Exencephaly in autosomal dominant brachydactyly syndrome

Exencephaly was diagnosed at 17 weeks in a 27-year-old primigravida with abnormalities of the hands and a family history suggestive of autosomal dominant brachydactyly and clinodactyly. In this family there was also a history of ‘anencephaly’. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the association of exencephaly and autosomal dominant brachydactyly. As the relationship between hand and cranial anomalies is well established, we suggest that this association in our case could be due to a defect in the same gene.     

Biodegradation of microcystins and nodularin in freshwaters

Microcystin-LR (MC-LR) was readily biodegraded on addition to six different water samples irrespective of their previous exposure to microcystins. Subsequent studies with water from three of these water bodies confirmed the degradation of MC-LR and also demonstrated the biodegradation of MC-LF, nodularin and mixture of microcystins and nodularin. Rates of degradation of MC-LR, MC-LF and NOD in individual water samples ranged from a half-life of 4 to 18d. Analysis by HPLC-PDA-ESI+ and MALDI MS/MS revealed novel intermediate degradation products of MC-LF and nodularin which included demethylation, hydrolysis, decarboxylation and condensation of the parent compound(s). Our study suggests a possible diversity of micro-organisms and/or pathways which has not been previously observed.     

A Socio-Ecological Assessment Aiming at Improved Forest Resource Management and Sustainable Ecotourism Development in the Mangroves of Tanbi Wetland National Park, The Gambia, West Africa

Although mangroves dominated by Avicennia germinans and Rhizophora mangle are extending over 6000 ha in the Tanbi Wetland National Park (TWNP) (The Gambia), their importance for local populations (both peri-urban and urban) is not well documented. For the first time, this study evaluates the different mangrove resources in and around Banjul (i.e., timber, non-timber, edible, and ethnomedicinal products) and their utilization patterns, including the possibility of ecotourism development. The questionnaire-based results have indicated that more than 80% of peri-urban population rely on mangroves for timber and non-timber products and consider them as very important for their livelihoods. However, at the same time, urban households demonstrate limited knowledge on mangrove species and their ecological/economic benefits. Among others, fishing (including the oyster—Crassostrea cf. gasar collection) and tourism are the major income-generating activities found in the TWNP. The age-old practices of agriculture in some parts of the TWNP are due to scarcity of land available for agriculture, increased family size, and alternative sources of income. The recent focus on ecotourism (i.e., boardwalk construction inside the mangroves near Banjul city) received a positive response from the local stakeholders (i.e., users, government, and non-government organizations), with their appropriate roles in sharing the revenue, rights, and responsibilities of this project. Though the guidelines for conservation and management of the TWNP seem to be compatible, the harmony between local people and sustainable resource utilization should be ascertained.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s13280-012-0248-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Use of Preservative Agents and Antibiotics for Increased Poliovirus Survival on Positively Charged Filters

Environmental surveillance of poliovirus (PV) and other non-enveloped viruses can help identify silent circulation and is necessary to certify eradication. The bag-mediated filtration system is an efficient method to filter large volumes of environmental waters at field sites for monitoring the presence of viruses. As filters may require long transit times to off-site laboratories for processing, viral inactivation or overgrowth of bacteria and fungi can interfere with virus detection and quantification (Miki and Jacquet in Aquatic Microb Ecol 51(2):195–208, 2008). To evaluate virus survival over time on ViroCap^? filters, the filters were seeded with PV type 1 (PV1) and/or MS2 and then dosed with preservatives or antibiotics prior to storage and elution. These filters were stored at various temperatures and time periods, and then eluted for PV1 and MS2 recovery quantification. Filters dosed with the preservative combination of 2% sodium benzoate and 0.2% calcium propionate had increased virus survival over time when stored at 25 °C, compared to samples stored at 25 °C with no preservatives. While elution within 24 h of filtration is recommended, if storage or shipping is required then this preservative mixture can help preserve sample integrity. Addition of an antibiotic cocktail containing cephapirin, gentamicin, and Proclin^? 300 increased recovery after storage at 4 and 25 °C, when compared to storage with no antibiotics. The antibiotic cocktail can aid sample preservation if access to appropriate antibiotics storage is available and sample cold chain is unreliable. This study demonstrated that the use of preservatives or antibiotics is a simple, cost-effective method to improve virus detection from ViroCap cartridge filters over time.     

On the crucial importance of a small bird: The ecosystem services of the little auk (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alle alle</Emphasis>) population in Northwest Greenland in a long-term perspective

The little auk is the most numerous seabird in the North Atlantic and its most important breeding area is the eastern shores of the North Water polynya. Here, a population of an estimated 33 million pairs breeds in huge colonies and significantly shapes the ecosystem. Archaeological remains in the colonies document that the little auk has been harvested over millennia. Anthropological research discloses how the little auk has a role both as social engineer and as a significant resource for the Inughuit today. The hunting can be practiced without costly equipment, and has no gender and age discrimination in contrast to the dominant hunt for marine mammals. Little auks are ecological engineers in the sense that they transport vast amounts of nutrients from sea to land, where the nutrients are deposited as guano. Here, the fertilized vegetation provides important foraging opportunities for hares, geese, fox, reindeer, and the introduced muskox. We estimate that the relative muskox density is ten times higher within 1 km of little auk fertilized vegetation hotspots.     

Characterization of PM(2.5) collected during broadcast and slash-pile prescribed burns of predominately ponderosa pine forests in northern Arizona

Prescribed burning, in combination with mechanical thinning, is a successful method for reducing heavy fuel loads from forest floors and thereby lowering the risk of catastrophic wildfire. However, an undesirable consequence of managed fire is the production of fine particulate matter or PM(2.5) (particles ≤2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter). Wood-smoke particulate data from 21 prescribed burns are described, including results from broadcast and slash-pile burns. All PM(2.5) samples were collected in situ on day 1 (ignition) or day 2. Samples were analyzed for mass, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), inorganic elements, organic carbon (OC), and elemental carbon (EC). Results were characteristic of low intensity, smoldering fires. PM(2.5) concentrations varied from 523 to 8357 μg m(-3) and were higher on day 1. PAH weight percents (19 PAHs) were higher in slash-pile burns (0.21 ± 0.08% OC) than broadcast burns (0.07 ± 0.03% OC). The major elements were K, Cl, S, and Si. OC and EC values averaged 66 ± 7 and 2.8 ± 1.4% PM(2.5), respectively, for all burns studied, in good agreement with literature values for smoldering fires.     

Wood-Specific Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon (PAH) Patterns in Soot Using Gas Chromatography-Atmospheric Pressure Laser Ionization-Mass Spectrometry (GC-APLI-MS)

If organic matter is burnt, the combustion of wood produces the highest amounts of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) compared with other fossil energy sources such as oil, coal, or gas. Emissions from wood combustion are increasingly of special interest due to the rising use of wood as a renewable energy source in residential heating in Europe. To the authors' knowledge, reproducible wood-specific PAH patterns in soot were identified for the first time by use of a sampling interval of only 5 min in this study. The short sampling interval was enabled by the very sensitive analytical method of gas chromatography–atmospheric pressure laser ionization–mass spectrometry (GC-APLI-MS) applied. The analysis of 40 PAH of soot from wood logs of spruce, pine, larch (softwood) and beech, birch, oak (hardwood), and wood pellets, as well as wood briquettes, showed 13.46–250.62 mg/kg for ∑40 PAH and 10.75–177.94 mg/kg for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency PAH standard (without acenaphthylene and anthracene). Highest concentrations occurred in the samples from birch with bark, beech, and wood briquettes. Indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene, naphthalene, and alkylated naphthalenes were also detected. Significant concentrations of the very toxic dibenzopyrenes (up to 11.30 mg/kg) are reported. Softwood soot contained highest amounts of 2–4-ring PAH, followed by hardwood which is in accordance with the presence of highest amounts of abietic acid in softwood, a known precursor of retene and phenanthrene. PAH in soot from five spruce samples from different locations show a mean ∑40 PAH concentration of 13.46 mg/kg (n = 5, minimum 8.03, maximum 23.32 mg/kg, SD = 5.65) and exhibited a typical pattern that differed from all other wood soot samples. The distributions of alkylated naphthalenes of the spruce samples show a bell-shape distribution in contrast to the alkylated phenanthrenes/anthracenes of all samples (except the wood pellets), showing a slope distribution. The data indicate that wood-specific PAH patterns exist and under the applied conditions, spruce logs produced the least toxic soot.     

Pilot-Scale Demonstration of an Innovative Treatment for Vapor Emissions

ABSTRACT

Researchers from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory recently conducted a pilot-scale study at McClellan Air Force Base (AFB) in Sacramento, CA. The objective of the test was to determine the effectiveness of an ambient-temperature, solar-powered photocatalytic oxidation treatment unit for destroying emissions of chlorinated organic compounds from an air stripper. This paper reports test results and discusses applications and limitations of the technology.

A 10-standard-cubic-foot-per-minute (SCFM) (28.3 L/min) slip stream of air from an air stripper at Operative Unit 29-31 at McClellan AFB was passed through a reactor that contained a lightweight, perforated, inert support coated with photoactive titanium dioxide. The reactor faced south and was tilted at a 45° angle from vertical so that the light-activated catalyst received most of the available sunlight. An online portable gas chro-matograph with two identical columns simultaneously analyzed the volatile organic compounds contained in the reactor inlet and outlet air streams. Summa canister grab samples of the inlet and outlet were also collected and sent to a certified laboratory for U.S. Environmental

Protection Agency Method TO-14 analysis and verification of our field analyses. Three weeks of testing demonstrated that the treatment system's destruction and removal efficiencies (DREs) are greater than 95% at 10 SCFM with UV intensities at or greater than 1.5 milliwatts/square centimeter (mW/cm²). DREs greater than 95% at 20 SCFM were obtained under conditions where UV irradiation measured at or greater than 2 mW/cm². In Sacramento, this provided 6 hours of operation per clear or nearly clear day in April. A solar tracking system could extend operating time. The air stream also contained trace amounts of benzene. We observed no loss of system performance during testing.