“Biological Windows”: A Tribute to W. Ross Adey

Summary We often do not realize how fast the time is running. It is now more than a year since the sad news for the death of William Ross Adey came. With kind agreement of Prof. Kostarakis my presentation at the 3rd International Workshop “Biological Effects of Electromagnetic Fields” was dedicated to the memory of this remarkable scientist, dear colleague and friend. I would like that this paper will be a tribute to the life and scientific achievements of Dr. Ross Adey. It is astonishing that among all his contributions in the field of Bioelectromagnetics, Dr. Adey introduced the term “window”.     

Actors and arenas in hybrid networks: implications for environmental policymaking in the Baltic Sea region

Policymaking within and among states is under pressure for change. One feature of this change is empirically observed as an activation of different network structures in the Baltic Sea Region, especially since the collapse of the Iron Curtain, the initiation of the Rio process, and the enlargement of the European Union. The contemporary theoretical debates about governance highlight the changing conditions for policymaking and implementation on all societal levels. This process of change, especially evident concerning environmental policies, includes new types of networks crossing state borders both at the supranational and the subnational levels. This article illuminates this process of change with empirical data from the project "Governing a Common Sea" (GOVCOM) within the Baltic Sea Research Program (BIREME).     

Highly active photocatalytic coatings prepared by a low-temperature method

Photocatalytic properties of titanium (IV) oxide (TiO₂) in anatase form can be used for various purposes, including photocatalytic purification of water. For such an application, suspended or fixed photocatalytic reactors are used. Those with fixed phase seem to be preferred due to some advantages, one of which is the avoidance of photocatalyst filtration. To avoid leaching and exfoliation of the fixed phase, an immobilization procedure leading to a good adhesion of a catalyst to a substrate is crucial. Within this work, we present physical and photocatalytic characterization results of five commercially available TiO₂ photocatalysts (P25, P90, PC500, KRONOClean 7000, VPC-10) and one pigment (Hombitan LO-CR-S-M), which were successfully immobilized on glass slides by a “sol suspension” procedure. Different mechanical tests and characterization methods were used to evaluate the stability and morphology of the layers. Evaluation of photocatalytic activity was done by tests under UVA and UV–vis irradiation, using a method based on the detection of the fluorescent oxidation product of terephthalic acid (TPA), i.e., hydroxyterephthalic acid (HTPA). Aeroxide® P90 incorporated into the silica-titania binder was the most photocatalytically active layer and, unlike the others, showed significant increase of photocatalytic activity through the entire range of tested UVA irradiation intensities (2.3 mW/cm²–6.1 mW/cm²). The high mechanical stability of some photocatalytic layers allows using them in water photocatalytic purification reactions.     

Assumptions of the Deficit Model Type of Thinking: Ignorance, Attitudes, and Science Communication in the Debate on Genetic Engineering in Agriculture

This paper spells out and discusses four assumptions of the deficit model type of thinking. The assumptions are: First, the public is ignorant of science. Second, the public has negative attitudes towards (specific instances of) science and technology. Third, ignorance is at the root of these negative attitudes. Fourth, the public’s knowledge deficit can be remedied by one-way science communication from scientists to citizens. It is argued that there is nothing wrong with ignorance-based explanations per se. Ignorance accounts at least partially for many cases of opposition to specific instances of science and technology. Furthermore, more attention needs to be paid to the issue of relevance. In regard to the evaluation of a scientific experiment, a technology, or a product, the question is not only “who knows best?,” but also “what knowledge is relevant and to what extent?.” Examples are drawn primarily from the debate on genetic engineering in agriculture.     

Toxicological characterization of the landfill leachate prior/after chemical and electrochemical treatment: A study on human and plant cells

In this research, toxicological safety of two newly developed methods for the treatment of landfill leachate from the Piškornica (Croatia) sanitary landfill was investigated. Chemical treatment procedure combined chemical precipitation with CaO followed by coagulation with ferric chloride and final adsorption by clinoptilolite. Electrochemical treatment approach included pretreatment with ozone followed by electrooxidation/electrocoagulation and final polishing by microwave irradiation. Cell viability of untreated/treated landfill leachate was examined using fluorescence microscopy. Cytotoxic effect of the original leachate was obtained for both exposure periods (4 and 24 h) while treated samples showed no cytotoxic effect even after prolonged exposure time. The potential DNA damage of the untreated/treated landfill leachate was evaluated by the comet assay and cytokinesis-block micronucleus (CBMN) assay using either human or plant cells. The original leachate exhibited significantly higher comet assay parameters compared to negative control after 24 h exposure. On the contrary, there was no significant difference between negative control and chemically/electrochemically treated leachate for any of the parameters tested. There was also no significant increase in either CBMN assay parameter compared to the negative control following the exposure of the lymphocytes to the chemically or electrochemically treated landfill leachate for both exposure periods while the original sample showed significantly higher number of micronuclei, nucleoplasmic bridges and nuclear buds for both exposure times. Results suggest that both methods are suitable for the treatment of such complex waste effluent due to high removal efficiency of all measured parameters and toxicological safety of the treated effluent.     

PCB accumulation and tissue distribution in cave salamander (Proteus anguinus anguinus, Amphibia, Urodela) in the polluted karstic hinterland of the Krupa River, Slovenia

For over two decades, a manufacturer of electrical capacitors disposed of its waste within the karstic hinterland of the Krupa River (Slovenia) resulting in the surroundings becomming heavily polluted with PCB. Albeit the extent of the contamination has been known since 1983 and the Krupa River has become one of the most PCB polluted river in Europe, the effects on the cave fauna of the region remain unknown. The most famous cave dweller of the Krupa hinterland is the endemic cave salamander Proteus anguinus anguinus. In this study we determine the levels of PCB in the tissues of the Proteus and in river sediments. The total concentration of PCB in individual tissue samples from specimens of the Krupa spring was between 165.59 μg g⁻¹ and 1560.20 μg g⁻¹ dry wt, which is at least 28-times higher than those from an unpolluted site. The kidneys contained the lowest concentration, while the highest concentration was in subcutaneous fat and tissues with high lipid contents like visceral fat and liver. Total PCB concentrations in sediment samples from the Krupa River were between 5.47 and 59.20 μg g⁻¹ dry wt showing that a high burden of PCB still remains in the region. The most abundant PCB congeners in all analyzed samples were di-ortho substituted (PCB #101, #118, #138 and #158), but higher proportion of mono-ortho PCB was present in sediments. The ability of Proteus to survive a high PCB loading in its environment and especially in its tissues is remarkable. Its partial elimination of low chlorinated and mono-ortho substituted congeners is also reported.