Assay of urease activity in marine sands — its use as an indicator of sewage contamination of beaches

Two methods were evaluated to determine urease activity in marine sands; in the first the amount of urea lost during the assay was determined, while in the second the amount of NH⁺₄-N formed was used as a measure of urea hydrolysis. Urease activity was detected and characterized in unpolluted coastal sands, and was found to be particularly high in sands colonized by higher plants. The pH and temperature optimum for the enzyme in sand was 6.2 and 55°C, respectively. Urease activity was very high in sands sampled close to an outfall releasing sewage out to sea, but decreased with increasing distance from the point of contamination. The possibility of using urease activity measurements as an indicator of sewage pollution on beaches is discussed.     

LCA as an element in environmental management systems—comparison of conditions in selected organisations in Poland, Sweden and Germany

Purpose

In this two-part paper (Background and Initial Assumptions (part 1) and Results of Survey Research (part 2)), we present surveys whose main objective is to determine whether, and to what extent, the life cycle assessment (LCA) technique is used for the identification and assessment of environmental aspects in environmental management systems (EMS) and whether there are any differences in this respect between the companies and countries analysed.

Methods

The survey research was carried out using the computer assisted self-administered interviewing method among selected Polish, German and Swedish organisations which implement EMS in accordance with the requirements of ISO 14001 and/or the EMAS regulation.

Results

The organisations investigated, regardless of their country, are dominated by qualitative and semi-quantitative techniques of assessment and identification of environmental aspects. LCA was used sporadically, although some differences can be observed between the countries analysed.

Conclusions

The environmental managers accustomed to traditional qualitative and semi-quantitative solutions have not been given preparation to enable them to understand and adopt different approaches such as LCA. On the other hand, representatives of the organisations investigated declared that they were ready to accept an even longer timescale for the identification and assessment processes relating to environmental aspects, which represents a potential opportunity for LCA. The more precise understanding and definition of environmental problems that are precisely defined in LCA would represent a novelty for environmental managers. In practice, environmental problems are defined in a general sense and rather ambiguously, as this level of detail is sufficient in the context of qualitative and semi-quantitative techniques commonly used for the identification and assessment of environmental aspects.     

Importance of functional classification in the use of carabids for the environmental risk assessment of the GE crops and other agricultural practices

Carabids(Coleoptera:Carabidae)seem to be suitable bioindicalors of the environmental impacts of novel agrotechnologies,including deployment of the genetically engineered(GE)crops.In this article,we describe our effort to employ carabids in the environmental risk assessment(ERA).GE maize MON88017,its near-isogenic hybrid nontreated or treated with the soil insccticide chlorpyrifos,and two reference hybrids were used to compare three different ways how to utilize carabids in ERA.The analysis of abundance of all captured carabids or of the most abundant carabid specics did not disclose any differences between the treatments.The analysis based on the categories of functional traits revealed distinct fecatures of some treatments and proved suitable for ERA because it permitted field data transportability in spite of different species compositions.Our results indicate that GE maize has no detrimental environmental effecl,On the other hand,we found significant trends toward lower abundance and lower species number(including analysis of all carabid species together)in plots treated with the insecticide,and some tendencies to higher abundance and higher species number in plots sown with the reference hybrid PR38N86.Using functional group indicators alows identification of unintended changes in ecological functions of agroecosystem and comparability across geographics.We recommend data evaluation at the level of the categories of functional traits in ERA of GE crops and other agricultural practices.     

Pasture clearing from invasive woody plants in the Pantanal: a tool for sustainable management or environmental destruction?

With a total area of 160,000 km², the Pantanal is one of the largest wetlands in South America and certainly the most famous. It is essential for the maintenance of biodiversity and is highly ranked in national and international protection plans. The ecology of the Pantanal is influenced by the annual inundation, frequent fires during the dry period, and multiple human activities. To maintain traditional low density cattle ranching, which is the economic basis for the Pantanal’s human population, the spread of woody vegetation into former pasture areas requires pasture clearing. Legal restrictions, however, have led to the confusion of pasture clearing with the illegal deforestation that has accompanied Brazil’s rapid economic development, thus creating serious conflicts between the Pantanal’s ranchers and the governmental environmental agency. This dichotomy of interests, i.e., the need to maintain habitat and species diversity while guaranteeing the livelihoods of the ranchers but warding off deforestation, can only be resolved through modern management plans that reconcile the requirements of environmental protection with the economic needs of the ranchers, who are the owners of most of the Pantanal. The key to any such plan’s successful implementation is to consider the Pantanal not as a pristine wetland, but as a valuable cultural landscape. Over the last two and a half centuries, the vegetation in large parts of the Pantanal has been altered due to the presence of cattle ranches. This has maintained its habitat diversity and multiple services to humans and to the environment, including the enhancement of species diversity. This management practice corresponds to modern approaches in other parts of the world, where low density animal grazing, sometimes in combination with mechanical removal of woody vegetation are considered powerful management tools for the maintenance of valuable cultural landscapes.     

Is there any scientific evidence for the use of glucosamine in the management of human osteoarthritis?

Glucosamine in its acetylated form is a natural constituent of some glycosaminoglycans (for example, hyaluronic acid and keratan sulfate) in the proteoglycans found in articular cartilage, intervertebral disc and synovial fluid. Glucosamine can be extracted and stabilized by chemical modification and used as a drug or a nutraceutical. It has been approved for the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) in Europe to promote cartilage and joint health and is sold over the counter as a dietary supplement in the United States. Various formulations of glucosamine have been tested, including glucosamine sulfate and glucosamine hydrochloride. In vitro and in vivo studies have uncovered glucosamine's mechanisms of action on articular tissues (cartilage, synovial membrane and subchondral bone) and justified its efficacy by demonstrating structure-modifying and anti-inflammatory effects at high concentrations. However, results from clinical trials have raised many concerns. Pharmacokinetic studies have shown that glucosamine is easily absorbed, but the current treatment doses (for example, 1,500 mg/day) barely reach the required therapeutic concentration in plasma and tissue. The symptomatic effect size of glucosamine varies greatly depending on the formulation used and the quality of clinical trials. Importantly, the effect size reduces when evidence is accumulated chronologically and evidence for the structure-modifying effects of glucosamine are sparse. Hence, glucosamine was at first recommended by EULAR and OARSI for the management of knee pain and structure improvement in OA patients, but not in the most recent NICE guidelines. Consequently, the published recommendations for the management of OA require revision. Glucosamine is generally safe and although there are concerns about potential allergic and salt-related side effects of some formulations, no major adverse events have been reported so far. This paper examines all the in vitro and in vivo evidence for the mechanism of action of glucosamine as well as reviews the results of clinical trials. The pharmacokinetics, side effects and differences observed with different formulations of glucosamine and combination therapies are also considered. Finally, the importance of study design and criteria of evaluation are highlighted as new compounds represent new interesting options for the management of OA.     

How does storage affect the quality and quantity of organic carbon in sewage for use in the bioremediation of acidic mine waters?

Pit lakes (abandoned flooded mine pits) represent a potentially valuable water resource. However, acid mine drainage (AMD) generation due to mining activities often results in pit lake waters with low pH, high sulphate and dissolved metal concentrations. Sulphate reduction-based bioremediation offers tremendous scope for removal of acidity and metals from pit lake water. In this study, the effect of storing sewage on its carbon quality for bioremediation of acidic pit lake water was studied. In addition, the effectiveness of labile organic carbon (lactic acid and ethanol) on SRB activity was tested. Bioremediation experiments were performed in controlled and replicated microcosms with acidic (pH 2.2) water from a pit lake by addition of stored (3 years at 4 °C) sewage for stimulation of sulphate reducing bacteria (SRB) activity. This sewage had been previously used successfully in remediating to pH 7 water from this pit lake. The initial aim was to test the sewage at lower doses (18 and 28 g/L) and in a pulsed addition (over 5 weeks). Bioremediation efficacy was evaluated by measuring pit lake water pH increase, redox potential decrease, and acidity and sulphate removal. Though the stored sewage had retained a very similar high total organic carbon (TOC) equivalent to prior to storage, it failed to increase dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels in pit lake water. Microcosms amended with doubled doses of sewage and an extended remediation time still failed to demonstrate any substantial improvement in water quality, other than a small amount of sulphate reduction and direct neutralisation by the sewage. In order to determine if low DOC concentrations in sewage were the cause of the bioremediation failure, labile organic carbon (LOC), consisting of 50:50 (w/w) lactic acid and ethanol, was added to all microcosm treatments at concentrations of 3000, 6000 and 9000 mg/L. After LOC addition, water quality improved with effective removal of acidity, sulphate and metals in the lowest carbon concentration (3000 mg/L). However, 6000 and 9000 mg/L LOC concentrations showed a delay in response due to the increased acidity associated with the lactic acid addition. The experiments showed that pulsed dosing of carbon simply slowed the commencement of remediation but it was ultimately able to reach the same effectiveness as the equivalent quantity added all at once. Prolonged storage of sewage leads to loss of LOC. In situ pit lake remediations which aim to make use of sewage as the main carbon source will need to factor in the storage time required to obtain sufficient sewage for the treatment into the design. Pulsing may help reduce issues with storage or supplementation with LOC may need to be considered. Results highlight that LOC is a more useful indicator of material effectiveness compared to a simple measures of TOC.     

‘Captivity bias’ in animal tool use and its implications for the evolution of hominin technology

Animals in captive or laboratory settings may outperform wild animals of the same species in both frequency and diversity of tool use, a phenomenon here termed ‘captivity bias’. Although speculative at this stage, a logical conclusion from this concept is that animals whose tool-use behaviour is observed solely under natural conditions may be judged cognitively or physically inferior than if they had also been tested or observed under controlled captive conditions. In turn, this situation creates a potential problem for studies of the behaviour of extinct members of the human family tree—the hominins—as hominin cognitive abilities are often judged on material evidence of tool-use behaviour left in the archaeological record. In this review, potential factors contributing to captivity bias in primates (including increased contact between individuals engaged in tool use, guidance or shaping of tool-use behaviour by other tool-users and increased free time and energy) are identified and assessed for their possible effects on the behaviour of the Late Pleistocene hominin Homo floresiensis. The captivity bias concept provides one way to uncouple hominin tool use from cognition, by considering hominins as subject to the same adaptive influences as other tool-using animals.     

Earthworms,spiders and bees as indicators of habitat quality and management in a low-input farming region—A whole farm approach

The benefits of low input farming on biodiversity and ecosystem services are already well-established, however most of these studies focus only on the focal field scales. We aimed to study whether these benefits exist at the whole farm scale, to find the main environmental driving effects on biodiversity at the whole farm scale in farms of different grassland grazing intensity, applying three well-known species diversity indicator groups of different ecological traits.Edaphic (earthworms), epigeic (spiders) and flying (bees) taxa were sampled in each identified habitat type within 18 low-input farms in Central Hungary, 2010. The number of habitat types, the number of grassland plots, the cumulative area of grasslands and habitat type had an effect on the species richness and abundance of spiders, while grassland grazing intensity influenced the species richness of bees. Both bees and spiders were sensitive to vegetation and weather conditions, resulting in more bees on flower-rich farms and those having higher temperature; and more spiders on farms with more heterogeneous vegetation structure and in low-wind areas. Relatively few earthworms were found in the whole study, and their abundance was not influenced by any of the farm composition and management variables.We conclude that local field management (grazing intensity of grassland patches) can have a farm scale effect, detectable on species diversity indicators that have high dispersal ability and strong connection to grasslands as important foraging sites (bees). However, other farmland biota (spiders) is also strongly determined by farmland composition and habitat diversity, therefore the maintenance of a mosaic within-farm habitat structure is strongly recommended. The application of earthworms as farmland composition or management indicators is strongly restricted because of their special needs of soil conditions.     

METAPOP—A software for the management and analysis of subdivided populations in conservation programs

We introduce a computer program for the dynamic and flexible management of conserved subdivided populations. Using molecular marker data or pedigree information, the software determines the optimal contributions (i.e., number of offspring) of each individual, the number of migrants, and the particular subpopulations involved in the exchange of individuals in order to maintain the largest level of gene diversity in the whole population with a desired control in the rate of inbreeding. Restrictions can be introduced for the total number of migrants, and the mating of particular pairs and their contribution. A full genetic diversity analysis of the population is carried out. The optimal contribution from each subpopulation to a pool of maximal gene diversity is also provided by the program.     

Characteristics of Trichoderma reesei β-xylosidase and its use in the hydrolysis of solubilized xylans

Summary The -xylosidase (EC 3.2.1.37) of Trichoderma reesei was purified and its characteristics and use in the hydrolysis of steamed birch xylan were studied. The enzyme was a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of 100000 as determined by SDS-gel electrophoresis and its isoelectric point was 4.7. The pH optimum was 4.0 and temperature optimum 60°C. -Xylosidase was competitively inhibited by xylose and the inhibition constant was 2.3 mM. The purified enzyme also showed -arabinofuranosidase activity.     

Isotopic evidence of environmental changes during the Devonian–Carboniferous transition in South China and its implications for the biotic crisis

The Devonian–Carboniferous (D–C) transition coincides with the Hangenberg Crisis, carbon isotope anomalies, and the enhanced preservation of organic matter associated with marine redox fluctuations. The proposed driving factors for the biotic extinction include variations in the eustatic sea level, paleoclimate fluctuation, climatic conditions, redox conditions, and the configuration of ocean basins. To investigate this phenomenon and obtain information on the paleo-ocean environment of different depositional facies, we studied a shallow-water carbonate section developed in the periplatform slope facies on the southern margin of South China, which includes a well-preserved succession spanning the D–C boundary. The integrated chemostratigraphic trends reveal distinct excursions in the isotopic compositions of bulk nitrogen, carbonate carbon, organic carbon, and total sulfur. A distinct negative δ¹⁵N excursion (~−3.1‰) is recorded throughout the Middle Si. praesulcata Zone and the Upper Si. praesulcata Zone, when the Hangenberg mass extinction occurred. We attribute the nitrogen cycle anomaly to enhanced microbial nitrogen fixation, which was likely a consequence of intensified seawater anoxia associated with increased denitrification, as well as upwelling of anoxic ammonium-bearing waters. Negative excursions in the δ¹³C_carb and δ¹³C_org values were identified in the Middle Si. praesulcata Zone and likely resulted from intense deep ocean upwelling that amplified nutrient fluxes and delivered ¹³C-depleted anoxic water masses. Decreased δ³⁴S values during the Middle Si. praesulcata Zone suggests an increasing contribution of water-column sulfate reduction under euxinic conditions. Contributions of organic matter produced by anaerobic metabolisms to the deposition of shallow carbonate in the Upper Si. praesulcata Zone is recorded by the nadir of δ¹³C_org values associated with maximal △¹³C. The integrated δ¹⁵N-δ¹³C-δ³⁴S data suggest that significant ocean-redox variation was recorded in South China during the D–C transition; and that this prominent fluctuation was likely associated with intense upwelling of deep anoxic waters. The temporal synchrony between the development of euxinia/anoxia and the Hangenberg Event indicates that the redox oscillation was a key factor triggering manifestations of the biodiversity crisis.     

Mutation and haplotype analyses of the Werner’s syndrome gene based on its genomic structure: genetic epidemiology in the Japanese population

The correlation between mutations in the Werner’s syndrome (WRN) gene and the haplotypes of surrounding markers was studied in Japanese patients. We have elucidated the genomic structure of WRN helicase, and found five additional mutations, designated mutations 6–10. Mutations 4 and 6 were found to be the two major mutations in this population; these mutations comprised 50.8% and 17.5%, respectively, of the total in a sample of 126 apparently unrelated chromosomes. Almost all the patients homozygous for mutation 4 shared a haplotype around the WRN gene, consistent with the view that they are derived from a single ancestor. This important advantage demonstrated in the identification of the WRN gene suggests that the Japanese present a unique population for the cloning of other disease genes. The conserved haplotype was observed across 19 loci, extending a distance estimated to be more than 1.4 Mbp around the WRN gene. This haplotype is rare among random Japanese individuals. Unexpectedly, all the nine patients homozygous for mutation 6 shared a haplotype that was identical to this haplotype at 18 of these 19 markers. These results suggest that mutations 4 and 6 arose independently in almost identical rare haplotypes. The remaining mutations (1, 5, 7, 8, 9, and 10) occurred rarely, and were each associated with different haplotypes. Received: 16 December 1996 / Accepted: 16 February 1997     

Probability functions for components of theDendroctonus frontalis—Host tree population system and their potential use with population models

Detailed investigation of the within-tree population system of Dendroctonus frontalisZimmermann has resulted in a large data base consisting of abundance estimates for various life stages. This data base was used to construct histograms for transformed estimates and several life stage indices. Histograms were also constructed for transformed values of adult residence time, brood development time, and several host-tree characteristics. Probability and cumulative density functions of the Weibull distribution were fitted, in tandem, to the scaled frequencies and interval means for each histogram. The inverse cumulative function is known, and with a uniform random number generator, allows the selection of random deviates from each distribution. This technique can be used for generating initial (starting) values in D. frontalis population models.     

Are population differences in plant quality reflected in the preference and performance of two endoparasitoid wasps?

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid in exploring the role of direct plant defence, through the production of allelochemicals, on the performance of parasitoid wasps and their hosts. However, few studies have determined if parasitoids can detect differences in plant quality and thus preferentially attack hosts on which their progeny develop most successfully. In this study we examined the development and preference of two endoparasitoids, Diadegma semiclausum and Cotesia glomerata , developing in larvae of their respective hosts, Plutella xylostella and Pieris brassicae . In turn, these were reared on different wild populations of black mustard Brassica nigra originating in the Netherlands and Sicily (Italy), as well as single cultivated strains of B. nigra and brown mustard, B. juncea . Chemical analyses of foliar glucosinolates and volatile emissions by P. xylostella -damaged plants revealed large differences between B. nigra and B. juncea plants, with smaller differences among the B. nigra populations. The four mustard populations differentially affected development time and body mass of the herbivores and parasitoids. Contrasts among the means revealed significant differences mainly between B. nigra and B. juncea . Both parasitoids, however, preferred to alight on plants in which their progeny developed most successfully. In behavioural bioassays, D. semiclausum did not discriminate among the B. nigra populations and preferred to alight on B. juncea , which was the best plant population for parasitoid development. By contrast, C. glomerata females exhibited the lowest preference for Italian B. nigra populations, on which adult parasitoid size was the smallest. These results reveal that parasitoids can detect even small differences in plant quality presumably through their volatile blends and that plant preference and offspring performance in the two species are 'optimally synchronized'.     

Some use—Little influence? On the roles of indicators in European sustainable transport policy

The paper focuses on the use and influence of indicators in European sustainable transport policy from a ‘knowledge utilization’ research point of view. The starting point is the contrast between the widely held idea that indicators are important tools for sustainable transport policy making, versus ‘knowledge utilization’ oriented research, which has often demonstrated that formal technical knowledge is used much less, or at least differently, than expected in policy and decision making.The paper looks at two cases of indicators applied for strategic policy making within the sustainable transport agenda. The first case concerns indicators tracking the fulfillment of national transport policy objectives in Sweden. The case explores the use and influence of an annual monitoring and evaluation report produced for this purpose, within a general ‘Management-by-Objectives’ regime. The second case deals with indicators applied for the Mid-Term Review of the European Commission's transport policy White Paper ‘Time to Decide’ (issued in 2001). The focus in this case is on a particular indicator based study conducted in 2005 by a group of consultants in close collaboration with European Commission staff.It is found that several indicators in both cases are actually used in policy processes, with evidence of use found in documents as well as interviews. However, ‘use’ does not automatically mean ‘influence’ on policies or processes in more than a superficial manner. Indicators seem to play a very limited direct instrumental role, while some signs of symbolic, conceptual and process roles are found. In the EU case we identify what is called a rationalization role of indicators, meaning that indicators inform and help to rationalize a change in the position towards key objectives. Several factors that characterize the indicators, the users, and policy context are found to contribute to understand the type of use and influence observed in both cases.     

Evaluation of the SNP tagging approach in an independent population sample—array-based SNP discovery in Sami

Significant efforts have been made to determine the correlation structure of common SNPs in the human genome. One method has been to identify the sets of tagSNPs that capture most of the genetic variation. Here, we evaluate the transferability of tagSNPs between populations using a population sample of Sami, the indigenous people of Scandinavia. Array-based SNP discovery in a 4.4 Mb region of 28 phased copies of chromosome 21 uncovered 5,132 segregating sites, 3,188 of which had a minimum minor allele frequency (mMAF) of 0.1. Due to the population structure and consequently high LD, the number of tagSNPs needed to capture all SNP variation in Sami is much lower than that for the HapMap populations. TagSNPs identified from the HapMap data perform only slightly better in the Sami than choosing tagSNPs at random from the same set of common SNPs. Surprisingly, tagSNPs defined from the HapMap data did not perform better than selecting the same number of SNPs at random from all SNPs discovered in Sami. Nearly half (46%) of the Sami SNPs with a mMAF of 0.1 are not present in the HapMap dataset. Among sites overlapping between Sami and HapMap populations, 18% are not tagged by the European American (CEU) HapMap tagSNPs, while 43% of the SNPs that are unique to Sami are not tagged by the CEU tagSNPs. These results point to serious limitations in the transferability of common tagSNPs to capture random sequence variation, even between closely related populations, such as CEU and Sami. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Alien or endangered? Historical development of Chara connivens in the Baltic coastal waters and its implication for the species management

The occurrence of Chara connivens (Charophyta, Characeae) and its status in the Baltic Sea may raise controversies regarding its origin and historical dispersal pathways in the area. This study critically revises the protection status of C. connivens in the countries around the Baltic Sea, as well as its status on the red lists of endangered plant species (including the HELCOM Red List). The first reports on the presence of C. connivens in the Baltic Sea area were published in the aftermath of Carl Baenitz’s talks given in the early 1870s. Already then, the scientific community was well aware of the fact that C. connivens had been introduced as a ballast plant to the known Baltic areas of occurrence – the first known record of the species is from 1829. Since Poland is the only country where C. connivens is protected, the historical and contemporary distribution of this charophyte in the Polish coastal waters is presented against the background of the available historical and recent records of the species in the Baltic Sea. Recent reports from the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century have confirmed a fairly common occurrence of C. connivens in Estonia, Sweden and Poland. This species still occurs on the German coast and has also been reported from Finland (the Åland archipelago). In recent decades, however, the species was considered rare in the Baltic Sea area. In Poland, C. connivens was even classified as extinct, despite earlier data on its occurrence in the Vistula Lagoon in the 1970s, where it was rediscovered in 2011. It was also found in the Szczecin Lagoon a year later. Both localities well suit Luther’s pattern of C. connivens occurrence in areas with intensive shipping and ballast discharge operations in historical times. Based on this in-depth revision of historical and current distribution, it is postulated that C. connivens, as non-indigenous, should not be red-listed in the Baltic Sea area, following the example of Finland. Moreover, its legal status in Poland of a strictly protected species should be reconsidered.