Bioaccessibility and transport by Caco-2 cells of organoarsenical species present in seafood

Organoarsenical standards and raw and cooked seafood (DORM-2, sole, and Greenland halibut) were subjected to in vitro gastrointestinal digestion to estimate arsenic bioaccessibility (maximum soluble concentration in gastrointestinal medium). The in vitro digestion did not modify the chemical form of the organoarsenic species standards. In seafood, bioaccessibility was 67.5-100% for arsenobetaine (AB), 30% for dimethylarsinic acid (DMA), 45% for tetramethylarsonium ion (TETRA), and >50% for trimethylarsine oxide (TMAO). Cooking induced no changes in bioaccessible contents. In addition, transport by Caco-2 cells, an intestinal epithelia model, was evaluated from organoarsenical standards and DORM-2. For standards, transport ranged from 1.7% for AB to 15.5% for TETRA. In DORM-2, transport was observed for only AB (12%), with far higher efficiency than in the case of the standard solution, thus illustrating the interest of using whole foods for studying bioavailability.     

Safety evaluation of organoarsenical species in edible Porphyra from the China Sea

A study was carried out to determine arsenic species in Porphyra seaweed originating from the China Sea. Information about arsenic species in Porphyra was provided by HPLC-ICP-MS and ES-MS-MS. The total arsenic concentrations of Porphyra samples from five different producing areas ranged from 2.1 to 21.6 mg/kg. The analysis report also showed that arsenosugars were the only arsenic species that could be detected in all of the extracts of samples. Arsenosugar PO(4) was the major compound in most samples (0.3-13.9 mg/kg of dry weight), followed by arsenosugar OH (0.7-6.2 mg/kg of dry weight). A further experiment was done to investigate the stability of arsenosugars in the process of being heated. It was observed that the arsenosugars were stable during a short-term heating at 100 degrees C. Their stability in human ingestion was also studied. A substantial increase of dimethylarsinic acid (DMA) was detected in urine samples collected from six volunteers after the consumption of this seaweed. The results obtained indicated that arsenosugars had been metabolized to DMA, which is more toxic than arsenosugars. From this point of view, consumers should consider the possible adverse effects of edible Porphyra on human health and choose those Porphyra having lower arsenic concentrations.     

基于机器视觉技术的淡水鱼品种识别

为了后续加工便利,需要对打捞上来的淡水鱼进行分类,而且分类是淡水鱼加工前处理的重要工序之一。为了实现淡水鱼的自动分类,该研究通过收集常见的4种淡水鱼240条为试验样本,分别为鲢鱼、鲫鱼、鳊鱼和鲤鱼。通过运用机器视觉技术采集各种淡水鱼的图像,并运用数字图像处理技术对图像进行处理,提取其各个颜色分量及长短轴之比等特征值,最后运用该特征值建立有关淡水鱼的品种识别模型。研究表明,通过该识别模型可以完全实现对鲢鱼、鲫鱼、鳊鱼和鲤鱼这4种淡水鱼的品种的识别,准确率达到96.67%。机器视觉技术可以快速准确对常见的淡水鱼进行品种识别,具有较强的实际应用价值。     

Quantitative assessment of the rhizoplane microflora by direct microscopy

The bacterial populations on roots of several grassland species were estimated by combining the techniques of direct counting of stained bacteria in situ with standard sampling techniques of plant ecology. The eight plant species examined had bacterial cover of the root surface within the range 4–10 per cent. In a more detailed experiment with two plant species, the method was sufficiently precise to demonstrate that a 7.7 per cent cover of roots of Lolium perenne L. by bacteria was significantly different (P < 0-05) from a 6.3 per cent cover on Plantago lanceolata L. The length of fungal mycelium per unit root surface area was estimated by a modification of the line intercept method, which was originally developed for measuring root lengths. When hyphal diameters were also measured, fungal cover per cent and volume could be estimated.Estimates of the numbers of rhizoplane bacteria and fungi made by the spread-plate counting method on a non-selective agar showed that the mean number of bacteria from Lolium was greater (but not significantly different) than the counts on Plantago: however. Lolium did have significantly more Gram-negative bacteria as estimated by crystal violet agar than did Plantago.The numbers of bacteria estimated by direct microscopy were about 10-fold greater than estimates by plate counts. For a given period of time, direct microscopy gave a more precise estimate of total bacterial and fungal abundance than did plate counts hut the technique does require continuous concentration by the observer over long periods.     

Control of carbohydrate utilization by soil microflora

The control mechanisms regulating the utilization of carbohydrates by soil populations were examined. Glucose, fructose, galactose, lactose, cellobiose and xylose were added to the soil either separately or in combination with glucose and the formation and activity of enzymes catabolizing the individual carbohydrates were studied. No specific repression of the formation of carbohydrate-degrading enzyme by glucose was observed in the soil. The activity of galactose-degrading enzymes was inhibited in the presence of glucose, resulting in a sequential utilization of the two sugars. Similarly, the rate of utilization of lactose and, in part, of cellobiose was inhibited in the presence of glucose. The activity, rather than the synthesis, of the enzymes was thus inhibited by glucose; the inhibition was reversible.     

Plant species traits regulate methane production in freshwater wetland soils

Ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to anthropogenic stressors are the result of complex interactions between plants and microbes. A mechanistic understanding of how plant traits influence microbial processes is needed in order to predict the ecosystem-level effects of natural or anthropogenic change. This is particularly true in wetland ecosystems, where plants alter the availability of both electron donors (e.g., organic carbon) and electron acceptors (e.g., oxygen and ferric iron), thereby regulating the total amount of anaerobic respiration and the production of methane, a highly potent greenhouse gas. In this study, we examined how plant traits associated with plant inputs of carbon (photosynthesis and biomass) and oxygen (root porosity and ferric iron on roots) to mineral soils relate to microbial competition for organic carbon and, ultimately, methane production. Plant productivity was positively correlated with microbial respiration and negatively correlated to methane production. Root porosity was relatively constant across plant species, but belowground biomass, total biomass, and the concentration of oxidized (ferric) iron on roots varied significantly between species. As a result the size of the total root oxidized iron pool varied considerably across plant species, scaling with plant productivity. Large pools of oxidized iron were related to high CO₂:CH₄ ratios during microbial respiration, indicating that as plant productivity and biomass increased, microbes used non-methanogenic respiration pathways, most likely including the reduction of iron oxides. Taken together these results suggest that increased oxygen input from plants with greater biomass can offset any potential stimulation of methanogenic microbes from additional carbon inputs. Because the species composition of plant communities influences both electron donor and acceptor availability in wetland soils, changes in plant species as a consequence of anthropogenic disturbance have the potential to trigger profound effects on microbial processes, including changes in anaerobic decomposition rates and the proportion of mineralized carbon emitted as the greenhouse gas methane.     

基于鱼体特征点检测的淡水鱼种类识别

针对传统机器视觉技术对淡水鱼种类进行检测时特征提取过程复杂的问题,该研究提出了基于特征点检测的淡水鱼种类识别方法。以鳊、鳙、草鱼、鲢、鲤5种大宗淡水鱼为对象,构建了淡水鱼特征点检测数据集;以AlexNet模型为基础,通过减小卷积核尺寸、去除局部响应归一化、引入批量归一化、更换损失函数,构建了改进AlexNet模型用于特征点检测;并以特征点为依据提取特征值、构造特征向量,使用Fisher判别分析方法实现了淡水鱼的种类识别。试验结果表明：改进AlexNet模型在测试集上的归一化平均误差的均值为0.0099,阈值δ为0.02和0.03时的失败率F_0.02、F_0.03分别为2.50%和0.83%,具有较好的精准度和误差分布情况;基于该模型和Fisher判别分析的淡水鱼种类识别方法对5种淡水鱼的识别准确率为98.0%,单幅图像的平均识别时间为0.368 s,保证了时效性。由此可知,提出的改进AlexNet模型能实现淡水鱼的特征点检测并具有较高的精度,可为淡水鱼种类识别、尺寸检测、鱼体分割等提供条件,该方法可为淡水鱼自动化分类装置的研发奠定基础。     

Large-scale estimators of threatened freshwater catchment species relative to practical conservation management

Freshwater ecosystems are among the most threatened in the world. In light of the threats to freshwater biodiversity, it is essential to map the distribution and status of species to ascertain their threat status for prioritizing conservation action. However, while there is agreement that the conservation of freshwater ecosystems depends on whole-catchment management, there are still a wide variety of large-scale mapping methods in use, the advantages and disadvantages of which have not been fully explored. This study shows that area estimation based on minimum convex polygons should not be encouraged for aquatic species. The IUCN definition of area of occupancy (AOO) is a useful term, albeit highly scale-dependent, for assessment of the total approximate area over which a species occurs. However, for aquatic fauna, and perhaps many other organisms, assessment of occurrence should be based on the more accurate point-locality presences only. The IUCN extent of occurrence (EOO), for freshwater catchment species, should be redefined as ‘the sum of the smallest hydrological units identified, of presently known, inferred or projected occurrences of a taxon, excluding cases of vagrancy, that are used to estimate the threat to a taxon’. A single hydrological unit is also the conservation or management unit. Here we suggest that this unit is the quaternary catchment. This new mapping approach is more appropriate and practical for use in both management planning and conservation action. We suggest that conservation managers and decision makers facilitate co-operation in freshwater mapping efforts by working at the same spatial scale, i.e. the same hydrological unit.     

Uptake of selenium by freshwater phytoplankton

The uptake of three forms of Se, selenate, selenite and selenomethionine, was examined in three species of freshwater algae, Anabaena flos-aquae (Cyanophyceae), Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlorophyceae), and Cyclotella meneghiania (Bacillariophyceae) in a defined medium using radiotracers at Se concentrations representative of contaminated systems. Based on the relative accumulation by live vs. heat-killed cells, and linear accumulation through time, selenate accumulation by all three species appears to be a physiological process. However, selenite accumulation at these concentrations appears to be due largely to sorption rather than active uptake, as shown by rapid initial accumulation and the fact that accumulation by heat-killed cells was nearly equal to that of dead cells. Both selenate and selenite uptake rates increased linearly with concentration over the range of 1 to 50 µg L^–1. Selenomethionine uptake is a biological process with saturable uptake kinetics (K_s ranging from about 2 to 30 µg L^–1 Se), with much greater uptake rates than the other two forms, and little inactive sorbtion to heat-killed cells.     

Inorganic and organic mercury uptake and loss by the crayfish orconectes propinquus

Inorganic and organic Hg accumulation from food by the crayfish Orconectes propinquus was studied in the laboratory. Animals were fed pellets of dried cat food dosed in 1 jig g^?1 dw with ²⁰³Hg labeled HgCl₂ and CH₃HgCl over a two-week period. This was followed by a three-week depuration period which crayfish were fed uncontaminated food. At the end of each of these periods body tissues were analyzed for labeled Hg. ²⁰³Hg uptake from HgCl₂ followed the ranking: hepatopancreas > gills > exoskeleton > muscle. In all tissues there was evidence of Hg uptake from water via leaching from food although uptake was principally from food. Mercury uptake from CH₃HgCl followed the ranking: gills > muscle > hepatopancreas > exoskeleton. Only Hg accumulated from HgCl₂ by the hepatopancreas failed to depurate over the next three weeks. Mercury uptake by the hepatopancreas from CH₃HgCl was negligible. Results suggest a more rapid turnover of Hg in crayfish than in finfish.     

In vitro fermentation by human fecal microflora of wheat arabinoxylans

The fermentation of three arabinoxylan (AX) fractions from wheat by the human fecal microflora was investigated in vitro. Three AX fractions, with average molecular masses of 354, 278, and 66 kDa, were incorporated into miniature-scale batch cultures (with inulin as a positive prebiotic control) with feces from three healthy donors, aged 23-29. Microflora changes were monitored by the culture-independent technique, fluorescent in situ hybridization, and short chain fatty acid (SCFA) and lactic acid production were measured by high-performance liquid chromatography. Total cell numbers increased significantly in all treated cultures, and the fermentation of AX was associated with a proliferation of the bifidobacteria, lactobacilli, and eubacteria groups. Smaller but statistically significant increases in bacteroides and clostridia groups were also observed. All AX fractions had comparable bifidogenic impacts on the microflora at 5 and 12 h, but the 66 kDa AX was particularly selective for lactobacilli. Eubacteria increased significantly on all AX fractions, particularly on 66 kDa AX. As previously reported, inulin gave a selective increase in bifidobacteria. All supplemented cultures showed significant rises in total SCFA production, with a particularly high proportion of butyric acid being produced from AX fermentation. The prebiotic effect, that is, the selectivity of AX for bifidobacteria and lactobacilli groups, increased as the molecular mass of the AX decreased. This suggests that molecular mass may influence the fermentation of AX in the colon.     

基于蜂群优化多核支持向量机的淡水鱼种类识别

为了准确地进行淡水鱼种类自动识别,利用计算机视觉技术,提出了一种基于Krawtchouk矩、灰度共生矩阵、蜂群优化多核最小二乘支持向量机（least squares support vector machine,LS-SVM）的识别方法。首先获取淡水鱼样本的灰度图像,计算淡水鱼鱼体的长宽比、鱼头鱼尾的Krawtchouk矩不变量形状特征,求得鱼身的灰度共生矩阵纹理特征,将上述形状与纹理特征组合成高维特征向量,并输入到多核LS-SVM,通过人工蜂群（artificial bee colony,ABC）算法对多核LS-SVM中的待定参数进行寻优,ABC算法中的适应度函数为测试样本的识别精度;最后输出识别精度达到最高时的最优参数。利用该方法对鳊鱼、鳙鱼、鲫鱼、草鱼、青鱼5种淡水鱼进行了分类识别,对鳊鱼、鳙鱼、鲫鱼、草鱼4种鱼识别时,各类鱼的识别精度均达到95.83%以上,对鳊鱼、鳙鱼、鲫鱼、青鱼4种鱼识别时,各类鱼的识别精度均达到91.67%以上,对鳊鱼、鳙鱼、鲫鱼、草鱼和青鱼 5种鱼识别时,各类鱼的识别精度均达到83.33%以上;与近年来提出的淡水鱼识别方法、BP（back propagation）神经网络方法、单核LS-SVM方法相比,该方法的识别精度更高,从而可快速准确地识别淡水鱼的种类,提高水产养殖的自动化水平。     

Are rare species rare or just overlooked? Assessing the distribution of the freshwater bryozoan, Lophopus crystallinus

Given the widespread degradation of freshwater habitats, assessing the distributions of species that may be negatively or positively impacted should be of general interest. However, determining distributions of freshwater organisms that are small and patchily distributed and attached or sedentary is particularly problematic, as it is time consuming, inaccurate, and nearly impossible when the focal species is rare. Here we illustrate the use of indirect sampling approaches to survey the distribution of the rare freshwater bryozoan Lophopus crystallinus, a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan [Anonymous, 1999. UK Biodiversity Group Tranche 2 Action Plans. Invertebrates, vol. 4. Environment Agency, Peterborough, pp. 437-439.]. By utilising two complementary methods for sampling bryozoan propagules (statoblasts), namely the collection of debris samples and sediment cores, we achieved an efficient and integrative sampling of habitats across spatial and temporal scales. Analysis of 154 debris samples, encompassing 62 rivers and lakes, identified at least 16 new populations while analysis of 26 sediment cores provided evidence of current or very recent (in the last 10-20 years) occurrence in a further six localities. These results represent a more than 10-fold increase in the current recorded distribution of the species in the UK. Logistic regression analysis provided evidence that L. crystallinus is generally found in lowland sites and is tolerant of eutrophication. Our study exemplifies how integrative and indirect sampling approaches can greatly aid in assessing the conservation status of rare aquatic species and reveals, in this case, that the focal species is less rare than previously appreciated.     

Transformation processes involving mercury species in the atmosphere — results from a literature survey

Mercury is released into the atmosphere from natural and anthropogenic sources. Once in the air, Hg species will be dispersed, chemically and physically transformed, and transported over varying distances (regional, continental and global scales) while concurrently being subjected to removal processes. Modeling of the aerial transport and deposition of Hg to receptor sites offers an attractive approach for integrating existing experimental data and represents an important tool for advancing our understanding of environmental Hg pollution. Comprehensive modeling efforts of the atmospheric pathways and fate of this heavy metal require knowledge of its atmospheric chemistry. To update and consolidate available information relevant to the atmospheric chemistry of Hg, a computer-assisted search was undertaken of the primary scientific literature published during the last ten years. Selected results from this literature survey are presented in this paper.     

Importance of cryptic species for identifying ‘representative’ units of biodiversity for freshwater conservation

Nested systems of biodiversity classification are commonly used for designating protected area networks in terrestrial and marine realms. Whilst terrestrial-style protected areas are largely inappropriate for freshwater systems, the concepts of ‘representative’ biodiversity and ‘complementarity’ can be borrowed for freshwater conservation. Cryptic species are commonly found in freshwater macroinvertebrates and fish, and most have restricted distributions relative to the described conglomerate ‘species’. This indicates that ‘representative’ and therefore ‘complementary’ units of freshwater biodiversity may be smaller than previously appreciated. Using recently detected cryptic species in atyid shrimps from eastern Australia (Atyidae: Paratya australiensis, Caridina mccullochi and C. indistinca), we tested predictions about regional patterns of cryptic assemblage structure, endemism and Phylogenetic Diversity (PD) at the river scale, and discussed their implications for freshwater conservation. Patterns of distribution in these cryptic shrimp species largely corresponded with published distributional patterns of cryptic species in several freshwater fish in eastern Australia, and indicated the presence of four putative ecoregions within a previously recognised freshwater fish province (Eastern Province). However, some rivers had pronounced cryptic endemism, suggesting that rivers may not be ‘representative’ of one another’s biodiversity even within ecoregions. PD and endemism were largely correlated with one another, as endemics typically co-occurred with widespread species at the river scale. This study indicates that cryptic species can contribute to defining patterns of biodiversity at nested spatial scales that may be important for freshwater conservation.     

Transformation of the fungicide chlorothalonil by Fenton reagent

A modified Fenton reagent (Fe(3+)/H(2)O(2)) transformed the fungicide chlorothalonil within 60 min in aqueous solution at unadjusted pH. Transformation varied with ferric salt. Transformation was greatest with ferric nitrate and least when ferric sulfate was used. UV irradiation enhanced the transformation of chlorothalonil. The transformation of chlorothalonil was enhanced, which increased with ferric ion or hydrogen peroxide concentration. Maximum transformation was achieved at 2 mM ferric ion and 100 mM hydrogen peroxide. Additionally, chlorothalonil was more dechlorinated in the UV irradiation condition. The proposed reaction pathway includes reduction of chlorothalonil to trichloroisophthalonitrile, dichloroisophthalonitrile, and monochloroisophthalonitrile; oxidation of trichloroisophthalonitrile to trichloro-3-cyanobenzoic acid and 3-carbamyltrichlorobenzoic acid; and oxidation of hydroxychlorothalonil to trichloro-3-cyanohydroxybenzoic acid and trichlorocyanophenol.     

Effect of soil acidification on the soil microflora

The effects of short and long term acidification on a few Alberta soils were studied with respect to bacterial numbers and total soil respiration. Significant reductions in bacterial numbers were observed in both short and long term acidified soils. Total soil activity was severely affected in an acid soil (pH 3.0, longterm) adjacent to a S block. A soil (pH 6.8) 200 m away from this S block when artificially acidified to pH 2.9 significantly reduced soil activity but not as drastically as found in the long term pH 3.0 soil. A garden soil (pH 7.7) which was also acidified to pH 3.2 showed no significant reduction in total soil respiration rate as compared to its unacidified control soil. These acid soils when amended with organic substrates demonstrated that certain physiological groups of organisms were severely inhibited by this acid condition. The importance of examining more than one parameter when assessing the effect of a potential pollutant on soil activity is discussed.     

Effects of lead on the soil bacterial microflora

The sensitivity of soil bacteria towards Pb was investigated. Soil suspensions from fourteen different soil types with a high or low Pb content were plated out on soil extract agar containing various concentrations of PbCl₂.In agar with a high Pb content, higher bacterial counts were found with suspensions from Pb-containing soils than with those of soils with a low Pb content. In the Pb-containing soils, proportionally more gram-negative rods were present while coryneform bacteria decreased. In an additional experiment, in which Pb was added to a sandy soil, more Pb-tolerant bacterial strains were found 3 years later than in the same soil without Pb.When pure cultures of the bacteria isolated from the soils were tested in liquid media for Pb tolerance, a higher proportion of tolerant strains was found in Pb-containing soils. Among strains of gram-negative bacteria isolated from these soils a higher proportion of tolerant strains was found than in corneform bacteria.It was concluded that as a consequence of Pb pollution of soil a selection of Pb-tolerant bacteria may take place.     

Transformation of methylthio-s-triazines via sulfur oxidation by strain JUN7, a Bacillus cereus species

It is known that methylthio-s-triazines can be transformed to the corresponding 2-hydroxy derivatives through sulfoxides and sulfones in aerobic and flooded soil; however, production of sulfoxides and/or sulfones from methylthio-s-triazines by isolated s-triazine-degrading bacteria has not been reported yet. In the present study, a new bacterial strain, JUN7, was obtained from Japanese soil; the bacterium is capable of transforming simetryn to 2-methylsulfinyl 4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine (sulfoxide simetryn) and 2-hydroxy-4,6-bis(ethylamino)-s-triazine (2-hydroxy simetryn) in a Luria-Bertani (LB) medium. This is the first isolation of the specific microorganism that mediates sulfur oxidation of methylthio-s-triazines, as far as we know. Strain JUN7 could decrease other methylthio-s-triazines such as dimethametryn and prometryn, but not chlorinated s-triazines (atrazine, simazine, and terbuthylazine) and methoxy-s-triazine (atraton) in 1/10 LB medium. Strain JUN7 did not possessed gene atzA or trzN encoding triazine-degrading enzymes, suggesting that the strain may have another metabolic system. Characterizations of strain JUN7 based on comparative morphology, physiological classification, and comparison of the partial 16S rRNA sequence indicated that it is assigned as a Bacillus cereus species.