First Detection of Hepatitis E Virus in Shellfish and in Seawater from Production Areas in Southern Italy

Shellfish samples (n = 384) from production areas, water samples from the same areas (n = 39) and from nearby sewage discharge points (n = 29) were analyzed for hepatitis E virus (HEV) by real-time and nested RT-PCR. Ten shellfish samples (2.6%) and five seawater samples (12.8%) tested positive for HEV; all characterized strains were G3 and showed high degree of sequence identity. An integrated surveillance in seafood and waters is relevant to reduce the risk of shellfish-associated illnesses.     

Prenatal diagnosis of femur-fibula-ulna complex by ultrasonography in a male fetus at 24 weeks of gestation

We present a case of ultrasonographic prenatal diagnosis at 24 weeks of femur—fibula—ulna (FFU) complex. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an early prenatal diagnosis of FFU.     

Disturbance and landscape dynamics in a changing world

Disturbance regimes are changing rapidly, and the consequences of such changes for ecosystems and linked social-ecological systems will be profound. This paper synthesizes current understanding of disturbance with an emphasis on fundamental contributions to contemporary landscape and ecosystem ecology, then identifies future research priorities. Studies of disturbance led to insights about heterogeneity, scale, and thresholds in space and time and catalyzed new paradigms in ecology. Because they create vegetation patterns, disturbances also establish spatial patterns of many ecosystem processes on the landscape. Drivers of global change will produce new spatial patterns, altered disturbance regimes, novel trajectories of change, and surprises. Future disturbances will continue to provide valuable opportunities for studying pattern-process interactions. Changing disturbance regimes will produce acute changes in ecosystems and ecosystem services over the short (years to decades) and long-term (centuries and beyond). Future research should address questions related to (1) disturbances as catalysts of rapid ecological change, (2) interactions among disturbances, (3) relationships between disturbance and society, especially the intersection of land use and disturbance, and (4) feedbacks from disturbance to other global drivers. Ecologists should make a renewed and concerted effort to understand and anticipate the causes and consequences of changing disturbance regimes.     

Spatial variation of otolith elemental signatures among juvenile gray snapper (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Lutjanus griseus</Emphasis>) inhabiting southern Florida waters

Juvenile gray snapper, Lutjanus griseus, are believed to use bays and estuaries in southern Florida as nurseries before moving out to the adjoining reef tract as adults. Using high-resolution sector field-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (SF-ICP-MS), the elemental chemistry of the otoliths of juveniles from five nursery regions was resolved by establishing elemental “signatures” for each region. In this study we simultaneously analyzed 32 elements including a suite of rare earth elements. A stepwise variable selection procedure retained a subset of eight elements that contributed substantially to separating otolith samples, including two rare earth elements; this is one of the first studies in which rare earth elements in otoliths have contributed to separation of fish stocks. The classification success rate in assigning fishes to the correct region of origin was 82%. Resolution of sites less than 10 km apart suggested high site fidelity in juvenile gray snapper and little mixing of water masses between sites. The juvenile nursery signatures will be used to determine the relative contribution of different nurseries to the adult population on an adjoining reef tract.     

Modelling Tracer Dispersion from Landfills

Several wind tunnel experiments of tracer dispersion from reduced-scale landfill models are presented in this paper. Different experimental set-ups, hot-wire anemometry, particle image velocimetry and tracer concentration measurements were used for the characterisation of flow and dispersion phenomena nearby the models. The main aim of these experiments is to build an extensive experimental data set useful for model validation purposes. To demonstrate the potentiality of the experimental data set, a validation exercise on several mathematical models was performed by means of a statistical technique. The experiments highlighted an increase in pollutant ground level concentrations immediately downwind from the landfill because of induced turbulence and mean flow deflection. This phenomenon turns out to be predominant for the dispersion process. Tests with a different set-up showed an important dependence of the dispersion phenomena from the landfill height and highlighted how complex orographic conditions downwind of the landfill do not affect significantly the dispersion behaviour. Validation exercises were useful for model calibration, improving code reliability, as well as evaluating performances. The Van Ulden model proved to give the most encouraging results.     

Biomonitoring verkehrsbedingter Platin-Immissionen

Traffic related platinum deposits on, or near to, the roads. Platinum accumulation was studied using the method of standardised culture of grass (Lolium multiflorum) at locations with different traffic exposure in the region of Munich. Grass cultures from 6 locations with high traffic exposure, and 3 reference locations far away from traffic emissions, were analysed in 1992 and 1993. The results show a good indication of the platinum emissions byLolium multiflorum. The platinum concentrations rose with the increasing traffic. They diminished with growing distance from the verge of the road. The highest average platinum concentrations were measured at locations close to highly frequented urban roads, in the range 0.8 to 2.9 μg/kg dm. The average platinum concentration at locations far from emissions was found in the range of 0.17 to 0.51 μg/kg dm in 1992 and 1993. The good correlation between the platinum concentrations in grass cultures and the concentrations of other traffic-related elements, like antimony, chromium and lead, verifies the dependence of platinum accumulation from traffic.     

Carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus stoichiometry of plankton and the nutrient regime in Cabo Frio Bay, SE Brazil

This long-term study, performed during the years 2003–2005 and 2008–2009, investigated the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents of the phyto- and zooplankton communities and the nutrient regime of Cabo Frio Bay, SE Brazil. The information intends to serve as baseline of the plankton C, N, and P stoichiometry for the calibration of biogeochemical and ecological models in support to future findings related to the local and regional phenomena of climatic change. Cabo Frio Bay is a small semienclosed system set adjacent to a region subject to sporadic coastal upwelling. Zooplankton exhibited average annual C, N, and P contents of 11.6?±?6.9 %, 2.8?±?1.8 %, and 0.18?±?0.08 %, and phytoplankton (>20 μm) 6.8?±?6.0 %, 1.6?±?1.5 %, and 0.09?±?0.08 %, respectively. The C/N/P ratios correspond to the lowest already found to date for a marine environment. The low C contents must have been brought about by a predominance of gelatinous zooplankton, like Doliolids/ Salps and also Pteropods. Average annual nutrient concentrations in the water were 0.21?±?0.1 μM for phosphate, 0.08?±?0.1 μM for nitrite, 0.74?±?1.6 μM for nitrate, and 1.27?±?1.1 μM for ammonium. N/P ratios were around 8:1 during the first study period and 12:1 during the second. The plankton C/N/P and N/P nutrient ratios and elemental concentrations suggest that the system was oligotrophic and nitrogen limited. The sporadic intrusions of upwelling waters during the first study period had no marked effect upon the systems metabolism, likely due to dilution effects and the short residence times of water of the bay.     

Impact of a NO₂-regenerated diesel particulate filter on PAH and NPAH emissions from an EURO IV heavy duty engine

In this study the emissions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and their nitro-derivates (NPAH) from a modern heavy duty engine were analysed. Focus was on the effects of the aftertreatment system. It consisted of an oxidation catalyst coupled to a diesel particulate filter (DPF). In such systems the process of PAH and NPAH degradation may compete with the NPAH formation. Scope of the study was to explain to which extent modern DPF could support the formation of highly mutagenic NPAH by nitration of pre-existing PAH. It was found that the diesel trap reduced the total amount of PAH and NPAH emitted both at low load and high load. Nevertheless, at low load the lower temperatures and the higher NO(2) concentration furnished better conditions for PAH nitration while they were more adverse to NPAH degradation. These effects were NPAH-specific. For these reasons, some NPAH like 3-nitrophenanthrene were still efficiently degraded but others were newly formed. For instance emissions of the highly toxic 1-benzo(a)pyrene and 6-nitrobenzo(a)pyrene where increased by a factor 15 at low load and, even if in lower amount, were formed also at high load. The super-mutagen 1,6-dinitropyrene, which was not present in raw exhaust, could be found only after the DPF, indicating a new formation. In regard to emissions from the active regeneration mode, tremendous high emissions of 1-nitropyrene were reported. More accurate investigation of such a regeneration mode would be of great interest for the future.     

Design,Modelling and Assessment of Emission Scenarios Resulting from a Network of Wood Biomass Boilers

The use of wood biomass as a fuel for domestic and industrial heating systems allows for a reduction of CO₂ emissions at a global scale, but it may also result in worse local air quality conditions, due to their emissions of particulate matter. The aim of this study is to assess the actual trend of atmospheric pollution in a study area, assuming that all heating systems are replaced by small size biomass boilers linked to the buildings through district heating network. Ground level concentrations of particulate matter, emitted by different heating systems, are therefore evaluated through numerical simulations performed by means of an atmospheric dispersion model (Sirane). As a first step, we have compared the environmental impact of a woodchip boilers network with that given by the use of traditional heating systems, i.e. wood stoves and natural gas boilers. As a second step, we have analysed the impact of such a network taking into account different emission scenarios, related to different boilers operating conditions. Results show that the environmental performances of a woodchip boilers network can be optimized by combining it with other renewable sources of energy devoted to the supply of hot water. The adopted analysis methodology can be applied to other real or hypothetic punctual sources on the territory.