Phylogeny and biogeography of Sicydiinae (Teleostei: Gobiidae) inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear genes

In the Indo-Pacific area, the Caribbean region and West Africa, insular systems are colonised by particular Gobiids of the Sicydiinae subfamily. These species spawn in freshwater, the free embryos drift downstream to the sea where they undergo a planktonic phase, before returning to rivers to grow and reproduce; an amphidromous lifestyle. These gobies are the biggest contributors to the diversity of fish communities in insular systems and have the highest levels of endemism, yet their phylogeny has not been explored before with molecular data. To understand the phylogeny and the biogeography of this subfamily, sequences from the mitochondrial 16S rDNA and cytochrome oxidase I and from the nuclear rhodopsin gene were obtained for 50 Sicydiinae specimens of seven genera. Our results support the monophyly of the subfamily and of all the genera except Sicyopus, which is polyphyletic. Five major clades were identified within this subfamily. One clade clusters Sicyopterus and Sicydium as sister genera, one contains the genus Stiphodon split into two different groups, two other clades include only Sicyopus (Smilosicyopus) and Cotylopus, respectively, and the last clade groups Akihito, Lentipes and Sicyopus (Sicyopus). As a result, the subgenus Smilosicyopus is elevated herein as a genus. A molecular dating approach helps the interpretation of these phylogenetic results in terms of amphidromy and biogeographical events that have allowed the Sicydiinae to colonise the Indo-Pacific, West African and Caribbean islands.     

Balance of NH3 and behavior of polychlorinated dioxins and furans in the course of the selective non-catalytic reduction of nitric oxide at the TAMARA waste incineration plant

Investigations were performed on the selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) of nitric oxide (NO) at TAMARA, the pilot-scale waste incineration plant of the Karlsruhe Research Center. Aqueous ammonia (NH₃) was injected into the combustion chamber as reductant. The influence of NH₃ on various inorganic and organic compounds in the flue gas was investigated. The concentrations of NO were reduced by up to about 90% by NH₃ injection. The concentrations of most of the other inorganic and organic compounds, including in particular PCDD and PCDF, did not change significantly.     

Core self‐evaluations in Japan: relative effects on job satisfaction,life satisfaction,and happiness

The present study tested, in a non‐Western culture (Japan), the relative validity in predicting job satisfaction, life satisfaction, and happiness of core self‐evaluations (CSE), positive and negative affectivity (PA/NA), and the Neutral Objects Satisfaction Questionnaire (NOSQ). Consistent with previous results in primarily Western cultures, the four lower‐order traits that comprise CSE—self‐esteem, generalized self‐efficacy, locus of control, and neuroticism—indicated a higher‐order factor. While each lower‐order trait was itself related to the study's criteria, the CSE concept displayed in general, higher correlations with the dependent variables, and explained incremental variance in two of the study's three outcomes beyond PA, NA, and the NOSQ. These results indicate initial support for the generalizability of CSE in a culture that differs in many respects from Western cultures, and suggest that judgments of satisfaction and happiness in a non‐Western culture have a dispositional source. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Combustion of brominated flame retardants and behavior of its byproducts

The substance flow rate of PBDDs/DFs into flue gas and incineration residues from incineration of three types of waste samples containing brominated flame retardants were examined. The samples used consisted of PBDEs (a typical retardant), used TV casing materials (actual waste materials), and waste printed circuit boards. PBDDs/DFs concentrations in the experimental samples of PBDEs/PE, waste TV casing materials and printed circuit boards ranged between 3000 and 130,000 ng/g. These values are very high when compared to other investigations. The increase of chlorine concentration in input sample reduced the ratio of PBDDs/DFs in flue gas and raised the ratio of PCDDs/DFs. With adequate combustion control and flue gas treatment, the amount of PBDDs/DFs released from the incineration of resin containing brominated flame retardants was lower than the input amount. The presence of PBDDs/DFs in incineration residues dominated the total amount of dioxins released. When PBDDs/DFs, PCDDs/DFs and PXDDs/DFs were considered as a total, the total amount released was lower than the total amount input.     

Congener profiles of PCDDs, PCDFs, and dioxin-like PCBs in the breast milk samples in Tokyo, Japan

Exposure to dioxins has raised much public concern recently. We determined the congeners' distribution of polychlorinated-dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (dl-PCBs) in the breast milk samples collected in Tokyo, Japan. Breast milk was taken from 240 mothers, 30 days after delivery in 1999 and 2000 in Tokyo, Japan. The actual concentration and TEQ concentration of PCDDs (14 congeners), PCDFs (15 congeners), and dl-PCBs (12 congeners), and each congener's contribution to the total TEQ level were calculated. Among all the samples, PCDDs accounted for 34.8%, PCDFs accounted for 23.5%, dl-PCBs accounted for 41.7%, which was also similar in the breast milk from the primiparae and secundiparae. The main contributors to the total TEQ with increasing percentages were 2,3,4,7,8-PeCDF, 1,2,3,7,8-PeCDD and 3,3',4,4',5-PCB (#126), and they accounted for more than 65% of the total TEQ. Detailed congener analysis in breast milk samples is effective to understand dioxin sources.     

Estimation of sources and inflow of dioxins and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from the sediment core of Lake Suwa, Japan

To elucidate the historical changes in polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxin (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofuran (PCDF), coplanar polychlorinated biphenyl (co-PCB), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) inflows in Lake Suwa, their concentrations in the sediment core were analyzed in 5 cm interval. The maximum concentrations (depth cm) of PCDDs/DFs, co-PCBs, and PAHs were 25.2 ng/g dry (30-35 cm), 19.0 ng/g dry (30-35 cm), and 738, 795 ng/g dry (50-55 cm, 30-35 cm), respectively. Age and sedimentation rate of the sediment were estimated from the vertical changes in apparent density. Deposition rate of dioxins and PAHs were calculated from the concentration and sedimentation rate of the sediment. The results indicate that large amounts of dioxins and PAHs flowed into the lake in flood stage compared to normal stage.     

Concentrations and composition of PCB congeners in the air around stored used capacitors containing PCB insulator oil in a suburb of Bangkok, Thailand

Accumulation of Zn, Cu, Pb and Cd was studied in snails fed for 120 days on diets contaminated with each metal separately and with all metals mixed together. The concentrations of Zn in food were in the range 39 to 12 200 mg kg(-1), Cu 9-1640 mg kg(-1), Pb 0.4-12 700 mg kg(-1), and Cd 0.16-146 mg kg(-1) on a dry weight basis. At the highest concentrations of all metals the consumption rates decreased significantly. For the remaining concentrations, Zn and Cu were accumulated in soft tissue in proportion to their concentrations in food. The lowest treatments of Pb and Cd did not cause any increase in soft tissue concentrations of these metals but at average treatments, a clear increase was observed. Copper was accumulated especially efficiently, exceeding concentrations in food throughout the whole range of treatments. Except for the lower end of experimental treatments, Zn was accumulated approximately in direct proportion to its concentration in the diet. Lead was the most efficiently regulated metal, with soft tissue concentrations always substantially lower than in food. Approximately 60% of Zn, 90% of Cu, 43% of Pb and 68% of Cd on average was assimilated from food. The assimilation efficiency of food alone was ca 74%. The concentrations of metals in shells increased significantly with exposure, but (with one exception) the concentrations in shells did not exceed 5% of those found in soft tissue. We argue that snails are more important as agents of food-chain transport of Cu and Cd, than of Zn or Pb. Our results indicate also that snails are not able to deposit significant quantities of metals in their shells, at least during the time scale of our laboratory experiment.     

Serotonin-induced mate rejection in the female cabbage butterfly, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pieris rapae crucivora</Emphasis>

Virgin female cabbage butterflies, Pieris rapae crucivora, accept and mate with courting males, whereas mated females reject them and assume the “mate refusal posture”. This study tested whether the biogenic amines, serotonin (5HT), dopamine (DA), and octopamine (OA), were responsible for this change in behavior. The results showed that 2–3-day-old virgin females fed with 5HT rejected courting males significantly more frequently compared with controls fed on sucrose. In contrast, the proportions of courting males rejected by virgin females fed with either DA or OA did not differ from sucrose-fed controls. Oral application of each amine resulted in significantly increased levels of the amine applied (or its metabolite) in the brain. The results strongly suggest that 5HT or a 5HT metabolite may be responsible for the post-mating change in behavioral response of 2–3-day-old virgin females to courting males. Similar effects of 5HT treatment were observed in 6–8-day-old virgin females, but in this case the results were only marginally different from the controls, suggesting that the effect may decline with increasing female age.     

Accumulation features of persistent organochlorines in resident and migratory birds from Asia

Concentrations of organochlorine contaminants including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (DDTs), hexachlorocyclohexane isomers (HCHs), chlordane compounds (CHLs), hexachlorobenzene (HCB) were determined in the resident and migratory birds, which were collected from India, Japan, Philippines, Russia (Lake Baikal) and Vietnam. Accumulation patterns of organochlorine concentrations in resident birds suggested that the predominant contaminants of each country were as follows: Japan--PCBs Philippines--PCBs and CHLs, India--HCHs and DDTs, Vietnam--DDTs, and Lake Baikal--PCBs and DDTs. The migratory birds from Philippines and Vietnam retained mostly the highest concentrations of DDTs among the organochlorines analyzed, indicating the presence of stopover and breeding grounds of those birds in China and Russia. On the other hand, migratory birds from India and Lake Baikal showed different patterns of organochlorine residues, reflecting that each species has inherent migratory routes and thus has exposure to different contaminants. Species which have breeding grounds around the Red Sea and Persian Gulf showed high levels of PCBs, indicating the presence of areas heavily polluted by PCBs in the Middle East.     

Juvenile hormone agonists affect the occurrence of male Daphnia

The water flea Daphnia magna reproduces primarily by cyclic parthenogenesis. Environmental stimuli that signal a change to adverse conditions induce the organisms to switch from parthenogenesis to gamogenetic reproduction. During the gamogenetic period, they produce male daphnids and dormant resting eggs, which can survive prolonged periods of environmental adversity. However, little is known about the mechanisms associated with the switch from parthenogenesis to gamogenetic reproduction. We investigated the effects of several juvenoids on sex determination in Daphnia. Females less than 24 h old were exposed to various concentrations of the test substance and were observed for 21 days. It was found that they can trigger the appearance of male daphnids: the percentage of males in the population increases to a level greater than what occurs under ordinary environmental conditions. We found that methylfarnesoate, juvenile hormone III, methoprene, and the phenoxyphenoxy derivatives pyriproxyfen and fenoxycarb (both insecticides) reduced the production of offspring and produced sex ratios dominated by male daphnids. Pyriproxyfen and fenoxycarb showed striking effects at low concentrations. Exposure to either of these chemicals at a concentration of 330 ngl(-1) caused adult females to produce almost all male neonates. Methylfarnesoate, juvenile hormone III, and methoprene showed an effect in inducing male production at higher concentrations (3.7 x 10(3), 3.3 x 10(5), and 1.3 x 10(5) ngl(-1), respectively). Our findings suggest that juvenile hormone agonists, including some insecticides, affect the chemical signaling responsible for inducing the production of male offspring.