How to uncoil your partner—“mating songs” in giant pill-millipedes (Diplopoda: Sphaerotheriida)

The stridulation of the giant pill-millipede genus Sphaerotherium from South Africa, one of only three groups of millipedes that produce sounds, was studied. One hundred one stridulation series of a total of nine different species (Sphaerotherium dorsaloide, Sphaerotherium hanstroemi, Sphaerotherium mahaium, Sphaerotherium similare, Sphaerotherium punctulatum, Sphaerotherium convexitarsum, Sphaerotherium dorsale, Sphaerotherium rotundatum, and Sphaerotherium perbrincki) were analyzed. Stridulation sounds are produced only with a special field of ribs on the posterior surface of the posterior telopod, which is actively moved over a field of sclerotized nubs on the inner margin of the anal shield. The Sphaerotherium male usually stridulates only when in contact with a female to initiate mating. This seems to prevent the female from volvating into a ball or stimulate the female to uncoil when already rolled in. The sound analyzes revealed a broad frequency spectrum in all stridulation sounds produced, without obvious differences in frequency distribution among species. However, the temporal pattern of the stridulation varies greatly between species and seems to be species-specific, arguing for a species recognition function of the stridulation during courtship behavior. A single species (S. punctulatum) was found to stridulate during mating while three species also show postcopulatory stridulation. Apparently, pill-millipedes are not capable of acoustic perception, as no hearing organs are known, indicating that the communication is mainly based on perception of temporal vibration patterns, and not of the acoustic signal itself. The need to overcome the rolling-in reflex of the female is developed as a hypothesis why stridulation exists only in millipedes able to coil into a ball, and apparently evolved four times independently in the superorder Oniscomorpha.     

Exposure to four chemical UV filters through contaminated sediment: impact on survival,hatching success,cardiac frequency,and aerobic metabolic scope in embryo-larval stage of zebrafish

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - UV filters are widely used in many pharmaceutical and personal care products such as sunscreen and cosmetics to protect from UV irradiation. Due to...     

Supplying honey bees with waterers: a precautionary measure to reduce exposure to pesticides

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Water is essential for honey bees (Apis mellifera L.), but contaminated sources of water in agricultural environments represent a risk of exposure to...     

Immunotoxic effects of an industrial waste incineration site on groundwater in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

The discharge of organic waste from the petrochemical industry into the Mercier lagoons caused major groundwater contamination. The objective of this study was to determine the immunotoxic potential of three groundwater wells at increasing distance from the incinerator dumping site （1.17, 2.74 and 5.40 km）. Rainbow Trout were exposed to increasing concentrations of water from three groundwater wells for 14 days. Immunocompetence was characterized by phagocytosis, mitogen-stimulated proliferation of lymphocytes, cell cycle analysis and apoptosis. A significant increase in innate （phagocytosis） and specific immune response （B lymphocyte proliferation） was observed in trout exposed to water collected from the well at 2.74 km. However, phagocytosis activity was suppressed in groups at 1.17 and 5.40 km. The proportion of lymphocytes in S phase was significantly increased in groups at 2.74 and 5.40 kin, while lymphocytes in G0/G1 phase were decreased in all three exposure groups. Additionally, dexamethasone （DEX）-induced apoptosis of lymphocytes was significantly reduced in the group at 2.74 km, which suggests decreased lymphocyte turnover. Furthermore, the ratio of DEX- induced apoptosis/apoptosis was lower in the groups at 2.74 and 5.40 km. In summary, our experiments have shown that exposure to the mixture of organic compounds present in Mercier groundwater modulates phagocytosis and cell proliferation, disrupts the cell cycle and reduces the ratio of DEX- induced apoptosis/apoptosis. It is concluded that groundwater collected in the vicinity of an incinerator containment field could impact immunocompetence in fish.     

磷石膏对麦田CO2排放和小麦产量的影响及其经济环境效益分析

磷石膏是一种可以利用的磷化工废渣,本文以磷石膏为麦田温室气体减排剂,研究磷石膏对小麦生长、麦田温室气体二氧化碳(CO2)排放的影响,并分析磷石膏资源化利用的经济环境效益.结果表明,在常规施肥条件下,增施磷石膏2 100kg·hm-2能显著促进小麦生长,增产达37.71%.磷石膏对麦田CO2的减排作用在小麦生长的各个时期有所不同:施用磷石膏1 050 kg·hm-2处理,在小麦生长拔节期、抽穗期和灌浆期对麦田CO2的减排效果较为明显,相比对照分别减少8%、10%和6%;在整个小麦生长季累计减少CO2排放3%;施用磷石膏2 100 kg·hm-2处理,在小麦越冬返青期、拔节期和抽穗期,相比对照减少CO2排放11%、4%和12%,在小麦生长季累计减少CO2排放7%.磷石膏施用量较大的处理对CO2的抑制和减排效果较好.研究还表明在施用磷石膏的情况下,一定范围内,CO2的排放强度(单位鲜重CO2排放与单位产量CO2排放)与小麦穗长、鲜重和产量呈现显著负相关:即穗长越长,鲜重和产量越大,CO2的排放效率越低.在碳交易背景下,磷石膏资源化利用具有较高的经济和环境效益,主要体现在:与对照相比,投入/产出从1∶8.3变为1∶10.7,即在相同投入的情况下可提高28.92%的产出;每吨磷石膏作为麦田温室气体减排剂,可节省治理环境的费用与增产总额合计约290元.废渣磷石膏资源化利用,不仅可以减少环境污染、促进小麦生长,而且可以减少CO2排放,对发展低碳农业、生态农业以及可持续发展农业具有重要应用价值.     

Relationships between intertidal clam population and health status of the soft-shell clam Mya arenaria in the St. Lawrence Estuary and Saguenay Fjord (Québec, Canada)

The purpose of this study was to examine the impacts of anthropogenic activity on the health status of intertidal clam populations of the Saguenay Fjord and the St. Lawrence Estuary (Québec, Canada). Clams were collected during low tide at sites subject to direct contamination and at sites far from human activity. Clams were analyzed for tributyltin and dibutyltin total levels and toxic stress (glutathione S-transferase, gonadal lipid peroxidation and DNA strand breaks), immunocompetence (phagocytic activity, hemocyte count and viability), reproduction (gonado-somatic index, gamete maturation, and vitellogenin-like proteins), energy status (temperature-dependent mitochondrial electron transport, and gonad lipids), and individual status (age, condition factor, and growth index). These responses were compared against population characteristics such as live clam density, number of empty shells, and sex ratio. The results show that clam density decreased with distance from the estuary (high salinity level) to upstream of the fjord (low salinity). There was no clear relationship between the number of empty shells and distance or site quality. Clam density values corrected against distance were significantly correlated with hemocyte viability, phagocytic activity, mitochondrial electron transport (MET), DNA damage in gonad, and temperature-dependent mitochondrial electron transport activity. A canonical analysis of the various groups of biomarkers revealed that population metrics were more strongly related with immunocompetence, followed by energy status and temperature-dependent mitochondrial electron transport activity. However, toxic stress biomarkers were strongly associated with energy status and reproduction. This was further confirmed by non-linear modeling using adaptive artificial neural networks (genetic selection and back propagation learning paradigms), where the following parameters were able to predict population parameters with <20% error: gonad maturation and somatic index, MET (at 4 degrees C), gonad LPO, DNA damage, and phagocytic capacity. Intertidal clam populations were influenced by a distance gradient effect (salinity), where immunocompetence, in addition to energy status, was the strongest physiological parameter related to clam population metrics.     

How application of agricultural waste can enhance soil health in soils acidified by tea cultivation: a review

Environmental Chemistry Letters - Tea is one of the world’s most consumed beverages and an important crop of many developing countries. Intensive tea cultivation has negative impacts on soil...