Spontaneous expression of magnetic compass orientation in an epigeic rodent: the bank vole,Clethrionomys glareolus

Magnetoreception has been convincingly demonstrated in only a few mammalian species. Among rodents, magnetic compass orientation has been documented in four species of subterranean mole rats and two epigeic (i.e. active above ground) species—the Siberian hamster and the C57BL/6J mouse. The mole rats use the magnetic field azimuth to determine compass heading; their directional preference is spontaneous and unimodal, and their magnetic compass is magnetite-mediated. By contrast, the primary component of orientation response is learned in the hamster and the mouse, but both species also exhibit a weak spontaneous bimodal preference in the natural magnetic field. To determine whether the magnetic compass of wild epigeic rodents features the same functional properties as that of laboratory rodents, we investigated magnetic compass orientation in the bank vole Clethrionomys glareolus (Cricetidae, Rodentia). The voles exhibited a robust spontaneous bimodal directional preference, i.e. built nests and slept preferentially along the north-south axis, and deflected their directional preference according to a shift in the direction of magnetic north, clearly indicating that they were deriving directional information from the magnetic field. Thus, bimodal, axially symmetrical directional choice seems to be a common feature shared by epigeic rodents. However, spontaneous directional preference in the bank vole appeared to be more pronounced than that reported in the hamster and the mouse. These findings suggest that bank voles are well suited for future studies investigating the adaptive significance and mechanisms of magnetic orientation in epigeic rodents.     

Ryder’s Painism and His Criticism of Utilitarianism

As a member of the British Oxford Group, psychologist Richard Ryder marked the beginning of the modern animal rights and animal welfare movement in the seventies. By introducing the concept “speciesism.” Ryder contributed importantly to the expansion of this movement. Surprisingly little attention has been paid to Ryder’s moral theory, “painism”, that aims to resolve the conflict between the two predominant rival theories in animal ethics, the deontological of Tom Regan and the utilitarian of Peter Singer. First, this paper examines the kernel and historical sources of Ryder’s painist theory, linking it to the work of John Rawls and Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Second, it examines Ryder’s critique of utilitarianism. It is argued that his critique of Singer’s use of the word “sentience” is unconvincing and that his critique of utilitarian aggregation as not taking a full account of the metaphysical separateness of persons, has already been countered and dealt with. Finally this paper looks at some of the counterintuitive implications of Ryder’s theory and argues that utilitarianism might have more resources for dealing with its own alleged counterintuitive implications than Ryder acknowledges.     

The assessment of the soil–plant-animal transport of the risk elements at the locations affected by brown coal mining

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - The North Bohemian Brown Coal Basin (Czech Republic) is suggested as a source of significant pollution in the surrounding environment with various...     

Deposition rates on smooth surfaces and coagulation of aerosol particles inside a test chamber

Because aerosol particle deposition is an important factor in indoor air quality, many empirical and theoretical studies have attempted to understand the process. In this study, we estimated the deposition rate of aerosol particles on smooth aluminum surfaces inside a test chamber. We investigated the influence of turbulent intensity due to ventilation and fan operation. We also investigated two important processes in particle deposition: turbophoresis, which is significant for micron particles, and coagulation, which is relevant to ultrafine particles (UFP diameter <0.1 μm) at high particle concentrations. Our analysis included semi-empirical estimates of the deposition rates that were compared to available deposition models and verified with simulations of an aerosol dynamics model. In agreement with previous studies, this study found that induced turbulent intensity greatly enhanced deposition rates of fine particles (FP diameter <1 μm). The deposition rate of FP was proportional to the ventilation rate, and it increased monotonically with fan speed. With our setup, turbophoresis was very important for coarse particles larger than 5 μm. The coagulation of aerosol particles was insignificant when the particle concentration was less than 10⁴ cm^?3 during fan operation. The model simulation results verified that the aerosol dynamics module incorporated in our Multi-Compartment and Size-Resolved Indoor Aerosol Model (MC-SIAM) was valid. The behavior of aerosol particles inside our chamber was similar to that found in real-life conditions with the same ventilation rates (0.018–0.39 h^?1) and similar air mixing modes. Therefore, our findings provide insight into indoor particle behavior.     

Polychlorinated biphenyls and selected organochlorine pesticides in serum of Slovak population from industrial and non-industrial areas

The concentrations of indicator polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs No. 28, 52, 101, 138, 153 and 180) and organochlorine pesticides (HCB, p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDT) in 121 blood serum specimens collected from non-occupationally exposed adults living in contaminated and comparison areas were determined using high-resolution gas chromatography/electron capture detection (HRGC/ECD). The sum of the serum concentrations of the three most abundant PCB congeners (No. 138, 153 and 180) found in participants (N?=?81) living in industrial areas near incinerators, metallurgical and chemical plants (Krompachy, Kosice, Nemecka and Sala) was significantly higher (p?N?=?40). Similarly, significant differences were observed for p,p′-DDE (p?p?U test between groups showed that the difference for HCB was not statistically significant (p?=?0.089). Age was positively correlated with the sum of PCBs (No. 138, 153 and 180), HCB and the sum of p,p′-DDE and p,p′-DDT (p?相似文献   

Toxic effects of 2,4‐D herbicide on fish

Abstract

Acute and subacute 2,4‐D toxicity to carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) were investigated. Acute toxicity (LC‐ 50) was investigated in semi‐static test during a 24, 48, and 96‐ hours exposition. Subacute toxicity was investigated by exposing fish to different 2,4,‐D concentrations (150, 200, and 250 mg/L) for 14 days. Biochemical and morphological changes in certain organs and tissues were investigated.

LC‐ 50 values at 24 hours exposure was 310.0 mg/L, 295.0 mg/L for 48 hours, and 270.0 mg/L for 96 hours exposure.

Subacute toxicity tests show that 2,4‐D induce changes in the enzyme activities (AP, GOT, GPT) and morphological changes in the gills, liver and kidneys, but changes are of limited biological importance.     

Flood management: prediction of microbial contamination in large-scale floods in urban environments

With a changing climate and increased urbanisation, the occurrence and the impact of flooding is expected to increase significantly. Floods can bring pathogens into homes and cause lingering damp and microbial growth in buildings, with the level of growth and persistence dependent on the volume and chemical and biological content of the flood water, the properties of the contaminating microbes, and the surrounding environmental conditions, including the restoration time and methods, the heat and moisture transport properties of the envelope design, and the ability of the construction material to sustain the microbial growth. The public health risk will depend on the interaction of these complex processes and the vulnerability and susceptibility of occupants in the affected areas. After the 2007 floods in the UK, the Pitt review noted that there is lack of relevant scientific evidence and consistency with regard to the management and treatment of flooded homes, which not only put the local population at risk but also caused unnecessary delays in the restoration effort. Understanding the drying behaviour of flooded buildings in the UK building stock under different scenarios, and the ability of microbial contaminants to grow, persist, and produce toxins within these buildings can help inform recovery efforts. To contribute to future flood management, this paper proposes the use of building simulations and biological models to predict the risk of microbial contamination in typical UK buildings. We review the state of the art with regard to biological contamination following flooding, relevant building simulation, simulation-linked microbial modelling, and current practical considerations in flood remediation. Using the city of London as an example, a methodology is proposed that uses GIS as a platform to integrate drying models and microbial risk models with the local building stock and flood models. The integrated tool will help local governments, health authorities, insurance companies and residents to better understand, prepare for and manage a large-scale flood in urban environments.     

Aporrectodea caliginosa, a suitable earthworm species for field based genotoxicity assessment?

There is a growing interest for the application of biomakers to field-collected earthworms. Therefore we have evaluated the usability of native populations of endogeic, widely distributed earthworm Aporrectodea caliginosa in the assessment of soil genotoxicity using the Comet assay. Validation of the Comet assay on earthworm coelomocytes has been established using commercially available Eisenia fetida exposed to copper, cadmium, and pentachlorophenol, along with A. caliginosa exposed to copper in a filter paper contact test. Neutral red retention time (NRRT) assay was conducted on copper exposed and field-collected earthworms. Significant DNA and lysosomal damage was measured using Comet and NRRT assays in native populations of A. caliginosa sampled from the polluted soils in the urban area in comparison to the earthworms from the reference site. The results of this study confirm the employment of A. caliginosa as a suitable species for the in situ soil toxicity and genotoxicity field surveys.     

Trampling impact on vegetation of embryonic and stabilised sand dunes in Montenegro

Trampling is one of the human activities that are harmful for plant species and communities of sand dune ecosystems. The aim of this study was to compare the vegetation of embryonic and shifting Ammophila sand dunes with and without fencing to limit trampling. Fenced sand dunes appeared to be richer in species but differences were more prominent in embryonic sand dunes. Some species (Cakile maritima, Pancratium maritimum) were missing on trampled embryonic dunes. The positive impact of trampling exclusion on embryonic sand dunes was indicated by a lowered slope in a Whittaker graph as well as by rarefaction curves that showed higher species richness on the lower slope. Changes in the vegetation of more stabilised shifting Ammophila sand dunes due to trampling are not evident, although species composition is also impoverished. Fencing of parts of sand dunes proved to be an effective measure for vegetation conservation. In addition to physical exclusion of visitors, fences can also have symbolic value for raising public awareness.     

The use of phosphomannose isomerase selection system for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of tobacco and flax aimed for phytoremediation

A plant selection system based on the phosphomannose isomerase gene (pmi) as a selectable marker is often used to avoid selection using antibiotic resistance. Nevertheless, pmi gene is endogenous in several plant species and therefore difficult to use in such cases. Here we evaluated and compared Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of Linum usitatissimum breeding line AGT-952 (without endogenous pmi gene) and Nicotiana tabacum var. WSC-38 (with endogenous pmi gene). Transformation was evaluated for vectors bearing transgenes that have the potential to be involved in improved phytoremediation of contaminated environment. Tobacco regenerants selection resulted in 6.8% transformation efficiency when using a medium supplemented with 30 g/L mannose with stepwise decrease of the sucrose concentration. Similar transformation efficiency (5.3%) was achieved in transformation of flax. Relatively low selection efficiency was achieved (12.5% and 34.8%, respectively). The final detection of efficient pmi selection was conducted using PCR and the non-endogenous genes; pmi transgene for flax and todC2 transgene for tobacco plants.