Association of spinal deformities with heavy metal bioaccumulation in natural populations of grass goby, Zosterisessor ophiocephalus Pallas, 1811 from the Gulf of Gabès (Tunisia)

The present study illustrates an analysis of spinal deformities associated with metal accumulation in natural populations of Zosterisessor ophiocephalus derived from polluted (S1) and unpolluted (S2) areas in the Gulf of Gabès in Tunisia. Three basic types of spinal deformities were detected: kyphosis, scoliosis and lordosis. These basic deformities frequently co-occur. Spinal deformities were observed in 10.72% of the total examined fish (n = 494). Deformed fish were 3.85 times more frequent in S1 than in S2. In both sexes, the highest occurrence of deformities was observed in the 111-120 mm class decreasing thereafter with fish length. Hepatic concentrations of cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn) were significantly higher in Z. ophiocephalus from S1 than those from S2. Comparisons between fish in each site showed that liver concentrations of Cd and Zn were significantly higher in deformed fish than in normal fish. The relationship between metals accumulation and observed spinal deformities as well as the suitability of this kind of studies for environmental monitoring are discussed.     

Receiver sex differences in visual response to dynamic motion signals in Sceloporus lizards

Visual signal properties often vary greatly between and within individuals in a variety of social contexts. While it is widely known that visual displays emitted by senders can exhibit great variation in efficacy and content, far less is understood whether and how receivers vary in the ability to respond to variability in signal properties, such as motion. Here, we tested for receiver sex differences in visual response latency to motion signals in Sceloporus undulatus lizards. We used a moving robotic lizard model as a visual stimulus to assay response latency in male and female lizards. We measured visual reaction times to slow and fast, up-and-down motions, characteristic of territorial and courtship male motion displays, respectively. We found sex differences in response latency to the two different displays. Specifically, male lizards were faster than females at responding to slow motion produced by the robotic lizard, while female lizards were faster than males at responding to fast motion. These results demonstrate that dynamic visual signals that vary temporally under different social contexts can differ in eliciting a visual response from each sex. Our study highlights that physical differences in dynamic and complex visual signals exhibited during different social contexts (i.e., territorial and courtship contexts) can closely match sex differences in visual responses.     

Long-Term Maintenance of Rapid Atrazine Degradation in Soils Inoculated with Atrazine Degraders

Two different microbial communities able to degrade atrazine (atz) were inoculated in four different soils. The most critical factor affecting the success of inoculation was the soil pH and its organic matter (OM) content. In two alkaline soils (pH > 7), some inoculations led immediately to a strong increase of the biodegradation rate. In a third slightly acidic soil (pH = 6.1), only one inoculum could enhance atz degradation. In a soil amended with organic matter and straw (pH = 5.7, OM = 16.5%), inoculation had only little effect on atz dissipation on the short as well as on the long-term. Nine months after the microflora inoculations, atz was added again and rapid biodegradation in all alkaline inoculated soils was recorded, indicating the long-term efficiency of inoculation. In these soils, the number of atz degraders was estimated at between 6.5 × 10³ and 1.5 × 10⁶ (g of soil)^-1, using the most probable number (MPN) method. Furthermore, the presence of the atz degraders was confirmed by the detection of the gene atzA in these soils. Denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis of the 16S rDNA genes indicated that the inoculated bacterial communities had little effect on the patterns of the indigenous soil microflora.     

基于空间信息技术的城市环境时空调控范式研究

城市环境－生态系统是高度复杂的时空复合动力学系统。通过对城市环境问题的空间动力学机制分析后,提出城市环境可持续发展时空调控的层次途径,并构造了融合遥感、地理信息系统等空间信息技术、环境建模技术、决策支持系统、人工智能等技术的城市生态－环境系统时空调控的体系框架,为城市环境管理及环境空间决策提供新的理论范。     

Of timelines and timeliness: lessons from Typhoon Haiyan in early disaster response

Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines on 8 November 2013 with maximum sustained winds of 235 kilometres per hour, adversely affecting at least 11 million people and displacing some 673,000 in the central regions of the country. The disaster clearly overwhelmed the Philippine government despite its seemingly well‐crafted disaster management plan. Using timelines of different organisations, this paper identifies gaps in the government's response, mainly due to its failure in coordinating and managing relief operations, which adversely affected its effectiveness and efficiency in the delivery of critical goods and services following the disaster. The paper also demonstrates how non‐governmental organisations (NGOs), the United Nations, foreign governments and other organisations provided assistance, mainly through aid niching, to cover the government's shortcomings. The paper recommends a paradigm shift in the government's disaster response by integrating collaborative arrangements between government agencies and NGOs, and giving local governments the lead role, with the national government as support, in disaster planning and response.     

鳄鱼的『天堂』

凡到过泰国的人,必去北榄鳄鱼湖,因为它是世界上最大的鳄鱼驯养基地,1500亩的湖区被绿树环绕,3万多条淡水鳄、咸水鳄、尖嘴鳄、扁嘴鳄、黑种鳄……在这里繁衍生息,被称为鳄鱼的天堂。     

Determination of toxic elements in meat products from Serbia packaged in tinplate cans

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This work aimed to examine the influence of the storage period on the content of toxic elements (As, Cd, Hg, and Pb) in five types of canned meat...     

Flow cytometric characterization of bacterial abundance and physiological status in a nitrifying-denitrifying activated sludge system treating landfill leachate

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - Flow cytometry has recently been presented as a research tool in the assessment of the viability/activity of activated sludge from municipal...