Estimating the footprint of pollution on coral reefs with models of species turnover

Ecological communities typically change along gradients of human impact, although it is difficult to estimate the footprint of impacts for diffuse threats such as pollution. We developed a joint model (i.e., one that includes multiple species and their interactions with each other and environmental covariates) of benthic habitats on lagoonal coral reefs and used it to infer change in benthic composition along a gradient of distance from logging operations. The model estimated both changes in abundances of benthic groups and their compositional turnover, a type of beta diversity. We used the model to predict the footprint of turbidity impacts from past and recent logging. Benthic communities far from logging were dominated by branching corals, whereas communities close to logging had higher cover of dead coral, massive corals, and soft sediment. Recent impacts were predicted to be small relative to the extensive impacts of past logging because recent logging has occurred far from lagoonal reefs. Our model can be used more generally to estimate the footprint of human impacts on ecosystems and evaluate the benefits of conservation actions for ecosystems.     

Interpreting beta‐diversity components over time to conserve metacommunities in highly dynamic ecosystems

The concept of metacommunity (i.e., a set of local communities linked by dispersal) has gained great popularity among community ecologists. However, metacommunity research mostly addresses questions on spatial patterns of biodiversity at the regional scale, whereas conservation planning requires quantifying temporal variation in those metacommunities and the contributions that individual (local) sites make to regional dynamics. We propose that recent advances in diversity‐partitioning methods may allow for a better understanding of metacommunity dynamics and the identification of keystone sites. We used time series of the 2 components of beta diversity (richness and replacement) and the contributions of local sites to these components to examine which sites controlled source‐sink dynamics in a highly dynamic model system (an intermittent river). The relative importance of the richness and replacement components of beta diversity fluctuated over time, and sample aggregation led to underestimation of beta diversity by up to 35%. Our literature review revealed that research on intermittent rivers would benefit greatly from examination of beta‐diversity components over time. Adequately appraising spatiotemporal variability in community composition and identifying sites that are pivotal for maintaining biodiversity at the landscape scale are key needs for conservation prioritization and planning. Thus, our framework may be used to guide conservation actions in highly dynamic ecosystems when time‐series data describing biodiversity across sites connected by dispersal are available.     

Radiological assessment of surface water quality around proposed uranium mining site in India

The gross alpha and gross beta activities were estimated for radiological assessment of surface water quality around the proposed uranium mining site Kylleng Pyndengsohiong Mawthabah (Domiasiat), West Khasi Hills District, Meghalaya situated in a high rainfall area (12,000 mm) in India. 189 Surface water samples were collected over different seasons of the year from nine different locations covering around 100 km². Gross beta activities were found to vary from 144 to 361 mBq/L which is much below the prescribed WHO limit of 1000 mBq/L for drinking water. Gross alpha activities varied from 61 to 127 mBq/L. These values are much below the reported gross alpha values by other countries. In about 7% of the samples the alpha activities remain exceeded the WHO guideline limit of 100 mBq/L. Surface water samples collected during the summer season of the year show higher activity whereas low activity was found from samples collected during monsoon season. Results show that all water sources are acceptable as drinking water for human consumption from the radiological point of view, the higher gross alpha concentrations in a few locations remains so only for short duration during the summer season.     

Distribution of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) and poly(ε-caprolactone)aerobic degrading microorganisms in different environments

To assess the capacity of the natural environment for degrading plastics, the populations of poly(-hydroxybutyrate)(PHB)-and poly(-caprolactone)(PCL)-degrading aerobic microorganisms and their ratios to the total number of microorganisms in soil samples were estimated by the plate count method with agar medium containing emulsified PHB or PCL. The numbers of the degrading microorganisms were determined by counting colonies that formed clear zones on the plate. It was found that PHB- and PCL-degrading (depolymerizing) microorganisms are distributed over many kinds of material, including landfill leachate, compost, sewage sludge, forest soil, farm soil, paddy soil, weed field soil, roadside sand, and pond sediment. Of total colony counts, the percentages of PHB and PCL degrading microorganisms were 0.2–11.4 and 0.8–11.0%, respectively. The results suggest that many kinds of degrading microorganisms are present in each environment and that specific consortia differing in biodegradation capacity are constructed.     

多级闸坝对大型底栖动物群落日漂流规律的影响

河流中底栖动物的漂流模式是维持群落动态稳定的重要因素,闸坝改变了河流原有的水文节律,阻隔了底栖动物纵向漂流的连续性,闸坝对河流大型底栖动物群落的影响机制是近年来河流纵向格局维持研究的热点问题.2018年8月选择神农架国家级保护区的九冲河,在上游参照点(S1)、第一级电站取水口下游(S2)和第二级电站取水口下游(S3)布设3个样点开展24 h的日漂流监测,研究多级闸坝对大型底栖动物漂流类群、漂流节律和β生物多样性的变化.结果表明:①九冲河漂流的主要优势类群为蜉蝣目和毛翅目.②受堰坝阻隔影响,各样点漂流最优势物种发生了变化,S1样点为四节蜉(Baetis sp.),S2样点为花翅蜉(Baetiella sp.),S3样点为舌石蛾(Glossosoma sp.).③尽管各样点仍然以双峰型漂流模式为主,但参照点S1为“alternans”型的夜漂流,而坝下S2和S3样点则为“bigeminus”型的夜漂流,前者漂流密度的最大值出现在黎明前,而后者则为日落后.④坝下(S2和S3)漂流底栖动物的物种数明显低于参照点(S1),单因素方差分析表明闸坝阻隔具有显著的累积效应,3个样点漂流底栖动物的生物量之间存在差异显著(P < 0.05),漂流密度在参照点S1和坝下(S2和S3)的差异显著(P < 0.05).⑤基于Bray-Curtis相似性的聚类分析表明,S2样点群落发生了明显的分化,其日间样品均与S3样点聚为一类,而夜间样品全部与S1样点聚为一类.⑥采用无度量多维度标定排序(NMDS)进行的β多样性分析表明,S1样点漂流群落的昼夜差异性最小,S3样点的差异性最大.研究显示,九冲河小水电梯级开发造成了漂流型大型底栖动物群落结构、漂流规律和β生物多样性发生变化,3个样点的漂流优势类群发生改变,β多样性的变化随梯级闸坝呈现明显的累积效应,从长期来看会对河流生态系统的稳定性和生态功能造成深远影响.      

The prevalence of bacterial resistance in clinical, food, water and some environmental samples in Southwest Nigeria

The resistance pattern and mechanisms of bacterial isolates obtained from clinical origin, soil, industrial effluent, orange juice products and drinking water were studied using commonly used antibiotics. The microbial load of the water samples, industrial effluent and orange juice products were 1.0 × 10¹–2.25 × 10⁶, 2.15 × 10⁵, and 3.5 × 10⁴–2.15 × 10⁵ cfu mL^–1, respectively. The faecal coliform test revealed that only two out of twenty orange juice products had MPN of 2 and 20, the MPN of water ranged from 1–1800, while the effluent had MPN of 1800. The bacterial isolates that were isolated include E. coli, S. aureus, P. vulgaris, S. marcescens, S. pyogenes, B. cereus, B. subtilis, Micrococcus sp., Klebsiella sp., P. aeruginosa, and Enterobacter sp. Also, clinical and soil isolates of P. aeruginosa were used in the study. Among the eight antibiotics tested for resistance on five strains of each bacterium, seven different resistance patterns were observed among the bacterial isolates obtained from water, effluent and orange juice products. Among the clinical and soil isolates of P. aeruginosa, four multiple-drug resistance patterns were obtained. Thirty strains of E. coli and S. aureus were tested for -lactamase production and fourteen strains, seven each of E. coli and S. aureus that had high Minimum Inhibitory Concentration values (MIC) for both Amoxycillin and Cloxacillin were positive.     

云南九大高原湖泊水体总α、总β调查与评价

报道了对云南九大高原湖泊水体中总α、总β放射性水平的调查结果,并对调查结果进行了分析比较,为开展水体的环境辐射评价提供一定的依据。调查结果表明,这九大高原湖泊水体的总α、总β放射性水平属正常本底水平。     

Down's syndrome screening in multiple pregnancies using alpha-fetoprotein and free beta hCG

Second-trimester distributions of the free beta human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels in 420 twin and 19 triplet pregnancies were measured and compared with the distributions in 6661 singleton pregnancies. On average, the levels of both analytes were twice as high in twins and over three times as high in triplets. Eight sets of twins discordant for Down's syndrome showed elevated levels of free beta hCG and reduced levels of AFP after correction of the multiple of the median for the presence of a twin pregnancy. Screening for Down's syndrome using the twin correction of the multiple of the median is expected to achieve a 51 per cent detection rate at a 5 per cent false-positive rate using these two markers.     

A method for the isolation of microorganisms producing extracellular long-side-chain poly (β-hydroxyalkanoate) depolymerase

A simple method was developed for the preparation of an autoclavable, long-side-chain poly (-hydroxyalkanoate) (LSC-PHA) colloidal suspension, which was used as a substrate for enzymatic degradation and to prepare agar overlay plates for the isolation of microorganisms producing extracellular LSC-PHA depolymerase. Six cultures producing extracellular LSC-PHA depolymerase were isolated from a composted hydrocarbon-contaminated soil. All were pseudomonads or related bacteria. All (with the possible exception ofXanthomonas maltophilia) could produce LSC PHA. Except forX. maltophilia none could hydrolyze poly (-hydroxybutyrate). Screening of sevenPseudomonas strains known to accumulate LSC PHA showed that all were negative for extracellular LSC-PHA depolymerase production. It was concluded that extracellular LSC-PHA depolymerase producers are found mostly in the genusPseudomonas but that they are relatively uncommon.     

Characterization and enzymatic degradation of a cross-linked bacterial polyester

The bacterial polyester, poly(-hydroxybutyrate-co--hydroxyvalerate) (PHB/V), was cross-linked with 1, 5, 7, 10, 20, and 30 wt% benzoyl peroxide by thermal decomposition reactions. Solvent extractions were carried out to determine the cross-linked fractions of the films. The sol/gel data were used to estimate cross-link densities. Films of PHB/V cross-linked with 10% benzoyl peroxide were placed in contact with purified depolymerase A secreted byP. lemoignei. These samples exhibited weight loss rates which were half that of un-cross-linked PHB/V, but the network was degraded completely by the enzyme. The results of this study suggest that anendo-type enzymatic degradation may occur, in addition to theexo-type activity, which is normally presumed to occur with theP. lemoignei depolymerase system.