Relation of acid-volatile sulfides (AVS) with metals in sediments from eutrophicated estuaries: Is it limited by metal-to-AVS ratios?

Purpose

The role of acid-volatile sulfide (AVS) as a factor affecting (or reflecting the environmental conditions influencing) the behavior of metals has been evidenced in anoxic sediments. However, sediment quality studies tend not to consider any potential AVS role when sum of simultaneously extracted metal (ΣSEM) concentrations exceed AVS concentrations, restricting the application of the AVS model to predict toxicity, rather than coupling this model (when applicable) with other possible interpretations of metal–AVS relations.

Materials and methods

The relations between total organic carbon (TOC), AVS, and simultaneously extracted Fe, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn were investigated in sediment cores from two eutrophicated estuaries in Guanabara Bay (SE Brazil) in order to contribute to our understanding about metal–AVS relations in conditions of variable ΣSEM and AVS levels, due to gradients of eutrophication and metal contamination.

Results and discussion

Correlation analyses indicated a more important role of TOC, AVS, and Fe in the mechanisms affecting trace metal distribution in the less eutrophicated estuary. This suggests that AVS was a more important binding phase, or at least a better proxy for biogeochemical conditions affecting metal distribution, when it exceeds the sum of simultaneously extracted Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn concentrations (ΣSEM). However, this potential role of AVS in anoxic estuarine sediments should not be discarded before evaluating individual metals–AVS relations even when ΣSEM levels exceed AVS levels, since the biogeochemical controls on the behavior of individual metals may be also related to metal–AVS associations in this situation (as indicated for Cu and Ni in the more eutrophicated estuary). The same is suggested for all AVS-based approaches, such as the (ΣSEM???AVS)/f _OC (organic carbon normalization of excess ΣSEM), since (ΣSEM???AVS)/f _OC values were mostly positive and significantly higher in the more eutrophicated estuary.

Conclusions

Although the importance of metal relations to AVS in evaluating individual metal behavior in anoxic estuarine sediments may not be restricted to situations in which AVS levels exceed ΣSEM levels (as observed for Ni and Cu in the present study), metal–AVS relations were apparently favored in this situation. Approaches in this way are recommended for future research, coupling the possibilities of metal behavior interpretations (and often predictions) allowed by AVS models.     

Metabolic changes of Malvasia grapes for wine production during postharvest drying

Malvasia (Vitis vinifera L.) grapes were harvested at 17.8% of soluble solids content (SSC) and placed inside an innovative dehydration room where temperature, relative humidity, and air flow were maintained, respectively, at 15 degrees C, 40%, and 1-1.5 m s(-1). Weight loss of bunches reached approximately 33% in 29 days. SSC increased inversely proportionally with the weight decrease, reaching at the end of experiment 23%. Abscisic acid (ABA) increased rapidly from around 29 to 80 microg g(-1) of dry weight at 11.7% of bunch weight loss and then declined gradually. Lipoxygenase (LOX) showed the same behavior as ABA, whereas alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH), read in the way of ethanol oxidation, increased continuously when the weight loss reached approximately 19.5%. In parallel with the activity of LOX, C6 compound [hexanal, hex-1-enol, (E)-hex-2-enal] concentrations reached a peak at 11.7% of weight loss, whereas ethanol and acetaldehyde increased with the increase of ADH and successively decrease and ethyl acetate increased. Proline increased initially as ABA and successively with the increase of ADH, 5.3-fold increase versus 4.2-fold increase of proteins. Postharvest dehydration of Malvasia grapes shows a biphasic pattern: a first metabolic stress response up to 11.7% of bunch weight loss and a second stress response beyond 19.5% of weight loss. The metabolic mechanism of these postharvest water stress responses is discussed.     

Use of combined conventional and real-time PCR to determine the epidemiology of feline haemoplasma infections in northern Italy

Although knowledge of feline haemotropic mycoplasmas (haemoplasmas) has dramatically improved in recent years, some issues still remain to be elucidated. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the prevalence of feline haemoplasma infections in blood samples collected from cats in northern Italy. A convenience-sample of 307 cats (40 anaemic; 258 non-anaemic; nine with unknown haematocrit [HCT]) was investigated using polymerase chain reaction assays. Furthermore, the date of blood collection, signalment and clinicopathological data were retrospectively evaluated to assess predictors and risk factors for infection. Haemoplasma infections were highly prevalent in the sample investigated with an overall prevalence of 18.9% (95% confidence interval: 14.5-23.3%). The prevalence for the three feline haemoplasmas was 17.3% for 'Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum' (CMhm), 5.9% for Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf) and 1.3% for 'Candidatus Mycoplasma turicensis' (CMt). Feline immunodeficiency virus-positive status represented a risk factor for infection with an odds ratio of 4.19 (P=0.02). Moreover, a higher prevalence was observed in summer (odds ratio 1.78; P=0.04) which may be consistent with arthropod-borne disease transmission. Cats infected with Mhf showed significantly lower HCT (P=0.03), haemoglobin values (P=0.02) and red blood cell counts (P=0.04), lower mean corpuscular haemoglobin concentration (P<0.01) and higher white blood cell counts (P<0.01) when compared with non-infected cats.     

Glorious past, uncertain present, bad future? Assessing effects of land-use changes on habitat suitability for a threatened farmland bird species

Land-use changes have strong impacts on biological communities. Among them, land abandonment is threatening a large number of conservation-concern species associated with semi-natural habitats shaped by ‘traditional’ farming. We focused on the red-backed shrike as a model for investigating the effect of land abandonment on a threatened bird species, and used historical data to model dynamic scenarios. We explored variations in habitat suitability from the 1950s to the present and predicted possible future variations. After investigating local habitat preferences of the species, we formulated a spatially explicit model of habitat suitability for shrikes according to current land-use types; then, we evaluated past habitat suitability, by applying the model to three known past scenarios, and simulated the habitat changes after land abandonment. By combining a habitat-association approach with past and future land use scenarios, we assessed and predicted the effects of habitat changes caused by abandonment. Shrike occurrence was favoured by the cover of four types of grassland and of shrubland with trees, and negatively affected by broadleaved woodlands. The current average habitat suitability is less than half of what it was in the 1950s. Future predictions in a complete abandonment scenario suggest that important decrease could be expected 10 or 20 years after abandonment, and that after 30 years the red-backed shrike would be completely extinct. Alternative scenarios involving partial abandonment suggested that subsidy policies may mitigate the effects of abandonment. Knowing land-use dynamics allowed the exploration of effects of land-use changes and corroborated the importance of low-intensity farming for conservation.     

Evolution and adaptedness in a facultatively apomictic grass, Poa pratensis L.

Summary Facultative apomixis confers great adaptedness and evolutive potential on biotypes belonging to the Poa pratensis L. agamic complex. Pioneering and recent research have dealt with and sometimes elucidated different aspects of apomictic expression, such as cytological mechanisms, distribution patterns, genetic control and environmental effects, in this species. We carried out an investigation on the mode of reproduction expressed in Italian natural populations, cultivars and selected genotypes together with an extensive time (56 years) and space (six countries) review in order to obtain a comprehensive picture of apomixis expression in P. pratensis. Histograms of the estimations were prepared. They showed that, due to breeder and natural selection, both cultivars and natural populations very frequently expressed a high degree of apomixis. Variations in the degree of apomixis across generations, different pollen donors, environments and estimation levels were generally low. It would, therefore, seem that the tenet which holds that apomixis in P. pratensis is strongly influenced by external factors should be reconsidered. Despite the fact that little is known of the genetic, physiological and molecular control underlying apomixis, the overall picture that emerges from our study helps to explain how the balance between sexual and asexual reproduction confers extreme versatility, adaptedness and evolutive capacity on this remarkable grass.     

Occurrence, inheritance and use of reproductive mutants in alfalfa improvement

The widespread occurrence of 2ngametes (i.e. gametes with the somatic chromosome number) in the Medicago sativa-coerulea-falcata complex supports the concept that gene flow from diploid to tetraploid species occurs continuously in nature and plays a key role in alfalfa evolution. Breeders realized early that gene transfer between ploidy levels via 2n pollen and 2n eggs would have had potential use in cultivated alfalfa improvement. Cytological investigations provided insights into the types of meiotic abnormalities responsible for the production of 2n gametes. Alterations were defined as genetically equivalent to first (FDR) or second division restitution(SDR) mechanisms. For breeding purposes,data have proven that 2n gametes of the FDR type are more advantageous than those obtained by SDR for transferring parental heterozygosity and retaining epistatic interactions. The use of diploid meiotic mutants that produce 2ngametes is now recognized as one of the most effective methods available for exploiting heterosis and introgressing wild germplasm traits into cultivated tetraploid alfalfa via unilateral (USP) and bilateral sexual polyploidization (BSP) schemes. Both2n egg and 2n pollen producers could be used for direct gene transfer from wild diploid relatives into cultivated alfalfa by means of 2x-4x and4x-2x crosses. Although data have shown that forage yield improvement can be achieved when plants are sexually tetraploidized, problems related to reduced plant fertility and seed production remain largely unexplained. Apomixis has the potential of cloning plants through seed and thus provides a unique opportunity for developing superior tetraploid cultivars with permanently fixed heterosis and epistatic effects. A main goal in alfalfa breeding could be the introduction of functional apomixis (i.e. Apomeiosis and parthenogenesis) in cultivated alfalfa stocks. In the future, the efficiency of alfalfa breeding programs based on the use of reproductive mutants could be improved by direct selection at the genotype level using RFLPs and PCR-based markers. Suitable DNA markers and detailed linkage maps of alfalfa mutants should help to discover apomictic mutants and address basic genetic issues such as the extent of genomicre combination in polyploid hybrids and the effect of sexual polyploidization on heterosis. Molecular markers have recently been used in alfalfa for studying the inheritance of 2n gamete formation and identifying polymorphisms associated to genes involved in meiotic abnormalities. Molecular tagging of 2n egg and 2n pollen formation not only should explain the genetic control and regulation of these traits, but may also be an essential step towards marker-assisted selection of 2n gamete producers and implementation of USP and BSP breeding schemes. Future perspectives include strategies for the map-based cloning of genomic DNA markers,and screening of EST mini-libraries related to flowers at different developmental stages from meiotic mutants and wild-type scan lead to the identification of mRNAs and thus of candidate genes that control 2n gamete formation in alfalfa. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Regional habitat conservation priorities for the American crocodile

The American crocodile is widely distributed in coastal and lowland wetlands in the northern Neotropics. As a result of commercial skin hunting in the 20th century, populations were greatly diminished, but in many areas have initiated a period of recovery since hunting and trade controls were enacted in the 1980s and 1990s. While a great deal of attention has been devoted to regulated commercial use as a management strategy for recovering crocodilian populations, these approaches are limited in their efficacy to deal with issues of habitat loss and fragmentation. Because habitat limitations are expected to be the most critical issue for crocodile conservation in the 21st century, there is an unfulfilled need for alternative strategies that prioritize habitat conservation. Here, we present results of an international effort to identify and prioritize the most critical habitats for this wide ranging species. We quantified information of a group of American crocodile experts and classified 69 areas in eight distinct crocodile bioregions as Crocodile Conservation Units (CCU), the most important areas for the conservation of this species. The relative importance of the CCUs in each bioregion was quantified using an algorithm that weighted factors that the experts considered to be most important for the long term conservation of viable populations of crocodiles. This effort is the initial step in the development of a regional conservation plan for the American crocodile. We identified two bioregions in particular where the creation of protected areas should be given a high priority, the Dry Pacific South America (northern Peru and southern Ecuador) and the Northwest and Central Pacific Mexico.     

Olive oil mill wastewater treatment using a chemical and biological approach

Olive oil mill wastewaters (OMW) are recalcitrant to biodegradation for their toxicity due to high values of chemical oxygen demand (COD), biological oxygen demand (BOD), and phenolic compounds. In the present study OMW, collected in southern Italy, were subjected first to a chemical oxidative procedure with FeCl3 and then to a biological treatment. The latter was performed in a pilot plant where mixed commercial selected bacteria, suitable for polyphenols and lipid degradation, were inoculated. The effect of treatments was assessed through COD removal, reduction of total phenols, and decrease of toxicity using primary consumers of the aquatic food chain (the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus and the crustacean Daphnia magna). The results showed that the chemical oxidation was efficacious in reducing all parameters analyzed. A further decrease was found by combining chemical and biological treatments.     

Use of Trichoderma spp. and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi to increase soil beneficial population of bacteria in a nectarine commercial orchard: Effect on root growth,nutrient acquisition and replanting disease

The aim of the present experiment was to evaluate the effect of commercial Trichoderma and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF)-based bio-fertilizers on nectarine root growth, nutrient acquisition and replanting disease. The experiment was performed from 2008 to 2012 in an A. mellea-infected nectarine orchard subjected to the following treatments: 1) untreated control; 2) AMF-biofertilizer applied at planting (120 kg ha^?1) and every year in spring and autumn at the rate of 6 kg ha^?1; 3) Trichoderma spp applied at planting (5 g plant^?1) and every year (in April, May and September) at 2.5 kg ha^?1. AMF bio-fertilizers decreased root diameter and increased root survivorship. Leaf phosphorus concentration increased in AMF bio-fertilizers plots, while no significant treatments effects were observed on other leaf nutrient concentration. Although biofertilizer application did not affect soil microbial population, at the end of the trial (2012) the application of Trichoderma alone increased the population of the fungus.     

Metal ions restore the proteolytic resistance of denatured conglutin gamma, a lupin seed glycoprotein, by promoting its refolding

The susceptibility to trypsin of conglutin gamma, a lupin seed glycoprotein affected by this enzyme only when in a non-native conformation, was used to study the effect of Zn(2+) and other metal ions on the structural dynamics of the protein. When acid-treated trypsin-susceptible conglutin gamma was incubated at neutral pH in the presence of Zn(2+), it became resistant to tryptic attack, contrary to the protein treated in the absence of Zn(2+). The time course of this refolding event has been quantitatively evaluated by SDS-PAGE. Amino acid sequencing of the major polypeptide fragments, produced by trypsin before completion of the refolding process, indicated that only a few cleavable bonds were accessible to the enzyme. This suggested that the presence of metal ions affected the pathway of degradation of the protein, by inducing its folding. Among the other metal ions tested, Ni(2+) also promoted the adoption of a trypsin-resistant conformation of conglutin gamma, whereas Mn(2+) and Ca(2+) had only much lower effects. The relevance of these findings for a deeper understanding of the in vivo degradation of plant food proteins and how it is affected by metal ions are discussed.