Assessment of Different Soft Tissues of the Green-lipped Mussel Perna viridis (Linnaeus) as Biomonitoring Agents of Pb: Field and Laboratory Studies

An assessment of the different soft tissues (STs) of Pernaviridis as biomonitoring agents of Pb has not been specifically reported in the literature. Based on the results of our laboratory studies,different rates of accumulation and depuration of Pb in the different STs werefound and this might be due to different mechanisms of metal binding andregulation. At the end of depuration, Pb levels in the different STs of P. viridis were 3–100 times higher than those before Pb exposure. The high ratio of maximum to minimum Pb levels (160) and the similar patterns (althoughdifferent rates) of accumulation and depuration in the different STs forPb indicated that P. viridis is a good biomonitoring organism for Pband our conclusion is also supported by analysis of field samples collected fromcontaminated and uncontaminated sites. The distribution of Pb in the STssuggests that gills and byssus are better for the biomonitoring of Pb than the total ST.     

Relationship between apparent electrical conductivity and soil physical properties in a Malaysian paddy field

Site-specific crop management, well-established in some developed countries, is now being considered in developing countries such as Malaysia. The apparent electrical conductivity (EC_a) of the soil can be used as an indirect indicator of a number of soil physical properties and even crop yield. Commercially available EC_a sensors can efficiently develop the spatially dense data sets desirable in describing within-field spatial soil variability for precision farming. The main purpose of this study was to generate a variability map of soil EC_a within a Malaysian paddy field using a VerisEC sensor. The EC_a values were then compared with some soil variables within classes after delineation. Measured parameters were mapped using the kriging technique and their correlation with soil EC_a was determined. The study showed that the VerisEC can determine soil spatial variability, and can acquire soil EC_a information quickly. Spatial variability of shallow and deep EC_a showed the same patterns. Estimation of soil properties based on EC_a varied from one soil parameter to another and all could be estimated better by deep EC_a. Cross-validation results showed that shallow and deep EC_a, and also bulk density, gave more accurate estimates compared with other variables.     

The study of developmental capacity of vitrified mouse blastocysts in different straws after transfer to mouse pseudo pregnant

Vitrification is the commonly used method for long-term storage of pre-implantation mammalian embryos. It is an essential part of assisted reproductive technologies. The re-expansion rate, pregnancy and birth rate of vitrified blastocysts using CPS were compared with OPS and Conventional Straw. Female NMRI mice were injected with Gonadotrophins in order induce them for super ovulation. At that time the mice were sacrified by cervical dislocation and dissected of mouse abdomen. The uterine horns were existed blastocysts were collected in PBS and randomly allocated to four groups: vitrification in CPS, conventional straw, OPS and untreated controls. The vitrification solution was EFS40%. After storage for 1 month in liquid nitrogen, the blastocysts were thawed in 0.5 M sucrose for in vitro culture in M16 medium. After 6 h of culture, the numbers of expanded blastocysts was recorded and ready for transfer to uterus of pseudo pregnant mouse. The re-expansion rate of the CPS group (72.1%) was significantly higher (p < 0.05) than OPS (52.55) and C.S. (38.6%) groups. The pregnancy (70%) and birth rate (45%) of blastocysts in CPS were similar to those of fresh blastocysts (80% and 45.5%) and the pregnancy (10%) and birth rate (5.1%) in Conventional Straws lower than OPS (20 and 7.5%), but were not significantly different. Mouse blastocysts vitrified using CPS had a better result compared with OPS and Conventional Straw. The value of CPS for vitrification of blastocysts may also merit investigation.     

Effect of uneven application of azadirachtin on reproductive and anti-feedant behaviour of Rhyzopertha dominica (Coleoptera: Bostrichidae)

The effects of uneven application of an azadirachtin-enriched neem extract to wheat grain on the reproduction and feeding behaviour in Rhyzopertha dominica (F) were investigated. The evenness of distribution amongst individual wheat grains during grain treatment was not important in ensuring its effectiveness as an anti-feedant or as an insect growth regulator, provided that, overall, the grain was treated with an effective level of azadirachtin. The effect of azadirachtin on reproduction was not improved when the diluent application rates were increased from 0.5 ml kg⁻¹ to 5 ml kg⁻¹. Treating 10% of the grain was shown to provide the same level of protection as treating 100% of the grain. The anti-feedant effect of azadirachtin on the beetle was also unaffected by unevenness of treatment, provided that 50% of the grain was treated. The fact that azadirachtin remains effective even when application to grain is uneven may be advantageous in field situations where uniform distribution of insecticides is difficult to achieve. © 1999 Society of Chemical Industry     

Impacts of logging disturbance on hillslope saturated hydraulic conductivity in a tropical forest in Peninsular Malaysia

Using a constant-head permeameter we found an abrupt natural decrease in saturated hydraulic conductivity (K_s) within the upper 1.0-m soil profile of an Orthoxic Tropudult at the Bukit Tarek Experimental Catchments research area in tropical, Peninsular Malaysia. The depth at which low K_s could cause a perched water table in response to high-intensity rainfall, however, was too great to generate saturation overland flow on planar hillslopes in the study area. The effects of logging activity on K_s at five subsurface depths (0.1, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 m) on the non-roaded portion of the harvest area were examined at the three following sites, which differed in the degree of disturbance and recovery since timber harvesting: (1) selective logging conducted in the 1960s; (2) mechanized selective tree removal conducted 4 years ago; and (3) high-impact clear-cutting just prior to measurement. This recent logging greatly disturbed the soil surface (via compaction, topsoil/subsoil mixing, burning) and produced comparatively high variability in near-surface K_s. Changes in K_s at or below 0.25-m, however, were not detected with certainty at any sites. In terms of hillslope hydrologic response, the connectivity of zones of low K_s in the harvest area with dense networks of skid trails and terraces was identified as one of the most important consequences of timber harvesting, although this phenomenon was not quantified. We estimate the recovery time for near-surface K_s on the non-roaded hillslope to be less than 40 years.     

Effects of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on inflammatory factors in pregnant women: a randomized controlled trial

Previous studies have shown that inflammatory factors increases in pregnancy and is associated with several complications of pregnancy. The aim of this study was to assess effects of daily consumption of probiotic yoghurt on inflammatory factors in pregnant women. In a randomized clinical trial, seventy primigravid (the first pregnancy) and singleton pregnant women aged 18-30 years were assigned to two groups. Subjects consumed daily 200 g probiotic yoghurt containing Lactobacillus acidophilus La5 and Bifidobacterium animalis BB12 (10(7) CFU g(-1) for each) or 200 g conventional yoghurt for 9 weeks. Fasting blood samples were collected at baseline (28 weeks of gestation) and after intervention (37 weeks of gestation). Inflammatory factors, hs-CRP and TNF-alpha, were measured by Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Independent t-test was used to compare the two groups after intervention and paired-sample t-test compared variables before and after treatment. The results showed that the probiotic yogurt brought about a decrease in the serum hs-CRP level, from 10.44 +/- 1.56 to 7.44 +/- 1.03 microg mL(-1) (p = 0.041). There was no significant change in the conventional yogurt group in the serum hs-CRP level (12.55 +/- 1.57 to 14.51 +/- 1.62 microg mL(-1), p = 0.202). The probiotic yogurt had no effect on TNF-alpha (from 73.75 +/- 6.59 to 77.91 +/- 5.61 pg mL(-1), p = 0.633). Serum TNF-alpha did not change in the conventional yogurt group (p = 0.134). In conclusion probiotic yogurt significantly decreased hs-CRP in pregnant women but had no effect on TNF-alpha.     

Solvent-free oxidation of primary carbon-hydrogen bonds in toluene using Au-Pd alloy nanoparticles

Selective oxidation of primary carbon-hydrogen bonds with oxygen is of crucial importance for the sustainable exploitation of available feedstocks. To date, heterogeneous catalysts have either shown low activity and/or selectivity or have required activated oxygen donors. We report here that supported gold-palladium (Au-Pd) nanoparticles on carbon or TiO(2) are active for the oxidation of the primary carbon-hydrogen bonds in toluene and related molecules, giving high selectivities to benzyl benzoate under mild solvent-free conditions. Differences between the catalytic activity of the Au-Pd nanoparticles on carbon and TiO(2) supports are rationalized in terms of the particle/support wetting behavior and the availability of exposed corner/edge sites.     

Decolorization of Azo,Triphenylmethane and Anthraquinone Dyes by Laccase of a Newly Isolated <Emphasis Type="Italic">Armillaria</Emphasis> sp. F022

A newly isolated white-rot fungus, Armillaria sp. strain F022, was isolated from the decayed wood in a tropical rain forest. Strain F022 was capable of decolorizing a variety of synthetic dyes, including azo, triphenylmethane, and anthraquinone dyes, with an optimal efficiency of decolorization obtained when dyes added after 96 h of culture, with the exception of Brilliant Green. All of the tested dyes were decolorized by the purified laccase in the absence of any redox mediators, but only a few were completely removed, while others were not completely removed even when decolorization time was increased. The laccase, with possible contributions from unknown enzymes, played a role in the decolorization process carried out by Armillaria sp. F022 cultures, and this biosorption contributed a negligible part to the decolorization by cultures. The effect of dye to fungal growth was also investigated. When dyes were added at 0 h of culture, the maximum dry mycelium weight (DMW) values in the medium containing Brilliant Green were 1/6 of that achieved by the control group. For other dyes, the DMW was similar with control. The toxic tolerance of dye for the cell beads was excellent at least up to a concentration of 500 mg/l. The optimum conditions for decolorization of three synthetic dyes are at pH 4 and 40°C.