Assessment of environmental quality and inland water pollution using biomarker responses in caged carp (Cyprinus carpio): Use of a bioactivation:detoxication ratio as a Biotransformation Index (BTI)

In the present study the bioaccumulation of poly chlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) as well as the responses of a suite of biochemical parameters were investigated in a standardized carp (Cyprinus carpio) fish line. Carps were caged for 2 to 8 weeks at two Amsterdam freshwater sites: the relatively unpolluted Outer IJ and the heavily polluted Volgermeerpolder. The primary objective of the experiments was to develop a reliable and reproducible method to monitor the inland water pollution and to classify the environmental quality of freshwater sites. The highest tissue levels of organic trace pollutants were generally found in carp that was caged for at least four weeks at the polluted site. Hepatic phase I enzymes showed the highest pollution-induced responses, while phase II enzymes and serum transaminases were less sensitive. The antioxidant enzymes showed virtually no response to pollutants. In order to assess effects on the balance between bioactivation and detoxication the ratio between phase I (EROD) and phase II (GST or UDPGT) activities was introduced as a biotransformation index (BTI). Highest BTI values were observed in carp that was caged for 4 to 6 weeks at the polluted site. The BTI values decreased after eight weeks of exposure due to elevated phase II activities.     

Construction and post-construction behaviour of a geogrid-reinforced steep slope

A geogrid reinforced steep slope was built and monitored during construction and during the first ten months of service. The slope is located between Régua and Reconcos in the new Portuguese main itinerary, IP3, and is a part of reestablishment 2. The reinforced slope has an extension of about 206.2m, is in curve and the reinforced area reaches a maximum height of about 19.6m in the outside curve slope at 150.0m of extension (km 0+150). The monitored slope cross section is at km 0+150. The reinforcements are high density polyethylene geogrids;. materials with different tensile strength values were used. The reinforcement strains were measured at three reinforcement levels using linear extensometers. The soil vertical stresses were recorded using load cells. The internal horizontal displacements of the slope were recorded using two inclinometer tubes. The face displacements were recorded topographically in points spaced approximately 1.2m vertically along the face of the slope on the km 0+150 cross section. The reinforced slope behaviour was observed during a period of about 13 months, which includes three months of construction period. This way it was possible to obtain information about the slope behaviour during and after construction (the first 10 months of service). The behaviour of the observed reinforced slope is characterized by: low values of face displacements, slope internal horizontal displacements and reinforcement strains; change of the face displacements configuration at the end of construction during service;tendency to stabilization of the horizontal displacements in a relatively short period of service; change, during service, of the position of the line passing through the points of the reinforcements where maximum strains were recorded. The reinforced slope behaviour express the conservative design of Equilibrium Limit methods and encourage the research on new design methods for geosynthetic reinforced soil systems.     

COHERENT GENERATION OF NARROW-BAND CIRCULARLY POLARIZED RADIO BURSTS FROM THE SUN AND FLARE STARS

It is shown that narrow-band radio bursts of right- and left-hand circular polarizations from the Sun and flare stars can be produced via nonlinear conversion of Langmuir waves into high-frequency electromagnetic electron cyclotron waves near the plasma frequency by coupling to low-frequency electromagnetic cyclotron waves such as Alfvén-ion cyclotron or magnetosonic-whistler waves.     

Numerical Prediction of the Boundary-Layer Flow Over the Bolund Hill: Assessment of Turbulence Models and Advection Schemes

Boundary-Layer Meteorology - The WindStation software package is applied to simulate the wind field over the Bolund hill. The standard, ReNormalization Group (RNG), realizable, and limited-length...     

Hydrodynamic coefficients of a submerged pulsating sphere in finite depth

By extending the work of Linton (Linton, C.M., 1991. Radiation and diffraction of waver waves by a submerged sphere in finite depth. Ocean Engineering 18 (1/2), 61–74), the problem of radiation of water waves by a submerged pulsating sphere in finite depth is formulated using the multipole method. As in Linton (1991), this leads to an infinite system of linear equations, which are easily solved numerically. Simple expressions are derived for the hydrodynamic characteristics of such a body. Results showing the effect of varying both the immersion depth and the water depth on the hydrodynamic coefficients of the pulsating sphere are given. The paper resumes the work presented in Lopes (Lopes, D.B.S., 1999. On the study of the Archimedes wave swing device for wave energy utilization (in Portuguese). MSc on the Management and Modelling of the Marine Environment, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa.).     

Horse mackerel egg identification using DNA methodology

Egg identification in plankton samples is usually needed for purposes of stock assessment. Until recently, only morphological characters were used for identifying the eggs of different fish species. Late developmental stages are easily distinguishable due to pigmentation as well as egg and oil globule size range. However, for early stages, these characteristics are difficult to be discriminated and may overlap with other species. European horse mackerel species (Trachurus trachurus, T. mediterraneus, T. picturatus) overlap significantly in their spawning areas in some European waters. Because of the fact that their eggs are morphologically similar, genetic methodologies are needed to identify eggs and larvae to species correctly. In the present study, formalin‐ and ethanol‐preserved eggs were tested to estimate the efficacy of genetic methodologies for species identification of eggs when different preservatives are used. A 370‐bp fragment of cytochrome b was successfully amplified followed by restriction fragment analysis with two restriction enzymes aiming to identify the eggs to species. Horse mackerel egg identification was accomplished with the maximum success in ethanol‐preserved eggs. However, it seems that various preservatives had different effects on the DNA quality of eggs as genetic identification was less successful in formalin‐preserved eggs. Preserving in ethanol a part of the eggs obtained in plankton surveys is suggested for purposes of accurate genetic identification, even if their morphological features are distorted in time.     

Effects of furadan in the brown mussel Perna perna and in the mangrove oyster Crassostrea rhizophorae

Furadan is a carbamate pesticide used widely to combat agricultural pests. However little information is available about the toxicity of furadan in aquatic macroinvertebrates. The in vivo effects of furadan were evaluated in mussels, Perna perna, and oysters, Crassostrea rhizophorae. Glutathione S-transferase (GST), catalase (CAT) and cholinesterase (ChE) activities were measured in the gills of both species exposed to furadan (100 microg/l) for 96 h. No changes were observed in GST activity in the exposed groups. CAT activity was higher (9%) in the oysters exposed to furadan. ChE activity was inhibited by 64 and 35%, respectively, in C. rhizophorae and P. perna exposed to furadan, suggesting that the former is more susceptible to the toxic effects of furadan.     

Epibiotic assemblages on the pen shell Pinna rudis (Bivalvia,Pinnidae) at Matiota Beach,São Vicente Island,Cabo Verde

The rough pen shell Pinna rudis Linnaeus, 1758 (family Pinnidae), a mollusc with an Atlantic–Mediterranean distribution, is able to live in coarse sandy substrates. Considering its shell structure and ecological characteristics, P. rudis can enhance biodiversity by providing a substrate for settlement on its shell. For this reason, we compared the diversity of benthic taxa around P. rudis shells with the species diversity on P. rudis shells, at Matiota Beach, São Vicente Island, Cabo Verde. We sampled an area of 900 m2 and recorded data in situ to estimate the population size of P. rudis and the epibiotic and benthic community diversity. The average density of P. rudis estimated in the sampled area was 6.6 ind. 100 m–2 and the highest density was found at between 2 and 3 m depth, mostly in biogenic and sandy substrates. The epibiotic species diversity on P. rudis shells was significantly higher than the species diversity in the microhabitat around the shells. The P. rudis shell seems to play an important role in increasing the biodiversity of the ecosystem, with some species found only as epibionts on P. rudis.