Capturing ultrasmall EMT zeolite from template-free systems

Small differences between the lattice energies of different zeolites suggest that kinetic factors are of major importance in controlling zeolite nucleation. Thus, it is critical to control the nucleation kinetics in order to obtain a desired microporous material. Here, we demonstrate how careful investigation of the very early stages of zeolite crystallization in colloidal systems can provide access to important nanoscale zeolite phases while avoiding the use of expensive organic templates. We report the effective synthesis of ultrasmall (6- to 15-nanometer) crystals of the large-pore zeolite EMT from template-free colloidal precursors at low temperature (30°C) and very high yield.     

Establishment of diagnostic criteria for feline nonflea-induced hypersensitivity dermatitis

Hypersensitivity dermatitides (HD) are commonly seen in cats, and they are usually caused by environmental, food and/or flea allergens. Affected cats normally present with one of the following clinical reaction patterns: head and neck excoriations, usually symmetrical self-induced alopecia, eosinophilic skin lesions or miliary dermatitis. Importantly, none of these clinical presentations is considered to be pathognomonic for HD skin diseases, and the diagnosis of HD is usually based on the exclusion of other pruritic diseases and on a positive response to therapy. The objectives of this study were to propose sets of criteria for the diagnosis of nonflea-induced HD (NFHD). We recruited 501 cats with pruritus and skin lesions and compared clinical parameters between cats with NFHD (encompassing those with nonflea, nonfood HD and those with food HD), flea HD and other pruritic conditions. Using simulated annealing techniques, we established two sets of proposed criteria for the following two different clinical situations: (i) the diagnosis of NFHD in a population of pruritic cats; and (ii) the diagnosis of NFHD after exclusion of cats with flea HD. These criteria sets were associated with good sensitivity and specificity and may be useful for homogeneity of enrolment in clinical trials and to evaluate the probability of diagnosis of NFHD in clinical practice. Finally, these criteria were not useful to differentiate cats with NFHD from those with food HD.     

Biodegradation of humic substances by microscopic filamentous fungi: chromatographic and spectroscopic proxies

Purpose

The study of interactions between humic substances (HSs) and soil filamentous fungi is the key to understanding the sustainable soil functioning. The present work aims to examine the decomposition of HSs by filamentous dark-pigmented fungus Alternaria alternatа under the laboratory conditions and to determine the effect of easily assimilable organic carbon on this process. Analyzing such polydisperse substances like HSs by a complex integrated methodology makes it possible to explore the data on their decomposition by microorganisms.

Materials and methods

To achieve the aforementioned goals, we used chromatographic and spectroscopic approaches: low-pressure size-exclusion and hydrophobic interaction chromatography accompanied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. To determine the effect cometabolism conditions produced on HS decomposition, two types of carbon substrates were added to the nutrient media: easily assimilable organic carbon (standard 0.3% or reduced 0.03% sucrose content) and hardly assimilable organic carbon (HSs), as well as their combinations. Five HS samples of different organic matter origin have been inspected: potassium humates (HPs) and humic acids (HAs) from coal, peat, and lignosulfonate. Correlation matrix and principal component analysis (PCA) were calculated for comprehensive data analysis.

Results and discussion

Transformations of the investigated HSs under fungal cultivation lead to the increase in the low molecular weight fraction, rise of hydrophilic fraction, enlargement of absorbance ratio A₂₅₀/A₃₆₅, shortening of the emission wavelength of the humic-type fluorescence, and growth in the fluorescence quantum yield measured with excitation at 355 nm. A positive correlation was observed between the accumulation of fungal biomass and the degree of HS decomposition. PCA analysis confirms that the difference in the results of HS decomposition largely depends on the sucrose content and the nature of HSs. We divided all the HS samples into four groups according to the degree of HS decomposition: original HS solutions, HPs altered using fungal cultivation at 0.03% sucrose, HAs after fungal cultivation at 0.03% sucrose, and finally, HSs (both HPs and HAs) after fungal cultivation at 0.3% sucrose.

Conclusions

In the laboratory experiments, we showed that (1) the isolated HAs were more effectively degraded than the parent HPs, and this process was more pronounced at a reduced sucrose content, and (2) the decomposition of stable organic compounds (HSs) was activated by the easily assimilable carbon sources (especially 0.3% sucrose) being present. We assume that it is the easily assimilable organic carbon that most likely triggers the HS degradation working as the priming effect in natural environments.

     

Ecological evaluation of polymetallic soil quality: the applicability of culture-dependent methods of bacterial communities studying

Purpose

This work aimed to study the effect of long-term polymetallic contamination on the state and parameters of soil bacterial communities, including the abundance of different groups of culturable bacteria and the activity of nitrification.

Materials and methods

Monitoring plots were located in the dry lake and surrounding area, which had been formerly used for the discharge of industrial waste. The soils in the 16 plots were characterized by extremely high levels of heavy metal pollution. This study evaluated the main soil physicochemical properties by various methods, total metal contents by X-ray analysis, mobile metal content by atomic absorption spectrophotometry, the abundance of chosen groups of culturable bacteria by inoculation on solid media, and nitrification activity from ammonium and nitrite oxidation rates.

Results and discussion

High adaptation capacity of microbial communities to long-term pollution was revealed through marked lack of decrease in the abundance of some of the bacterial groups in soils with high contamination levels. Among the bacteria determined by the colony count method, copiotrophic and spore-forming bacteria were the least sensitive to contamination, and actinomycetes were the most sensitive. The high levels of soil pollution with heavy metals had pronounced adverse effects on nitrification activity. The decrease in activity was strongly correlated with pollutant concentrations. The oxidation of nitrite was shown to be more affected by pollution that the oxidation of ammonium.

Conclusions

Some groups and parameters of culturable microorganisms can be used for soil status estimation under pollution conditions even though they are only a small fraction of the microbial community. The most sensitive parameter was the nitrification rate, while the number of actinomycetes was found to be most promising parameter among the groups of bacteria determined by plate counts. The use of sensitive groups of culturable microorganisms for bioindication purposes is a method, which may provide a cheap and sufficiently reliable tool for large-scale soil monitoring studies.

     

Generation,sink, and emission of greenhouse gases by urban soils at different stages of the floodplain development in Moscow

Purpose

The purpose of this research was to study the generation, sink, and emission of greenhouse gases by soils on technogenic parent materials, created at different stages of the Moskva River floodplain development (1—construction and 2—landscaping of residential areas).

Materials and methods

Field surveys revealed the spatial trends of concentration and emission of the greenhouse gases in following groups of soils: Retisols (RT-ab-ct) and Fluvisols (FL-hu, FL-hi.gl) before land engineering preparation for the construction, Urbic Technosols Transportic (TC-ub-ar.tn and TC-ub-hu.tn) at stage 1 and Urbic Technosols Folic (TC-ub-fo) at stage 2. CO₂ and CH₄ concentration in soils and their emission were determined using subsurface soil air equilibration tubes and the closed chamber method, respectively. Bacterial methane generation rate (MGR) and methane oxidation rate (MOR) were measured by kinetic methods.

Results and discussion

In natural soils MOR is caused only by intra-aggregate methanogenesis. The imbalance of methane generation and oxidation was observed in FL-hi.gl. It caused CH₄ accumulation in the profile (7.5 ppm) and its emission to the atmosphere (0.11 mg CH₄ m^?2 h^?1). RT-ab-ct acted as the sink of atmospheric methane. CO₂ emission was 265.1?±?24.0 and 151.9?±?37.2 mg CO₂ m^?2 h^?1 from RT-ab-ct and FL-hi.gl, respectively. In Technosols CH₄ concentration was predominantly low (median was 2.7, 2.9, and 3.0 ppm, in TC-ub-ar.tn, TC-ub-hu.tn, and TC-ub-fo, respectively), but due to the occurrence of peat sediments under technogenic material, it increased to 1–2%. Methane emission was not observed due to functioning of biogeochemical barriers with high MOR. In TC-ub-ar.tn and TC-ub-hu.tn, the barriers were formed at 60-cm depth. In TC-ub-fo, the system of barriers was formed in Folic and Technic horizons (at 10- and 60-cm depth). CO₂ emission was 2 times lower from TC-ub-ar.tn and TC-ub-hu.tn and 1.5 times higher from TC-ub-fo than from natural soils.

Conclusions

Greenhouse gas generation, sink, and emission by natural soils and Technosols in floodplain were estimated. CO₂ and CH₄ content in Technosols varied depending on the properties of parent materials. Technosols at stage 1 did not emit CH₄ due to formation of biogeochemical barriers—soil layers of high CH₄ utilization rates. Urbic Technosols (Folic) at stage 2 performed as a source of significant CO₂ emission.

     

Indicators of success for smart law enforcement in protected areas: A case study for Russian Amur tiger (Panthera tigris altaica) reserves

Although considerable conservation resources have been committed to develop and use law enforcement monitoring and management tools such as SMART, measures of success are ill‐defined and, to date, few reports detail results post‐implementation. Here, we present 4 case studies from protected areas with Amur tigers (Panthera tigris altaica) in Russia, in which indicators of success were defined and evaluated at each. The ultimate goal was an increase in tiger numbers to 1 individual/100 km² at each site. We predicted that improvements in law enforcement effectiveness would be followed by increases in prey numbers and, subsequently, tiger numbers. We used short‐term and long‐term indicators of success, including: (i) patrol team effort and effectiveness; (ii) catch per unit effort indicators (to measure reductions in threats); and (iii) changes in target species numbers. In addition to implementing a monitoring system, we focused on improving law enforcement management using an adaptive management process. Over 4 years, we noted clear increases in patrol effort and a partial reduction in threats. Although we did not detect clear trends in ungulate numbers, tiger populations remained stable or increased, suggesting that poaching of tigers may be more limiting than prey depletion. Increased effectiveness is needed before a clear reduction in threats can be noted, and more time is needed before detecting responses in target populations. Nonetheless, delineation of concrete goals and indicators of success provide a means of evaluating progress and weaknesses. Such monitoring should be a central component of law enforcement strategies for protected areas.     

In Vitro Anti-Orthohantavirus Activity of the High-and Low-Molecular-Weight Fractions of Fucoidan from the Brown Alga Fucus evanescens

The Hantaan orthohantavirus (genovariant Amur–AMRV) is a rodent-borne zoonotic virus; it is the causative agent of haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome in humans. The currently limited therapeutic options require the development of effective anti-orthohantavirus drugs. The ability of native fucoidan from Fucus evanescens (FeF) and its enzymatically prepared high-molecular-weight (FeHMP) and low-molecular-weight (FeLMP) fractions to inhibit different stages of AMRV infection in Vero cells was studied. The structures of derivatives obtained were determined using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. We found that fucoidan and its derivatives exhibited significant antiviral activity by affecting the early stages of the AMRV lifecycle, notably virus attachment and penetration. The FeHMP and FeLMP fractions showed the highest anti-adsorption activity by inhibiting AMRV focus formation, with a selective index (SI) > 110; FeF had an SI of ~70. The FeLMP fraction showed a greater virucidal effect compared with FeF and the FeHMP fraction. It was shown by molecular docking that 2O-sulphated fucotetrasaccharide, a main component of the FeLMP fraction, is able to bind with the AMRV envelope glycoproteins Gn/Gc and with integrin β3 to prevent virus–cell interactions. The relatively small size of these sites of interactions explains the higher anti-AMRV activity of the FeLMP fraction.     

Use of fish embryo biomarkers for the evaluation of mazut toxicity in marine environment

The risk of oil contamination, either through produced water discharges, accidents, or non-point-sources, has increased, and it is attributed with the negative impact on the Black Sea ecosystem, and especially in coastal waters. Coastal marine waters are known as the areas of fish and invertebrates spawning sites, including commercial species, which early developmental stages are highly sensitive to crude oil and its derivates. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of mazut at concentrations of 0.00001, 0.0001, 0.001, 0.01, 0.1, and 1 ml l−1 on the biomarker response in the developmental embryos (stages IV and V) of tubenose goby Proterorhinus marmoratus. We used the biomarkers of antioxidant enzyme activities, namely superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (PER) and glutathione reductase (GR). The non-uniform response on mazut impact at tested concentrations on fish embryos was shown. The best biomarker was peroxidase activity, which was highly sensitive to oil pollution and reflected the response of the organism on stressful environment. The imbalance between tested antioxidant enzyme activities was clearer at low and high levels of mazut, and it was less in the case of medium values. The obtained results can be applied for the development of oil toxicity tests for monitoring management and for perspectives of conservation ecology.     

Effect of nanoparticles on crops and soil microbial communities

Purpose

Nanoparticles (NPs) have received increased attention in recent past due to their unique distinct properties. Metal-based NPs are widely used in chemical and allied sector. Most of the research is directed to study the efficiency of NPs in medicine and agriculture. The aim of this review is to explore the possible threats posed by toxicity of various NPs on plants and microbial diversity.

Materials and methods

First, major sources of NPs to the environment were analyzed. The effects of metal-based NPs on the microbiota and plants are presented in this review. The results obtained by the authors during last 12 years of research are used.

Results and discussion

The exposure of soil to nanoparticles causes a decrease in soil microbial biomass and enzymatic activity, which impacts microbial community composition including yeasts, bacteria, fungi, and biological diversity. The effects of NPs on plants result in various types of abnormalities. Nanoparticles can also pose risks to human health.

Conclusions

Increased applications of NPs pose a threat to beneficial microbial communities as well as crops and soils. Thus, it is important to explore whether NPs could compromise crop yield, soil properties, soil organisms, and functional activities of soil.