Examination of microbial fuel cell start-up times with domestic wastewater and additional amendments

Rapid startup of microbial fuel cells (MFCs) and other bioreactors is desirable when treating wastewaters. The startup time with unamended wastewater (118 h) was similar to that obtained by adding acetate or fumarate (110-115 h), and less than that with glucose (181 h) or Fe(III) (353 h). Initial current production took longer when phosphate buffer was added, with startup times increasing with concentration from 149 h (25 mM) to 251 h (50 mM) and 526 h (100 mM). Microbial communities that developed in the reactors contained Betaproteobacteria, Acetoanaerobium noterae, and Chlorobium sp. Anode biomass densities ranged from 200 to 600 μg/cm² for all amendments except Fe(Ш) (1650 μg/cm²). Wastewater produced 91 mW/m², with the other MFCs producing 50 mW/m² (fumarate) to 103 mW/m² (Fe(III)) when amendments were removed. These experiments show that wastewater alone is sufficient to acclimate the reactor without the need for additional chemical amendments.     

The role of predator removal,density-dependence,and environmental factors on mallard duckling survival in North Dakota

Duckling survival is an important component of mallard (Anas platyrhynchos) recruitment and population growth, yet many factors regulating duckling survival are poorly understood. We investigated factors affecting mallard duckling survival in the drift prairie of northeastern North Dakota, 2006–2007. Mammalian meso-predators were removed by trapping on 4 92.3 km² study sites and another 4 study sites served as controls. We monitored 169 broods using telemetry and periodic resighting, and we modeled cumulative survival to 30 days of age using the nest survival module in Program MARK. Duckling survival was not affected by predator removal ( , 85% CI: 0.182–0.234; , 85% CI: 0.155–0.211) and was only weakly negatively correlated with duckling density. Duckling survival was higher in 2007 ( , 85% CI: 0.193–0.355) than 2006 ( , 85% CI: 0.084–0.252) and increased with total seasonal and semipermanent wetland area and declined with perennial cover in the surrounding landscape. Broods that hatched earlier in the season (especially in 2006) and ducklings that were heavier at hatch also had higher survival. Our estimates of duckling survival are among the lowest reported for mallards and contradict previous research in Saskatchewan that found predator removal increased duckling survival. However, our results are consistent with other studies suggesting that earlier hatch date, increased wetland availability, and better duckling condition lead to increased survival. Management actions that increase wetland density, improve nest success early in the season, and potentially target brood-specific predators such as mink (Neovison vison) would likely lead to higher duckling survival. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Vegetation phenology and nest survival: Diagnosing heterogeneous effects through time

Birds should select nest sites that minimize predation risk, but understanding the influence of vegetation on nest survival has proven problematic. Specifically, the common practice of measuring vegetation on nest fate date can overestimate its effect on nest survival, simply because vegetation at hatched nests grows for a longer period of time than vegetation at nests that were depredated. Here, we sampled the literature to determine the prevalence of this bias in studies of duck breeding ecology. We then used survival data collected from ~2,800 duck nests to empirically evaluate evidence of bias in four different vegetation metrics: vegetation density measured when the nest was found, density when the nest was fated, and date‐corrected regression residuals of these two. We also diagnosed the magnitude of vegetation effects on nest survival by restricting our analysis to only nests which were fated contemporaneously (thereby removing potential bias in the timing of measurement). Finally, we examined whether systematic phenological differences exist between vegetation at hatched and depredated nests that have the potential to further obfuscate the relationship between vegetation and nest survival. We found evidence for a true‐positive effect of vegetation density on nest survival that appeared to be inflated when using raw vegetation measurements collected at fate date. However, taken in combination with the literature review, our results suggest that the majority of duck nesting studies have evaluated the role of vegetation on nest survival using a relatively less biased metric—vegetation density when the nest was found. Finally, we found that over the course of a nesting attempt, vegetation increased in density at successful nests, but decreased in density at depredated nests. As a consequence, duck researchers using vegetation data collected when the nest was found may actually be underestimating the magnitude of the effect. This seasonal change potentially points to an important new metric for understanding predation risk, but further experimental research is required to fully eliminate potential biases in the timing of vegetation measurements.     

Ovarian activity reversibility after the use of deslorelin acetate as a short-term contraceptive in domestic queens

The objective was to evaluate ovarian activity reversibility in domestic queens after short-term contraceptive treatment with deslorelin acetate. Ten mature queens were used. In all queens, the estrous cycle was evaluated every 72 h by vaginal cytology (VC) and behavior assessments. When queens had VC characteristic of interestrus or diestrus, one deslorelin acetate implant (4.7 mg) was placed in the subcutaneous tissue of the interscapular region (day of insertion = Day 0). Thereafter, VC was performed every 48 h and on Day 90, implants were removed. At Day 100, estrus and ovulation were induced with 100 IU eCG (im), followed by 100 IU hCG (im), 84 h later (Day 103.5). Queens were ovariohysterectomized on Day 106. Corpora lutea (CL) were counted, oviducts were flushed, and oocytes were identified, isolated and stained to assess viability. In all queens, blood samples for plasma progesterone concentrations were collected once a week, from Days −21 to 106. After deslorelin acetate application, four queens had VC and behavior typical of estrus, and one ovulated. Furthermore, ovulation occurred in three queens that did not have VC or behavior consistent with estrus. After the initial ovarian stimulation, all females had anestrous VC during the deslorelin treatment period. Implants were readily removed. Following implant removal, all females responded to treatments to induce estrus and ovulation. There were (mean ± SEM) 13.1 ± 5.5 CL and 8.1 ± 5.5 oocytes per queen; the oocyte recovery rate was 56.8 ± 25.4% and all recovered oocytes were viable. We concluded that deslorelin acetate can be used as a reversible short-term contraceptive in domestic cats, because estrus and ovulation were successfully induced following implant removal.     

Treatment of mixed domestic–industrial wastewater using cyanobacteria

Alexandria Sanitary Drainage Company (ASDCO), Alexandria, Egypt has two primary treatment plants, the eastern and the western wastewater treatment plants (EWTP and WWTP) that receive mixed domestic–industrial influents and discharge into L. Mariut. The lake is subjected therefore to severe levels of pollution and dominated by members of cyanobacteria that can cope with the high pollution load in the lake water. Isolation and utilization of the locally generated cyanobacterial biomass for remediation processes of highly toxic pollutants offers a very efficient and cheap tool for governmental or private industrial activities in Alexandria and will generate a source of revenue in Egyptian localities. The main objective of the present study was to investigate the biodegradation and biosorption capacity of some potential cyanobacterial species dominating the lake ecosystem toward organic and inorganic contaminants polluting the primary-treated effluents of the EWTP and WWTP. The primary effluents were subjected to biological treatment using three axenic cyanobacterial strains (Anabaena oryzae, Anabaena variabilis and Tolypothrix ceytonica) as batch system for 7 days. Removal efficiencies (RE) of the different contaminants were evaluated and compared. Results confirmed the high efficiencies of the investigated species for the removal of the target contaminants which were species and contaminant-dependent. BOD₅ and COD recorded 89.29 and 73.68% as maximum RE(s) achieved by Anabaena variabilis and Anabaena oryzae, respectively. The highest RE of the TSS recorded 64.37% achieved by Tolypothrix ceytonica, while 38.84% was recorded as the highest TSD RE achieved by Anabaena variabilis. Tolypothrix ceytonica also exhibited the highest RE for FOG recorded 93.75%. Concerning the contaminant metals, Tolypothrix ceytonica showed the highest biosorption capacity where 86.12 and 94.63% RE were achieved for Zn and Cu, respectively. In conclusion, results of the present study confirmed the advantageous potential of using the tested cyanobacterial species for the treatment of contaminated wastewater. Results also clearly showed the quality improvement of the discharged wastewater which in turn will eliminate or at least minimize the expected deterioration of the receiving environment.     

Computer-assisted sperm analysis of fresh epididymal cat spermatozoa and the impact of cool storage (4 degrees C) on sperm quality

Epididymal cat sperm is commonly used for in vitro fertilization. Because of the high variability in preparation protocols and methods of evaluation, sperm quality may vary considerably between experiments and laboratories. The aims of the present study were (1) to describe an epididymal sperm preparation protocol to produce clean, highly motile samples using density gradient centrifugation, (2) to provide reference values of computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) parameters of fresh epididymal cat sperm after density gradient centrifugation and (3) to investigate the effect of cool storage on various spermatozoa characteristics. After slicing the epididymides, viable and motile sperm cells were isolated using Percoll^® centrifugation. Sperm motility parameters were subsequently assessed using CASA in experiment 1. In experiment 2, fresh (day 0) sperm samples were evaluated for motility parameters (HTR) and stained for assessment of acrosomal status (FITC-PSA), morphology (eosin/nigrosin (E/N)), membrane integrity (E/N and SYBR^®14-PI) and DNA fragmentation (TUNEL). After addition of a Tris–glucose-citrate diluent containing 20% egg yolk, samples were cooled to 4 °C and reassessed on d1, d3, d5, d7 and d10. Cool storage impaired most motility and velocity parameters: MOT, PMOT, VAP, VSL, VCL, BCF, RAPID and the percentage of normal spermatozoa showed a decrease over time (P < 0.05) as compared to fresh samples. In contrast, STR, ALH, membrane integrity, DNA fragmentation and the percentage of acrosome intact spermatozoa were not affected by cool storage. However, the influence of cool storage of cat spermatozoa on subsequent in vitro embryo development and quality after IVF requires further investigation.     

家畜体细胞克隆中核重编程机理研究进展

体细胞克隆在绵羊、山羊、牛、猪等家畜中获得了成功,但目前的克隆效率非常低。克隆效率低使家畜体细胞克隆技术在畜牧业生产及其他领域的应用受到极大的限制,问题的根源在于对体细胞克隆中核重编程的分子机理缺乏了解。供体细胞核移入去核的卵母细胞后,必须经过后成表观遗传修饰的重编程,从而恢复供体细胞核的全能性,才能保证重构胚的正常发育及个体的正常生长。本文从移植核的重构、DNA甲基化总体改变、组蛋白修饰、X染色体失活、端粒长度和端粒酶活性恢复、印迹基因及其他与发育相关基因的表达及核重编程的影响因素等几个方面探讨了体细胞克隆中的核重编程机理,为克隆效率提高的方法研究提供理论依据。     

Harvest mortality in North American mallards: A reply to Sedinger and Herzog

Sedinger and Herzog (2012) evaluated the evidence for the impact harvest mortality may have on North American duck populations. While doing that, they questioned our review (Pöysä et al. 2004 ) and conclusion that harvest mortality in North American mallards (Anas platyrhynchos) may have shifted from compensatory to additive over the period from the 1960s to the 1980s. In this reply, we correct Sedinger and Herzog's misrepresentations of our 2004 paper and argue that our interpretations of the results published at that time have not been invalidated. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.     

Genetic diversity of two native sheep breeds by genome-wide analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms

Wallachian and Sumava sheep are autochthonous breeds that have undergone a significant bottleneck effect and subsequent restoration efforts. The first objective of this study was to evaluate the degree of genetic variability of both breeds and, therefore, the current management of the breeding. The second was to determine whether these two breeds still retain their genetic uniqueness in relation to each other and other breeds, despite regenerative interventions. Our data consisted of 48 individuals of Sumava and 37 individuals of Wallachian sheep. The comparison data contained 25 other breeds (primarily European) from the HapMap dataset generated by the International Sheep Genomics Consortium. When comparing all 27 breeds, the Czech breeds clustered with 15 other breeds and formed a single branch with them according to Nei's distances. At the same time, however, the clusters of both breeds were integral and easily distinguishable from the others when displayed with principal component analysis (PCA). Population substructure analysis did not show any common genetic ancestry of the Czech national breeds and breeds used for regeneration or, eventually, breeds whose ancestral population was used for regeneration. The average values of F_ST were higher in Wallachian sheep (F_ST = 0.14) than in Sumava sheep (F_ST = 0.08). The linkage disequilibrium (LD) extension per autosome was higher in Wallachian than in Sumava sheep. Consequently, the N_e estimates five generations ago were 68 for Sumava versus 34 for Wallachian sheep. Both native Czech breeds exhibit a wide range of inbreeding based on the excess of homozygosity (F_HOM) among individuals, from ?0.04 to 0.16 in Sumava and from ?0.13 to 0.12 in Wallachian. Average inbreeding based on runs of homozygosity was 0.21 in Sumava and 0.27 in Wallachian. Most detected runs of homozygosity (ROH) were less than 5 Mb long for both breeds. ROH segments longer than 15 Mb were absent in Wallachian sheep. Concerning putative selection signatures, a total of 471 candidate genes in Wallachian sheep within 11 hotspots and 653 genes within 13 hotspots in Sumava sheep were identified. Czech breeds appear to be well differentiated from each other and other European breeds. Their genetic diversity is low, especially in the case of the Wallachian breed. Sumava is not so threatened by low diversity but has a larger share of the non-native gene pool.