Depth-related shift in life history strategies of a brooding and broadcasting deep-sea asteroid

Combining field and laboratory work, this study investigated the reproductive cycle, aggregative behavior, spawning periodicity, development and early growth of the sea star Henricia lisa living at bathyal depths off eastern Canada. Marked differences were found between individuals from ~1,300 and ~600 m deep. The former had a male biased sex ratio and an aperiodic reproductive cycle, whereas the latter displayed an equal sex ratio and a biannual breeding pattern. Furthermore, the maximum size was larger and female fecundity roughly five times higher in shallower compared to deeper populations. In the tanks, aggregative behavior was recorded twice a year during the summer and winter breeding periods. The onset of aggregations and spawning coincided with a temperature of 3–4°C. Males spawned first and females typically responded inside 30–60 min. Between 12 and 20 eggs were retained to be brooded under the arched arms of the female, whereas the remainder were broadcasted and developed without parental care. The fertilized eggs underwent a first cleavage after 12 h, reached the brachiolaria stage in 1 month, became juveniles within 3–4 months and reached ~ 4 mm in diameter after 14–17 months of growth. The embryos and juveniles developed at the same rate whether brooded or not, and development of winter cohorts was typically slower due to lower prevailing temperatures. This study of H. lisa provides the first evidence of lecithotrophy in a seasonally breeding deep-sea echinoderm and of brooding in a deep-sea asteroid.     

Bioluminescence in the high Arctic during the polar night

This study examines the composition and activity of the planktonic community during the polar night in the high Arctic Kongsfjord, Svalbard. Our results are the first published evidence of bioluminescence among zooplankton during the Arctic polar night. The observations were collected by a bathyphotometer detecting bioluminescence, integrated into an autonomous underwater vehicle, to determine the concentration and intensity of bioluminescent flashes as a function of time of day and depth. To further understand community dynamics and composition, plankton nets were used to collect organisms passing through the bathyphotometer along with traditional vertical net tows. Additionally, using a moored bathyphotometer closed to the sampling site, the bioluminescence potential itself was shown not to have a diurnal or circadian rhythm. Rather, our results provide evidence for a diel vertical migration of bioluminescent zooplankton that does not correspond to any externally detectable changes in illumination.     

Use of Market Data to Assess Bushmeat Hunting Sustainability in Equatorial Guinea

Abstract: Finding an adequate measure of hunting sustainability for tropical forests has proved difficult. Many researchers have used urban bushmeat market surveys as indicators of hunting volumes and composition, but no analysis has been done of the reliability of market data in reflecting village offtake. We used data from urban markets and the villages that supply these markets to examine changes in the volume and composition of traded bushmeat between the village and the market (trade filters) in Equatorial Guinea. We collected data with market surveys and hunter offtake diaries. The trade filters varied depending on village remoteness and the monopoly power of traders. In a village with limited market access, species that maximized trader profits were most likely to be traded. In a village with greater market access, species for which hunters gained the greatest income per carcass were more likely to be traded. The probability of particular species being sold to market also depended on the capture method and season. Larger, more vulnerable species were more likely to be supplied from less‐accessible catchments, whereas there was no effect of forest cover or human population density on probability of being sold. This suggests that the composition of bushmeat offtake in an area may be driven more by urban demand than the geographic characteristics of that area. In one market, traders may have reached the limit of their geographical exploitation range, and hunting pressure within that range may be increasing. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to model the trade filters that bias market data, which opens the way to developing more robust market‐based sustainability indices for the bushmeat trade.     

The semiochemically mediated interactions between bacteria and insects

In natural environment, semiochemicals are involved in many interactions between the different trophic levels involving insects, plants and hosts for parasitoids or prey for predators. These volatile compounds act as messengers within or between insect species, inducing particular behaviours, such as the localisation of a source of food, the orientation to an adequate oviposition site, the selection of a suitable breeding site and the localisation of hosts or prey. In this sense, bacteria have been shown to play an important role in the production of volatile compounds which ones act as semiochemicals. This review, focusing on the semiochemically mediated interactions between bacteria and insects, highlights that bacterial semiochemicals act as important messengers for insects. Indeed, in most of the studies reported here, insects respond to specific volatiles emitted by specific bacteria hosted by the insect itself (gut, mouthparts, etc.) or present in the natural environment where the insect evolves. Particularly, bacteria from the families Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonaceae and Bacillaceae are involved in many interactions with insects. Because semiochemicals naturally produced by bacteria could be a very interesting option for pest management, advances in this field are discussed in the context of biological control against insect pests.     

Noise disturbance caused by outdoor activities�� a simulated-environment study for Ali Sami Yen Stadium, ?stanbul

Negative effects of noise on individuals, the inevitable result of urbanization, have become a significant urban problem in our day. Introduction of an approach to the noise problem on an urban-planning scale lightens the burden of measures required to be taken against noise at the stages of regional and developmental planning. Stadiums, which should be also evaluated from the point of noise problem when planning decisions are made on the urban planning scale, may cause very serious problems differing depending on the region they are located in. In this article, various dimensions of the noise problem caused by stadiums have been exemplified by making an assessment on Ali Sami Yen football stadium located in Mecidiyeköy district which is among important residential and commercial centres of ?stanbul or Turkey. When the simulation results obtained for ordinary days and match days are evaluated, it has been found out that the people living in the area are exposed to noise levels substantially exceeding the acceptable values. Results of the survey conducted in the area have clearly revealed the existence of noise problem, too.     

Analysis of the recycling system for aluminum cans,focusing on collection,transportation, and the intermediate processing methods

In this article, the systems for the collection and intermediate processing of used beverage cans (UBCs) are compared and analyzed, focusing on the time taken and the cost of processing, the energy consumption, and the emissions of CO₂, SO _x , and NO _x , during the process. We found that cases where the UBCs were crushed in the discharging process gave better results, and how the UBCs were collected was the most important factor. It was more desirable to treat UBCs in one place than in two places. When the transportation distance was longer, the pressed form of UBCs was more convenient. When the transportation distance was short, the original form, the crushed form, and the shredded form of UBCs were all suitable. That is, the contribution of the transportation process to the evaluation was large when the transport distance was long, and the contribution of the treatment process was large when the transport distance was short.     

Material cycles in Asia: especially the recycling loop between Japan and China

In this article, we clarify the current status of Japanese exports and Chinese imports of secondary resources. A total of around 10 million metric tons (t) of secondary resources are exported annually from Japan to China, Hong Kong, and Korea. Hong Kong plays the role of a transshipment point, especially regarding the trade in plastic waste, and China imports much from the USA and Japan, often through Hong Kong. The secondary resources exported from Japan include both byproducts from manufacturing processes and end-of-life products or materials. The great demand in China, and the difference in prices between countries, drive this transboundary shipment, although Japan has enacted various recycling laws that were implicitly intended to promote domestic recycling. In China, the imported secondary resources are recycled, usually by means of primitive and low-cost hand labor. The greatest concern is whether there are still improper (illegal or polluting) recycling activities in China. International material cycles should prevent environmental pollution and ensure efficient resource utilization. To that end, the following measures are needed: cooperative control of the trade of secondary resources between countries, the alignment of domestic laws with the regulations in other countries based on the actual trade activities, and the realization of sound practices for global resources management.     

Development of a database of landfills and dump sites in Asian countries

This article briefly summarizes the limited landfill/dump information available for developing Asian countries, and introduces a database that aims to close the information gap through collecting and sharing data. Developing nations usually try to adapt the systems and technologies of developed countries. However, this approach may not be appropriate because of differences in socioeconomic, cultural, and political backgrounds. Many waste management projects fail after operations are transferred to local authorities owing to a lack of funds to cover the high operational expenses. Some successful projects have been adapted to local conditions, although the information on these successes is not often available for others. Nevertheless, only a few developing countries even have a national inventory of their dumps/landfills, and decision-makers have little awareness of the dumps and their impacts. The database introduced here will gather landfill/dump information from each country and organize it in a comparable format, and it will then be published on the Internet.     

Utilization of red mud as catalyst in conversion of waste oil and waste plastics to fuel

The aim of this study was to investigate the possibilities of using a by-product (red mud) from alumina production as a catalyst for recovery of waste. The conversion of waste mineral oil (WMO) and waste mineral oil/municipal waste plastic (WMO/MWP) blends over red mud (RM), a commercial hydrocracking catalyst (silica–alumina), and a commercial hydrotreating catalyst (Ni–Mo/alumina) to fuel has been studied. The effect of the catalyst and the temperature on the product distribution (gas, liquid, and wax) and the properties of liquid products were investigated. In the case of hydrotreatment of WMO, the liquids obtained over RM at both 400° and 425°C had larger amounts of low-boiling hydrocarbons than that of thermal or catalytic treatment with hydrotreating catalyst. Gas chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of the liquid products showed that RM had hydrogenation and cracking activity in hydrotreatment of WMO. In coprocessing of WMO with municipal waste plastics, temperature had an important effect as well as the amount of MWP in the blend and the catalyst type. The hydrocracking at 400°C produced no liquid product. In hydrocracking at 425°C, the product distribution varied with catalyst type and MWP amount. The commercial hydrocracking catalyst had more cracking ability in the conversion of WMO/MWP to liquid and gas fuel than RM. In the case of hydrocracking over RM, the largest amount of liquid having satisfactory quality was obtained only from the blend containing 20% MWP.     

Ring-Opening Polymerization of Cyclic Esters onto Liquefied Biomass

Ring-opening polymerization of cyclic esters (-caprolactone, -valerolactone, and l-lactide) onto liquefied biomass (LB) was conducted to obtain the polyester-type polyol and to regulate the characteristics of LB. IR and ¹H-NMR spectra of the obtained polyol showed that the polymerization was successfully conducted in the presence of acid catalyst, which is used in liquefaction. The molecular weight (M_w), hydroxyl value, and viscosity were controllable by changing the reaction conditions. Polyester-type polyurethane foams with a wide range of properties were prepared from the obtained polyol with the appropriate combinations of foaming agents.