenatal diagnosis of infantile hypophosphatasia

Prenatal diagnosis was attempted in a pregnant Japanese woman whose son had died of infantile hypophosphatasia, using chorionic villi sampled at 10 weeks of gestation. Southern blot analysis of restriction fragment length polymorphism was used as a guide, with cDNA for the human liver-type alkaline phosphatase as a probe, and BclI as a restriction enzyme. The fetus was found to be a heterozygote; the pregnancy was allowed to continue; and the baby born was phenotypically normal.     

Numerical analysis of gas explosion inside two rooms connected by ducts

Simulations of gas explosion of hydrogen/air mixture inside two rooms connected by ducts are carried out. Scalar transport chemical reaction model and LES turbulence model are utilized to reduce the calculation load and to conduct real-scale analysis. The effects of ignition source locations and volume of ignited room are analyzed, and the time history of pressure and rate of pressure rise in each room are focused in this study. When the volume of the ignited room is larger than the other room, the high pressure from the other room causes a force to act on the partition to the ignited room. This study indicates that the current technique can predict specific features of gas explosions inside two rooms connected by the ducts.     

Conceptualising disaster social capital: what it is,why it matters,and how it can be enhanced

Social capital discourse occupies an important place in disaster studies. Scholars have adopted various inflections of social capital to explain how those with greater amounts of this crucial resource are generally more resilient to disasters and experience speedier recovery. Disaster scholars have also discovered that people typically display altruistic tendencies in the wake of disasters and develop novel networks of mutual support, known as ‘communitas’, which is also seen to build resilience and boost recovery. In this paper, we use the work of Pierre Bourdieu to synthesise these literatures, conceptualising communitas as ‘disaster social capital’. We offer a fleshed-out definition of disaster social capital to distinguish it from regular social capital and discuss the barriers to, and the enablers of, its formation. While primarily a conceptual discussion, we believe that it has practical and policy value for disaster scholars and practitioners interested in inclusive disaster risk reduction as well as full and just recoveries.     

What determines the success and failure of environmental crowdfunding?

Online crowdfunding can help address the perennial financial shortfalls in environmental conservation and management. Although many online crowdfunding campaigns fail to collect any funds due to not achieving their targets, little is known about what drives success. To address this knowledge gap, we applied a mixed-methods approach to data from 473 successful and failed campaigns hosted on the online crowdfunding platform Readyfor. We found that fundraising performance varied by topic, with campaigns on pet animal management outperforming those focussed on landscape management and sustainable use. We also found that marketing strategies associated with online findability and increased reach through social networks, increased fundraising success. However, the existence of other environmental campaigns running simultaneously, reduced the chance of success, which implies that the selecting popular topics does not always increase the likelihood of success due to increased competition. Wider applications of marketing could enhance the ability of environmental crowdfunding campaigns to raise funds.Supplementary InformationThe online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13280-021-01522-0.     

Organochlorine and trace metal residues in adult southern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus schreibersii bassanii) in southeastern Australia

In recent times, the apparent population decline of the southern bent-wing bat (Miniopterus schreibersii bassanii) at Bat Cave, Naracoorte has been ascribed to pesticide use in the region, following the finding of organochlorine and orgaonophosphate insecticide residues in bat guano. Adult southern bent-wing bats were collected from Bat Cave and Starlight Cave in 2003. Organochlorine contaminants were detected in all carcass samples: p,p'-DDE was by far the most dominant contaminant with concentrations ranging from 11,000 to 59,000ngg(-1), followed by p,p'-DDT (110-1600ngg(-1)), p,p'-DDD (35-620ngg(-1)), summation operatorPCBs (33-490ngg(-1)), summation operatorchlordane and related compounds (7.9-270ngg(-1)), HCB (1.6-120ngg(-1)), HP epox. (3.1-230ngg(-1)), TCPMOH (3.8-38ngg(-1)), summation operatorHCHs (1.4-9.6ngg(-1)), and TCPMe (0.1-4.2ngg(-1)) (all values on lipid-weight basis). No significant difference in DDE, DDD, DDT, summation operatorDDT, summation operatorPCB, trans-chlordane, heptachlor epoxide, trans-nonachlor, alpha-HCH, beta-HCH, gamma-HCH, TCPMOH or TCPMe concentrations were observed either between sexes within sites, or between sites (p>0.05). However, there were significant differences in HCB and oxychlordane concentrations between sexes and between sites (p<0.05), between site differences in cis-nonachlor concentrations in male bats (p<0.05), and cis-chlordane concentrations between sexes at Starlight Cave, and between males of each site (p<0.05). There were also significant differences in the liver concentrations of some metals between sexes within sites (Ag, Cd, Co, Cu, Pb, Se, Zn), and between sites (Ag, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Pb, Se, V, Zn). Clustering or grouping of sites was observed when the OC data was expressed on a lipid-weight basis. These inter-site differences in OC concentrations reflect local exposure over a period of time, and do not unambiguously support any suggestion that we are witnessing incipient speciation. However, for conservation purposes, it may be prudent to assume that there are two sub-populations of M. s. bassani feeding in different locations in this region of southern Australia, rather than the single homogeneous population suggested by genetic studies.     

Scenarios for reducing copper smelting-related atmospheric mercury emissions through copper recycling and mercury removal technologies in major countries

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - Smelting of copper, a crucially important resource, releases small amounts of mercury into the atmosphere, thereby endangering people and the...