Monitoring of drinking water treatment plants using ICP‐MS

More than sixty inorganic parameters were monitored in the Ter and Llobregat Drinking Water Treatment Plants (DWTPs) using ICP‐MS. Both DWTPs supply approximately four million inhabitants with water in Barcelona and neighbouring areas (NE Spain). The profile of inorganic parameters throughout the treatment process is similar in the Ter and Llobregat DWTPs. Sodium, K, Mg, Ca, Si, Cl^‐, SO₄ ^‐2, Li, Rb, Cs (only in the case of the Llobregat DWTP), Sr, Ba, B, Ti, Cr, V, Co, Ni, Zn, Cu, Sb, Mo, Pb and U were not removed from raw water. Consequently, no improvement was shown as regards the high salinity of Llobregat raw water which is related to the mining activities on the large salt deposits located in the upper part of the basin. However, P, Fe, Mn, Cu and As were removed during treatment. The results obtained reveal the suitability of ICP‐MS for inorganic water quality monitoring in DWTP.     

Concentrations and determinants of outdoor, indoor and personal nitrogen dioxide in pregnant women from two Spanish birth cohorts

Determinants of outdoor, indoor and personal concentrations of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) were assessed in a subset of pregnant women of the Spanish INMA (Environment and Childhood) Study. Home indoor and outdoor NO₂ concentrations were measured during 48 h with passive samplers for 50 and 58 women from the INMA cohorts of Valencia and Sabadell, respectively. Women from Sabadell also carried personal NO₂ samplers during the same period. Data on time–activity patterns, socio-economic characteristics, and environmental exposures were obtained through questionnaires. Multiple linear regression models were developed to predict NO₂ levels.In Valencia, median outdoor NO₂ levels (42 µg/m³) were higher than median indoor levels (36 µg/m³). In Sabadell, personal NO₂ showed the highest median levels (40 µg/m³), followed by indoor (32 µg/m³) and outdoor (29 µg/m³) levels. Personal exposure to NO₂ correlated best with the indoor NO₂ levels. Temporal and traffic-related variables were significant predictors for outdoor NO₂ levels. Thirty-two percent of the indoor NO₂ variability in the two cohorts was explained by outdoor NO₂ levels and the use of the gas appliances. The model for personal exposure accounted for 59% of the variance in NO₂ levels in Sabadell with four predictor variables (outdoor and indoor NO₂ levels, time spent in outdoor environments and time exposed to a gas cooker). No significant association was found between personal or indoor NO₂ levels and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) at home.Personal NO₂ levels were found to be strongly influenced by indoor NO₂ concentrations. The study supports the use of time–activity patterns along with indoor measurements to predict personal exposure to traffic-related air pollution.     

Assessing Multiregion Avian Benefits from Strategically Targeted Agricultural Buffers

Mounting evidence of wildlife population gains from targeted conservation practices has prompted the need to develop and evaluate practices that are integrated into production agriculture systems and targeted toward specific habitat objectives. However, effectiveness of targeted conservation actions across broader landscapes is poorly understood. We evaluated multiregion, multispecies avian densities on row‐crop fields with native grass field margins (i.e., buffers) as part of the first U.S. agricultural conservation practice designed to support habitat and population recovery objectives of a national wildlife conservation initiative. We coordinated breeding season point transect surveys for 6 grassland bird species on 1151 row‐crop fields with and without native grass buffers (9–37 m) in 14 U.S. states (10 ecoregions) from 2006 to 2011. In most regions, breeding season densities of 5 of 6 targeted bird species were greater in the 500‐m surrounding survey points centered on fields with native grass buffers than in landscapes without buffers. Relative effect sizes were greatest for Northern Bobwhite (Colinus virginianus), Dickcissel (Spiza americana), and Field Sparrow (Spizella pusilla) in the Mississippi Alluvial Valley and Eastern Tallgrass Prairie regions. Other species (e.g., Eastern Meadowlark [Sturnella magna], Grasshopper Sparrow [Ammodramus savannarum]) exhibited inconsistent relative effect sizes. Bird densities on fields with and without buffers were greatest in the Central Mixed‐grass Prairie region. Our results suggest that strategic use of conservation buffers in regions with the greatest potential for relative density increases in target species will elicit greater range‐wide population response than diffuse, uninformed, and broadly distributed implementation of buffers. We recommend integrating multiple conservation practices in broader agricultural landscapes to maximize conservation effectiveness for a larger suite of species. Evaluación de los Beneficios de la Mutliregionalidad de Aves a Partir de Amortiguadores Agriculturales Estratégicamente Señalados     

Prenatal diagnosis of trisomy 18 mosaicism

Trisorny 18 mosaicism was found in multiple primary cultures of amniotic fluid cells and subsequently confirmed by chromosome analysis of several tissues derived from the aborted fetus. The overall frequency of the minority cell line was 25 per cent in the amniotic fluid cultures and 28 per cent in the fetal tissues although much intertissue variations were noted.     

Changing the Course of Biodiversity Conservation in the Caatinga of Northeastern Brazil

Abstract:  The 735,000-km² Caatinga is a mosaic of thorn scrub and seasonally dry forests, with more than 2000 species of vascular plants, fishes, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals. Endemism in these groups varies from 7% to 57%. Inappropriate land use has already caused serious environmental damage and accelerating desertification, which is currently threatening about 15% of the region. Moreover, the rich and diversified biota of the Caatinga is poorly protected: only 11 reserves (<1% of the region) are strictly protected areas. A conservation strategy for the Caatinga biota should be designed to (1) avoid further habitat loss and desertification, (2) maintain key ecological services necessary for improving the living standards of the rural population, and (3) promote the sustainable use of the region's natural resources. Implementing an effective conservation agenda for the Caatinga is not an easy task but, with creativity and consistent financial support, it should be possible to nurture this unique biome and guarantee the preservation of its rich and diversified fauna and flora, and, with this, the well-being of its rural populations.     

The prenatal diagnosis of the 48,xxyy syndrome

A 48,XXYY fetus was diagnosed prenatally in a 34-year old female who was seen at 18-5 weeks of pregnancy for genetic counselling and amniocentesis for advanced maternal age. The pregnancy was terminated, and skin and peripheral blood samples were obtained at the time of delivery. These samples also exhibited the 48,XXYY chromosomal complement.     

Effects of the Interaction between Genetic Diversity and UV-B Radiation on Wood Frog Fitness

Abstract:  Genetic diversity may buffer amphibian populations against environmental vicissitudes. We hypothesized that wood frogs (  Rana sylvatica ) from populations with lower genetic diversity are more susceptible to ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation than those from populations with higher diversity. We used RAPD markers to obtain genetic diversity estimates for 12 wood frog populations. We reared larval wood frogs from these populations and exposed experimental groups of eggs and larvae to one of three treatments: unfiltered sunlight, sunlight filtered through a UV-B-blocking filter (Mylar), and sunlight filtered through a UV-B-transmitting filter (acetate). In groups exposed to UV-B, larval mortality and deformity rates increased significantly, but egg mortality did not. We found a significant negative relationship between genetic diversity and egg mortality, larval mortality, and deformity rates. Furthermore, the interaction between UV-B treatment and genetic diversity significantly affected larval mortality. Populations with low genetic diversity experienced higher larval mortality rates when exposed to UV-B than did populations with high genetic diversity. This is the first time an interaction between genetic diversity and an environmental stressor has been documented in amphibians. Differences in genetic diversity among populations, coupled with environmental stressors, may help explain patterns of amphibian decline.     

A Case for Using Plethodontid Salamanders for Monitoring Biodiversity and Ecosystem Integrity of North American Forests

Abstract: Terrestrial salamanders of the family Plethodontidae have unique attributes that make them excellent indicators of biodiversity and ecosystem integrity in forested habitats. Their longevity, small territory size, site fidelity, sensitivity to natural and anthropogenic perturbations, tendency to occur in high densities, and low sampling costs mean that counts of plethodontid salamanders provide numerous advantages over counts of other North American forest organisms for indicating environmental change. Furthermore, they are tightly linked physiologically to microclimatic and successional processes that influence the distribution and abundance of numerous other hydrophilic but difficult-to-study forest-dwelling plants and animals. Ecosystem processes such as moisture cycling, food-web dynamics, and succession, with their related structural and microclimatic variability, all affect forest biodiversity and have been shown to affect salamander populations as well. We determined the variability associated with sampling for plethodontid salamanders by estimating the coefficient of variation (CV ) from available time-series data. The median coefficient of variation indicated that variation in counts of individuals among studies was much lower in plethodontids (27%) than in lepidoptera (93%), passerine birds (57%), small mammals (69%), or other amphibians (37–46%), which means plethodontid salamanders provide an important statistical advantage over other species for monitoring long-term forest health.