Cloning and expression of a tauropine dehydrogenase from the marine sponge <Emphasis Type="Italic">Suberites </Emphasis><Emphasis Type="Italic">domuncula</Emphasis>

The cDNA sequence coding for tauropine dehydrogenase (TaDH) [belonging to the family of opine dehydrogenases] has been determined. Using the demosponge Suberites domuncula, we describe for the first time the tauropine dehydrogenase gene (of length 2,992 kb) from a eukaryote, consisting of two introns flanked by three exons. Moreover, two allelic variants have been identified, which are present in the different specimens either in a homozygotic or in a heterozygotic way; the data suggest an intermediary type of heritance. Phylogenetic analyses indicate that S. domuncula TaDH is only distantly related to the opine dehydrogenases from marine invertebrates; rather it comprises high sequence similarity to bacterial ornithine cyclodeaminases (OCD). In addition, expression studies revealed that the steady-state level of TaDH dropped drastically in animals, which had been exposed to elevated aeration. Antibodies raised against the recombinant sponge TaDH were used to demonstrate that S. domuncula expresses high levels of this enzyme in almost all cells. If tissue samples were kept under additional aeration no immuno-signals could be identified. A strong accumulation of the enzyme was seen around the bacteria, existing in bacteriocytes, indicating that under aerobic conditions the bacteria might produce taurine. These data suggest involvement of the sponge TaDH in the final step of the glycolytic pathway, more specifically, in regeneration of NAD(+) under anaerobic conditions. Furthermore, potential mutual influences between bacteria and sponge are discussed, claiming a horizontal gene transfer of the gene from a bacterium to the sponge. The following sequences from Suberites domuncula have been deposited (EMBL/GenBank): the cDNA encoding the tauropine [(carboxyethyl)-taurine/derived from sulfhydryl-amino acids] dehydrogenase (SD_TaDH) under AM712888; the corresponding gene under AM712889; and the fragments of the sponge-associated bacteria comprising the opine dehydrogenase domain: SUBDO_BAC1 (AM712890), SUBDO_BAC2 (AM712891), SUBDO_BAC3 (AM712892), SUBDO_BAC5 (AM712894), SUBDO_BAC6 (AM712895), SUBDO_BAC7 (AM712896), SUBDO_BAC8 (AM712897) and SUBDO_BAC9 (AM712898).     

Prenatal foetal diagnosis of partial trisomy 3q and monosomy 13p due to a maternal balanced rearrangement

The authors describe a case of a male foetus whose ultrasound at 20 weeks' gestation revealed cystic hygroma, cleft lip and ventricular septal defect. Amniotic fluid cytogenetics using GTG banding showed a 46,XY,der(13)t(3;13)(q12;p11.1) rearrangement, and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) delineated the relevant breakpoints. Familial studies identified a maternal balanced translocation involving chromosomes 3 and 13. The post-mortem examination confirmed the prenatal ultrasound findings. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Construction and demolition waste generation and management in Lisbon (Portugal)

The management of construction and demolition waste (CDW) is essential in the formation, growth and renovation of urban areas. This paper presents part of a study on CDW generation and management in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area (LMA). CDW generation was estimated for 2006 and 2007 based on construction activity and waste load movements. The results revealed that in the municipality of Lisbon, remodeling construction activity prevailed, with CDW generation indicators of 954 t/day and a per capita rate of 0.60 t/year. Both values are above the average for the LMA and its two sub-regions (Greater Lisbon and the Setúbal Peninsula). The installed infrastructure for CDW management identified in the LMA is situated within a maximum distance of about 23 km from the geometric center of the city of Lisbon. Despite the fact these locations favor the municipality of Lisbon, the occurrence of illegal dumps is still a reality. A notable effort towards environmental education addressing CDW management is under way so as to make involved citizens aware of the recent CDW legislation, Decree-Law Nr. 46/2008, as well as of the problems arising from scenarios of environmental degradation and uncontrolled use of natural resources in the civil construction sector. Policies are outlined aiming to move towards the more judicious management of CDW.     

Mycorrhizal induction of phenolic compounds and antioxidant properties of fungi and seedlings during the early steps of symbiosis

Ectomycorrhizal (ECM) symbiosis plays a major role in nutrient cycling and the functioning of forest ecosystems. Trees with well-developed ectomycorrhizas are more resistant to environmental stresses such as drought and to biotic stresses such as root pathogens. The establishment of ECM symbiosis is triggered by signals produced by both partners. These signals lead to morphological changes and a complex development of specific structures in both the plant root and the fungus. The development of the ECM fungi, Paxillus involutus and Pisolithus arhizus, in the presence and the absence of the symbiont—Pinus pinaster—was evaluated as well as their antioxidant properties and phenolic compounds composition in response to the symbiotic association. ECM fungi grew less in the presence of P. pinaster, with P. arhizus being less affected in growth and thus being more adapted to this association. Protocatechuic acid was found only in P. involutus, while P. pinaster roots, both in association and isolated, proved to have other phenolic acids, such as p-hydroxybenzoic and p-coumaric acids. The symbiosis between P. involutus and P. pinaster had no major effects on the symbionts, while the association between P. arhizus and P. pinaster seems to generally decrease the antioxidant effects of both symbionts, despite the increase in p-coumaric and cinnamic acids in the ECM fungi.     

Evaluation of genotoxicity in Rhamdia quelen (Pisces, Siluriformes) after sub-chronic contamination with Fipronil

Diverse genetic biomarkers have been used to evaluate the effects of pollution by mutagenic agents such as metals and pesticides, as well as a large variety of chemical substances derived from human activities. This work researched the effects that an exposure of 60 days to the insecticide Fipronil (concentrations of 0.05, 0.10 and 0.23 μg/L) can cause in the fish Rhamdia quelen using Comet assay with gills, histopathological analysis of gills and the Piscine Micronucleus test and Nuclear Morphological Alterations. The results for the Comet assay and for gills histopathological injuries showed no difference between the control group and the contaminated groups. In the Piscine Micronucleus test, the smallest concentration of Fipronil (0.05 μg/L) was similar as the control group, while concentrations of 0.10 and 0.23 μg/L caused more damage to the DNA. These results suggested that only the highest concentrations of Fipronil tested cause damage in erythrocytes, but none of these concentrations was sufficient to alter the DNA in the gill cells. R. quelen may be a less sensitive bioindicator than other fish that have been tested. On the other hand, the concentrations used may not have been sufficient to detect alterations in the DNA of R. quelen with the chosen tests. Works like this take on great importance given the enormous quantity of substances that are thrown daily into the environment in an uncontrolled way, without evaluation of the consequences. The application of these tests with other concentrations, tissues and exposure times is suggested for future works.     

Solar photocatalysis as strategy for on-site reclamation of agro-wastewater polluted with pesticide residues on farms using a modular facility

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - One of the consequences of phytosanitary treatments applied to crops is the generation of a great volume of agro-wastewater having pesticide residues....     

Vertical concentration gradients of volatile organic compounds in two NS-oriented street canyons

Diffusive samplers were used to measure the vertical concentrations of benzene, toluene, n-hexane, cyclohexane, ethylbenzene and o-, m- and p-xylenes on both sides of two NS-oriented street canyons in Murcia (Spain) during a 5-day period. Non-dimensional relationships of concentration and height were calculated in order to study the behaviour of their concentration vertical profiles. The results show that the vertical profiles of benzene, toluene, n-hexane and cyclohexane concentrations were similar in both streets and on both sides of each street. Some differences were found in vertical profiles between streets and sides for ethylbenzene and xylenes, probably due to their higher affinity for adsorption into building materials. The similarities found for the first set of VOCs suggest that the dynamics of the dispersion was the same for both streets and was mainly influenced by microscale thermal effects. Finally, the concentration measurements of benzene, toluene, n-hexane, cyclohexane, and ethylbenzene were adjusted to expressions in the form c?=?c ₀(h/h ₀) ^A , and a regression coefficient R ²?=?0.962 (p?=?0.0000) was obtained. The decreasing concentration of these compounds with height should be taken into account when assessing population exposure to these pollutants.     

Foraging movements and habitat niche of two closely related seabirds breeding in sympatry

As central-place foragers, pelagic seabirds are constrained by spatiotemporal heterogeneity to find productive marine areas and compete for prey. We analysed 97 foraging trips to study the movement and oceanographic characteristics of foraging habitats of two different—yet closely related—species of shearwaters (Scopoli’s shearwater Calonectris diomedea and Cory’s shearwater C. borealis) breeding in sympatry in the Mediterranean. We combined various methodological approaches (GPS-tracking, species distribution modelling and stable isotope analysis) to explore the foraging strategies of these two species. Isotopic results suggested that trophic habits of both shearwater species were similar, mainly based on pelagic fish consumption. Foraging areas of both species were characterized by shallow waters near the colony. Both shearwater species exploited persistent productive marine areas. The foraging areas of the two species broadly overlapped during the incubation period, but during chick-rearing period, Scopoli’s shearwaters apparently foraged in different areas than Cory’s shearwaters.     

Arsenic partitioning among particle-size fractions of mine wastes and stream sediments from cinnabar mining districts

Tailings from abandoned mercury mines represent an important pollution source by metals and metalloids. Mercury mining in Asturias (north-western Spain) has been carried out since Roman times until the 1970s. Specific and non-specific arsenic minerals are present in the paragenesis of the Hg ore deposit. As a result of intensive mining operations, waste materials contain high concentrations of As, which can be geochemically dispersed throughout surrounding areas. Arsenic accumulation, mobility and availability in soils and sediments are strongly affected by the association of As with solid phases and granular size composition. The objective of this study was to examine phase associations of As in the fine grain size subsamples of mine wastes (La Soterraña mine site) and stream sediments heavily affected by acid mine drainage (Los Rueldos mine site). An arsenic-selective sequential procedure, which categorizes As content into seven phase associations, was applied. In spite of a higher As accumulation in the finest particle-size subsamples, As fractionation did not seem to depend on grain size since similar distribution profiles were obtained for the studied granulometric fractions. The presence of As was relatively low in the most mobile forms in both sites. As was predominantly linked to short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxides, coprecipitated with Fe and partially with Al oxyhydroxides and associated with structural material in mine waste samples. As incorporated into short-range ordered Fe oxyhydroxides was the predominant fraction at sediment samples, representing more than 80 % of total As.     

Functional regression on remote sensing data in oceanography

The aim of this study is to propose the use of a functional data analysis approach as an alternative to the classical statistical methods most commonly used in oceanography and water quality management. In particular we consider the prediction of total suspended solids (TSS) based on remote sensing (RS) data. For this purpose several functional linear regression models and classical non-functional regression models are applied to 10 years of RS data obtained from medium resolution imaging spectrometer sensor to predict the TSS concentration in the coastal zone of the Guadalquivir estuary. The results of functional and classical approaches are compared in terms of their mean square prediction error values and the superiority of the functional models is established. A simulation study has been designed in order to support these findings and to determine the best prediction model for the TSS parameter in more general contexts.