Prevention of dioxins de novo formation by ethanolamines

Two inhibitors, triethanolamine (TEA) and monoethanolamine (MEA), were tested for their ability to prevent the de novo formation of polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) on sinter plant fly ash. The amounts of both PCDDs and PCDFs, formed by thermal treatment of the fly ash, decreased when inhibitors were added. Up to 90% reduction of the PCDD/Fs formation was reached when 2 wt % monoethanolamine was mixed with fly ash. The temperatures tested, 325 and 400 °C, did not affect the inhibition activity. However, a longer reaction time, 4 h instead of 2 h, gave higher percentages of PCDD/Fs reduction. The laboratory results show that ethanolamines reduce the dioxins formation on sinter plant fly ash under various conditions of temperature and reaction time. Moreover, factory tests performed in parallel at a sinter plant are in good agreement with the laboratory experiments, thus confirming that the use of ethanolamine inhibitors is an appropriate technique for the prevention of dioxins emissions from sintering processes. Electronic Publication     

Effect of pH on Pb biouptake by the freshwater alga<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Chlorella kesslerii</Emphasis>

The effect of pH on Pb bioaccumulation by Chlorella kesslerii was studied. Both Pb uptake fluxes and Pb bound to membrane transport sites increased with an increase in pH from 4.0–5.0, were relatively stable in the pH interval 5.0–6.5, and increased again at pH 7.0 and 8.0. Protons affected Pb adsorption to the algal surface by competing directly for surface sites, by modifying the overall algal surface charge and by modifying the chemical speciation of Pb in solution. These results indicate a failure of the free-ion activity or biotic ligand models above pH 6.5, possibly due to the bioaccumulation of hydroxo or carbonato Pb complexes.     

Parasitic common goldeneye (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Bucephala clangula</Emphasis>) females lay preferentially in safe neighbourhoods

Nest predation has been suggested as an explanation of the adaptive significance and evolution of conspecific brood parasitism, an alternative reproductive tactic pursued by females in several animal taxa. I used new nest boxes that contained only decoy eggs and were erected on lakes differing in real nest predation risk to test this hypothesis in the common goldeneye (Bucephala clangula), a hole-nesting duck. I used broken eggs to simulate predation risk of the boxes to determine if parasites having no previous experience with the boxes discriminate between seemingly safe and risky nest sites. Parasites laid eggs in the experimental boxes independently of the simulated predation risk, suggesting that they do not use broken eggs or nest disarray as indicators of predation intensity. Parasites preferred experimental boxes on lakes where real nest predation risk was low, supporting the nest predation risk hypothesis. Assuming that females in high risk areas have had experience of nest predation, they may take this into account in selecting host nests.     

Antipredator responses of California ground squirrels to rattlesnakes and rattling sounds: the roles of sex,reproductive parity,and offspring age in assessment and decision-making rules

California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi) and northern Pacific rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridus oreganus) have an adversarial relationship. Adults are partially protected by venom resistance and harass rattlesnakes in part to defend their more vulnerable offspring. Larger, warmer snakes are more dangerous than smaller colder snakes, and in escalated conflict squirrels could benefit from risk assessment strategies. Rattlesnakes often rattle at harassing squirrels and rattling sounds produce cues related to body size and temperature. In study 1 we played back rattling sounds from snakes that varied in dangerousness and evaluated the roles of sex and parity in squirrel risk assessment strategies. In general, squirrels tail flagged and stood bipedally more, and were slower to reapproach the playback speaker following playbacks of rattling sounds from more dangerous snakes. In comparison with males and nonmothers, mothers were most responsive to rattling sounds and more sensitive to variation in snake dangerousness. Mothers tail flagged more than males and nonmothers, and this behavior tracked variation in snake dangerousness most closely, perhaps reflecting the effects of snake size and temperature on pup vulnerability. These findings suggest that many aspects of squirrel antisnake behavior are governed by their effects on descendant kin. In study 2 we tested the effects of offspring age on mothers responses to live rattlesnakes and rattling sounds. According to the offspring value hypothesis, mothers should take more risks in defense of older offspring because they are more likely to survive to reproductive age. By contrast, under the offspring vulnerability hypothesis, older offspring are less vulnerable to predators and thus mothers should take fewer risks. Risk-taking, as measured by behaviors that bring the squirrel close to the snakes strike range, was either unaffected by or negatively correlated with offspring age. Thus, our findings suggest that whereas offspring value is unimportant in squirrel antisnake behavior, offspring vulnerability may affect maternal defense. We suggest that offspring vulnerability in mammals, in comparison with birds, may play a larger role in parental defense against predators.Communicated by P.A. BednekoffAn erratum to this article can be found at     

碲化镉量子点暴露对小鼠凝血相关因子的影响

研究碲化镉量子点(cadmium telluride quantum dots, Cd Te QDs)对小鼠凝血相关因子的影响,进一步探讨QDs的心血管毒性机制。将48只雄性ICR小鼠随机分成6组,每组8只。分别使用不同剂量(0.15μmol·kg~(-1)、1.5μmol·kg~(-1)和15μmol·kg~(-1))的Cd Te QDs和生理盐水一次性经尾静脉注射染毒小鼠1 d,15μmol·kg~(-1)剂量的Cd Te QDs染毒3 d和7 d,检测小鼠血浆中凝血相关因子的含量变化。结果显示,与对照组相比,随着染毒剂量增加小鼠组织型纤溶酶原激活剂(t-PA)和纤维蛋白原(FIB)含量逐渐增高,组织因子途径抑制物(TFPI)含量逐渐降低,具有明显的剂量-效应关系。除15μmol·kg~(-1)剂量组外,组织因子(TF)、凝血因子XII(FXII)和纤溶酶原(Plg)含量具有升高的趋势,抗凝血酶Ⅲ(AT-Ⅲ)含量则无明显变化;随着染毒时间增加,TF、FXII、FIB、Plg和t-PA含量有明显的先升高后降低的变化趋势,TFPI含量在1 d达到最低,之后逐渐升高,AT-Ⅲ含量则在7 d达到最低。Cd Te QDs急性染毒可引起小鼠血浆中TF、FXII、FIB、TFPI、Plg和t-PA的含量明显改变,并且具有不同的变化趋势。提示Cd Te QDs可能会激活凝血系统和纤溶系统,抑制抗凝系统,从而引起凝血功能紊乱。     

不同来源的苏云金芽孢杆菌aiiA基因表达及其抗病性分析

苏云金芽孢杆菌(Bacillus thuringiensis,Bt)aiiA基因所编码的AiiA蛋白是一种内酯酶,可以降解N-乙酰高丝氨酸内酯(N-acyl-homoserine lactones,AHLs),从而减弱致病菌产生的危害.本研究克隆了6株不同来源的苏云金芽孢杆菌aiiA基因,并对来自于苔藓(LLB15)和土壤(LLS9)的BtaiiA基因进行了生物信息学分析.结果表明,AiiA-B15分子量为27.97×103,等电点为4.59;AiiA-S9分子量为28.14×103,等电点为4.32,两者都是亲水性蛋白.AiiA蛋白具有很高的保守性,AiiA-B15和AiiA-S9同源性为90%.进化树结果表明,AiiA-B15与Bacillus thuringiensis subsp.kyushuensis进化距离最近,AiiA-S9与Bacillus cereus进化距离最近.将aiiA-B15基因克隆到pGEX-4T-3表达载体中,构建重组质粒pGEXaiiA-B15,IPTG诱导后可大量表达融合蛋白.对表达的条件进行优化.结果表明,0.6mmol/LIPTG,30℃下诱导3h为最佳诱导条件.致病性检测表明,该融合蛋白对胡萝卜欧文氏软腐病菌具有较强的抗病作用.图13表4参23     

Human risk assessment of As,Cd, Cu and Zn in the abandoned metal mine site

The cancer risk and the non-cancer hazard index for inhabitants exposed to As, Cd, Cu and Zn in the soils and stream waters of the abandoned Songcheon Au–Ag mine area were evaluated. Mean concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Pb and Zn in agricultural soils were 230, 2.5, 120, 160, and 164 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. Mean concentrations of As, Cd and Zn of the water in the stream where drinking water was drawn was 246 μg L⁻¹, 161 μg L⁻¹ and 3899 μg L⁻¹, respectively. These levels are significantly higher than the permissible levels for drinking water quality recommended by Korea and WHO. The resulting human health risks to farmers who inhabited the surrounding areas due to drinking water were summarized as follows: (1) the non-cancer health hazard indices showed that the toxic risk due to As and Cd in drinking water were 10 and 4 times, respectively, greater than those induced by the safe average daily dosages of the respective chemicals. (2) the cancer risk of As for exposed individuals through the drinking water pathway was 5 in 1000, exceeded the acceptable risk of 1 in 10,000 set for regulatory purposes.     

Phylogenetic relationships within the class holothuroidea,inferred from 18S rRNA gene data

This molecular phylogenetic analysis of 18S ribosomal RNA (18SrDNA) gene sequences from 16 species of holothuroid, suggests strong support for an alternative taxonomic scheme to replace the existing classification. When trees drawn from the 18S rDNA data were constrained to show expected relationships between the holothourid orders, they were significantly worse than the best tree under SH tests. These analyses indicated strongly that the subclass Aspidochirotacea is paraphyletic. Sequences from the order Dendrochirotida grouped with aspidochiroitid sequences, with high bootstrap support, to the exclusion of the elasipod sequence. In line with recent morphological studies the order Apodida were a basal sister group to the other three holothuroid orders examined and the Dendrochirotida was a derived holothuroid order. Brendan F. Keegan, Richard Powell: R.I.P     

Ovary development at the onset of gametogenesis is genetically determined and correlated with reproductive traits at maturity in shrimp <Emphasis Type="Italic">Litopenaeus (Penaeus) vannamei</Emphasis>

Besides some mammals and a few model organisms, the presence of genetic variation in ovary or gonad development at ages before that of reproduction has not been established for marine oviparous species nor has the correlation with reproductive traits at maturity. In this investigation, ovary development was evaluated for genetic variability in a full-sib family structured population of subadult shrimp. The numbers of each oocyte type that were present were counted, measured, and used to evaluate the following traits: total oocyte number, mean oocytes diameter, and ovary maturity (OM). The total ovary area was also measured for each female. Genetic variation was assessed through the estimation of the parameter ‘heritability’. The heritability (h ²) of total number of oocytes was zero, but large heritability values were seen for mean oocytes diameter (h ²=0.57±0.27) and OM (h ²=0.71±0.26). Family means correlations between traits in subadults with traits measured in their full-sibs when adults (days to first spawn, total number of spawns, total fecundity, and fecundity at first spawn) indicated the existence of some significant associations between reproductive traits at the two ages. These findings point toward an early genetic determination of reproductive capacity in this crustacean.     

Concentrations of arsenic and heavy metals in vegetation at two abandoned mine tailings in South Korea

Untreated abandoned mines may result in hazards to ecosystems due to dispersion of various toxic elements such as arsenic (As) and lead (Pb). Phytoremediation is an alternative of remediation for large scale mine dumps. Plant species were sampled from two abandoned gold (Au) mines in South Korea. Plant samples were digested following the guidelines of US EPA Method 3050 (US-EPA, 1996) and analyzed by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Concentrations and bioaccumulation factors of plants are reported and out-performing species are summarized. Poplar trees (Populus davidiana) growing on the Myoungbong tailings were suggested to be a potential species for revegetation of large scale Au mine tailings. Arsenic accumulations of bracken ferns (Pteridium aquilinum) sampled from the Duckum tailings were far lower than those of the reported hyperaccumulators, but the possible chronic adverse effects on residents through daily diet are of concern.