Stereoisomeric composition of the sex pheromone of the pine sawfly <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microdiprion pallipes</Emphasis> (Hym., Diprionidae)

Summary. The basic chemical structure of the sex pheromone of the pine sawfly Microdiprion pallipes (Fallén) has earlier been identified as the propionate ester of (2S,3S,7R/S,11R/S)/(2R,3R,7R/S,11R/S)-3,7,11- trimethyl-2-tridecanol. We now report the results from further investigations on the male response to individual stereoisomers and to blends of stereoisomers, both in electroantennographic (EAG) recordings and in field trapping experiments. We also present our attempts to determine the stereochemistry of the compounds present in females of M. pallipes. By comparing gas chromatograms and mass spectra obtained from natural extracts with those from synthetic compounds it was found that the females contain one or more of the four (2S,3S,7R/S,11R/S)-3,7,11-trimethyl-2- tridecanol isomers (SS++-1). The active pheromone component is the corresponding propionate ester 2. In EAG experiments, males responded most strongly to five propionate ester samples, namely two four-isomer blends: SS++-2 and SR++-2, and three individual stereoisomers: SSSR-, SRRR- and SRSR-2. In a series of field trapping experiments it was found that males were attracted to the SR++-2 four-isomer blend and to the individual isomer SSSR-2. Based on the EAG-recordings and field responses of males and the stereoisomers found in the females, we suggest that the propionate ester of (2S,3S,7S,11R)-3,7,11-trimethyl-2- tridecanol (SSSR-2) is used as a main component of the sex pheromone in M. pallipes. Apparently the males react to other stereoisomers in addition to that or those produced by the females.     

17α-Ethinylestradiol in Lakes of Hanoi and its effect on seed germination

Abstract

The lakes of Hanoi are important water resources for urban agriculture. The concentrations of 17α-ethinylestradiol in the water of three major lakes were found to range from 0.1 to 9.1?ng/L, peaking during the rainy season. Effects at levels from 1?ng/L to 1?µg/L on the germination of mung bean (Vigna radiata) and bok choy (Brassica rapa) were studied. Soaking the seeds in solutions containing 17α-ethinylestradiol at 10?ng/L and higher increased the germination rate of mung bean but not of bok choy. For the latter, irrigation after sowing with solutions containing 17α-ethinylestradiol at 10?ng/L and higher accelerated germination.

Abbreviations: MNRE: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment; PE₆₀: Population equivalent; USGS: U.S. Geological Survey; SPE: Solid phase extraction; EDTA: Disodium ethylenediaminetetraacetate; HPLC: High performance liquid chromatography; ELISA: Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; DOM: Dissolved organic matter; EEQ: Estradiol equivalent     

An intergrated waste survey and environmental effects of COGIDO, a bleached pulp and paper mill in Vietnam, on the receiving waterbody

An integrated investigation on wastewater characterization and the environmental effects from the COGIDO pulp and paper mill in Bien Hoa Industrial Estate, Vietnam, a chlorine bleached soda integrated pulp and paper mill operating without a chemical recovery system, on the receiving water body was conducted during the rainy and dry seasons in 1993 and 1995. The pollution load from the mill was very high in terms of BOD, COD and SS (COD_m: 58.7 t/d; BOD: 33.3 t/d and SS: 25.1 t/d). The effluent toxicity was determined using four toxicity tests: the green micro-alga, Selenastrum capricornutum, Microtox (marine bacteria: Photobacterium phosphoreum), the duckweed, Lemna aequinoctialis, and fish (silver barb: Puntius gonionotus, and Tilapia: Tilapia nilotica). Selenastrum capricornutum was the most sensitive among the tested organisms. The mill toxicity emission rate (TER) was as high as 338 610 (Selenastrum test). The bleaching-pulp and semi-chemical pulp plants which contributed the largest pollution load to the total COGIDO effluent, therefore, were targeted for abatement measures. Physico-chemical parameters as well as qualitative and quantitative aquatic organism composition for the river water were established. The BOD₅ and COD values exceeded the potable surface water standard by a factor of 2 to 4. The species diversity and abundance of the phytoplankton, zooplankton and zoobenthos were found to be lower (20–40%) than that of unpolluted rivers in Vietnam, whereas pollution-indicator species increased up to four times during the dry season 1995.     

First-trimester diagnosis of hydrolethalus syndrome in a Chinese family

We report a case resembling hydrolethalus syndrome in a Chinese family. Fetal polydactyly, syndactyly, encephalocele and cardiac malformation were detected on ultrasound examination at 12 weeks' gestation. Termination of pregnancy was performed, and postmortem examination confirmed the findings. This is the first report of a first-trimester prenatal diagnosis of hydrolethalus syndrome in the Chinese population. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

长江口潮滩芦苇根表铁膜磁性特征及其环境意义

湿地植物根表铁膜对包括重金属在内的物质迁移转化具有重要作用,其氧化铁组成研究备受重视,但利用环境磁学方法进行表征的研究还未见报道.本文对长江口潮滩植物芦苇根系及周边沉积物进行了磁学分析,并结合沉积物粒度、漫反射光谱等测试,对芦苇根表铁膜的磁性矿物组成进行了系统研究.结果表明,芦苇根表铁膜磁性矿物主要包括磁铁矿和赤铁矿.由于沉积物不同深度氧化还原环境的不同,铁膜磁性矿物组成存在垂向差异.研究柱样24 cm深度以上,由于相对氧化的环境,铁膜磁性矿物除磁铁矿外,还有较多的赤铁矿贡献;24 cm深度以下,因根系处于相对还原的环境,磁性矿物以磁铁矿为主.与沉积物相比,24 cm以上深度铁膜中亚铁磁性矿物含量较低,24 cm深度以下则相反,反映铁膜和沉积物磁性矿物来源不同.本项研究表明,磁性测量方法有助于认识湿地植物根表铁膜的矿物组成,对湿地生物地球化学过程研究具有重要价值.     

Building disaster‐resilient micro enterprises in the developing world

Family‐owned micro enterprises operating within the informal sector of most developing countries provide millions of citizens with a livelihood and are the economic backbone of many communities. Yet, the turbulence that emanates up or down respective supply chains following a disaster can cause these entities to fail. This study develops a model that recognises the relative weakness of micro enterprises to such disaster‐related shocks. The model proposes that micro enterprises can moderate the effect of such shocks by creating resilience through cognitive preparation, continuous learning, and the generation of various forms of social capital (cognitive, relational, and structural). The propositions for the model are established through an extensive literature review, coupled with examples drawn from the documents of humanitarian agencies performing disaster relief work in India. This model also serves as a preliminary basis with which to derive metrics to set benchmarks or to assess the viability of a micro enterprise's ability to survive disaster‐related shocks.     

Fetal methylmercury exposure as measured by cord blood mercury concentrations in a mother-infant cohort in Hong Kong

This study was designed to examine newborn infants in Hong Kong prenatally exposed to levels of methylmercury considered to increase risk of neurotoxic effects and to examine subject characteristics that modify the degree of prenatal mercury exposure. Mercury concentrations in 1057 sets of maternal and cord blood samples and 96 randomly selected maternal hair samples were measured. Subject characteristics were measured or collected by questionnaire. Of the 1057 cord blood samples collected only 21.6% had mercury concentrations less than 29 nmol/L (5.8 micro g/L). Median maternal hair mercury concentration was 1.7 ppm. The geometric mean cord to maternal blood mercury ratio was 1.79 to 1. Increasing maternal fish consumption and maternal age were found to be associated with increased cord blood mercury concentrations. Marine fish consumption increased cord blood mercury concentrations more than freshwater fish (5.09%/kg vs 2.86%/kg). Female babies, maternal alcohol consumption and increasing maternal height were associated with decreased cord blood mercury concentrations. Pregnant women in Hong Kong consume large amounts of fish and as a result, most of their offspring have been prenatally exposed to moderately high levels of mercury. In this population, pregnant women should choose freshwater over marine fish and limit fish consumption.     

Determination of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in dry tea

Twenty-eight different tea samples sold in the United States were evaluated using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (FLD) for their contamination with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Many PAHs exhibit carcinogenic, mutagenic, and teratogenic properties and have been related to several kinds of cancer in man and experimental animals. The presence of PAHs in environmental samples such as water, sediments, and particulate air has been extensively studied, but food samples have received little attention. Eighteen PAHs congeners were analyzed, with percentage recovery higher than 85%. Contamination expressed as the sum of the 18 analyzed PAHs was between 101 and 1337 μg/kg on dry mass and the average contents in all of the 28 examined samples was 300 μg/kg on dry mass. Seven of the congeners were found in all samples with wide ranges of concentrations as follows: fluorene (7–48 μg/kg), anthracene (1–31 μg/kg), pyrene (1–970 μg/kg), benzo(a)anthracene (1–18 μg/kg) chrysene (17–365 μg/kg), benzo(a)pyrene (1–29 μg/kg), and indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (4–119 μg/kg). The two most toxic congeners benzo(a)pyrene and dibenzo(a,h)anthracene were found at high concentrations only in Earl Grey Twinnings, Earl Grey Harney& Sons Fine Teas, and Chai Ultra Spice Black Tea Twinnings. Six PAH congeners are considered as suspected carcinogens (U.S.EPA), formed the basis of the estimation of the toxic equivalent (TEQ), Chai Ultra-Spice Black Tea Twinnings had the highest TEQ (110.9) followed by two grey tea samples, Earl Grey Harney & Sons Fine Tea (57.7) and Earl Grey Twinnings (54.5). Decaffeinated grey teas had the lowest TEQs, decaffeinated Earl Grey Bigelow (9.4) and Green Tea Honey Lemon Decaffeinated Lipton (9.6).     

Kinetics of the reactions of soot surface-bound polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons with the OH radicals

The kinetics of the heterogeneous reaction of OH radicals with 15 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) present in laboratory generated simulated kerosene combustion soot was studied at T = 290 K in a low pressure discharge-flow reactor combined with an electron-impact mass spectrometer. The kinetics of soot-bound PAH consumption in reaction with OH were monitored using off-line HPLC measurements of their concentrations in soot samples as a function of time of exposure to OH. Concentration of OH radicals in the gas phase was measured by mass spectrometry. The first-order rate constants measured for the individual PAH at T = 290 K ranged from 0.02 to 0.04 s^?1 and were found to be independent of the OH concentration ([OH] = (0.34–2.5) × 10¹² molecule cm^?3) and of the molecular structure of the PAH. In addition, the uptake coefficient of OH on soot surface and the diffusion coefficient of OH in He were measured to be 0.19 ± 0.03 (calculated with geometric surface area) and (615 ± 80) Torr cm² s^?1, respectively. Comparison of the results on the PAH + OH reaction to those from previous studies carried out on different carbonaceous substrates, indicates probable dependence of the heterogeneous reactivity of PAH toward OH on the substrate nature. Rapid reaction with OH can be an important potential pathway of the atmospheric degradation of non-volatile PAH present mainly in the particulate phase in the atmosphere.     

Tsunami mitigation by coastal vegetation considering the effect of tree breaking

Damage to vegetation by tsunami moment and reduction of potential tsunami force are discussed based on a numerical simulation. A numerical model based on two-dimensional nonlinear long-wave equations that include drag forces and turbulence-induced shear force due to the presence of vegetation was developed to estimate tree breaking. The numerical model was then applied to a coastal forest where two dominant tropical vegetation species, Pandanus odoratissimus and Casuarina equisetifolia, were considered. The threshold water depth for tree breaking increased with increasing forest width, and the analysis was consistent with the field investigation results that the critical tsunami water depth for breaking is around 80% of the tree height for P. odoratissimus. C. equisetifolia is stronger than P. odoratissimus against tsunami action, but P. odoratissimus can reduce a greater tsunami force than C. equisetifolia due to its complex of aerial root structures. Even if breakage occurs, P. odoratissimus still has high potential to reduce the tsunami force due to its dense aerial root structures. Previous numerical models that do not include the breaking phenomena may overestimate the vegetation effect for reducing tsunami force. The combination of P. odoratissimus and C. equisetifolia is recommended as a vegetation bioshield to protect coastal areas from tsunami hazards.