Planning Biodegradable Waste Management in Stockholm

The environmental impact of the management of biodegradable waste in Stockholm, based mainly on incineration and landfilling, was compared to systems with significant nutrient recycling; large-scale composting, anaerobic digestion, and separate collection and utilization of urine. The systems' emissions, residual products, energy turnover, and resource consumption were evaluated from a life-cycle perspective, using a computerized model, ORWARE (ORganic WAste REsearch model).
Transportation was of relatively low importance to overall environmental impact, even at high rates of nutrient recycling. This is remarkable considering the geographical setting of Stockholm, with high population density and little nearby farmland. Ancillary systems, such as generation of electricity and district heating, were crucial for the overall outcome.
Increased recycling of nutrients in solid biodegradable waste in Stockholm can reduce net environmental impact, whereas separation of human urine to be spread as fertilizer cannot yet be introduced without increased acidification. Increased nutrient recycling from solid biodegradable waste inevitably increases spreading of metals on arable land. Urine is by far the least contaminated residual product. Spreading of all other residuals would be limited by their metal content.     

Otolith morphology, microstructure and ageing in the hedgehog seahorse, Hippocampus spinosissimus (Weber, 1913)

The life history characteristics of many species of seahorse, including the hedgehog seahorse Hippocampus spinosissimus, make them sensitive to exploitation. Consequently, proper management tools must be employed; these are often based on reliable ageing. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibility of using otoliths for ageing hedgehog seahorses from Vietnam. Asteriscus, lapillus and sagitta all showed moderate to strong correlations between fish standard length (SL), otolith length and number of increments in seahorses between 83 and 188 mm SL. There were no annual or seasonal marks in any of the three otolith pairs observed using dissecting or light microscopy, and only asteriscus revealed microincrements under light microscopy. The number of increments ranged between 71 and 137. A full trajectory of lapillar microincrements was only visible when using scanning electron microscopy, and then only in two of the examined individuals (88 and 115 increments). A validation experiment showed that the number of increments in the asterisci did not correspond to the age of seahorses bred and reared for 717 and 868 days. Furthermore, a second validation study using Alizarine Complexone (ALZ) otolith marking did not reveal any increments peripheral to the ALZ mark 30 days after marking. The conclusion of the study was that otoliths do not at present provide a reliable tool for estimating age in adult hedgehog seahorses, and therefore other tools have to be employed to improve their management.     

Dirhodium(II) tetrakis[N,N-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidone-5(S)-carboxamide]. Structural effects on enantioselection in metal carbene transformations

The preparation and structural characterization of dirhodium(II) tetrakis[N,N-dimethyl-2-pyrrolidone-5(S)-carb- oxamide], Rh₂(5S-DMAP)₄, a new sterically-demanding catalyst for enantioselective metal carbene transformations, is described. The pyrrolidone ligands are arrayed around the dirhodium(II) core with two oxygen and two nitrogen donor atoms, each oriented cis, bound to each octahedral rhodium. The crystal structure of this compound has been determined to be that of Rh₂(5S-DMAP)₄(CH₃CN)₂·CH₃CN·6H₂O: space group P2₁2₁2₁ with cell constants a= 12.685(4), b=15.050(3), c=24.035(4) Å; V=4588.5(1.9) ų, Z=4, R=0.0316, Rh---Rh DISTANCE =2 4538(5) Å. Decreased activity for diazodecomposition catalyzed by Rh₂(5S-DMAP)₄ is observed, and enantiocontrol for cyclopropanation and carbon-hydrogen insertion is lower than expected by analogy to the corresponding di- rhodium(II) tetrakis[methyl 2-pyrrolidone-5(S)-carboxylate], Rh₂(5S-MEPY)₄ Electronic stabilization of the in- termediate metal carbene is absent in reactions catalyzed by Rh₂(5S-DMAP)₄.     

pHi regulation in Ehrlich mouse ascites tumor cells: Role of sodium-dependent and sodium-independent chloride-bicarbonate exchange

pH _i recovery in acid-loaded Ehrlich ascites tumor cells and pH _i maintenance at steady-state were studied using the fluorescent probe BCECF.Both in nominally HCO ₃ ^– -free media and at 25 mm HCO ₃ ^– , the measured pH _i (7.26 and 7.82, respectively) was significantly more alkaline than the pH _i . value calculated assuming the transmembrane HCO ₃ ^– gradient to be equal to the Cl^– gradient. Thus, pH _i in these cells is not determined by the Cl^– gradient and by Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– exchange.pH _i recovery following acid loading by propionate exposure, NH ₄ ⁺ withdrawal, or CO₂ exposure is mediated by amiloride-sensitive Na⁺/H⁺ exchange in HCO₃ ^– free media, and in the presence of HCO ₃ ^– (25 mm) by DIDS-sensitive, Na⁺-dependent Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– exchange. A significant residual pH _i recovery in the presence of both amiloride and DIDS suggests an additional role for a primary active H⁺ pump in pH _i regulation. pH _i maintenance at steady-state involves both Na⁺/H⁺ exchange and Na⁺-dependent Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– exchange.Acute removal of external Cl^– induces a DIDS-sensitive, Na⁺-dependent alkalinization, taken to represent HCO ₃ ^– influx in exchange for cellular Cl^–. Measurements of ³⁶Cl^– efflux into Cl^–-free gluconate media with and without Na⁺ and/or HCO ₃ ^– (10 mm) directly demonstrate a DIDS-sensitive, Na⁺ dependent Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– exchange operating at slightly acidic pH _i (pH_o 6.8), and a DIDS-sensitive, Na⁺-independent Cl^–/HCO ₃ ^– exchange operating at alkaline pH _i (pH _o 8.2).The excellent technical assistance of Marianne Schiødt and Birgit B. Jørgensen is gratefully acknowledged. The work was supported by the Carlsberg Foundation (B.K.) and by a grant from the Danish Natural Science Foundation (E.K.H. and L.O.S.).     

Effect of maternal serum on viability and function of early human placental explants

Summary Fetal bovine serum (FBS) is frequently used to supplement chemically defined media such as Ham’s F10 when studying placental explant cultures. However in vitro production of hormones is usually declining by the 2nd or 3rd day and is short-lived (7 to 10 days). In this study we explored the use of human maternal serum (HMS) from early gestation as the medium supplement to Ham’s F10. Early placental hormone production was compared using two concentrations of FBS and HMS. On Day 3 of incubation, progesterone production in 10% HMS was 12-fold increased over that in 10% FBS, estradiol production was increased 10-fold, and βhCG production more than 3-fold. When the serum concentrations were increased to 40%, the results in all cases were similar to those at 10%. Preliminary characterization studies revealed that the stimulatory activity of HMS is heat-labile, neither extractable into organic solvent (diethyl ether) nor dialyzable, suggesting that it is protein in nature. In a long-term incubation, compared with FBS (7 days), HMS permitted survival of culture up to 30 days, judged both histologically and biochemically. We conclude that HMS provides substance(s), probably protein in nature, not present in FBS or non-pregnant human serum, which are important for human placental viability and function in vivo.     

Disturbance events affecting phytoplankton biomass,composition and species diversity in a shallow,eutrophic, temperate lake

The seasonal changes in phytoplankton biomass and species diversity in a shallow, eutrophic Danish lake are described and related to different disturbance events acting on the phytoplankton community.Both the spring diatom maximum and the summer bloom of the filamentous blue-green alga, Aphanizomenon flos-aquae (L.) Ralfs, coincided with low values of phytoplankton species diversity and equitability. Diatom collapse was mainly due to internal modifications as nutrient depletion (Si, P) caused by rapid growth of phytoplankton, and increased grazing activity from zooplankton. A large population of Daphnia longispina O.F. Müller in June effectively removed smaller algal competitors, thus favouring the development of a huge summer bloom (140 mm³ l^–1) of Aphanizomenon flos-aquae. Heavy rainfall and storms in late July increased the loss of Apahnizomenon by out-flow and disturbed the stratification of the lake. These events caused a marked decline in phytoplankton biomass but had no effect on species diversity. A second storm period in late August circulated the lake completely and was followed by a rapid increase in phytoplankton diversity, and a change in the phytoplankton community structure from dominance of large, slow-growing K-selected species (Aphanizomenon) to small, fast-growing r-selected species (cryptomonads).     

Effects of cystic fibrosis serum on the rat parotid gland

Summary Injections of serum from human patients with cystic fibrosis into adult rats caused pronounced structural modifications and increased mitotic rate in the parotid gland. Mitotic rate was increased from a low level of 0.02/1,000 acinar cells in parotid glands of adult rats to 6.5/1,000 acinar cells after 2 or 3 days of serum injection. At the light and electron microscopic levels, significant acinar cell atrophy and degranulation were observed. Cellular necrosis, and increases in quantity of lysosome-like dense bodies, mast cells, and macrophages were also detected. These changes are suggestive of tissue response to injurious foreign protein. Furthermore, the fact that normal sera pronounced the same kind of effects (but greatly reduced in extent) strengthens the view that these effects result from the immunologic response of the host organ to foreign antigen. Since, however, the responses of the rat parotid to cystic fibrosis serum were considerably more marked than those elicited by normal serum, the rat parotid may thus have potential usefulness in assaying for the presence of human cystic fibrosis factor.This work was supported in part by U.S.P.H.S. Grant DE 02110The authors wish to thank Dr. Alexander Spock, Cystic Fibrosis Center, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, and Dr. Ralph Tiller, Children's Hospital, University of Alabama Medical Center, for generously supplying blood from patients with cystic fibrosis. The authors also want to thank Dr. A. Siegel, Department of Pathology, University of Alabama Medical Center, and Mr. R. Siegel, for determinations of serum catecholamine levels     

Structure of amplified normal and variant dihydrofolate reductase genes in mouse sarcoma S180 cells

We constructed a gene library from a murine cell line with amplified dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) genes by inserting random segments of DNA into lambda Ch4A. From this library, the dhfr gene and 30 kilobase pairs of surrounding DNA were cloned, and the restriction map was determined. All of the coding regions were sequenced and show that the gene spans a total of 31 kilobase pairs and has five intervening sequences in the coding portion of the gene. In addition, two classes of variant dhfr genes were found in the amplified line, which were amplified and present at levels of 10 to 30% of the normal dhfr genes. Numerous repeated sequences were located throughout the gene region, some of which share homology with previously defied families of repeats.