Detection of fetal HLA-DQα sequences in maternal blood: A gender-independent technique of fetal cell identification

The objective of this study was to detect fetal HLA-DQα gene sequences in maternal blood. HLA-DQα genotypes of 70 pregnant women and their partners were determined for type A1. We specifically sought couples where the father, but not the mother, had genotype A1. In 12 women, maternal blood samples were flow-sorted. Candidate fetal cells were isolated and amplified by using PCR primers specific for a paternal HLA-DQα A1 allele. Fetal HLA-DQα A1 genotype was predicted from sorted cells; amniocytes or cheek swabs were used for confirmation. Six of twelve sorted samples had amplification products indicating the presence of the HLA-DQα A1 allele; 6/12 did not. Prediction of the fetal genotype was 100 per cent correct, as determined by subsequent amplification of amniocytes or cheek swabs. We conclude that paternally inherited uniquely fetal HLA-DQα gene sequences can be identified in maternal blood. This system permits the identification of fetal cells independent of fetal gender, and has the potential for non-invasive prenatal diagnosis of paternally inherited conditions.     

Assessing Landowner Activities Related to Birds Across Rural-to-Urban Landscapes

Fluctuations of bird abundances in the Midwest region of the United States have been attributed to such factors as landscape change, habitat fragmentation, depredation, and supplemental feeding. However, no attempt has been made to estimate the collective role of landowner activities that may influence birds across a landscape. To investigate how landowners might influence birds when the majority (> 90%) of land is privately owned, we surveyed all 1694 private domestic landowners living on three breeding bird survey routes (120 km) that represent a continuum of rural-to-urban landscapes in Southeastern Michigan from October through December 2000. Our survey was designed to investigate (1) the proportion of landowners involved in bird feeding, providing bird houses, planting or maintaining vegetation for birds, gardening, landscaping, applying fertilizer, and applying pesticides or herbicides; (2) whether differences existed between urban, suburban, and rural landowner activities; and (3) whether landowners that carried out a given activity were sociodemographically different from those who did not. Of the 968 respondents (58.5% response rate), 912 (94%) carried out at least one of the activities on their land and the average landowner carried out 3.7 activities. A total of 65.6% fed birds, 45.7% provided bird houses, 54.6% planted or maintained vegetation for birds, 72.7% gardened, 72.3% landscaped, 49.3% applied fertilizer, and 25.2% applied pesticides or herbicides. Significant differences existed between the landscapes, with rural landowners having more bird houses and applying pesticides or herbicides in greater frequency. Similarly, urban landowners had a greater density of bird feeders and houses, but planted or maintained vegetation in the lowest frequency. Participation in activities varied by demographic factors, such as age, gender, and occupation. Scaling each activity to all landowners, including nonrespondents, across all landscapes indicates that between 14% and 82% of landowners may be engaged in a particular activity, with application of pesticides or herbicides having the least potential involvement (13.9%–55.4%) and gardening having the greatest potential involvement (40.1%–81.6%). Taken collectively, our results indicate that landowners are both intentionally and unintentionally engaged in a wide range of activities that are likely to influence bird populations.     

Formation of disinfection byproducts from accumulated soluble products of oleaginous microalga after chlorination

When microalgae are simultaneously applied for wastewater treatment and lipid production, soluble algal products (SAP) should be paid much attention, as they are important precursors for formation of disinfection byproducts (DBPs), which have potential risks for human health. Chlorella sp. HQ is an oleaginous microalga that can generate SAP during growth, especially in the exponential phase. This study investigated the contribution of SAP from Chlorella sp. HQ to DBP formation after chlorination. The predominant DBP precursors from SAP were identified with the 3D excitation-emission matrix fluorescence. After chlorination, a significant reduction was observed in the fluorescence intensity of five specific fluorescence regions, particularly aromatic proteins and soluble microbial by-product-like regions, accompanied with slight shifting of the peak. The produced DBPs were demonstrated to include trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids. As the algal cultivation time was extended in wastewater, the accumulated SAP strengthened the formation of DBPs. The trend for DBP formation was as follows: chloroform>dichloroacetic acid>trichloroacetic acid.

Open image in new window

     

Anaerobic PAH degradation in soil by a mixed bacterial consortium under denitrifying conditions

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are one of the main classes of contaminants in the terrestrial environment. Concentrations of biphenyl, fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene were added to soil samples in order to investigate the anaerobic degradation potential of PAHs under denitrifying conditions. A mixed population of microorganisms obtained from a paddy soil was incubated for 20 days in anaerobic conditions in the presence of soil alone or with nitrate, adding, as electron donors, PAHs and, in some samples, glucose or acetate. At regular time intervals oxidation-reduction potential, PAHs concentration, microbial ATP and nitrate concentration into the solution were measured. Degradation trends for each hydrocarbon are similar under all conditions, indicating that the molecular conformation prevails over other parameters in controlling the degradation. Poor degradation results were obtained when PAHs were the only organic matter available for the inoculum, thus confirming the recalcitrance to degradation of these compounds. Biodegradation was influenced by the addition of other carbon sources. As better degradation results were generally obtained when acetate or glucose were added, the hypothesis of a co-metabolic enhancement of PAH biodegradation seems likely. Thus, anaerobic biodegradation of PAHs studied, biphenyl, fluorene, phenanthrene and pyrene, seems to be possible both through fermentative and respiratory metabolism, provided that low molecular weight co-metabolites and suitable electron acceptors (nitrate) are present.     

Dissolved organic matter fractions formed during composting of winery and distillery residues: evaluation of the process by fluorescence excitation-emission matrix

The aim of the present paper is to assess the maturity degree reached by different samples of several mixtures from winery and distillery residues composted using the Rutgers composting system, by means of excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy. The composts were sampled once a week for about 200d. EEM spectra indicate the presence of different fluorophores. The fluorescence intensities of these peaks show trends related to the maturity of the composting samples selected. The "contour density" of EEM maps is strongly modified through time. We have used the quantitative method of fluorescence regional integration (FRI). The EEMs were delineated into five excitation-emission regions. The degree of compost maturity could be correlated with the percentage of the volumetric integration under the EEM within each region. Further refinement of these techniques should provide a relatively rapid method for assessing the suitability of the compost to soil application.     

The relationships between mercury and selenium in plankton and fish from a tropical food web

Background, aim, and scope  Selenium (Se) has been shown to reduce mercury (Hg) bioavailability and trophic transfer in aquatic ecosystems. The study of methylmercury (MeHg) and Se bioaccumulation by plankton is therefore of great significance in order to obtain a better understanding of the estuarine processes concerning Hg and Se accumulation and biomagnification throughout the food web. In the western South Atlantic, few studies have documented trace element and MeHg in fish tissues. No previous study about trace elements and MeHg in plankton has been conducted concerning tropical marine food webs. Se, Hg, and MeHg were determined in two size classes of plankton, microplankton (70–290 μm) and mesoplankton (≥290 μm), and also in muscle tissues and livers of four fish species of different trophic levels (Mugil liza, a planktivorous fish; Bagre spp., an omnivorous fish; Micropogonias furnieri, a benthic carnivorous fish; and Centropomus undecimalis, a pelagic carnivorous fish) from a polluted estuary in the Brazilian Southeast coast, Guanabara Bay. Biological and ecological factors such as body length, feeding habits, and trophic transfer were considered in order to outline the relationships between these two elements. The differences in trace element levels among the different trophic levels were investigated. Materials and methods  Fish were collected from July 2004 to August 2005 at Guanabara Bay. Plankton was collected from six locations within the bay in August 2005. Total mercury (THg) was determined by cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS) with sodium borohydride as a reducing agent. MeHg analysis was conducted by digesting samples with an alcoholic potassium hydroxide solution followed by dithizone-toluene extraction. MeHg was then identified and quantified in the toluene layer by gas chromatography with an electron capture detector (GC-ECD). Se was determined by AAS using graphite tube with Pin platform and Zeeman background correction. Results and discussion  Total mercury, MeHg, and Se increased with plankton size class. THg and Se values were below 2.0 and 4.8 μg g⁻¹ dry wt in microplankton and mesoplankton, respectively. A large excess of molar concentrations of Se in relation to THg was observed in both plankton size class and both fish tissues. Plankton presented the lowest concentrations of this element. In fish, the liver showed the highest THg and Se concentrations. THg and Se in muscle were higher in Centropomus undecimalis (3.4 and 25.5 nmol g⁻¹) than in Micropogonias furnieri (2.9 and 15.3 nmol g⁻¹), Bagre spp (1.3 and 3.4 nmol g⁻¹) and Mugil liza (0.3 and 5.1 nmol g⁻¹), respectively. The trophic transfer of THg and Se was observed between trophic levels from prey (considering microplankton and mesoplankton) to top predator (fish). The top predators in this ecosystem, Centropomus undecimalis and Micropogonias furnieri, presented similar MeHg concentrations in muscles and liver. Microplankton presented lower ratios of methylmercury to total mercury concentration (MeHg/THg) (34%) than those found in mesoplankton (69%) and in the muscle of planktivorous fish, Mugil liza (56%). The other fish species presented similar MeHg/THg in muscle tissue (of around 100%). M. liza showed lower MeHg/THg in the liver than C. undecimalis (35%), M. furnieri (31%) and Bagre spp. (22%). Significant positive linear relationships were observed between the molar concentrations of THg and Se in the muscle tissue of M. furnieri and M. liza. These fish species also showed significant inverse linear relationships between hepatic MeHg and Se, suggesting a strong antagonistic effect of Se on MeHg assimilation and accumulation. Conclusions  Differences found among the concentrations THg, MeHg, and Se in microplankton, mesozooplankton, and fishes were probably related to the preferred prey and bioavailability of these elements in the marine environment. The increasing concentration of MeHg and Se at successively higher trophic levels of the food web of Guanabara Bay corresponds to a transfer between trophic levels from the lower trophic level to the top-level predator, suggesting that MeHg and Se were biomagnified throughout the food web. Hg and Se were positively correlated with the fish standard length, suggesting that larger and older fish bioaccumulated more of these trace elements. THg, MeHg, and Se were a function of the plankton size. Recommendations and perspectives  There is a need to assess the role of selenium in mercury accumulation in tropical ecosystems. Without further studies of the speciation of selenium in livers of fishes from this region, the precise role of this element, if any, cannot be verified in positively affecting mercury accumulation. Further studies of this element in the study of marine species should include liver samples containing relatively high concentrations of mercury. A basin-wide survey of selenium in fishes is also recommended.     

Chlorination of bisphenol A: kinetics and by-products formation

The kinetics of initial chlorination of bisphenol A (BPA) was studied between pH 2 and 11 at room temperature (20 +/- 2 degrees C). pH Profile of the apparent second-order rate constant of the reaction of BPA with chlorine were modeled considering the elementary reactions of HOCl with BPA species and an acid-catalyzed reaction. The predominant reactions at near neutral pH were the reactions of HOCl with the two phenolate species of BPA (k = 3.10 x 10(4) M(-1)s(-1) for BPA- and 6.62 x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1) for BPA(2-)). At near neutral pH, half-life times of BPA were calculated to be less than 1.5 h for chlorine residual higher than 0.2 mg l(-1). Chlorination of synthetic treated waters spiked with BPA showed that BPA disappeared within 4 h and that chlorinated bisphenol A congeners were rapidly formed and remained in solution for up to 10-20 h when low chlorine dosages are applied (0.5-1 mg l(-1)). To limit their presence in drinking water networks, it is then necessary to maintain high chlorine residuals that rapidly produce and decompose chlorinated bisphenol A congeners.