Synthesis of Short-chain-length/Medium-chain-length Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) Copolymers in Peroxisome of the Transgenic Arabidopsis Thaliana Harboring the PHA Synthase Gene from Pseudomonas sp. 61-3

In this paper, the photosynthetic production of short-chain-length/medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) copolymers is reported. The wild-type and highly active doubly mutated PHA synthase 1 (S325T/Q481K, abbreviated ST/QK) genes from Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 were introduced into Arabidopsis thaliana. Peroxisome targeting signal 1 (PTS1) was used to target PHA synthases into the peroxisome to synthesize PHA from the intermediates of the β-oxidation pathway. The transgenic Arabidopsis produced PHA copolymers consisting of 40–57 mol% 3-hydroxybutyrate, 21–49 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate, 8–18 mol% 3-hydroxyhexanoate, and 2–8 mol% 3-hydroxyoctanoate. The maximum PHA contents were 220μ g/g cell dry weight (cdw) in leaves, and 36μ g/g cdw in stems, respectively. The expression of the ST/QK mutated PHA synthase in leaves gene did not lead to significant difference in PHA content and monomer composition of PHAs, compared to the wild-type PHA synthase gene, suggesting that the supply of monomers may be a rate-determining step of PHA biosynthesis in the peroxisome. However, in stems, there were significant differences dependent on whether the wild-type or ST/QK mutated PHA synthase was expressed. These results suggest that tissue-specific monomer availability is important in determining the final mol% composition of PHA copolymers produced by the peroxisome in plants.     

乳酸和复合脂肪酸抑制奶牛对环境污染的效果分析

将20头荷斯坦产奶奶牛随机分为对照组和试验Ⅰ～Ⅲ组,对照组饲喂全混日粮(TMR),试验Ⅰ组每头奶牛每天饲喂TMR加150.0 g复合脂肪酸,试验Ⅱ组每头奶牛每天饲喂TMR加150.0 g乳酸,试验Ⅲ组每头奶牛每天饲喂TMR加150.0 g复合脂肪酸/乳酸(质量比为1∶1),分析探讨了复合脂肪酸和乳酸对奶牛粪尿、氮、总磷排泄量和CH4释放量的影响.结果表明,相比对照组,试验Ⅲ组1头奶牛1年CH4释放量减少30.64 kg,粪尿、氮、总磷排泄量分别减少1.43 t、28.32 kg和2.36 kg,标准乳(FCM)提高3.28%.在奶牛饲料中添加乳酸和复合脂肪酸的混合酸,能有效抑制奶牛对土壤、水体及空气的污染,显著提高奶牛的生态效益和经济效益.     

Solventless Delignification of Wood Flour with TiO2/poly(ethylene oxide) Photocatalyst System

A novel solventless delignification of a defatted Picea glehnii wood flour sample was performed using a TiO₂/polyethylene oxide (PEO) photocatalyst system. A cell wall structure of the wood flour was directly observed, showing that its lignin fraction was removed by the photodegradation. The total lignin amount was slightly decreased as compared with that of the pristine sample, and the vanillin formation was confirmed by the ¹H-NMR measurement. The TiO₂ worked as a radical initiator, and simultaneously acid and aldehyde compounds produced by the PEO photolysis did as an accelerator for the solventless delignification. Although the photocatalyst system showed high delignification activity even for a low molecular lignin model, the delignification of the wood flour sample was confined to the surface. It was found that the suppressed delignification behavior was due to crosslinked structure of lignin.     

The effectiveness of the e-money incentive mechanism in promoting separation of recyclables at source in Malaysia

Journal of Material Cycles and Waste Management - A new concept of a reward system by two e-money-incentive systems aimed at improving separation at source toward reducing residual waste generation...     

Capability development of local communities for project sustainability in afforestation/reforestation clean development mechanism

It has been recognized that the involvement of local community is essential to ensure the sustainability of A/R CDM (afforestation/reforestation clean development mechanism) project. This study verifies if the risks of non-permanence and leakage are addressed in a registered small scale A/R CDM project in Vietnam. Workshops, interviews, and a questionnaire survey of local villagers revealed that the project has caused a shortage of land for conventional activities such as grazing, fuel wood collection and shifting cultivation, and consequently posed the risks of project non-permanence and leakage. It is suggested that participation of all stakeholders in the community to the A/R CDM project beyond existing land tenure and adequate carbon benefit sharing according to the level of contribution to the project are required to reduce the risk of non permanence. To ensure the participation, the community should have capability such as consensus building and collective action. Leakage would be minimized if the community has alternative measures to the conventional activities before starting the project. We argue that it is necessary to first develop a community’s capabilities in the readiness phase of any A/R CDM project in order to reduce the risks for the project sustainability, and that new sources of funding are needed for this purpose.     

Ecological impacts of umbrella effects of radiation on the individual members

In order to study the interactions in a model aquatic microcosm, an individual-based computer simulation model was developed. The microcosm consists of Euglena gracilis as an autotroph algae, Tetrahymena thermophila as a heterotroph protozoa and Escherichia coli as a saprotroph bacteria. There exists a strong interaction between Tetrahymena and E. coli as the first is the predator of the second. Ecological toxicity tests were conducted to test the population level impacts of the biological effects of radiation and toxicants on the lethality and mobility factors that influence directly or indirectly growth and reproduction. Radiological effects on lethality of E. coli individuals were translated to the reduction of the equilibrium population of Tetrahymena. A synergistic effect at the community level was also observed by the simulation of a combined exposure of radiation and a toxicant which reduced the feeding efficiency of Tetrahymena.     

Impact of gamma irradiation on the transformation efficiency for extracellular plasmid DNA

Extracellular DNA is omnipresent in aquatic environments and is thought to be a genetic material for horizontal gene transformation between microorganisms. We studied the impact of gamma irradiation on the transformation efficiency (transformants number per ng of DNA per ml) of extracellular DNA. Plasmid pEGFP as a model extracellular DNA was irradiated by gamma rays. The transformation efficiency decreased with the increase in radiation dose. A total dose of 10Gy is normally not lethal for microorganisms but certainly affects the transformation efficiency of extracellular DNA. The decrease in the efficiency would be induced by strand breaks of extracellular DNA because the yield of both single-strand breaks (SSBs) and double-strand breaks (DSBs) increased with the increase in radiation dose. The relative transformation efficiency of SSBs and DSBs to that of covalently closed circles (CCCs) was 30.3% and 0.2%, respectively. This impact on natural transformation suggests an inability of microorganisms to acquire new characteristics which should be normally acquired.     

Field monitoring of volatile organic compounds using passive air samplers in an industrial city in Japan

Highly portable, sensitive, and selective passive air samplers were used to investigate ambient volatile organic compound (VOC) levels at multiple sampling sites in an industrial city, Fuji, Japan. We determined the spatial distributions of 27 species of VOCs in three campaigns: Mar (cold season), May (warm season), and Nov (mild season) of 2004. In all campaigns, toluene (geometric mean concentration, 14.0microg/m3) was the most abundant VOC, followed by acetaldehyde (4.76microg/m3), and formaldehyde (2.58microg/m3). The spatial distributions for certain VOCs showed characteristic patterns: high concentrations of benzene and formaldehyde were typically found along major roads, whereas high concentrations of toluene and tetrachloroethylene (PCE) were usually found near factories. The spatial distribution of PCE observed was extremely consistent with the diffusion pattern calculated from Pollutant Release and Transfer Register data and meteorological data, indicated that passive air samplers are useful for determining the sources and distributions of ambient VOCs.     

Thermodynamic behavior of rare metals in the melting process of municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration residues

This study aims to identify the thermodynamic behavior of rare metal elements during the melting process of municipal solid waste incineration residues. The fate of several selected rare metal elements was investigated using two approaches: experimental and thermodynamic equilibrium calculation at two actual melting plants. The results revealed that Ag, Bi, Ga, Ge, In, Pd, Sb, Te, and Tl are readily volatilized as chloride and/or gaseous forms and then condensed in melting furnace fly ash. On the other hand, Cr, Ni, Ta, V, and Zr tend to mostly remain in molten slag. Sn is volatilized as SnS (g) under reducing conditions while volatilization is suppressed under oxidizing conditions. Thermodynamically, total volatilization of Mn as MnCl2 (g) occurred with highly available chlorine under oxidizing conditions. However, at the actual plants, only a small proportion was volatilized. As for Co, Mo, and W, no volatilization occurred at the actual plants although the calculations suggest that these elements can form volatile metal chloride and volatilize. Non-equilibrium and heterogeneity of the actual plant melting furnace could explain the discrepancy. This study provided a good qualitative view of the behavior of rare metals in the melting process, but further investigation is required to produce a more accurate simulation and to resolve the discrepancy.