Evolution and behavioural responses to human-induced rapid environmental change

PubMed Central

Sih, Andrew; Ferrari, Maud C O; Harris, David J

2011-01-01

Almost all organisms live in environments that have been altered, to some degree, by human activities. Because behaviour mediates interactions between an individual and its environment, the ability of organisms to behave appropriately under these new conditions is crucial for determining their immediate success or failure in these modified environments. While hundreds of species are suffering dramatically from these environmental changes, others, such as urbanized and pest species, are doing better than ever. Our goal is to provide insights into explaining such variation. We first summarize the responses of some species to novel situations, including novel risks and resources, habitat loss/fragmentation, pollutants and climate change. Using a sensory ecology approach, we present a mechanistic framework for predicting variation in behavioural responses to environmental change, drawing from models of decision-making processes and an understanding of the selective background against which they evolved. Where immediate behavioural responses are inadequate, learning or evolutionary adaptation may prove useful, although these mechanisms are also constrained by evolutionary history. Although predicting the responses of species to environmental change is difficult, we highlight the need for a better understanding of the role of evolutionary history in shaping individuals’ responses to their environment and provide suggestion for future work. PMID:25567979

Evolution and behavioural responses to human-induced rapid environmental change.

PubMed

Sih, Andrew; Ferrari, Maud C O; Harris, David J

2011-03-01

Almost all organisms live in environments that have been altered, to some degree, by human activities. Because behaviour mediates interactions between an individual and its environment, the ability of organisms to behave appropriately under these new conditions is crucial for determining their immediate success or failure in these modified environments. While hundreds of species are suffering dramatically from these environmental changes, others, such as urbanized and pest species, are doing better than ever. Our goal is to provide insights into explaining such variation. We first summarize the responses of some species to novel situations, including novel risks and resources, habitat loss/fragmentation, pollutants and climate change. Using a sensory ecology approach, we present a mechanistic framework for predicting variation in behavioural responses to environmental change, drawing from models of decision-making processes and an understanding of the selective background against which they evolved. Where immediate behavioural responses are inadequate, learning or evolutionary adaptation may prove useful, although these mechanisms are also constrained by evolutionary history. Although predicting the responses of species to environmental change is difficult, we highlight the need for a better understanding of the role of evolutionary history in shaping individuals' responses to their environment and provide suggestion for future work.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Moore, Brenna C; Gurule, Angelica V; Bradley, Miranda

Organized by the Environmental Protection Division, the Fourth Annual Student Sustainability Challenge was developed to encourage students to take an active role in contributing to LANL's environmental responsibility, raise awareness of critical environmental issues, and to inspire innovation and ingenuity for better and more sustainable science and technology.

Using integrated environmental modeling to automate a process-based Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment

EPA Science Inventory

Integrated Environmental Modeling (IEM) organizes multidisciplinary knowledge that explains and predicts environmental-system response to stressors. A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) is an approach integrating a range of disparate data (fate/transport, exposure, an...

Using Integrated Environmental Modeling to Automate a Process-Based Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (presentation)

EPA Science Inventory

Integrated Environmental Modeling (IEM) organizes multidisciplinary knowledge that explains and predicts environmental-system response to stressors. A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) is an approach integrating a range of disparate data (fate/transport, exposure, and...

Dose-response approaches for nuclear receptor-mediated modes of action for liver carcinogenicity: Results of a workshop

EPA Science Inventory

A public workshop, organized by a Steering Committee of scientists from government, industry, universities, and research organizations, was held at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in September, 2010. The workshop explored the dose-response implicat...

Nurse administrators: leading environmental change.

PubMed

Tullai-McGuinness, Susan; Ballard, Karen A; Gallagher, Rita Munley; Carpenter, Holly

2010-01-01

Evidence is building about the impact of environmental contaminants on patients and health care providers. The nurse administrator has a professional responsibility to provide leadership in assuring that the health care organization does not have a negative impact on health. This article presents critical environmental health concerns and an overview of the nursing profession efforts to improve the environment, which includes development of the American Nurses Association's Principles of Environmental Health for Nursing Practice with Implementation Strategies. An example is provided as to how the nurse administrator can use Appreciative Inquiry to harness the nurses collaborative energy for an environmentally healthy organization.

A Primer on Fresh Water: The Environmental Citizenship Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environment Canada, Ottawa (Ontario).

Water is the lifeblood of the environment as no organisms can survive without it. This reference booklet is designed to help people make environmentally responsible decisions. The primer is targeted at the general public (grade 8 to post-secondary) to be used by educators, communities and organizations as well as individuals, as part of a learning…

40 CFR 300.180 - State and local participation in response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Responsibility and Organization for Response § 300.180 State and local... state response official for federal and/or state-lead response actions, and coordinating/communicating... response. 300.180 Section 300.180 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

40 CFR 300.180 - State and local participation in response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Responsibility and Organization for Response § 300.180 State and local... state response official for federal and/or state-lead response actions, and coordinating/communicating... response. 300.180 Section 300.180 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED...

Using integrated environmental modeling to automate a process-based Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Integrated Environmental Modeling (IEM) organizes multidisciplinary knowledge that explains and predicts environmental-system response to stressors. A Quantitative Microbial Risk Assessment (QMRA) is an approach integrating a range of disparate data (fate/transport, exposure, and human health effect...

Report on the emergency response to the event on May 14, 1997, at the plutonuim reclamation facility, Hanford Site, Richland,Washington

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shoop, D.S.

1997-08-20

On the evening of May 14,1997, a chemical explosion Occurred at the Plutonium Reclamation Facility (PRF) in the 200 West Area(200-W) of the Hanford Site. The event warranted the declaration of an Alert emergency, activation of the Hanford Emergency Response Organization (BRO), and notification of offsite agencies. As a result of the emergency declaration, a subsequent evaluation was conducted to assess: 9 the performance of the emergency response organization o the occupational health response related to emergency activities o event notifications to offsite and environmental agencies. Additionally, the evaluation was designed to: 9 document the chronology of emergency and occupationalmore » health responses and environmental notifications connected with the explosion at the facility 0 assess the adequacy of the Hanford Site emergency preparedness activities; response readiness; and emergency management actions, occupational health, and environmental actions 0 provide an analysis of the causes of the deficiencies and weaknesses in the preparedness and response system that have been identified in the evaluation of the response a assign organizational responsibility to correct deficiencies and weaknesses a improve future performance 0 adjust elements of emergency implementing procedures and emergency preparedness activities.« less

Stimulus-Responsive Plasmonic Chiral Signals of Gold Nanorods Organized on DNA Origami.

PubMed

Jiang, Qiao; Liu, Qing; Shi, Yuefeng; Wang, Zhen-Gang; Zhan, Pengfei; Liu, Jianbing; Liu, Chao; Wang, Hui; Shi, Xinghua; Zhang, Li; Sun, Jiashu; Ding, Baoquan; Liu, Minghua

2017-11-08

In response to environmental variations, living cells need to arrange the conformational changes of macromolecules to achieve the specific biofunctions. Inspired by natural molecular machines, artificial macromolecular assemblies with controllable nanostructures and environmentally responsive functions can be designed. By assembling macromolecular nanostructures with noble metal nanoparticles, environmental information could be significantly amplified and modulated. However, manufacturing dynamic plasmonic nanostructures that are efficiently responsive to different stimuli is still a challenging task. Here we demonstrate a stimulus-responsive plasmonic nanosystem based on DNA origami-organized gold nanorods (GNRs). L-shaped GNR dimers were assembled on rhombus-shaped DNA origami templates. The geometry and chiral signals of the GNR nanoarchitectures respond to multiple stimuli, including glutathione reduction, restriction enzyme action, pH change, or photoirradiation. While the glutathione reduction or restriction enzyme caused irreversible changes in the plasmonic circular dichroism (CD) signals, both pH and light irradiation triggered reversible changes in the plasmonic CD. Our system transduces external stimuli into conformational changes and circular dichroism responses in near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths. By this approach, programmable optical reporters for essential biological signals can be fabricated.

Environmental Scanning Practices for Rural Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedel, Janice Nahra; Lapin, Joel D.

1995-01-01

Discusses the importance of environmental scanning in the planning efforts of rural community colleges. Reviews basic techniques and terminology and suggests sources of data. Argues that environmental scanning allows rural colleges to inexpensively forecast change, identify implications for the organization, and plan preferred responses to shape…

Molecular mechanisms governing differential robustness of development and environmental responses in plants

PubMed Central

Lachowiec, Jennifer; Queitsch, Christine; Kliebenstein, Daniel J.

2016-01-01

Background Robustness to genetic and environmental perturbation is a salient feature of multicellular organisms. Loss of developmental robustness can lead to severe phenotypic defects and fitness loss. However, perfect robustness, i.e. no variation at all, is evolutionarily unfit as organisms must be able to change phenotype to properly respond to changing environments and biotic challenges. Plasticity is the ability to adjust phenotypes predictably in response to specific environmental stimuli, which can be considered a transient shift allowing an organism to move from one robust phenotypic state to another. Plants, as sessile organisms that undergo continuous development, are particularly dependent on an exquisite fine-tuning of the processes that balance robustness and plasticity to maximize fitness. Scope and Conclusions This paper reviews recently identified mechanisms, both systems-level and molecular, that modulate robustness, and discusses their implications for the optimization of plant fitness. Robustness in living systems arises from the structure of genetic networks, the specific molecular functions of the underlying genes, and their interactions. This very same network responsible for the robustness of specific developmental states also has to be built such that it enables plastic yet robust shifts in response to environmental changes. In plants, the interactions and functions of signal transduction pathways activated by phytohormones and the tendency for plants to tolerate whole-genome duplications, tandem gene duplication and hybridization are emerging as major regulators of robustness in development. Despite their obvious implications for plant evolution and plant breeding, the mechanistic underpinnings by which plants modulate precise levels of robustness, plasticity and evolvability in networks controlling different phenotypes are under-studied. PMID:26473020

Training for a Better Environment. An Evaluation of the Environmental Education and Training Needs in Vocational Education in South Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guthrie, Hugh; Cesnich, Janine

A study evaluated the need for environmental education and training in vocational education in South Australia. Data were collected from the following sources: consultations with representatives of 16 organizations in the business, government, and education sectors; survey responses from 298 of 1,430 (response rate 21%) contacted…

Regulation of organ straightening and plant posture by an actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton.

PubMed

Okamoto, Keishi; Ueda, Haruko; Shimada, Tomoo; Tamura, Kentaro; Kato, Takehide; Tasaka, Masao; Morita, Miyo Terao; Hara-Nishimura, Ikuko

2015-03-23

Plants are able to bend nearly every organ in response to environmental stimuli such as gravity and light(1,2). After this first phase, the responses to stimuli are restrained by an independent mechanism, or even reversed, so that the organ will stop bending and attain its desired posture. This phenomenon of organ straightening has been called autotropism(3) and autostraightening(4) and modelled as proprioception(5). However, the machinery that drives organ straightening and where it occurs are mostly unknown. Here, we show that the straightening of inflorescence stems is regulated by an actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton in specialized immature fibre cells that are parallel to the stem and encircle it in a thin band. Arabidopsis mutants defective in myosin XI (specifically XIf and XIk) or ACTIN8 exhibit hyperbending of stems in response to gravity, an effect independent of the physical properties of the shoots. The actin-myosin XI cytoskeleton enables organs to attain their new position more rapidly than would an oscillating series of diminishing overshoots in environmental stimuli. We propose that the long actin filaments in elongating fibre cells act as a bending tensile sensor to perceive the organ's posture and trigger the straightening system.

Values, attitudes and perceptions of managers as predictors of corporate environmental responsiveness.

PubMed

Papagiannakis, Giorgos; Lioukas, Spyros

2012-06-15

We examine whether managers' values, attitudes, and perceptions influence the greening of organizations. To that purpose, we specify and test a model of corporate environmental responsiveness (CER), drawing upon a modified version of the theory of planned behavior and the value-belief-norm theory. Based on survey data from 142 Greek companies, we find that top managers' personal values influence responses indirectly, through shaping their environmental attitudes, while direct relationship is not significant. Subjective norms, expressing stakeholder expectations, do affect CER, with their effect being stronger than that of attitudes. Managers' perceived ability to handle environmental issues also appears to influence responses. Results have theoretical implications, indicating the significant role of managers' values, attitudes and perceptions in a firm's environmental response. Practical implications are discussed in relation to selection of managers and training. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Partnering for Environmental Security Cooperation in Central Asia and the Caspian Basin

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-04-01

Organizations.......................................................................................98 Mr. Paul Giannone Disaster Response Planning Processes...Paul Giannone of CARE USA who discussed key points of Non-governmental Organizations’ relationships with the military and provided suggestions on...Relationships between Military and Civilian Organizations Mr. Paul Giannone Disaster Response Planning Processes and Procedures Mr. Wolfgang G

Identifying Functional Mechanisms of Gene and Protein Regulatory Networks in Response to a Broader Range of Environmental Stresses

PubMed Central

Li, Cheng-Wei; Chen, Bor-Sen

2010-01-01

Cellular responses to sudden environmental stresses or physiological changes provide living organisms with the opportunity for final survival and further development. Therefore, it is an important topic to understand protective mechanisms against environmental stresses from the viewpoint of gene and protein networks. We propose two coupled nonlinear stochastic dynamic models to reconstruct stress-activated gene and protein regulatory networks via microarray data in response to environmental stresses. According to the reconstructed gene/protein networks, some possible mutual interactions, feedforward and feedback loops are found for accelerating response and filtering noises in these signaling pathways. A bow-tie core network is also identified to coordinate mutual interactions and feedforward loops, feedback inhibitions, feedback activations, and cross talks to cope efficiently with a broader range of environmental stresses with limited proteins and pathways. PMID:20454442

What is urban environmental stewardship? Constructing a practitioner-derived framework

Treesearch

M. Romolini; W. Brinkley; K.L. Wolf

2012-01-01

Agencies and organizations deploy various strategies in response to environmental challenges, including the formulation of policy, programs, and regulations. Citizen-based environmental stewardship is increasingly seen as an innovative and important approach to improving and conserving landscape health. A new research focus on the stewardship of urban natural resources...

Merging Marine Ecosystem Models and Genomics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coles, V.; Hood, R. R.; Stukel, M. R.; Moran, M. A.; Paul, J. H.; Satinsky, B.; Zielinski, B.; Yager, P. L.

2015-12-01

oceanography. One of the grand challenges of oceanography is to develop model techniques to more effectively incorporate genomic information. As one approach, we developed an ecosystem model whose community is determined by randomly assigning functional genes to build each organism's "DNA". Microbes are assigned a size that sets their baseline environmental responses using allometric response cuves. These responses are modified by the costs and benefits conferred by each gene in an organism's genome. The microbes are embedded in a general circulation model where environmental conditions shape the emergent population. This model is used to explore whether organisms constructed from randomized combinations of metabolic capability alone can self-organize to create realistic oceanic biogeochemical gradients. Realistic community size spectra and chlorophyll-a concentrations emerge in the model. The model is run repeatedly with randomly-generated microbial communities and each time realistic gradients in community size spectra, chlorophyll-a, and forms of nitrogen develop. This supports the hypothesis that the metabolic potential of a community rather than the realized species composition is the primary factor setting vertical and horizontal environmental gradients. Vertical distributions of nitrogen and transcripts for genes involved in nitrification are broadly consistent with observations. Modeled gene and transcript abundance for nitrogen cycling and processing of land-derived organic material match observations along the extreme gradients in the Amazon River plume, and they help to explain the factors controlling observed variability.

Modeling the nitrogen cycle one gene at a time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coles, V.; Stukel, M. R.; Hood, R. R.; Moran, M. A.; Paul, J. H.; Satinsky, B.; Zielinski, B.; Yager, P. L.

2016-02-01

Marine ecosystem models are lagging the revolution in microbial oceanography. As a result, modeling of the nitrogen cycle has largely failed to leverage new genomic information on nitrogen cycling pathways and the organisms that mediate them. We developed a nitrogen based ecosystem model whose community is determined by randomly assigning functional genes to build each organism's "DNA". Microbes are assigned a size that sets their baseline environmental responses using allometric response curves. These responses are modified by the costs and benefits conferred by each gene in an organism's genome. The microbes are embedded in a general circulation model where environmental conditions shape the emergent population. This model is used to explore whether organisms constructed from randomized combinations of metabolic capability alone can self-organize to create realistic oceanic biogeochemical gradients. Community size spectra and chlorophyll-a concentrations emerge in the model with reasonable fidelity to observations. The model is run repeatedly with randomly-generated microbial communities and each time realistic gradients in community size spectra, chlorophyll-a, and forms of nitrogen develop. This supports the hypothesis that the metabolic potential of a community rather than the realized species composition is the primary factor setting vertical and horizontal environmental gradients. Vertical distributions of nitrogen and transcripts for genes involved in nitrification are broadly consistent with observations. Modeled gene and transcript abundance for nitrogen cycling and processing of land-derived organic material match observations along the extreme gradients in the Amazon River plume, and they help to explain the factors controlling observed variability.

Climate change and ocean acidification-interactions with aquatic toxicology.

PubMed

Nikinmaa, Mikko

2013-01-15

The possibilities for interactions between toxicants and ocean acidification are reviewed from two angles. First, it is considered how toxicant responses may affect ocean acidification by influencing the carbon dioxide balance. Second, it is introduced, how the possible changes in environmental conditions (temperature, pH and oxygenation), expected to be associated with climate change and ocean acidification, may interact with the toxicant responses of organisms, especially fish. One significant weakness in available data is that toxicological research has seldom been connected with ecological and physiological/biochemical research evaluating the responses of organisms to temperature, pH or oxygenation changes occurring in the natural environment. As a result, although there are significant potential interactions between toxicants and natural environmental responses pertaining to climate change and ocean acidification, it is very poorly known if such interactions actually occur, and can be behind the observed disturbances in the function and distribution of organisms in our seas. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scaling environmental change through the community level: a trait-based response-and-effect framework for plants

Treesearch

Katharine N. Suding; Sandra Lavorel; F. Stuart Chapin; Johannes H.C. Cornelissen; Sandra Diaz; Eric Garnier; Deborah Goldberg; David U. Hooper; Stephen T. Jackson; Marie-Laure Navas

2008-01-01

Predicting ecosystem responses to global change is a major challenge in ecology. A critical step in that challenge is to understand how changing environmental conditions influence processes across levels of ecological organization. While direct scaling from individual to ecosystem dynamics can lead to robust and mechanistic predictions, new approaches are needed to...

Hormesis and adaptive cellular control systems

EPA Science Inventory

Hormetic dose response occurs for many endpoints associated with exposures of biological organisms to environmental stressors. Cell-based U- or inverted U-shaped responses may derive from common processes involved in activation of adaptive responses required to protect cells from...

Predicting behavioural responses to novel organisms: state-dependent detection theory

PubMed Central

Sih, Andrew

2017-01-01

Human activity alters natural habitats for many species. Understanding variation in animals' behavioural responses to these changing environments is critical. We show how signal detection theory can be used within a wider framework of state-dependent modelling to predict behavioural responses to a major environmental change: novel, exotic species. We allow thresholds for action to be a function of reserves, and demonstrate how optimal thresholds can be calculated. We term this framework ‘state-dependent detection theory’ (SDDT). We focus on behavioural and fitness outcomes when animals continue to use formerly adaptive thresholds following environmental change. In a simple example, we show that exposure to novel animals which appear dangerous—but are actually safe—(e.g. ecotourists) can have catastrophic consequences for ‘prey’ (organisms that respond as if the new organisms are predators), significantly increasing mortality even when the novel species is not predatory. SDDT also reveals that the effect on reproduction can be greater than the effect on lifespan. We investigate factors that influence the effect of novel organisms, and address the potential for behavioural adjustments (via evolution or learning) to recover otherwise reduced fitness. Although effects of environmental change are often difficult to predict, we suggest that SDDT provides a useful route ahead. PMID:28100814

Predicting behavioural responses to novel organisms: state-dependent detection theory.

PubMed

Trimmer, Pete C; Ehlman, Sean M; Sih, Andrew

2017-01-25

Human activity alters natural habitats for many species. Understanding variation in animals' behavioural responses to these changing environments is critical. We show how signal detection theory can be used within a wider framework of state-dependent modelling to predict behavioural responses to a major environmental change: novel, exotic species. We allow thresholds for action to be a function of reserves, and demonstrate how optimal thresholds can be calculated. We term this framework 'state-dependent detection theory' (SDDT). We focus on behavioural and fitness outcomes when animals continue to use formerly adaptive thresholds following environmental change. In a simple example, we show that exposure to novel animals which appear dangerous-but are actually safe-(e.g. ecotourists) can have catastrophic consequences for 'prey' (organisms that respond as if the new organisms are predators), significantly increasing mortality even when the novel species is not predatory. SDDT also reveals that the effect on reproduction can be greater than the effect on lifespan. We investigate factors that influence the effect of novel organisms, and address the potential for behavioural adjustments (via evolution or learning) to recover otherwise reduced fitness. Although effects of environmental change are often difficult to predict, we suggest that SDDT provides a useful route ahead. © 2017 The Author(s).

STRESS ETHYLENE PRODUCTION - A MEASURE OF PLANT RESPONSE TO STRESS

EPA Science Inventory

Contents: Introduction to the symposium; Environmental data acquisition; Plant organ chambers in plant physiology field research; Interpreting the metabolic responses of plants to water stress; Stress ethylene production.

A 120-year record of resilience to environmental change in brachiopods.

PubMed

Cross, Emma L; Harper, Elizabeth M; Peck, Lloyd S

2018-06-01

The inability of organisms to cope in changing environments poses a major threat to their survival. Rising carbon dioxide concentrations, recently exceeding 400 μatm, are rapidly warming and acidifying our oceans. Current understanding of organism responses to this environmental phenomenon is based mainly on relatively short- to medium-term laboratory and field experiments, which cannot evaluate the potential for long-term acclimation and adaptation, the processes identified as most important to confer resistance. Here, we present data from a novel approach that assesses responses over a centennial timescale showing remarkable resilience to change in a species predicted to be vulnerable. Utilising museum collections allows the assessment of how organisms have coped with past environmental change. It also provides a historical reference for future climate change responses. We evaluated a unique specimen collection of a single species of brachiopod (Calloria inconspicua) collected every decade from 1900 to 2014 from one sampling site. The majority of brachiopod shell characteristics remained unchanged over the past century. One response, however, appears to reinforce their shell by constructing narrower punctae (shell perforations) and laying down more shell. This study indicates one of the most calcium-carbonate-dependent species globally to be highly resilient to environmental change over the last 120 years and provides a new insight for how similar species might react and possibly adapt to future change. © 2018 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Adaptation responses of individuals to environmental changes in the ciliate Euplotes crassus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Se-Joo; Kim, Jin-Hyoung; Ju, Se-Jong

2017-03-01

Although the response unit of living organisms to environmental changes is at the individual level, most experiments on the adaptation responses of ciliates have been conducted in batches, comprising multiple-individuals, due to their microscopic size. However, here, we confirmed that individuals undergo different division cycles in monocultures of Euplotes crassus. They also exhibited transcript variations of 4.63-fold in SSU and of 22.78- fold in Hsp70. Additionally, in salt-stressed E. crassus individuals, SSU transcripts of individuals varied by 6.92-fold at 27 psu, 8.69- fold at 32 psu, and 2.51-fold at 37 psu. However, the maximum difference in Hsp70 was only 4.23-fold under all conditions. These results suggest there may be different biological rhythms even in siblings derived from the same parent. It can also be inferred that various environmental factors have different effects on different E. crassus individuals. Therefore, to elucidate relationships between organism adaptations and environmental changes, studies at the individual level should be conducted with multi-individual approaches.

How Cyanobacterial Distributions Reveal Flow and Irradiance Conditions of Photosynthetic Biofilm Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prufert-Bebout, Lee

2001-01-01

Microbial life on Earth is enormously abundant at sediment-water interfaces. The fossil record in fact contains abundant evidence of the preservation of life on such surfaces. It is therefore critical to our interpretation of early Earth history, and potentially to history of life on other planets, to be able to recognize life forms at these interfaces. On Earth this life often occurs as organized structures of microbes and their extracellular exudates known as biofilms. When such biofilms occur in areas receiving sunlight photosynthetic biofilms are the dominant form in natural ecosystems due to selective advantage inherent in their ability to utilize solar energy. Cyanobacteria are the dominant phototrophic microbes in most modern and ancient photosynthetic biofilms, microbial mats and stromatolites. Due to their long (3.5 billion year) evolutionary history, this group has extensively diversified resulting in an enormous array of morphologies and physiological abilities. This enormous diversity and specialization results in very specific selection for a particular cyanobacterium in each available photosynthetic niche. Furthermore these organisms can alter their spatial orientation, cell morphology, pigmentation and associations with heterotrophic organisms in order to fine tune their optimization to a given micro-niche. These adaptations can be detected, and if adequate knowledge of the interaction between environmental conditions and organism response is available, the detectable organism response can be used to infer the environmental conditions causing that response. This presentation will detail two specific examples which illustrate this point. Light and water are essential to photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and these organisms have specific detectable behavioral responses to these parameters. We will present cyanobacterial responses to quantified flow and irradiance to demonstrate the interpretative power of distribution and orientation information. This study presents new results, but many such examples are already found in the literature. However this information exists in such a wide variety of journals, spanning decades of research that the utility of the vast storehouse of information is limited, not by the ability of cyanobacteria to respond in recognizable ways to environmental stimuli, but by our ability to compile and use this information. Recent advances in information technology will soon allow us to overcome these difficulties and utilize the detailed responses of cyanobacteria to environmental microniches as powerful records of the interaction between the biosphere and lithosphere.

Diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis by measurement of antibodies against environmental antigens

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dewair, M.

1989-01-01

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), an immunologically mediated chronic pulmonary disease, is the result of an inflammatory response of the lung initiated by the inhalation of environmental organic dusts. These organic dusts usually contain substances (antigens) capable of eliciting immune responses in humans. The symptoms of HP generally present as recurrent flu-like episodes which makes it difficult to establish the proper diagnosis. However, detection in patients' sera of high-titer antibodies against the environmental antigens could be of great help in identifying those materials causing the disease and which must be avoided. A highly specific and sensitive serodiagnostic test, a radioimmuno assay (RIA),more » was developed for measurement of antibodies against antigens relevant to Farmer's Lung Disease (FLD), a type of HP affecting farmers.« less

Proteomics to assess the role of phenotypic plasticity in aquatic organisms exposed to pollution and global warming.

PubMed

Silvestre, Frédéric; Gillardin, Virginie; Dorts, Jennifer

2012-11-01

Nowadays, the unprecedented rates of anthropogenic changes in ecosystems suggest that organisms have to migrate to new distributional ranges or to adapt commensurately quickly to new conditions to avoid becoming extinct. Pollution and global warming are two of the most important threats aquatic organisms will have to face in the near future. If genetic changes in a population in response to natural selection are extensively studied, the role of acclimation through phenotypic plasticity (the property of a given genotype to produce different phenotypes in response to particular environmental conditions) in a species to deal with new environmental conditions remains largely unknown. Proteomics is the extensive study of the protein complement of a genome. It is dynamic and depends on the specific tissue, developmental stage, and environmental conditions. As the final product of gene expression, it is subjected to several regulatory steps from gene transcription to the functional protein. Consequently, there is a discrepancy between the abundance of mRNA and the abundance of the corresponding protein. Moreover, proteomics is closer to physiology and gives a more functional knowledge of the regulation of gene expression than does transcriptomics. The study of protein-expression profiles, however, gives a better portrayal of the cellular phenotype and is considered as a key link between the genotype and the organismal phenotype. Under new environmental conditions, we can observe a shift of the protein-expression pattern defining a new cellular phenotype that can possibly improve the fitness of the organism. It is now necessary to define a proteomic norm of reaction for organisms acclimating to environmental stressors. Its link to fitness will give new insights into how organisms can evolve in a changing environment. The proteomic literature bearing on chronic exposure to pollutants and on acclimation to heat stress in aquatic organisms, as well as potential application of proteomics in evolutionary issues, are outlined. While the transcriptome responses are commonly investigated, proteomics approaches now need to be intensified, with the new perspective of integrating the cellular phenotype with the organismal phenotype and with the mechanisms of the regulation of gene expression, such as epigenetics.

ULTRAVIOLET PROTECTIVE COMPOUNDS AS A RESPONSE TO ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION EXPOSURE

EPA Science Inventory

Life on Earth has evolved adaptations to many environmental stresses over the epochs. One consistent stress has been exposure to ultraviolet radiation. In response to UVR organisms have adapted myriad responses; behavioral, morphological and physiological. Behaviorally, some orga...

Environmental limits to growth: physiological niche boundaries of corals along turbidity-light gradients.

PubMed

Anthony, Kenneth R N; Connolly, Sean R

2004-11-01

The physiological responses of organisms to resources and environmental conditions are important determinants of niche boundaries. In previous work, functional relationships between organism energetics and environment have been limited to energy intakes. However, energetic costs of maintenance may also depend on the supply of resources. In many mixotrophic organisms, two such resource types are light and particle concentration (turbidity). Using two coral species with contrasting abundances along light and turbidity gradients (Acropora valida and Turbinaria mesenterina), we incorporate the dual resource-stressor roles of these variables by calibrating functional responses of energy costs (respiration and loss of organic carbon) as well as energy intake (photosynthesis and particle feeding). This allows us to characterize physiological niche boundaries along light and turbidity gradients, identify species-specific differences in these boundaries, and assess the sensitivity of these differences to interspecific differences in particular functional response parameters. The turbidity-light niche of T. mesenterina was substantially larger than that of A. valida, consistent with its broader ecological distribution. As expected, the responses of photosynthesis, heterotrophic capacity, respiration, and organic carbon loss to light and turbidity varied between species. Niche boundaries were highly sensitive to the functional responses of energy costs to light and turbidity. Moreover, the study species' niche differences were almost entirely attributable to species-specific differences in one functional response: that of respiration to turbidity. These results demonstrate that functional responses of energy-loss processes are important determinants of species-specific physiological limits to growth, and thereby of niche differences in reef corals. Given that many resources can stress organisms when supply rates are high, we propose that the functional responses of energy losses will prove to be important determinants of niche differences in other systems as well.

Adaptive Responses to Prochloraz Exposure That Alter Dose-Response and Time-Course Behaviors

EPA Science Inventory

Dose response and time-course (DRTC) are, along with exposure, the major determinants of health risk. Adaptive changes within exposed organisms in response to environmental stress are common, and alter DRTC behaviors to minimize the effects caused by stressors. In this project, ...

Environmental stressors during space flight: potential effects on body temperature

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jauchem, J. R.

1988-01-01

1. Organisms may be affected by many environmental factors during space flight, e.g., acceleration, weightlessness, decreased pressure, changes in oxygen tension, radiofrequency radiation and vibration. 2. Previous studies of change in body temperature--one response to these environmental factors--are reviewed. 3. Conditions leading to heat stress and hypothermia are discussed.

Adult Environmental Education: A Workbook To Move from Words to Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camozzi, Anne

This workbook, developed for an international workshop held in the Philippines in 1994, is designed to enrich adult environmental education worldwide and to ensure that the International Treaty on Environmental Education for Sustainable Societies and Global Responsibility is implemented in an action-oriented program. The workbook is organized in…

Conceptual modeling for identification of worst case conditions in environmental risk assessment of nanomaterials using nZVI and C60 as case studies.

PubMed

Grieger, Khara D; Hansen, Steffen F; Sørensen, Peter B; Baun, Anders

2011-09-01

Conducting environmental risk assessment of engineered nanomaterials has been an extremely challenging endeavor thus far. Moreover, recent findings from the nano-risk scientific community indicate that it is unlikely that many of these challenges will be easily resolved in the near future, especially given the vast variety and complexity of nanomaterials and their applications. As an approach to help optimize environmental risk assessments of nanomaterials, we apply the Worst-Case Definition (WCD) model to identify best estimates for worst-case conditions of environmental risks of two case studies which use engineered nanoparticles, namely nZVI in soil and groundwater remediation and C(60) in an engine oil lubricant. Results generated from this analysis may ultimately help prioritize research areas for environmental risk assessments of nZVI and C(60) in these applications as well as demonstrate the use of worst-case conditions to optimize future research efforts for other nanomaterials. Through the application of the WCD model, we find that the most probable worst-case conditions for both case studies include i) active uptake mechanisms, ii) accumulation in organisms, iii) ecotoxicological response mechanisms such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) production and cell membrane damage or disruption, iv) surface properties of nZVI and C(60), and v) acute exposure tolerance of organisms. Additional estimates of worst-case conditions for C(60) also include the physical location of C(60) in the environment from surface run-off, cellular exposure routes for heterotrophic organisms, and the presence of light to amplify adverse effects. Based on results of this analysis, we recommend the prioritization of research for the selected applications within the following areas: organism active uptake ability of nZVI and C(60) and ecotoxicological response end-points and response mechanisms including ROS production and cell membrane damage, full nanomaterial characterization taking into account detailed information on nanomaterial surface properties, and investigations of dose-response relationships for a variety of organisms. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Inflammatory effect of environmental proteases on airway mucosa.

PubMed

Reed, Charles E

2007-09-01

Proteases--both endogenous proteases from the coagulation cascade, mast cells, and respiratory epithelial trypsin, and exogenous proteases from parasites, insects, mites, molds, pollens, and other aeroallergens--stimulate a tissue response that includes attraction and activation of eosinophils and neutrophils, degranulation of eosinophils and mast cells, increased response of afferent neurons, smooth muscle contraction, angiogenesis, fibrosis, and production of immunoglobulin E. This response to exogenous proteases can be considered a form of innate immunity directed against multicellular organisms. The response of the airways to environmental proteases very closely resembles the response to airborne allergens. Although clinical research in this area is just beginning, the response to environmental proteases appears to be important in the pathogenesis of rhinitis and asthma developing from damp, water-damaged buildings, and intrinsic asthma with its associated rhinosinusitis and polyps.

Soil calcium availability influences shell ecophenotype formation in the sub-antarctic land snail, Notodiscus hookeri.

PubMed

Charrier, Maryvonne; Marie, Arul; Guillaume, Damien; Bédouet, Laurent; Le Lannic, Joseph; Roiland, Claire; Berland, Sophie; Pierre, Jean-Sébastien; Le Floch, Marie; Frenot, Yves; Lebouvier, Marc

2013-01-01

Ecophenotypes reflect local matches between organisms and their environment, and show plasticity across generations in response to current living conditions. Plastic responses in shell morphology and shell growth have been widely studied in gastropods and are often related to environmental calcium availability, which influences shell biomineralisation. To date, all of these studies have overlooked micro-scale structure of the shell, in addition to how it is related to species responses in the context of environmental pressure. This study is the first to demonstrate that environmental factors induce a bi-modal variation in the shell micro-scale structure of a land gastropod. Notodiscus hookeri is the only native land snail present in the Crozet Archipelago (sub-Antarctic region). The adults have evolved into two ecophenotypes, which are referred to here as MS (mineral shell) and OS (organic shell). The MS-ecophenotype is characterised by a thick mineralised shell. It is primarily distributed along the coastline, and could be associated to the presence of exchangeable calcium in the clay minerals of the soils. The Os-ecophenotype is characterised by a thin organic shell. It is primarily distributed at high altitudes in the mesic and xeric fell-fields in soils with large particles that lack clay and exchangeable calcium. Snails of the Os-ecophenotype are characterised by thinner and larger shell sizes compared to snails of the MS-ecophenotype, indicating a trade-off between mineral thickness and shell size. This pattern increased along a temporal scale; whereby, older adult snails were more clearly separated into two clusters compared to the younger adult snails. The prevalence of glycine-rich proteins in the organic shell layer of N. hookeri, along with the absence of chitin, differs to the organic scaffolds of molluscan biominerals. The present study provides new insights for testing the adaptive value of phenotypic plasticity in response to spatial and temporal environmental variations.

Soil Calcium Availability Influences Shell Ecophenotype Formation in the Sub-Antarctic Land Snail, Notodiscus hookeri

PubMed Central

Charrier, Maryvonne; Marie, Arul; Guillaume, Damien; Bédouet, Laurent; Le Lannic, Joseph; Roiland, Claire; Berland, Sophie; Pierre, Jean-Sébastien; Le Floch, Marie; Frenot, Yves; Lebouvier, Marc

2013-01-01

Ecophenotypes reflect local matches between organisms and their environment, and show plasticity across generations in response to current living conditions. Plastic responses in shell morphology and shell growth have been widely studied in gastropods and are often related to environmental calcium availability, which influences shell biomineralisation. To date, all of these studies have overlooked micro-scale structure of the shell, in addition to how it is related to species responses in the context of environmental pressure. This study is the first to demonstrate that environmental factors induce a bi-modal variation in the shell micro-scale structure of a land gastropod. Notodiscus hookeri is the only native land snail present in the Crozet Archipelago (sub-Antarctic region). The adults have evolved into two ecophenotypes, which are referred to here as MS (mineral shell) and OS (organic shell). The MS-ecophenotype is characterised by a thick mineralised shell. It is primarily distributed along the coastline, and could be associated to the presence of exchangeable calcium in the clay minerals of the soils. The Os-ecophenotype is characterised by a thin organic shell. It is primarily distributed at high altitudes in the mesic and xeric fell-fields in soils with large particles that lack clay and exchangeable calcium. Snails of the Os-ecophenotype are characterised by thinner and larger shell sizes compared to snails of the MS- ecophenotype, indicating a trade-off between mineral thickness and shell size. This pattern increased along a temporal scale; whereby, older adult snails were more clearly separated into two clusters compared to the younger adult snails. The prevalence of glycine-rich proteins in the organic shell layer of N. hookeri, along with the absence of chitin, differs to the organic scaffolds of molluscan biominerals. The present study provides new insights for testing the adaptive value of phenotypic plasticity in response to spatial and temporal environmental variations. PMID:24376821

Adaptation to environmental stress in Daphnia magna simultaneously exposed to a xenobiotic.

PubMed

Coors, Anja; Hammers-Wirtz, Monika; Ratte, Hans Toni

2004-07-01

In standardized ecotoxicological testing chemicals are investigated under optimal conditions for the test organisms despite the fact that environmental factors such as predation pressure and food availability are important parameters regulating natural populations. Food limitation and predator presence can induce shifts in life-history traits in various Daphnia species, especially trade-offs in reproductive biomass allocation. These adaptive responses are thought to ensure survival of the population in a highly variable environment. A xenobiotic dispersant (used in textile dyeing processes) also shifted the biomass allocation of Daphnia magna. To assess whether the dispersant could hinder D. magna adaptation to varying environmental conditions, we conducted experiments with food level and presence of Chaoborus larvae as environmental factors and simultaneous exposure to the dispersant. At low food level and in presence of the predator, D. magna produced fewer but larger sized neonates, regardless of dispersant exposure. The dispersant shifted biomass allocation towards more but smaller sized offspring in all experiments. However, the adaptive response to the environmental factors and the dispersant effect cancelled each other out in that they induced independently from each other opposite shifts in biomass allocation. In summary, the dispersant exposure resulted not in an inhibition of the adaptive response but in a reduction of the value of the response. Our study with this model substance demonstrates that xenobiotics can affect the adaptation of organisms to environmental stress which can result in effects likely to be overlooked in standardized testing.

Complexities of gene expression patterns in natural populations of an extremophile fish (Poecilia mexicana, Poeciliidae)

PubMed Central

Passow, Courtney N.; Brown, Anthony P.; Arias-Rodriguez, Lenin; Yee, Muh-Ching; Sockell, Alexandra; Schartl, Manfred; Warren, Wesley C.; Bustamante, Carlos; Kelley, Joanna L.; Tobler, Michael

2017-01-01

Variation in gene expression can provide insights into organismal responses to environmental stress and physiological mechanisms mediating adaptation to habitats with contrasting environmental conditions. We performed an RNA-sequencing experiment to quantify gene expression patterns in fish adapted to habitats with different combinations of environmental stressors, including the presence of toxic hydrogen sulphide (H2S) and the absence of light in caves. We specifically asked how gene expression varies among populations living in different habitats, whether population differences were consistent among organs, and whether there is evidence for shared expression responses in populations exposed to the same stressors. We analysed organ-specific transcriptome-wide data from four ecotypes of Poecilia mexicana (nonsulphidic surface, sulphidic surface, nonsulphidic cave and sulphidic cave). The majority of variation in gene expression was correlated with organ type, and the presence of specific environmental stressors elicited unique expression differences among organs. Shared patterns of gene expression between populations exposed to the same environmental stressors increased with levels of organismal organization (from transcript to gene to physiological pathway). In addition, shared patterns of gene expression were more common between populations from sulphidic than populations from cave habitats, potentially indicating that physiochemical stressors with clear biochemical consequences can constrain the diversity of adaptive solutions that mitigate their adverse effects. Overall, our analyses provided insights into transcriptional variation in a unique system, in which adaptation to H2S and darkness coincide. Functional annotations of differentially expressed genes provide a springboard for investigating physiological mechanisms putatively underlying adaptation to extreme environments. PMID:28598519

A GLIMPSE INTO THE EYE OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE AT EPA KATRINA AND RITA

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation was given at the Texas Environmental Health Association Annual Meeting in Round Rock, TX on October 12, 2005. The keynote address was focused on the conditions after Katrins, organizing response, field response, EPA's role in emergency response, what is EPA doi...

Leveraging organismal biology to forecast the effects of climate change.

PubMed

Buckley, Lauren B; Cannistra, Anthony F; John, Aji

2018-04-26

Despite the pressing need for accurate forecasts of ecological and evolutionary responses to environmental change, commonly used modelling approaches exhibit mixed performance because they omit many important aspects of how organisms respond to spatially and temporally variable environments. Integrating models based on organismal phenotypes at the physiological, performance and fitness levels can improve model performance. We summarize current limitations of environmental data and models and discuss potential remedies. The paper reviews emerging techniques for sensing environments at fine spatial and temporal scales, accounting for environmental extremes, and capturing how organisms experience the environment. Intertidal mussel data illustrate biologically important aspects of environmental variability. We then discuss key challenges in translating environmental conditions into organismal performance including accounting for the varied timescales of physiological processes, for responses to environmental fluctuations including the onset of stress and other thresholds, and for how environmental sensitivities vary across lifecycles. We call for the creation of phenotypic databases to parameterize forecasting models and advocate for improved sharing of model code and data for model testing. We conclude with challenges in organismal biology that must be solved to improve forecasts over the next decade.acclimation, biophysical models, ecological forecasting, extremes, microclimate, spatial and temporal variability.

Environmental statistics and optimal regulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivak, David; Thomson, Matt

2015-03-01

The precision with which an organism can detect its environment, and the timescale for and statistics of environmental change, will affect the suitability of different strategies for regulating protein levels in response to environmental inputs. We propose a general framework--here applied to the enzymatic regulation of metabolism in response to changing nutrient concentrations--to predict the optimal regulatory strategy given the statistics of fluctuations in the environment and measurement apparatus, and the costs associated with enzyme production. We find: (i) relative convexity of enzyme expression cost and benefit influences the fitness of thresholding or graded responses; (ii) intermediate levels of measurement uncertainty call for a sophisticated Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) in dynamic contexts, intermediate levels of uncertainty call for retaining memory of the past. Statistical properties of the environment, such as variability and correlation times, set optimal biochemical parameters, such as thresholds and decay rates in signaling pathways. Our framework provides a theoretical basis for interpreting molecular signal processing algorithms and a classification scheme that organizes known regulatory strategies and may help conceptualize heretofore unknown ones.

5 CFR 6401.103 - Prior approval for outside employment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... 6401.103 Section 6401.103 Administrative Personnel ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY SUPPLEMENTAL STANDARDS OF ETHICAL CONDUCT FOR EMPLOYEES OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY § 6401.103 Prior approval... an organization for which a different Deputy Ethics Official has responsibility, the employee must...

Final generic environmental statement on the use of recycle plutonium in mixed oxide fuel in light water cooled reactors. Volume 5. Public comments and Nuclear Regulatory Commission responses

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1976-08-01

Copies of 69 letters are presented commenting on the Draft Generic Environmental Statement (GESMO) WASH-1327 and the NRC's responses to the comments received from Federal, State and local agencies; environmental and public interest groups, members of the academic and industrial communities, and individual citizens. An index to these letters indicating the number assigned to each letter, the author, and organization represented, is provided in the Table of Contents.

Over-Expression of Superoxide Dismutase Ameliorates Cr(VI) Induced Adverse Effects via Modulating Cellular Immune System of Drosophila melanogaster

PubMed Central

Pragya, Prakash; Shukla, Arvind Kumar; Murthy, Ramesh Chandra; Abdin, Malik Zainul; Kar Chowdhuri, Debapratim

2014-01-01

The evolutionarily conserved innate immune system plays critical role for maintaining the health of an organism. However, a number of environmental chemicals including metals are known to exert adverse effects on immune system. The present study assessed the in vivo effect of a major environmental chemical, Cr(VI), on cellular immune response using Drosophila melanogaster and subsequently the protective role of superoxide dismutase (SOD) based on the comparable performance of the tested anti-oxidant enzymes. The immuno-modulatory potential of Cr(VI) was demonstrated by observing a significant reduction in the total hemocyte count along with impaired phagocytic activity in exposed organism. Concurrently, a significant increase in the percentage of Annexin V-FITC positive cells, activation of DEVDase activity, generation of free radical species along with inhibition of anti-oxidant enzyme activities was observed in the hemocytes of exposed organism. In addition, we have shown that ONOO− is primarily responsible for Cr(VI) induced adverse effects on Drosophila hemocytes along with O2 −. While generation of O2 −/ONOO− in Cr(VI) exposed Drosophila hemocytes was found to be responsible for the suppression of Drosophila cellular immune response, Cr(VI) induced alteration was significantly reduced by the over-expression of sod in Drosophila hemocytes. Overall, our results suggest that manipulation of one of the anti-oxidant genes, sod, benefits the organism from Cr(VI) induced alteration in cellular immunity. Further, this study demonstrates the applicability of D. melanogaster to examine the possible effects of environmental chemicals on innate immunity which can be extrapolated to higher organisms due to evolutionary conservation of innate immune system between Drosophila and mammals. PMID:24505420

Suboptimal evolutionary novel environments promote singular altered gravity responses of transcriptome during Drosophila metamorphosis

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Previous experiments have shown that the reduced gravity aboard the International Space Station (ISS) causes important alterations in Drosophila gene expression. These changes were shown to be intimately linked to environmental space-flight related constraints. Results Here, we use an array of different techniques for ground-based simulation of microgravity effects to assess the effect of suboptimal environmental conditions on the gene expression of Drosophila in reduced gravity. A global and integrative analysis, using “gene expression dynamics inspector” (GEDI) self-organizing maps, reveals different degrees in the responses of the transcriptome when using different environmental conditions or microgravity/hypergravity simulation devices. Although the genes that are affected are different in each simulation technique, we find that the same gene ontology groups, including at least one large multigene family related with behavior, stress response or organogenesis, are over represented in each case. Conclusions These results suggest that the transcriptome as a whole can be finely tuned to gravity force. In optimum environmental conditions, the alteration of gravity has only mild effects on gene expression but when environmental conditions are far from optimal, the gene expression must be tuned greatly and effects become more robust, probably linked to the lack of experience of organisms exposed to evolutionary novel environments such as a gravitational free one. PMID:23806134

The transcriptomic responses of the eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, to environmental conditions.

PubMed

Chapman, Robert W; Mancia, Annalaura; Beal, Marion; Veloso, Artur; Rathburn, Charles; Blair, Anne; Holland, A F; Warr, G W; Didinato, Guy; Sokolova, Inna M; Wirth, Edward F; Duffy, Edward; Sanger, Denise

2011-04-01

Understanding the mechanisms by which organisms adapt to environmental conditions is a fundamental question for ecology and evolution. In this study, we evaluate changes in gene expression of a marine mollusc, the eastern oyster Crassostrea virginica, associated with the physico-chemical conditions and the levels of metals and other contaminants in their environment. The results indicate that transcript signatures can effectively disentangle the complex interactive gene expression responses to the environment and are also capable of disentangling the complex dynamic effects of environmental factors on gene expression. In this context, the mapping of environment to gene and gene to environment is reciprocal and mutually reinforcing. In general, the response of transcripts to the environment is driven by major factors known to affect oyster physiology such as temperature, pH, salinity, and dissolved oxygen, with pollutant levels playing a relatively small role, at least within the range of concentrations found in the studied oyster habitats. Further, the two environmental factors that dominate these effects (temperature and pH) interact in a dynamic and nonlinear fashion to impact gene expression. Transcriptomic data obtained in our study provide insights into the mechanisms of physiological responses to temperature and pH in oysters that are consistent with the known effects of these factors on physiological functions of ectotherms and indicate important linkages between transcriptomics and physiological outcomes. Should these linkages hold in further studies and in other organisms, they may provide a novel integrated approach for assessing the impacts of climate change, ocean acidification and anthropogenic contaminants on aquatic organisms via relatively inexpensive microarray platforms. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Environmental statistics and optimal regulation.

PubMed

Sivak, David A; Thomson, Matt

2014-09-01

Any organism is embedded in an environment that changes over time. The timescale for and statistics of environmental change, the precision with which the organism can detect its environment, and the costs and benefits of particular protein expression levels all will affect the suitability of different strategies--such as constitutive expression or graded response--for regulating protein levels in response to environmental inputs. We propose a general framework-here specifically applied to the enzymatic regulation of metabolism in response to changing concentrations of a basic nutrient-to predict the optimal regulatory strategy given the statistics of fluctuations in the environment and measurement apparatus, respectively, and the costs associated with enzyme production. We use this framework to address three fundamental questions: (i) when a cell should prefer thresholding to a graded response; (ii) when there is a fitness advantage to implementing a Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) when retaining memory of the past provides a selective advantage. We specifically find that: (i) relative convexity of enzyme expression cost and benefit influences the fitness of thresholding or graded responses; (ii) intermediate levels of measurement uncertainty call for a sophisticated Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) in dynamic contexts, intermediate levels of uncertainty call for retaining memory of the past. Statistical properties of the environment, such as variability and correlation times, set optimal biochemical parameters, such as thresholds and decay rates in signaling pathways. Our framework provides a theoretical basis for interpreting molecular signal processing algorithms and a classification scheme that organizes known regulatory strategies and may help conceptualize heretofore unknown ones.

Essence of Black Colleges in Community Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technical Assistance Consortium To Improve Coll. Services, Washington, DC.

The response of black colleges and universities in the area of community development are discussed in relation to management and organization development, telecommunication, human resource development, educational innovations, and environmental services. Management and organization development encompasses small business development, public service…

II. Species sensitivity distributions based on biomarkers and whole organism responses for integrated impact and risk assessment criteria.

PubMed

Sanni, Steinar; Lyng, Emily; Pampanin, Daniela M; Smit, Mathijs G D

2017-06-01

The aim of this paper is to bridge gaps between biomarker and whole organism responses related to oil based offshore discharges. These biomarker bridges will facilitate acceptance criteria for biomarker data linked to environmental risk assessment and translate biomarker results to higher order effects. Biomarker based species sensitivity distributions (SSD biomarkers ) have been constructed for relevant groups of biomarkers based on laboratory data from oil exposures. SSD curves express the fraction of species responding to different types of biomarkers. They have been connected to SSDs for whole organism responses (WORs) constructed in order to relate the SSD biomarkers to animal fitness parameters that are commonly used in environmental risk assessment. The resulting SSD curves show that biomarkers and WORs can be linked through their potentially affected fraction of species (PAF) distributions, enhancing the capability to monitor field parameters with better correlation to impact and risk assessment criteria and providing improved chemical/biological integration. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organic extract contaminants from drinking water activate Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response in a human cell line.

PubMed

Wang, Shu; Zhang, Hao; Zheng, Weiwei; Wang, Xia; Andersen, Melvin E; Pi, Jingbo; He, Gengsheng; Qu, Weidong

2013-05-07

Traditional risk assessment methods face challenges in estimating risks from drinking waters that contain low-levels of large numbers of contaminants. Here, we evaluate the toxicity of organic contaminant (OC) extracts from drinking water by examining activation of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2)-mediated antioxidant response. In HepG2 cells, the Nrf2-mediated antioxidant response-measured as Nrf2 protein accumulation, expression of antioxidant response element (ARE)-regulated genes and ARE-luciferase reporter gene assays were activated by OC extracts from drinking water sources that detected 25 compounds in 9 classification groups. Individual OCs induced oxidative stress at concentrations much higher than their environmental levels; however, mixtures of contaminants induced oxidative stress response at only 8 times the environmental levels. Additionally, a synthetic OC mixture prepared based on the contamination profiling of drinking water induced ARE activity to the same extent as the real-world mixture, reinforcing our conclusion that these mixture exposures produce responses relevant for human exposure situations. Our study tested the possibility of assessing toxicity of OCs of drinking water using a specific ARE-pathway measurement. This approach should be broadly useful in assisting risk assessment of mixed environmental exposure.

A View From Within

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) was established in 1970. The U.S. EPA is an agency of statutes and is driven by 29 different environmental laws passed by Congress over the past four decades. As such, the Agency is organized along lines of responsibilities es...

Sources of Environmental Structuring and Participant Responses.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-04-08

Berger & Cummings, 1979; Dalton, Todor , Spendolini, 1. at 6 Environmental Structuring Fielding, & Porter, 1980).2 While none of these reviews...1951, 16, 297-334. Dalton, D. R., Todor , W. D., Spendolini, M. J., Fielding, G. J., & Porter, L. W. Organization structure and performance: A critical

Sugarcane Response to High Water Tables and Intermittent Flooding

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Sugarcane (Saccharum spp.) production has engendered environmental concerns of nutrient transfer to neighboring ecosystems and subsidence of organic soils on which the crop is often grown. These environmental issues might be ameliorated if water was retained on the fields to minimize nutrient trans...

Environment and host as large-scale controls of ectomycorrhizal fungi.

PubMed

van der Linde, Sietse; Suz, Laura M; Orme, C David L; Cox, Filipa; Andreae, Henning; Asi, Endla; Atkinson, Bonnie; Benham, Sue; Carroll, Christopher; Cools, Nathalie; De Vos, Bruno; Dietrich, Hans-Peter; Eichhorn, Johannes; Gehrmann, Joachim; Grebenc, Tine; Gweon, Hyun S; Hansen, Karin; Jacob, Frank; Kristöfel, Ferdinand; Lech, Paweł; Manninger, Miklós; Martin, Jan; Meesenburg, Henning; Merilä, Päivi; Nicolas, Manuel; Pavlenda, Pavel; Rautio, Pasi; Schaub, Marcus; Schröck, Hans-Werner; Seidling, Walter; Šrámek, Vít; Thimonier, Anne; Thomsen, Iben Margrete; Titeux, Hugues; Vanguelova, Elena; Verstraeten, Arne; Vesterdal, Lars; Waldner, Peter; Wijk, Sture; Zhang, Yuxin; Žlindra, Daniel; Bidartondo, Martin I

2018-06-06

Explaining the large-scale diversity of soil organisms that drive biogeochemical processes-and their responses to environmental change-is critical. However, identifying consistent drivers of belowground diversity and abundance for some soil organisms at large spatial scales remains problematic. Here we investigate a major guild, the ectomycorrhizal fungi, across European forests at a spatial scale and resolution that is-to our knowledge-unprecedented, to explore key biotic and abiotic predictors of ectomycorrhizal diversity and to identify dominant responses and thresholds for change across complex environmental gradients. We show the effect of 38 host, environment, climate and geographical variables on ectomycorrhizal diversity, and define thresholds of community change for key variables. We quantify host specificity and reveal plasticity in functional traits involved in soil foraging across gradients. We conclude that environmental and host factors explain most of the variation in ectomycorrhizal diversity, that the environmental thresholds used as major ecosystem assessment tools need adjustment and that the importance of belowground specificity and plasticity has previously been underappreciated.

Environmental fate and biodegradability of benzene derivatives as studied in a model aquatic ecosystem.

PubMed Central

Lu, P Y; Metcalf, R L

1975-01-01

A model aquatic ecosystem is devised for studying relatively volatile organic compounds and simulating direct discharge of chemical wastes into aquatic ecosystems. Six simple benzene derivatives (aniline, anisole, benzoic acid, chlorobenzene, nitrobenzene, and phthalic anhydride) and other important specialty chemicals: hexachlorobenzene, pentachlorophenol, 2,6-diethylaniline, and 3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinol were also chosen for study of environmental behavior and fate in the model aquatic ecosystem. Quantitative relationships of the intrinsic molecular properties of the environmental micropollutants with biological responses are established, e.g., water solubility, partition coefficient, pi constant, sigma constant, ecological magnification, biodegradability index, and comparative detoxication mechanisms, respectively. Water solubility, pi constant, and sigma constant are the most significant factors and control the biological responses of the food chain members. Water solubility and pi constant control the degree of bioaccumulation, and sigma constant limits the metabolism of the xenobiotics via microsomal detoxication enzymes. These highly significant correlations should be useful for predicting environmental fate of organic chemicals. PMID:1157796

Metabolomic analysis of the selection response of Drosophila melanogaster to environmental stress: are there links to gene expression and phenotypic traits?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malmendal, Anders; Sørensen, Jesper Givskov; Overgaard, Johannes; Holmstrup, Martin; Nielsen, Niels Chr.; Loeschcke, Volker

2013-05-01

We investigated the global metabolite response to artificial selection for tolerance to stressful conditions such as cold, heat, starvation, and desiccation, and for longevity in Drosophila melanogaster. Our findings were compared to data from other levels of biological organization, including gene expression, physiological traits, and organismal stress tolerance phenotype. Overall, we found that selection for environmental stress tolerance changes the metabolomic 1H NMR fingerprint largely in a similar manner independent of the trait selected for, indicating that experimental evolution led to a general stress selection response at the metabolomic level. Integrative analyses across data sets showed little similarity when general correlations between selection effects at the level of the metabolome and gene expression were compared. This is likely due to the fact that the changes caused by these selection regimes were rather mild and/or that the dominating determinants for gene expression and metabolite levels were different. However, expression of a number of genes was correlated with the metabolite data. Many of the identified genes were general stress response genes that are down-regulated in response to selection for some of the stresses in this study. Overall, the results illustrate that selection markedly alters the metabolite profile and that the coupling between different levels of biological organization indeed is present though not very strong for stress selection at this level. The results highlight the extreme complexity of environmental stress adaptation and the difficulty of extrapolating and interpreting responses across levels of biological organization.

Kennedy Space Center environmental health program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marmaro, G. M.; Cardinale, M. A.; Summerfield, B. R.; Tipton, D. A.

1992-01-01

The Kennedy Space Center's environmental health organization is responsible for programs which assure its employees a healthful workplace under diverse and varied working conditions. These programs encompass the disciplines of industrial hygiene, radiation protection (health physics), and environmental sanitation/pollution control. Activities range from the routine, such as normal office work, to the highly specialized, such as the processing of highly toxic and hazardous materials.

Effect of a Jurassic oceanic anoxic event on belemnite ecology and evolution

PubMed Central

Ullmann, Clemens Vinzenz; Thibault, Nicolas; Ruhl, Micha; Hesselbo, Stephen P.; Korte, Christoph

2014-01-01

The Toarcian oceanic anoxic event (T-OAE; ∼183 million y ago) is possibly the most extreme episode of widespread ocean oxygen deficiency in the Phanerozoic, coinciding with rapid atmospheric pCO2 increase and significant loss of biodiversity in marine faunas. The event is a unique past tipping point in the Earth system, where rapid and massive release of isotopically light carbon led to a major perturbation in the global carbon cycle as recorded in organic and inorganic C isotope records. Modern marine ecosystems are projected to experience major loss in biodiversity in response to enhanced ocean anoxia driven by anthropogenic release of greenhouse gases. Potential consequences of this anthropogenic forcing can be approximated by studying analog environmental perturbations in the past such as the T-OAE. Here we present to our knowledge the first organic carbon isotope record derived from the organic matrix in the calcite rostra of early Toarcian belemnites. We combine both organic and calcite carbon isotope analyses of individual specimens of these marine predators to obtain a refined reconstruction of the early Toarcian global exogenic carbon cycle perturbation and belemnite paleoecology. The organic carbon isotope data combined with measurements of oxygen isotope values from the same specimens allow for a more robust interpretation of the interplay between the global carbon cycle perturbation, environmental change, and biotic response during the T-OAE. We infer that belemnites adapted to environmental change by shifting their habitat from cold bottom waters to warm surface waters in response to expanded seafloor anoxia. PMID:24982187

Disaster response and grassroots environmental advocacy: the example of the World Trade Center Community Labor Coalition.

PubMed

Newman, David M

2008-01-01

The tragic events of 9/11/01 and thereafter produced the worst environmental disaster in the history of New York City. Exposure to World Trade Center-derived toxic contaminants at Ground Zero and throughout Lower Manhattan has produced clinically diagnosed persistent respiratory and other illnesses in multiple exposure populations, with fatalities beginning to be reported. Government efforts to protect public health and to assess and remediate contaminants have been minimal. In response, a broad and sophisticated grassroots environmental movement has arisen in Lower Manhattan to push for environmental cleanup and for access to health care for impacted populations and communities. This movement unites community, labor, and environmental groups and continues to organize five years after 9/11. This article examines the development of grassroots response efforts, the work of the World Trade Center Community Labor Coalition, and obstacles encountered in coalition-building. Testimony of community and labor activists is provided in the appendix. The context for this article is provided by the companion article that precedes it in this issue of New Solutions. The preceding article examines the scope of the environmental disaster, the statutory requirements that regulate governmental response, and the nature of government response efforts.

Quantifying the Importance of the Rare Biosphere for Microbial Community Response to Organic Pollutants in a Freshwater Ecosystem

PubMed Central

Wang, Yuanqi; Hatt, Janet K.; Tsementzi, Despina; Rodriguez-R, Luis M.; Ruiz-Pérez, Carlos A.; Kizer, Heidi; Maresca, Gina; Krishnan, Raj; Poretsky, Rachel; Spain, Jim C.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT A single liter of water contains hundreds, if not thousands, of bacterial and archaeal species, each of which typically makes up a very small fraction of the total microbial community (<0.1%), the so-called “rare biosphere.” How often, and via what mechanisms, e.g., clonal amplification versus horizontal gene transfer, the rare taxa and genes contribute to microbial community response to environmental perturbations represent important unanswered questions toward better understanding the value and modeling of microbial diversity. We tested whether rare species frequently responded to changing environmental conditions by establishing 20-liter planktonic mesocosms with water from Lake Lanier (Georgia, USA) and perturbing them with organic compounds that are rarely detected in the lake, including 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), and caffeine. The populations of the degraders of these compounds were initially below the detection limit of quantitative PCR (qPCR) or metagenomic sequencing methods, but they increased substantially in abundance after perturbation. Sequencing of several degraders (isolates) and time-series metagenomic data sets revealed distinct cooccurring alleles of degradation genes, frequently carried on transmissible plasmids, especially for the 2,4-D mesocosms, and distinct species dominating the post-enrichment microbial communities from each replicated mesocosm. This diversity of species and genes also underlies distinct degradation profiles among replicated mesocosms. Collectively, these results supported the hypothesis that the rare biosphere can serve as a genetic reservoir, which can be frequently missed by metagenomics but enables community response to changing environmental conditions caused by organic pollutants, and they provided insights into the size of the pool of rare genes and species. IMPORTANCE A single liter of water or gram of soil contains hundreds of low-abundance bacterial and archaeal species, the so called rare biosphere. The value of this astonishing biodiversity for ecosystem functioning remains poorly understood, primarily due to the fact that microbial community analysis frequently focuses on abundant organisms. Using a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent (metagenomics) techniques, we showed that rare taxa and genes commonly contribute to the microbial community response to organic pollutants. Our findings should have implications for future studies that aim to study the role of rare species in environmental processes, including environmental bioremediation efforts of oil spills or other contaminants. PMID:28258138

Quantifying the Importance of the Rare Biosphere for Microbial Community Response to Organic Pollutants in a Freshwater Ecosystem.

PubMed

Wang, Yuanqi; Hatt, Janet K; Tsementzi, Despina; Rodriguez-R, Luis M; Ruiz-Pérez, Carlos A; Weigand, Michael R; Kizer, Heidi; Maresca, Gina; Krishnan, Raj; Poretsky, Rachel; Spain, Jim C; Konstantinidis, Konstantinos T

2017-04-15

A single liter of water contains hundreds, if not thousands, of bacterial and archaeal species, each of which typically makes up a very small fraction of the total microbial community (<0.1%), the so-called "rare biosphere." How often, and via what mechanisms, e.g., clonal amplification versus horizontal gene transfer, the rare taxa and genes contribute to microbial community response to environmental perturbations represent important unanswered questions toward better understanding the value and modeling of microbial diversity. We tested whether rare species frequently responded to changing environmental conditions by establishing 20-liter planktonic mesocosms with water from Lake Lanier (Georgia, USA) and perturbing them with organic compounds that are rarely detected in the lake, including 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), 4-nitrophenol (4-NP), and caffeine. The populations of the degraders of these compounds were initially below the detection limit of quantitative PCR (qPCR) or metagenomic sequencing methods, but they increased substantially in abundance after perturbation. Sequencing of several degraders (isolates) and time-series metagenomic data sets revealed distinct cooccurring alleles of degradation genes, frequently carried on transmissible plasmids, especially for the 2,4-D mesocosms, and distinct species dominating the post-enrichment microbial communities from each replicated mesocosm. This diversity of species and genes also underlies distinct degradation profiles among replicated mesocosms. Collectively, these results supported the hypothesis that the rare biosphere can serve as a genetic reservoir, which can be frequently missed by metagenomics but enables community response to changing environmental conditions caused by organic pollutants, and they provided insights into the size of the pool of rare genes and species. IMPORTANCE A single liter of water or gram of soil contains hundreds of low-abundance bacterial and archaeal species, the so called rare biosphere. The value of this astonishing biodiversity for ecosystem functioning remains poorly understood, primarily due to the fact that microbial community analysis frequently focuses on abundant organisms. Using a combination of culture-dependent and culture-independent (metagenomics) techniques, we showed that rare taxa and genes commonly contribute to the microbial community response to organic pollutants. Our findings should have implications for future studies that aim to study the role of rare species in environmental processes, including environmental bioremediation efforts of oil spills or other contaminants. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

Attitudes vs. Purchase Behaviors as Experienced Dissonance: The Roles of Knowledge and Consumer Orientations in Organic Market.

PubMed

Hidalgo-Baz, María; Martos-Partal, Mercedes; González-Benito, Óscar

2017-01-01

This research focuses on the incongruity between positive attitudinal responses but a lack of purchase behavior in organic markets. According to cognitive dissonance theory, consumer orientations toward the benefits attributed to organic products (environmental protection, health, hedonic) relieve the dissonance that results from this attitude-behavior incongruity. Knowledge also functions as a transmitter, from positive attitudes to purchase behaviors, thereby reducing the incongruity. Using quota sampling in a survey study, this paper tests the hypotheses from linear regression models. The results show that orientations and knowledge improve the congruity between attitudes and purchase behaviors toward organic products. Moreover, interaction effects arise between the environmental protection orientation and knowledge and between the hedonic orientation and knowledge. Increasing knowledge mitigates the difference between attitudes and purchase behaviors, especially for consumers with environmental protection or hedonic orientations. These findings have several important implications for research and practice.

Attitudes vs. Purchase Behaviors as Experienced Dissonance: The Roles of Knowledge and Consumer Orientations in Organic Market

PubMed Central

Hidalgo-Baz, María; Martos-Partal, Mercedes; González-Benito, Óscar

2017-01-01

This research focuses on the incongruity between positive attitudinal responses but a lack of purchase behavior in organic markets. According to cognitive dissonance theory, consumer orientations toward the benefits attributed to organic products (environmental protection, health, hedonic) relieve the dissonance that results from this attitude–behavior incongruity. Knowledge also functions as a transmitter, from positive attitudes to purchase behaviors, thereby reducing the incongruity. Using quota sampling in a survey study, this paper tests the hypotheses from linear regression models. The results show that orientations and knowledge improve the congruity between attitudes and purchase behaviors toward organic products. Moreover, interaction effects arise between the environmental protection orientation and knowledge and between the hedonic orientation and knowledge. Increasing knowledge mitigates the difference between attitudes and purchase behaviors, especially for consumers with environmental protection or hedonic orientations. These findings have several important implications for research and practice. PMID:28286489

Examining responses of ecosystem carbon exchange to environmental changes using particle filtering mathod

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokozawa, M.

2017-12-01

Attention has been paid to the agricultural field that could regulate ecosystem carbon exchange by water management and residual treatments. However, there have been less known about the dynamic responses of the ecosystem to environmental changes. In this study, focussing on paddy field, where CO2 emissions due to microbial decomposition of organic matter are suppressed and alternatively CH4 emitted under flooding condition during rice growth season and subsequently CO2 emission following the fallow season after harvest, the responses of ecosystem carbon exchange were examined. We conducted model data fusion analysis for examining the response of cropland-atmosphere carbon exchange to environmental variation. The used model consists of two sub models, paddy rice growth sub-model and soil decomposition sub-model. The crop growth sub-model mimics the rice plant growth processes including formation of reproductive organs as well as leaf expansion. The soil decomposition sub-model simulates the decomposition process of soil organic carbon. Assimilating the data on the time changes in CO2 flux measured by eddy covariance method, rice plant biomass, LAI and the final yield with the model, the parameters were calibrated using a stochastic optimization algorithm with a particle filter method. The particle filter method, which is one of the Monte Carlo filters, enable us to evaluating time changes in parameters based on the observed data until the time and to make prediction of the system. Iterative filtering and prediction with changing parameters and/or boundary condition enable us to obtain time changes in parameters governing the crop production as well as carbon exchange. In this study, we focused on the parameters related to crop production as well as soil carbon storage. As the results, the calibrated model with estimated parameters could accurately predict the NEE flux in the subsequent years. The temperature sensitivity, denoted by Q10s in the decomposition rate of soil organic carbon (SOC) were obtained as 1.4 for no cultivation period and 2.9 for cultivation period (submerged soil condition in flooding season). It suggests that the response of ecosystem carbon exchange differs due to SOC decomposition process which is sensitive to environmental variation during paddy rice cultivation period.

How Cyanobacterial Distributions Reveal Flow and Irradiance Conditions of Photosynthetic Biofilm Formation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prufert-Bebout, Lee; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Microbial life on Earth is enormously abundant at sediment-water interfaces. The fossil record in fact contains abundant evidence of the preservation of life on such surfaces. It is therefore critical to our interpretation of early Earth history, and potentially to history of life on other planets, to be able to recognize life forms at these interfaces. On Earth this life often occurs as organized structures of microbes and their extracellular exudates known as biofilms. When such biofilms occur in areas receiving sunlight photosynthetic biofilms are the dominant form in natural ecosystems due to selective advantage inherent in their ability to utilize solar energy. Cyanobacteria are the dominant phototrophic microbes in most modern and ancient photosynthetic biofilms, microbial mats and stromatolites. Due to their long (3.5 billion year) evolutionary history, this group has extensively diversified resulting in an enormous array of morphologies and physiological abilities. This enormous diversity and specialization results in very specific selection for a particular cyanobacterium in each available photosynthetic niche. Furthermore these organisms can alter their spatial orientation, cell morphology, pigmentation and associations with heterotrophic organisms in order to fine tune their optimization to a given micro-niche. These adaptations can be detected, and if adequate knowledge of the interaction between environmental conditions and organism response is available, the detectable organism response can be used to infer the environmental conditions causing that response. This presentation will detail two specific examples which illustrate this point, Light and water are essential to photosynthesis in cyanobacteria and these organisms have specific detectable behavioural responses to these parameters. We will present cyanobacterial responses to quantified flow and irradiance to demonstrate the interpretative power of distribution and orientation information. This study presents new results, but many such examples are already found in the literature.

Self-organizing change? On drivers, causes and global environmental change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

von Elverfeldt, Kirsten; Embleton-Hamann, Christine; Slaymaker, Olav

2016-01-01

Within global environmental change research, certain external drivers generally are assumed to cause the environmental system to change. The most commonly considered drivers are relief, sea level, hydroclimate, and/or people. However, complexity theory and self-organizing systems provide a very different framework and means of explanation. Self-organization - understood as the aggregate processes internal to an environmental system that lead to a distinctive spatial, temporal, or other organization - reduces the possibility of implicating a specific process as being causal. The principle of equifinality, whereby two or more different drivers can generate the same form, has long been recognized within a process-response framework, as well as the concept of divergence, which states that similar causes or processes result in different effects. Both ideas differ from self-organization in that they (i) deal with drivers external to the system and (ii) imply concrete cause-and-effect relations that might be difficult to discern. The assumption is, however, that careful study will eventually lead to the true causes and processes. Studies of self-organization deal with the ways in which internal processes interact and may drive a system toward an instability threshold, the so-called bifurcation point. At this point, the system develops by chance and no single external or internal cause for the change can be defined. For research into environmental change this is a crucial theory for two reasons:

Biological responses to environmental heterogeneity under future ocean conditions.

PubMed

Boyd, Philip W; Cornwall, Christopher E; Davison, Andrew; Doney, Scott C; Fourquez, Marion; Hurd, Catriona L; Lima, Ivan D; McMinn, Andrew

2016-08-01

Organisms are projected to face unprecedented rates of change in future ocean conditions due to anthropogenic climate-change. At present, marine life encounters a wide range of environmental heterogeneity from natural fluctuations to mean climate change. Manipulation studies suggest that biota from more variable marine environments have more phenotypic plasticity to tolerate environmental heterogeneity. Here, we consider current strategies employed by a range of representative organisms across various habitats - from short-lived phytoplankton to long-lived corals - in response to environmental heterogeneity. We then discuss how, if and when organismal responses (acclimate/migrate/adapt) may be altered by shifts in the magnitude of the mean climate-change signal relative to that for natural fluctuations projected for coming decades. The findings from both novel climate-change modelling simulations and prior biological manipulation studies, in which natural fluctuations are superimposed on those of mean change, provide valuable insights into organismal responses to environmental heterogeneity. Manipulations reveal that different experimental outcomes are evident between climate-change treatments which include natural fluctuations vs. those which do not. Modelling simulations project that the magnitude of climate variability, along with mean climate change, will increase in coming decades, and hence environmental heterogeneity will increase, illustrating the need for more realistic biological manipulation experiments that include natural fluctuations. However, simulations also strongly suggest that the timescales over which the mean climate-change signature will become dominant, relative to natural fluctuations, will vary for individual properties, being most rapid for CO2 (~10 years from present day) to 4 decades for nutrients. We conclude that the strategies used by biota to respond to shifts in environmental heterogeneity may be complex, as they will have to physiologically straddle wide-ranging timescales in the alteration of ocean conditions, including the need to adapt to rapidly rising CO2 and also acclimate to environmental heterogeneity in more slowly changing properties such as warming. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Sea ice microorganisms: environmental constraints and extracellular responses.

PubMed

Ewert, Marcela; Deming, Jody W

2013-03-28

Inherent to sea ice, like other high latitude environments, is the strong seasonality driven by changes in insolation throughout the year. Sea-ice organisms are exposed to shifting, sometimes limiting, conditions of temperature and salinity. An array of adaptations to survive these and other challenges has been acquired by those organisms that inhabit the ice. One key adaptive response is the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which play multiple roles in the entrapment, retention and survival of microorganisms in sea ice. In this concept paper we consider two main areas of sea-ice microbiology: the physico-chemical properties that define sea ice as a microbial habitat, imparting particular advantages and limits; and extracellular responses elicited in microbial inhabitants as they exploit or survive these conditions. Emphasis is placed on protective strategies used in the face of fluctuating and extreme environmental conditions in sea ice. Gaps in knowledge and testable hypotheses are identified for future research.

Public perceptions of the response to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill: personal experiences, information sources, and social context.

PubMed

Safford, Thomas G; Ulrich, Jessica D; Hamilton, Lawrence C

2012-12-30

The 2010 British Petroleum (BP) Deepwater Horizon oil spill highlighted long-standing questions about energy exploration and its social and environmental implications. Sociologists studying environmental disasters have documented the social impacts resulting from these events and dissatisfaction with government and industry responses. In this paper, we use data from a survey conducted during the Gulf of Mexico oil spill to examine how Louisiana and Florida residents' social backgrounds, experiences with the spill, and trust in information sources predict their perceptions of governmental and BP response efforts. We find that direct personal impacts and compensation strongly influence the evaluations of responding organizations. Age and place of residence also predict such assessments. Finally, levels of confidence in television news and BP as sources of information appear to shape Gulf Coast residents' opinions about the work of organizations responding to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sea Ice Microorganisms: Environmental Constraints and Extracellular Responses

PubMed Central

Ewert, Marcela; Deming, Jody W.

2013-01-01

Inherent to sea ice, like other high latitude environments, is the strong seasonality driven by changes in insolation throughout the year. Sea-ice organisms are exposed to shifting, sometimes limiting, conditions of temperature and salinity. An array of adaptations to survive these and other challenges has been acquired by those organisms that inhabit the ice. One key adaptive response is the production of extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), which play multiple roles in the entrapment, retention and survival of microorganisms in sea ice. In this concept paper we consider two main areas of sea-ice microbiology: the physico-chemical properties that define sea ice as a microbial habitat, imparting particular advantages and limits; and extracellular responses elicited in microbial inhabitants as they exploit or survive these conditions. Emphasis is placed on protective strategies used in the face of fluctuating and extreme environmental conditions in sea ice. Gaps in knowledge and testable hypotheses are identified for future research. PMID:24832800

40 CFR 300.100 - Duties of President delegated to federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... SUBSTANCES POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Responsibility and Organization for Response § 300.100 Duties of President delegated to federal agencies. In Executive Orders 12580 and 12777, the President delegated... federal agencies. 300.100 Section 300.100 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY...

40 CFR 300.100 - Duties of President delegated to federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... SUBSTANCES POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Responsibility and Organization for Response § 300.100 Duties of President delegated to federal agencies. In Executive Orders 12580 and 12777, the President delegated... federal agencies. 300.100 Section 300.100 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY...

40 CFR 300.100 - Duties of President delegated to federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... SUBSTANCES POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Responsibility and Organization for Response § 300.100 Duties of President delegated to federal agencies. In Executive Orders 12580 and 12777, the President delegated... federal agencies. 300.100 Section 300.100 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY...

Contrasting Responses to Harvesting and Environmental Drivers of Fast and Slow Life History Species

PubMed Central

Quetglas, Antoni; Rueda, Lucía; Alvarez-Berastegui, Diego; Guijarro, Beatriz; Massutí, Enric

2016-01-01

According to their main life history traits, organisms can be arranged in a continuum from fast (species with small body size, short lifespan and high fecundity) to slow (species with opposite characteristics). Life history determines the responses of organisms to natural and anthropogenic factors, as slow species are expected to be more sensitive than fast species to perturbations. Owing to their contrasting traits, cephalopods and elasmobranchs are typical examples of fast and slow strategies, respectively. We investigated the responses of these two contrasting strategies to fishing exploitation and environmental conditions (temperature, productivity and depth) using generalized additive models. Our results confirmed the foreseen contrasting responses of cephalopods and elasmobranchs to natural (environment) and anthropogenic (harvesting) influences. Even though a priori foreseen, we did expect neither the clear-cut differential responses between groups nor the homogeneous sensitivity to the same factors within the two taxonomic groups. Apart from depth, which affected both groups equally, cephalopods and elasmobranchs were exclusively affected by environmental conditions and fishing exploitation, respectively. Owing to its short, annual cycle, cephalopods do not have overlapping generations and consequently lack the buffering effects conferred by different age classes observed in multi-aged species such as elasmobranchs. We suggest that cephalopods are sensitive to short-term perturbations, such as seasonal environmental changes, because they lack this buffering effect but they are in turn not influenced by continuous, long-term moderate disturbances such as fishing because of its high population growth and turnover. The contrary would apply to elasmobranchs, whose multi-aged population structure would buffer the seasonal environmental effects, but they would display strong responses to uninterrupted harvesting due to its low population resilience. Besides providing empirical evidence to the theoretically predicted contrasting responses of cephalopods and elasmobranchs to disturbances, our results are useful for the sustainable exploitation of these resources. PMID:26859577

Environmental epigenetics: A promising venue for developing next-generation pollution biomonitoring tools in marine invertebrates.

PubMed

Suarez-Ulloa, Victoria; Gonzalez-Romero, Rodrigo; Eirin-Lopez, Jose M

2015-09-15

Environmental epigenetics investigates the cause-effect relationships between specific environmental factors and the subsequent epigenetic modifications triggering adaptive responses in the cell. Given the dynamic and potentially reversible nature of the different types of epigenetic marks, environmental epigenetics constitutes a promising venue for developing fast and sensible biomonitoring programs. Indeed, several epigenetic biomarkers have been successfully developed and applied in traditional model organisms (e.g., human and mouse). Nevertheless, the lack of epigenetic knowledge in other ecologically and environmentally relevant organisms has hampered the application of these tools in a broader range of ecosystems, most notably in the marine environment. Fortunately, that scenario is now changing thanks to the growing availability of complete reference genome sequences along with the development of high-throughput DNA sequencing and bioinformatic methods. Altogether, these resources make the epigenetic study of marine organisms (and more specifically marine invertebrates) a reality. By building on this knowledge, the present work provides a timely perspective highlighting the extraordinary potential of environmental epigenetic analyses as a promising source of rapid and sensible tools for pollution biomonitoring, using marine invertebrates as sentinel organisms. This strategy represents an innovative, groundbreaking approach, improving the conservation and management of natural resources in the oceans. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

TCP Transcription Factors at the Interface between Environmental Challenges and the Plant’s Growth Responses

PubMed Central

Danisman, Selahattin

2016-01-01

Plants are sessile and as such their reactions to environmental challenges differ from those of mobile organisms. Many adaptions involve growth responses and hence, growth regulation is one of the most crucial biological processes for plant survival and fitness. The plant-specific TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA, PCF1 (TCP) transcription factor family is involved in plant development from cradle to grave, i.e., from seed germination throughout vegetative development until the formation of flowers and fruits. TCP transcription factors have an evolutionary conserved role as regulators in a variety of plant species, including orchids, tomatoes, peas, poplar, cotton, rice and the model plant Arabidopsis. Early TCP research focused on the regulatory functions of TCPs in the development of diverse organs via the cell cycle. Later research uncovered that TCP transcription factors are not static developmental regulators but crucial growth regulators that translate diverse endogenous and environmental signals into growth responses best fitted to ensure plant fitness and health. I will recapitulate the research on TCPs in this review focusing on two topics: the discovery of TCPs and the elucidation of their evolutionarily conserved roles across the plant kingdom, and the variety of signals, both endogenous (circadian clock, plant hormones) and environmental (pathogens, light, nutrients), TCPs respond to in the course of their developmental roles. PMID:28066483

TCP Transcription Factors at the Interface between Environmental Challenges and the Plant's Growth Responses.

PubMed

Danisman, Selahattin

2016-01-01

Plants are sessile and as such their reactions to environmental challenges differ from those of mobile organisms. Many adaptions involve growth responses and hence, growth regulation is one of the most crucial biological processes for plant survival and fitness. The plant-specific TEOSINTE BRANCHED 1, CYCLOIDEA, PCF1 (TCP) transcription factor family is involved in plant development from cradle to grave, i.e., from seed germination throughout vegetative development until the formation of flowers and fruits. TCP transcription factors have an evolutionary conserved role as regulators in a variety of plant species, including orchids, tomatoes, peas, poplar, cotton, rice and the model plant Arabidopsis. Early TCP research focused on the regulatory functions of TCPs in the development of diverse organs via the cell cycle. Later research uncovered that TCP transcription factors are not static developmental regulators but crucial growth regulators that translate diverse endogenous and environmental signals into growth responses best fitted to ensure plant fitness and health. I will recapitulate the research on TCPs in this review focusing on two topics: the discovery of TCPs and the elucidation of their evolutionarily conserved roles across the plant kingdom, and the variety of signals, both endogenous (circadian clock, plant hormones) and environmental (pathogens, light, nutrients), TCPs respond to in the course of their developmental roles.

Disease-modifying genetic factors in cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Marson, Fernando A L

2018-05-01

To compile data from the past 10 years regarding the role of modifying genes in cystic fibrosis (CF). CF is a model disease for understanding of the action of modifying genes. Although it is a monogenic (CFTR) autosomal recessive disease, CF presents with wide phenotypic variability. In CF, variability occurs with different intensity among patients by each organ, being organ-specific, resulting from the mutual interaction of environmental and genetic factors, including CFTR mutations and various other genes, most of which are associated with inflammatory processes. In individuals, using precision medicine, gene modification studies have revealed individualized responses to drugs depending on particular CFTR mutations and modifying genes, most of which are alternative ion channels. Studies of modifying genes in CF allow: understanding of clinical variability among patients with the same CFTR genotype; evaluation of precision medicine; understanding of environmental and genetic effects at the organ level; understanding the involvement of genetic variants in inflammatory responses; improvements in genetic counseling; understanding the involvement of genetic variants in inflammatory responses in lung diseases, such as asthma; and understanding the individuality of the person with the disease.

75 FR 64353 - Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under The Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-19

... proposed consent decree (``proposed Decree'') in United States v. Rutgers Organics Corporation, Civil... hazardous substances from the chemical manufacturing facility operated by Rutgers Organics Company located... obligates the defendant to perform the remedy that EPA selected for the surface soils at the Site. The...

Field Verification Program (Aquatic Disposal). The Assessment of Black Rock Harbor Dredged Material Impacts on Laboratory Population Responses.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

report describes work performed by the US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), Environmental Research Laboratory, Narragansett, R. I. (ERLN), as...of the use 2 such commercial prodluc!s TheP 0-series of reports includes Qubiicatiors Environmental Effects of Dredclng Proqramrs Dredg:ng Operations...public release; distribution 2b DECLASSIFICATION /DOWNGRADING SCHEDULE unlimited. 4 PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER(S) S MONITORING

Final Environmental Assessment Addressing a Proposed Commissary at Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-11-01

Response HMMS Hazardous Materials Management System HQ Headquarters HUD U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HVAC heating, ventilation ...Environmental Protection Agency USFWS U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service USGS U.S Geological Survey UST underground storage tank VOC volatile organic...li\\fPACT I conclude that the environmental effects of the proposed commissary at Dobbins ARB are not significant, that preparation of an

Organization environmental footprint applying a multi-regional input-output analysis: A case study of a wood parquet company in Spain.

PubMed

Martinez, Sara; Marchamalo, Miguel; Alvarez, Sergio

2018-03-15

Wood has been presented as a carbon-neutral material capable of significantly contribute to climate change mitigation and has become an appealing option for the building sector. This paper presents the quantification of the organization environmental footprint of a wood parquet company. The multi-regional input-output (MRIO) database EXIOBASE was used with a further structural path analysis decomposition. The application of the proposed method quantifies 14 environmental impacts. Highly influential sectors and regions responsible for these impacts are assessed to propose efficient measures. For the parquet company studied, the highest impact category once normalized was ozone depletion and the dominant sector responsible for this impact was the chemical industry from Spain and China. The structural path decomposition related to ozone loss revealed that the indirect impacts embedded in the supply chain are higher than the direct impacts. It can be concluded that the assessment of the organizational environmental footprint can be carried out applying this well-structured and robust method. Its implementation will enable tracking of the environmental burdens through a company's supply chain at a global scale and provide information for the adoption of environmental strategies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Application of adenylate energy charge to problems of environmental impact assessment in aquatic organisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanovici, A. M.

1980-03-01

Various physiological and biochemical methods have been proposed for assessing the effects of environmental perturbation on aquatic organisms. The success of these methods as diagnostic tools has, however, been limited. This paper proposes that adenylate energy charge overcomes some of these limitations. The adenylate energy charge (AEC) is calculated from concentrations of adenine nucleotides ([ATP+½ADP]/[ATP+ADP+AMP]), and is a reflection of metabolic potential available to an organism. Several features of this method are: correlation of specific values with physiological condition or growth state, a defined range of values, fast response times and high precision. Several examples from laboratory and field experiments are given to demonstrate these features. The test organisms used (mollusc species) were exposed to a variety of environmental perturbations, including salinity reduction, hydrocarbons and low doses of heavy metal. The studies performed indicate that the energy charge may be a useful measure in the assessment of environmental impact. Its use is restricted, however, as several limitations exist which need to be fully evaluated. Further work relating values to population characteristics of multicellular organisms needs to be completed before the method can become a predictive tool for management.

Aging and Posture Control: Changes in Sensory Organization and Muscular Coordination.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woollacott, Marjorie H.; And Others

1986-01-01

Examined two aspects of balance control in the older adult: coordination of timing and amplitude of muscle responses to postural perturbations, and ability of the participant to reorganize sensory inputs and subsequently modify postural responses as a consequence of changing environmental conditions. (Author/ABB)

FAQs Related to Response to Petition to Add Oil And Gas Extraction Sector to the TRI Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Questions and answers related to EPA's response to a petition by the Environmental Integrity Project and 16 other organizations to add the Oil and Gas Extraction sector to the scope of industries subject to TRI reporting requirements.

Internal and external regulation of plant organ stoichiometry.

PubMed

Minden, V; Kleyer, M

2014-09-01

Internal differences between plant organs are caused by the functional differentiation of plant tissue, whereas external supply rates of elements constrain nutrient uptake. Previous studies have concentrated on foliar or whole-plant stoichiometric response to the environment, whereas investigation of organ-specific comparisons is still pending. We explore C:N:P ratios of stems, leaves, diaspores and belowground organs in marsh plants, and evaluate the influence of environmental constraints using standardised major axis regression (SMA). For a pooled dataset, SMA resulted in distinct patterns of isometric and anisometric slopes between plant organs. Bivariate line-fitting for a split dataset of four ecological groups revealed that species of the frequently inundated marsh had higher N:C ratios than those of the infrequently inundated marsh. The influence of nutrient availability was detectable in decreased P:C and increased N:P ratios in P-poor sites. Across ecological groups, leaves and diaspores showed higher elemental homeostasis than stems and belowground organs. Any change in N:C ratios of belowground organs and diaspores in response to the environment was accompanied by an even stronger internal change in stem N:C ratios, indicating a pivotal role of stems of herbaceous plants in ecosystem processes. We found distinct patterns of C:N:P ratios in plant organs related to their internal function and external environmental constraints. Leaves and diaspores showed a higher degree of homeostasis than stems and belowground organs. We detected a clear external signal in element:element ratios of plant organs, with low soil P translating into lower tissue P:C ratio and stronger N retention in leaves as a response to salt stress. © 2014 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

White-crowned sparrow males show immediate flexibility in song amplitude but not in song minimum frequency in response to changes in noise levels in the field.

PubMed

Derryberry, Elizabeth P; Gentry, Katherine; Derryberry, Graham E; Phillips, Jennifer N; Danner, Raymond M; Danner, Julie E; Luther, David A

2017-07-01

The soundscape acts as a selective agent on organisms that use acoustic signals to communicate. A number of studies document variation in structure, amplitude, or timing of signal production in correspondence with environmental noise levels thus supporting the hypothesis that organisms are changing their signaling behaviors to avoid masking. The time scale at which organisms respond is of particular interest. Signal structure may evolve across generations through processes such as cultural or genetic transmission. Individuals may also change their behavior during development (ontogenetic change) or in real time (i.e., immediate flexibility). These are not mutually exclusive mechanisms, and all must be investigated to understand how organisms respond to selection pressures from the soundscape. Previous work on white-crowned sparrows ( Zonotrichia leucophrys ) found that males holding territories in louder areas tend to sing higher frequency songs and that both noise levels and song frequency have increased over time (30 years) in urban areas. These previous findings suggest that songs are changing across generations; however, it is not known if this species also exhibits immediate flexibility. Here, we conducted an exploratory, observational study to ask whether males change the minimum frequency of their song in response to immediate changes in noise levels. We also ask whether males sing louder, as increased minimum frequency may be physiologically linked to producing sound at higher amplitudes, in response to immediate changes in environmental noise. We found that territorial males adjust song amplitude but not minimum frequency in response to changes in environmental noise levels. Our results suggest that males do not show immediate flexibility in song minimum frequency, although experimental manipulations are needed to test this hypothesis further. Our work highlights the need to investigate multiple mechanisms of adaptive response to soundscapes.

Application of phenotypic microarrays to environmental microbiology

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Borglin, sharon; Joyner, Dominique; DeAngelis, Kristen

2012-01-01

Environmental organisms are extremely diverse and only a small fraction has been successfully cultured in the laboratory. Culture in micro wells provides a method for rapid screening of a wide variety of growth conditions and commercially available plates contain a large number of substrates, nutrient sources, and inhibitors, which can provide an assessment of the phenotype of an organism. This review describes applications of phenotype arrays to anaerobic and thermophilic microorganisms, use of the plates in stress response studies, in development of culture media for newly discovered strains, and for assessment of phenotype of environmental communities. Also discussed are considerationsmore » and challenges in data interpretation and visualization, including data normalization, statistics, and curve fitting.« less

Development of a Promising Fish Model (Oryzias melastigma) for Assessing Multiple Responses to Stresses in the Marine Environment

PubMed Central

Dong, Sijun; Kang, Mei; Wu, Xinlong; Ye, Ting

2014-01-01

With the increasing number of contaminants in the marine environment, various experimental organisms have been “taken into labs” by investigators to find the most suitable environmentally relevant models for toxicity testing. The marine medaka, Oryzias melastigma, has a number of advantages that make it a prime candidate for these tests. Recently, many studies have been conducted on marine medaka, especially in terms of their physiological, biochemical, and molecular responses after exposure to contaminants and other environmental stressors. This review provides a literature survey highlighting the steady increase of ecotoxicological research on marine medaka, summarizes the advantages of using O. melastigma as a tool for toxicological research, and promotes the utilization of this organism in future studies. PMID:24724087

Marine Environmental Emergencies in the North Pacific Ocean: Lessons Learned from Recent Oil Spills.

PubMed

Yim, Un Hyuk; Short, Jeffrey

2017-07-01

Increasing marine vessel traffic, and oil and gas exploration and development throughout the North Pacific basin brings increasing risks of oil spills. Recognizing the serious challenges presented to response authorities, this Special Issue was organized by the North Pacific Marine Science Organization to provide an introduction to the current state of scientific understanding regarding the environmental effects of oil spills. Because interactions of spilled oils with biota and their habitats are complex, the most serious environmental damages from these spills are not necessarily those of greatest immediate concern by the public. Our overarching goal for this Special Issue is to provide an efficient introduction to the most important ways that oil spills can harm biota, habitats, and ecosystems through invited, targeted mini-reviews augmented by original research articles. We provide a brief background on the challenges posed by large oil spills to response authorities, summarize findings from the articles published in this Special Issue, and highlight some key research needs.

Electric signalling in fruit trees in response to water applications and light-darkness conditions.

PubMed

Gurovich, Luis A; Hermosilla, Paulo

2009-02-15

A fundamental property of all living organisms is the generation and conduction of electrochemical impulses throughout their different tissues and organs, resulting from abiotic and biotic changes in environmental conditions. In plants and animals, signal transmission can occur over long and short distances, and it can correspond to intra- and inter-cellular communication mechanisms that determine the physiological behaviour of the organism. Rapid plant and animal responses to environmental changes are associated with electrical excitability and signalling. The same molecules and pathways are used to drive physiological responses, which are characterized by movement (physical displacement) in animals and by continuous growth in plants. In the field of environmental plant electrophysiology, automatic and continuous measurements of electrical potential differences (DeltaEP) between plant tissues can be effectively used to study information transport mechanisms and physiological responses that result from external stimuli on plants. A critical mass of data on electrical behaviour in higher plants has accumulated in the last 5 years, establishing plant neurobiology as the most recent discipline of plant science. In this work, electrical potential differences were monitored continuously using Ag/AgCl microelectrodes, which were inserted 15mm deep into sapwood at various positions in the trunks of several fruit-bearing trees. Electrodes were referenced to an unpolarisable Ag/AgCl microelectrode, which was installed 5cm deep in the soil. Systematic patterns of DeltaEP during day-night cycles and at different conditions of soil water availability are discussed as alternative tools to assess early plant stress conditions. This research relates to the adaptive response of trees to soil water availability and light-darkness cycles.

ULTRAVIOLET PROTECTIVE PIGMENTS AND DNA DIMER INDUCTION AS RESPONSES TO ULTRAVIOLET RADIATION

EPA Science Inventory

Life on Earth has evolved adaptations to many environmental stresses over the epochs. One consistent stress has been exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The most basic effect of UV radiation on biological systems is damage to DNA. In response to UV radiation organisms have ad...

Glutaredoxins in plant development, abiotic stress response, and iron homeostasis: From model organisms to crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Plant growth, development, and response to environmental stress require the judicious balance of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Glutaredoxins (GRXs) are a group of oxidoreductases that participate in the control of ROS and are traditionally defined as redox regulators. New studies suggest the member...

75 FR 8402 - Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-24

... facility at the Site, where soil, sediment, and water have been contaminated with hazardous substances such as volatile organic compounds and heavy metals. The proposed Consent Decree requires ITT Corporation... response costs. The remedial action consists of disposal of contaminated soil and sediment, bioremediation...

Green is for growing: the Girl Scout experience with environmental programs

Treesearch

Mary A. Rhomberg

1977-01-01

With neighborhood organization, program flexibility, and child participation in the planning and implementation of activities, the Girl Scout program is designed to be highly responsive to the varying needs of individual groups of girls. There is no fixed agenda or focus on a single aspect of environmental education. Instead, the Girl Scout concept of total environment...

Geometric Cues, Reference Frames, and the Equivalence of Experienced-Aligned and Novel-Aligned Views in Human Spatial Memory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelly, Jonathan W.; Sjolund, Lori A.; Sturz, Bradley R.

2013-01-01

Spatial memories are often organized around reference frames, and environmental shape provides a salient cue to reference frame selection. To date, however, the environmental cues responsible for influencing reference frame selection remain relatively unknown. To connect research on reference frame selection with that on orientation via…

Environmental Dilemmas. Critical Decisions for Society. [Student's Guide.] Preparing for Tomorrow's World.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iozzi, Louis A.; And Others

The dual purpose of this module is to introduce students (grades 10-11) to current/emerging environmental issues and to emphasize the moral/ethical decision-making related to these issues. The module is organized into 12 topic areas, each containing a dilemma story, introductory reading material, sample student responses, and questions. Dilemmas…

Plant phenometrics systems and methods and devices related thereto

DOEpatents

Kramer, David; Cruz, Jeffrey; Hall, Christopher; Kovac, William Kent; Zegarac, Robert

2016-08-30

Chlorophyll fluorescence may be studied in response to a variety of environmental cues or conditions by growing phototrophic organisms under actinic illumination. Such illumination may be punctuated or disrupted to gain information about the photosynthetic properties or performance of the phototrophic organism. Instruments or devices for carrying out the method are also described.

Women's Social Networking: Steps that Organize Low-Technology Users with Emergency Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gary, Jon O.

2011-01-01

The purpose of the study was for the researcher to develop and have evaluated the content, organization and ease of use of a computer-training program "Emergency Response Quick Start" book based on Information and Communication Technology environmental designs. This book was most notably based on underutilized women social networking…

Managing Records for the Long Term - 12363

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Montgomery, John V.; Gueretta, Jeanie

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is responsible for managing vast amounts of information documenting historical and current operations. This information is critical to the operations of the DOE Office of Legacy Management. Managing legacy records and information is challenging in terms of accessibility and changing technology. The Office of Legacy Management is meeting these challenges by making records and information management an organizational priority. The Office of Legacy Management mission is to manage DOE post-closure responsibilities at former Cold War weapons sites to ensure the future protection of human health and the environment. These responsibilities include environmental stewardship andmore » long-term preservation and management of operational and environmental cleanup records associated with each site. A primary organizational goal for the Office of Legacy Management is to 'Preserve, Protect, and Share Records and Information'. Managing records for long-term preservation is an important responsibility. Adequate and dedicated resources and management support are required to perform this responsibility successfully. Records tell the story of an organization and may be required to defend an organization in court, provide historical information, identify lessons learned, or provide valuable information for researchers. Loss of records or the inability to retrieve records because of poor records management processes can have serious consequences and even lead to an organisation's downfall. Organizations must invest time and resources to establish a good records management program because of its significance to the organization as a whole. The Office of Legacy Management will continue to research and apply innovative ways of doing business to ensure that the organization stays at the forefront of effective records and information management. DOE is committed to preserving records that document our nation's Cold War legacy, and the Office of Legacy Management will keep records management as a high priority. (authors)« less

Assessing pollution in marine protected areas: the role of a multi-biomarker and multi-organ approach.

PubMed

Gusso-Choueri, Paloma Kachel; Choueri, Rodrigo Brasil; de Araújo, Giuliana Seraphim; Cruz, Ana Carolina Feitosa; Stremel, Tatiana; Campos, Sandro; Abessa, Denis Moledo de Sousa; Ribeiro, Ciro Alberto Oliveira

2015-11-01

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are vulnerable to many pressures, including pollution. However, environmental quality monitoring in these areas traditionally relies on only water chemistry and microbiological parameters. The goal of the current study was to investigate the role of a set of biomarkers in different target organs (liver, kidney, and gills) of fish in order to assess the environmental quality of an MPA (MTs, GPx, GST, GSH, DNA damage, LPO, AChE, and condition index). Chemical analyses were also performed on liver and muscle tissues to evaluate metal body burdens, and PAHs were identified in bile. A demersal fish (Cathorops spixii) that is widely consumed by the local population was used as bioindicator species, and the results were integrated using multivariate analysis. The use of the biomarker approach allowed for the identification of both seasonal and spatial variations in pollution sources around the Environmental Protected Area of Cananéia-Iguape-Peruíbe (APA-CIP). Higher metal body burdens associated with biological responses were found in the sites under the influence of urban areas during the dry season, and they were found in the sites under the influence of the Ribeira de Iguape River (RIR) during the rainy season. The liver was found to be more responsive in terms of its antioxidant responses, whereas gills were found to be more responsive to biomarkers of effect. These results show that this set of biomarker analyses in different organs of fish is a useful tool for assessing chemical pollution in an MPA.

Environmental Statistics and Optimal Regulation

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Any organism is embedded in an environment that changes over time. The timescale for and statistics of environmental change, the precision with which the organism can detect its environment, and the costs and benefits of particular protein expression levels all will affect the suitability of different strategies–such as constitutive expression or graded response–for regulating protein levels in response to environmental inputs. We propose a general framework–here specifically applied to the enzymatic regulation of metabolism in response to changing concentrations of a basic nutrient–to predict the optimal regulatory strategy given the statistics of fluctuations in the environment and measurement apparatus, respectively, and the costs associated with enzyme production. We use this framework to address three fundamental questions: (i) when a cell should prefer thresholding to a graded response; (ii) when there is a fitness advantage to implementing a Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) when retaining memory of the past provides a selective advantage. We specifically find that: (i) relative convexity of enzyme expression cost and benefit influences the fitness of thresholding or graded responses; (ii) intermediate levels of measurement uncertainty call for a sophisticated Bayesian decision rule; and (iii) in dynamic contexts, intermediate levels of uncertainty call for retaining memory of the past. Statistical properties of the environment, such as variability and correlation times, set optimal biochemical parameters, such as thresholds and decay rates in signaling pathways. Our framework provides a theoretical basis for interpreting molecular signal processing algorithms and a classification scheme that organizes known regulatory strategies and may help conceptualize heretofore unknown ones. PMID:25254493

Evaluation of military field-water quality: Volume 6, Infectious organisms of military concern associated with nonconsumptive exposure: Assessment of health risks and recommendations for establishing related standards

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Cooper, R.C.; Olivieri, A.W.; Danielson, R.E.

1986-02-01

This study is an assessment of the risk of illness due to exposure to water-related (i.e., water-based, water-washed) infectious organisms. The organisms under consideration are Aeromonas spp., Leptospira spp., Pseudomonas spp., Staphylococcus spp., non-cholerae Vibrio spp., Acanthamoeba spp., Balantidium coli, Naegleria spp., Ascaris lumbricoides, Dracunculus medinesis, Schistosoma spp., and the agents responsible for cercarial dermatitis (i.e., Trichobilharzia, Gigantobilharzia, and Austrobilharzia). Evaluation of the risk to disease associated with the above pathogens requires information in specific areas such as dose response, concentration of agents in the environment, and environmental persistence. The existing body of knowledge concerning these agents ranges from speculationmore » to established fact. Unfortunately, areas of information critical to risk assessment are frequently unavailable. Because of this lack of data, the risk assessment presented is semiquantitative and limited to the presentation of an environmental classification scheme. 14 refs., 2 figs., 57 tabs.« less

Influence of social ties to environmentalists on public climate change perceptions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tindall, D. B.; Piggot, Georgia

2015-06-01

An emerging body of research proposes that climate change concern is shaped by one's social ties and cultural milieu. This work aligns with findings in the well-established field of social network analysis, whereby individuals are understood as being embedded in social networks, and network position can be used to predict attitudes. Here we examine whether having ties to environmental movement organization members is correlated with climate change attitudes amongst the general public. We use data from a nationwide survey of the Canadian public to demonstrate that having social ties to environmental organization members increases the likelihood that an individual member of the public has a plan to deal with climate change. These findings reinforce the value of focusing on social context when examining climate change attitudes, and highlight the role that environmental organization members play in mobilizing climate change responses.

Canadian Coalition for Green Health Care Leading the Evolution of Green.

PubMed

Waddington, Kent; Varangu, Linda

2016-01-01

Since 2000, a growing contingent of healthcare organizations, individuals and companies have embraced principles and practices of environmental stewardship with a focus on making health service delivery more environmentally sustainable. This article provides an overview of the sector's many successes, drawing upon both Coalition-sponsored initiatives and those initiated by its most engaged and forward-thinking stakeholders, many of whom are original signatories to Canada's Joint Position Statement: Toward an Environmentally Responsible Canadian Health Sector .

Sense of place among New England organic farmers and commercial fishermen: How social context shapes identity and environmentally responsible behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mueller, Anneliese Marie

Given the prominence of sense of place in new environmental education curricula, this study aims to strengthen the conceptual and empirical foundations of sense of place, and to determine how sense of place may be linked to environmentally responsible behavior. For this study, five commercial fishermen and five organic farmers from the New England Seacoast region participated in a series of in-depth phenomenological interviews and observations. The data was systematically coded in order to allow themes and categories to emerge. The results indicate that aspects of the existing conceptual framework of sense of place, such as place attachment, ecological knowledge, and public involvement, do in fact describe the relationship between people and place. However, the results also indicate that two conceptual elements---attention to social context and awareness of moral theory---are missing from the current conceptual framework in EE theory. These results suggest that the current framework should be expanded to emphasize the role of human and non-human communities: the development of a sense of place and the learning of environmentally responsible behavior must be situated within a social context. This study lends support to the view that for sense of place to move people to ethical action, it is crucial for them to recognize, and to participate in, a community of support and care.

Germline DNA methylation in reef corals: patterns and potential roles in response to environmental change.

PubMed

Dimond, James L; Roberts, Steven B

2016-04-01

DNA methylation is an epigenetic mark that plays an inadequately understood role in gene regulation, particularly in nonmodel species. Because it can be influenced by the environment, DNA methylation may contribute to the ability of organisms to acclimatize and adapt to environmental change. We evaluated the distribution of gene body methylation in reef-building corals, a group of organisms facing significant environmental threats. Gene body methylation in six species of corals was inferred from in silico transcriptome analysis of CpG O/E, an estimate of germline DNA methylation that is highly correlated with patterns of methylation enrichment. Consistent with what has been documented in most other invertebrates, all corals exhibited bimodal distributions of germline methylation suggestive of distinct fractions of genes with high and low levels of methylation. The hypermethylated fractions were enriched with genes with housekeeping functions, while genes with inducible functions were highly represented in the hypomethylated fractions. High transcript abundance was associated with intermediate levels of methylation. In three of the coral species, we found that genes differentially expressed in response to thermal stress and ocean acidification exhibited significantly lower levels of methylation. These results support a link between gene body hypomethylation and transcriptional plasticity that may point to a role of DNA methylation in the response of corals to environmental change. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Ecologically aware design of waterway-encapsulating structures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-01

Aquatic organism passage (AOP) in waterways-encapsulating structures, particularly culverts, is of growing concern to environmental : regulatory agencies, and the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) is seeking systematic responses to this co...

EVOLUTION. Fruit flies diversify their offspring in response to parasite infection.

PubMed

Singh, Nadia D; Criscoe, Dallas R; Skolfield, Shelly; Kohl, Kathryn P; Keebaugh, Erin S; Schlenke, Todd A

2015-08-14

The evolution of sexual reproduction is often explained by Red Queen dynamics: Organisms must continually evolve to maintain fitness relative to interacting organisms, such as parasites. Recombination accompanies sexual reproduction and helps diversify an organism's offspring, so that parasites cannot exploit static host genotypes. Here we show that Drosophila melanogaster plastically increases the production of recombinant offspring after infection. The response is consistent across genetic backgrounds, developmental stages, and parasite types but is not induced after sterile wounding. Furthermore, the response appears to be driven by transmission distortion rather than increased recombination. Our study extends the Red Queen model to include the increased production of recombinant offspring and uncovers a remarkable ability of hosts to actively distort their recombination fraction in rapid response to environmental cues. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Army Sustainability Report 2010

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-09-01

a vastly complex concept: it is an organizing principle that factors mission, environment, community and economic benefit into each of its...Report on a minimum of 10 performance indicators, including at least one from each of : economic , social and environmental Report on a minimum...FY09 in a partial performance baseline. It is based on a subset of the economic , environmental and social responsibility performance

Embracing interactions in ocean acidification research: confronting multiple stressor scenarios and context dependence

PubMed Central

Kordas, Rebecca L.; Harley, Christopher D. G.

2017-01-01

Changes in the Earth's environment are now sufficiently complex that our ability to forecast the emergent ecological consequences of ocean acidification (OA) is limited. Such projections are challenging because the effects of OA may be enhanced, reduced or even reversed by other environmental stressors or interactions among species. Despite an increasing emphasis on multifactor and multispecies studies in global change biology, our ability to forecast outcomes at higher levels of organization remains low. Much of our failure lies in a poor mechanistic understanding of nonlinear responses, a lack of specificity regarding the levels of organization at which interactions can arise, and an incomplete appreciation for linkages across these levels. To move forward, we need to fully embrace interactions. Mechanistic studies on physiological processes and individual performance in response to OA must be complemented by work on population and community dynamics. We must also increase our understanding of how linkages and feedback among multiple environmental stressors and levels of organization can generate nonlinear responses to OA. This will not be a simple undertaking, but advances are of the utmost importance as we attempt to mitigate the effects of ongoing global change. PMID:28356409

Embracing interactions in ocean acidification research: confronting multiple stressor scenarios and context dependence.

PubMed

Kroeker, Kristy J; Kordas, Rebecca L; Harley, Christopher D G

2017-03-01

Changes in the Earth's environment are now sufficiently complex that our ability to forecast the emergent ecological consequences of ocean acidification (OA) is limited. Such projections are challenging because the effects of OA may be enhanced, reduced or even reversed by other environmental stressors or interactions among species. Despite an increasing emphasis on multifactor and multispecies studies in global change biology, our ability to forecast outcomes at higher levels of organization remains low. Much of our failure lies in a poor mechanistic understanding of nonlinear responses, a lack of specificity regarding the levels of organization at which interactions can arise, and an incomplete appreciation for linkages across these levels. To move forward, we need to fully embrace interactions. Mechanistic studies on physiological processes and individual performance in response to OA must be complemented by work on population and community dynamics. We must also increase our understanding of how linkages and feedback among multiple environmental stressors and levels of organization can generate nonlinear responses to OA. This will not be a simple undertaking, but advances are of the utmost importance as we attempt to mitigate the effects of ongoing global change. © 2017 The Authors.

Phenological Responses to ENSO in the Global Oceans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Racault, M.-F.; Sathyendranath, S.; Menon, N.; Platt, T.

2017-01-01

Phenology relates to the study of timing of periodic events in the life cycle of plants or animals as influenced by environmental conditions and climatic forcing. Phenological metrics provide information essential to quantify variations in the life cycle of these organisms. The metrics also allow us to estimate the speed at which living organisms respond to environmental changes. At the surface of the oceans, microscopic plant cells, so-called phytoplankton, grow and sometimes form blooms, with concentrations reaching up to 100 million cells per litre and extending over many square kilometres. These blooms can have a huge collective impact on ocean colour, because they contain chlorophyll and other auxiliary pigments, making them visible from space. Phytoplankton populations have a high turnover rate and can respond within hours to days to environmental perturbations. This makes them ideal indicators to study the first-level biological response to environmental changes. In the Earth's climate system, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) dominates large-scale inter-annual variations in environmental conditions. It serves as a natural experiment to study and understand how phytoplankton in the ocean (and hence the organisms at higher trophic levels) respond to climate variability. Here, the ENSO influence on phytoplankton is estimated through variations in chlorophyll concentration, primary production and timings of initiation, peak, termination and duration of the growing period. The phenological variabilities are used to characterise phytoplankton responses to changes in some physical variables: sea surface temperature, sea surface height and wind. It is reported that in oceanic regions experiencing high annual variations in the solar cycle, such as in high latitudes, the influence of ENSO may be readily measured using annual mean anomalies of physical variables. In contrast, in oceanic regions where ENSO modulates a climate system characterised by a seasonal reversal of the wind forcing, such as the monsoon system in the Indian Ocean, phenology-based mean anomalies of physical variables help refine evaluation of the mechanisms driving the biological responses and provide a more comprehensive understanding of the integrated processes.

Application of Whole Genome Expression Analysis to Assess Bacterial Responses to Environmental Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vukanti, R. V.; Mintz, E. M.; Leff, L. G.

2005-05-01

Bacterial responses to environmental signals are multifactorial and are coupled to changes in gene expression. An understanding of bacterial responses to environmental conditions is possible using microarray expression analysis. In this study, the utility of microarrays for examining changes in gene expression in Escherichia coli under different environmental conditions was assessed. RNA was isolated, hybridized to Affymetrix E. coli Genome 2.0 chips and analyzed using Affymetrix GCOS and Genespring software. Major limiting factors were obtaining enough quality RNA (107-108 cells to get 10μg RNA)and accounting for differences in growth rates under different conditions. Stabilization of RNA prior to isolation and taking extreme precautions while handling RNA were crucial. In addition, use of this method in ecological studies is limited by availability and cost of commercial arrays; choice of primers for cDNA synthesis, reproducibility, complexity of results generated and need to validate findings. This method may be more widely applicable with the development of better approaches for RNA recovery from environmental samples and increased number of available strain-specific arrays. Diligent experimental design and verification of results with real-time PCR or northern blots is needed. Overall, there is a great potential for use of this technology to discover mechanisms underlying organisms' responses to environmental conditions.

Hemocitical responses to environmental stress in invertebrates: a review.

PubMed

Perez, Danielli Giuliano; Fontanetti, Carmem Silvia

2011-06-01

Although invertebrates are recognized by the great facility to accumulate pollutants present in their environment and many of them are used as sentinel species in biomonitoring studies, little is known about the impact of toxicants on the immune system of these animals. In this regard, hemocytes play a fundamental role: these cells circulate freely through the hemolymph of invertebrates and act on the recognition of foreign material to the organism, mediating and effecting the cellular defense, such as phagocytosis, nodulation, and encapsulation. Different morphological types can be recognized but still there is controversy among the researchers about the exact classification of the hemocytes due to the diversity of techniques for the preservation and observation of these cells. In the present study, a review on the main hemocyte responses to environmental stress in different invertebrate organisms is presented, emphasizing the contamination by heavy metals. It is discussed parameters such as: alteration in the number of cells involved in the defense reaction, phagocytic activity, lysosomal responses, and production of reactive oxygen species.

Anticipation of periodic environmental changes in an amoeba

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saigusa, Tetsu; Nakagaki, Toshiyuki

2007-07-01

The amoeboid organism of true slime mold, the plasmodium of Physarum polycephalum, had capacity of memorizing a periodic event. The organism showed vigorous locomotion in the favorite conditions. When stimulation of the unfavorable conditions was given in a pulse-like regime and was repeated three times at interval of 60 minutes, the amoeba reduced the locomotion speed in response to each pulse. Even though the favorite conditions were kept to be constant after the periodic pulses, the amoeba spontaneously reduced the locomotion speed at the timing of next pulse (after 60 minutes). This means that the amoeba anticipated the next environmental change.

Arabidopsis TCH4, regulated by hormones and the environment, encodes a xyloglucan endotransglycosylase

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Xu, W.; Purugganan, M. M.; Polisensky, D. H.; Antosiewicz, D. M.; Fry, S. C.; Braam, J.

1995-01-01

Adaptation of plants to environmental conditions requires that sensing of external stimuli be linked to mechanisms of morphogenesis. The Arabidopsis TCH (for touch) genes are rapidly upregulated in expression in response to environmental stimuli, but a connection between this molecular response and developmental alterations has not been established. We identified TCH4 as a xyloglucan endotransglycosylase by sequence similarity and enzyme activity. Xyloglucan endotransglycosylases most likely modify cell walls, a fundamental determinant of plant form. We determined that TCH4 expression is regulated by auxin and brassinosteroids, by environmental stimuli, and during development, by a 1-kb region. Expression was restricted to expanding tissues and organs that undergo cell wall modification. Regulation of genes encoding cell wall-modifying enzymes, such as TCH4, may underlie plant morphogenetic responses to the environment.

Modified niche optima and breadths explain the historical contingency of bacterial community responses to eutrophication in coastal sediments.

PubMed

Fodelianakis, S; Moustakas, A; Papageorgiou, N; Manoli, O; Tsikopoulou, I; Michoud, G; Daffonchio, D; Karakassis, I; Ladoukakis, E D

2017-04-01

Previous studies have shown that the response of bacterial communities to disturbances depends on their environmental history. Historically fluctuating habitats host communities that respond better to disturbance than communities of historically stable habitats. However, the exact ecological mechanism that drives this dependency remains unknown. Here, we experimentally demonstrate that modifications of niche optima and niche breadths of the community members are driving this dependency of bacterial responses to past environmental conditions. First, we develop a novel, simple method to calculate the niche optima and breadths of bacterial taxa regarding single environmental gradients. Then, we test this method on sediment bacterial communities of three habitats, one historically stable and less loaded and two historically more variable and more loaded habitats in terms of historical chlorophyll-α water concentration, that we subject to hypoxia via organic matter addition ex situ. We find that communities containing bacterial taxa differently adapted to hypoxia show different structural and functional responses, depending on the sediment's environmental history. Specifically, in the historically less fluctuating and loaded sediments where we find more taxa poorly adapted to hypoxic conditions, communities change a lot over time and organic matter is not degraded efficiently. The opposite is true for the historically more fluctuating and loaded sediments where we find more taxa well adapted to hypoxia. Based on the community responses observed here, we also propose an alternative calculation of community resistance that takes into account how rapidly the communities respond to disturbances and not just the initial and final states of the community. © 2016 The Authors. Molecular Ecology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Role of Epigenomics in Aquatic Toxicology.

PubMed

Brander, Susanne M; Biales, Adam D; Connon, Richard E

2017-10-01

Over the past decade, the field of molecular biology has rapidly incorporated epigenetic studies to evaluate organism-environment interactions that can result in chronic effects. Such responses arise from early life stage stress, the utilization of genetic information over an individual's life time, and transgenerational inheritance. Knowledge of epigenetic mechanisms provides the potential for a comprehensive evaluation of multigenerational and heritable effects from environmental stressors, such as contaminants. Focused studies have provided a greater understanding of how many responses to environmental stressors are driven by epigenetic modifiers. We discuss the promise of epigenetics and suggest future research directions within the field of aquatic toxicology, with a particular focus on the potential for identifying key heritable marks with consequential impacts at the organism and population levels. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2565-2573. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Environmentally induced responses co-opted for reproductive altruism

PubMed Central

Nedelcu, Aurora M.

2009-01-01

Reproductive altruism is an extreme form of altruism best typified by sterile castes in social insects and somatic cells in multicellular organisms. Although reproductive altruism is central to the evolution of multicellularity and eusociality, the mechanistic basis for the evolution of this behaviour is yet to be deciphered. Here, we report that the gene responsible for the permanent suppression of reproduction in the somatic cells of the multicellular green alga, Volvox carteri, evolved from a gene that in its unicellular relative, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, is part of the general acclimation response to various environmental stress factors, which includes the temporary suppression of reproduction. Furthermore, we propose a model for the evolution of soma, in which by simulating the acclimation signal (i.e. a change in cellular redox status) in a developmental rather than environmental context, responses beneficial to a unicellular individual can be co-opted into an altruistic behaviour at the group level. The co-option of environmentally induced responses for reproductive altruism can contribute to the stability of this behaviour, as the loss of such responses would be costly for the individual. This hypothesis also predicts that temporally varying environments, which will select for more efficient acclimation responses, are likely to be more conducive to the evolution of reproductive altruism. PMID:19578098

Environmentally induced responses co-opted for reproductive altruism.

PubMed

Nedelcu, Aurora M

2009-12-23

Reproductive altruism is an extreme form of altruism best typified by sterile castes in social insects and somatic cells in multicellular organisms. Although reproductive altruism is central to the evolution of multicellularity and eusociality, the mechanistic basis for the evolution of this behaviour is yet to be deciphered. Here, we report that the gene responsible for the permanent suppression of reproduction in the somatic cells of the multicellular green alga, Volvox carteri, evolved from a gene that in its unicellular relative, Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, is part of the general acclimation response to various environmental stress factors, which includes the temporary suppression of reproduction. Furthermore, we propose a model for the evolution of soma, in which by simulating the acclimation signal (i.e. a change in cellular redox status) in a developmental rather than environmental context, responses beneficial to a unicellular individual can be co-opted into an altruistic behaviour at the group level. The co-option of environmentally induced responses for reproductive altruism can contribute to the stability of this behaviour, as the loss of such responses would be costly for the individual. This hypothesis also predicts that temporally varying environments, which will select for more efficient acclimation responses, are likely to be more conducive to the evolution of reproductive altruism.

Reproductive pair correlations and the clustering of organisms.

PubMed

Young, W R; Roberts, A J; Stuhne, G

2001-07-19

Clustering of organisms can be a consequence of social behaviour, or of the response of individuals to chemical and physical cues. Environmental variability can also cause clustering: for example, marine turbulence transports plankton and produces chlorophyll concentration patterns in the upper ocean. Even in a homogeneous environment, nonlinear interactions between species can result in spontaneous pattern formation. Here we show that a population of independent, random-walking organisms ('brownian bugs'), reproducing by binary division and dying at constant rates, spontaneously aggregates. Using an individual-based model, we show that clusters form out of spatially homogeneous initial conditions without environmental variability, predator-prey interactions, kinesis or taxis. The clustering mechanism is reproductively driven-birth must always be adjacent to a living organism. This clustering can overwhelm diffusion and create non-poissonian correlations between pairs (parent and offspring) or organisms, leading to the emergence of patterns.

A Survey of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Regarding Environmental Attitudes, Knowledge, and Organization.

PubMed

Ard, John L; Tobin, Katherine; Huncke, Tessa; Kline, Richard; Ryan, Susan M; Bell, Charlotte

2016-04-01

Our planet is in the midst of an environmental crisis. Government and international agencies such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change urge radical and transformative change at every level of how we conduct our personal and professional lives. The health care industry contributes to climate change. According to a study from the University of Chicago, the health care sector accounts for 8% of the United States' total greenhouse gas emissions. In an effort to understand the current state of environmental practice, attitudes, and knowledge among anesthesiologists in the United States, we conducted a survey of American anesthesiologists regarding environmental sustainability. The environmental survey was sent out by e-mail to a random sampling of 5200 members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists. This process was repeated a second time. A total of 2189 anesthesiologists of 5200 responded to the survey, a 42% response rate. Of the survey respondents, 80.1% (confidence interval, 78.2%-81.9%) were interested in recycling. Respondents reported recycling in 27.7% of operating rooms where they work. The majority of respondents (67%; confidence interval, 64%-69%) reported there was insufficient information on how to recycle intraoperatively. Respondents supported sustainability practices such as reprocessing equipment, using prefilled syringes, and donating unused equipment and supplies. The affirmative response rate was 48.4% for reprocessing equipment, 56.6% for using prefilled syringes, and 65.1% for donating equipment and supplies to medical missions. Questions about hospital-wide organization of sustainability programs elicited many "I don't know" responses. Eighteen percent of responders indicated the presence of a sustainability or "green" task force. A total of 12.6% of responders indicated the presence of a mandate from hospital leadership to promote sustainability programs. Two important conclusions drawn from the survey data are a lack of hospital-wide organization of sustainability programs and a belief among survey responders that they lack adequate information on recycling and sustainability.

Inhalation of environmental stressors & chronic inflammation: autoimmunity and neurodegeneration.

PubMed

Gomez-Mejiba, Sandra E; Zhai, Zili; Akram, Hammad; Pye, Quentin N; Hensley, Kenneth; Kurien, Biji T; Scofield, R Hal; Ramirez, Dario C

2009-03-31

Human life expectancy and welfare has decreased because of the increase in environmental stressors in the air. An environmental stressor is a natural or human-made component present in our environment that upon reaching an organic system produces a coordinated response. This response usually involves a modification of the metabolism and physiology of the system. Inhaled environmental stressors damage the airways and lung parenchyma, producing irritation, recruitment of inflammatory cells, and oxidative modification of biomolecules. Oxidatively modified biomolecules, their degradation products, and adducts with other biomolecules can reach the systemic circulation, and when found in higher concentrations than normal they are considered to be biomarkers of systemic oxidative stress and inflammation. We classify them as metabolic stressors because they are not inert compounds; indeed, they amplify the inflammatory response by inducing inflammation in the lung and other organs. Thus the lung is not only the target for environmental stressors, but it is also the source of a number of metabolic stressors that can induce and worsen pre-existing chronic inflammation. Metabolic stressors produced in the lung have a number of effects in tissues other than the lung, such as the brain, and they can also abrogate the mechanisms of immunotolerance. In this review, we discuss recent published evidence that suggests that inflammation in the lung is an important connection between air pollution and chronic inflammatory diseases such as autoimmunity and neurodegeneration, and we highlight the critical role of metabolic stressors produced in the lung. The understanding of this relationship between inhaled environmental pollutants and systemic inflammation will help us to: (1) understand the molecular mechanism of environment-associated diseases, and (2) find new biomarkers that will help us prevent the exposure of susceptible individuals and/or design novel therapies.

Adaptive developmental plasticity: compartmentalized responses to environmental cues and to corresponding internal signals provide phenotypic flexibility.

PubMed

Mateus, Ana Rita A; Marques-Pita, Manuel; Oostra, Vicencio; Lafuente, Elvira; Brakefield, Paul M; Zwaan, Bas J; Beldade, Patrícia

2014-11-21

The environmental regulation of development can result in the production of distinct phenotypes from the same genotype and provide the means for organisms to cope with environmental heterogeneity. The effect of the environment on developmental outcomes is typically mediated by hormonal signals which convey information about external cues to the developing tissues. While such plasticity is a wide-spread property of development, not all developing tissues are equally plastic. To understand how organisms integrate environmental input into coherent adult phenotypes, we must know how different body parts respond, independently or in concert, to external cues and to the corresponding internal signals. We quantified the effect of temperature and ecdysone hormone manipulations on post-growth tissue patterning in an experimental model of adaptive developmental plasticity, the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Following a suite of traits evolving by natural or sexual selection, we found that different groups of cells within the same tissue have sensitivities and patterns of response that are surprisingly distinct for the external environmental cue and for the internal hormonal signal. All but those wing traits presumably involved in mate choice responded to developmental temperature and, of those, all but the wing traits not exposed to predators responded to hormone manipulations. On the other hand, while patterns of significant response to temperature contrasted traits on autonomously-developing wings, significant response to hormone manipulations contrasted neighboring groups of cells with distinct color fates. We also showed that the spatial compartmentalization of these responses cannot be explained by the spatial or temporal compartmentalization of the hormone receptor protein. Our results unravel the integration of different aspects of the adult phenotype into developmental and functional units which both reflect and impact evolutionary change. Importantly, our findings underscore the complexity of the interactions between environment and physiology in shaping the development of different body parts.

Moving through the Stressed Genome: Emerging Regulatory Roles for Transposons in Plant Stress Response.

PubMed

Negi, Pooja; Rai, Archana N; Suprasanna, Penna

2016-01-01

The recognition of a positive correlation between organism genome size with its transposable element (TE) content, represents a key discovery of the field of genome biology. Considerable evidence accumulated since then suggests the involvement of TEs in genome structure, evolution and function. The global genome reorganization brought about by transposon activity might play an adaptive/regulatory role in the host response to environmental challenges, reminiscent of McClintock's original 'Controlling Element' hypothesis. This regulatory aspect of TEs is also garnering support in light of the recent evidences, which project TEs as "distributed genomic control modules." According to this view, TEs are capable of actively reprogramming host genes circuits and ultimately fine-tuning the host response to specific environmental stimuli. Moreover, the stress-induced changes in epigenetic status of TE activity may allow TEs to propagate their stress responsive elements to host genes; the resulting genome fluidity can permit phenotypic plasticity and adaptation to stress. Given their predominating presence in the plant genomes, nested organization in the genic regions and potential regulatory role in stress response, TEs hold unexplored potential for crop improvement programs. This review intends to present the current information about the roles played by TEs in plant genome organization, evolution, and function and highlight the regulatory mechanisms in plant stress responses. We will also briefly discuss the connection between TE activity, host epigenetic response and phenotypic plasticity as a critical link for traversing the translational bridge from a purely basic study of TEs, to the applied field of stress adaptation and crop improvement.

Moving through the Stressed Genome: Emerging Regulatory Roles for Transposons in Plant Stress Response

PubMed Central

Negi, Pooja; Rai, Archana N.; Suprasanna, Penna

2016-01-01

The recognition of a positive correlation between organism genome size with its transposable element (TE) content, represents a key discovery of the field of genome biology. Considerable evidence accumulated since then suggests the involvement of TEs in genome structure, evolution and function. The global genome reorganization brought about by transposon activity might play an adaptive/regulatory role in the host response to environmental challenges, reminiscent of McClintock's original ‘Controlling Element’ hypothesis. This regulatory aspect of TEs is also garnering support in light of the recent evidences, which project TEs as “distributed genomic control modules.” According to this view, TEs are capable of actively reprogramming host genes circuits and ultimately fine-tuning the host response to specific environmental stimuli. Moreover, the stress-induced changes in epigenetic status of TE activity may allow TEs to propagate their stress responsive elements to host genes; the resulting genome fluidity can permit phenotypic plasticity and adaptation to stress. Given their predominating presence in the plant genomes, nested organization in the genic regions and potential regulatory role in stress response, TEs hold unexplored potential for crop improvement programs. This review intends to present the current information about the roles played by TEs in plant genome organization, evolution, and function and highlight the regulatory mechanisms in plant stress responses. We will also briefly discuss the connection between TE activity, host epigenetic response and phenotypic plasticity as a critical link for traversing the translational bridge from a purely basic study of TEs, to the applied field of stress adaptation and crop improvement. PMID:27777577

Sensitivity of decomposition rates of soil organic matter with respect to simultaneous changes in temperature and moisture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sierra, Carlos A.; Trumbore, Susan E.; Davidson, Eric A.; Vicca, Sara; Janssens, I.

2015-03-01

The sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition to global environmental change is a topic of prominent relevance for the global carbon cycle. Decomposition depends on multiple factors that are being altered simultaneously as a result of global environmental change; therefore, it is important to study the sensitivity of the rates of soil organic matter decomposition with respect to multiple and interacting drivers. In this manuscript, we present an analysis of the potential response of decomposition rates to simultaneous changes in temperature and moisture. To address this problem, we first present a theoretical framework to study the sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition when multiple driving factors change simultaneously. We then apply this framework to models and data at different levels of abstraction: (1) to a mechanistic model that addresses the limitation of enzyme activity by simultaneous effects of temperature and soil water content, the latter controlling substrate supply and oxygen concentration for microbial activity; (2) to different mathematical functions used to represent temperature and moisture effects on decomposition in biogeochemical models. To contrast model predictions at these two levels of organization, we compiled different data sets of observed responses in field and laboratory studies. Then we applied our conceptual framework to: (3) observations of heterotrophic respiration at the ecosystem level; (4) laboratory experiments looking at the response of heterotrophic respiration to independent changes in moisture and temperature; and (5) ecosystem-level experiments manipulating soil temperature and water content simultaneously.

GigA and GigB are Master Regulators of Antibiotic Resistance, Stress Responses, and Virulence in Acinetobacter baumannii

PubMed Central

Shuman, Howard A.

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT A critical component of bacterial pathogenesis is the ability of an invading organism to sense and adapt to the harsh environment imposed by the host's immune system. This is especially important for opportunistic pathogens, such as Acinetobacter baumannii, a nutritionally versatile environmental organism that has recently gained attention as a life-threatening human pathogen. The emergence of A. baumannii is closely linked to antibiotic resistance, and many contemporary isolates are multidrug resistant (MDR). Unlike many other MDR pathogens, the molecular mechanisms underlying A. baumannii pathogenesis remain largely unknown. We report here the characterization of two recently identified virulence determinants, GigA and GigB, which comprise a signal transduction pathway required for surviving environmental stresses, causing infection and antibiotic resistance. Through transcriptome analysis, we show that GigA and GigB coordinately regulate the expression of many genes and are required for generating an appropriate transcriptional response during antibiotic exposure. Genetic and biochemical data demonstrate a direct link between GigA and GigB and the nitrogen phosphotransferase system (PTSNtr), establishing a novel connection between a novel stress response module and a well-conserved metabolic-sensing pathway. Based on the results presented here, we propose that GigA and GigB are master regulators of a global stress response in A. baumannii, and coupling this pathway with the PTSNtr allows A. baumannii to integrate cellular metabolic status with external environmental cues. IMPORTANCE Opportunistic pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumannii, encounter many harsh environments during the infection cycle, including antibiotic exposure and the hostile environment within a host. While the development of antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii has been well studied, how this organism senses and responds to environmental cues remain largely unknown. Herein, we investigate two previously identified virulence determinants, GigA and GigB, and report that they are required for in vitro stress resistance, likely comprising upstream elements of a global stress response pathway. Additional experiments identify a connection between GigA/GigB and a widely conserved metabolic-sensing pathway, the nitrogen phosphotransferase system. We propose that coordination of these two pathways allows A. baumannii to respond appropriately to changing environmental conditions, including those encountered during infection. PMID:28264991

GigA and GigB are Master Regulators of Antibiotic Resistance, Stress Responses, and Virulence in Acinetobacter baumannii.

PubMed

Gebhardt, Michael J; Shuman, Howard A

2017-05-15

A critical component of bacterial pathogenesis is the ability of an invading organism to sense and adapt to the harsh environment imposed by the host's immune system. This is especially important for opportunistic pathogens, such as Acinetobacter baumannii , a nutritionally versatile environmental organism that has recently gained attention as a life-threatening human pathogen. The emergence of A. baumannii is closely linked to antibiotic resistance, and many contemporary isolates are multidrug resistant (MDR). Unlike many other MDR pathogens, the molecular mechanisms underlying A. baumannii pathogenesis remain largely unknown. We report here the characterization of two recently identified virulence determinants, GigA and GigB, which comprise a signal transduction pathway required for surviving environmental stresses, causing infection and antibiotic resistance. Through transcriptome analysis, we show that GigA and GigB coordinately regulate the expression of many genes and are required for generating an appropriate transcriptional response during antibiotic exposure. Genetic and biochemical data demonstrate a direct link between GigA and GigB and the nitrogen phosphotransferase system (PTS Ntr ), establishing a novel connection between a novel stress response module and a well-conserved metabolic-sensing pathway. Based on the results presented here, we propose that GigA and GigB are master regulators of a global stress response in A. baumannii , and coupling this pathway with the PTS Ntr allows A. baumannii to integrate cellular metabolic status with external environmental cues. IMPORTANCE Opportunistic pathogens, including Acinetobacter baumannii , encounter many harsh environments during the infection cycle, including antibiotic exposure and the hostile environment within a host. While the development of antibiotic resistance in A. baumannii has been well studied, how this organism senses and responds to environmental cues remain largely unknown. Herein, we investigate two previously identified virulence determinants, GigA and GigB, and report that they are required for in vitro stress resistance, likely comprising upstream elements of a global stress response pathway. Additional experiments identify a connection between GigA/GigB and a widely conserved metabolic-sensing pathway, the nitrogen phosphotransferase system. We propose that coordination of these two pathways allows A. baumannii to respond appropriately to changing environmental conditions, including those encountered during infection. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

[Roles of soil dissolved organic carbon in carbon cycling of terrestrial ecosystems: a review].

PubMed

Li, Ling; Qiu, Shao-Jun; Liu, Jing-Tao; Liu, Qing; Lu, Zhao-Hua

2012-05-01

Soil dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an active fraction of soil organic carbon pool, playing an important role in the carbon cycling of terrestrial ecosystems. In view of the importance of the carbon cycling, this paper summarized the roles of soil DOC in the soil carbon sequestration and greenhouse gases emission, and in considering of our present ecological and environmental problems such as soil acidification and climate warming, discussed the effects of soil properties, environmental factors, and human activities on the soil DOC as well as the response mechanisms of the DOC. This review could be helpful to the further understanding of the importance of soil DOC in the carbon cycling of terrestrial ecosystems and the reduction of greenhouse gases emission.

Environmentally induced changes in correlated responses to selection reveal variable pleiotropy across a complex genetic network.

PubMed

Sikkink, Kristin L; Reynolds, Rose M; Cresko, William A; Phillips, Patrick C

2015-05-01

Selection in novel environments can lead to a coordinated evolutionary response across a suite of characters. Environmental conditions can also potentially induce changes in the genetic architecture of complex traits, which in turn could alter the pattern of the multivariate response to selection. We describe a factorial selection experiment using the nematode Caenorhabditis remanei in which two different stress-related phenotypes (heat and oxidative stress resistance) were selected under three different environmental conditions. The pattern of covariation in the evolutionary response between phenotypes or across environments differed depending on the environment in which selection occurred, including asymmetrical responses to selection in some cases. These results indicate that variation in pleiotropy across the stress response network is highly sensitive to the external environment. Our findings highlight the complexity of the interaction between genes and environment that influences the ability of organisms to acclimate to novel environments. They also make clear the need to identify the underlying genetic basis of genetic correlations in order understand how patterns of pleiotropy are distributed across complex genetic networks. © 2015 The Author(s).

ENVIRONMENTALLY INDUCED CHANGES IN CORRELATED RESPONSES TO SELECTION REVEAL VARIABLE PLEIOTROPY ACROSS A COMPLEX GENETIC NETWORK

PubMed Central

Sikkink, Kristin L.; Reynolds, Rose M.; Cresko, William A.; Phillips, Patrick C.

2017-01-01

Selection in novel environments can lead to a coordinated evolutionary response across a suite of characters. Environmental conditions can also potentially induce changes in the genetic architecture of complex traits, which in turn could alter the pattern of the multivariate response to selection. We describe a factorial selection experiment using the nematode Caenorhabditis remanei in which two different stress-related phenotypes (heat and oxidative stress resistance) were selected under three different environmental conditions. The pattern of covariation in the evolutionary response between phenotypes or across environments differed depending on the environment in which selection occurred, including asymmetrical responses to selection in some cases. These results indicate that variation in pleiotropy across the stress response network is highly sensitive to the external environment. Our findings highlight the complexity of the interaction between genes and environment that influences the ability of organisms to acclimate to novel environments. They also make clear the need to identify the underlying genetic basis of genetic correlations in order understand how patterns of pleiotropy are distributed across complex genetic networks. PMID:25809411

Our Professional Organizations and the Environmental Dilemma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Granholm, Nels H.

1972-01-01

Summarizes the response by members of the Division of Invertebrate Zoologists of the American Society of Zoologists to a question determining their feelings toward involving the division in work toward resolving pressing ecological problems. (AL)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bashor, B.S.

The major resources used by the Bureau of Environment, and Environmental Epidemiology (EEP) for risk assessment are: the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS), Health and Environmental Effects Summary Table (HEAST), Agency for Toxic Substances and disease Registry (ATSDR) Toxicological Profiles, databases at the National Library of Medicine (NLM), World Health Organization (WHO) ENvironmental Criteria, and documents that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published on Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) risk assessment activities. The Risk Assessment Review has been helpful in providing information about availability of new documents or information. No systematic method has been made availablemore » to us to locate information resources. IRIS User`s Support has been helpful in making appropriate and timely referrals. Most other EPA resources were located by serendipity and persistence. The CERCLA methodology for risk assessments is being used in environmental programs, and at present, one person is responsible for all risk assessment activities in the department, but plans are underway to train one or two people from each program area. 2 figs.« less

Examining offshore sediment-hosted contaminant transport from Hurricane Katrina: Chapter 7A in Science and the storms-the USGS response to the hurricanes of 2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Swarzenski, Peter W.; Campbell, Pamela L.; Poore, Richard Z.; Osterman, Lisa E.; Rosenbauer, Robert J.

2007-01-01

A rapid-response expedition was organized after the passage of Hurricane Katrina to investigate potential offshore environmental impacts and storm-induced sediment-transport processes. Both water-column and sediment samples were collected on the Louisiana shelf for a full complement of organic, inorganic, and geochronological tracers. Based on excess lead-210 (210Pb) inventories in cores collected before and after Katrina, the surface sediments and their associated geochemical signatures were considerably affected by the passage of this storm.

Alternative Splicing in Plant Genes: A Means of Regulating the Environmental Fitness of Plants.

PubMed

Shang, Xudong; Cao, Ying; Ma, Ligeng

2017-02-20

Gene expression can be regulated through transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms. Transcription in eukaryotes produces pre-mRNA molecules, which are processed and spliced post-transcriptionally to create translatable mRNAs. More than one mRNA may be produced from a single pre-mRNA by alternative splicing (AS); thus, AS serves to diversify an organism's transcriptome and proteome. Previous studies of gene expression in plants have focused on the role of transcriptional regulation in response to environmental changes. However, recent data suggest that post-transcriptional regulation, especially AS, is necessary for plants to adapt to a changing environment. In this review, we summarize recent advances in our understanding of AS during plant development in response to environmental changes. We suggest that alternative gene splicing is a novel means of regulating the environmental fitness of plants.

Patterns in Temporal Variability of Temperature, Oxygen and pH along an Environmental Gradient in a Coral Reef

PubMed Central

Guadayol, Òscar; Silbiger, Nyssa J.; Donahue, Megan J.; Thomas, Florence I. M.

2014-01-01

Spatial and temporal environmental variability are important drivers of ecological processes at all scales. As new tools allow the in situ exploration of individual responses to fluctuations, ecologically meaningful ways of characterizing environmental variability at organism scales are needed. We investigated the fine-scale spatial heterogeneity of high-frequency temporal variability in temperature, dissolved oxygen concentration, and pH experienced by benthic organisms in a shallow coastal coral reef. We used a spatio-temporal sampling design, consisting of 21 short-term time-series located along a reef flat-to-reef slope transect, coupled to a long-term station monitoring water column changes. Spectral analyses revealed sharp gradients in variance decomposed by frequency, as well as differences between physically-driven and biologically-reactive parameters. These results highlight the importance of environmental variance at organismal scales and present a new sampling scheme for exploring this variability in situ. PMID:24416364

Thermoregulatory responses to environmental toxicants: The interaction of thermal stress and toxicant exposure

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Leon, Lisa R.

2008-11-15

Thermal stress can have a profound impact on the physiological responses that are elicited following environmental toxicant exposure. The efficacy by which toxicants enter the body is directly influenced by thermoregulatory effector responses that are evoked in response to high ambient temperatures. In mammals, the thermoregulatory response to heat stress consists of an increase in skin blood flow and moistening of the skin surface to dissipate core heat to the environment. These physiological responses may exacerbate chemical toxicity due to increased permeability of the skin, which facilitates the cutaneous absorption of many environmental toxicants. The core temperature responses that aremore » elicited in response to high ambient temperatures, toxicant exposure or both can also have a profound impact on the ability of an organism to survive the insult. In small rodents, the thermoregulatory response to thermal stress and many environmental toxicants (such as organophosphate compounds) is often biphasic in nature, consisting initially of a regulated reduction in core temperature (i.e., hypothermia) followed by fever. Hypothermia is an important thermoregulatory survival strategy that is used by small rodents to diminish the effect of severe environmental insults on tissue homeostasis. The protective effect of hypothermia is realized by its effects on chemical toxicity as molecular and cellular processes, such as lipid peroxidation and the formation of reactive oxygen species, are minimized at reduced core temperatures. The beneficial effects of fever are unknown under these conditions. Perspective is provided on the applicability of data obtained in rodent models to the human condition.« less

Measuring the educational impact of Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids (PEAK): The development and implementation of a new scale

Treesearch

Jennifer Miller; Lindsey Brown; Eddie Hill; Amy Shellman; Ron Ramsing; Edwin Gómez

2012-01-01

The Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (LNT) is a nonprofit educational organization that teaches skills and values for recreating responsibly in the out-of-doors. LNT developed Promoting Environmental Awareness in Kids (PEAK), based on seven ethical principles. The PEAK program provides a pack that contains several interactive activities specifically designed to...

Environmental Quality and the Citizen. A Teaching Guide for Adult Education Courses Related to the Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clausen, Bernard L.; Iverson, Ross L.

This guide was written to aid the organization of an adult education course on the environment. Each of the ten sessions in the guide is an independent unit--to be used as such or to be interchanged with other sessions. Topics or units are titled: Environmental Quality--Everyone's Responsibility; Land and Space Resources; Population Stress and Its…

Cascading effects of thermally-induced anemone bleaching on associated anemonefish hormonal stress response and reproduction.

PubMed

Beldade, Ricardo; Blandin, Agathe; O'Donnell, Rory; Mills, Suzanne C

2017-10-10

Organisms can behaviorally, physiologically, and morphologically adjust to environmental variation via integrative hormonal mechanisms, ultimately allowing animals to cope with environmental change. The stress response to environmental and social changes commonly promotes survival at the expense of reproduction. However, despite climate change impacts on population declines and diversity loss, few studies have attributed hormonal stress responses, or their regulatory effects, to climate change in the wild. Here, we report hormonal and fitness responses of individual wild fish to a recent large-scale sea warming event that caused widespread bleaching on coral reefs. This 14-month monitoring study shows a strong correlation between anemone bleaching (zooxanthellae loss), anemonefish stress response, and reproductive hormones that decreased fecundity by 73%. These findings suggest that hormone stress responses play a crucial role in changes to population demography following climate change and plasticity in hormonal responsiveness may be a key mechanism enabling individual acclimation to climate change.Elevated temperatures can cause anemones to bleach, with unknown effects on their associated symbiotic fish. Here, Beldade and colleagues show that climate-induced bleaching alters anemonefish hormonal stress response, resulting in decreased reproductive hormones and severely impacted reproduction.

77 FR 66482 - Notice of Lodging of Proposed Consent Decree Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-05

... CERCLA with respect to past response costs, the interim remedy for volatile organic compounds, or for... Justice Department Web site: http://www.usdoj.gov/enrd/Consent_Decrees.html . We will provide a paper copy... United States Treasury. For a paper copy without the exhibits and signature pages, the cost is $5.50...

Signal Correlations in Ecological Niches Can Shape the Organization and Evolution of Bacterial Gene Regulatory Networks

PubMed Central

Dufour, Yann S.; Donohue, Timothy J.

2015-01-01

Transcriptional regulation plays a significant role in the biological response of bacteria to changing environmental conditions. Therefore, mapping transcriptional regulatory networks is an important step not only in understanding how bacteria sense and interpret their environment but also to identify the functions involved in biological responses to specific conditions. Recent experimental and computational developments have facilitated the characterization of regulatory networks on a genome-wide scale in model organisms. In addition, the multiplication of complete genome sequences has encouraged comparative analyses to detect conserved regulatory elements and infer regulatory networks in other less well-studied organisms. However, transcription regulation appears to evolve rapidly, thus, creating challenges for the transfer of knowledge to nonmodel organisms. Nevertheless, the mechanisms and constraints driving the evolution of regulatory networks have been the subjects of numerous analyses, and several models have been proposed. Overall, the contributions of mutations, recombination, and horizontal gene transfer are complex. Finally, the rapid evolution of regulatory networks plays a significant role in the remarkable capacity of bacteria to adapt to new or changing environments. Conversely, the characteristics of environmental niches determine the selective pressures and can shape the structure of regulatory network accordingly. PMID:23046950

Information Management of Web Application Based Environmental Performance Management in Concentrating Division of PTFI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Susanto, Arif; Mulyono, Nur Budi

2018-02-01

The changes of environmental management system standards into the latest version, i.e. ISO 14001:2015, may cause a change on a data and information need in decision making and achieving the objectives in the organization coverage. Information management is the organization's responsibility to ensure that effectiveness and efficiency start from its creating, storing, processing and distribution processes to support operations and effective decision making activity in environmental performance management. The objective of this research was to set up an information management program and to adopt the technology as the supporting component of the program which was done by PTFI Concentrating Division so that it could be in line with the desirable organization objective in environmental management based on ISO 14001:2015 environmental management system standards. Materials and methods used covered technical aspects in information management, i.e. with web-based application development by using usage centered design. The result of this research showed that the use of Single Sign On gave ease to its user to interact further on the use of the environmental management system. Developing a web-based through creating entity relationship diagram (ERD) and information extraction by conducting information extraction which focuses on attributes, keys, determination of constraints. While creating ERD is obtained from relational database scheme from a number of database from environmental performances in Concentrating Division.

The Integrated Scorecard in support of corporate sustainability strategies.

PubMed

Journeault, Marc

2016-11-01

Organizations have increasingly recognized the importance and benefits of developing a sustainability strategy that incorporates environmental and social responsibilities. However, the simultaneous integration of the economic, environmental and social aspects remains a major concern for organizations. The Sustainability Balanced Scorecard (SBSC) represents one of the most promising strategic tools to help organizations face these challenges and support their sustainability strategy. However, past research has provided unclear, incomplete and even contradictory SBSC frameworks while offering little knowledge about how to integrate stakeholder management as well as environmental and social performance within the balanced scorecard to successfully support a corporate sustainability strategy. The aim of this study is to address these issues and limitations by proposing the Integrated Scorecard, a specific SBSC that integrates the three pillars of sustainability performance within four different perspectives, namely environmental, social and economic performance, stakeholder management, internal business processes, and skills and capabilities. This study provides a conceptual approach to the Integrated Scorecard and illustrates, through the use of two practical illustrations, the ability of this framework to support the corporate sustainability strategy by identifying the core sustainability objectives that organizations should achieve when creating value, facilitating the understanding of the contribution of environmental and social initiatives on economic performance, allowing the monitoring and measurement of the strategy's level of achievement, and creating synergy between sustainability performance management and reporting. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Comparative endocrinology in the 21st century

USGS Publications Warehouse

Denver, R.J.; Hopkins, P.M.; McCormick, S.D.; Propper, C.R.; Riddiford, L.; Sower, S.A.; Wingfield, J.C.

2009-01-01

Hormones coordinate developmental, physiological, and behavioral processes within and between all living organisms. They orchestrate and shape organogenesis from early in development, regulate the acquisition, assimilation, and utilization of nutrients to support growth and metabolism, control gamete production and sexual behavior, mediate organismal responses to environmental change, and allow for communication of information between organisms. Genes that code for hormones; the enzymes that synthesize, metabolize, and transport hormones; and hormone receptors are important targets for natural selection, and variation in their expression and function is a major driving force for the evolution of morphology and life history. Hormones coordinate physiology and behavior of populations of organisms, and thus play key roles in determining the structure of populations, communities, and ecosystems. The field of endocrinology is concerned with the study of hormones and their actions. This field is rooted in the comparative study of hormones in diverse species, which has provided the foundation for the modern fields of evolutionary, environmental, and biomedical endocrinology. Comparative endocrinologists work at the cutting edge of the life sciences. They identify new hormones, hormone receptors and mechanisms of hormone action applicable to diverse species, including humans; study the impact of habitat destruction, pollution, and climatic change on populations of organisms; establish novel model systems for studying hormones and their functions; and develop new genetic strains and husbandry practices for efficient production of animal protein. While the model system approach has dominated biomedical research in recent years, and has provided extraordinary insight into many basic cellular and molecular processes, this approach is limited to investigating a small minority of organisms. Animals exhibit tremendous diversity in form and function, life-history strategies, and responses to the environment. A major challenge for life scientists in the 21st century is to understand how a changing environment impacts all life on earth. A full understanding of the capabilities of organisms to respond to environmental variation, and the resilience of organisms challenged by environmental changes and extremes, is necessary for understanding the impact of pollution and climatic change on the viability of populations. Comparative endocrinologists have a key role to play in these efforts.

Garan conducts CsPINs Experiment Operations

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-28

ISS027-E-017843 (28 April 2011) --- NASA astronaut Ron Garan, Expedition 27 flight engineer, supports the Dynamism of Auxin Efflux Facilitators responsible for Gravity-regulated Growth and Development in Cucumber (CsPINs) experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. CsPINs studies the phenomenon of tropism, i.e., the growth or turning movement of a biological organism, usually a plant, in response to an environmental stimulus. Specifically focusing on gravity, the new JAXA life science experiment investigates how plants sense gravity as an environmental signal and use it for governing their morphology and growth orientation.

Garan conducts CsPINs Experiment Operations

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-28

ISS027-E-017840 (28 April 2011) --- NASA astronaut Ron Garan, Expedition 27 flight engineer, supports the Dynamism of Auxin Efflux Facilitators responsible for Gravity-regulated Growth and Development in Cucumber (CsPINs) experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. CsPINs studies the phenomenon of tropism, i.e., the growth or turning movement of a biological organism, usually a plant, in response to an environmental stimulus. Specifically focusing on gravity, the new JAXA life science experiment investigates how plants sense gravity as an environmental signal and use it for governing their morphology and growth orientation.

Garan conducts CsPINs Experiment Operations

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-04-28

ISS027-E-017839 (28 April 2011) --- NASA astronaut Ron Garan, Expedition 27 flight engineer, supports the Dynamism of Auxin Efflux Facilitators responsible for Gravity-regulated Growth and Development in Cucumber (CsPINs) experiment in the Kibo laboratory of the International Space Station. CsPINs studies the phenomenon of tropism, i.e., the growth or turning movement of a biological organism, usually a plant, in response to an environmental stimulus. Specifically focusing on gravity, the new JAXA life science experiment investigates how plants sense gravity as an environmental signal and use it for governing their morphology and growth orientation.

On the role of scientists and scientific organizations: A question of leadership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lynch, B. J.; Driver, S.

2010-12-01

The National Research Council (NRC) series of reports on climate change, published in May, 2010, represent the scientific establishment's response in the wake of Copenhagen. The popular sentiment among students, the environmental movement and the concerned public includes, understandably, a fair amount of confusion and a great deal of disillusionment and disappointment -- not just at the national and international political bodies and individual political leaders -- but with the ambivalence of the scientists and scientific organizations to waging a real fight for substantial and effective change. If the scientific community and the environmental movement learns anything from Copenhagen it is that the existing powers-that-be are incapable of even putting forward, let alone implementing, a sound and rational response to the climate change and environmental crisis. The prevalent (and all too passive) attitude is that the role of scientists and scientific organizations is merely to supply the policy makers, corporations, and governmental entities with the facts, the objective conditions, our best scientific understanding possible, and that's it. The scientific community must reject this attitude and this approach. Leaving the social, political and economic responses, regulation, and implementation in the hands of the politicians -- whom we are advising -- means we accomplish nothing and are accepting the patently false conclusion "there is nothing realistic that can be done". As is true for all political questions, the national and international response to climate change is a question of power and the relative balance of forces between people, governments, and corporations with competing and often directly counter-posed interests. The role scientists and scientific organizations must play is to weigh in on the side of the vast majority of the world's population, side with the countries and peoples of the developing world who are suffering and will continue to suffer the most devastating consequences of the environmental crisis. The role scientists and scientific organizations must play is to defend our science, stand on the truth, and be willing to fight for the power we are going to need in order to actually implement the policies, regulations, and economic planning that we know is necessary. In addition to our analysis of the NRC report recommendations, we will discuss the prospects of building an independent, youth-, student-, and scientist-led environmental movement modeled after the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 60s and based in the living campus struggles currently being waged in California and nationally around defending public higher education. The student movement to maintain the "public" character of our universities is simultaneously a fight to maintain the independence and objectivity of scientific research in the public's interest and for the purpose of advancing human society.

Phenological sequences reveal aggregate life history response to climatic warming.

PubMed

Post, Eric S; Pedersen, Christian; Wilmers, Christopher C; Forchhammer, Mads C

2008-02-01

Climatic warming is associated with organisms breeding earlier in the season than is typical for their species. In some species, however, response to warming is more complex than a simple advance in the timing of all life history events preceding reproduction. Disparities in the extent to which different components of the reproductive phenology of organisms vary with climatic warming indicate that not all life history events are equally responsive to environmental variation. Here, we propose that our understanding of phenological response to climate change can be improved by considering entire sequences of events comprising the aggregate life histories of organisms preceding reproduction. We present results of a two-year warming experiment conducted on 33 individuals of three plant species inhabiting a low-arctic site. Analysis of phenological sequences of three key events for each species revealed how the aggregate life histories preceding reproduction responded to warming, and which individual events exerted the greatest influence on aggregate life history variation. For alpine chickweed (Cerastium alpinum), warming elicited a shortening of the duration of the emergence stage by 2.5 days on average, but the aggregate life history did not differ between warmed and ambient plots. For gray willow (Salix glauca), however, all phenological events monitored occurred earlier on warmed than on ambient plots, and warming reduced the aggregate life history of this species by 22 days on average. Similarly, in dwarf birch (Betula nana), warming advanced flower bud set, blooming, and fruit set and reduced the aggregate life history by 27 days on average. Our approach provides important insight into life history responses of many organisms to climate change and other forms of environmental variation. Such insight may be compromised by considering changes in individual phenological events in isolation.

MANAGING EXPOSURES TO NEUROTOXIC AIR POLLUTANTS.

EPA Science Inventory

Researchers at EPA's National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory are developing a biologically-based dose-response model to describe the neurotoxic effects of exposure to volatile organic compounds (VOCs). The model is being developed to improve risk assessment...

Phenotypic Effects of Salt and Heat Stress over Three Generations in Arabidopsis thaliana

PubMed Central

Suter, Léonie; Widmer, Alex

2013-01-01

Current and predicted environmental change will force many organisms to adapt to novel conditions, especially sessile organisms such as plants. It is therefore important to better understand how plants react to environmental stress and to what extent genotypes differ in such responses. It has been proposed that adaptation to novel conditions could be facilitated by heritable epigenetic changes induced by environmental stress, independent of genetic variation. Here we assessed phenotypic effects of heat and salt stress within and across three generations using four highly inbred Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes (Col, Cvi, Ler and Sha). Salt stress generally decreased fitness, but genotypes were differently affected, suggesting that susceptibility of A. thaliana to salt stress varies among genotypes. Heat stress at an early rosette stage had less detrimental effects but accelerated flowering in three out of four accessions. Additionally, we found three different modes of transgenerational effects on phenotypes, all harboring the potential of being adaptive: heat stress in previous generations induced faster rosette growth in Sha, both under heat and control conditions, resembling a tracking response, while in Cvi, the phenotypic variance of several traits increased, resembling diversified bet-hedging. Salt stress experienced in earlier generations altered plant architecture of Sha under salt but not control conditions, similar to transgenerational phenotypic plasticity. However, transgenerational phenotypic effects depended on the type of stress as well as on genotype, suggesting that such effects may not be a general response leading to adaptation to novel environmental conditions in A. thaliana. PMID:24244719

Two Dimensional Host-Guest Metal-Organic Framework Sensor with High Selectivity and Sensitivity to Picric Acid.

PubMed

Bagheri, Minoo; Masoomi, Mohammad Yaser; Morsali, Ali; Schoedel, Alexander

2016-08-24

A dye-sensitized metal-organic framework, TMU-5S, was synthesized based on introducing the laser dye Rhodamine B into the porous framework TMU-5. TMU-5S was investigated as a ratiometric fluorescent sensor for the detection of explosive nitro aromatic compounds and showed four times greater selectivity to picric acid than any state-of-the-art luminescent-based sensor. Moreover, it can selectively discriminate picric acid concentrations in the presence of other nitro aromatics and volatile organic compounds. Our findings indicate that using this sensor in two dimensions leads to a greatly reduced environmental interference response and thus creates exceptional sensitivity toward explosive molecules with a fast response.

Organizational downsizing: a review of literature for planning and research.

PubMed

Davis, Jullet A; Savage, Grant; Stewart, R Thomas

2003-01-01

The use of downsizing as management's strategic response to environmental and institutional changes is prevalent in all U.S. industries, including healthcare. The popular and research literature is inundated with reports on companies undergoing various stages of restructuring, which often include one or more staff reductions. This article provides a review of downsizing literature published from 1985 to 2002. Although the findings and conclusions of these articles are generally inconsistent, the prevailing opinion is that for downsizing to be successful, effective planning must occur long before, during, and after downsizing. Additionally, a downsizing plan should be included in the strategic management plan of all organizations, regardless of whether they plan to downsize or not. By including such a plan, the organization will be better prepared to begin the staff-reduction process should it be forced to do so in response to environmental changes. Finally, providing ample support and protection for staff is key to the organization's recovery and growth. The lessons provided in this literature review should assist healthcare managers in deciding how to plan and structure potential staff reductions.

Authentication of synthetic environmental contaminants and their (bio)transformation products in toxicology: polychlorinated biphenyls as an example.

PubMed

Li, Xueshu; Holland, Erika B; Feng, Wei; Zheng, Jing; Dong, Yao; Pessah, Isaac N; Duffel, Michael W; Robertson, Larry W; Lehmler, Hans-Joachim

2018-01-10

Toxicological studies use "specialty chemicals" and, thus, should assess and report both identity and degree of purity (homogeneity) of the chemicals (or toxicants) under investigation to ensure that other scientists can replicate experimental results. Although detailed reporting criteria for the synthesis and characterization of organic compounds have been established by organic chemistry journals, such criteria are inconsistently applied to the chemicals used in toxicological studies. Biologically active trace impurities may lead to incorrect conclusions about the chemical entity responsible for a biological response, which in turn may confound risk assessment. Based on our experience with the synthesis of PCBs and their metabolites, we herein propose guidelines for the "authentication" of synthetic PCBs and, by extension, other organic toxicants, and provide a checklist for documenting the authentication of toxicants reported in the peer-reviewed literature. The objective is to expand guidelines proposed for different types of biomedical and preclinical studies to include a thorough authentication of specialty chemicals, such as PCBs and their derivatives, with the goal of ensuring transparent and open reporting of scientific results in toxicology and the environmental health sciences.

Environmental Presence of Hexavalent but Not Trivalent Chromium Causes Neurotoxicity in Exposed Drosophila melanogaster.

PubMed

Singh, Pallavi; Chowdhuri, D Kar

2017-07-01

A number of environmental chemicals are known to cause neurotoxicity to exposed organisms. Chromium (Cr), one of the major elements in earth's crust, is a priority environmental chemical depending on its valence state, and limited information is available on its neurotoxic potential. We, therefore, explored the neurotoxic potential of environmentally present trivalent- (Cr(III)) and hexavalent-Cr (Cr(VI)) on tested brain cell types in a genetically tractable organism Drosophila melanogaster along with its organismal response. Third instar larvae of w 1118 were fed environmentally relevant concentrations (5.0-20.0 μg/ml) of Cr(III)- or Cr(VI)-salt-mixed food for 24 and 48 h, and their exposure effects were examined in different brain cells of exposed organism. A significant reduction in the number of neuronal cells was observed in organism that were fed Cr(VI)- but not Cr(III)-salt-mixed food. Interestingly, glial cells were not affected by Cr(III) or Cr(VI) exposure. The tested cholinergic and dopaminergic neuronal cells were affected by Cr(VI) only with the later by 20.0 μg/ml Cr(VI) exposure after 48 h. The locomotor activity was significantly affected by Cr(VI) in exposed organism. Concomitantly, a significant increase in the level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) coupled with increased oxidative stress led to apoptotic cell death in the tested brain cells of Cr(VI)-exposed Drosophila, which were reversed by vitamin C supplementation. Conclusively, the present study provides evidence of environmental Cr(VI)-induced adversities on the brain of exposed Drosophila along with behavioral deficit which would likely to have relevance in humans and recommends Drosophila as a model for neurotoxicity.

Environmental Noise, Genetic Diversity and the Evolution of Evolvability and Robustness in Model Gene Networks

PubMed Central

Steiner, Christopher F.

2012-01-01

The ability of organisms to adapt and persist in the face of environmental change is accepted as a fundamental feature of natural systems. More contentious is whether the capacity of organisms to adapt (or “evolvability”) can itself evolve and the mechanisms underlying such responses. Using model gene networks, I provide evidence that evolvability emerges more readily when populations experience positively autocorrelated environmental noise (red noise) compared to populations in stable or randomly varying (white noise) environments. Evolvability was correlated with increasing genetic robustness to effects on network viability and decreasing robustness to effects on phenotypic expression; populations whose networks displayed greater viability robustness and lower phenotypic robustness produced more additive genetic variation and adapted more rapidly in novel environments. Patterns of selection for robustness varied antagonistically with epistatic effects of mutations on viability and phenotypic expression, suggesting that trade-offs between these properties may constrain their evolutionary responses. Evolution of evolvability and robustness was stronger in sexual populations compared to asexual populations indicating that enhanced genetic variation under fluctuating selection combined with recombination load is a primary driver of the emergence of evolvability. These results provide insight into the mechanisms potentially underlying rapid adaptation as well as the environmental conditions that drive the evolution of genetic interactions. PMID:23284934

Concentrations of environmental organic contaminants in meat and meat products and human dietary exposure: A review.

PubMed

Domingo, José L

2017-09-01

Meat and meat products is one of the most relevant food groups in an important number of human diets. Recently, the IARC, based on results of a number of epidemiological studies, classified the consumptions of red meat and processed meat as "probably carcinogenic to humans" and as "carcinogenic to humans", respectively. It was suggested that the substances responsible of the potential carcinogenicity would be mainly generated during meat processing, such as curing and smoking, or when meat is heated at high temperatures. However, the exposure to environmental pollutants through meat consumption was not discussed. The purpose of the present paper was to review recent studies reporting the concentrations of PCDD/Fs, DL-PCBs and PAHs in meat and meat products, as well as the human exposure to these pollutants through the diet. It is concluded that the health risks derived from exposure to carcinogenic environmental contaminants must be considered in the context of each specific diet, which besides meat and meat products, includes other foodstuffs containing also chemical pollutants, some of them with carcinogenic potential. Anyhow, meat and meat products are not the main food group responsible of the dietary exposure to carcinogenic (or probably carcinogenic) environmental organic pollutants. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Common and conflicting interests in the engagements between conservation organizations and corporations.

PubMed

Robinson, John G

2012-12-01

The conservation community increasingly views the corporate sector as a positive force for conservation. Collaborations between corporations and nongovernmental conservation organizations (NGOs) seek to mitigate the negative effects of corporate activities and augment positive conservation outcomes. I reviewed the establishment of corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies by corporations; the emerging focus on environmental practices and sustainability; and the history of engagement between corporations and nongovernmental organizations. I considered the ethical and reputation vulnerabilities of these collaborations, which depend especially on the financial nature of the relationship and reviewed how CSR approaches have influenced corporate practices. I concluded that whereas CSR practices can act to mitigate negative environmental impact, to date they have had limited positive effect on biodiversity conservation. ©2012 Society for Conservation Biology.

ANALYSIS OF AQUATIC MICROBIAL COMMUNITIES IMPACTED BY LARGE POULTRY FORMS

EPA Science Inventory

Microbial communities often respond more rapidly and extensively to environmental change than communities of higher organisms. Thus, characterizing shifts in the structure of native bacterial communities as a response to changes in nutrients, antimicrobials, and invading pathogen...

THE ROLE OF INDICATORS IN HEALTH AND ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Assessment of risk to public health or environmental resources requires competent characterization of stressors and the corresponding effects on organisms, populations, and communities. Because of the complexity of most stressor-response relationships, it is impossible to complet...

Navy Pre-Deployment Training at Eglin AFB, Florida Final Environmental Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-02-10

Only-Radar ROW Rest of the World RUR Range Utilization Report SACEX Supporting Arms Coordination Exercise LIST OF ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS...Wildlife Service USGS U.S. Geological Survey UXO Unexploded Ordnance VOC Volatile Organic Compounds WHO World Health Organization Purpose and...Assessment While most deployments are scheduled long in advance, short-notice deployments often occur in response to world crises. The Atlantic Fleet’s

Biogeochemical Controls on Microbial CO2 and CH4 Production in Polygonal Soils From the Barrow Environmental Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graham, D. E.; Roy Chowdhury, T.; Herndon, E.; Gu, B.; Liang, L.; Wullschleger, S. D.

2014-12-01

Organic matter buried in Arctic soils and permafrost will become accessible to increased microbial degradation as the ground warms due to climate change. The rates of organic matter degradation and the proportion of CH4 and CO2 greenhouse gasses released in a potential warming feedback cycle depend on the microbial response to warming, organic carbon structure and availability, the pore-water quantity and geochemistry, and available electron acceptors. Significant amounts of iron(II) ions in organic and mineral soils of the active layer in low-centered ice wedge polygons indicate anoxic conditions in most soil horizons. To adapt and improve the representation of these Arctic subsurface processes in terrestrial ecosystem models for the NGEE Arctic project, we examined soil organic matter transformations from elevated and subsided areas of low- and high-centered polygons from interstitial tundra on the Barrow Environmental Observatory (Barrow, AK). Using microcosm incubations at fixed temperatures and controlled thawing systems for frozen soil cores, we investigated the microbiological processes and rates of soil organic matter degradation and greenhouse gas production under anoxic conditions, at ecologically relevant temperatures of -2, +4 or +8 °C. In contrast to the low-centered polygon incubations representing in situ water-saturated conditions, microcosms with unsaturated high-centered polygon samples displayed lower carbon mineralization as either CH4 or CO2. Substantial differences in CH4 and CO2 response curves from different microtopographic samples separate the thermodynamic controls on biological activity from the kinetic controls of microbial growth and migration that together determine the temperature response for greenhouse gas emissions in a warming Arctic.

Differentiating responses to contaminants from responses to other environmental factors for benthic biota in freshwater ecosystems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Day, K.E.; Reynoldson, T.B.; Rosenberg, D.M.

1995-12-31

Many ecological risk assessments (ERAS) of lakes, rivers and streams compare measurements of benthic community structure in specific areas of contamination to similar measurements in reference or ``clean`` areas as a basis for determining impact. However, despite numerous studies documenting alterations of benthic communities as a result of stress, the success of correctly assessing the ``health`` or degradation of these communities depends on how well responses to contamination can be discriminated from responses to other environmental factors. It is important in the ERA process to adequately describe benthic communities and to determine how natural environmental factors (e.g., substrate particle sizemore » and texture, organic content, water quality, pH, seston, etc.) may be driving benthic community structure. This knowledge is particularly important when reference areas are distant from stressed areas. This presentation will provide an overview of the environmental factors that are important in structuring natural benthic communities in rivers and lakes and discuss approaches that may be useful in differentiating between natural variability and anthropogenic stress in ERA. Several case studies from the Laurentian Great Lakes and the Fraser River watershed in British Columbia will be discussed.« less

Discovery of metabolic signatures for predicting whole organism toxicology.

PubMed

Hines, Adam; Staff, Fred J; Widdows, John; Compton, Russell M; Falciani, Francesco; Viant, Mark R

2010-06-01

Toxicological studies in sentinel organisms frequently use biomarkers to assess biological effect. Development of "omic" technologies has enhanced biomarker discovery at the molecular level, providing signatures unique to toxicant mode-of-action (MOA). However, these signatures often lack relevance to organismal responses, such as growth or reproduction, limiting their value for environmental monitoring. Our primary objective was to discover metabolic signatures in chemically exposed organisms that can predict physiological toxicity. Marine mussels (Mytilus edulis) were exposed for 7 days to 12 and 50 microg/l copper and 50 and 350 microg/l pentachlorophenol (PCP), toxicants with unique MOAs. Physiological responses comprised an established measure of organism energetic fitness, scope for growth (SFG). Metabolic fingerprints were measured in the same individuals using nuclear magnetic resonance-based metabolomics. Metabolic signatures predictive of SFG were sought using optimal variable selection strategies and multivariate regression and then tested upon independently field-sampled mussels from rural and industrialized sites. Copper and PCP induced rational metabolic and physiological changes. Measured and predicted SFG were highly correlated for copper (r(2) = 0.55, P = 2.82 x 10(-7)) and PCP (r(2) = 0.66, P = 3.20 x 10(-6)). Predictive metabolites included methionine and arginine/phosphoarginine for copper and allantoin, valine, and methionine for PCP. When tested on field-sampled animals, metabolic signatures predicted considerably reduced fitness of mussels from the contaminated (SFG = 6.0 J/h/g) versus rural (SFG = 15.2 J/h/g) site. We report the first successful discovery of metabolic signatures in chemically exposed environmental organisms that inform on molecular MOA and that can predict physiological toxicity. This could have far-reaching implications for monitoring impacts on environmental health.

Ecological genomics meets community-level modelling of biodiversity: mapping the genomic landscape of current and future environmental adaptation.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, Matthew C; Keller, Stephen R

2015-01-01

Local adaptation is a central feature of most species occupying spatially heterogeneous environments, and may factor critically in responses to environmental change. However, most efforts to model the response of species to climate change ignore intraspecific variation due to local adaptation. Here, we present a new perspective on spatial modelling of organism-environment relationships that combines genomic data and community-level modelling to develop scenarios regarding the geographic distribution of genomic variation in response to environmental change. Rather than modelling species within communities, we use these techniques to model large numbers of loci across genomes. Using balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) as a case study, we demonstrate how our framework can accommodate nonlinear responses of loci to environmental gradients. We identify a threshold response to temperature in the circadian clock gene GIGANTEA-5 (GI5), suggesting that this gene has experienced strong local adaptation to temperature. We also demonstrate how these methods can map ecological adaptation from genomic data, including the identification of predicted differences in the genetic composition of populations under current and future climates. Community-level modelling of genomic variation represents an important advance in landscape genomics and spatial modelling of biodiversity that moves beyond species-level assessments of climate change vulnerability. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd/CNRS.

Genetic analysis of stress responses in soil bacteria for enhanced bioremediation of mixed contaminants. 1997 annual progress report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wong, K.K.

'To provide increased knowledge of stress responses of indigenous microbes at contaminated sites as well as using microbes as molecular probes for monitoring the performance and effectiveness of bioremediation, the authors propose to identify the stress-inducible genes and promoters from two soil bacteria, Deinococcus radiodurans and Sphingomonas F199. These organisms represent two phylogenetically distinct groups of soil bacteria, each of which has specific features of interest for bioremediation. D. radiodurans exhibits high resistance to external stress; F199 is a deep subsurface (Savannah River Site) organism with unique degradative capabilities. Research Statement To realize the full potential of bioremediation, an understandingmore » of microbial community and individual bacterial responses to the stresses encountered at contaminated sites is needed. Knowledge about genetic responses of soil and subsurface bacteria to environmental stresses, which include low nutrients, low oxygen, and mixed pollutants, will allow extrapolation of basic principles to field applications either using indigenous bacteria or genetically engineered microorganisms. Defining bacterial responses to those stresses presents an opportunity for improving bioremediation strategies, and should contribute to environmental management and restoration actions that would reduce the cost and time required to achieve DOE''s cleanup goals.'« less

The copepod Tigriopus: a promising marine model organism for ecotoxicology and environmental genomics.

PubMed

Raisuddin, Sheikh; Kwok, Kevin W H; Leung, Kenneth M Y; Schlenk, Daniel; Lee, Jae-Seong

2007-07-20

There is an increasing body of evidence to support the significant role of invertebrates in assessing impacts of environmental contaminants on marine ecosystems. Therefore, in recent years massive efforts have been directed to identify viable and ecologically relevant invertebrate toxicity testing models. Tigriopus, a harpacticoid copepod has a number of promising characteristics which make it a candidate worth consideration in such efforts. Tigriopus and other copepods are widely distributed and ecologically important organisms. Their position in marine food chains is very prominent, especially with regard to the transfer of energy. Copepods also play an important role in the transportation of aquatic pollutants across the food chains. In recent years there has been a phenomenal increase in the knowledge base of Tigriopus spp., particularly in the areas of their ecology, geophylogeny, genomics and their behavioural, biochemical and molecular responses following exposure to environmental stressors and chemicals. Sequences of a number of important marker genes have been studied in various Tigriopus spp., notably T. californicus and T. japonicus. These genes belong to normal biophysiological functions (e.g. electron transport system enzymes) as well as stress and toxic chemical exposure responses (heat shock protein 20, glutathione reductase, glutathione S-transferase). Recently, 40,740 expressed sequenced tags (ESTs) from T. japonicus, have been sequenced and of them, 5,673 ESTs showed significant hits (E-value, >1.0E-05) to the red flour beetle Tribolium genome database. Metals and organic pollutants such as antifouling agents, pesticides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychrlorinated biphenyls (PCB) have shown reproducible biological responses when tested in Tigriopus spp. Promising results have been obtained when Tigriopus was used for assessment of risk associated with exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs). Application of environmental gene expression techniques has allowed evaluation of transcriptional changes in T. japonicus with the ultimate aim of understanding the mechanisms of action of environmental stressors. Through a better understanding of toxicological mechanisms, ecotoxicologists may use this ecologically relevant species in risk assessment studies in marine systems. The combination of uses as a whole-animal bioassay and gene expression studies indicate that Tigriopus may serve as an excellent tool to evaluate the impacts of marine pollution throughout the coastal region. The purpose of this review is to illustrate the potential of using Tigriopus to fulfill the niche as an important invertebrate marine model organism for ecotoxicology and environmental genomics. In addition, the knowledge gaps and areas for further studies have also been discussed.

Shifts in Aboveground Biomass Allocation Patterns of Dominant Shrub Species across a Strong Environmental Gradient

PubMed Central

Kumordzi, Bright B.; Gundale, Michael J.; Nilsson, Marie-Charlotte; Wardle, David A.

2016-01-01

Most plant biomass allocation studies have focused on allocation to shoots versus roots, and little is known about drivers of allocation for aboveground plant organs. We explored the drivers of within-and between-species variation of aboveground biomass allocation across a strong environmental resource gradient, i.e., a long-term chronosequence of 30 forested islands in northern Sweden across which soil fertility and plant productivity declines while light availability increases. For each of the three coexisting dominant understory dwarf shrub species on each island, we estimated the fraction of the total aboveground biomass produced year of sampling that was allocated to sexual reproduction (i.e., fruits), leaves and stems for each of two growing seasons, to determine how biomass allocation responded to the chronosequence at both the within-species and whole community levels. Against expectations, within-species allocation to fruits was least on less fertile islands, and allocation to leaves at the whole community level was greatest on intermediate islands. Consistent with expectations, different coexisting species showed contrasting allocation patterns, with the species that was best adapted for more fertile conditions allocating the most to vegetative organs, and with its allocation pattern showing the strongest response to the gradient. Our study suggests that co-existing dominant plant species can display highly contrasting biomass allocations to different aboveground organs within and across species in response to limiting environmental resources within the same plant community. Such knowledge is important for understanding how community assembly, trait spectra, and ecological processes driven by the plant community vary across environmental gradients and among contrasting ecosystems. PMID:27270445

Trajectories of Microbial Community Function in Response to Accelerated Remediation of Subsurface Metal Contaminants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Firestone, Mary

Objectives of proposed research were to; Determine if the trajectories of microbial community composition and function following organic carbon amendment can be related to, and predicted by, key environmental determinants; Assess the relative importance of the characteristics of the indigenous microbial community, sediment, groundwater, and concentration of organic carbon amendment as the major determinants of microbial community functional response and bioremediation capacity; and Provide a fundamental understanding of the microbial community ecology underlying subsurface metal remediation requisite to successful application of accelerated remediation and long-term stewardship of DOE-IFC sites.

Development of environmental impact monitoring protocol for offshore carbon capture and storage (CCS): A biological perspective

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Hyewon, E-mail: hyewon@ldeo.columbia.edu; Kim, Yong Hoon, E-mail: Yong.Kim@rpsgroup.com; Kang, Seong-Gil, E-mail: kangsg@kriso.re.kr

Offshore geologic storage of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}), known as offshore carbon capture and sequestration (CCS), has been under active investigation as a safe, effective mitigation option for reducing CO{sub 2} levels from anthropogenic fossil fuel burning and climate change. Along with increasing trends in implementation plans and related logistics on offshore CCS, thorough risk assessment (i.e. environmental impact monitoring) needs to be conducted to evaluate potential risks, such as CO{sub 2} gas leakage at injection sites. Gas leaks from offshore CCS may affect the physiology of marine organisms and disrupt certain ecosystem functions, thereby posing an environmental risk. Here,more » we synthesize current knowledge on environmental impact monitoring of offshore CCS with an emphasis on biological aspects and provide suggestions for better practice. Based on our critical review of preexisting literatures, this paper: 1) discusses key variables sensitive to or indicative of gas leakage by summarizing physico-chemical and ecological variables measured from previous monitoring cruises on offshore CCS; 2) lists ecosystem and organism responses to a similar environmental condition to CO{sub 2} leakage and associated impacts, such as ocean acidification and hypercapnia, to predict how they serve as responsive indicators of short- and long-term gas exposure, and 3) discusses the designs of the artificial gas release experiments in fields and the best model simulation to produce realistic leakage scenarios in marine ecosystems. Based on our analysis, we suggest that proper incorporation of biological aspects will provide successful and robust long-term monitoring strategies with earlier detection of gas leakage, thus reducing the risks associated with offshore CCS. - Highlights: • This paper synthesizes the current knowledge on environmental impact monitoring of offshore Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). • Impacts of CO{sub 2} leakage (ocean acidification, hypercapnia) on marine organisms and ecosystems are discussed. • Insights and recommendations on EIA monitoring for CCS operations are proposed specifically in marine ecosystem perspective.« less

Integrated biomarker response in catfish Hypostomus ancistroides by multivariate analysis in the Pirapó River, southern Brazil.

PubMed

Ghisi, Nédia C; Oliveira, Elton C; Mendonça Mota, Thais F; Vanzetto, Guilherme V; Roque, Aliciane A; Godinho, Jayson P; Bettim, Franciele Lima; Silva de Assis, Helena Cristina da; Prioli, Alberto J

2016-10-01

Aquatic pollutants produce multiple consequences in organisms, populations, communities and ecosystems, affecting the function of organs, reproductive state, population size, species survival and even biodiversity. In order to monitor the health of aquatic organisms, biomarkers have been used as effective tools in environmental risk assessment. The aim of this study is to evaluate, through a multivariate and integrative analysis, the response of the native species Hypostomus ancistroides over a pollution gradient in the main water supply body of northwestern Paraná state (Brazil). The condition factor, micronucleus test and erythrocyte nuclear abnormalities (ENA), comet assay, measurement of the cerebral and muscular enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and histopathological analysis of liver and gill were evaluated in fishes from three sites of the Pirapó River during the dry and rainy seasons. The multivariate general result showed that the interaction between the seasons and the sites was significant: there are variations in the rates of alterations in the biological parameters, depending on the time of year researched at each site. In general, the best results were observed for the site nearest the spring, and alterations in the parameters at the intermediate and downstream sites. In sum, the results of this study showed the necessity of a multivariate analysis, evaluating several biological parameters, to obtain an integrated response to the effects of the environmental pollutants on the organisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Testing the Nanoparticle-Allostatic Cross Adaptation-Sensitization Model for Homeopathic Remedy Effects

PubMed Central

Bell, Iris R.; Koithan, Mary; Brooks, Audrey J.

2012-01-01

Key concepts of the Nanoparticle-Allostatic Cross-Adaptation-Sensitization (NPCAS) Model for the action of homeopathic remedies in living systems include source nanoparticles as low level environmental stressors, heterotypic hormesis, cross-adaptation, allostasis (stress response network), time-dependent sensitization with endogenous amplification and bidirectional change, and self-organizing complex adaptive systems. The model accommodates the requirement for measurable physical agents in the remedy (source nanoparticles and/or source adsorbed to silica nanoparticles). Hormetic adaptive responses in the organism, triggered by nanoparticles; bipolar, metaplastic change, dependent on the history of the organism. Clinical matching of the patient’s symptom picture, including modalities, to the symptom pattern that the source material can cause (cross-adaptation and cross-sensitization). Evidence for nanoparticle-related quantum macro-entanglement in homeopathic pathogenetic trials. This paper examines research implications of the model, discussing the following hypotheses: Variability in nanoparticle size, morphology, and aggregation affects remedy properties and reproducibility of findings. Homeopathic remedies modulate adaptive allostatic responses, with multiple dynamic short- and long-term effects. Simillimum remedy nanoparticles, as novel mild stressors corresponding to the organism’s dysfunction initiate time-dependent cross-sensitization, reversing the direction of dysfunctional reactivity to environmental stressors. The NPCAS model suggests a way forward for systematic research on homeopathy. The central proposition is that homeopathic treatment is a form of nanomedicine acting by modulation of endogenous adaptation and metaplastic amplification processes in the organism to enhance long-term systemic resilience and health. PMID:23290882

Applications of NMR-based metabolomics in biological and environmental research

EPA Science Inventory

As a complimentary tool to other omics platforms, metabolomics is increasingly being used by biologists to study the dynamic response of biological systems (cells, tissues, or whole organisms) under diverse physiological or pathological conditions. Metabolomics deals with the qu...

77 FR 71198 - Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact Related to Exemption From the...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-29

... Levels for Hostile Action (10 CFR Part 50, App. E, IV.B.1.) Emergency Response Organization Augmentation... proposed action will not significantly impact the quality of the human environment, and that the proposed...

An assessment of environmental literacy and analysis of predictors of responsible environmental behavior held by secondary teachers in Hualien County of Taiwan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsu, Shih-Jang

The major purpose of this study was to determine the relative contribution of nine variables in predicting teachers' responsible environmental behavior (REB). The theoretic framework of this study was based on the Hines model, the Hungerford and Volk model, and the environmental literacy framework proposed by Environmental Literacy Assessment Consortium. A nine-page instrument was administered by mailed questionnaire to 300 randomly selected secondary teachers in Hualien County of Taiwan with a 78.7% response rate. Correlation and stepwise multiple regression analyses were conducted. The following conclusions were drawn: (1) For all the respondents, all the nine environmental literacy variables were significant correlates of REB. These correlates included: perceived knowledge of environmental action strategies (KNOW; r =.46), intention to act (IA; r =.46), perceived skill in using environmental action strategies (SKILL; r =.45), perceived knowledge of environmental problems and issues (KISSU; r =.34), environmental sensitivity (r =.28), environmental responsibility (r =.27), perceived knowledge of ecology and environmental science (r =.27), locus of control (r =.27), and environmental attitudes (r =.21). (2) When only the nine environmental literacy variables were considered, the most parsimonious set of predictors of REB for all the teachers included: (a) KNOW, (Rsp2 =.2116); (b) IA, (Rsp2 =.0916); and (c) SKILL, (Rsp2 =.0205). For the urban teachers, the most parsimonious set of predictors included: (a) IA (Rsp2 =.2559); (b) SKILL (Rsp2.0926); and (c) environmental responsibility (Rsp2 =.0219). For the rural teachers, the most parsimonious set of predictors included: (a) KNOW (Rsp2 =.1872); (b) IA (Rsp2 =.0816); and (c) KISSU (Rsp2 =.0318). (3) When the environmental literacy variables as well as demographic and experience variables were considered, the most parsimonious set of predictors for all the teachers included: (a) KNOW, (Rsp2 =.2834); (b) IA, (Rsp2 =.0696); (c) area of residence, (Rsp2 =.0174); and (d) SKILL, (Rsp2 =.0163). For the urban teachers, the most parsimonious set of predictors included: (a) IA (Rsp2 =.3199); (b) SKILL (Rsp2 =.0840); (c) major sources of environmental information (Rsp2 =.0432); and (d) membership in environmental organizations, (Rsp2 =.0240). Implications for environmental education program development and instructional practice were presented. Recommendations for further research were also provided.

SPRUCE Whole Ecosystems Warming (WEW) Environmental Data Beginning August 2015

DOE Data Explorer

Hanson, P. J. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Riggs, J. S. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Nettles, W. R. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Krassovski, M. B. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.; Hook, L. A. [Oak Ridge National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, U.S.A.

2016-01-01

This data set provides the environmental measurements collected during the implementation of operational methods to achieve both deep soil heating (0-3 m) and whole-ecosystem warming (WEW) appropriate to the scale of tall-stature, high-carbon, boreal forest peatlands. The methods were developed to allow scientists to provide a plausible set of ecosystem warming scenarios within which immediate and longer term (one decade) responses of organisms (microbes to trees) and ecosystem functions (carbon, water and nutrient cycles) could be measured. Elevated CO2 was also incorporated to test how temperature responses may be modified by atmospheric CO2 effects on carbon cycle processes.

A transcription factor hierarchy defines an environmental stress response network.

PubMed

Song, Liang; Huang, Shao-Shan Carol; Wise, Aaron; Castanon, Rosa; Nery, Joseph R; Chen, Huaming; Watanabe, Marina; Thomas, Jerushah; Bar-Joseph, Ziv; Ecker, Joseph R

2016-11-04

Environmental stresses are universally encountered by microbes, plants, and animals. Yet systematic studies of stress-responsive transcription factor (TF) networks in multicellular organisms have been limited. The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA) influences the expression of thousands of genes, allowing us to characterize complex stress-responsive regulatory networks. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing, we identified genome-wide targets of 21 ABA-related TFs to construct a comprehensive regulatory network in Arabidopsis thaliana Determinants of dynamic TF binding and a hierarchy among TFs were defined, illuminating the relationship between differential gene expression patterns and ABA pathway feedback regulation. By extrapolating regulatory characteristics of observed canonical ABA pathway components, we identified a new family of transcriptional regulators modulating ABA and salt responsiveness and demonstrated their utility to modulate plant resilience to osmotic stress. Copyright © 2016, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

FY 1994 program summary: Office of Technology Development, Office of Research and Development, Office of Demonstration, Testing, and Evaluation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1994-10-01

The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Environmental Management, formerly the Office of Environmental Restoration and Waste Management (EM), was established in November 1989 as the first step toward correcting contamination problems resulting from nearly 50 years of nuclear weapons production and fuel processing activities. EM consolidates several DOE organizations previously responsible for the handling, treatment, and disposition of radioactive and hazardous waste. Within EM, the Office of Technology Development (OTD/EM-50) is responsible for developing technologies to meet DOE`s goal for environmental restoration. OTD manages an aggressive national program of applied research, development, demonstration, testing, and evaluation (RDDT andmore » E) for environmental cleanup, waste management, and related technologies. The program is designed to resolve major technical issues, to rapidly advanced beyond current technologies for environmental restoration and waste management operations, and to expedite compliance with applicable environmental laws and regulations. This report summarizes Fiscal Year 1994 (FY94) programmatic information, accomplishments, and planned activities relevant to the individual activities within OTD`s RDDT and E.« less

Cellular Mechanisms of Gravitropic Response in Higher Plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medvedev, Sergei; Smolikova, Galina; Pozhvanov, Gregory; Suslov, Dmitry

The evolutionary success of land plants in adaptation to the vectorial environmental factors was based mainly on the development of polarity systems. In result, normal plant ontogenesis is based on the positional information. Polarity is a tool by which the developing plant organs and tissues are mapped and the specific three-dimensional structure of the organism is created. It is due to their polar organization plants are able to orient themselves relative to the gravity vector and different vectorial cues, and to respond adequately to various stimuli. Gravitation is one of the most important polarized environmental factor that guides the development of plant organisms in space. Every plant can "estimate" its position relative to the gravity vector and correct it, if necessary, by means of polarized growth. The direction and the magnitude of gravitational stimulus are constant during the whole plant ontogenesis. The key plant response to the action of gravity is gravitropism, i.e. the directed growth of organs with respect to the gravity vector. This response is a very convenient model to study the mechanisms of plant orientation in space. The present report is focused on the main cellular mechanisms responsible for graviropic bending in higher plants. These mechanisms and structures include electric polarization of plant cells, Ca ({2+) }gradients, cytoskeleton, G-proteins, phosphoinositides and the machinery responsible for asymmetric auxin distribution. Those mechanisms tightly interact demonstrating some hierarchy and multiple feedbacks. The Ca (2+) gradients provide the primary physiological basis of polarity in plant cells. Calcium ions influence on the bioelectric potentials, the organization of actin cytoskeleton, the activity of Ca (2+) -binding proteins and Ca (2+) -dependent protein kinases. Protein kinases modulate transcription factors activity thereby regulating the gene expression and switching the developmental programs. Actin cytoskeleton affects the molecular machinery of polar auxin transport. It results in the changes of auxin gradients in plant organs and tissues, which modulate all cellular mechanisms of polarity via multiple feedback loops. The understanding of the mechanisms of plant organism orientation relative to the gravity vector will allow us to develop efficient technologies for plant growing in microgravity conditions at orbital space stations and during long piloted space flights. This work was supported by the grant of Russian Foundation for Basic Research (N 14-04-01-624) and by the grant of St.-Petersburg State University (N 1.38.233.2014).

ITAG: A fine-scale measurement platform to inform organismal response to a changing ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katija, K.; Shorter, K. A.; Mooney, T. A.; Mann, D.; Wang, A. Z.; Sonnichsen, F. N.

2016-02-01

Soft-bodied marine invertebrates comprise a keystone component of ocean ecosystems, however we know little of their behaviors and physiological responses within their natural habitat. Quantifying ocean conditions and measuring an organisms' response to the physical environment is vital to understanding organismal responses to a changing ocean. However, we face technological limitations when attempting to quantify the physical and environmental conditions that organisms encounter at spatial and temporal scales of an individual organism. Here we describe a novel, eco-sensor tag (the ITAG) that has 3-axis accelerometer, 3-axis magnetometer, pressure, temperature, and light sensors. Current and future efforts involve miniaturizing and integrating O2 and salinity sensors to the ITAG. The tagging package is designed to be neutrally buoyant, and after a prescribed time, the electronics separate from a weighted base and floats to the surface. Tags were deployed on five jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) and eight squid (Loligo forbesi) in laboratory conditions for up to 24 hr. Using concurrent video and tag data, movement signatures for specific behaviors were identified. Based on these laboratory trials, we found that squid activity level changed in response to ambient light conditions, which can inform trade-offs between behavior and energy expenditure in captive and wild animals. The ITAG opens the door for lab and field-based measurements of behavior, physiology, and concurrent environmental parameters that not only inform interactions in a changing ocean, but also provides a novel platform by which characterization of the environment can be conducted at fine spatial and temporal scales.

Genetic Analysis of Stress Responses in Soil Bacteria for Enhanced Bioremediation of Mixed Contaminants

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wong, Kwong-Kwok

In order to realize the full potential of bioremediation, an understanding of microbial community and individual bacterial responses to the stresses encountered at contaminated sites is needed. Knowledge about genetic responses of soil and subsurface bacteria to environmental stresses, which include low nutrients, low oxygen, and mixed pollutants, will allow extrapolation of basic principles to field applications, either using indigenous bacteria or genetically engineered microorganisms. Defining bacterial responses to those stresses presents an opportunity for improving bioremediation strategies, both with indigenous populations and genetically-engineered microbes, and should contribute to environmental management and restoration actions that would reduce the cost andmore » time required to achieve OEM's clean up goals. Stress-inducible genes identified in this project can be used as molecular probes for monitoring performance of indigenous bacteria as well as the effectiveness of bioremediation strategies being employed. Knowledge of survival and catabolic plasmid stability of indigenous bacteria will be needed for devising the most effective bioremediation strategy. In addition, stress-inducible regulatory elements identified in this project will be useful for creating genetically-engineered microorganisms which are able to degrade hazardous wastes under stress conditions at contaminated sites. One of the model organisms, Deinococcus radiodurans, is a stress-resistant bacterium. Thus, in addition to serving as a model for gene regulation in Gram-positive organisms, it may have specific application at aerobic DOE sites where combinations of contaminants produce a particularly stressful environment. Similarly, the use of Sphingomonas F199, isolated from a depth of 407 m at the Savannah River site (Fredrickson et al., 1991), may have relevance to deep subsurface bioremediation applications, where indigenous or engineered microorganisms adapted to the that environment are needed. In addition, F199 contains aromatic oxygenases that are relevant to degradation of contaminants at that site and is representative of a large class of similar organisms from Savannah River Identification of the genes responsive to different stresses encountered at contaminated sites will provide a basic understanding of stress responses in soil bacteria and can lead to improved strategies for bioremediation. Enhanced in situ removal of hazardous wastes by stimulating growth of indigenous bacteria with nutrients or electron acceptors such as oxygen has been demonstrated. However, how much and how often to apply these supplements has largely been determined empirically. As a result, a controlled, reproducible, and properly managed degradation of pollutants in the environment is difficult to achieve. Genes inducible by low nutrient and low oxygen conditions can serve as markers for determining the minimal amount of supplements needed. The disappearance and reappearance of such stress responses will determine how much and when nutrients and oxygen are needed to be applied or reapplied. Similar applications of stress-inducible markers are already being applied in bacterial cultures in solution (Selifonova and Eaton, 1996). Stress responses induced by pollutants also have potential use as a biological index for the performance of indigenous bacteria during bioremediation as well as a microbiological risk assessment index for environmental pollutants. For instance, measurement of the stress responses of contaminant-degrading microorganisms would provide information complementary to measurement of enzymatic activity. This more complete picture of the physiological state of the desired organisms can be used to predict their performance. Finally, prior knowledge of the stress responses of competing bacteria could be used to predict their environmental competitiveness. Promoters from stress inducible genes will facilitate the construction of genetically engineered microorganisms in which the expression of the catabolic genes is uncoupled from both microbial growth and the utilization of the pollutant as the carbon source. The application of genetically engineered organisms in bioremediation requires the design of gene expression systems that function under environmental conditions and are cost effective. The promoter, the genetic regulatory element that directs the use of the gene, plays the central role in gene expression systems. The ideal promoter for environmental applications should possess two qualities: (1) it does not require the addition of exogenous compounds for activation, and (2) it is active under nutrient-limited conditions and not dependent on cell growth for activity. Promoters that are expressed constitutively meet the first quality. However, such promoters usually require active cell growth for expression and thus incur the increased cost of constant nutrient addition.« less

Behavior of complex mixtures in aquatic environments: a synthesis of PNL ecological research

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fickeisen, D.H.; Vaughan, B.E.

1984-06-01

The term complex mixture has been recently applied to energy-related process streams, products and wastes that typically contain hundreds or thousands of individual organic compounds, like petroleum or synthetic fuel oils; but it is more generally applicable. A six-year program of ecological research has focused on four areas important to understanding the environmental behavior of complex mixtures: physicochemical variables, individual organism responses, ecosystems-level determinations, and metabolism. Of these areas, physicochemical variables and organism responses were intensively studied; system-level determinations and metabolism represent more recent directions. Chemical characterization was integrated throughout all areas of the program, and state-of-the-art methods were applied.more » 155 references, 35 figures, 4 tables.« less

Marine Microbial Community Response to Inorganic and Organic Sediment Amendments in Laboratory Mesocosms

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-07-23

organoclay in geotextile mats), acetate, and chitin on environmental microbial communities in overlying water and sediment profiles are reported here...Significant changes in both bacterial cell densities and populations were observed in response to amendments of apatiteþorganoclay, chitin , and acetate... chitin treatment led to a dominance of Bacteroidetes and Alphaproteobacteria. In amended sediments, Firmicutes, Bacteroidetes, and Deltaproteobacteria

A comprehensive health program in a manganese ore mining community in the Amazon region of Brazil.

PubMed

Gusmão, H H

1980-05-01

It is clear that organizations which conduct operations in undeveloped areas lacking medical and sanitary facilities must assume responsibilities in broad areas of health service and environmental control. These responsibilities go far beyond those of traditional occupational medicine. In addition, adequate provision must be made to counteract stresses which may be associated with radical cultural and situational change.

Species-specific responses to ocean acidification should account for local adaptation and adaptive plasticity.

PubMed

Vargas, Cristian A; Lagos, Nelson A; Lardies, Marco A; Duarte, Cristian; Manríquez, Patricio H; Aguilera, Victor M; Broitman, Bernardo; Widdicombe, Steve; Dupont, Sam

2017-03-13

Global stressors, such as ocean acidification, constitute a rapidly emerging and significant problem for marine organisms, ecosystem functioning and services. The coastal ecosystems of the Humboldt Current System (HCS) off Chile harbour a broad physical-chemical latitudinal and temporal gradient with considerable patchiness in local oceanographic conditions. This heterogeneity may, in turn, modulate the specific tolerances of organisms to climate stress in species with populations distributed along this environmental gradient. Negative response ratios are observed in species models (mussels, gastropods and planktonic copepods) exposed to changes in the partial pressure of CO 2 (pCO2) far from the average and extreme pCO2 levels experienced in their native habitats. This variability in response between populations reveals the potential role of local adaptation and/or adaptive phenotypic plasticity in increasing resilience of species to environmental change. The growing use of standard ocean acidification scenarios and treatment levels in experimental protocols brings with it a danger that inter-population differences are confounded by the varying environmental conditions naturally experienced by different populations. Here, we propose the use of a simple index taking into account the natural pCO2 variability, for a better interpretation of the potential consequences of ocean acidification on species inhabiting variable coastal ecosystems. Using scenarios that take into account the natural variability will allow understanding of the limits to plasticity across organismal traits, populations and species.

Environmental controls on the elemental composition of a Southern Hemisphere strain of the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Yuanyuan; Roleda, Michael Y.; Armstrong, Evelyn; Law, Cliff S.; Boyd, Philip W.; Hurd, Catriona L.

2018-01-01

A series of semi-continuous incubation experiments were conducted with the coccolithophore Emiliania huxleyi strain NIWA1108 (Southern Ocean isolate) to examine the effects of five environmental drivers (nitrate and phosphate concentrations, irradiance, temperature, and partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2)) on both the physiological rates and elemental composition of the coccolithophore. Here, we report the alteration of the elemental composition of E. huxleyi in response to the changes in these environmental drivers. A series of dose-response curves for the cellular elemental composition of E. huxleyi were fitted for each of the five drivers across an environmentally representative gradient. The importance of each driver in regulating the elemental composition of E. huxleyi was ranked using a semi-quantitative approach. The percentage variations in elemental composition arising from the change in each driver between present-day and model-projected conditions for the year 2100 were calculated. Temperature was the most important driver controlling both cellular particulate organic and inorganic carbon content, whereas nutrient concentrations were the most important regulator of cellular particulate nitrogen and phosphorus of E. huxleyi. In contrast, elevated pCO2 had the greatest influence on cellular particulate inorganic carbon to organic carbon ratio, resulting in a decrease in the ratio. Our results indicate that the different environmental drivers play specific roles in regulating the elemental composition of E. huxleyi with wide-reaching implications for coccolithophore-related marine biogeochemical cycles, as a consequence of the regulation of E. huxleyi physiological processes.

76 FR 64431 - Reorganization of Title 30: Bureaus of Safety and Environmental Enforcement and Ocean Energy...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-18

...This rule contains regulations that will be under the authority of two newly formed Bureaus, the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), both within the Department of the Interior. On May 19, 2010, the Secretary of the Interior announced the separation of the responsibilities performed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) (formerly the Minerals Management Service) into three new separate organizations: Office of Natural Resources Revenue (ONRR), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE). Those regulations that will apply to the authority of BSEE organization will remain in 30 CFR chapter II, but be retitled ``Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement.'' This rule removes from chapter II those regulations that will apply to the authority of BOEM and recodifies them into a new 30 CFR chapter V entitled ``Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.''

Australian consumers' food-related environmental beliefs and behaviours.

PubMed

Lea, Emma; Worsley, Anthony

2008-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine Australians' food-related environmental beliefs and behaviours. Questionnaires were posted to 500 randomly selected adults, with 223 questionnaires completed (58% response rate). Decreased use of packaging by food manufacturers was viewed as being the most important item to help the environment, while lower meat consumption was seen as least likely to help. Composting food scraps and purchase or consumption of locally produced foods were the most commonly performed food-related environmental behaviours, while use of organic products was the least commonly performed. Moderate consistency (rs=0.54) was found between reported beliefs and behaviours. Older people were more likely to perform certain food-related environmental behaviours, such as composting. Awareness of the impact on the environment of meat production, organic compared to conventional farming, and food packaging was low even among those who were found to already believe that food-related actions are important to help the environment, suggesting widespread consciousness raising is needed.

Protease inhibitors: changing the way AIDS case management does business.

PubMed

Merithew, M A; Davis-Satterla, L

2000-09-01

The purpose of the qualitative evaluation study discussed in this article was to examine the AIDS case management model under which five nonprofit AIDS service organizations (ASOs) in Midcity were operating. The study was organized around 40 qualitative interviews with executive directors, directors, and case managers. The finding was that AIDS case management is evolving to accommodate the changing environmental/contextual conditions that have resulted from combination drug therapies (protease inhibitors) introduced in 1996. The agencies are responding to the changes individually rather than as a network, and responses vary among the agencies. Institutional theory, an examination of the interconnectedness of clients, the ASOs, and their environmental context guided the analysis of the findings.

Environmental flow assessments in estuaries related to preference of phytoplankton

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Z. F.; Sun, T.; Zhao, R.

2014-01-01

We developed an approach to assess environmental flows in estuaries related to preference of phytoplankton considering the complex relationship between hydrological modification and biomass in ecosystems. As a first step, a relationship was established between biomass requirements for organisms of primary and higher nutritional levels based on the principle of nutritional energy flow of ecosystem. Then, diagnostic pigments were employed to represent phytoplankton community biomass, which indicated competition between two groups of phytoplankton in the biochemistry process. Considering empirical relationships between diagnostic pigments and critical environmental factors, responses of biomass to river discharges were established based on a convection-diffusion model by simulating distributions of critical environmental factors under action of river discharges and tide currents. Consequently, environmental flows could be recommended for different requirements of fish biomass. In the case study in the Yellow River estuary, May and October were identified as critical months for fish reproduction and growth during dry years. Artificial hydrological regulation strategies should carefully consider the temporal variations of natural flow regime, especially for a high-amplitude flood pulse, which may cause negative effects on phytoplankton groups and higher organism biomass.

Autophagy as a defense strategy against stress: focus on Paracentrotus lividus sea urchin embryos exposed to cadmium.

PubMed

Chiarelli, Roberto; Martino, Chiara; Agnello, Maria; Bosco, Liana; Roccheri, Maria Carmela

2016-01-01

Autophagy is used by organisms as a defense strategy to face environmental stress. This mechanism has been described as one of the most important intracellular pathways responsible for the degradation and recycling of proteins and organelles. It can act as a cell survival mechanism if the cellular damage is not too extensive or as a cell death mechanism if the damage/stress is irreversible; in the latter case, it can operate as an independent pathway or together with the apoptotic one. In this review, we discuss the autophagic process activated in several aquatic organisms exposed to different types of environmental stressors, focusing on the sea urchin embryo, a suitable system recently included into the guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays to monitor autophagy. After cadmium (Cd) exposure, a heavy metal recognized as an environmental toxicant, the sea urchin embryo is able to adopt different defense mechanisms, in a hierarchical way. Among these, autophagy is one of the main responses activated to preserve the developmental program. Finally, we discuss the interplay between autophagy and apoptosis in the sea urchin embryo, a temporal and functional choice that depends on the intensity of stress conditions.

Shared effects of organic microcontaminants and environmental stressors on biofilms and invertebrates in impaired rivers.

PubMed

Sabater, S; Barceló, D; De Castro-Català, N; Ginebreda, A; Kuzmanovic, M; Petrovic, M; Picó, Y; Ponsatí, L; Tornés, E; Muñoz, I

2016-03-01

Land use type, physical and chemical stressors, and organic microcontaminants were investigated for their effects on the biological communities (biofilms and invertebrates) in several Mediterranean rivers. The diversity of invertebrates, and the scores of the first principal component of a PCA performed with the diatom communities were the best descriptors of the distribution patterns of the biological communities against the river stressors. These two metrics decreased according to the progressive site impairment (associated to higher area of agricultural and urban-industrial, high water conductivity, higher dissolved organic carbon and dissolved inorganic nitrogen concentrations, and higher concentration of organic microcontaminants, particularly pharmaceutical and industrial compounds). The variance partition analyses (RDAs) attributed the major share (10%) of the biological communities' response to the environmental stressors (nutrients, altered discharge, dissolved organic matter), followed by the land use occupation (6%) and of the organic microcontaminants (2%). However, the variance shared by the three groups of descriptors was very high (41%), indicating that their simultaneous occurrence determined most of the variation in the biological communities. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Self-organization of bacterial communities against environmental pH variation: Controlled chemotactic motility arranges cell population structures in biofilms

PubMed Central

Nakayama, Madoka; Shoji, Wataru

2017-01-01

As with many living organisms, bacteria often live on the surface of solids, such as foods, organisms, buildings and soil. Compared with dispersive behavior in liquid, bacteria on surface environment exhibit significantly restricted mobility. They have access to only limited resources and cannot be liberated from the changing environment. Accordingly, appropriate collective strategies are necessarily required for long-term growth and survival. However, in spite of our deepening knowledge of the structure and characteristics of individual cells, strategic self-organizing dynamics of their community is poorly understood and therefore not yet predictable. Here, we report a morphological change in Bacillus subtilis biofilms due to environmental pH variations, and present a mathematical model for the macroscopic spatio-temporal dynamics. We show that an environmental pH shift transforms colony morphology on hard agar media from notched ‘volcano-like’ to round and front-elevated ‘crater-like’. We discover that a pH-dependent dose-response relationship between nutritional resource level and quantitative bacterial motility at the population level plays a central role in the mechanism of the spatio-temporal cell population structure design in biofilms. PMID:28253348

Self-organization of bacterial communities against environmental pH variation: Controlled chemotactic motility arranges cell population structures in biofilms.

PubMed

Tasaki, Sohei; Nakayama, Madoka; Shoji, Wataru

2017-01-01

As with many living organisms, bacteria often live on the surface of solids, such as foods, organisms, buildings and soil. Compared with dispersive behavior in liquid, bacteria on surface environment exhibit significantly restricted mobility. They have access to only limited resources and cannot be liberated from the changing environment. Accordingly, appropriate collective strategies are necessarily required for long-term growth and survival. However, in spite of our deepening knowledge of the structure and characteristics of individual cells, strategic self-organizing dynamics of their community is poorly understood and therefore not yet predictable. Here, we report a morphological change in Bacillus subtilis biofilms due to environmental pH variations, and present a mathematical model for the macroscopic spatio-temporal dynamics. We show that an environmental pH shift transforms colony morphology on hard agar media from notched 'volcano-like' to round and front-elevated 'crater-like'. We discover that a pH-dependent dose-response relationship between nutritional resource level and quantitative bacterial motility at the population level plays a central role in the mechanism of the spatio-temporal cell population structure design in biofilms.

Lessons from Star Carr on the vulnerability of organic archaeological remains to environmental change

PubMed Central

Milner, Nicky; Panter, Ian; Penkman, Kirsty E. H.

2016-01-01

Examples of wetland deposits can be found across the globe and are known for preserving organic archaeological and environmental remains that are vitally important to our understanding of past human–environment interactions. The Mesolithic site of Star Carr (Yorkshire, United Kingdom) represents one of the most influential archives of human response to the changing climate at the end of the last glacial in Northern Europe. A hallmark of the site since its discovery in 1948 has been the exceptional preservation of its organic remains. Disturbingly, recent excavations have suggested that the geochemistry of the site is no longer conducive to such remarkable survival of organic archaeological and environmental materials. Microcosm (laboratory-based) burial experiments have been undertaken, alongside analysis of artifacts excavated from the site, to assess the effect of these geochemical changes on the remaining archaeological material. By applying a suite of macroscopic and molecular analyses, we demonstrate that the geochemical changes at Star Carr are contributing to the inexorable and rapid loss of valuable archaeological and paleoenvironmental information. Our findings have global implications for other wetland sites, particularly archaeological sites preserved in situ. PMID:27799567

Multiwalled Carbon Nanotube Dispersion Methods Affect Their Aggregation, Deposition, and Biomarker Response

EPA Science Inventory

To systematically evaluate how dispersion methods affect the environmental behaviors of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs), MWNTs were dispersed in various solutions (e.g., surfactants, natural organic matter (NOM), and etc.) via ultrasonication (SON) and long-term stirring (LT...

A systems-based approach to predict biological responses of aquatic organisms to complex environmental mixtures

EPA Science Inventory

Contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) such as new-generation pesticides, pharmaceuticals, household and personal care products, steroid hormones, and flame retardants enter the aquatic environment through multiple sources such as wastewater treatment plants and agricultural ope...

15 CFR 287.4 - Responsibilities of Federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... requirements and measures. An example of this would be to collect and review information on similar activities..., quality and environmental management systems, management system registration and accreditation are issued... Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission...

15 CFR 287.4 - Responsibilities of Federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... requirements and measures. An example of this would be to collect and review information on similar activities..., quality and environmental management systems, management system registration and accreditation are issued... Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission...

15 CFR 287.4 - Responsibilities of Federal agencies.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... requirements and measures. An example of this would be to collect and review information on similar activities..., quality and environmental management systems, management system registration and accreditation are issued... Cooperation and Development (OECD), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Codex Alimentarius Commission...

Remote and Onsite Direct Measurements of Emissions from Oil and Natural Gas Production

EPA Science Inventory

Environmentally responsible oil and gas production requires accurate knowledge of emissions from long-term production operations1, which can include methane, volatile organic compounds, and hazardous air pollutants. Well pad emissions vary based on the geologically-determined com...

Old model organisms and new behavioral end-points: Swimming alteration as an ecotoxicological response.

PubMed

Faimali, Marco; Gambardella, Chiara; Costa, Elisa; Piazza, Veronica; Morgana, Silvia; Estévez-Calvar, Noelia; Garaventa, Francesca

2017-07-01

Behavioral responses of aquatic organisms have received much less attention than developmental or reproductive ones due to the scarce presence of user-friendly tools for their acquisition. The technological development of data acquisition systems for quantifying behavior in the aquatic environment and the increase of studies on the understanding the relationship between the behavior of aquatic organisms and the physiological/ecological activities have generated renewed interest in using behavioral responses also in marine ecotoxicology. Recent reviews on freshwater environment show that behavioral end-points are comparatively fast and sensitive, and warrant further attention as tools for assessing the toxicological effects of environmental contaminants. In this mini-review, we perform a systematic analysis of the most recent works that have used marine invertebrate swimming alteration as behavioral end-point in ecotoxicological studies by assessing the differences between behavioral and acute responses in a wide range of species, in order to compare their sensitivity. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Organ-level quorum sensing directs regeneration in hair stem cell populations

PubMed Central

Chen, Chih-Chiang; Wang, Lei; Plikus, Maksim V.; Jiang, Ting Xin; Murray, Philip J.; Ramos, Raul; Guerrero-Juarez, Christian F.; Hughes, Michael W; Lee, Oscar K.; Shi, Songtao; Widelitz, Randall B.; Lander, Arthur D.; Chuong, Cheng Ming

2015-01-01

SUMMARY Coordinated organ behavior is crucial for an effective response to environmental stimuli. By studying regeneration of hair follicles in response to patterned hair removal, we demonstrate that organ-level quorum sensing allows coordinated responses to skin injury. Removing hair at different densities leads to a regeneration of up to 5 times more neighboring, unplucked resting hairs, indicating activation of a collective decision-making process. Through data modeling, the range of the quorum signal was estimated to be on the order of 1 mm, greater than expected for a diffusible molecular cue. Molecular and genetic analysis uncovered a two-step mechanism, where release of CCL2 from injured hairs leads to recruitment of TNF-α secreting macrophages, which accumulate and signal to both plucked and unplucked follicles. By coupling immune response with regeneration, this mechanism allows skin to respond predictively to distress, disregarding mild injury, while meeting stronger injury with full-scale cooperative activation of stem cells. PMID:25860610

Seasonal changes in stress biomarkers of an exotic coastal species - Chaetopleura angulata (Polyplacophora) - Implications for biomonitoring.

PubMed

Madeira, Diana; Vinagre, Catarina; Mendonça, Vanessa; Diniz, Mário Sousa

2017-07-15

Knowledge on baseline values of stress biomarkers in natural conditions is urgent due to the need of reference values for monitoring purposes. Here we assessed the cellular stress response of the chiton Chaetopleura angulata in situ. Biomarkers commonly used in environmental monitoring (heat shock protein 70kDa, total ubiquitin, catalase, glutathione-S-transferase, superoxide-dismutase, lipid peroxidation) were analyzed in the digestive system, gills and muscle of C. angulata, under spring and summer conditions in order to assess seasonal tissue-specific responses. Season had an effect on all targeted organs, especially affecting the digestive system which displayed clear seasonal clusters. The respective Integrated Biomarker Response (IBR) showed a 7.2-fold seasonal difference. Muscle and gills showed similar IBRs between seasons making them appropriate organs to monitor chemical pollution as they were less responsive to seasonal variation. The most stable biomarkers in these organs were ubiquitin and superoxide-dismutase thus being reliable for monitoring purposes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Towards Predicting Basin-Wide Invertebrate Organic Biomass and Production in Marine Sediments from a Coastal Sea

PubMed Central

Burd, Brenda J.; Macdonald, Tara A.; van Roodselaar, Albert

2012-01-01

Detailed knowledge of environmental conditions is required to understand faunal production in coastal seas with topographic and hydrographic complexity. We test the hypothesis that organic biomass and production of subtidal sediment invertebrates throughout the Strait of Georgia, west coast of Canada, can be predicted by depth, substrate type and organic flux modified to reflect lability and age of material. A basin-wide database of biological, geochemical and flux data was analysed using an empirical production/biomass (P/B) model to test this hypothesis. This analysis is unique in the spatial extent and detail of P/B and concurrent environmental measurements over a temperate coastal region. Modified organic flux was the most important predictor of organic biomass and production. Depth and substrate type were secondary modifiers. Between 69–74% of variability in biomass and production could be explained by the combined environmental factors. Organisms <1 mm were important contributors to biomass and production primarily in shallow, sandy sediments, where high P/B values were found despite low organic flux. Low biomass, production, and P/B values were found in the deep, northern basin and mainland fjords, which had silty sediments, low organic flux, low biomass of organisms <1 mm, and dominance by large, slow-growing macrofauna. In the highest organic flux and biomass areas near the Fraser River discharge, production did not increase beyond moderate flux levels. Although highly productive, this area had low P/B. Clearly, food input is insufficient to explain the complex patterns in faunal production revealed here. Additional environmental factors (depth, substrate type and unmeasured factors) are important modifiers of these patterns. Potential reasons for the above patterns are explored, along with a discussion of unmeasured factors possibly responsible for unexplained (30%) variance in biomass and production. We now have the tools for basin-wide first-order estimates of sediment invertebrate production. PMID:22792267

A population ecology perspective on the functioning and future of health information organizations.

PubMed

Vest, Joshua R; Menachemi, Nir

2017-11-01

Increasingly, health care providers need to exchange information to meet policy expectations and business needs. A variety of health information organizations (HIOs) provide services to facilitate health information exchange (HIE). However, the future of these organizations is unclear. The aim of this study was to explore the environmental context, potential futures, and survivability of community HIOs, enterprise HIEs, and electronic health record vendor-mediated exchange using the population ecology theory. Qualitative interviews with 33 key informants representing each type of HIE organization were analyzed using template analysis. Community HIOs, enterprise HIEs, and electronic health record vendors exhibited a high degree of competition for resources, especially in the area of exchange infrastructure services. Competition resulted in closures in some areas. In response to environmental pressures, each organizational type was endeavoring to differentiate its services and unique use case, as well as pursing symbiotic relationships or attempting resource partitioning. HIOs compete for similar resources and are reacting to environmental pressures to better position themselves for continued survival and success. Our ecological research perspective helps move the discourse away from situation of a single exchange organization type toward a view of the broader dynamics and relationships of all organizations involved in facilitating HIE activities. HIOs are attempting to partition the environment and differentiate services. HIE options should not be construed as an "either/or" decision, but one where multiple and complementary participation may be required.

Typological review of environmental performance metrics (with illustrative examples for oil spill response).

PubMed

Seager, Thomas P; Satterstrom, F Kyle; Linkov, Igor; Tuler, Seth P; Kay, Rebecca

2007-07-01

An intensification of interest in environmental assessment during the last 2 decades has driven corporate efforts to better document environmental goals, improve environmental management systems, and increase awareness of the environmental and ecological effects of business operations. This trend has been motivated partly by regulatory requirements (such as the Toxics Release Inventory in the United States) and partly by the inclination of some large manufacturing firms to embrace a broader social and environmental mission characterized as "sustainability" or "ecoefficiency." Moreover, the importance of measurable objectives in the US government has been recognized at least since the Government Performance Results Act of 1993, which was intended to both improve the efficiency of government and the confidence of the American public in government managers. However, in management of environmental crises - such as catastrophic oil or chemical spills - development of measurable performance standards has lagged. Consequently, government spill managers are unable to define success in terms that are easily communicated to public and other stakeholder groups, and they could be disadvantaged in their efforts to deploy response resources with maximum efficiency. In this paper, we present a typological review of environmental assessment measures and summarize some of the current practices and strategic goals among federal agencies with regard to oil and chemical spills. A general approach to organizing metrics for oil spill response, restoration, and recovery is also presented. The results could improve planning efforts and communication among different federal, state, and local agencies and public or stakeholder groups involved in spill management.

Evaluation of environmental management resources (ISO 14001) at civil engineering construction worksites: a case study of the community of Madrid.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Gracia; Alegre, Francisco Javier; Martínez, Germán

2011-07-01

In recent years, significant advances have been made in business organization and management. The growing demands of clients as well as the globalization of world markets are among the many factors that have led to the establishment of systems of quality control and environmental management as a competitive strategy for businesses. When compared to other professional sectors, the construction sector has been slower to respond to environmental problems and to adopt Environmental Management Systems (EMS). In the world today the ISO 14001 standard is currently the main frame of reference used by construction companies to implement this type of management system. This article presents the results of a general study regarding the evaluation of the application of the ISO 14001 standard at civil engineering construction worksites in the Community of Madrid (Spain), specifically pertaining to requirement 4.4.1, Resources, roles, responsibilities, and authority. According to requirement 4.4.1, company executives should appoint people responsible for implementing the EMS and also specify their responsibilities and functions. The personnel designated for supervising environmental work should also have sufficient authority to establish and maintain the EMS. The results obtained were the following: - EMS supervisors did not generally possess adequate training and solid experience in construction work and in the environment. Furthermore, supervisors were usually forced to combine their environmental work with other tasks, which made their job even more difficult. - Generally speaking, supervisors were not given sufficient authority and autonomy because productivity at the construction site had priority over environmental management. This was due to the fact that the company management did not have a respectful attitude toward the environment, nor was the management actively involved in the establishment of the EMS. - Insufficient resources were allocated to the Environmental Management Unit. As a result, the application of EMSs in construction projects often appeared to be more of a formality, which was merely a way of maintaining the certification of the Environmental Management System. It was more a means of meeting the requirements for submitting a tender to contracting organisms rather than an indicator of any real commitment to improving the environmental performance of construction companies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Bioethics and environmental health].

PubMed

Velasco-Suárez, M

1993-01-01

Institutions such as World Health Organization and United Nations have considered the necessity to establish programs to control and preserve our environment. From the beginning, industrial development has polluted the air, water and soil, in some cases irreversibly affecting the ecosystems. Rampant use of natural resources and inattention to preventive measures have promoted environmental pollution, along with its hereditary effects, producing brain damage, intoxications, cancer, and respiratory and cardiovascular conditions, among other problems. It is necessary to put aside self-serving materialism and individualism and become aware of this problem. It is necessary to implement environmental policies, foster bioethical responsibility in environmental health research, conduct epidemiologic, biomedical and toxicologic environmental health research works if we are to have a worthy life and an optimal environment.

Attacking Transnational Organized Criminal Networks: Applying Principles of Irregular Warfare to an Emerging Salient Threat

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-04

of anonymity. 6 The environmental frame of this monograph expands on the Title 10 and NDAA authorities that frame DoD counterdrug support to...36 United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, The Globalization of Crime, 131. Smuggling of environmental resources constitutes a growing illicit...initial context for an examination of the DoD CD mission. In 1986, in response to increased trafficking of Colombian cocaine into the United States

Adolescents' perspectives and food choice behaviors in terms of the environmental impacts of food production practices: application of a psychosocial model.

PubMed

Bissonnette, M M; Contento, I R

2001-01-01

The objective of this study was to investigate adolescents' perspectives about the environmental impacts of food production practices and whether these perspectives are related to their food choice. Food choice was operationalized as consumption and purchase of organic foods and locally grown foods. A survey questionnaire was administered to a convenience sample of adolescents and analyzed for descriptive information and relationships among variables. Subjects were 651 ethnically diverse, urban and suburban high school senior students in a major metropolitan area. Variables of an Expanded Theory of Planned Behavior were measured including beliefs, attitudes, perceived social influences, motivation to comply, perceived behavioral control, self-identity, perceived responsibility, behavioral intention, and behavior. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation coefficients, and stepwise multiple regression analyses were used. Surveyed adolescents did not have strong or consistent beliefs or attitudes about the environmental impact of food production practices. Cognitive-motivational processes were at work, however, since their perspectives were significantly correlated with behavioral intentions and food choice behaviors. Behavioral intention was best accounted for by attitudes and perceived social influences (and perceived responsibility for organic food), and behavior was best accounted for by behavioral intentions, beliefs, and perceived social influences (and self-identity for local food). There is a need to make salient to adolescents the environmental impact of food production practices through both cognitive and experiential approaches.

Global cytosine methylation in Daphnia magna depends on genotype, environment, and their interaction.

PubMed

Asselman, Jana; De Coninck, Dieter I M; Vandegehuchte, Michiel B; Jansen, Mieke; Decaestecker, Ellen; De Meester, Luc; Vanden Bussche, Julie; Vanhaecke, Lynn; Janssen, Colin R; De Schamphelaere, Karel A C

2015-05-01

The authors characterized global cytosine methylation levels in 2 different genotypes of the ecotoxicological model organism Daphnia magna after exposure to a wide array of biotic and abiotic environmental stressors. The present study aimed to improve the authors' understanding of the role of cytosine methylation in the organism's response to environmental conditions. The authors observed a significant genotype effect, an environment effect, and a genotype × environment effect. In particular, global cytosine methylation levels were significantly altered after exposure to Triops predation cues, Microcystis, and sodium chloride compared with control conditions. Significant differences between the 2 genotypes were observed when animals were exposed to Triops predation cues, Microcystis, Cryptomonas, and sodium chloride. Despite the low global methylation rate under control conditions (0.49-0.52%), global cytosine methylation levels upon exposure to Triops demonstrated a 5-fold difference between the genotypes (0.21% vs 1.02%). No effects were found in response to arsenic, cadmium, fish, lead, pH of 5.5, pH of 8, temperature, hypoxia, and white fat cell disease. The authors' results point to the potential role of epigenetic effects under changing environmental conditions such as predation (i.e., Triops), diet (i.e., Cryptomonas and Microcystis), and salinity. The results of the present study indicate that, despite global cytosine methylation levels being low, epigenetic effects may be important in environmental studies on Daphnia. © 2015 SETAC.

Environmental reservoirs and mechanisms of persistence of Vibrio cholerae

PubMed Central

Lutz, Carla; Erken, Martina; Noorian, Parisa; Sun, Shuyang; McDougald, Diane

2013-01-01

It is now well accepted that Vibrio cholerae, the causative agent of the water-borne disease cholera, is acquired from environmental sources where it persists between outbreaks of the disease. Recent advances in molecular technology have demonstrated that this bacterium can be detected in areas where it has not previously been isolated, indicating a much broader, global distribution of this bacterium outside of endemic regions. The environmental persistence of V. cholerae in the aquatic environment can be attributed to multiple intra- and interspecific strategies such as responsive gene regulation and biofilm formation on biotic and abiotic surfaces, as well as interactions with a multitude of other organisms. This review will discuss some of the mechanisms that enable the persistence of this bacterium in the environment. In particular, we will discuss how V. cholerae can survive stressors such as starvation, temperature, and salinity fluctuations as well as how the organism persists under constant predation by heterotrophic protists. PMID:24379807

Genomic basis for coral resilience to climate change.

PubMed

Barshis, Daniel J; Ladner, Jason T; Oliver, Thomas A; Seneca, François O; Traylor-Knowles, Nikki; Palumbi, Stephen R

2013-01-22

Recent advances in DNA-sequencing technologies now allow for in-depth characterization of the genomic stress responses of many organisms beyond model taxa. They are especially appropriate for organisms such as reef-building corals, for which dramatic declines in abundance are expected to worsen as anthropogenic climate change intensifies. Different corals differ substantially in physiological resilience to environmental stress, but the molecular mechanisms behind enhanced coral resilience remain unclear. Here, we compare transcriptome-wide gene expression (via RNA-Seq using Illumina sequencing) among conspecific thermally sensitive and thermally resilient corals to identify the molecular pathways contributing to coral resilience. Under simulated bleaching stress, sensitive and resilient corals change expression of hundreds of genes, but the resilient corals had higher expression under control conditions across 60 of these genes. These "frontloaded" transcripts were less up-regulated in resilient corals during heat stress and included thermal tolerance genes such as heat shock proteins and antioxidant enzymes, as well as a broad array of genes involved in apoptosis regulation, tumor suppression, innate immune response, and cell adhesion. We propose that constitutive frontloading enables an individual to maintain physiological resilience during frequently encountered environmental stress, an idea that has strong parallels in model systems such as yeast. Our study provides broad insight into the fundamental cellular processes responsible for enhanced stress tolerances that may enable some organisms to better persist into the future in an era of global climate change.

46 CFR 1.01-10 - Organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... staff officers designated in this paragraph are assigned to the Commandant. The chain of military... officers at Headquarters act only on the basis of the Commandant's authority and direction. (1) The... administered by the Chief, Office of Vessel Activities (CG-543), and the Marine Environmental Response programs...

A METABOLOMIC APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING ENDOCRINE DISRUPTION IN FATHEAD MINNOW

EPA Science Inventory

Although widely used in the study of rodent toxicity responses to assess human risk, metabolomics is now finding utility in toxicity assessments in a wide variety of other organisms including environmentally relevant small fish species such as fathead minnow (FHM) and medaka. To...

Concentrations of perfluoroalkyl compounds in the serum and milk of lactating North Carolina women

EPA Science Inventory

Perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) and their derivatives are ubiquitous environmental contaminants that have been detected in a multitude of terrestrial and aquatic organisms. Some PFAAs bind the human estrogen receptors in vitro. Further, some PFAAs induce estrogen responsive genes a...

Plasmodesmata in integrated cell signalling: insights from development and environmental signals and stresses

PubMed Central

Sager, Ross; Lee, Jung-Youn

2014-01-01

To survive as sedentary organisms built of immobile cells, plants require an effective intercellular communication system, both locally between neighbouring cells within each tissue and systemically across distantly located organs. Such a system enables cells to coordinate their intracellular activities and produce concerted responses to internal and external stimuli. Plasmodesmata, membrane-lined intercellular channels, are essential for direct cell-to-cell communication involving exchange of diffusible factors, including signalling and information molecules. Recent advances corroborate that plasmodesmata are not passive but rather highly dynamic channels, in that their density in the cell walls and gating activities are tightly linked to developmental and physiological processes. Moreover, it is becoming clear that specific hormonal signalling pathways play crucial roles in relaying primary cellular signals to plasmodesmata. In this review, we examine a number of studies in which plasmodesmal structure, occurrence, and/or permeability responses are found to be altered upon given cellular or environmental signals, and discuss common themes illustrating how plasmodesmal regulation is integrated into specific cellular signalling pathways. PMID:25262225

Assessment of biological effects of environmental pollution in Mersin Bay (Turkey, northeastern Mediterranean Sea) using Mullus barbatus and Liza ramada as target organisms.

PubMed

Yılmaz, Doruk; Kalay, Mustafa; Dönmez, Erdem; Yılmaz, Nejat

2016-01-01

The increasing emphasis on the assessment and monitoring of marine ecosystems has revealed the need to use appropriate biological indicators for these areas. Enzyme activities and histopathology are increasingly being used as indicators of environmental stress since they provide a definite biological end-point of pollutant exposure. As part of an ecotoxicological assessment of Mersin Bay, EROD enzyme activity and histopathological response in selected organs and tissues of two species of fish, Mullus barbatus (red mullet) and Liza ramada (thinlip grey mullet), captured from area were examined. Pollutant (Organochlorines (OC), alkylphenols (APs) and BPA) levels and biomarker responses in tissue samples were evaluated together for their potential to alter the metabolism and cellular aspects in liver and gonad. Elevated induction of EROD activity and histopathological alterations in contaminated samples from Mersin Bay was observed compared to reference site indicating the exposure to potential pollutants. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Systemic Control of Growth

PubMed Central

Boulan, Laura; Milán, Marco; Léopold, Pierre

2015-01-01

Growth is a complex process that is intimately linked to the developmental program to form adults with proper size and proportions. Genetics is an important determinant of growth, as exemplified by the role of local diffusible molecules setting up organ proportions. In addition, organisms use adaptive responses allowing modulating the size of individuals according to environmental cues, for example, nutrition. Here, we describe some of the physiological principles participating in the determination of final individual size. PMID:26261282

Microbial reductive dehalogenation of vinyl chloride

DOEpatents

Spormann, Alfred M [Stanford, CA; Muller, Jochen A [Baltimore, MD; Rosner, Bettina M [Berlin, DE; Von Abendroth, Gregory [Nannhein, DE; Meshulam-Simon, Galit [Los Altos, CA; McCarty, Perry L [Stanford, CA

2011-11-22

Compositions and methods are provided that relate to the bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes, particularly the bioremediation of vinyl chloride by Dehalococcoides-like organisms. An isolated strain of bacteria, Dehalococcoides sp. strain VS, that metabolizes vinyl chloride is provided; the genetic sequence of the enzyme responsible for vinyl chloride dehalogenation; methods of assessing the capability of endogenous organisms at an environmental site to metabolize vinyl chloride; and a method of using the strains of the invention for bioremediation.

Microbial reductive dehalogenation of vinyl chloride

DOEpatents

Spormann, Alfred M [Stanford, CA; Muller, Jochen A [Baltimore, MD; Rosner, Bettina M [Berlin, DE; Von Abendroth, Gregory [Mannheim, DE; Meshulam-Simon, Galit [Los Angeles, CA; McCarty, Perry L [Stanford, CA

2014-02-11

Compositions and methods are provided that relate to the bioremediation of chlorinated ethenes, particularly the bioremediation of vinyl chloride by Dehalococcoides-like organisms. An isolated strain of bacteria, Dehalococcoides sp. strain VS, that metabolizes vinyl chloride is provided; the genetic sequence of the enzyme responsible for vinyl chloride dehalogenation; methods of assessing the capability of endogenous organisms at an environmental site to metabolize vinyl chloride; and a method of using the strains of the invention for bioremediation.

Host Response to Environmental Hazards: Using Literature, Bioinformatics, and Computation to Derive Candidate Biomarkers of Toxic Industrial Chemical Exposure

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

end organ injury following chemical exposures in the field. Markers of end-organ injury and toxicity and other health effects markers , particularly...fibroplasia and/or extracellular matrix remodeling (Figure 4). Termed bridging biomarkers, these markers have a literature-based association with a specific...and covalent protein binding in the liver trigger apoptosis and other cellular hepatic injury. Activated Kupffer cells and increasing transforming

Coccolithophore calcification response to past ocean acidification and climate change

PubMed Central

O’Dea, Sarah A.; Gibbs, Samantha J.; Bown, Paul R.; Young, Jeremy R.; Poulton, Alex J.; Newsam, Cherry; Wilson, Paul A.

2014-01-01

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are forcing rapid ocean chemistry changes and causing ocean acidification (OA), which is of particular significance for calcifying organisms, including planktonic coccolithophores. Detailed analysis of coccolithophore skeletons enables comparison of calcite production in modern and fossil cells in order to investigate biomineralization response of ancient coccolithophores to climate change. Here we show that the two dominant coccolithophore taxa across the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) OA global warming event (~56 million years ago) exhibited morphological response to environmental change and both showed reduced calcification rates. However, only Coccolithus pelagicus exhibits a transient thinning of coccoliths, immediately before the PETM, that may have been OA-induced. Changing coccolith thickness may affect calcite production more significantly in the dominant modern species Emiliania huxleyi, but, overall, these PETM records indicate that the environmental factors that govern taxonomic composition and growth rate will most strongly influence coccolithophore calcification response to anthropogenic change. PMID:25399967

Coccolithophore calcification response to past ocean acidification and climate change.

PubMed

O'Dea, Sarah A; Gibbs, Samantha J; Bown, Paul R; Young, Jeremy R; Poulton, Alex J; Newsam, Cherry; Wilson, Paul A

2014-11-17

Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are forcing rapid ocean chemistry changes and causing ocean acidification (OA), which is of particular significance for calcifying organisms, including planktonic coccolithophores. Detailed analysis of coccolithophore skeletons enables comparison of calcite production in modern and fossil cells in order to investigate biomineralization response of ancient coccolithophores to climate change. Here we show that the two dominant coccolithophore taxa across the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) OA global warming event (~56 million years ago) exhibited morphological response to environmental change and both showed reduced calcification rates. However, only Coccolithus pelagicus exhibits a transient thinning of coccoliths, immediately before the PETM, that may have been OA-induced. Changing coccolith thickness may affect calcite production more significantly in the dominant modern species Emiliania huxleyi, but, overall, these PETM records indicate that the environmental factors that govern taxonomic composition and growth rate will most strongly influence coccolithophore calcification response to anthropogenic change.

Maintaining Genome Stability: The Role of Helicases and Deaminases

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-07-01

deaminases. The cells response to different forms of damage is fundamental to its ability to repair itself when challenged by environmental or...Page 4 of 12 INTRODUCTION Genomic DNA stores all the information for living organisms. The faithful duplication the maintanance of DNA are...maturation of the immune system by modifying enzymes called deaminases. The cells response to different forms of damage is fundamental to its ability to

Identification of Disulphide Stress-responsive Extracytoplasmic Function Sigma Factors in Rothia mucilaginosa

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

GC) content of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).1 This organism belongs to the actinobacteria , which includes the genera Actinomyces, Corynebacterium...however, it still remains unclear how Rothia species respond to environmental stress. The responsiveness and adaptation of a few actinobacteria to various... actinobacteria , the number of sigma factors in R. mucilaginosa is relatively small (microbial signal transduction (MiST2) database, http://mistdb.com/); however

Proline biosynthesis genes and their regulation under salinity stress in the euryhaline copepod Tigriopus californicus.

PubMed

Willett, Christopher S; Burton, Ronald S

2002-08-01

Diverse organisms regulate concentrations of intracellular organic osmolytes in response to changes in environmental salinity or desiccation. In marine crustaceans, accumulation of high concentrations of proline is a dominant component of response to hyperosmotic stress. In the euryhaline copepod Tigriopus californicus, synthesis of proline from its metabolic precursor glutamate is tightly regulated by changes in environmental salinity. Here, for the first time in a marine invertebrate, the genes responsible for this pathway have been cloned and characterized. The two proteins display the sequence features of homologous enzymes identified from other eukaryotes. One of the cloned genes, delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylase reductase (P5CR), is demonstrated to have the reductase enzyme activity when expressed in proline-auxotroph bacteria, while the second, delta1-pyrroline-5-carboxylase synthase (P5CS), does not rescue proline-auxotroph bacteria. In contrast to results from higher plants, neither levels of P5CS nor P5CR mRNAs increase in response to salinity stress in T. californicus. Hence, regulation of proline synthesis during osmotic stress in T. californicus is likely mediated by some form of post-transcriptional regulation of either P5CS or P5CR. Understanding the regulation this pathway may elucidate the mechanisms limiting the salinity ranges of marine taxa. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science Inc.

Organic matter export to the seafloor in the Baltic Sea: Drivers of change and future projections.

PubMed

Tamelander, Tobias; Spilling, Kristian; Winder, Monica

2017-12-01

The impact of environmental change and anthropogenic stressors on coastal marine systems will strongly depend on changes in the magnitude and composition of organic matter exported from the water column to the seafloor. Knowledge of vertical export in the Baltic Sea is synthesised to illustrate how organic matter deposition will respond to climate warming, climate-related changes in freshwater runoff, and ocean acidification. Pelagic heterotrophic processes are suggested to become more important in a future warmer climate, with negative feedbacks to organic matter deposition to the seafloor. This is an important step towards improved oxygen conditions in the near-bottom layer that will reduce the release of inorganic nutrients from the sediment and hence counteract further eutrophication. The evaluation of these processes in ecosystem models, validated by field observations, will significantly advance the understanding of the system's response to environmental change and will improve the use of such models in management of coastal areas.

A role for calcium hydroxide and dolomite in water: acceleration of the reaction under ultraviolet light.

PubMed

Nagase, Hiroyasu; Tsujino, Hidekazu; Kurihara, Daisuke; Saito, Hiroshi; Kawase, Masaya

2014-04-01

Organic environmental pollutants are now being detected with remarkably high frequency in the aquatic environment. Photodegradation by ultraviolet light is sometimes used as a method for removing organic chemicals from water; however, this method is relatively inefficient because of the low degradation rates involved, and more efficient methods are under development. Here we show that the removal of various organic pollutants can be assisted by calcined dolomite in aqueous solution under irradiation with ultraviolet light. It was possible to achieve substantial removal of bisphenol A, chlorophenols, alkylphenols, 1-naphthol and 17β-estradiol. The major component of dolomite responsible for the removal was calcium hydroxide. Our results demonstrate that the use of calcium hydroxide with ultraviolet light irradiation can be a very effective method of rapidly removing organic environmental pollutants from water. This is a new role for calcium hydroxide and dolomite in water treatment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A micrometer-sized europium(iii)-organic framework for selective sensing of the Cr2O72- anion and picric acid in water systems.

PubMed

He, Hongming; Chen, Si-Hang; Zhang, De-Yu; Hao, Rui; Zhang, Chao; Yang, En-Cui; Zhao, Xiao-Jun

2017-10-10

A micrometer-sized europium(iii)-organic framework with asymmetric binuclear metal subunits extended by 4,5-dichlorophthalaten (DCPA), [Eu 2 (H 2 O)(DCPA) 3 ] n , was easily obtained using a reverse microemulsion method. The framework exhibits good dispersibility, excellent thermal and environmental stability and easy regeneration ability. More importantly, the complex displays strong red emission and can selectively and sensitively detect both inorganic Cr 2 O 7 2- anions (K sv = 8.7 × 10 3 M -1 ) and organic picric acid contaminants (K sv = 1.07 × 10 4 M -1 ) in water systems through fluorescence quenching. A luminescent film of 1 was further prepared and successfully used to detect the Cr 2 O 7 2- anion in an aqueous system. These interesting results indicate that the well-dispersed europium(iii)-organic framework can serve as a promising dual-responsive luminescent sensor for environmental pollutant monitoring.

Size-dependent response of foraminiferal calcification to seawater carbonate chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henehan, Michael J.; Evans, David; Shankle, Madison; Burke, Janet E.; Foster, Gavin L.; Anagnostou, Eleni; Chalk, Thomas B.; Stewart, Joseph A.; Alt, Claudia H. S.; Durrant, Joseph; Hull, Pincelli M.

2017-07-01

The response of the marine carbon cycle to changes in atmospheric CO2 concentrations will be determined, in part, by the relative response of calcifying and non-calcifying organisms to global change. Planktonic foraminifera are responsible for a quarter or more of global carbonate production, therefore understanding the sensitivity of calcification in these organisms to environmental change is critical. Despite this, there remains little consensus as to whether, or to what extent, chemical and physical factors affect foraminiferal calcification. To address this, we directly test the effect of multiple controls on calcification in culture experiments and core-top measurements of Globigerinoides ruber. We find that two factors, body size and the carbonate system, strongly influence calcification intensity in life, but that exposure to corrosive bottom waters can overprint this signal post mortem. Using a simple model for the addition of calcite through ontogeny, we show that variable body size between and within datasets could complicate studies that examine environmental controls on foraminiferal shell weight. In addition, we suggest that size could ultimately play a role in determining whether calcification will increase or decrease with acidification. Our models highlight that knowledge of the specific morphological and physiological mechanisms driving ontogenetic change in calcification in different species will be critical in predicting the response of foraminiferal calcification to future change in atmospheric pCO2.

The Relevance of Marine Chemical Ecology to Plankton and Ecosystem Function: An Emerging Field

PubMed Central

Ianora, Adrianna; Bentley, Matthew G.; Caldwell, Gary S.; Casotti, Raffaella; Cembella, Allan D.; Engström-Öst, Jonna; Halsband, Claudia; Sonnenschein, Eva; Legrand, Catherine; Llewellyn, Carole A.; Paldavičienë, Aistë; Pilkaityte, Renata; Pohnert, Georg; Razinkovas, Arturas; Romano, Giovanna; Tillmann, Urban; Vaiciute, Diana

2011-01-01

Marine chemical ecology comprises the study of the production and interaction of bioactive molecules affecting organism behavior and function. Here we focus on bioactive compounds and interactions associated with phytoplankton, particularly bloom-forming diatoms, prymnesiophytes and dinoflagellates. Planktonic bioactive metabolites are structurally and functionally diverse and some may have multiple simultaneous functions including roles in chemical defense (antipredator, allelopathic and antibacterial compounds), and/or cell-to-cell signaling (e.g., polyunsaturated aldehydes (PUAs) of diatoms). Among inducible chemical defenses in response to grazing, there is high species-specific variability in the effects on grazers, ranging from severe physical incapacitation and/or death to no apparent physiological response, depending on predator susceptibility and detoxification capability. Most bioactive compounds are present in very low concentrations, in both the producing organism and the surrounding aqueous medium. Furthermore, bioactivity may be subject to synergistic interactions with other natural and anthropogenic environmental toxicants. Most, if not all phycotoxins are classic secondary metabolites, but many other bioactive metabolites are simple molecules derived from primary metabolism (e.g., PUAs in diatoms, dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) in prymnesiophytes). Producing cells do not seem to suffer physiological impact due to their synthesis. Functional genome sequence data and gene expression analysis will provide insights into regulatory and metabolic pathways in producer organisms, as well as identification of mechanisms of action in target organisms. Understanding chemical ecological responses to environmental triggers and chemically-mediated species interactions will help define crucial chemical and molecular processes that help maintain biodiversity and ecosystem functionality. PMID:22131962

Buder revisited: cell and organ polarity during phototropism.

PubMed

Nick, P; Furuya, M

1996-10-01

The induction of a radial polarity by environmental stimuli was studied at the cellular and organ levels, with phototropism chosen as a model. The light gradient acting on the whole coleoptile was opposed to the light direction acting upon individual cells in the classical Buder experiment, irradiating from the inside out. Alternatively, the stimulus was administered to the coleoptile tip with a microbeam-irradiation device. Tropistic curvature was assayed as a marker for the response of the whole organ, whereas cell elongation and the orientation of cortical microtubules were taken as markers for the responses of individual cells. Upon tip irradiation, signals much faster than basipetal auxin transport migrate towards the base. The data are discussed in terms of an organ polarity that is the primary result of the asymmetric light signal and affects, in a second step, an endogenous radial polarity of epidermal cells.

III: Use of biomarkers as Risk Indicators in Environmental Risk Assessment of oil based discharges offshore.

PubMed

Sanni, Steinar; Lyng, Emily; Pampanin, Daniela M

2017-06-01

Offshore oil and gas activities are required not to cause adverse environmental effects, and risk based management has been established to meet environmental standards. In some risk assessment schemes, Risk Indicators (RIs) are parameters to monitor the development of risk affecting factors. RIs have not yet been established in the Environmental Risk Assessment procedures for management of oil based discharges offshore. This paper evaluates the usefulness of biomarkers as RIs, based on their properties, existing laboratory biomarker data and assessment methods. Data shows several correlations between oil concentrations and biomarker responses, and assessment principles exist that qualify biomarkers for integration into risk procedures. Different ways that these existing biomarkers and methods can be applied as RIs in a probabilistic risk assessment system when linked with whole organism responses are discussed. This can be a useful approach to integrate biomarkers into probabilistic risk assessment related to oil based discharges, representing a potential supplement to information that biomarkers already provide about environmental impact and risk related to these kind of discharges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental monitoring in a laboratory animal facility.

PubMed

Wellstood-Nuesse, S; Shields, R P

1976-08-01

A study was made of the microbial environmental status of an animal facility. Cultures were made of animal and surgical room floors; the germicidal effectiveness of the phenolic disinfectant-detergent employed in the facility was tested against standard test organisms as well as against other microorganisms isolated from the facility, and killing power of the disinfectant-detergent was evaluated during various steps of the usual cleaning procedures, ie, mops and mop bucket solutions were tested before, during, and after mopping a room. It was found that colony counts for animal rooms cleaned with a chlorhexidine disinfectant were much lower than those cleaned with a phenolic disinfectant. The phenolic disinfectant killed some organisms after 10 min exposure, but no others. Pseudomonads were the most resistant organisms. Contaminated mops and mop bucket solutions appeared responsible for the high counts on floors cleaned with the phenolic disinfectant. Guidelines for achievable levels of cleanliness were suggested.

Variability of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) volume and pH using a feedback regulated breathing pattern

EPA Science Inventory

Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) is a valuable biological medium for non-invasively measuring biomarkers with the potential to reflect organ systems responses to environmental and dietary exposures and disease processes. Collection of EBC has typically been with spontaneous breat...

TREATMENT OF CERCLA (COMPREHENSIVE ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSE, COMPENSATION, AND LIABILITY ACT) LEACHATES BY CARBON-ASSISTED ANAEROBIC FLUIDIZED BEDS (Journal)

EPA Science Inventory

Two anaerobic granular activated carbon (GAC) expanded-bed bioreactors were tested as pretreatment units for the decontamination of hazardous leachates containing volatile and semivolatile synthetic organic chemicals (SOCs). The different characteristics of the two leachate feed...

Scaling Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Michele; Dodson, Tiare

2016-01-01

Carbon is at the heart of many of today's environmental challenges. It is the central element responsible for the structure and function of living systems--taken up by plants through photosynthesis and moving from plants to other organisms, soil, and the ocean and into the atmosphere. The imbalance of these connected biogeochemical…

Asbestos in Schools. EPA Bibliographic Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC. Library Information Management and Services Div.

This bibliography was compiled as a response to the requests for information on asbestos in schools. The citations are organized by format and include: (1) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports (annotated); (2) books; (3) articles, proceedings and other reports (annotated); and (4) federal regulations and statutes (annotated). The…

Seasonal monitoring of blue mussel (Mytilus spp.) populations in a harbor area: A focus on responses to environmental factors and chronic contamination.

PubMed

Lacroix, C; Duvieilbourg, E; Guillou, N; Guyomarch, J; Bassoulet, C; Moraga, D; Chapalain, G; Auffret, M

2017-08-01

Coastal waters corresponding to macrotidal systems are among the most variable marine biotopes. Sessile animals as bivalve mollusks may however be found forming intertidal beds at high densities, as allowed by full adaptation to local conditions. A better knowledge of adaptive responses to environmental factors is required to foresee possible adverse effects of global change. At the sub-cellular level, transcriptional responses are among the earliest signals of environmental disturbances and they can reveal subtle and meaningful changes in organism exposed to stress. Three blue mussel (Mytilus spp.) populations inhabiting the Bay of Brest (France) in sites exposed to different levels of chronic pollution, from low to moderate, were surveyed upon a seasonal schedule, with special attention to the reproductive cycle. Major seawater parameters were monitored over a full-year in the framework of the S!RANO project, based on an automatic high frequency acquisition system installed aboard a ship of opportunity. The health status of mussels has been assessed by measuring a condition index and gametogenesis has been followed by histology. Selected biological responses to environmental stress were detected using a multimarker approach including expression of genes involved in chemical stress response and energetic metabolism, and cellular immune parameters. Environmental parameters showed deep seasonal variations which differed among sites. Most biological responses followed a seasonal pattern. Late winter and spring corresponded to an active reproduction period in the Bay of Brest. Earlier spawning was observed in harbor areas compared to the oceanic site and an altered physiological state was assumed in commercial harbor mussels during the reproductive period, suggesting that their health is compromised at this time of year. However, no signs of severe chemical stress were detected in both harbor mussel populations, which could reflect adaptive responses to adverse environmental conditions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Evolution caused by extreme events.

PubMed

Grant, Peter R; Grant, B Rosemary; Huey, Raymond B; Johnson, Marc T J; Knoll, Andrew H; Schmitt, Johanna

2017-06-19

Extreme events can be a major driver of evolutionary change over geological and contemporary timescales. Outstanding examples are evolutionary diversification following mass extinctions caused by extreme volcanism or asteroid impact. The evolution of organisms in contemporary time is typically viewed as a gradual and incremental process that results from genetic change, environmental perturbation or both. However, contemporary environments occasionally experience strong perturbations such as heat waves, floods, hurricanes, droughts and pest outbreaks. These extreme events set up strong selection pressures on organisms, and are small-scale analogues of the dramatic changes documented in the fossil record. Because extreme events are rare, almost by definition, they are difficult to study. So far most attention has been given to their ecological rather than to their evolutionary consequences. We review several case studies of contemporary evolution in response to two types of extreme environmental perturbations, episodic (pulse) or prolonged (press). Evolution is most likely to occur when extreme events alter community composition. We encourage investigators to be prepared for evolutionary change in response to rare events during long-term field studies.This article is part of the themed issue 'Behavioural, ecological and evolutionary responses to extreme climatic events'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Distinguishing the Biomass Allocation Variance Resulting from Ontogenetic Drift or Acclimation to Soil Texture

PubMed Central

Xie, Jiangbo; Tang, Lisong; Wang, Zhongyuan; Xu, Guiqing; Li, Yan

2012-01-01

In resource-poor environments, adjustment in plant biomass allocation implies a complex interplay between environmental signals and plant development rather than a delay in plant development alone. To understand how environmental factors influence biomass allocation or the developing phenotype, it is necessary to distinguish the biomass allocations resulting from environmental gradients or ontogenetic drift. Here, we compared the development trajectories of cotton plants (Gossypium herbaceum L.), which were grown in two contrasting soil textures during a 60-d period. Those results distinguished the biomass allocation pattern resulting from ontogenetic drift and the response to soil texture. The soil texture significantly changed the biomass allocation to leaves and roots, but not to stems. Soil texture also significantly changed the development trajectories of leaf and root traits, but did not change the scaling relationship between basal stem diameter and plant height. Results of nested ANOVAs of consecutive plant-size categories in both soil textures showed that soil gradients explained an average of 63.64–70.49% of the variation of biomass allocation to leaves and roots. Ontogenetic drift explained 77.47% of the variation in biomass allocation to stems. The results suggested that the environmental factors governed the biomass allocation to roots and leaves, and ontogenetic drift governed the biomass allocation to stems. The results demonstrated that biomass allocation to metabolically active organs (e.g., roots and leaves) was mainly governed by environmental factors, and that biomass allocation to metabolically non-active organs (e.g., stems) was mainly governed by ontogenetic drift. We concluded that differentiating the causes of development trajectories of plant traits was important to the understanding of plant response to environmental gradients. PMID:22911802

Endolithic microbial life in hot and cold deserts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedmann, E. I.

1980-01-01

Endolithic microorganisms (those living inside rocks) occur in hot and cold deserts and exist under extreme environmental conditions. These conditions are discussed on a comparative basis. Quantitative estimates of biomass are comparable in hot and cold deserts. Despite the obvious differences between the hot and cold desert environment, survival strategies show some common features. These endolithic organisms are able to 'switch' rapidly their metabolic activities on and off in response to changes in the environment. Conditions in hot deserts impose a more severe environmental stress on the organisms than in the cold Antarctic desert. This is reflected in the composition of the microbial flora which in hot desert rocks consist entirely of prokaryotic microorganisms, while under cold desert conditions eukaryotes predominate.

Environmental statement for National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Office of Space Science, launch vehicle and propulsion programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1972-01-01

NASA OSS Launch Vehicle and Propulsion Programs are responsible for the launch of approximately 20 automated science and applications spacecraft per year. These launches are for NASA programs and those of other U. S. government agencies, private organizations, such as the Comsat Corporation, foreign countries, and international organizations. Launches occur from Cape Kennedy, Florida; Vandenberg Air Force Base, California; Wallops Island, Virginia; and the San Marco Platform in the Indian Ocean off Kenya. Spacecraft launched by this program contribute in a variety of ways to the control of and betterment of the environment. Environmental effects caused by the launch vehicles are limited in extent, duration, and intensity and are considered insignificant.

An integrated conceptual framework for selecting reverse logistics providers in the presence of vagueness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fırdolaş, Tugba; Önüt, Semih; Kongar, Elif

2005-11-01

In recent years, relating organization's attitude towards sustainable development, environmental management is gaining an increasing interest among researchers in supply chain management. With regard to a long term requirement of a shift from a linear economy towards a cycle economy, businesses should be motivated to embrace change brought about by consumers, government, competition, and ethical responsibility. To achieve business goals and objectives, a company must reply to increasing consumer demand for "green" products and implement environmentally responsible plans. Reverse logistics is an activity within organizations delegated to the customer service function, where customers with warranted or defective products would return them to their supplier. Emergence of reverse logistics enables to provide a competitive advantage and significant return on investment with an indirect effect on profitability. Many organizations are hiring third-party providers to implement reverse logistics programs designed to retain value by getting products back. Reverse logistics vendors play an important role in helping organizations in closing the loop for products offered by the organizations. In this regard, the selection of third-party providers issue is increasingly becoming an area of reverse logistics concept and practice. This study aims to assist managers in determining which third-party logistics provider to collaborate in the reverse logistics process with an alternative approach based on an integrated model using neural networks and fuzzy logic. An illustrative case study is discussed and the best provider is identified through the solution of this model.

Archaeal Genome Guardians Give Insights into Eukaryotic DNA Replication and Damage Response Proteins

PubMed Central

Shin, David S.; Pratt, Ashley J.; Tainer, John A.

2014-01-01

As the third domain of life, archaea, like the eukarya and bacteria, must have robust DNA replication and repair complexes to ensure genome fidelity. Archaea moreover display a breadth of unique habitats and characteristics, and structural biologists increasingly appreciate these features. As archaea include extremophiles that can withstand diverse environmental stresses, they provide fundamental systems for understanding enzymes and pathways critical to genome integrity and stress responses. Such archaeal extremophiles provide critical data on the periodic table for life as well as on the biochemical, geochemical, and physical limitations to adaptive strategies allowing organisms to thrive under environmental stress relevant to determining the boundaries for life as we know it. Specifically, archaeal enzyme structures have informed the architecture and mechanisms of key DNA repair proteins and complexes. With added abilities to temperature-trap flexible complexes and reveal core domains of transient and dynamic complexes, these structures provide insights into mechanisms of maintaining genome integrity despite extreme environmental stress. The DNA damage response protein structures noted in this review therefore inform the basis for genome integrity in the face of environmental stress, with implications for all domains of life as well as for biomanufacturing, astrobiology, and medicine. PMID:24701133

Conceptual hierarchical modeling to describe wetland plant community organization

USGS Publications Warehouse

Little, A.M.; Guntenspergen, G.R.; Allen, T.F.H.

2010-01-01

Using multivariate analysis, we created a hierarchical modeling process that describes how differently-scaled environmental factors interact to affect wetland-scale plant community organization in a system of small, isolated wetlands on Mount Desert Island, Maine. We followed the procedure: 1) delineate wetland groups using cluster analysis, 2) identify differently scaled environmental gradients using non-metric multidimensional scaling, 3) order gradient hierarchical levels according to spatiotem-poral scale of fluctuation, and 4) assemble hierarchical model using group relationships with ordination axes and post-hoc tests of environmental differences. Using this process, we determined 1) large wetland size and poor surface water chemistry led to the development of shrub fen wetland vegetation, 2) Sphagnum and water chemistry differences affected fen vs. marsh / sedge meadows status within small wetlands, and 3) small-scale hydrologic differences explained transitions between forested vs. non-forested and marsh vs. sedge meadow vegetation. This hierarchical modeling process can help explain how upper level contextual processes constrain biotic community response to lower-level environmental changes. It creates models with more nuanced spatiotemporal complexity than classification and regression tree procedures. Using this process, wetland scientists will be able to generate more generalizable theories of plant community organization, and useful management models. ?? Society of Wetland Scientists 2009.

Transgenerational plasticity and climate change experiments: Where do we go from here?

PubMed

Donelson, Jennifer M; Salinas, Santiago; Munday, Philip L; Shama, Lisa N S

2018-01-01

Phenotypic plasticity, both within and across generations, is an important mechanism that organisms use to cope with rapid climate change. While an increasing number of studies show that plasticity across generations (transgenerational plasticity or TGP) may occur, we have limited understanding of key aspects of TGP, such as the environmental conditions that may promote it, its relationship to within-generation plasticity (WGP) and its role in evolutionary potential. In this review, we consider how the detection of TGP in climate change experiments is affected by the predictability of environmental variation, as well as the timing and magnitude of environmental change cues applied. We also discuss the need to design experiments that are able to distinguish TGP from selection and TGP from WGP in multigenerational experiments. We conclude by suggesting future research directions that build on the knowledge to date and admit the limitations that exist, which will depend on the way environmental change is simulated and the type of experimental design used. Such an approach will open up this burgeoning area of research to a wider variety of organisms and allow better predictive capacity of the role of TGP in the response of organisms to future climate change. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Reformation of tissue balls from tentacle explants of coral Goniopora lobata: self-organization process and response to environmental stresses.

PubMed

Lu, Qiongxuan; Liu, Tao; Tang, Xianming; Dong, Bo; Guo, Huarong

2017-02-01

Coral has strong regeneration ability, which has been applied for coral production and biodiversity protection via tissue ball (TB) culture. However, the architecture, morphological processes, and effects of environmental factors on TB formation have not been well investigated. In this study, we first observed TB formation from the cutting tentacle of scleractinia coral Goniopora lobata and uncovered its inner organization and architecture by confocal microscopy. We then found that the cutting tentacle TB could self-organize and reform a solid TB (sTB) in the culture media. Using chemical drug treatment and dissection manipulation approaches, we demonstrated that the mechanical forces for bending and rounding of the cutting fragments came from the epithelial cells, and the cilia of epithelial cell played indispensable roles for the rounding process. Environmental stress experiments showed that high temperature, not CO 2 -induced acidification, affected TB and sTB formation. However, the combination of high temperature and acidification caused additional severe effects on sTB reformation. Our studies indicate that coral TB has strong regeneration ability and therefore could serve as a new model to further explore the molecular mechanism of TB formation and the effects of environmental stresses on coral survival and regeneration.

A focus on natural variation for abiotic constraints response in the model species Arabidopsis thaliana.

PubMed

Lefebvre, Valérie; Kiani, Seifollah Poormohammad; Durand-Tardif, Mylène

2009-08-13

Plants are particularly subject to environmental stress, as they cannot move from unfavourable surroundings. As a consequence they have to react in situ. In any case, plants have to sense the stress, then the signal has to be transduced to engage the appropriate response. Stress response is effected by regulating genes, by turning on molecular mechanisms to protect the whole organism and its components and/or to repair damage. Reactions vary depending on the type of stress and its intensity, but some are commonly turned on because some responses to different abiotic stresses are shared. In addition, there are multiple ways for plants to respond to environmental stress, depending on the species and life strategy, but also multiple ways within a species depending on plant variety or ecotype. It is regularly accepted that populations of a single species originating from diverse geographic origins and/or that have been subjected to different selective pressure, have evolved retaining the best alleles for completing their life cycle. Therefore, the study of natural variation in response to abiotic stress, can help unravel key genes and alleles for plants to cope with their unfavourable physical and chemical surroundings. This review is focusing on Arabidopsis thaliana which has been largely adopted by the global scientific community as a model organism. Also, tools and data that facilitate investigation of natural variation and abiotic stress encountered in the wild are set out. Characterization of accessions, QTLs detection and cloning of alleles responsible for variation are presented.

Ecological genomics for coral and sea urchin conservation in times of climate change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carpizo-Ituarte, E.; Hofmann, G.; Fangue, N.; Cupul-Magaña, A.; Rodríguez-Troncoso, A. P.; Díaz-Pérez, L.; Olivares Bañuelos, T.; Escobar Fernández, R.

2010-03-01

If atmospheric CO2 levels continue to increase, it is predicted that the average ocean sea surface temperature will also increase and ocean pH will decrease to levels not experienced by marine organisms for millions of years. Understanding the impact of these stressors will require the study of several marine organisms, and this knowledge will be fundamental to our ability to predict possible effects along large geographical regions and across phyla. Ecological genomics, defined as the use of molecular techniques to answer ecological questions, offers a set of tools that can help us better understand the responses of marine organisms to changes in their environment. In the present work we are using genomic tools to characterize the response of corals and sea urchins to environmental stress. On one side, coral species represent a useful model due to its functions as "environmental sentinels" in tropical ecosystems; on the other hand, species of sea urchins, with the recent sequence of the genome of the purple sea urchin S. purpuratus, offers important genomic resources. Recent results in corals and in sea urchins have shown that the response to stressful conditions can be detected using molecular genomic markers. Continued study of the mRNA expression patterns of several important gene families including calcification genes as well as genes involved in the cellular stress response such as heat shock proteins, will be valuable index of ecological stress in marine systems. These data can be integrated into better strategies of conservation and management of the oceans.

Interactions between genetic variation and cellular environment in skeletal muscle gene expression.

PubMed

Taylor, D Leland; Knowles, David A; Scott, Laura J; Ramirez, Andrea H; Casale, Francesco Paolo; Wolford, Brooke N; Guan, Li; Varshney, Arushi; Albanus, Ricardo D'Oliveira; Parker, Stephen C J; Narisu, Narisu; Chines, Peter S; Erdos, Michael R; Welch, Ryan P; Kinnunen, Leena; Saramies, Jouko; Sundvall, Jouko; Lakka, Timo A; Laakso, Markku; Tuomilehto, Jaakko; Koistinen, Heikki A; Stegle, Oliver; Boehnke, Michael; Birney, Ewan; Collins, Francis S

2018-01-01

From whole organisms to individual cells, responses to environmental conditions are influenced by genetic makeup, where the effect of genetic variation on a trait depends on the environmental context. RNA-sequencing quantifies gene expression as a molecular trait, and is capable of capturing both genetic and environmental effects. In this study, we explore opportunities of using allele-specific expression (ASE) to discover cis-acting genotype-environment interactions (GxE)-genetic effects on gene expression that depend on an environmental condition. Treating 17 common, clinical traits as approximations of the cellular environment of 267 skeletal muscle biopsies, we identify 10 candidate environmental response expression quantitative trait loci (reQTLs) across 6 traits (12 unique gene-environment trait pairs; 10% FDR per trait) including sex, systolic blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol. Although using ASE is in principle a promising approach to detect GxE effects, replication of such signals can be challenging as validation requires harmonization of environmental traits across cohorts and a sufficient sampling of heterozygotes for a transcribed SNP. Comprehensive discovery and replication will require large human transcriptome datasets, or the integration of multiple transcribed SNPs, coupled with standardized clinical phenotyping.

Ecological comparison of cellular stress responses among populations - normalizing RT-qPCR values to investigate differential environmental adaptations.

PubMed

Koenigstein, Stefan; Pöhlmann, Kevin; Held, Christoph; Abele, Doris

2013-05-16

Rising temperatures and other environmental factors influenced by global climate change can cause increased physiological stress for many species and lead to range shifts or regional population extinctions. To advance the understanding of species' response to change and establish links between individual and ecosystem adaptations, physiological reactions have to be compared between populations living in different environments. Although changes in expression of stress genes are relatively easy to quantify, methods for reliable comparison of the data remain a contentious issue. Using normalization algorithms and further methodological considerations, we compare cellular stress response gene expression levels measured by RT-qPCR after air exposure experiments among different subpopulations of three species of the intertidal limpet Nacella. Reference gene assessment algorithms reveal that stable reference genes can differ among investigated populations and / or treatment groups. Normalized expression values point to differential defense strategies to air exposure in the investigated populations, which either employ a pronounced cellular stress response in the inducible Hsp70 forms, or exhibit a comparatively high constitutive expression of Hsps (heat shock proteins) while showing only little response in terms of Hsp induction. This study serves as a case study to explore the methodological prerequisites of physiological stress response comparisons among ecologically and phylogenetically different organisms. To improve the reliability of gene expression data and compare the stress responses of subpopulations under potential genetic divergence, reference gene stability algorithms are valuable and necessary tools. As the Hsp70 isoforms have been shown to play different roles in the acute stress responses and increased constitutive defenses of populations in their different habitats, these comparative studies can yield insight into physiological strategies of adaptation to environmental stress and provide hints for the prudent use of the cellular stress response as a biomarker to study environmental stress and stress adaptation of populations under changing environmental conditions.

Ecological comparison of cellular stress responses among populations – normalizing RT-qPCR values to investigate differential environmental adaptations

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Rising temperatures and other environmental factors influenced by global climate change can cause increased physiological stress for many species and lead to range shifts or regional population extinctions. To advance the understanding of species’ response to change and establish links between individual and ecosystem adaptations, physiological reactions have to be compared between populations living in different environments. Although changes in expression of stress genes are relatively easy to quantify, methods for reliable comparison of the data remain a contentious issue. Using normalization algorithms and further methodological considerations, we compare cellular stress response gene expression levels measured by RT-qPCR after air exposure experiments among different subpopulations of three species of the intertidal limpet Nacella. Results Reference gene assessment algorithms reveal that stable reference genes can differ among investigated populations and / or treatment groups. Normalized expression values point to differential defense strategies to air exposure in the investigated populations, which either employ a pronounced cellular stress response in the inducible Hsp70 forms, or exhibit a comparatively high constitutive expression of Hsps (heat shock proteins) while showing only little response in terms of Hsp induction. Conclusions This study serves as a case study to explore the methodological prerequisites of physiological stress response comparisons among ecologically and phylogenetically different organisms. To improve the reliability of gene expression data and compare the stress responses of subpopulations under potential genetic divergence, reference gene stability algorithms are valuable and necessary tools. As the Hsp70 isoforms have been shown to play different roles in the acute stress responses and increased constitutive defenses of populations in their different habitats, these comparative studies can yield insight into physiological strategies of adaptation to environmental stress and provide hints for the prudent use of the cellular stress response as a biomarker to study environmental stress and stress adaptation of populations under changing environmental conditions. PMID:23680017

Individual to Community-Level Faunal Responses to Environmental Change from a Marine Fossil Record of Early Miocene Global Warming

PubMed Central

Belanger, Christina L.

2012-01-01

Modern climate change has a strong potential to shift earth systems and biological communities into novel states that have no present-day analog, leaving ecologists with no observational basis to predict the likely biotic effects. Fossil records contain long time-series of past environmental changes outside the range of modern observation, which are vital for predicting future ecological responses, and are capable of (a) providing detailed information on rates of ecological change, (b) illuminating the environmental drivers of those changes, and (c) recording the effects of environmental change on individual physiological rates. Outcrops of Early Miocene Newport Member of the Astoria Formation (Oregon) provide one such time series. This record of benthic foraminiferal and molluscan community change from continental shelf depths spans a past interval environmental change (∼20.3-16.7 mya) during which the region warmed 2.1–4.5°C, surface productivity and benthic organic carbon flux increased, and benthic oxygenation decreased, perhaps driven by intensified upwelling as on the modern Oregon coast. The Newport Member record shows that (a) ecological responses to natural environmental change can be abrupt, (b) productivity can be the primary driver of faunal change during global warming, (c) molluscs had a threshold response to productivity change while foraminifera changed gradually, and (d) changes in bivalve body size and growth rates parallel changes in taxonomic composition at the community level, indicating that, either directly or indirectly through some other biological parameter, the physiological tolerances of species do influence community change. Ecological studies in modern and fossil records that consider multiple ecological levels, environmental parameters, and taxonomic groups can provide critical information for predicting future ecological change and evaluating species vulnerability. PMID:22558424

Azerbaijan: environmental conditions and outlook.

PubMed

Shelton, Napier

2003-06-01

The author describes present environmental conditions in Azerbaijan in relation to the Soviet legacy and measures taken since independence. Environmental projects have been financed largely by international organizations and foreign companies. The most serious problems are contaminants in the Caspian Sea; air, water, and soil pollution in Sumgait; illegal fishing; poor quality of drinking water; cutting of forests for fuel and pasture; overgrazing; and soil erosion and salinization. Progress in developing an environmental conscience, necessary for sustained protection of the environment, will depend most importantly on environmental education, growth of democratic institutions and attitudes that encourage both governmental and citizen responsibility for the environment, and economic development that produces a substantial middle class. Positive advances include a Constitution and laws that require protection of the environment, and individuals who speak out for environmental care. Negative factors include poverty and the present government's low priority for environmental protection.

Environmental stress as a developmental cue: corticotropin-releasing hormone is a proximate mediator of adaptive phenotypic plasticity in amphibian metamorphosis.

PubMed

Denver, R J

1997-04-01

Environmentally induced phenotypic plasticity allows developing organisms to respond adaptively to changes in their habitat. Desert amphibians have evolved traits which allow successful development in unpredictable environments. Tadpoles of these species can accelerate metamorphosis as their pond dries, thus escaping mortality in the larval habitat. This developmental response can be replicated in the laboratory, which allows elucidation of the underlying physiological mechanisms. Here I demonstrate a link between a classical neurohormonal stress pathway (involving corticotropin-releasing hormone, CRH) and the developmental response to habitat desiccation. Injections of CRH-like peptides accelerated metamorphosis in western spadefoot toad tadpoles. Conversely, treatment with two CRH antagonists, the CRH receptor antagonist alpha-helical CRH(9-41) and anti-CRH serum, attenuated the developmental acceleration induced by habitat desiccation. Tadpoles subjected to habitat desiccation exhibited elevated hypothalamic CRH content at the time when they responded developmentally to the declining water level. CRH injections elevated whole-body thyroxine, triiodothyronine, and corticosterone content, the primary hormonal regulators of metamorphosis. In contrast, alpha-helical CRH(9-41) reduced thyroid activity. These results support a central role for CRH as a neurohormonal transducer of environmental stimuli into the endocrine response which modulates the rate of metamorphosis. Because in mammals, increased fetal/placental CRH production may initiate parturition, and CRH has been implicated in precipitating preterm birth arising from fetal stress, this neurohormonal pathway may represent a phylogenetically ancient developmental regulatory system that allows the organism to escape an unfavorable larval/fetal habitat.

Zebrafish exposure to environmentally relevant concentration of depleted uranium impairs progeny development at the molecular and histological levels

PubMed Central

Gombeau, Kewin; Murat El Houdigui, Sophia; Floriani, Magali; Camilleri, Virginie; Cavalie, Isabelle; Adam-Guillermin, Christelle

2017-01-01

Uranium is an actinide naturally found in the environment. Anthropogenic activities lead to the release of increasing amounts of uranium and depleted uranium (DU) in the environment, posing potential risks to aquatic organisms due to radiological and chemical toxicity of this radionucleide. Although environmental contaminations with high levels of uranium have already been observed, chronic exposures of non-human species to levels close to the environmental quality standards remain scarcely characterized. The present study focused on the identification of the molecular pathways impacted by a chronic exposure of zebrafish to 20 μg/L of DU during 10 days. The transcriptomic effects were evaluated by the use of the mRNAseq analysis in three organs of adult zebrafish, the brain the testis and the ovaries, and two developmental stages of the adult fish progeny, two-cells embryo and four-days larvae. The results highlight generic effects on the cell adhesion process, but also specific transcriptomic responses depending on the organ or the developmental stage investigated. The analysis of the transgenerational effects of DU-exposure on the four-day zebrafish larvae demonstrate an induction of genes involved in oxidative response (cat, mpx, sod1 and sod2), a decrease of expression of the two hatching enzymes (he1a and he1b), the deregulation of the expression of gene coding for the ATPase complex and the induction of cellular stress. Electron microscopy analysis of skeletal muscles on the four-days larvae highlights significant histological impacts on the ultrastructure of both the mitochondria and the myofibres. In addition, the comparison with the transcriptomic data obtained for the acetylcholine esterase mutant reveals the induction of protein-chaperons in the skeletal muscles of the progeny of fish chronically exposed to DU, pointing towards long lasting effects of this chemical in the muscles. The results presented in this study support the hypothesis that a chronic parental exposure to an environmentally relevant concentration of DU could impair the progeny development with significant effects observed both at the molecular level and on the histological ultrastructure of organs. This study provides a comprehensive transcriptomic dataset useful for ecotoxicological studies on other fish species at the molecular level. It also provides a key DU responsive gene, egr1, which may be a candidate biomarker for monitoring aquatic pollution by heavy metals. PMID:28531178

Revisiting the environmental Kuznets curve and pollution haven hypotheses: MIKTA sample.

PubMed

Bakirtas, Ibrahim; Cetin, Mumin Atalay

2017-08-01

This study aims to examine the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) and pollution haven hypotheses in Mexico, Indonesia, South Korea, Turkey, and Australia (MIKTA) countries from 1982 to 2011 by using a panel vector auto regressive (PVAR) model. Empirical findings imply that the EKC hypothesis is rejected by the MIKTA sample. However, PVAR estimations reveal Granger causality from income level, foreign direct investment (FDI) inward, and energy consumption to CO 2 emissions. Orthogonalized impulse-response functions are derived from PVAR estimations. According to the analysis results, the response of CO 2 emissions to a shock on FDI is positive. These results assert that FDI has a detrimental effect on environmental quality in MIKTA countries which means the pollution haven hypothesis is confirmed by the MIKTA sample. Therefore, MIKTA countries should revise their current economic growth plans to provide sustainable development and also re-organize their legal infrastructure to induce usage of renewable energy sources.

Impact of changing land-use and hydrology on soil organic carbon dynamics in beef cattle agroecosystem

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Basic information on the ecological understanding and the responses of systems to water regime change is essential for maintaining ecosystems environmental integrity and productivity. Flooding of formerly drained areas is common practice in wetland restoration. Such practice could profoundly affect ...

The Virtual Liver Project: Modeling Tissue Response To Chemicals Through Multiscale Simulation

EPA Science Inventory

The US EPA Virtual Liver Project is aimed at simulating the risk of toxic effects from environmental chemicals in silico. The computational systems model of organ injury due to chronic chemical exposure is based on: (i) the dynamics of perturbed molecular pathways, (ii) their lin...

THE INFLUENCE OF SALINITY ON THE HEAT-SHOCK PROTEIN RESPONSE OF POTAMOCORBULA AMURENSIS (BIVALVIA). (R826940)

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract

For biomarkers to be useful in assessing anthropogenic impacts in field studies involving aquatic organisms, they should not be affected by naturally occurring changes in environmental parameters such as salinity. This is especially important in estuarine envi...

Teacher Views Regarding Workaholism and Occupational Professionalism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nartgun, Senay Sezgin; Ekinci, Serkan; Tukel, Hayrettin; Limon, Ibrahim

2016-01-01

While educational organizations are in the pursuit of survival, they also feel existing and increasing public and environmental pressures. To overcome these pressures requires employees who can respond to these pressures. This also leads the employees to work harder and necessitates them to be more enduring and responsive. If such teachers are…

SITE TECHNOLOGY CAPSULE: METAL-ENHANCED DECHLORI- NATION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS USING AN ABOVE-GROUND REACTOR - ENVIROMETAL TECHNOLOGIES, INC.

EPA Science Inventory

In 1980 the U.S. Congress passed the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund, to protect human health and the environment from uncontrolled hazardous waste sites. CERCLA was amended by the Superfund Amendments an...

77 FR 46445 - Environmental Topics Related to the International Maritime Organization's Development of a...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-03

... be considered at the public meeting include: International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution... Ships; and Other considerations including voyage planning, greywater, underwater noise, marine mammals, heavy grade fuel oil (HFO), and pollution response. Procedural Please note that the public meeting has a...

TOXICITY PATHWAY ANALYSIS IN AGING BROWN NORWAY RAT BRAIN FOLLOWING ACUTE TOLUENE EXPOSURE

EPA Science Inventory

The influence of aging on susceptibility to environmental stressors is poorly understood. To investigate the contribution of different life stages on response to toxicants, we examined the effects of acute exposure by oral gavage of the volatile organic solvent toluene (0.00, 0.3...

Risk-Taking, Safety and Older People. Selected Bibliographies on Ageing 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jackson, Wendy, Comp.

This annotated bibliography, which was developed as part of a series of selected bibliographies on aging for Great Britain's Centre for Policy on Ageing, contains a total of 368 entries organized under the following subject headings: risk (identification, nature, responsibilities, risk taking, security); environmental safety (hazards, design,…

Bioenergetic phenotypes and metabolic stress responses in cells derived from ecologically and commercially important fish species

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

As organisms intimately associated with their environment, fish are sensitive to numerous environmental insults which can negatively affect their cellular physiology. For our purposes, fish subject to intensive farming practices can experience a host of acute and chronic stressors such as changes in...

Visible Light-activated TiO2 photocatalytic Films; Synthesis, Characterization and Environmental Application for the Destruction of Microcystin-LR

EPA Science Inventory

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysis has become one of the most effective advanced oxidation technologies (AOTs) for the treatment of persistent organic contaminants. To generate hydroxyl radicals, a non-selective, reactive oxidizing species and responsible for the oxidation of...

Epigenetic Regulation of Memory Formation and Maintenance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zovkic, Iva B.; Guzman-Karlsson, Mikael C.; Sweatt, J. David

2013-01-01

Understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the formation and maintenance of memories is a central goal of the neuroscience community. It is well regarded that an organism's ability to lastingly adapt its behavior in response to a transient environmental stimulus relies on the central nervous system's capability for structural…

Environmental occurrence and ecological risk assessment of organic UV filters in marine organisms from Hong Kong coastal waters.

PubMed

Sang, Ziye; Leung, Kelvin Sze-Yin

2016-10-01

Organic UV filters, now considered to be emerging contaminants in aquatic ecosystems, are being intensively tracked in environmental waters worldwide. However, their environmental fate and impact of these contaminants on marine organisms remains largely unknown, especially in Asia. This work elucidates the occurrence and the ecological risks of seven UV filters detected in farmed fish, wild mussels and some other wild organisms collected from local mariculture farms in Hong Kong. For all of the organisms, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate (EHMC) and octyl dimethyl p-aminobenzoic acid (OD-PABA) were the predominant contaminants with the highest concentrations up to 51.3 and 24.1ng/g (dw), respectively; lower levels were found for benzophenone-8 (BP-8), octocrylene (OC) and benzophenone-3 (BP-3) from

Thresholds of understanding: Exploring assumptions of scale invariance vs. scale dependence in global biogeochemical models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieder, W. R.; Bradford, M.; Koven, C.; Talbot, J. M.; Wood, S.; Chadwick, O.

2016-12-01

High uncertainty and low confidence in terrestrial carbon (C) cycle projections reflect the incomplete understanding of how best to represent biologically-driven C cycle processes at global scales. Ecosystem theories, and consequently biogeochemical models, are based on the assumption that different belowground communities function similarly and interact with the abiotic environment in consistent ways. This assumption of "Scale Invariance" posits that environmental conditions will change the rate of ecosystem processes, but the biotic response will be consistent across sites. Indeed, cross-site comparisons and global-scale analyses suggest that climate strongly controls rates of litter mass loss and soil organic matter turnover. Alternatively, activities of belowground communities are shaped by particular local environmental conditions, such as climate and edaphic conditions. Under this assumption of "Scale Dependence", relationships generated by evolutionary trade-offs in acquiring resources and withstanding environmental stress dictate the activities of belowground communities and their functional response to environmental change. Similarly, local edaphic conditions (e.g. permafrost soils or reactive minerals that physicochemically stabilize soil organic matter on mineral surfaces) may strongly constrain the availability of substrates that biota decompose—altering the trajectory of soil biogeochemical response to perturbations. Identifying when scale invariant assumptions hold vs. where local variation in biotic communities or edaphic conditions must be considered is critical to advancing our understanding and representation of belowground processes in the face of environmental change. Here we introduce data sets that support assumptions of scale invariance and scale dependent processes and discuss their application in global-scale biogeochemical models. We identify particular domains over which assumptions of scale invariance may be appropriate and potential thresholds where shifts in ecosystem function may be expected. Finally, we discuss the mechanistic insight that can be applied in process-based models and datasets that can evaluate models across spatial and temporal scales.

Expert Water Quality Panel Review of Responses to the NASA Request for Information for the International Space Station On-Board Environmental Monitoring System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fishman, Julianna L.; Mudgett, Paul D.; Packham, Nigel J.; Schultz, John R.; Straub, John E., II

2005-01-01

On August 9, 2003, NASA, with the cooperative support of the Vehicle Office of the International Space Station Program, the Advanced Human Support Technology Program, and the Johnson Space Center Habitability and Environmental Factors Office released a Request for Information, or RFI, to identify next-generation environmental monitoring systems that have demonstrated ability or the potential to meet defined requirements for monitoring air and water quality onboard the International Space Station. This report summarizes the review and analysis of the proposed solutions submitted to meet the water quality monitoring requirements. Proposals were to improve upon the functionality of the existing Space Station Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) and monitor additional contaminants in water samples. The TOCA is responsible for in-flight measurement of total organic carbon, total inorganic carbon, total carbon, pH, and conductivity in the Space Station potable water supplies. The current TOCA requires hazardous reagents to accomplish the carbon analyses. NASA is using the request for information process to investigate new technologies that may improve upon existing capabilities, as well as reduce or eliminate the need for hazardous reagents. Ideally, a replacement for the TOCA would be deployed in conjunction with the delivery of the Node 3 water recovery system currently scheduled for November 2007.

Comparative metagenomic and metatranscriptomic analyses of microbial communities in acid mine drainage.

PubMed

Chen, Lin-xing; Hu, Min; Huang, Li-nan; Hua, Zheng-shuang; Kuang, Jia-liang; Li, Sheng-jin; Shu, Wen-sheng

2015-07-01

The microbial communities in acid mine drainage have been extensively studied to reveal their roles in acid generation and adaption to this environment. Lacking, however, are integrated community- and organism-wide comparative gene transcriptional analyses that could reveal the response and adaptation mechanisms of these extraordinary microorganisms to different environmental conditions. In this study, comparative metagenomics and metatranscriptomics were performed on microbial assemblages collected from four geochemically distinct acid mine drainage (AMD) sites. Taxonomic analysis uncovered unexpectedly high microbial biodiversity of these extremely acidophilic communities, and the abundant taxa of Acidithiobacillus, Leptospirillum and Acidiphilium exhibited high transcriptional activities. Community-wide comparative analyses clearly showed that the AMD microorganisms adapted to the different environmental conditions via regulating the expression of genes involved in multiple in situ functional activities, including low-pH adaptation, carbon, nitrogen and phosphate assimilation, energy generation, environmental stress resistance, and other functions. Organism-wide comparative analyses of the active taxa revealed environment-dependent gene transcriptional profiles, especially the distinct strategies used by Acidithiobacillus ferrivorans and Leptospirillum ferrodiazotrophum in nutrients assimilation and energy generation for survival under different conditions. Overall, these findings demonstrate that the gene transcriptional profiles of AMD microorganisms are closely related to the site physiochemical characteristics, providing clues into the microbial response and adaptation mechanisms in the oligotrophic, extremely acidic environments.

A review of the empirical literature on the use of limpets Patella spp. (Mollusca: Gastropoda) as bioindicators of environmental quality.

PubMed

Reguera, Pablo; Couceiro, Lucía; Fernández, Nuria

2018-02-01

The need to carry out monitoring programs for environmental pollution of coastal ecosystems makes it necessary to increase the number of indicator species in order to have a wide range of suitable organisms for most of the possible toxic substances and ways of exposure. With the purpose of analyzing the suitability of limpets (Patella spp.) for their use in biomonitoring programs, a literature review was performed on 88 cases found in the Web of Science online platform. The capacity of limpets to accumulate metals and hydrocarbons has been examined in several field studies. In most cases there is a clear relationship between body content of a pollutant in soft tissues of limpets and the corresponding environmental level. Likewise, different responses to pollutants have been reported in limpets, including induction of DNA damage, induction of metallothioneins, oxidative stress, decrease of Neutral Red retention or variations in heart rate. Regarding the study of changes in community structure, an uneven response to disturbances (e.g. oil spills, wastewater discharge) by species of the genus Patella has been documented. Moreover, generally limpets respond to pollutants similarly to, or even more effectively than, mussels; therefore, their inclusion as sentinel organisms in regional monitoring plans seems appropriate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Environmental Chemicals and Type 2 Diabetes: An Updated Systematic Review of the Epidemiologic Evidence

PubMed Central

Kuo, Chin-Chi; Moon, Katherine; Thayer, Kristina A.; Navas-Acien, Ana

2015-01-01

The burden of diabetes is increasing globally. Identifying novel preventable risk factors is an urgent need. In 2011, the U.S. National Toxicological Program (NTP) conducted a workshop to evaluate the epidemiologic and experimental evidence on the relationship of environmental chemicals with obesity, diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Although the evidence was insufficient to establish causality, the NTP workshop review identified an overall positive association between some environmental chemicals and diabetes. In this systematic review, our objective was to summarize the epidemiological research published since the NTP workshop. We identified a total of 29 articles (7 on arsenic, 3 on cadmium, 2 on mercury, 11 on persistent organic pollutants, 3 on phthalates and 4 on bisphenol A) including 7 prospective studies. Considering consistency, temporality, strength, dose-response, and biological plausibility (confounding), we concluded that the evidence is suggestive but not sufficient for a relationship between arsenic and persistent organic pollutants, and insufficient for mercury, phthalates and bisphenol A. For cadmium the epidemiologic evidence does not seem to suggest an association with diabetes. Important research questions include the need of additional prospective studies and the evaluation of the dose-response relationship, the role of joint exposures, and effect modification with other comorbidities and genetic variants. PMID:24114039

Redox Signaling and Its Impact on Skeletal and Vascular Responses to Spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tahimic, Candice; Globus, Ruth K.

2018-01-01

Spaceflight entails exposure to numerous environmental challenges with the potential to contribute to both musculoskeletal and vascular dysfunction. The purpose of this review is to describe current understanding of microgravity and radiation impacts on the mammalian skeleton and associated vasculature at the level of the whole organism. Recent experiments from spaceflight and groundbased models have provided fresh insights into how these environmental stresses influence mechanisms that are related to redox signaling, oxidative stress, and tissue dysfunction. Emerging mechanistic knowledge on cellular defenses to radiation and other environmental stressors, including microgravity, are useful for both screening and developing interventions against spaceflight-induced deficits in bone and vascular function.

Spotlight on environmental omics and toxicology: a long way in a short time.

PubMed

Martyniuk, Christopher J; Simmons, Denina B

2016-09-01

The applications for high throughput omics technologies in environmental science have increased dramatically in recent years. Transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics have been used to study how chemicals in our environment affect both aquatic and terrestrial organisms, and the characterization of molecular initiating events is a significant goal in toxicology to better predict adverse responses to toxicants. This special journal edition demonstrates the scope of the science that leverages omics-based methods in both laboratory and wild populations within the context of environmental toxicology, ranging from fish to mammals. It is important to recognize that the environment comprises one axis of the One Health concept - the idea that human health is unequivocally intertwined to our environment and to the organisms that inhabit that environment. We have much to learn from a comparative approach, and studies that integrate the transcriptome, proteome, and the metabolome are expected to offer the most detailed mechanism-based adverse outcome pathways that are applicable for use in both environmental monitoring and risk assessment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Transcriptome analysis of a wild bird reveals physiological responses to the urban environment

PubMed Central

Watson, Hannah; Videvall, Elin; Andersson, Martin N.; Isaksson, Caroline

2017-01-01

Identifying the molecular basis of environmentally induced phenotypic variation presents exciting opportunities for furthering our understanding of how ecological processes and the environment can shape the phenotype. Urban and rural environments present free-living organisms with different challenges and opportunities, which have marked consequences for the phenotype, yet little is known about responses at the molecular level. We characterised transcriptomes from an urban and a rural population of great tits Parus major, demonstrating striking differences in gene expression profiles in both blood and liver tissues. Differentially expressed genes had functions related to immune and inflammatory responses, detoxification, protection against oxidative stress, lipid metabolism, and regulation of gene expression. Many genes linked to stress responses were expressed at higher levels in the urban birds, in accordance with our prediction that urban animals are exposed to greater environmental stress. This is one of the first studies to reveal transcriptional differences between urban- and rural-dwelling animals and suggests an important role for epigenetics in mediating environmentally induced physiological variation. The study provides valuable resources for developing further in-depth studies of the mechanisms driving phenotypic variation in the urban context at larger spatial and temporal scales. PMID:28290496

Community response to noise: research in Central, Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and Newly Independent States.

PubMed

Jeram, Sonja; Lekaviciute, Jurgita; Krukle, Zanda; Argalasova-Sobotova, Lubica; Ristovska, Gordana; Paunovic, Katarina; Pawlaczyk-Luszczynska, Malgorzata

2013-01-01

The systems of public complaints on environmental noise were reviewed in seven countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), South-East Europe (SEE), and Newly Independent States (NIS). Public complaints remain an important issue due to differences in public sensitivity to noise and due to several cases where a measurement of noise intensity does not give a satisfying solution to the problem. The unresolved problem remaining in the residential neighborhoods is the noise from pubs and restaurants that are open until late in the night. In our review, we compiled information on the institutions responsible for the implementation of environmental noise legislation and organizations that are responsible for dealing with public complaints. Information on activities for increasing public awareness on hazards rising from environmental noise and the role of civil initiative was explored. In seven countries, and among them, Slovenia, Lithuania, Latvia, Slovakia, The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Serbia, and Poland, the responsibilities and duties are shared among different institutions at national and regional levels, depending on the noise source. The problem of gathering information on complaints and using it for improving the wellbeing and health of citizens remains often difficult and unsolved.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) is a multi-program national laboratory operated by Brookhaven Science Associates for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and is located on a 5,265-acre site in Suffolk County, Long Island, New York. BNL has a comprehensive Environmental Management System (EMS) in place, which meets the requirements of the International Organization for Standardization 14001 EMS Standard, as described in the BNL EMS Manual. BNL's extensive environmental monitoring program is one component of the EMS, and the BNL Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) describes this program in detail. The data derived from systematically monitoring the various environmental media on sitemore » enable BNL to make informed decisions concerning the protection of human health and the environment and to be responsive to community concerns.« less

Louisiana's Coastal Crisis: Characterizing Household and Community-Level Impacts and Responses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Austin, D. E.

2017-12-01

Rich in natural resources and critical ecosystems, the Mississippi delta also is the site of numerous human communities, from sparsely populated towns to dense urban neighborhoods. People who live and work within the delta face major challenges as they confront land loss, subsidence, and storms. This presentation outlines key household and community-level impacts of these environmental changes and both individual and collective responses to them. Based on two decades of applied ethnographic research in the region, as well as the author's participation as an advisor to federal, state, and local organizations, the presentation considers historical and contemporary processes and practices, social organization, and cultural dynamics to analyze proposed policies for addressing the impacts.

Different responses of functional traits and diversity of stream macroinvertebrates to environmental and spatial factors in the Xishuangbanna watershed of the upper Mekong River Basin, China.

PubMed

Ding, Ning; Yang, Weifang; Zhou, Yunlei; González-Bergonzoni, Ivan; Zhang, Jie; Chen, Kai; Vidal, Nicolas; Jeppesen, Erik; Liu, Zhengwen; Wang, Beixin

2017-01-01

Functional traits and diversity indices have provided new insights into community responses to stressors. Most traits of aquatic organisms have frequently been tested for predictability and geographical stability in response to environmental variables, but such tests of functional diversity indices are rare. We sampled macroinvertebrates at 18 reference sites (RS) and 35 disturbed sites (DS) from headwater streams in the upper Mekong River Basin, Xishuangbanna (XSBN), China. We selected 29 qualitative categories of eight traits and then calculated five functional diversity indices, namely functional richness (FRic), functional evenness (FEve), functional dispersion (FDis), functional divergence (FDiv) and Rao's Quadratic Entropy (RaoQ), and two trait diversity indices, namely trait richness (TR) and trait diversity (TD). We used combination of RLQ and fourth-corner to examine the response of traits and functional diversity to the disturbance and environmental variables. We used variance partitioning to explore the relative role of environmental variables and spatial factors in constraining trait composition and functional diversity. We found that the relative frequency of ten trait categories, and the values of TD, TR, FRic and FDis in RS were significantly different (p<0.05) from DS. In addition, the seven traits (except for "habit") demonstrated a predictable response of trait patterns along the integrative environmental gradients. Environmental variables significantly contributed to most of the traits, functional diversity and trait diversity. However, spatial variables were mainly significant in shaping ecological traits, FRic and FEve. Our results confirm the dominant role of environmental variables in the determination of community trait composition and functional diversity, and substantiate the contribution of spatial vectors in explaining the variance of functional traits and diversity. We conclude that the traits "Refuge", "External protection", "Respiration" and "Body shape", and diversity indices FDis, TD, and TR are promising indicators of stream conditions at XSBN. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Juvenile coho salmon growth and health in streams across an urbanization gradient

USGS Publications Warehouse

Spanjer, Andrew R.; Moran, Patrick W.; Larsen, Kimberly; Wetzel, Lisa; Hansen, Adam G.; Beauchamp, David A.

2018-01-01

Expanding human population and urbanization alters freshwater systems through structural changes to habitat, temperature effects from increased runoff and reduced canopy cover, altered flows, and increased toxicants. Current stream assessments stop short of measuring health or condition of species utilizing these freshwater habitats and fail to link specific stressors mechanistically to the health of organisms in the stream. Juvenile fish growth integrates both external and internal conditions providing a useful indicator of habitat quality and ecosystem health. Thus, there is a need to account for ecological and environmental influences on fish growth accurately. Bioenergetics models can simulate changes in growth and consumption in response to environmental conditions and food availability to account for interactions between an organism's environmental experience and utilization of available resources. The bioenergetics approach accounts for how thermal regime, food supply, and food quality affect fish growth. This study used a bioenergetics modeling approach to evaluate the environmental factors influencing juvenile coho salmon growth among ten Pacific Northwest streams spanning an urban gradient. Urban streams tended to be warmer, have earlier emergence dates and stronger early season growth. However, fish in urban streams experienced increased stress through lower growth efficiencies, especially later in the summer as temperatures warmed, with as much as a 16.6% reduction when compared to fish from other streams. Bioenergetics modeling successfully characterized salmonid growth in small perennial streams as part of a more extensive monitoring program and provides a powerful assessment tool for characterizing mixed life-stage specific responses in urban streams.

Assessment of health status of oysters (Crassostreagigas) exposed to environmentally relevant concentrations of Ag and Cu in brackish waters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rementeria, Ane; Mikolaczyk, Mathilde; Peña, Ainhize; Lanceleur, Laurent; Blanc, Gérard; Soto, Manu; Schäfer, Jörg; Zaldibar, Beñat

2017-12-01

Human activities have altered estuarine environments leading to increased presence of different pollutants including metals. Although the implementation of new environmental policies has caused a considerable decrease in trace metal concentrations in estuaries around the Bay of Biscay, some elements such as copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) are still present in relatively high concentrations. Oysters have been widely used in environmental biomonitoring programs as sentinel organisms. Oysters Crassostrea gigas from an uncontaminated estuary were exposed to sublethal, environmentally relevant concentrations of Cu (2000 ng Cu/L) and Ag (500 ng Ag/L) during 14 days in brackish water (S = 18). A battery of cell and tissue level (exposure) biomarkers at different levels of biological complexity was applied and integrated into the Integrative Biological Response (IBR) index including: metallothionein contents, intralysosomal metal accumulation, digestive gland atrophy and digestive gland tissue integrity. Condition Index (CI) was incorporated into the IBR index as a complementary parameter that reflects the general physiological condition of oysters (organism level). Results indicated an increase in intralysosomal metal accumulation after 7 and 14 days of exposure to Ag together with an increase in the digestive epithelium atrophy and lipofuscin content after 7 days of exposure to Ag. The responses detected with the aid of biomarkers integrated in the IBR index showed higher toxicity in oysters exposed to Ag, inducing the clear onset of detoxification processes which also occurred, to a lower extent, in Cu-exposed oysters.

Diversity in the origins of proteostasis networks- a driver for protein function in evolution

PubMed Central

Powers, Evan T.; Balch, William E.

2013-01-01

Although a protein’s primary sequence largely determines its function, proteins can adopt different folding states in response to changes in the environment, some of which may be deleterious to the organism. All organisms, including Bacteria, Archaea and Eukarya, have evolved a protein homeostasis network, or proteostasis network, that consists of chaperones and folding factors, degradation components, signalling pathways and specialized compartmentalized modules that manage protein folding in response to environmental stimuli and variation. Surveying the origins of proteostasis networks reveals that they have co-evolved with the proteome to regulate the physiological state of the cell, reflecting the unique stresses that different cells or organisms experience, and that they have a key role in driving evolution by closely managing the link between the phenotype and the genotype. PMID:23463216

Integrated environmental modeling: a vision and roadmap for the future

USGS Publications Warehouse

Laniak, Gerard F.; Olchin, Gabriel; Goodall, Jonathan; Voinov, Alexey; Hill, Mary; Glynn, Pierre; Whelan, Gene; Geller, Gary; Quinn, Nigel; Blind, Michiel; Peckham, Scott; Reaney, Sim; Gaber, Noha; Kennedy, Philip R.; Hughes, Andrew

2013-01-01

Integrated environmental modeling (IEM) is inspired by modern environmental problems, decisions, and policies and enabled by transdisciplinary science and computer capabilities that allow the environment to be considered in a holistic way. The problems are characterized by the extent of the environmental system involved, dynamic and interdependent nature of stressors and their impacts, diversity of stakeholders, and integration of social, economic, and environmental considerations. IEM provides a science-based structure to develop and organize relevant knowledge and information and apply it to explain, explore, and predict the behavior of environmental systems in response to human and natural sources of stress. During the past several years a number of workshops were held that brought IEM practitioners together to share experiences and discuss future needs and directions. In this paper we organize and present the results of these discussions. IEM is presented as a landscape containing four interdependent elements: applications, science, technology, and community. The elements are described from the perspective of their role in the landscape, current practices, and challenges that must be addressed. Workshop participants envision a global scale IEM community that leverages modern technologies to streamline the movement of science-based knowledge from its sources in research, through its organization into databases and models, to its integration and application for problem solving purposes. Achieving this vision will require that the global community of IEM stakeholders transcend social, and organizational boundaries and pursue greater levels of collaboration. Among the highest priorities for community action are the development of standards for publishing IEM data and models in forms suitable for automated discovery, access, and integration; education of the next generation of environmental stakeholders, with a focus on transdisciplinary research, development, and decision making; and providing a web-based platform for community interactions (e.g., continuous virtual workshops).

Alchemy in the underworld - recent progress and future potential of organic geochemistry applied to speleothems.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blyth, Alison

2016-04-01

Speleothems are well used archives for chemical records of terrestrial environmental change, and the integration of records from a range of isotopic, inorganic, and organic geochemical techniques offers significant power in reconstructing both changes in past climates and identifying the resultant response in the overlying terrestrial ecosystems. The use of organic geochemistry in this field offers the opportunity to recover new records of vegetation change (via biomarkers and compound specific isotopes), temperature change (via analysis of glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers, a compound group derived from microbes and varying in structure in response to temperature and pH), and changes in soil microbial behaviour (via combined carbon isotope analysis). However, to date the use of organic geochemical techniques has been relatively limited, due to issues relating to sample size, concerns about contamination, and unanswered questions about the origins of the preserved organic matter and rates of transport. Here I will briefly review recent progress in the field, and present a framework for the future research needed to establish organic geochemical analysis in speleothems as a robust palaeo-proxy approach.

Perspectives on Tobacco Product Waste: A Survey of Framework Convention Alliance Members' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs.

PubMed

Javadian, Sanas; Stigler-Granados, Paula; Curtis, Clifton; Thompson, Francis; Huber, Laurent; Novotny, Thomas E

2015-08-18

Cigarette butts (tobacco product waste (TPW)) are the single most collected item in environmental trash cleanups worldwide. This brief descriptive study used an online survey tool (Survey Monkey) to assess knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs among individuals representing the Framework Convention Alliance (FCA) about this issue. The FCA has about 350 members, including mainly non-governmental tobacco control advocacy groups that support implementation of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Although the response rate (28%) was low, respondents represented countries from all six WHO regions. The majority (62%) have heard the term TPW, and nearly all (99%) considered TPW as an environmental harm. Most (77%) indicated that the tobacco industry should be responsible for TPW mitigation, and 72% felt that smokers should also be held responsible. This baseline information may inform future international discussions by the FCTC Conference of the Parties (COP) regarding environmental policies that may be addressed within FCTC obligations. Additional research is planned regarding the entire lifecycle of tobacco's impact on the environment.

Elevated temperature alters proteomic responses of individual organisms within a biofilm community

DOE PAGES

Mosier, Annika C.; Li, Zhou; Thomas, Brian C.; ...

2014-07-22

Microbial communities that underpin global biogeochemical cycles will likely be influenced by elevated temperature associated with environmental change. In this paper, we test an approach to measure how elevated temperature impacts the physiology of individual microbial groups in a community context, using a model microbial-based ecosystem. The study is the first application of tandem mass tag (TMT)-based proteomics to a microbial community. We accurately, precisely and reproducibly quantified thousands of proteins in biofilms growing at 40, 43 and 46 °C. Elevated temperature led to upregulation of proteins involved in amino-acid metabolism at the level of individual organisms and the entiremore » community. Proteins from related organisms differed in their relative abundance and functional responses to temperature. Elevated temperature repressed carbon fixation proteins from two Leptospirillum genotypes, whereas carbon fixation proteins were significantly upregulated at higher temperature by a third member of this genus. Leptospirillum group III bacteria may have been subject to viral stress at elevated temperature, which could lead to greater carbon turnover in the microbial food web through the release of viral lysate. Finally, overall, these findings highlight the utility of proteomics-enabled community-based physiology studies, and provide a methodological framework for possible extension to additional mixed culture and environmental sample analyses.« less

Protoplasmic Computing to Memorize and Recall Periodic Environmental Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tero, Atsushi; Saigusa, Tetsu; Nakagaki, Toshiyuki

Single-celled organisms might be more intelligent than previously envisaged [1]-[5]. The acts of anticipating and recalling events are higher functions performed by the brains of higher animals; their evolutionary origins and the way they self-organize, however, remain open questions. Here we show that an amoeboid organism can anticipate the timing of periodic events. The plasmodium of the true slime mold Physarum polycephalum moves rapidly under favorable conditions, but stops moving when transferred to less-favorable conditions. For example, plasmodia exposed to low temperature and low humidity, presented in three consecutive pulses at constant intervals, reduced their locomotive speed in response to each episode. When favorable conditions were subsequently reintroduced, the plasmodia spontaneously reduced their locomotive speed at the point in time when the next unfavorable episode would have occurred. This implies that the plasmodia are able to anticipate impending environmental change. After this anticipatory response had been evoked several times, the locomotion of the plasmodia returned to normal speed; however, the slowing down could subsequently be induced by a single unfavorable pulse, implying recall of the periodicity that had been memorized. We have explored the mechanisms underlying this behavior from a dynamical systems perspective. Our results suggest that this primitive intelligence is of cellular origin and that simple dynamics might be sufficient to explain its emergence. abstract environment.

The Brazilian Audit Tribunal's role in improving the federal environmental licensing process

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Lima, Luiz Henrique, E-mail: luizhlima@terra.com.b; Magrini, Alessandra, E-mail: ale@ppe.ufrj.b; Centro de Tecnologia - Bloco C Sala 211, Ilha do Fundao, 21949-900 - Rio de Janeiro, Caixa-Postal: 68565, RJ

This article describes the role played by the Brazilian Audit Tribunal (Tribunal de Contas da Uniao - TCU) in the external auditing of environmental management in Brazil, highlighting the findings of an operational audit conducted in 2007 of the federal environmental licensing process. Initially, it records the constitutional and legal framework of Brazilian environmental licensing, describing the powers and duties granted to federal, state and municipal institutions. In addition, it presents the responsibilities of the TCU in the environmental area, comparing these with those of other Supreme Audit Institutions (SAI) that are members of the International Organization of Supreme Auditmore » Institutions (INTOSAI). It also describes the work carried out in the operational audit of the Brazilian environmental licensing process and its main conclusions and recommendations. Finally, it draws a parallel between the findings and recommendations made in Brazil with those of academic studies and audits conducted in other countries.« less

Comparative transcriptomics between Synechococcus PCC 7942 and Synechocystis PCC 6803 provide insights into mechanisms of adaptation to stress.

DOE PAGES

Konstantinos, Billis; Billini, Maria; Tripp, Harry J.; ...

2014-09-23

Background: Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 are model cyanobacteria from which the metabolism and adaptive responses of other cyanobacteria are inferred. Here we report the gene expression response of these two strains to a variety of nutrient and environmental stresses of varying duration, using transcriptomics. Our data comprise both stranded and 5' enriched libraries in order to elucidate many aspects of the transcriptome. Results: Both organisms were exposed to stress conditions due to nutrient deficiency (inorganic carbon) or change of environmental conditions (salinity, temperature, pH, light) sampled at 1 and 24 hours after the application ofmore » stress. The transcriptome profile of each strain revealed similarities and differences in gene expression for photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport chains and carbon fixation. Transcriptome profiles also helped us improve the structural annotation of the genome and identify possible missed genes (including anti-sense) and determine transcriptional units (operons). Finally, we predicted association of proteins of unknown function biochemical pathways by associating them to well-characterized ones based on their transcript levels correlation. Conclusions: Overall, this study results an informative annotation of those species and the comparative analysis of the response of the two organisms revealed similarities but also significant changes in the way they respond to external stress and the duration of the response« less

Comparative transcriptomics between Synechococcus PCC 7942 and Synechocystis PCC 6803 provide insights into mechanisms of adaptation to stress.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Konstantinos, Billis; Billini, Maria; Tripp, Harry J.

Background: Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 and Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 are model cyanobacteria from which the metabolism and adaptive responses of other cyanobacteria are inferred. Here we report the gene expression response of these two strains to a variety of nutrient and environmental stresses of varying duration, using transcriptomics. Our data comprise both stranded and 5' enriched libraries in order to elucidate many aspects of the transcriptome. Results: Both organisms were exposed to stress conditions due to nutrient deficiency (inorganic carbon) or change of environmental conditions (salinity, temperature, pH, light) sampled at 1 and 24 hours after the application ofmore » stress. The transcriptome profile of each strain revealed similarities and differences in gene expression for photosynthetic and respiratory electron transport chains and carbon fixation. Transcriptome profiles also helped us improve the structural annotation of the genome and identify possible missed genes (including anti-sense) and determine transcriptional units (operons). Finally, we predicted association of proteins of unknown function biochemical pathways by associating them to well-characterized ones based on their transcript levels correlation. Conclusions: Overall, this study results an informative annotation of those species and the comparative analysis of the response of the two organisms revealed similarities but also significant changes in the way they respond to external stress and the duration of the response« less

Integrating biodiversity management and indigenous biopiracy protection to promote environmental justice and global health.

PubMed

Mackey, Tim K; Liang, Bryan A

2012-06-01

Many potentially useful medicines arise from developing countries' biodiverse environments and indigenous knowledge. However, global intellectual property rules have resulted in biopiracy, raising serious ethical concerns of environmental justice, exploitation, and health disparities in these populations. Furthermore, state-based approaches have not led to adequate biodiversity protection, management, or resource sharing, which affect access to lifesaving drugs. In response, country delegates adopted the Nagoya Protocol, which aims at promoting biodiversity management, combating biopiracy, and encouraging equitable benefits sharing with indigenous communities. However, the effectiveness of this framework in meeting these objectives remains in question. To address these challenges, we propose a policy building on the Nagoya Protocol that employs a World Health Organization-World Trade Organization Joint Committee on Bioprospecting and Biopiracy.

Immune response induced by major environmental pollutants through altering neutrophils in zebrafish larvae.

PubMed

Xu, Hongyan; Zhang, Xiaoyan; Li, Hankun; Li, Caixia; Huo, Xiao-Jing; Hou, Li-Ping; Gong, Zhiyuan

2018-06-06

Environmental pollutants may cause adverse effects on the immune system of aquatic organisms. However, the cellular effects of pollutants on fish immune system are largely unknown. Here, we exploited the transgenic zebrafish Tg(lysC:DsRed2) larva as a preliminary screening system to evaluate the potential inflammatory effects of environmental pollutants. Tg(lysC:DsRED2) larvae aged 7-day-postfertilization (7 dpf) were treated with selected environmental chemicals for 24 h (24 h) and the number of neutrophils were quantified using both image analysis and fluorescence activated cell sorting (FACS). We found that the numbers of neutrophils in the Tg(lysC:DsRED2) larvae were significantly increased by most of the organic chemicals tested, including E2 (17β-estradiol), BPA (Bisphenol-A), NDEA (N-nitrosodiethylamine), 4-NP (4-Nitrophenol) and Lindane (γ-hexachlorocyclohexane). Neutrophil numbers were also increased by all the metals tested (Na2HAsO4· 7H2O, Pb(NO3)2, HgCl 2 , CdCl2, CuSO 4 ·5H 2 O, ZnSO4, and K2Cr2O7). The only exception was TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin), which significantly reduced the number of neutrophils after exposure. Additionally, the transcription of genes (lyz, mpo, tnfα and il8) related to fish immune system were significantly modulated upon exposure to some of the selected chemicals such as E2, TCDD, Cu and Cd. This study revealed that representatives of major categories of environmental pollutants could cause an acute inflammatory response in zebrafish larvae as shown by alterations in the neutrophils, which may imply a common immunotoxicity mechanism for most environmental pollutants. This study has also demonstrated that Tg(lyz:DsRed2) transgenic zebrafish is an excellent tool for screening environmental chemicals with potential inflammatory effects through FACS-facilitated neutrophil counting. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Innovative culture in long-term care settings: the influence of organizational characteristics.

PubMed

Nieboer, Anna P; Strating, Mathilde M H

2012-01-01

Innovative cultures have been reported to enhance the creation and implementation of new ideas and working methods in organizations. Although there is considerable research on the impact of organizational context on the innovativeness of organizations, the same is not the case for research on the organizational characteristics responsible for an innovative culture in (long-term) care settings. The aim of this study was to identify organizational characteristics that explain innovative culture in the (long-term) care sector. A large cross-sectional study in Dutch long-term care-nursing homes and/or elderly homes, care organizations for the handicapped, and long-term mental health care organizations-was conducted. A total of 432 managers and care professionals in 37 organizations participated. The Group Innovation Inventory was used to measure innovative culture in long-term care organizations. Structural characteristics of the organization were centralization and formalization, environmental dynamism and competitiveness, internal and external exchange of information, leadership style, commitment to quality improvement, and the organization's innovative strategy. The determinants of an innovative culture were estimated with a two-level random-intercepts and fixed-slopes model. Multilevel regression models were used to account for the organizational clustering of individuals within the 37 care organizations. Environmental dynamism, job codification, formal external exchange of information, transformational leadership, commitment to quality, and an exploratory and exploitative innovation strategy were all significantly correlated with an innovative culture in the multivariate multilevel analysis; the other characteristics were not. The explained organizational- and individual-level variance was 52.5% and 49.2%, respectively. The results point to substantial differences in innovative cultures between and within care organizations that can, in part, be explained by organizational characteristics. Efforts must be made to ensure that organizational characteristics such as environmental dynamism do not hamper the development of innovative cultures in long-term care organizations. Organizations' human resource practices and knowledge management are particularly promising in strengthening innovative cultures.

Capillary electrophoresis-electrochemistry microfluidic system for the determination of organic peroxides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, Joseph; Escarpa, Alberto; Pumera, Martin; Feldman, Jason; Svehla, D. (Principal Investigator)

2002-01-01

A microfluidic analytical system for the separation and detection of organic peroxides, based on a microchip capillary electrophoresis device with an integrated amperometric detector, was developed. The new microsystem relies on the reductive detection of both organic acid peroxides and hydroperoxides at -700 mV (vs. Ag wire/AgCl). Factors influencing the separation and detection processes were examined and optimized. The integrated microsystem offers rapid measurements (within 130 s) of these organic-peroxide compounds, down to micromolar levels. A highly stable response for repetitive injections (RSD 0.35-3.12%; n = 12) reflects the negligible electrode passivation. Such a "lab-on-a-chip" device should be attractive for on-site analysis of organic peroxides, as desired for environmental screening and industrial monitoring.

The Challenge of Peat Substitution in Organic Seedling Production: Optimization of Growing Media Formulation through Mixture Design and Response Surface Analysis

PubMed Central

Ceglie, Francesco Giovanni; Bustamante, Maria Angeles; Ben Amara, Mouna; Tittarelli, Fabio

2015-01-01

Peat replacement is an increasing demand in containerized and transplant production, due to the environmental constraints associated to peat use. However, despite the wide information concerning the use of alternative materials as substrates, it is very complex to establish the best materials and mixtures. This work evaluates the use of mixture design and surface response methodology in a peat substitution experiment using two alternative materials (green compost and palm fibre trunk waste) for transplant production of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.); melon, (Cucumis melo L.); and lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) in organic farming conditions. In general, the substrates showed suitable properties for their use in seedling production, showing the best plant response the mixture of 20% green compost, 39% palm fibre and 31% peat. The mixture design and applied response surface methodology has shown to be an useful approach to optimize substrate formulations in peat substitution experiments to standardize plant responses. PMID:26070163

Shipbuilding Docks as Experimental Systems for Realistic Assessments of Anthropogenic Stressors on Marine Organisms

PubMed Central

Harding, Harry R.; Bunce, Tom; Birch, Fiona; Lister, Jessica; Spiga, Ilaria; Benson, Tom; Rossington, Kate; Jones, Diane; Tyler, Charles R.; Simpson, Stephen D.

2017-01-01

Abstract Empirical investigations of the impacts of anthropogenic stressors on marine organisms are typically performed under controlled laboratory conditions, onshore mesocosms, or via offshore experiments with realistic (but uncontrolled) environmental variation. These approaches have merits, but onshore setups are generally small sized and fail to recreate natural stressor fields, whereas offshore studies are often compromised by confounding factors. We suggest the use of flooded shipbuilding docks to allow studying realistic exposure to stressors and their impacts on the intra- and interspecific responses of animals. Shipbuilding docks permit the careful study of groups of known animals, including the evaluation of their behavioral interactions, while enabling full control of the stressor and many environmental conditions. We propose that this approach could be used for assessing the impacts of prominent anthropogenic stressors, including chemicals, ocean warming, and sound. Results from shipbuilding-dock studies could allow improved parameterization of predictive models relating to the environmental risks and population consequences of anthropogenic stressors. PMID:29599545

Shipbuilding Docks as Experimental Systems for Realistic Assessments of Anthropogenic Stressors on Marine Organisms.

PubMed

Bruintjes, Rick; Harding, Harry R; Bunce, Tom; Birch, Fiona; Lister, Jessica; Spiga, Ilaria; Benson, Tom; Rossington, Kate; Jones, Diane; Tyler, Charles R; Radford, Andrew N; Simpson, Stephen D

2017-09-01

Empirical investigations of the impacts of anthropogenic stressors on marine organisms are typically performed under controlled laboratory conditions, onshore mesocosms, or via offshore experiments with realistic (but uncontrolled) environmental variation. These approaches have merits, but onshore setups are generally small sized and fail to recreate natural stressor fields, whereas offshore studies are often compromised by confounding factors. We suggest the use of flooded shipbuilding docks to allow studying realistic exposure to stressors and their impacts on the intra- and interspecific responses of animals. Shipbuilding docks permit the careful study of groups of known animals, including the evaluation of their behavioral interactions, while enabling full control of the stressor and many environmental conditions. We propose that this approach could be used for assessing the impacts of prominent anthropogenic stressors, including chemicals, ocean warming, and sound. Results from shipbuilding-dock studies could allow improved parameterization of predictive models relating to the environmental risks and population consequences of anthropogenic stressors.

AGE-RELATED TOXICITY PATHWAY ANALYSIS IN BROWN NORWAY RAT BRAIN FOLLOWING ACUTE TOLUENE EXPOSURE

EPA Science Inventory

The influence of aging on susceptibility to environmental exposures is poorly understood. To investigate-the contribution of different life stages on response to toxicants, we examined the effects of an acute exposure to the volatile organic compound, toluene (0.0 or 1.0 g/kg), i...

Self-Regulatory Behaviors and Approaches to Learning of Arts Students: A Comparison between Professional Training and English Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tseng, Min-chen; Chen, Chia-cheng

2017-01-01

This study investigated the self-regulatory behaviors of arts students, namely memory strategy, goal-setting, self-evaluation, seeking assistance, environmental structuring, learning responsibility, and planning and organizing. We also explored approaches to learning, including deep approach (DA) and surface approach (SA), in a comparison between…

Impacts of WWTP Effluents on the Hepatic Metabolome of Male and Female Fathead Minnows in the South Platte River, Colorado

EPA Science Inventory

Metabolomics is rapidly becoming established as an eefective tool for studying the responses of organisms, such as fish, to various environmentally relevant stressors. While the majority of the work has been laboratory-based, successful application of the technique in recent year...

VeA is associated with the response to oxidative stress in the aflatoxin producer Aspergillus flavus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Survival of fungal species depends on the ability of these organisms to respond to environmental stresses. Osmotic stress or high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can cause stress in fungi resulting in growth inhibition. Both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells have developed numerous mechanisms...

An Exercise to Estimate Differential Gene Expression in Human Cells

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chaudhry, M. Ahmad

2006-01-01

The expression of genes in cells of various tissue types varies considerably and is correlated with the function of a particular organ. The pattern of gene expression changes in diseased tissues, in response to therapy or infection and exposure to environmental mutagens, chemicals, ultraviolet light, and ionizing radiation. To better understand…

76 FR 9981 - National Environmental Policy Act Implementing Procedures

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-23

..., 2011 (76 FR 214). This is being done in response to a request on behalf of multiple organizations... procedures, contact Ms. Carol Borgstrom, Director, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, at 202-586-4600 or... Ms. Yardena Mansoor, Office of NEPA Policy and Compliance, at [email protected] or 202-586-9326...

How Activists and Media Frame Social Problems: Critical Events versus Performance Trends for Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pride, Richard A.

1995-01-01

Focuses on the process by which a social problem is redefined in response to a critical events, such as economic depressions, environmental disasters, intense physical confrontations, or strategic initiatives by a social movement organization. Examines a conservative movement's attempt to redefine "the problem" of the schools at the time…

75 FR 79961 - Temporary Suspension of Certain Oil Spill Response Time Requirements To Support Deepwater Horizon...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-21

... appointment to view the docket is 202-566-0276. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions on this... included individuals; an organization that represents companies that own, operate or charter tankers, ships... representing State environmental and health agencies; and a trade association representing companies involved...

Roots and Research in Urban School Gardens

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaylie, Veronica

2011-01-01

This book explores the urban school garden as a bridge between environmental action and thought. As a small-scale response to global issues around access to food and land, urban school gardens promote practical knowledge of farming as well as help renew cultural ideals of shared space and mutual support for the organic, built environment. Through…

THE COMMUNITY PLANNING PROCESS. KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SHORT COURSE SERIES ON COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WEISENBURGER, RAY B.

PART OF A KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY SERIES ON COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT, THIS MONOGRAPH DISCUSSES THE STAGES IN THE PREPARATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF COMPREHENSIVE URBAN SCHEMES. FIRST OF ALL, SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE, ECONOMIC, FEASIBILITY, POLITICAL RESPONSIBILITY, AND ENVIRONMENTAL SATISFACTION ARE VITAL TO SUCCESSFUL PLANNING. ORGANIZATION FOR…

Healing the Land: CIER Helps First Nation's Protect and Restore the Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sellers, Patricia; McDonald, Rodney C.; Wilson, Ardythe

2001-01-01

Based on the Elders' vision that indigenous people have the responsibility to care for Mother Earth using both ancestral and Western knowledge, a Canadian nonprofit, charitable organization is committed to developing environmental education programs, research, and technical resources for First Nations communities. An example of their work is a…

Codes of environmental management practice: Assessing their potential as a tool for change

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nash, J.; Ehrenfeld, J.

1997-12-31

Codes of environmental management practice emerged as a tool of environmental policy in the late 1980s. Industry and other groups have developed codes for two purposes: to change the environmental behavior of participating firms and to increase public confidence in industry`s commitment to environmental protection. This review examines five codes of environmental management practice: Responsible Care, the International Chamber of Commerce`s Business Charter for Sustainable Development, ISO 14000, the CERES Principles, and The Natural Step. The first three codes have been drafted and promoted primarily by industry; the others have been developed by non-industry groups. These codes have spurred participatingmore » firms to introduce new practices, including the institution of environmental management systems, public environmental reporting, and community advisory panels. The extent to which codes are introducing a process of cultural change is considered in terms of four dimensions: new consciousness, norms, organization, and tools. 94 refs., 3 tabs.« less

Natural changes in light interact with circadian regulation at promoters to control gene expression in cyanobacteria

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

The circadian clock interacts with other regulatory pathways to tune physiology to predictable daily changes and unexpected environmental fluctuations. However, the complexity of circadian clocks in higher organisms has prevented a clear understanding of how natural environmental conditions affect circadian clocks and their physiological outputs. Here, we dissect the interaction between circadian regulation and responses to fluctuating light in the cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus. We demonstrate that natural changes in light intensity substantially affect the expression of hundreds of circadian-clock-controlled genes, many of which are involved in key steps of metabolism. These changes in expression arise from circadian and light-responsive control of RNA polymerase recruitment to promoters by a network of transcription factors including RpaA and RpaB. Using phenomenological modeling constrained by our data, we reveal simple principles that underlie the small number of stereotyped responses of dusk circadian genes to changes in light. PMID:29239721

Genome-Wide Identification of Binding Sites Defines Distinct Functions for Caenorhabditis elegans PHA-4/FOXA in Development and Environmental Response

PubMed Central

Zhong, Mei; Niu, Wei; Lu, Zhi John; Sarov, Mihail; Murray, John I.; Janette, Judith; Raha, Debasish; Sheaffer, Karyn L.; Lam, Hugo Y. K.; Preston, Elicia; Slightham, Cindie; Hillier, LaDeana W.; Brock, Trisha; Agarwal, Ashish; Auerbach, Raymond; Hyman, Anthony A.; Gerstein, Mark; Mango, Susan E.; Kim, Stuart K.; Waterston, Robert H.; Reinke, Valerie; Snyder, Michael

2010-01-01

Transcription factors are key components of regulatory networks that control development, as well as the response to environmental stimuli. We have established an experimental pipeline in Caenorhabditis elegans that permits global identification of the binding sites for transcription factors using chromatin immunoprecipitation and deep sequencing. We describe and validate this strategy, and apply it to the transcription factor PHA-4, which plays critical roles in organ development and other cellular processes. We identified thousands of binding sites for PHA-4 during formation of the embryonic pharynx, and also found a role for this factor during the starvation response. Many binding sites were found to shift dramatically between embryos and starved larvae, from developmentally regulated genes to genes involved in metabolism. These results indicate distinct roles for this regulator in two different biological processes and demonstrate the versatility of transcription factors in mediating diverse biological roles. PMID:20174564

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Goven, A.J.; Fitzpatrick, L.C.; Venables, B.J.

Understanding the toxic potential and mechanisms of action of environmental xenobiotics is fundamental for assessing risk to public and environmental health. Current established protocols with earthworms focus primarily on defining the lethal effects of chemicals associated with soil contamination. Development of sublethal assays, until recently, has been largely ignored. Here the authors develop rationale for use of earthworms as a model organism for comprehensive assessment of risks to higher wildlife from contaminated soils and hazardous waste sites. They present a panel of lethal (LC/LD50`s) and sublethal measurement endpoint biomarkers, developed within the framework of the National Toxicology Program`s tiered immunotoxicitymore » protocol for mice and according to published criteria for good measurement endpoints, that represent sensitive phylogenetically-conserved processes. Specifically the authors discuss immunosuppressive effects of terrestrial heavy metal and organic contamination on the innate, nonspecific and specific immune responses of earthworm, Lumbricus terrestris, coelomocytes in terms of total and differential cell counts, lysozyme activity, nitroblue tetrazolium dye reduction, phagocytic activity and secretary rosette formation. Findings indicate that sensitive phylogenetically conserved immune responses present in invertebrates can be used to assess or predict risk to wildlife from contaminated soils.« less

Environmental forcing on life history strategies: Evidence for multi-trophic level responses at ocean basin scales

USGS Publications Warehouse

Suryan, Robert M.; Saba, Vincent S.; Wallace, Bryan P.; Hatch, Scott A.; Frederiksen, Morten; Wanless, Sarah

2009-01-01

Variation in life history traits of organisms is thought to reflect adaptations to environmental forcing occurring from bottom-up and top-down processes. Such variation occurs not only among, but also within species, indicating demographic plasticity in response to environmental conditions. From a broad literature review, we present evidence for ocean basin- and large marine ecosystem-scale variation in intra-specific life history traits, with similar responses occurring among trophic levels from relatively short-lived secondary producers to very long-lived apex predators. Between North Atlantic and North Pacific Ocean basins, for example, species in the Eastern Pacific exhibited either later maturation, lower fecundity, and/or greater annual survival than conspecifics in the Western Atlantic. Parallel variations in life histories among trophic levels also occur in adjacent seas and between eastern vs. western ocean boundaries. For example, zooplankton and seabird species in cooler Barents Sea waters exhibit lower fecundity or greater annual survival than conspecifics in the Northeast Atlantic. Sea turtles exhibit a larger size and a greater reproductive output in the Western Pacific vs. Eastern Pacific. These examples provide evidence for food-web-wide modifications in life history strategies in response to environmental forcing. We hypothesize that such dichotomies result from frequency and amplitude shifts in resource availability over varying temporal and spatial scales. We review data that supports three primary mechanisms by which environmental forcing affects life history strategies: (1) food-web structure; (2) climate variability affecting the quantity and seasonality of primary productivity; (3) bottom-up vs. top-down forcing. These proposed mechanisms provide a framework for comparisons of ecosystem function among oceanic regions (or regimes) and are essential in modeling ecosystem response to climate change, as well as for creating dynamic ecosystem-based marine conservation strategies.

Multimedia environmental management

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Soesilo, J.A.; Wiley, W.D.

1999-09-01

This book explores and supports the argument that effective environmental management must be based on a multimedia approach, which focuses simultaneously on air, water, and waste and enables managers to assess the resulting financial, operation, and management benefits. The multimedia approach, which can be used to design an effective compliance program, includes proper waste and material handling management, systematic monitoring, and record keeping requirements. This approach integrates a wide array of environmental requirements and decision processes, which the authors examine in sixteen chapters, organized into four parts: the role of environmental management; environmental aspects of business operation, environmental processes; andmore » environmental management trends. Within these parts, the authors highlight the development of modern environmental management and provide an overview of federal laws pertinent to multimedia environmental management. They examine such issues as chemical storage and transportation, tank system operations and requirements, waste determination, spill response procedures, and employee training. Environmental processes addressed in the book include the management of solid and hazardous waste, wastewater treatment systems, stormwater management, air emission control, and site remediation. The authors also briefly discuss significant initiatives in US environmental management and look toward corporate sustainable development.« less

Application of an indicator based on taxonomic relatedness of ciliated protozoan assemblages for marine environmental assessment.

PubMed

Xu, Henglong; Jiang, Yong; Al-Rasheid, Khaled A S; Al-Farraj, Saleh A; Song, Weibo

2011-08-01

Ciliated protozoa play important roles in aquatic ecosystems especially regarding their functions in micro-food web and have many advantages in environmental assessment compared with most other eukaryotic organisms. The aims of this study were focused on analyzing the application of an indicator based on taxonomic relatedness of ciliated protozoan assemblages for marine environmental assessment. The spatial taxonomic patterns and diversity measures in response to physical-chemical variables were studied based on data from samples collected during 1-year cycle in the semi-enclosed Jiaozhou Bay, northern China. The spatial patterns of ciliate communities were significantly correlated with the changes of environmental status. The taxonomic distinctness (Δ*) and the average taxonomic distinctness (Δ+) were significantly negatively correlated with the changes of nutrients (e.g., nitrate nitrogen and soluble active phosphate; P<0.05). Pairwise indices of Δ+ and the variation in taxonomic distinctness (Λ+) showed a decreasing trend of departure from the expected taxonomic breadth in response to the eutrophication stress and anthropogenic impact. The taxonomic relatedness (especially the pairwise Δ+ and Λ+) indices of ciliate communities are robust as an indicator with scientifically operational value in marine environmental assessment.

Epigenetic memory for stress response and adaptation in plants.

PubMed

Kinoshita, Tetsu; Seki, Motoaki

2014-11-01

In contrast to the majority of animal species, plants are sessile organisms and are, therefore, constantly challenged by environmental perturbations. Over the past few decades, our knowledge of how plants perceive environmental stimuli has increased considerably, e.g. the mechanisms for transducing environmental stress stimuli into cellular signaling cascades and gene transcription networks. In addition, it has recently been shown that plants can remember past environmental events and can use these memories to aid responses when these events recur. In this mini review, we focus on recent progress in determination of the epigenetic mechanisms used by plants under various environmental stresses. Epigenetic mechanisms are now known to play a vital role in the control of gene expression through small RNAs, histone modifications and DNA methylation. These are inherited through mitotic cell divisions and, in some cases, can be transmitted to the next generation. They therefore offer a possible mechanism for stress memories in plants. Recent studies have yielded evidence indicating that epigenetic mechanisms are indeed essential for stress memories and adaptation in plants. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Japanese Society of Plant Physiologists. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Health assessments and other activities of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

The purpose of this memorandum is provide Department of Energy (DOE) Field Organizations having line management responsibilities for the conduct of environmental restoration activities with information of ATSDR responsibilities and activities at Departmental facilities subject to response actions under the Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), as amended by the Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act (SARA), or corrective actions under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). ATSDR's duties include: (1) establishing registries of disease and exposure at sites having releases of hazardous substances; (2) when necessary, providing medical care and testing of exposed persons; (3) developing toxicologicalmore » profiles on hazardous substances: (4) maintaining lists of areas closed to public; (5) researching the relationship between exposure to toxic substances and illness: (6) conducting health assessments; (7) responding to petition to conduct a health assessment (anyone may petition ATSDR to perform a health assessment); (8) developing educational materials regarding toxic substances for use by health professionals.« less

Assessing the carcinogenic potential of low-dose exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment: the challenge ahead.

PubMed

Goodson, William H; Lowe, Leroy; Carpenter, David O; Gilbertson, Michael; Manaf Ali, Abdul; Lopez de Cerain Salsamendi, Adela; Lasfar, Ahmed; Carnero, Amancio; Azqueta, Amaya; Amedei, Amedeo; Charles, Amelia K; Collins, Andrew R; Ward, Andrew; Salzberg, Anna C; Colacci, Annamaria; Olsen, Ann-Karin; Berg, Arthur; Barclay, Barry J; Zhou, Binhua P; Blanco-Aparicio, Carmen; Baglole, Carolyn J; Dong, Chenfang; Mondello, Chiara; Hsu, Chia-Wen; Naus, Christian C; Yedjou, Clement; Curran, Colleen S; Laird, Dale W; Koch, Daniel C; Carlin, Danielle J; Felsher, Dean W; Roy, Debasish; Brown, Dustin G; Ratovitski, Edward; Ryan, Elizabeth P; Corsini, Emanuela; Rojas, Emilio; Moon, Eun-Yi; Laconi, Ezio; Marongiu, Fabio; Al-Mulla, Fahd; Chiaradonna, Ferdinando; Darroudi, Firouz; Martin, Francis L; Van Schooten, Frederik J; Goldberg, Gary S; Wagemaker, Gerard; Nangami, Gladys N; Calaf, Gloria M; Williams, Graeme; Wolf, Gregory T; Koppen, Gudrun; Brunborg, Gunnar; Lyerly, H Kim; Krishnan, Harini; Ab Hamid, Hasiah; Yasaei, Hemad; Sone, Hideko; Kondoh, Hiroshi; Salem, Hosni K; Hsu, Hsue-Yin; Park, Hyun Ho; Koturbash, Igor; Miousse, Isabelle R; Scovassi, A Ivana; Klaunig, James E; Vondráček, Jan; Raju, Jayadev; Roman, Jesse; Wise, John Pierce; Whitfield, Jonathan R; Woodrick, Jordan; Christopher, Joseph A; Ochieng, Josiah; Martinez-Leal, Juan Fernando; Weisz, Judith; Kravchenko, Julia; Sun, Jun; Prudhomme, Kalan R; Narayanan, Kannan Badri; Cohen-Solal, Karine A; Moorwood, Kim; Gonzalez, Laetitia; Soucek, Laura; Jian, Le; D'Abronzo, Leandro S; Lin, Liang-Tzung; Li, Lin; Gulliver, Linda; McCawley, Lisa J; Memeo, Lorenzo; Vermeulen, Louis; Leyns, Luc; Zhang, Luoping; Valverde, Mahara; Khatami, Mahin; Romano, Maria Fiammetta; Chapellier, Marion; Williams, Marc A; Wade, Mark; Manjili, Masoud H; Lleonart, Matilde E; Xia, Menghang; Gonzalez, Michael J; Karamouzis, Michalis V; Kirsch-Volders, Micheline; Vaccari, Monica; Kuemmerle, Nancy B; Singh, Neetu; Cruickshanks, Nichola; Kleinstreuer, Nicole; van Larebeke, Nik; Ahmed, Nuzhat; Ogunkua, Olugbemiga; Krishnakumar, P K; Vadgama, Pankaj; Marignani, Paola A; Ghosh, Paramita M; Ostrosky-Wegman, Patricia; Thompson, Patricia A; Dent, Paul; Heneberg, Petr; Darbre, Philippa; Sing Leung, Po; Nangia-Makker, Pratima; Cheng, Qiang Shawn; Robey, R Brooks; Al-Temaimi, Rabeah; Roy, Rabindra; Andrade-Vieira, Rafaela; Sinha, Ranjeet K; Mehta, Rekha; Vento, Renza; Di Fiore, Riccardo; Ponce-Cusi, Richard; Dornetshuber-Fleiss, Rita; Nahta, Rita; Castellino, Robert C; Palorini, Roberta; Abd Hamid, Roslida; Langie, Sabine A S; Eltom, Sakina E; Brooks, Samira A; Ryeom, Sandra; Wise, Sandra S; Bay, Sarah N; Harris, Shelley A; Papagerakis, Silvana; Romano, Simona; Pavanello, Sofia; Eriksson, Staffan; Forte, Stefano; Casey, Stephanie C; Luanpitpong, Sudjit; Lee, Tae-Jin; Otsuki, Takemi; Chen, Tao; Massfelder, Thierry; Sanderson, Thomas; Guarnieri, Tiziana; Hultman, Tove; Dormoy, Valérian; Odero-Marah, Valerie; Sabbisetti, Venkata; Maguer-Satta, Veronique; Rathmell, W Kimryn; Engström, Wilhelm; Decker, William K; Bisson, William H; Rojanasakul, Yon; Luqmani, Yunus; Chen, Zhenbang; Hu, Zhiwei

2015-06-01

Lifestyle factors are responsible for a considerable portion of cancer incidence worldwide, but credible estimates from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggest that the fraction of cancers attributable to toxic environmental exposures is between 7% and 19%. To explore the hypothesis that low-dose exposures to mixtures of chemicals in the environment may be combining to contribute to environmental carcinogenesis, we reviewed 11 hallmark phenotypes of cancer, multiple priority target sites for disruption in each area and prototypical chemical disruptors for all targets, this included dose-response characterizations, evidence of low-dose effects and cross-hallmark effects for all targets and chemicals. In total, 85 examples of chemicals were reviewed for actions on key pathways/mechanisms related to carcinogenesis. Only 15% (13/85) were found to have evidence of a dose-response threshold, whereas 59% (50/85) exerted low-dose effects. No dose-response information was found for the remaining 26% (22/85). Our analysis suggests that the cumulative effects of individual (non-carcinogenic) chemicals acting on different pathways, and a variety of related systems, organs, tissues and cells could plausibly conspire to produce carcinogenic synergies. Additional basic research on carcinogenesis and research focused on low-dose effects of chemical mixtures needs to be rigorously pursued before the merits of this hypothesis can be further advanced. However, the structure of the World Health Organization International Programme on Chemical Safety 'Mode of Action' framework should be revisited as it has inherent weaknesses that are not fully aligned with our current understanding of cancer biology. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press.

Permafrost soil characteristics and microbial community structure across a boreal forest watershed vary over short spatial scales and dictate community responses to thaw.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stegen, J.; Bottos, E. M.; Kennedy, D.; Romero, E. B.; Fansler, S.; Chu, R. K.; Tfaily, M.; Jansson, J.; Bernstein, H. C.; Brown, J. M.; Markillie, L. M.

2017-12-01

Understanding drivers of permafrost microbial community structure and function is critical for understanding permafrost microbiology and predicting ecosystem responses to thaw; however, studies describing ecological controls on these communities are lacking. We hypothesize that permafrost communities are uniquely shaped by constraints imposed by prolonged freezing, and decoupled from the selective factors that influence non-permafrost soil communities, but that pre-thaw environmental and community characteristics will be strong determinants of community structure and function post-thaw. We characterized patterns of environmental variation and microbial community composition in sixty permafrost samples spanning landscape gradients in a boreal forest watershed, and monitored community responses to thaw. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found that, proportionally, the strongest process influencing permafrost community composition was dispersal limitation (0.36), exceeding the influence of homogenous selection (0.21) and variable selection (0.16), and that deterministic selection arose primarily from energetic constraints of the permafrost environment. Our data supported a structural equation model in which organic carbon thermodynamics and organic acid content, influenced redox conditions and total selection. Post-thaw community composition was found to be driven primarily by pre-thaw community composition, indicating a strong influence of historical conditions. Together, these results suggest that community responses to thaw may be highly varied over short distances and that changes in community structure and function are likely to be drastic, as changes to system hydrology mobilize organisms and nutrients, thereby relieving the primary constraints on the system. These findings are being integrated with metabolomic and metatranscriptomic analyses to improve understanding of how pre-thaw conditions can be used to predict microbial activity post-thaw.

Assessing the carcinogenic potential of low-dose exposures to chemical mixtures in the environment: the challenge ahead

PubMed Central

Goodson, William H.; Lowe, Leroy; Carpenter, David O.; Gilbertson, Michael; Manaf Ali, Abdul; Lopez de Cerain Salsamendi, Adela; Lasfar, Ahmed; Carnero, Amancio; Azqueta, Amaya; Amedei, Amedeo; Charles, Amelia K.; Collins, Andrew R.; Ward, Andrew; Salzberg, Anna C.; Colacci, Anna Maria; Olsen, Ann-Karin; Berg, Arthur; Barclay, Barry J.; Zhou, Binhua P.; Blanco-Aparicio, Carmen; Baglole, Carolyn J.; Dong, Chenfang; Mondello, Chiara; Hsu, Chia-Wen; Naus, Christian C.; Yedjou, Clement; Curran, Colleen S.; Laird, Dale W.; Koch, Daniel C.; Carlin, Danielle J.; Felsher, Dean W.; Roy, Debasish; Brown, Dustin G.; Ratovitski, Edward; Ryan, Elizabeth P.; Corsini, Emanuela; Rojas, Emilio; Moon, Eun-Yi; Laconi, Ezio; Marongiu, Fabio; Al-Mulla, Fahd; Chiaradonna, Ferdinando; Darroudi, Firouz; Martin, Francis L.; Van Schooten, Frederik J.; Goldberg, Gary S.; Wagemaker, Gerard; Nangami, Gladys N.; Calaf, Gloria M.; Williams, Graeme P.; Wolf, Gregory T.; Koppen, Gudrun; Brunborg, Gunnar; Lyerly, H. Kim; Krishnan, Harini; Ab Hamid, Hasiah; Yasaei, Hemad; Sone, Hideko; Kondoh, Hiroshi; Salem, Hosni K.; Hsu, Hsue-Yin; Park, Hyun Ho; Koturbash, Igor; Miousse, Isabelle R.; Scovassi, A.Ivana; Klaunig, James E.; Vondráček, Jan; Raju, Jayadev; Roman, Jesse; Wise, John Pierce; Whitfield, Jonathan R.; Woodrick, Jordan; Christopher, Joseph A.; Ochieng, Josiah; Martinez-Leal, Juan Fernando; Weisz, Judith; Kravchenko, Julia; Sun, Jun; Prudhomme, Kalan R.; Narayanan, Kannan Badri; Cohen-Solal, Karine A.; Moorwood, Kim; Gonzalez, Laetitia; Soucek, Laura; Jian, Le; D’Abronzo, Leandro S.; Lin, Liang-Tzung; Li, Lin; Gulliver, Linda; McCawley, Lisa J.; Memeo, Lorenzo; Vermeulen, Louis; Leyns, Luc; Zhang, Luoping; Valverde, Mahara; Khatami, Mahin; Romano, Maria Fiammetta; Chapellier, Marion; Williams, Marc A.; Wade, Mark; Manjili, Masoud H.; Lleonart, Matilde E.; Xia, Menghang; Gonzalez Guzman, Michael J.; Karamouzis, Michalis V.; Kirsch-Volders, Micheline; Vaccari, Monica; Kuemmerle, Nancy B.; Singh, Neetu; Cruickshanks, Nichola; Kleinstreuer, Nicole; van Larebeke, Nik; Ahmed, Nuzhat; Ogunkua, Olugbemiga; Krishnakumar, P.K.; Vadgama, Pankaj; Marignani, Paola A.; Ghosh, Paramita M.; Ostrosky-Wegman, Patricia; Thompson, Patricia A.; Dent, Paul; Heneberg, Petr; Darbre, Philippa; Leung, Po Sing; Nangia-Makker, Pratima; Cheng, Qiang (Shawn); Robey, R.Brooks; Al-Temaimi, Rabeah; Roy, Rabindra; Andrade-Vieira, Rafaela; Sinha, Ranjeet K.; Mehta, Rekha; Vento, Renza; Di Fiore, Riccardo; Ponce-Cusi, Richard; Dornetshuber-Fleiss, Rita; Nahta, Rita; Castellino, Robert C.; Palorini, Roberta; Hamid, Roslida A.; Langie, Sabine A.S.; Eltom, Sakina E.; Brooks, Samira A.; Ryeom, Sandra; Wise, Sandra S.; Bay, Sarah N.; Harris, Shelley A.; Papagerakis, Silvana; Romano, Simona; Pavanello, Sofia; Eriksson, Staffan; Forte, Stefano; Casey, Stephanie C.; Luanpitpong, Sudjit; Lee, Tae-Jin; Otsuki, Takemi; Chen, Tao; Massfelder, Thierry; Sanderson, Thomas; Guarnieri, Tiziana; Hultman, Tove; Dormoy, Valérian; Odero-Marah, Valerie; Sabbisetti, Venkata; Maguer-Satta, Veronique; Rathmell, W.Kimryn; Engström, Wilhelm; Decker, William K.; Bisson, William H.; Rojanasakul, Yon; Luqmani, Yunus; Chen, Zhenbang; Hu, Zhiwei

2015-01-01

Lifestyle factors are responsible for a considerable portion of cancer incidence worldwide, but credible estimates from the World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) suggest that the fraction of cancers attributable to toxic environmental exposures is between 7% and 19%. To explore the hypothesis that low-dose exposures to mixtures of chemicals in the environment may be combining to contribute to environmental carcinogenesis, we reviewed 11 hallmark phenotypes of cancer, multiple priority target sites for disruption in each area and prototypical chemical disruptors for all targets, this included dose-response characterizations, evidence of low-dose effects and cross-hallmark effects for all targets and chemicals. In total, 85 examples of chemicals were reviewed for actions on key pathways/mechanisms related to carcinogenesis. Only 15% (13/85) were found to have evidence of a dose-response threshold, whereas 59% (50/85) exerted low-dose effects. No dose-response information was found for the remaining 26% (22/85). Our analysis suggests that the cumulative effects of individual (non-carcinogenic) chemicals acting on different pathways, and a variety of related systems, organs, tissues and cells could plausibly conspire to produce carcinogenic synergies. Additional basic research on carcinogenesis and research focused on low-dose effects of chemical mixtures needs to be rigorously pursued before the merits of this hypothesis can be further advanced. However, the structure of the World Health Organization International Programme on Chemical Safety ‘Mode of Action’ framework should be revisited as it has inherent weaknesses that are not fully aligned with our current understanding of cancer biology. PMID:26106142

Gone with the Wind: Conceiving of Moral Responsibility in the Case of GMO Contamination.

PubMed

Robaey, Zoë

2016-06-01

Genetically modified organisms are a technology now used with increasing frequency in agriculture. Genetically modified seeds have the special characteristic of being living artefacts that can reproduce and spread; thus it is difficult to control where they end up. In addition, genetically modified seeds may also bring about uncertainties for environmental and human health. Where they will go and what effect they will have is therefore very hard to predict: this creates a puzzle for regulators. In this paper, I use the problem of contamination to complicate my ascription of forward-looking moral responsibility to owners of genetically modified organisms. Indeed, how can owners act responsibly if they cannot know that contamination has occurred? Also, because contamination creates new and unintended ownership, it challenges the ascription of forward-looking moral responsibility based on ownership. From a broader perspective, the question this paper aims to answer is as follows: how can we ascribe forward-looking moral responsibility when the effects of the technologies in question are difficult to know or unknown? To solve this problem, I look at the epistemic conditions for moral responsibility and connect them to the normative notion of the social experiment. Indeed, examining conditions for morally responsible experimentation helps to define a range of actions and to establish the related epistemic virtues that owners should develop in order to act responsibly where genetically modified organisms are concerned.

Metagenomic insights into evolution of heavy metal-contaminated groundwater microbial community

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hemme, C.L.; Deng, Y.; Gentry, T.J.

2010-07-01

Understanding adaptation of biological communities to environmental change is a central issue in ecology and evolution. Metagenomic analysis of a stressed groundwater microbial community reveals that prolonged exposure to high concentrations of heavy metals, nitric acid and organic solvents ({approx}50 years) has resulted in a massive decrease in species and allelic diversity as well as a significant loss of metabolic diversity. Although the surviving microbial community possesses all metabolic pathways necessary for survival and growth in such an extreme environment, its structure is very simple, primarily composed of clonal denitrifying {gamma}- and {beta}-proteobacterial populations. The resulting community is overabundant inmore » key genes conferring resistance to specific stresses including nitrate, heavy metals and acetone. Evolutionary analysis indicates that lateral gene transfer could have a key function in rapid response and adaptation to environmental contamination. The results presented in this study have important implications in understanding, assessing and predicting the impacts of human-induced activities on microbial communities ranging from human health to agriculture to environmental management, and their responses to environmental changes.« less

A Systems-Level Approach to Characterizing Effects of ENMs ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) represent a new regulatory challenge because of their unique properties and their potential to interact with ecological organisms at various developmental stages, in numerous environmental compartments. Traditional toxicity tests have proven to be unreliable due to their short-term nature and the subtle responses often observed following ENM exposure. In order to fully assess the potential for various ENMs to affect responses in organisms and ecosystems, we are using a systems-level framework to link molecular initiating events with changes in whole-organism responses, and to identify how these changes may translate across scales to disrupt important ecosystem processes. This framework utilizes information from nanoparticle characteristics and exposures to help make linkages across scales. We have used Arabidopsis thaliana as a model organism to identify potential transcriptome changes in response to specific ENMs. In addition, we have focused on plant species of agronomic importance to follow multi-generational changes in physiology and phenology, as well as epigenetic markers to identify possible mechanisms of inheritance. We are employing and developing complementary analytical tools (plasma-based and synchrotron spectroscopies, microscopy, and molecular and stable-isotopic techniques) to follow movement of ENMs and ENM products in plants as they develop. These studies have revealed that changes in gene expression do not a

Influence of Selected Organic Micropollutants on Organisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Włodarczyk-Makuła, Maria

2017-03-01

This article describes the toxicity of organic micropollutants on tested microorganisms. Itis a current issue because organic micropollutants are identified in all elements of environmental (surface water, ground water, soils) and in food products. The organic micropollutants include: polychlorinated dibenzodioxyns PCDD, polychlorinated dibenzofurans PCDF, polychlorinated biphenyls PCB, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons PAH, halogenated compounds and by-products of water treatment. Some organic compounds cause hazard for health and human life due to their estrogenic biological activity, carcinogenic, mutagenic or teratogenic activity. The influence on organisms indicators of these compounds based on literature data were presented. The level of TEQ (toxic equivalency) in response to organic chlorine derivatives (PCDDs, PCDF, PCBs) is usually determined by toxic equivalency factor (TEF). The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies organic micropollutants as carcinogenic to humans (Group 1), possibly carcinogenic (Group 2A) or probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B).

Analysis of the Elodea nuttallii transcriptome in response to mercury and cadmium pollution: development of sensitive tools for rapid ecotoxicological testing.

PubMed

Regier, Nicole; Baerlocher, Loïc; Münsterkötter, Martin; Farinelli, Laurent; Cosio, Claudia

2013-08-06

Toxic metals polluting aquatic ecosystems are taken up by inhabitants and accumulate in the food web, affecting species at all trophic levels. It is therefore important to have good tools to assess the level of risk represented by toxic metals in the environment. Macrophytes are potential organisms for the identification of metal-responsive biomarkers but are still underrepresented in ecotoxicology. In the present study, we used next-generation sequencing to investigate the transcriptomic response of Elodea nuttallii exposed to enhanced concentrations of Hg and Cd. We de novo assembled more than 60 000 contigs, of which we found 170 to be regulated dose-dependently by Hg and 212 by Cd. Functional analysis showed that these genes were notably related to energy and metal homeostasis. Expression analysis using nCounter of a subset of genes showed that the gene expression pattern was able to assess toxic metal exposure in complex environmental samples and was more sensitive than other end points (e.g., bioaccumulation, photosynthesis, etc.). In conclusion, we demonstrate the feasibility of using gene expression signatures for the assessment of environmental contamination, using an organism without previous genetic information. This is of interest to ecotoxicology in a wider sense given the possibility to develop specific and sensitive bioassays.

Interplay of space radiation and microgravity in DNA damage and DNA damage response.

PubMed

Moreno-Villanueva, María; Wong, Michael; Lu, Tao; Zhang, Ye; Wu, Honglu

2017-01-01

In space, multiple unique environmental factors, particularly microgravity and space radiation, pose constant threat to the DNA integrity of living organisms. Specifically, space radiation can cause damage to DNA directly, through the interaction of charged particles with the DNA molecules themselves, or indirectly through the production of free radicals. Although organisms have evolved strategies on Earth to confront such damage, space environmental conditions, especially microgravity, can impact DNA repair resulting in accumulation of severe DNA lesions. Ultimately these lesions, namely double strand breaks, chromosome aberrations, micronucleus formation, or mutations, can increase the risk for adverse health effects, such as cancer. How spaceflight factors affect DNA damage and the DNA damage response has been investigated since the early days of the human space program. Over the years, these experiments have been conducted either in space or using ground-based analogs. This review summarizes the evidence for DNA damage induction by space radiation and/or microgravity as well as spaceflight-related impacts on the DNA damage response. The review also discusses the conflicting results from studies aimed at addressing the question of potential synergies between microgravity and radiation with regard to DNA damage and cellular repair processes. We conclude that further experiments need to be performed in the true space environment in order to address this critical question.

Possible effects of global environmental changes on Antarctic benthos: a synthesis across five major taxa

PubMed Central

Ingels, Jeroen; Vanreusel, Ann; Brandt, Angelika; Catarino, Ana I; David, Bruno; De Ridder, Chantal; Dubois, Philippe; Gooday, Andrew J; Martin, Patrick; Pasotti, Francesca; Robert, Henri

2012-01-01

Because of the unique conditions that exist around the Antarctic continent, Southern Ocean (SO) ecosystems are very susceptible to the growing impact of global climate change and other anthropogenic influences. Consequently, there is an urgent need to understand how SO marine life will cope with expected future changes in the environment. Studies of Antarctic organisms have shown that individual species and higher taxa display different degrees of sensitivity to environmental shifts, making it difficult to predict overall community or ecosystem responses. This emphasizes the need for an improved understanding of the Antarctic benthic ecosystem response to global climate change using a multitaxon approach with consideration of different levels of biological organization. Here, we provide a synthesis of the ability of five important Antarctic benthic taxa (Foraminifera, Nematoda, Amphipoda, Isopoda, and Echinoidea) to cope with changes in the environment (temperature, pH, ice cover, ice scouring, food quantity, and quality) that are linked to climatic changes. Responses from individual to the taxon-specific community level to these drivers will vary with taxon but will include local species extinctions, invasions of warmer-water species, shifts in diversity, dominance, and trophic group composition, all with likely consequences for ecosystem functioning. Limitations in our current knowledge and understanding of climate change effects on the different levels are discussed. PMID:22423336

Anthropogenic ecosystem fragmentation drives shared and unique patterns of sexual signal divergence among three species of Bahamian mosquitofish.

PubMed

Giery, Sean T; Layman, Craig A; Langerhans, R Brian

2015-08-01

When confronted with similar environmental challenges, different organisms can exhibit dissimilar phenotypic responses. Therefore, understanding patterns of phenotypic divergence for closely related species requires considering distinct evolutionary histories. Here, we investigated how a common form of human-induced environmental alteration, habitat fragmentation, may drive phenotypic divergence among three closely related species of Bahamian mosquitofish (Gambusia spp.). Focusing on one phenotypic trait (male coloration), having a priori predictions of divergence, we tested whether populations persisting in fragmented habitats differed from those inhabiting unfragmented habitats and examined the consistency of the pattern across species. Species exhibited both shared and unique patterns of phenotypic divergence between the two types of habitats, with shared patterns representing the stronger effect. For all species, populations in fragmented habitats had fewer dorsal-fin spots. In contrast, the magnitude and trajectory of divergence in dorsal-fin color, a sexually selected trait, differed among species. We identified fragmentation-mediated increased turbidity as a possible driver of these trait shifts. These results suggest that even closely related species can exhibit diverse phenotypic responses when encountering similar human-mediated selection regimes. This element of unpredictability complicates forecasting the phenotypic responses of wild organisms faced with anthropogenic change - an important component of biological conservation and ecosystem management.

Anthropogenic ecosystem fragmentation drives shared and unique patterns of sexual signal divergence among three species of Bahamian mosquitofish

PubMed Central

Giery, Sean T; Layman, Craig A; Langerhans, R Brian

2015-01-01

When confronted with similar environmental challenges, different organisms can exhibit dissimilar phenotypic responses. Therefore, understanding patterns of phenotypic divergence for closely related species requires considering distinct evolutionary histories. Here, we investigated how a common form of human-induced environmental alteration, habitat fragmentation, may drive phenotypic divergence among three closely related species of Bahamian mosquitofish (Gambusia spp.). Focusing on one phenotypic trait (male coloration), having a priori predictions of divergence, we tested whether populations persisting in fragmented habitats differed from those inhabiting unfragmented habitats and examined the consistency of the pattern across species. Species exhibited both shared and unique patterns of phenotypic divergence between the two types of habitats, with shared patterns representing the stronger effect. For all species, populations in fragmented habitats had fewer dorsal-fin spots. In contrast, the magnitude and trajectory of divergence in dorsal-fin color, a sexually selected trait, differed among species. We identified fragmentation-mediated increased turbidity as a possible driver of these trait shifts. These results suggest that even closely related species can exhibit diverse phenotypic responses when encountering similar human-mediated selection regimes. This element of unpredictability complicates forecasting the phenotypic responses of wild organisms faced with anthropogenic change – an important component of biological conservation and ecosystem management. PMID:26240605

Choosing organics: a path analysis of factors underlying the selection of organic food among Australian consumers.

PubMed

Lockie, Stewart; Lyons, Kristen; Lawrence, Geoffrey; Grice, Janet

2004-10-01

Path analysis of attitudinal, motivational, demographic and behavioural factors influencing food choice among Australian consumers who had consumed at least some organic food in the preceding 12 months showed that concern with the naturalness of food and the sensory and emotional experience of eating were the major determinants of increasing levels of organic consumption. Increasing consumption was also related to other 'green consumption' behaviours such as recycling and to lower levels of concern with convenience in the purchase and preparation of food. Most of these factors were, in turn, strongly affected by gender and the level of responsibility taken by respondents for food provisioning within their households, a responsibility dominated by women. Education had a slightly negative effect on the levels of concern for sensory and emotional appeal due to lower levels of education among women. Income, age, political and ecological values and willingness to pay a premium for safe and environmentally friendly foods all had extremely minor effects.

[The evolution of heat shock genes and expression patterns of heat shock proteins in the species from temperature contrasting habitats].

PubMed

Garbuz, D G; Evgen’ev, M B

2017-01-01

Heat shock genes are the most evolutionarily ancient among the systems responsible for adaptation of organisms to a harsh environment. The encoded proteins (heat shock proteins, Hsps) represent the most important factors of adaptation to adverse environmental conditions. They serve as molecular chaperones, providing protein folding and preventing aggregation of damaged cellular proteins. Structural analysis of the heat shock genes in individuals from both phylogenetically close and very distant taxa made it possible to reveal the basic trends of the heat shock gene organization in the context of adaptation to extreme conditions. Using different model objects and nonmodel species from natural populations, it was demonstrated that modulation of the Hsps expression during adaptation to different environmental conditions could be achieved by changing the number and structural organization of heat shock genes in the genome, as well as the structure of their promoters. It was demonstrated that thermotolerant species were usually characterized by elevated levels of Hsps under normal temperature or by the increase in the synthesis of these proteins in response to heat shock. Analysis of the heat shock genes in phylogenetically distant organisms is of great interest because, on one hand, it contributes to the understanding of the molecular mechanisms of evolution of adaptogenes and, on the other hand, sheds the light on the role of different Hsps families in the development of thermotolerance and the resistance to other stress factors.

Genetic variability of environmental sensitivity revealed by phenotypic variation in body weight and (its) correlations to physiological and behavioral traits

PubMed Central

Quillet, Edwige; Bégout, Marie-Laure; Aupérin, Benoit; Khaw, Hooi Ling; Millot, Sandie; Valotaire, Claudiane; Kernéis, Thierry; Labbé, Laurent; Prunet, Patrick; Dupont-Nivet, Mathilde

2017-01-01

Adaptive phenotypic plasticity is a key component of the ability of organisms to cope with changing environmental conditions. Fish have been shown to exhibit a substantial level of phenotypic plasticity in response to abiotic and biotic factors. In the present study, we investigate the link between environmental sensitivity assessed globally (revealed by phenotypic variation in body weight) and more targeted physiological and behavioral indicators that are generally used to assess the sensitivity of a fish to environmental stressors. We took advantage of original biological material, the rainbow trout isogenic lines, which allowed the disentangling of the genetic and environmental parts of the phenotypic variance. Ten lines were characterized for the changes of body weight variability (weight measurements taken every month during 18 months), the plasma cortisol response to confinement stress (3 challenges) and a set of selected behavioral indicators. This study unambiguously demonstrated the existence of genetic determinism of environmental sensitivity, with some lines being particularly sensitive to environmental fluctuations and others rather insensitive. Correlations between coefficient of variation (CV) for body weight and behavioral and physiological traits were observed. This confirmed that CV for body weight could be used as an indicator of environmental sensitivity. As the relationship between indicators (CV weight, risk-taking, exploration and cortisol) was shown to be likely depending on the nature and intensity of the stressor, the joint use of several indicators should help to investigate the biological complexity of environmental sensitivity. PMID:29253015

Redox Signaling and Its Impact on Skeletal and Vascular Responses to Spaceflight.

PubMed

Tahimic, Candice G T; Globus, Ruth K

2017-10-16

Spaceflight entails exposure to numerous environmental challenges with the potential to contribute to both musculoskeletal and vascular dysfunction. The purpose of this review is to describe current understanding of microgravity and radiation impacts on the mammalian skeleton and associated vasculature at the level of the whole organism. Recent experiments from spaceflight and ground-based models have provided fresh insights into how these environmental stresses influence mechanisms that are related to redox signaling, oxidative stress, and tissue dysfunction. Emerging mechanistic knowledge on cellular defenses to radiation and other environmental stressors, including microgravity, are useful for both screening and developing interventions against spaceflight-induced deficits in bone and vascular function.

The Autoimmune Ecology.

PubMed

Anaya, Juan-Manuel; Ramirez-Santana, Carolina; Alzate, Maria A; Molano-Gonzalez, Nicolas; Rojas-Villarraga, Adriana

2016-01-01

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) represent a heterogeneous group of disorders that affect specific target organs or multiple organ systems. These conditions share common immunopathogenic mechanisms (i.e., the autoimmune tautology), which explain the clinical similarities they have among them as well as their familial clustering (i.e., coaggregation). As part of the autoimmune tautology, the influence of environmental exposure on the risk of developing ADs is paramount (i.e., the autoimmune ecology). In fact, environment, more than genetics, shapes immune system. Autoimmune ecology is akin to exposome, that is all the exposures - internal and external - across the lifespan, interacting with hereditary factors (both genetics and epigenetics) to favor or protect against autoimmunity and its outcomes. Herein, we provide an overview of the autoimmune ecology, focusing on the immune response to environmental agents in general, and microbiota, cigarette smoking, alcohol and coffee consumption, socioeconomic status (SES), gender and sex hormones, vitamin D, organic solvents, and vaccines in particular. Inclusion of the autoimmune ecology in disease etiology and health will improve the way personalized medicine is currently conceived and applied.

Technical basis for nuclear accident dosimetry at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kerr, G.D.; Mei, G.T.

The Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Environmental, Safety, and Health Emergency Response Organization has the responsibility of providing analyses of personnel exposures to neutrons and gamma rays from a nuclear accident. This report presents the technical and philosophical basis for the dose assessment aspects of the nuclear accident dosimetry (NAD) system at ORNL. The issues addressed are regulatory guidelines, ORNL NAD system components and performance, and the interpretation of dosimetric information that would be gathered following a nuclear accident.

Insights from human genetic studies of lung and organ fibrosis.

PubMed

Garcia, Christine Kim

2018-01-02

Genetic investigations of fibrotic diseases, including those of late onset, often yield unanticipated insights into disease pathogenesis. This Review focuses on pathways underlying lung fibrosis that are generalizable to other organs. Herein, we discuss genetic variants subdivided into those that shorten telomeres, activate the DNA damage response, change resident protein expression or function, or affect organelle activity. Genetic studies provide a window into the downstream cascade of maladaptive responses and pathways that lead to tissue fibrosis. In addition, these studies reveal interactions between genetic variants, environmental factors, and age that influence the phenotypic spectrum of disease. The discovery of forces counterbalancing inherited risk alleles identifies potential therapeutic targets, thus providing hope for future prevention or reversal of fibrosis.

Current Concepts and Future Directions of CELSS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Macelroy, R. D.; Bredt, J.

1985-01-01

Bioregenerative life support systems for use in space were studied. Concepts of such systems include the use of higher plants and/or microalgae as sources of food, potable water and oxygen, and as sinks for carbon dioxide and metabolic wastes. Recycling of materials within the system will require processing of food organism and crew wastes using microbiological and/or physical chemical techniques. The dynamics of material flow within the system will require monitoring, control, stabilization and maintenance imposed by computers. Studies included higher plant and algal physiology, environmental responses, and control; flight experiments for testing responses of organisms to weightlessness and increased radiation levels; and development of ground based facilities for the study of recycling within a bioregenerative life support system.

Sequestration of hydrophobic organic contaminants by geosorbents

USGS Publications Warehouse

Luthy, Richard G.; Aiken, George R.; Brusseau, Mark L.; Cunningham, Scott D.; Gschwend, Philip M.; Pignatello, Joseph J.; Reinhard, Martin; Traina, Samuel J.; Weber, Walter J.; Westall, John C.

1997-01-01

The chemical interactions of hydrophobic organic contaminants (HOCs) with soils and sediments (geosorbents) may result in strong binding and slow subsequent release rates that significantly affect remediation rates and endpoints. The underlying physical and chemical phenomena potentially responsible for this apparent sequestration of HOCs by geosorbents are not well understood. This challenges our concepts for assessing exposure and toxicity and for setting environmental quality criteria. Currently there are no direct observational data revealing the molecular-scale locations in which nonpolar organic compounds accumulate when associated with natural soils or sediments. Hence macroscopic observations are used to make inferences about sorption mechanisms and the chemical factors affecting the sequestration of HOCs by geosorbents. Recent observations suggest that HOC interactions with geosorbents comprise different inorganic and organic surfaces and matrices, and distinctions may be drawn along these lines, particularly with regard to the roles of inorganic micropores, natural sorbent organic matter components, combustion residue particulate carbon, and spilled organic liquids. Certain manipulations of sorbates or sorbent media may help reveal sorption mechanisms, but mixed sorption phenomena complicate the interpretation of macroscopic data regarding diffusion of HOCs into and out of different matrices and the hysteretic sorption and aging effects commonly observed for geosorbents. Analytical characterizations at the microscale, and mechanistic models derived therefrom, are needed to advance scientific knowledge of HOC sequestration, release, and environmental risk.

The deprivation syndrome is the driving force of phylogeny, ontogeny and oncogeny.

PubMed

Heininger, K

2001-01-01

Energy is the motor of life. Energy ensures the organism's survival and competitive advantage for reproductive success. For almost 3 billion years, unicellular organisms were the only life form on earth. Competition for limited energy resources and raw materials exerted an incessant selective pressure on organisms. In the adverse environment and due to their 'feast and famine' life style, hardiness to a variety of stressors, particularly to nutrient deprivation, was the selection principle. Both resistance and mutagenic adaptation to stressors were established as survival strategies by means of context-specific processes creating stability or variability of DNA sequence. The conservation of transduction pathways and functional homology of effector molecules clearly bear witness that the principles of life established during prokaryotic and eukaryotic unicellular evolution, although later diversified, have been unshakably cast to persist during metazoan phylogenesis. A wealth of evidence suggests that unicellular organisms evolved the phenomena of differentiation and apoptosis, sexual reproduction, and even aging, as responses to environmental challenges. These evolutionary accomplishments were elaborated from the dichotomous resistance/mutagenesis response and sophisticated the capacity of cells to tune their genetic information to changing environmental conditions. Notably, the social deprivation responses, differentiation and apoptosis, evolved as intercellularly coordinated events: a multitude of differentiation processes were elaborated from sporulation, the prototypic stress resistance response, while apoptosis, contrary to current concepts, is no altruistic cell suicide but was programmed as a mutagenic survival response; this response, however, is socially thwarted leading into mutagenic error catastrophe. In the hybrid differentiation-apoptosis process, cytocide and cannibalism of apoptotic cells thus serve the purpose of fueling the survival of the selfish genes in the differentiating cells. However, successful mutagenesis, although repressed, persisted in the asocial stress response of carcinogenesis as a regression to primitive unicellular behavior following failure of intercellular communication. While somatic mutagenesis was largely prevented, Metazoa elaborated germ cell mutagenesis as an evolutionary vehicle. Genetic competence, a primitive, stress-induced mating behavior, evolved into sexual reproduction which harnessed mutagenesis by subjecting highly mutable germ cells to a rigid viability selection. These processes were programmatically fixed as life- and cell-cycle events but retained their deprivation response phenotypes. Thus, the differentiation-apoptosis tandem evolved as the 'clay' to mold the specialized structures and functions of a multicellular organism while sexual reproduction elaborated the principle of quality-checked mutagenesis to create the immense diversity of Metazoa following the Cambrian explosion. Throughout these events, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which are regulated by energy homeostasis, shape the genetic information in a regulated but random, uncoded process providing the fitness-related feedback of phenotype to genotype. The interplay of genes and environment establishes a dynamic stimulus-response feedback cycle which, in animate nature, may be the organizing principle to contrive the reciprocal duality of energy and matter.

Comparative genome analysis reveals genetic adaptation to versatile environmental conditions and importance of biofilm lifestyle in Comamonas testosteroni.

PubMed

Wu, Yichao; Arumugam, Krithika; Tay, Martin Qi Xiang; Seshan, Hari; Mohanty, Anee; Cao, Bin

2015-04-01

Comamonas testosteroni is an important environmental bacterium capable of degrading a variety of toxic aromatic pollutants and has been demonstrated to be a promising biocatalyst for environmental decontamination. This organism is often found to be among the primary surface colonizers in various natural and engineered ecosystems, suggesting an extraordinary capability of this organism in environmental adaptation and biofilm formation. The goal of this study was to gain genetic insights into the adaption of C. testosteroni to versatile environments and the importance of a biofilm lifestyle. Specifically, a draft genome of C. testosteroni I2 was obtained. The draft genome is 5,778,710 bp in length and comprises 110 contigs. The average G+C content was 61.88 %. A total of 5365 genes with 5263 protein-coding genes were predicted, whereas 4324 (80.60 % of total genes) protein-encoding genes were associated with predicted functions. The catabolic genes responsible for biodegradation of steroid and other aromatic compounds on draft genome were identified. Plasmid pI2 was found to encode a complete pathway for aniline degradation and a partial catabolic pathway for chloroaniline. This organism was found to be equipped with a sophisticated signaling system which helps it find ideal niches and switch between planktonic and biofilm lifestyles. A large number of putative multi-drug-resistant genes coding for abundant outer membrane transporters, chaperones, and heat shock proteins for the protection of cellular function were identified in the genome of strain I2. In addition, the genome of strain I2 was predicted to encode several proteins involved in producing, secreting, and uptaking siderophores under iron-limiting conditions. The genome of strain I2 contains a number of genes responsible for the synthesis and secretion of exopolysaccharides, an extracellular component essential for biofilm formation. Overall, our results reveal the genomic features underlying the adaption of C. testosteroni to versatile environments and highlighting the importance of its biofilm lifestyle.

Geobiological Responses to Ocean Acidification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potts, D. C.

2008-12-01

During 240Ma of evolution, scleractinian corals survived major changes in ocean chemistry, yet recent concerns with rapid acidification after ca. 40Ma of almost constant oceanic pH have tended to distract attention from natural pH variation in coastal waters, where most corals and reefs occur. Unaltered skeletal environmental proxies reflect conditions experienced by individual organisms, with any variation on micro- habitat and micro-time scales appropriate for that individual's ecology, behavior and physiology, but proxy interpretation usually extrapolates to larger spatial (habitat, region to global) and temporal (seasonal, annual, interannual) scales. Therefore, predicting consequences of acidification for both corals and reefs requires greater understanding of: 1. Many potential indirect consequences of pH change that may affect calcification and/or carbonate accretion: e.g. an individual's developmental rates, growth, final size, general physiology and reproductive success; its population's distribution and abundance, symbionts, food availability, predators and pathogens; and its community and ecosystem services. 2. Potentially diverse responses to declining pH, ranging from non-evolutionary, rapid physiological changes (acclimation) or long term (seasonal to interannual) plasticity (acclimatization) of individuals, through genetic adaptation in local populations, and up to directional changes in species" characteristics and/or radiations/extinctions. 3. The evolutionary and environmental history of an organism's lineage, its ecological (own lifetime) exposure to environmental variation, and "pre-adaptation" via other factors acting on correlated characters.

[The population's insurance protection as a mechanism responsible for provision of sanitary and epidemiological well-being].

PubMed

Iarushin, S V

2007-01-01

The paper describes a principal scheme of insurance protection organization due to the negative human influences of environmental factors and industrial risks as one of the most effective mechanisms responsible for controlling sanitary-and-epidemiological well-being and human health. It also considers how a voluntary medical collective insurance program and a civil responsibility insurance one are being implemented due to unforeseen damages done to the population's health and how the quality and safety of goods (work, services) are controlled. Organizational, methodic, and normative legal approaches are proposed to developing the population's insurance protection system.

Units of analysis and kinetic structure of behavioral repertoires

PubMed Central

Thompson, Travis; Lubinski, David

1986-01-01

It is suggested that molar streams of behavior are constructed of various arrangements of three elementary constituents (elicited, evoked, and emitted response classes). An eight-cell taxonomy is elaborated as a framework for analyzing and synthesizing complex behavioral repertoires based on these functional units. It is proposed that the local force binding functional units into a smoothly articulated kinetic sequence arises from temporally arranged relative response probability relationships. Behavioral integration is thought to reflect the joint influence of the organism's hierarchy of relative response probabilities, fluctuating biological states, and the arrangement of environmental and behavioral events in time. PMID:16812461

Environmental endocrine disruption in decapod crustacean larvae: hormone titers, cytochrome P450, and stress protein responses to heptachlor exposure.

PubMed

Snyder, M J; Mulder, E P

2001-11-12

A variety of enzymes and other proteins are produced by organisms in response to xenobiotic exposures. Cytochrome P450s (CYP) are one of the major phase I-type classes of detoxification enzymes found in terrestrial and aquatic organisms ranging from bacteria to vertebrates. One of the primary functions of stress proteins (HSPs) is to aid in the recovery of damaged proteins by chaperoning their refolding. These and other biomarkers of xenobiotic exposure and resulting effects have not been studied in crustacean larvae. This information is of potential importance for environmental management and risk assessment. In this work, we have given Homarus americanus larvae single 24 h exposures to the cyclodiene pesticide heptachlor, a known environmental endocrine disruptor (EDC) on different days of the 1st larval instar. We followed these larvae during the first larval stage for effects on timing of ecdysis to 2nd stage, ecdysteroid molting hormone titers, and alterations in the levels of cytochrome P450 CYP45 and HSP70 proteins. Delays in ecdysis were correlated with alterations in ecdysteroid levels. This result provides clues that this pesticide may function as an environmental endocrine disruptor in crustaceans. CYP45 and HSP70 levels were significantly elevated for several days following heptachlor exposure. The elevation in HSP70 was prolonged depending on the day of pesticide exposure and this was directly related to the increase in mortality. These results demonstrate the utility of these measurements as potential biomarkers in crustacean larval developmental toxicology and EDC effects research.

What is conservation physiology? Perspectives on an increasingly integrated and essential science†

PubMed Central

Cooke, Steven J.; Sack, Lawren; Franklin, Craig E.; Farrell, Anthony P.; Beardall, John; Wikelski, Martin; Chown, Steven L.

2013-01-01

Globally, ecosystems and their constituent flora and fauna face the localized and broad-scale influence of human activities. Conservation practitioners and environmental managers struggle to identify and mitigate threats, reverse species declines, restore degraded ecosystems, and manage natural resources sustainably. Scientific research and evidence are increasingly regarded as the foundation for new regulations, conservation actions, and management interventions. Conservation biologists and managers have traditionally focused on the characteristics (e.g. abundance, structure, trends) of populations, species, communities, and ecosystems, and simple indicators of the responses to environmental perturbations and other human activities. However, an understanding of the specific mechanisms underlying conservation problems is becoming increasingly important for decision-making, in part because physiological tools and knowledge are especially useful for developing cause-and-effect relationships, and for identifying the optimal range of habitats and stressor thresholds for different organisms. When physiological knowledge is incorporated into ecological models, it can improve predictions of organism responses to environmental change and provide tools to support management decisions. Without such knowledge, we may be left with simple associations. ‘Conservation physiology’ has been defined previously with a focus on vertebrates, but here we redefine the concept universally, for application to the diversity of taxa from microbes to plants, to animals, and to natural resources. We also consider ‘physiology’ in the broadest possible terms; i.e. how an organism functions, and any associated mechanisms, from development to bioenergetics, to environmental interactions, through to fitness. Moreover, we consider conservation physiology to include a wide range of applications beyond assisting imperiled populations, and include, for example, the eradication of invasive species, refinement of resource management strategies to minimize impacts, and evaluation of restoration plans. This concept of conservation physiology emphasizes the basis, importance, and ecological relevance of physiological diversity at a variety of scales. Real advances in conservation and resource management require integration and inter-disciplinarity. Conservation physiology and its suite of tools and concepts is a key part of the evidence base needed to address pressing environmental challenges. PMID:27293585

FIELD DEMONSTRATION OF PERVAPORATION FOR THE SEPARATION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS FROM A SURFACTANT-BASED SOIL REMEDIATION FLUID

EPA Science Inventory

As part of a Department of Defense project, the US Environmental Protection Agency was responsible for designing, building and field operating a pilot-scale pervaporation unit. The field site ws an active dry cleaning facility on the grounds of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in J...

An application of the Aggregate Exposure Pathway (AEP) and Adverse Outcome Pathway (AOP) frameworks to mechanistically integrate data sources across multiple species into cumulative risk assessment (CRA)

EPA Science Inventory

Toxicologists use dose-response data from both in vivo and in vitro experiments to evaluate the effects of chemical contaminants on organisms. Cumulative risk assessments (CRAs) consider the effects of multiple stressors on multiple endpoints, and utilize environmental exposure ...

The Search for Value and Meaning in the Cocoa Supply Chain in Costa Rica

Treesearch

Jessica Haynes; Frederick Cubbage; D. Evan Mercer; Erin Sills

2012-01-01

Qualitative interviews with participants in the cocoa (Theobroma cacao) supply chain in Costa Rica and the United States were conducted and supplemented with an analysis of the marketing literature to examine the prospects of organic and Fairtrade certification for enhancing environmentally and socially responsible trade of cocoa from Costa Rica. Respondents were...

Changes in fire regime break the legacy lock on successional trajectories in Alaskan boreal forest

Treesearch

Jill F. Johnstone; Teresa N. Hollingsworth; F. Stuart Chapin; Michelle C. Mack

2009-01-01

Predicting plant community responses to changing environmental conditions is a key element of forecasting and mitigating the effects of global change. Disturbance can play an important role in these dynamics, by initiating cycles of secondary succession and generating opportunities for communities of long-lived organisms to reorganize in alternative configurations....

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recreation resource management challenges

Treesearch

Gerald T. Purvis

1980-01-01

This paper provides a brief legislative history of Corps responsibilities for public recreation, outlines its relationships with non-federal agencies and organizations and describes a number of environmental concerns it sees in its new outlook for management of recreation resources. A Recreation- Resource Management System is also described that contains data on the...

Hazardous Waste Environmental Education Resource Kit for Manitoba Teachers: Suggested Activities K-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Downey-Franchuk, Andrea J.

Society has become increasingly aware of the harmful effects that the disposal of chemical waste products have on the environment and human health. Public information is central to the development of a responsible waste management plan. The activities contained in this guide are organized in sequence from kindergarten to grade 12, and provide…

Westinghouse Hanford Company (WHC) standards/requirements identification document (S/RID)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bennett, G.L.

1996-03-15

This Standards/Requirements Identification Document (S/RID) set forth the Environmental Safety and Health (ES&H) standards/requirements for Westinghouse Hanford Company Level Programs, where implementation and compliance is the responsibility of these organizations. These standards/requirements are adequate to ensure the protection of the health and safety of workers, the public, and the environment.

Voluntary Tools Of The Environmental Oriented Product Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rusko, Miroslav

2015-06-01

Environmentally oriented product policy is in general determined by the relationships between its aims - subjects - objects - tools. It is based on the integrated approach to the product life cycle, which anticipates an enormous amount of information. It has to solve the questions of the international trade as well as the rules of the International Trade Organization. New forms of preventive environmental strategies and especially Green Marketing are being introduced helping to solve environmental problems and environmental motivation of producers. Many producers face great attention of the public regarding their approach to the environment. Despite the fact that the customers buy products fairly prudently and their behaviour is markedly affected by prices, a particular part of the population prefers the products that do not burden the environment. This brings about a situation, in which the producers within their mutual competition and in relation to customers are enforced to behave responsibly.

Reflections on Plant and Soil Nematode Ecology: Past, Present and Future

PubMed Central

Ferris, Howard; Griffiths, Bryan S.; Porazinska, Dorota L.; Powers, Thomas O.; Wang, Koon-Hui; Tenuta, Mario

2012-01-01

The purpose of this review is to highlight key developments in nematode ecology from its beginnings to where it stands today as a discipline within nematology. Emerging areas of research appear to be driven by crop production constraints, environmental health concerns, and advances in technology. In contrast to past ecological studies which mainly focused on management of plant-parasitic nematodes, current studies reflect differential sensitivity of nematode faunae. These differences, identified in both aquatic and terrestrial environments include response to stressors, environmental conditions, and management practices. Methodological advances will continue to influence the role nematodes have in addressing the nature of interactions between organisms, and of organisms with their environments. In particular, the C. elegans genetic model, nematode faunal analysis and nematode metagenetic analysis can be used by ecologists generally and not restricted to nematologists. PMID:23482864

Distributed and dynamic intracellular organization of extracellular information.

PubMed

Granados, Alejandro A; Pietsch, Julian M J; Cepeda-Humerez, Sarah A; Farquhar, Iseabail L; Tkačik, Gašper; Swain, Peter S

2018-06-05

Although cells respond specifically to environments, how environmental identity is encoded intracellularly is not understood. Here, we study this organization of information in budding yeast by estimating the mutual information between environmental transitions and the dynamics of nuclear translocation for 10 transcription factors. Our method of estimation is general, scalable, and based on decoding from single cells. The dynamics of the transcription factors are necessary to encode the highest amounts of extracellular information, and we show that information is transduced through two channels: Generalists (Msn2/4, Tod6 and Dot6, Maf1, and Sfp1) can encode the nature of multiple stresses, but only if stress is high; specialists (Hog1, Yap1, and Mig1/2) encode one particular stress, but do so more quickly and for a wider range of magnitudes. In particular, Dot6 encodes almost as much information as Msn2, the master regulator of the environmental stress response. Each transcription factor reports differently, and it is only their collective behavior that distinguishes between multiple environmental states. Changes in the dynamics of the localization of transcription factors thus constitute a precise, distributed internal representation of extracellular change. We predict that such multidimensional representations are common in cellular decision-making.

Organizational responses to accountability requirements: Do we get what we expect?

PubMed

Gray, Carolyn Steele; Berta, Whitney; Deber, Raisa; Lum, Janet

In health care, accountability is being championed as a promising approach to meeting the dual imperatives of improving care quality while managing constrained budgets. Few studies focus on public sector organizations' responsiveness to government imperatives for accountability. We applied and adapted a theory of organizational responsiveness to community care agencies operating in Ontario, Canada, asking the question: What is the array of realized organizational responses to government-imposed accountability requirements among community agencies that receive public funds to provide home and community care? A sequential complementary mixed methods approach was used. It gathered data through a survey of 114 home and community care organizations in Ontario and interviews with 20 key informants representing 13 home and community care agencies and four government agencies. It generated findings using a parallel mixed analysis technique. In addition to responses predicted by the theory, we found that organizations engage in active, as well as passive, forms of compliance; we refer to this response as internal modification in which internal policies, practices, and/or procedures are changed to meet accountability requirements. We also found that environmental factors, such as the presence of an association representing organizational interests, can influence bargaining tactics. Our study helps us to better understand the range of likely responses to accountability requirements and is a first step toward encouraging the development of accountability frameworks that favor positive outcomes for organizations and those holding them to account. Tailoring agreements to organizational environments, aligning perceived compliance with behaviors that encourage improved performance, and allowing for flexibility in accountability arrangements are suggested strategies to support beneficial outcomes.

Bacterial community structure in response to environmental impacts in the intertidal sediments along the Yangtze Estuary, China.

PubMed

Guo, Xing-Pan; Lu, Da-Pei; Niu, Zuo-Shun; Feng, Jing-Nan; Chen, Yu-Ru; Tou, Fei-Yun; Liu, Min; Yang, Yi

2018-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the characteristics of bacterial communities in intertidal sediments along the Yangtze Estuary and their responses to environmental factors. The results showed that bacterial abundance was significantly correlated with salinity, SO 4 2- and total organic carbon, while bacterial diversity was significantly correlated with SO 4 2- and total nitrogen. At different taxonomic levels, both the dominant taxa and their abundances varied among the eight samples, with Proteobacteria being the most dominant phylum in general. Cluster analysis revealed that the bacterial community structure was influenced by river runoff and sewerage discharge. Moreover, SO 4 2- , salinity and total phosphorus were the vital environmental factors that influenced the bacterial community structure. Quantitative PCR and sequencing of sulphate-reducing bacteria indicated that the sulphate reduction process occurs frequently in intertidal sediments. These findings are important to understand the microbial ecology and biogeochemical cycles in estuarine environments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The impact of transposable elements in environmental adaptation.

PubMed

Casacuberta, Elena; González, Josefa

2013-03-01

Transposable elements (TEs) play an important role in the responsive capacity of their hosts in the face of environmental challenges. The variety of mechanisms by which TEs influence the capacity of adaptation of the host is as large as the variety of TEs and host genomes. For example, TEs might directly affect the function of individual genes, provide a mechanism for rapidly acquiring new genetic material and disseminate regulatory elements that can lead to the creation of stress-inducible regulatory networks. In this review, we summarize recent examples that are part of an increasing body of evidence suggesting a significant role of TEs in the host response to an ever-changing environment, both in prokaryote and in eukaryote organisms. We argue that in the near future, the increasing availability of genome sequences and the development of new tools to discover and analyse TE insertions will further show the relevant role of TEs in environmental adaptation. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Size relationships of different body parts in the three dipteran species Drosophila melanogaster, Ceratitis capitata and Musca domestica.

PubMed

Siomava, Natalia; Wimmer, Ernst A; Posnien, Nico

2016-06-01

Body size is an integral feature of an organism that influences many aspects of life such as fecundity, life span and mating success. Size of individual organs and the entire body size represent quantitative traits with a large reaction norm, which are influenced by various environmental factors. In the model system Drosophila melanogaster, pupal size and adult traits, such as tibia and thorax length or wing size, accurately estimate the overall body size. However, it is unclear whether these traits can be used in other flies. Therefore, we studied changes in size of pupae and adult organs in response to different rearing temperatures and densities for D. melanogaster, Ceratitis capitata and Musca domestica. We confirm a clear sexual size dimorphism (SSD) for Drosophila and show that the SSD is less uniform in the other species. Moreover, the size response to changing growth conditions is sex dependent. Comparison of static and evolutionary allometries of the studied traits revealed that response to the same environmental variable is genotype specific but has similarities between species of the same order. We conclude that the value of adult traits as estimators of the absolute body size may differ among species and the use of a single trait may result in wrong assumptions. Therefore, we suggest using a body size coefficient computed from several individual measurements. Our data is of special importance for monitoring activities of natural populations of the three dipteran flies, since they are harmful species causing economical damage (Drosophila, Ceratitis) or transferring diseases (Musca).

Molecular aspects of stress-gene regulation during spaceflight

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paul, Anna-Lisa; Ferl, Robert J.

2002-01-01

Spaceflight-associated stress has been the topic of investigation since the first terrestrial organisms were exposed to this unique environment. Organisms that evolved under the selection pressures of earth-normal environments can perceive spaceflight as a stress, either directly because gravity influences an intrinsic biological process, or indirectly because of secondary effects imparted by spaceflight upon environmental conditions. Different organisms and even different organs within an organism adapt to a spaceflight environment with a diversity of tactics. Plants are keenly sensitive to gravity for directed development, and are also sensitive to other stresses associated with closed-system spaceflight environments. Within the past decade, the tools of molecular biology have begun to provide a sophisticated evaluation of spaceflight-associated stress and the genetic responses that accompany metabolic adaptation to spaceflight.

Rapid transcriptome responses of maize (Zea mays) to UV-B in irradiated and shielded tissues

PubMed Central

Casati, Paula; Walbot, Virginia

2004-01-01

Background Depletion of stratospheric ozone has raised terrestrial levels of ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B), an environmental change linked to an increased risk of skin cancer and with potentially deleterious consequences for plants. To better understand the processes of UV-B acclimation that result in altered plant morphology and physiology, we investigated gene expression in different organs of maize at several UV-B fluence rates and exposure times. Results Microarray hybridization was used to assess UV-B responses in directly exposed maize organs and organs shielded by a plastic that absorbs UV-B. After 8 hours of high UV-B, the abundance of 347 transcripts was altered: 285 were increased significantly in at least one organ and 80 were downregulated. More transcript changes occurred in directly exposed than in shielded organs, and the levels of more transcripts were changed in adult compared to seedling tissues. The time course of transcript abundance changes indicated that the response kinetics to UV-B is very rapid, as some transcript levels were altered within 1 hour of exposure. Conclusions Most of the UV-B regulated genes are organ-specific. Because shielded tissues, including roots, immature ears, and leaves, displayed altered transcriptome profiles after exposure of the plant to UV-B, some signal(s) must be transmitted from irradiated to shielded tissues. These results indicate that there are integrated responses to UV-B radiation above normal levels. As the same total UV-B irradiation dose applied at three intensities elicited different transcript profiles, the transcriptome changes exhibit threshold effects rather than a reciprocal dose-effect response. Transcriptome profiling highlights possible signaling pathways and molecules for future research. PMID:15003119

Behavioral flexibility as a mechanism for coping with climate change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Beever, Erik; Hall, L. Embere; Varner, Johanna; Loosen, Anne E.; Dunham, Jason B.; Gahl, Megan K.; Smith, Felisa A.; Lawler, Joshua J.

2017-01-01

Of the primary responses to contemporary climate change – “move, adapt, acclimate, or die” – that are available to organisms, “acclimate” may be effectively achieved through behavioral modification. Behavioral flexibility allows animals to rapidly cope with changing environmental conditions, and behavior represents an important component of a species’ adaptive capacity in the face of climate change. However, there is currently a lack of knowledge about the limits or constraints on behavioral responses to changing conditions. Here, we characterize the contexts in which organisms respond to climate variability through behavior. First, we quantify patterns in behavioral responses across taxa with respect to timescales, climatic stimuli, life-history traits, and ecology. Next, we identify existing knowledge gaps, research biases, and other challenges. Finally, we discuss how conservation practitioners and resource managers can incorporate an improved understanding of behavioral flexibility into natural resource management and policy decisions.

Infrared point sensors for homeland defense applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Ross C.; Carter, Michael T.; Homrighausen, Craig L.

2004-03-01

We report recent progress toward the development of infrared point sensors for the detection of chemical warfare agents and explosive related chemicals, which pose a significant threat to both health and environment. Technical objectives have focused on the development of polymer sorbents to enhance the infrared response of these hazardous organic compounds. For example, infrared point sensors which part-per-billion detection limits have been developed that rapidlypartition chemical warfare agents and explosive related chemicals into polymer thin films with desirable chemical and physical properties. These chemical sensors demonstrate novel routes to reversible sensing of hazardous organic compounds. The development of small, low-power, sensitive, and selective instruments employing these chemical sensors would enhance the capabilities of federal, state, and local emergency response to incidents involving chemical terrorism. Specific applications include chemical defense systems for military personnel and homeland defense, environmental monitors for remediation and demilitarization, and point source detectors for emergency and maintenance response teams.

Developmental characterization and environmental stress responses of Y-box binding protein 1 gene (AccYB-1) from Apis cerana cerana.

PubMed

Li, Guilin; Wang, Lijun; Wang, Ying; Li, Han; Liu, Zhenguo; Wang, Hongfang; Xu, Baohua; Guo, Xingqi

2018-06-22

Y-box binding protein 1 (YB-1) is a member of the cold shock domain protein superfamily and is involved in development, environmental stresses and DNA oxidative damage in many organisms. However, the precise functions of YB-1 are still not well understood in various insects, including bees. In the current study, we identified a YB-1 gene in Apis cerana cerana (AccYB-1). The predicted cis-acting elements in the promoter sequence of AccYB-1 indicated its possible roles in development and stress responses. AccYB-1 expression was higher in one-day-old larvae and dark-eyed pupae than in other development stages. Tissue-specific expression analysis showed that the mRNA level of AccYB-1 was higher in the thorax and midgut than in other tissues. The results from real-time PCR showed that AccYB-1 was induced by many environmental stresses. Silencing AccYB-1 downregulated the transcriptional level of some growth- and development-related genes and antioxidant genes and decreased the enzyme activities of several antioxidant-related enzymes, further indicating a possible function of AccYB-1 in growth, development and stress responses. Taken together, our findings suggest that AccYB-1 may play an indispensable role in growth and development and environmental stress responses in Apis cerana cerana. To our knowledge, this is the first paper to explore the role of YB-1 in bees. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The Expanding Context of European and Mediterranean Security: A Joint Project Between the Center for Naval Analyses (CNA) and Centro Militare di Studi Strategici (CeMiSS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-04-01

has deployed several police-type assistance missions. The UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), has, in the broadest of senses, a "security...34 mandate, inasmuch as food shortages in the world ineluctably are a direct cause of insecurity, which, in turn, is likely to require response by...failure of international institutions, like the International Maritime Organization, to address the environmental and safety impacts of shipping on coastal

A composite structure based on reduced graphene oxide and metal oxide nanomaterials for chemical sensors.

PubMed

Galstyan, Vardan; Comini, Elisabetta; Kholmanov, Iskandar; Ponzoni, Andrea; Sberveglieri, Veronica; Poli, Nicola; Faglia, Guido; Sberveglieri, Giorgio

2016-01-01

A hybrid nanostructure based on reduced graphene oxide and ZnO has been obtained for the detection of volatile organic compounds. The sensing properties of the hybrid structure have been studied for different concentrations of ethanol and acetone. The response of the hybrid material is significantly higher compared to pristine ZnO nanostructures. The obtained results have shown that the nanohybrid is a promising structure for the monitoring of environmental pollutants and for the application of breath tests in assessment of exposure to volatile organic compounds.

Role of chromatin in water stress responses in plants

PubMed Central

Han, Soon-Ki; Wagner, Doris

2014-01-01

As sessile organisms, plants are exposed to environmental stresses throughout their life. They have developed survival strategies such as developmental and morphological adaptations, as well as physiological responses, to protect themselves from adverse environments. In addition, stress sensing triggers large-scale transcriptional reprogramming directed at minimizing the deleterious effect of water stress on plant cells. Here, we review recent findings that reveal a role of chromatin in water stress responses. In addition, we discuss data in support of the idea that chromatin remodelling and modifying enzymes may be direct targets of stress signalling pathways. Modulation of chromatin regulator activity by these signaling pathways may be critical in minimizing potential trade-offs between growth and stress responses. Alterations in the chromatin organization and/or in the activity of chromatin remodelling and modifying enzymes may furthermore contribute to stress memory. Mechanistic insight into these phenomena derived from studies in model plant systems should allow future engineering of broadly drought-tolerant crop plants that do not incur unnecessary losses in yield or growth. PMID:24302754

Surviving rapid climate change in the deep sea during the Paleogene hyperthermals.

PubMed

Foster, Laura C; Schmidt, Daniela N; Thomas, Ellen; Arndt, Sandra; Ridgwell, Andy

2013-06-04

Predicting the impact of ongoing anthropogenic CO2 emissions on calcifying marine organisms is complex, owing to the synergy between direct changes (acidification) and indirect changes through climate change (e.g., warming, changes in ocean circulation, and deoxygenation). Laboratory experiments, particularly on longer-lived organisms, tend to be too short to reveal the potential of organisms to acclimatize, adapt, or evolve and usually do not incorporate multiple stressors. We studied two examples of rapid carbon release in the geological record, Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (∼53.2 Ma) and the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM, ∼55.5 Ma), the best analogs over the last 65 Ma for future ocean acidification related to high atmospheric CO2 levels. We use benthic foraminifers, which suffered severe extinction during the PETM, as a model group. Using synchrotron radiation X-ray tomographic microscopy, we reconstruct the calcification response of survivor species and find, contrary to expectations, that calcification significantly increased during the PETM. In contrast, there was no significant response to the smaller Eocene Thermal Maximum 2, which was associated with a minor change in diversity only. These observations suggest that there is a response threshold for extinction and calcification response, while highlighting the utility of the geological record in helping constrain the sensitivity of biotic response to environmental change.

The use of multiple endpoints to assess cellular responses to environmental contaminants in the interstitial marine ciliate Euplotes crassus.

PubMed

Gomiero, A; Sforzini, S; Dagnino, A; Nasci, C; Viarengo, A

2012-06-15

This paper presents the results of investigations on the suitability of Euplotes crassus, an interstitial marine ciliate, to be used as model organism in ecotoxicology and thereafter to evaluate the toxicity of estuarine and coastal sediments upon laboratory exposure. Nowadays, anthropogenic activities have resulted in accumulation of metals and organic pollutants in the environment as well as in the food chain hence leading to serious ecological and human health problems. This may pose a risk to benthic and epibenthic organisms and it is crucial to discover toxicity tests that will identify adverse effects of sediment-associated chemicals on benthic organisms. Due to their nature as a eukaryotic cell/organism and their position in the food web, ciliated protozoa are suitable models for evaluating the effects of pollution on aquatic communities. Lethal and sublethal effects of exposure to inorganic and organic pollutants were tested on the cell mortality, replication rate, lysosomal membrane stability and endocytosis rate of E. crassus. Increasing nominal concentrations of individual and mixtures of mercury, copper, and benzo(a)pyrene were investigated in this study as they might be bioavailable in naturally occurring polluted sites. A significant decrease in the mean replication rate (p<0.05) was found after 24h exposures to m/μM concentrations of all tested pollutants. At the same time, significant decreases of lysosomal membrane stability (p<0.05) were observed for Cu (5 μM), Hg (10 nM), and B(a)P (200 nM). Among the entire suite of tests, endocytosis rate test demonstrated the highest sensitivity. Exposures to binary mixtures of all studied pollutants were performed showing both inorganic-organic and inorganic-inorganic additive and/or antagonist effects. Moreover, medium salinity was also varied to mimic estuarine-like environmental conditions linking biological response to ionic strengths. Under these conditions significant increases of both endocytosis rate and lysosomal membrane stability were observed and related to the increment of some Hg- and Cu-related toxic complexes. The studied biomarkers were always able to discriminate between the effects of organic and inorganic pollutants. Together with the short time and simplicity of the test procedures, results obtained in this study indicate that E. crassus is a promising and convenient bioindicator for evaluating the toxicity of different environmental matrixes like pore water, sediments and wastewaters--polluted by metals and organic pollutants. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Need for an "integrated safety assessment" of GMOs, linking food safety and environmental considerations.

PubMed

Haslberger, Alexander G

2006-05-03

Evidence for substantial environmental influences on health and food safety comes from work with environmental health indicators which show that agroenvironmental practices have direct and indirect effects on human health, concluding that "the quality of the environment influences the quality and safety of foods" [Fennema, O. Environ. Health Perspect. 1990, 86, 229-232). In the field of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), Codex principles have been established for the assessment of GM food safety and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety outlines international principles for an environmental assessment of living modified organisms. Both concepts also contain starting points for an assessment of health/food safety effects of GMOs in cases when the environment is involved in the chain of events that could lead to hazards. The environment can act as a route of unintentional entry of GMOs into the food supply, such as in the case of gene flow via pollen or seeds from GM crops, but the environment can also be involved in changes of GMO-induced agricultural practices with relevance for health/food safety. Examples for this include potential regional changes of pesticide uses and reduction in pesticide poisonings resulting from the use of Bt crops or influences on immune responses via cross-reactivity. Clearly, modern methods of biotechnology in breeding are involved in the reasons behind the rapid reduction of local varieties in agrodiversity, which constitute an identified hazard for food safety and food security. The health/food safety assessment of GM foods in cases when the environment is involved needs to be informed by data from environmental assessment. Such data might be especially important for hazard identification and exposure assessment. International organizations working in these areas will very likely be needed to initiate and enable cooperation between those institutions responsible for the different assessments, as well as for exchange and analysis of information. An integrated assessment might help to focus and save capacities in highly technical areas such as molecular characterization or profiling, which are often necessary for both assessments. In the area of establishing international standards for traded foods, such as for the newly created Standards in Trade and Development Facility (STDF), an integrated assessment might help in the consideration of important environmental aspects involved in health and food safety. Furthermore, an established integrated view on GMOs may create greater consumer confidence in the technology.

Next Steps Toward Understanding Human Habitation of Space: Environmental Impacts and Mechanisms

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Globus, Ruth

2016-01-01

Entry into low earth orbit and beyond causes profound shifts in environmental conditions that have the potential to influence human productivity, long term health, and even survival. We now have evidence that microgravity, radiation and/or confinement in space can lead to demonstrably detrimental changes in the cardiovascular (e.g. vessel function, orthostatic intolerance), musculoskeletal (muscle atrophy, bone loss) and nervous (eye, neurovestibular) systems of astronauts. Because of both the limited number of astronauts who have flown (especially females) and the high degree of individual variability in the human population, important unanswered questions about responses to the space environment remain: What are the sex differences with respect to specific physiological systems? Are the responses age-dependent and/or reversible after return to Earth? Do observed detrimental changes that resemble accelerated aging progress continuously over time or plateau? What are the mechanisms of the biological responses? Answering these important questions certainly demands a multi-pronged approach, and the study of multicellular model organisms (such as rodents and flies) already has provided opportunities for exploring those questions in some detail. Recent long duration spaceflight experiments with rodents show that mice in space provide a mammalian model that uniquely combines the influence of reduced gravitational loading with increased physical activity. In addition, multiple investigators have shown that ground-based models that simulate aspects of spaceflight (including rodent hind limb unloading to mimic weightlessness and exposure to ionizing radiation), cause various transient and persistent detrimental consequences in multiple physiological systems. In general, we have found that adverse skeletal effects of simulated weightlessness and space radiation when combined, can be quantitatively, if not qualitatively, different from the influence of each environmental factor alone implying at least some shared underlying mechanisms. Thus, both ground based and spaceflight research utilizing model organisms provide the opportunity to better understand environmental factors and biological mechanisms that contribute to human health and survival in space.

Functional ecology of an Antarctic Dry Valley

PubMed Central

Chan, Yuki; Van Nostrand, Joy D.; Zhou, Jizhong; Pointing, Stephen B.

2013-01-01

The McMurdo Dry Valleys are the largest ice-free region in Antarctica and are critically at risk from climate change. The terrestrial landscape is dominated by oligotrophic mineral soils and extensive exposed rocky surfaces where biota are largely restricted to microbial communities, although their ability to perform the majority of geobiological processes has remained largely uncharacterized. Here, we identified functional traits that drive microbial survival and community assembly, using a metagenomic approach with GeoChip-based functional gene arrays to establish metabolic capabilities in communities inhabiting soil and rock surface niches in McKelvey Valley. Major pathways in primary metabolism were identified, indicating significant plasticity in autotrophic, heterotrophic, and diazotrophic strategies supporting microbial communities. This represents a major advance beyond biodiversity surveys in that we have now identified how putative functional ecology drives microbial community assembly. Significant differences were apparent between open soil, hypolithic, chasmoendolithic, and cryptoendolithic communities. A suite of previously unappreciated Antarctic microbial stress response pathways, thermal, osmotic, and nutrient limitation responses were identified and related to environmental stressors, offering tangible clues to the mechanisms behind the enduring success of microorganisms in this seemingly inhospitable terrain. Rocky substrates exposed to larger fluctuations in environmental stress supported greater functional diversity in stress-response pathways than soils. Soils comprised a unique reservoir of genes involved in transformation of organic hydrocarbons and lignin-like degradative pathways. This has major implications for the evolutionary origin of the organisms, turnover of recalcitrant substrates in Antarctic soils, and predicting future responses to anthropogenic pollution. PMID:23671121

Functional ecology of an Antarctic Dry Valley.

PubMed

Chan, Yuki; Van Nostrand, Joy D; Zhou, Jizhong; Pointing, Stephen B; Farrell, Roberta L

2013-05-28

The McMurdo Dry Valleys are the largest ice-free region in Antarctica and are critically at risk from climate change. The terrestrial landscape is dominated by oligotrophic mineral soils and extensive exposed rocky surfaces where biota are largely restricted to microbial communities, although their ability to perform the majority of geobiological processes has remained largely uncharacterized. Here, we identified functional traits that drive microbial survival and community assembly, using a metagenomic approach with GeoChip-based functional gene arrays to establish metabolic capabilities in communities inhabiting soil and rock surface niches in McKelvey Valley. Major pathways in primary metabolism were identified, indicating significant plasticity in autotrophic, heterotrophic, and diazotrophic strategies supporting microbial communities. This represents a major advance beyond biodiversity surveys in that we have now identified how putative functional ecology drives microbial community assembly. Significant differences were apparent between open soil, hypolithic, chasmoendolithic, and cryptoendolithic communities. A suite of previously unappreciated Antarctic microbial stress response pathways, thermal, osmotic, and nutrient limitation responses were identified and related to environmental stressors, offering tangible clues to the mechanisms behind the enduring success of microorganisms in this seemingly inhospitable terrain. Rocky substrates exposed to larger fluctuations in environmental stress supported greater functional diversity in stress-response pathways than soils. Soils comprised a unique reservoir of genes involved in transformation of organic hydrocarbons and lignin-like degradative pathways. This has major implications for the evolutionary origin of the organisms, turnover of recalcitrant substrates in Antarctic soils, and predicting future responses to anthropogenic pollution.

Humidity and illumination organic semiconductor copper phthalocyanine sensor for environmental monitoring.

PubMed

Karimov, K S; Qazi, I; Khan, T A; Draper, P H; Khalid, F A; Mahroof-Tahir, M

2008-06-01

In this investigation properties of organic semiconductor copper phthalocyanine (CuPc) capacitive humidity and illumination sensors were studied. Organic thin film was deposited by vacuum evaporation on a glass substrate with silver surface-type electrodes to form the Ag/CuPc/Ag sensor. The capacitance of the samples was evaluated at room temperature in the relative humidity range of 35-92%. It was observed that capacitance of the Ag/CuPc/Ag sensor increases with increase in humidity. The ratio of the relative capacitance to relative humidity was about 200. It is assumed that in general the capacitive response of the sensor is associated with polarization due to absorption of water molecules and transfer of charges (electrons and holes). It was observed that under filament lamp illumination of up to 1,000 lx the capacitance of the Ag/CuPc/Ag photo capacitive detectors increased continuously by 20% as compared to dark condition. It is assumed that photo capacitive response of the sensor is associated with polarization due to transfer of photo-generated electrons and holes. An equivalent circuit of the Ag/CuPc/Ag capacitive humidity and illumination sensor was developed. Humidity and illumination dependent capacitance properties of this sensor make it attractive for use in humidity and illumination multi-meters. The sensor may be used in instruments for environmental monitoring of humidity and illumination.

Monitoring and Testing the Parts Cleaning Stations, Abrasive Blasting Cabinets, and Paint Booths

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jordan, Tracee M.

2004-01-01

I have the opportunity to work in the Environmental Management Office (EMO) this summer. One of the EMO's tasks is to make sure the Environmental Management System is implemented to the entire Glenn Research Center (GRC). The Environmental Management System (EMS) is a policy or plan that is oriented toward minimizing an organization's impact to the environment. Our EMS includes the reduction of solid waste regeneration and the reduction of hazardous material use, waste, and pollution. With the Waste Management Team's (WMT) help, the EMS can be implemented throughout the NASA Glenn Research Center. The WMT is responsible for the disposal and managing of waste throughout the GRC. They are also responsible for the management of all chemical waste in the facility. My responsibility is to support the waste management team by performing an inventory on parts cleaning stations, abrasive cabinets, and paint booths through out the entire facility. These booths/stations are used throughout the center and they need to be monitored and tested for hazardous waste and material. My job is to visit each of these booths/stations, take samples of the waste, and analyze the samples.

Financial responsibilities under RCRA. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Commerce, Transportation, and Tourism of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, House of Representatives, Ninety-Ninth Congress, First Session on H. R. 3692, November 13, 1985

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1986-01-01

Representatives of environmental organizations, the Hazardous Waste Treatment Council, and regulators were among those testifying at a hearing on H.R. 3692, which amends the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) of 1976. The bill is in response to concerns that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has not compiled with the intent of RCRA in its failure to move beyond interim permits to issue final permits to land disposal facilities accepting hazardous wastes. Reported leakage and environmental risks from sites operating under interim permits raises questions about how disposal companies could deal with liability claims. At issue was whether Congress needsmore » to take new action to develop regulations under which financially responsible companies can operate or whether new EPA rules can solve the problem. A spokesman for EPA reviewed the liability insurance problem and the status of the insurance market in this context. Material submitted for the record follows the text of H.R. 3692 and the testimony of 11 witnesses.« less

General Aspects of Two-Component Regulatory Circuits in Bacteria: Domains, Signals and Roles.

PubMed

Padilla-Vaca, Felipe; Mondragón-Jaimes, Verónica; Franco, Bernardo

2017-01-01

All living organisms are subject to changing environments, which must be sensed in order to respond swiftly and efficiently. Two-component systems (TCS) are signal transduction regulatory circuits based typically on a membrane bound sensor kinase and a cytoplasmic response regulator, that is activated through a histidine to aspartate phosphorelay reactions. Activated response regulator acts usually as a transcription factor. The best known examples were identified in bacteria, but they are also found in fungi, algae and plants. Thus far, they are not found in mammals. Regulatory circuits coupled to two-component systems exhibit a myriad of responses to environmental stimuli such as: redox potential, pH, specific metabolites, pressure, light and more recently to specific antimicrobial peptides that activate a sensor kinase responsible for expressing virulence factors through the active response regulator. In this review we explore general aspects on two-component systems that ultimately can play a role on virulence regulation, also the intriguing domain properties of the sensor kinases that can be a potential target for antimicrobial compounds. Only a handful of sensor kinases are extensively characterized, the vast majority belong to what we call 'the dark matter of bacterial signal transduction' since no known signal, structure and biochemical properties are available. Regulatory circuits from vertebrate pathogenic organisms can explain virulence in terms of either response to environmental factors or specific niche occupancy. Hopefully, knowledge on these signal transduction systems can lead to identify novel molecules that target two-component systems, since the increase of drug resistant microorganisms is worrisome. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Scaling biodiversity responses to hydrological regimes.

PubMed

Rolls, Robert J; Heino, Jani; Ryder, Darren S; Chessman, Bruce C; Growns, Ivor O; Thompson, Ross M; Gido, Keith B

2018-05-01

Of all ecosystems, freshwaters support the most dynamic and highly concentrated biodiversity on Earth. These attributes of freshwater biodiversity along with increasing demand for water mean that these systems serve as significant models to understand drivers of global biodiversity change. Freshwater biodiversity changes are often attributed to hydrological alteration by water-resource development and climate change owing to the role of the hydrological regime of rivers, wetlands and floodplains affecting patterns of biodiversity. However, a major gap remains in conceptualising how the hydrological regime determines patterns in biodiversity's multiple spatial components and facets (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic). We synthesised primary evidence of freshwater biodiversity responses to natural hydrological regimes to determine how distinct ecohydrological mechanisms affect freshwater biodiversity at local, landscape and regional spatial scales. Hydrological connectivity influences local and landscape biodiversity, yet responses vary depending on spatial scale. Biodiversity at local scales is generally positively associated with increasing connectivity whereas landscape-scale biodiversity is greater with increasing fragmentation among locations. The effects of hydrological disturbance on freshwater biodiversity are variable at separate spatial scales and depend on disturbance frequency and history and organism characteristics. The role of hydrology in determining habitat for freshwater biodiversity also depends on spatial scaling. At local scales, persistence, stability and size of habitat each contribute to patterns of freshwater biodiversity yet the responses are variable across the organism groups that constitute overall freshwater biodiversity. We present a conceptual model to unite the effects of different ecohydrological mechanisms on freshwater biodiversity across spatial scales, and develop four principles for applying a multi-scaled understanding of freshwater biodiversity responses to hydrological regimes. The protection and restoration of freshwater biodiversity is both a fundamental justification and a central goal of environmental water allocation worldwide. Clearer integration of concepts of spatial scaling in the context of understanding impacts of hydrological regimes on biodiversity will increase uptake of evidence into environmental flow implementation, identify suitable biodiversity targets responsive to hydrological change or restoration, and identify and manage risks of environmental flows contributing to biodiversity decline. © 2017 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Epigenetic-induced alterations in sex-ratios in response to climate change: An epigenetic trap?

PubMed

Consuegra, Sofia; Rodríguez López, Carlos M

2016-10-01

We hypothesize that under the predicted scenario of climate change epigenetically mediated environmental sex determination could become an epigenetic trap. Epigenetically regulated environmental sex determination is a mechanism by which species can modulate their breeding strategies to accommodate environmental change. Growing evidence suggests that epigenetic mechanisms may play a key role in phenotypic plasticity and in the rapid adaptation of species to environmental change, through the capacity of organisms to maintain a non-genetic plastic memory of the environmental and ecological conditions experienced by their parents. However, inherited epigenetic variation could also be maladaptive, becoming an epigenetic trap. This is because environmental sex determination can alter sex ratios by increasing the survival of one of the sexes at the expense of negative fitness consequences for the other, which could lead not only to the collapse of natural populations, but also have an impact in farmed animal and plant species. © 2016 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Recent biosensing developments in environmental security.

PubMed

Wanekaya, Adam K; Chen, Wilfred; Mulchandani, Ashok

2008-06-01

Environmental security is one of the fundamental requirements of our well being. However, it still remains a major global challenge. Therefore, in addition to reducing and/or eliminating the amounts of toxic discharges into the environment, there is need to develop techniques that can detect and monitor these environmental pollutants in a sensitive and selective manner to enable effective remediation. Because of their integrated nature, biosensors are ideal for environmental monitoring and detection as they can be portable and provide selective and sensitive rapid responses in real time. In this review we discuss the main concepts behind the development of biosensors that have most relevant applications in the field of environmental monitoring and detection. We also review and document recent trends and challenges in biosensor research and development particularly in the detection of species of environmental significance such as organophosphate nerve agents, heavy metals, organic contaminants, pathogenic microorganisms and their toxins. Special focus will be given to the trends that have the most promising applications in environmental security. We conclude by highlighting the directions towards which future biosensors research in environmental security sector might proceed.

3D Miniaturization of Human Organs for Drug Discovery.

PubMed

Park, Joseph; Wetzel, Isaac; Dréau, Didier; Cho, Hansang

2018-01-01

"Engineered human organs" hold promises for predicting the effectiveness and accuracy of drug responses while reducing cost, time, and failure rates in clinical trials. Multiorgan human models utilize many aspects of currently available technologies including self-organized spherical 3D human organoids, microfabricated 3D human organ chips, and 3D bioprinted human organ constructs to mimic key structural and functional properties of human organs. They enable precise control of multicellular activities, extracellular matrix (ECM) compositions, spatial distributions of cells, architectural organizations of ECM, and environmental cues. Thus, engineered human organs can provide the microstructures and biological functions of target organs and advantageously substitute multiscaled drug-testing platforms including the current in vitro molecular assays, cell platforms, and in vivo models. This review provides an overview of advanced innovative designs based on the three main technologies used for organ construction leading to single and multiorgan systems useable for drug development. Current technological challenges and future perspectives are also discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[The response of the upper respiratory tract to the impact of atmospheric pollution].

PubMed

Mukhamadiev, R A; Ismagilov, Sh M

2015-01-01

The present literature review characterizes the environmental conditions in the Russian Federation in general and the Republic of Tatarstan in particular with special reference to the influence of atmospheric pollution on the development and the clinical picture of the diseases of the respiratory organs including pathology of the upper respiratory tract in the populations of the industrial centres and other environmentally unfriendly areas. The views of the domestic and foreign authors concerning the role of the environmental factors in the clinical picture of the upper respiratory tract disorders are described in detail. The authors emphasize the necessity of the further investigationsinto this problem and the development of the methods for the prevention of diseases of the upper respiratory react.

Practical management of chemicals and hazardous wastes: An environmental and safety professional`s guide

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kuhre, W.L.

This book was written to help the environmental and safety student learn about the field and to help the working professional manage hazardous material and waste issues. For example, one issue that will impact virtually all of these people mentioned is the upcoming environmental standardization movement. The International Standards Organization (ISO) is in the process of adding comprehensive environmental and hazardous waste management systems to their future certification requirements. Most industries worldwide will be working hard to achieve this new level of environmental management. This book presents many of the systems needed to receive certification. In order to properly managemore » hazardous waste, it is important to consider the entire life cycle, including when the waste was a useful chemical or hazardous material. Waste minimization is built upon this concept. Understanding the entire life cycle is also important in terms of liability, since many regulations hold generators responsible from cradle to grave. This book takes the life-cycle concept even further, in order to provide additional insight. The discussion starts with the conception of the chemical and traces its evolution into a waste and even past disposal. At this point the story continues into the afterlife, where responsibility still remains.« less

Environmental attributable fractions in remote Australia: the potential of a new approach for local public health action.

PubMed

McMullen, Cheryl; Eastwood, Ashley; Ward, Jeanette

2016-04-01

To determine local values for environmental attributable fractions and explore their applicability and potential for public health advocacy. Using World Health Organization (WHO) values for environmental attributable fractions, responses from a practitioner survey (73% response rate) were considered by a smaller skills-based panel to determine consensus values for Kimberley environmental attributable fractions (KEAFs). Applied to de-identified data from 17 remote primary healthcare facilities over two years, numbers and proportions of reasons for attendance directly attributable to the environment were calculated for all ages and children aged 0-4 years, including those for Aboriginal patients. Of 150,357 reasons for attendance for patients of all ages, 31,775 (21.1%) were directly attributable to the environment. The proportion of these directly due to the environment was significantly higher for Aboriginal patients than others (23.1% v 14.6%; p<0.001). Of 29,706 reasons for attendance by Aboriginal children aged 0-4 years, 7,599 (25.6%) were directly attributable to the environment, significantly higher than for non-Aboriginal children aged 0-4 years (25.6% v 18.6%; p<0.001). By addressing environmental factors, 20% of total primary healthcare demand could be prevented and, importantly, some 25% of presentations by Aboriginal children. KEAFs have potential to monitor impact of local environmental investments. © 2015 Public Health Association of Australia.

Transcriptomes of Eight Arabidopsis thaliana Accessions Reveal Core Conserved, Genotype- and Organ-Specific Responses to Flooding Stress1[OPEN

PubMed Central

van Veen, Hans; Vashisht, Divya; Akman, Melis; Girke, Thomas; Mustroph, Angelika; Reinen, Emilie; Kooiker, Maarten; van Tienderen, Peter; Voesenek, Laurentius A.C.J.

2016-01-01

Climate change has increased the frequency and severity of flooding events, with significant negative impact on agricultural productivity. These events often submerge plant aerial organs and roots, limiting growth and survival due to a severe reduction in light reactions and gas exchange necessary for photosynthesis and respiration, respectively. To distinguish molecular responses to the compound stress imposed by submergence, we investigated transcriptomic adjustments to darkness in air and under submerged conditions using eight Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) accessions differing significantly in sensitivity to submergence. Evaluation of root and rosette transcriptomes revealed an early transcriptional and posttranscriptional response signature that was conserved primarily across genotypes, although flooding susceptibility-associated and genotype-specific responses also were uncovered. Posttranscriptional regulation encompassed darkness- and submergence-induced alternative splicing of transcripts from pathways involved in the alternative mobilization of energy reserves. The organ-specific transcriptome adjustments reflected the distinct physiological status of roots and shoots. Root-specific transcriptome changes included marked up-regulation of chloroplast-encoded photosynthesis and redox-related genes, whereas those of the rosette were related to the regulation of development and growth processes. We identified a novel set of tolerance genes, recognized mainly by quantitative differences. These included a transcriptome signature of more pronounced gluconeogenesis in tolerant accessions, a response that included stress-induced alternative splicing. This study provides organ-specific molecular resolution of genetic variation in submergence responses involving interactions between darkness and low-oxygen constraints of flooding stress and demonstrates that early transcriptome plasticity, including alternative splicing, is associated with the ability to cope with a compound environmental stress. PMID:27208254

Investigating global change, environmental response, and adaptation: Jill Baron's 30 years as an ecosystem ecologist

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wilson, J.T.

2012-01-01

Three decades of research, 145 publications (including two books), 15 graduate students, leadership in scientific organizations, invited talks around the world, and two collaborative entities that facilitate scientific synthesis—it’s a lot to pack into one career. But USGS research ecologist and Colorado State University senior scientist Jill Baron isn’t finished yet.

Potential responses to climate change in organisms with complex life histories: evolution and plasticity in Pacific salmon

Treesearch

L.G. Crozier; A.P. Hendry; P.W. Lawson; T.P. Quinn; N.J. Mantua; J. Battin; R.G. Shaw; R.B. Huey

2008-01-01

Salmon life histories are finely tuned to local environmental conditions, which are intimately linked to climate. We summarize the likely impacts of climate change on the physical environment of salmon in the Pacific Northwest and discuss the potential evolutionary consequences of these changes, with particular reference to Columbia River Basin spring/summer Chinook (...

Coping with the Stress of Potential Lay-Off and Worksite Re-Organization: A Test of the Buffering Hypothesis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinberg, Richard B.

Two major classes of environmental stressors have been examined in life stress research: major life events and minor everyday hassles. To compare these two classes of stressors along with two stressful life events (threatened job loss and reorganization of the work setting), and to investigate the buffering effect of coping responses on…

Entering Adulthood: Creating a Healthy Environment. A Curriculum for Grades 9-12. Contemporary Health Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd-Kolkin, Donna

This module is oriented toward information students in grades 9-12 about the impact of environmental hazards on human health, and to motivate them to take personal responsibility for their part in protecting the environment. Instructionally, the module utilizes a small group cooperative learning strategy, and is organized into nine lessons. Part 1…

Pelagic and benthic communities of the Antarctic ecosystem of Potter Cove: Genomics and ecological implications.

PubMed

Abele, D; Vazquez, S; Buma, A G J; Hernandez, E; Quiroga, C; Held, C; Frickenhaus, S; Harms, L; Lopez, J L; Helmke, E; Mac Cormack, W P

2017-06-01

Molecular technologies are more frequently applied in Antarctic ecosystem research and the growing amount of sequence-based information available in databases adds a new dimension to understanding the response of Antarctic organisms and communities to environmental change. We apply molecular techniques, including fingerprinting, and amplicon and metagenome sequencing, to understand biodiversity and phylogeography to resolve adaptive processes in an Antarctic coastal ecosystem from microbial to macrobenthic organisms and communities. Interpretation of the molecular data is not only achieved by their combination with classical methods (pigment analyses or microscopy), but furthermore by combining molecular with environmental data (e.g., sediment characteristics, biogeochemistry or oceanography) in space and over time. The studies form part of a long-term ecosystem investigation in Potter Cove on King-George Island, Antarctica, in which we follow the effects of rapid retreat of the local glacier on the cove ecosystem. We formulate and encourage new approaches to integrate molecular tools into Antarctic ecosystem research, environmental conservation actions, and polar ocean observatories. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Hsp-72, a candidate prognostic indicator of heatstroke.

PubMed

Dehbi, Mohammed; Baturcam, Engin; Eldali, Abdelmoneim; Ahmed, Maqbool; Kwaasi, Aaron; Chishti, Muhammad Azhar; Bouchama, Abderrezak

2010-09-01

Exposure of rats to environmental heat enhances the expression of heat shock protein-72 (Hsp-72) in most of their organs proportionally to heat stress severity. Pre-induction or over-expression of Hsp-72 prevents organ damage and lethality, suggesting that heat shock proteins (Hsps) may have a pathogenic role in this condition. We investigated the expression profile of Hsps in baboons subjected to environmental heat stress until the core temperature attained 42.5 degrees C (moderate heatstroke) or occurrence of hypotension associated with core temperature > or = 43.5 degrees C (severe heatstroke). Western blot analysis demonstrated a differential induction of Hsp-72 among organs of heat-stressed animals with the highest induction in the liver and the lowest in lung. Hsp-60 and Hsc-70 expression was similar between control and heat-stressed animals. ELISA studies indicated a marked release of Hsp-72 into the circulation of baboons with severe heatstroke with a peak at 24 h post-heatstroke onset and remained sustained up to 72 h. Hsp-72 release was not associated with core temperature or systolic blood pressure, but correlated with markers of liver, myocardium, and skeletal muscle tissue necrosis. Non-survivors displayed significantly higher Hsp-72 levels than survivors. No Hsp-60 was detected in the circulation. These findings add further evidence that increased expression of Hsp-72 may be an important component of the host response to severe heatstroke. They also suggest that extracellular Hsp-72 is a marker of multiple organs tissue damage. Whether extracellular Hsp-72 plays a role in the host immune response to heat stress merits further studies.

Epigenetic regulation of adaptive responses of forest tree species to the environment

PubMed Central

Bräutigam, Katharina; Vining, Kelly J; Lafon-Placette, Clément; Fossdal, Carl G; Mirouze, Marie; Marcos, José Gutiérrez; Fluch, Silvia; Fraga, Mario Fernández; Guevara, M Ángeles; Abarca, Dolores; Johnsen, Øystein; Maury, Stéphane; Strauss, Steven H; Campbell, Malcolm M; Rohde, Antje; Díaz-Sala, Carmen; Cervera, María-Teresa

2013-01-01

Epigenetic variation is likely to contribute to the phenotypic plasticity and adaptative capacity of plant species, and may be especially important for long-lived organisms with complex life cycles, including forest trees. Diverse environmental stresses and hybridization/polyploidization events can create reversible heritable epigenetic marks that can be transmitted to subsequent generations as a form of molecular “memory”. Epigenetic changes might also contribute to the ability of plants to colonize or persist in variable environments. In this review, we provide an overview of recent data on epigenetic mechanisms involved in developmental processes and responses to environmental cues in plant, with a focus on forest tree species. We consider the possible role of forest tree epigenetics as a new source of adaptive traits in plant breeding, biotechnology, and ecosystem conservation under rapid climate change. PMID:23467802

Adaptive Capacity and Social-Environmental Change: Theoretical and Operational Modeling of Smallholder Coffee Systems Response in Mesoamerican Pacific Rim

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eakin, Hallie; Bojórquez-Tapia, Luis A.; Diaz, Rafael Monterde; Castellanos, Edwin; Haggar, Jeremy

2011-03-01

Communities who rely directly on the natural environment for their survival typically have developed risk management strategies to enable them to avoid dangerous thresholds of change to their livelihoods. Development policy appropriate for natural resource-based communities requires an understanding of the primary drivers of social-ecological change, the ways in which affected households autonomously respond to such drivers, and the appropriate avenues for intervention to reduce vulnerability. Coffee has been, and still remains, one of the most important commodities of the Mesoamerican region, and hundreds of thousands of smallholder households in the region are dependent in some way on the coffee industry for their livelihood stability. We used the Analytical Network Process to synthesize expert knowledge on the primary drivers of livelihood change in the region as well as the most common household strategies and associated capacities necessary for effective response. The assessment identified both gradual systemic processes as well as specific environmental and market shocks as significant drivers of livelihood change across the region. Agronomic adjustments and new forms of social organization were among the more significant responses of farmers to these changes. The assessment indicates that public interventions in support of adaptation should focus on enhancing farmers' access to market and technical information and finance, as well as on increasing the viability of farmers' organizations and cooperatives.

Adaptive capacity and social-environmental change: theoretical and operational modeling of smallholder coffee systems response in Mesoamerican Pacific Rim.

PubMed

Eakin, Hallie; Bojórquez-Tapia, Luis A; Monterde Diaz, Rafael; Castellanos, Edwin; Haggar, Jeremy

2011-03-01

Communities who rely directly on the natural environment for their survival typically have developed risk management strategies to enable them to avoid dangerous thresholds of change to their livelihoods. Development policy appropriate for natural resource-based communities requires an understanding of the primary drivers of social-ecological change, the ways in which affected households autonomously respond to such drivers, and the appropriate avenues for intervention to reduce vulnerability. Coffee has been, and still remains, one of the most important commodities of the Mesoamerican region, and hundreds of thousands of smallholder households in the region are dependent in some way on the coffee industry for their livelihood stability. We used the Analytical Network Process to synthesize expert knowledge on the primary drivers of livelihood change in the region as well as the most common household strategies and associated capacities necessary for effective response. The assessment identified both gradual systemic processes as well as specific environmental and market shocks as significant drivers of livelihood change across the region. Agronomic adjustments and new forms of social organization were among the more significant responses of farmers to these changes. The assessment indicates that public interventions in support of adaptation should focus on enhancing farmers' access to market and technical information and finance, as well as on increasing the viability of farmers' organizations and cooperatives.

Influence of temperature on the corticosterone stress-response: an experiment in the Children's python (Antaresia childreni).

PubMed

Dupoué, Andréaz; Brischoux, François; Lourdais, Olivier; Angelier, Frédéric

2013-11-01

To cope with environmental challenges, organisms have to adjust their behaviours and their physiology to the environmental conditions they face (i.e. allostasis). In vertebrates, such adjustments are often mediated through the secretion of glucocorticoids (GCs) that are well-known to activate and/or inhibit specific physiological and behavioural traits. In ectothermic species, most processes are temperature-dependent and according to previous studies, low external temperatures should be associated with low GC concentrations (both baseline and stress-induced concentrations). In this study, we experimentally tested this hypothesis by investigating the short term influence of temperature on the GC stress response in a squamate reptile, the Children's python (Antaresia childreni). Snakes were maintained in contrasting conditions (warm and cold groups), and their corticosterone (CORT) stress response was measured (baseline and stress-induced CORT concentrations), within 48h of treatment. Contrary to our prediction, baseline and stress-induced CORT concentrations were higher in the cold versus the warm treatment. In addition, we found a strong negative relationship between CORT concentrations (baseline and stress-induced) and temperature within the cold treatment. Although it remains unclear how cold temperatures can mechanistically result in increased CORT concentrations, we suggest that, at suboptimal temperature, high CORT concentrations may help the organism to maintain an alert state. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Yeast Environmental Stress Response Regulates Mutagenesis Induced by Proteotoxic Stress

PubMed Central

Shor, Erika; Fox, Catherine A.; Broach, James R.

2013-01-01

Conditions of chronic stress are associated with genetic instability in many organisms, but the roles of stress responses in mutagenesis have so far been elucidated only in bacteria. Here, we present data demonstrating that the environmental stress response (ESR) in yeast functions in mutagenesis induced by proteotoxic stress. We show that the drug canavanine causes proteotoxic stress, activates the ESR, and induces mutagenesis at several loci in an ESR-dependent manner. Canavanine-induced mutagenesis also involves translesion DNA polymerases Rev1 and Polζ and non-homologous end joining factor Ku. Furthermore, under conditions of chronic sub-lethal canavanine stress, deletions of Rev1, Polζ, and Ku-encoding genes exhibit genetic interactions with ESR mutants indicative of ESR regulating these mutagenic DNA repair processes. Analyses of mutagenesis induced by several different stresses showed that the ESR specifically modulates mutagenesis induced by proteotoxic stress. Together, these results document the first known example of an involvement of a eukaryotic stress response pathway in mutagenesis and have important implications for mechanisms of evolution, carcinogenesis, and emergence of drug-resistant pathogens and chemotherapy-resistant tumors. PMID:23935537

The Search for Hesperian Organic Matter on Mars: Pyrolysis Studies of Sediments Rich in Sulfur and Iron.

PubMed

Lewis, James M T; Najorka, Jens; Watson, Jonathan S; Sephton, Mark A

2018-04-01

Jarosite on Mars is of significant geological and astrobiological interest, as it forms in acidic aqueous conditions that are potentially habitable for acidophilic organisms. Jarosite can provide environmental context and may host organic matter. The most common extraction technique used to search for organic compounds on the surface of Mars is pyrolysis. However, thermal decomposition of jarosite releases oxygen into pyrolysis ovens, which degrades organic signals. Jarosite has a close association with the iron oxyhydroxide goethite in many depositional/diagenetic environments. Hematite can form by dehydration of goethite or directly from jarosite under certain aqueous conditions. Goethite and hematite are significantly more amenable than jarosite for pyrolysis experiments employed to search for organic matter. Analysis of the mineralogy and organic chemistry of samples from a natural acidic stream revealed a diverse response for organic compounds during pyrolysis of goethite-rich layers but a poor response for jarosite-rich or mixed jarosite-goethite samples. Goethite units that are associated with jarosite, but do not contain jarosite themselves, should be targeted for organic detection pyrolysis experiments on Mars. These findings are extremely timely, as exploration targets for Mars Science Laboratory include Vera Rubin Ridge (formerly known as "Hematite Ridge"), which may have formed from goethite precursors. Key Words: Mars-Pyrolysis-Jarosite-Goethite-Hematite-Biosignatures. Astrobiology 18, 454-464.

The Search for Hesperian Organic Matter on Mars: Pyrolysis Studies of Sediments Rich in Sulfur and Iron

PubMed Central

Najorka, Jens; Watson, Jonathan S.; Sephton, Mark A.

2018-01-01

Abstract Jarosite on Mars is of significant geological and astrobiological interest, as it forms in acidic aqueous conditions that are potentially habitable for acidophilic organisms. Jarosite can provide environmental context and may host organic matter. The most common extraction technique used to search for organic compounds on the surface of Mars is pyrolysis. However, thermal decomposition of jarosite releases oxygen into pyrolysis ovens, which degrades organic signals. Jarosite has a close association with the iron oxyhydroxide goethite in many depositional/diagenetic environments. Hematite can form by dehydration of goethite or directly from jarosite under certain aqueous conditions. Goethite and hematite are significantly more amenable than jarosite for pyrolysis experiments employed to search for organic matter. Analysis of the mineralogy and organic chemistry of samples from a natural acidic stream revealed a diverse response for organic compounds during pyrolysis of goethite-rich layers but a poor response for jarosite-rich or mixed jarosite-goethite samples. Goethite units that are associated with jarosite, but do not contain jarosite themselves, should be targeted for organic detection pyrolysis experiments on Mars. These findings are extremely timely, as exploration targets for Mars Science Laboratory include Vera Rubin Ridge (formerly known as “Hematite Ridge”), which may have formed from goethite precursors. Key Words: Mars—Pyrolysis—Jarosite—Goethite—Hematite—Biosignatures. Astrobiology 18, 454–464. PMID:29298093

Selected resources for emergency and disaster preparedness and response from the United States National Library of Medicine.

PubMed

Hochstein, Colette; Arnesen, Stacey; Goshorn, Jeanne; Szczur, Marti

2008-01-01

The Toxicology and Environmental Health Information Program (TEHIP) of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) works to organize and provide access to a wide range of environmental health and toxicology resources. In recent years, the demand for, and availability of, information on health issues related to natural and man-made emergencies and disasters has increased. Recognizing that access to information is essential in disaster preparedness, a new focus of NLM's 2006-2016 Long Range Plan calls for the establishment of a Disaster Information Management Research Center (DIMRC) that will aid in collecting, disseminating, and sharing information related to health and disasters. This paper introduces several of TEHIP's resources for emergency/disaster preparedness and response, such as the Radiation Event Medical Management Web site (REMM) and the Wireless Information System for Emergency Responders (WISER) . Several of NLM's other disaster preparedness and response resources will also be reviewed.

Comparative Analysis of Stress Induced Gene Expression in Caenorhabditis elegans following Exposure to Environmental and Lab Reconstituted Complex Metal Mixture

PubMed Central

Kumar, Ranjeet; Pradhan, Ajay; Khan, Faisal Ahmad; Lindström, Pia; Ragnvaldsson, Daniel; Ivarsson, Per; Olsson, Per-Erik; Jass, Jana

2015-01-01

Metals are essential for many physiological processes and are ubiquitously present in the environment. However, high metal concentrations can be harmful to organisms and lead to physiological stress and diseases. The accumulation of transition metals in the environment due to either natural processes or anthropogenic activities such as mining results in the contamination of water and soil environments. The present study used Caenorhabditis elegans to evaluate gene expression as an indicator of physiological response, following exposure to water collected from three different locations downstream of a Swedish mining site and a lab reconstituted metal mixture. Our results indicated that the reconstituted metal mixture exerted a direct stress response in C. elegans whereas the environmental waters elicited either a diminished or abrogated response. This suggests that it is not sufficient to use the biological effects observed from laboratory mixtures to extrapolate the effects observed in complex aquatic environments and apply this to risk assessment and intervention. PMID:26168046

Isolation of potential fungal pathogens in gorgonian corals at the Tropical Eastern Pacific

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrero-Canosa, J.; Dueñas, L. F.; Sánchez, J. A.

2013-03-01

A major environmental problem in the ocean is the alarming increase in diseases affecting diverse marine organisms including corals. Environmental factors such as the rising seawater temperatures and terrestrial microbial input to the ocean have contributed to the increase in diseased organisms. We isolated and identified the fungal agents that may be leading to a disease in the Pacific sea fan Pacifigorgia eximia (Gorgoniidae, Octocorallia) in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. We isolated thirteen fungal genera in healthy and diseased colonies including Aspergillus sydowii. Aspergillus has been previously identified as responsible for the mortality of gorgonian corals in the Caribbean. This disease was observed in the Eastern Pacific affecting a completely different set of species nearly 30 years after the Caribbean outbreak, which concur with rising seawater temperatures and thermal anomalies that have been observed in the last 4 years.

The tyranny of taste: the case of organic rice in Cambodia.

PubMed

Thavat, Maylee

2011-01-01

Fair-trade and organic products are often sold at price premiums justified by smaller production volumes that are associated with greater social and environmental responsibility. The consumption of these products confers on the consumer a greater sense of morality – and usually a claim to better taste. This paper tells the story of attempts to promote organic/fair-trade rice production by de facto organic Cambodian farmers for export to North American and European markets in order to assist poor farmers to trade their way out of poverty. It demonstrates that instead of promoting sustainable agriculture and fair trade between developed and developing markets, organic/fair-trade projects may impose First World consumer ideals and tastes that are out of step with the larger realities of agrarian transition in Cambodia and the wider region of developing Southeast Asia.

Behavioral Responses Of Fish To A Current-Based Hydrokinetic Turbine Under Mutlipe Operational Conditions: Final Report

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Grippo, Mark A.; Shen, Haixue; Zydlewski, Gayle

There is significant interest in the interaction of aquatic organisms with current-based marine and hydrokinetic (MHK) technologies. Determining the potential impacts of MHK devices on fish behavior is critical to addressing the environmental concerns that could act as barriers to the permitting and deployment of MHK devices. To address these concerns, we use field monitoring and fish behavior models to characterize the behavioral responses of fish to MHK turbines and infer potential stimuli that may have elicited the observed behavioral changes.

Differential impact of environmental stresses on the pea mitochondrial proteome.

PubMed

Taylor, Nicolas L; Heazlewood, Joshua L; Day, David A; Millar, A Harvey

2005-08-01

Exposure to adverse environmental conditions causes oxidative stress in many organisms, leading either to disease and debilitation or to response and tolerance. Mitochondria are a key site of oxidative stress and of cellular response and play important roles in cell survival. We analyzed the response of mitochondria in pea (Pisum sativum) plants to the common stresses associated with drought, cold, and herbicides. These treatments all altered photosynthetic and respiratory rates of pea leaves to various extents, but only herbicides significantly increased lipid peroxidation product accumulation. Mitochondria isolated from the stressed pea plants maintained their electron transport chain activity, but changes were evident in the abundance of uncoupling proteins, non-phosphorylating respiratory pathways, and oxidative modification of lipoic acid moieties on mitochondrial proteins. These data suggest that herbicide treatment placed a severe oxidative stress on mitochondria, whereas chilling and particularly drought were milder stresses. Detailed analysis of the soluble proteome of mitochondria by gel electrophoresis and mass spectrometry revealed differential degradation of key matrix enzymes during treatments with chilling being significantly more damaging than drought. Differential induction of heat shock proteins and specific losses of other proteins illustrated the diversity of response to these stresses at the protein level. Cross-species matching was required for mass spectrometry identification of nine proteins because only a limited number of pea cDNAs have been sequenced, and the full pea genome is not available. Blue-native separation of intact respiratory chain complexes revealed little if any change in response to environmental stresses. Together these data suggest that although many of the molecular events identified by chemical stresses of mitochondria from a range of model eukaryotes are also apparent during environmental stress of plants, their extent and significance can vary substantially.

Neuronal Responses to Physiological Stress

PubMed Central

Kagias, Konstantinos; Nehammer, Camilla; Pocock, Roger

2012-01-01

Physiological stress can be defined as any external or internal condition that challenges the homeostasis of a cell or an organism. It can be divided into three different aspects: environmental stress, intrinsic developmental stress, and aging. Throughout life all living organisms are challenged by changes in the environment. Fluctuations in oxygen levels, temperature, and redox state for example, trigger molecular events that enable an organism to adapt, survive, and reproduce. In addition to external stressors, organisms experience stress associated with morphogenesis and changes in inner chemistry during normal development. For example, conditions such as intrinsic hypoxia and oxidative stress, due to an increase in tissue mass, have to be confronted by developing embryos in order to complete their development. Finally, organisms face the challenge of stochastic accumulation of molecular damage during aging that results in decline and eventual death. Studies have shown that the nervous system plays a pivotal role in responding to stress. Neurons not only receive and process information from the environment but also actively respond to various stresses to promote survival. These responses include changes in the expression of molecules such as transcription factors and microRNAs that regulate stress resistance and adaptation. Moreover, both intrinsic and extrinsic stresses have a tremendous impact on neuronal development and maintenance with implications in many diseases. Here, we review the responses of neurons to various physiological stressors at the molecular and cellular level. PMID:23112806

Stretching the stress boundary: Linking air pollution health effects to a neurohormonal stress response.

PubMed

Kodavanti, Urmila P

2016-12-01

Inhaled pollutants produce effects in virtually all organ systems in our body and have been linked to chronic diseases including hypertension, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's and diabetes. A neurohormonal stress response (referred to here as a systemic response produced by activation of the sympathetic nervous system and hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (HPA)-axis) has been implicated in a variety of psychological and physical stresses, which involves immune and metabolic homeostatic mechanisms affecting all organs in the body. In this review, we provide new evidence for the involvement of this well-characterized neurohormonal stress response in mediating systemic and pulmonary effects of a prototypic air pollutant - ozone. A plethora of systemic metabolic and immune effects are induced in animals exposed to inhaled pollutants, which could result from increased circulating stress hormones. The release of adrenal-derived stress hormones in response to ozone exposure not only mediates systemic immune and metabolic responses, but by doing so, also modulates pulmonary injury and inflammation. With recurring pollutant exposures, these effects can contribute to multi-organ chronic conditions associated with air pollution. This review will cover, 1) the potential mechanisms by which air pollutants can initiate the relay of signals from respiratory tract to brain through trigeminal and vagus nerves, and activate stress responsive regions including hypothalamus; and 2) the contribution of sympathetic and HPA-axis activation in mediating systemic homeostatic metabolic and immune effects of ozone in various organs. The potential contribution of chronic environmental stress in cardiovascular, neurological, reproductive and metabolic diseases, and the knowledge gaps are also discussed. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Air Pollution, edited by Wenjun Ding, Andrew J. Ghio and Weidong Wu. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Spatiotemporal variation of macroinvertebrates in relation to canopy cover and other environmental factors in Eriora River, Niger Delta, Nigeria.

PubMed

Arimoro, Francis O; Obi-Iyeke, Grace E; Obukeni, Prince J O

2012-10-01

Canopy cover is well known to influence the distribution of macroinvertebrates in temperate streams. Very little is known about how this factor influences stream communities in Afrotropical streams. The effects and possible interactions of environmental factors and canopy cover on macroinvertebrate community structure (abundance, richness, and diversity) were examined in four stations in Eriora River, southern Nigeria bimonthly from May to November 2010. The river supported diverse macroinvertebrates in which the upstream sampling stations with dense canopy cover were dominated by Decapoda, Ephemeroptera, Odonata, Gastropoda, Trichoptera, and Coleoptera while Diptera and Coleoptera were the benthic organisms found predominant at downstream stations with less canopy cover. Some caddisfly species such as Agapetus agilis, Trichosetodes species and the stonefly Neoperla species were present upstream and were found to be potential bioindicators for a clean ecosystem. The blood worm Chironomus species and Tabanus sp. were abundant at the downstream of the river and are considered potential bioindicators for an organically degrading ecosystem. Some environmental factors varied temporally with significantly higher macroinvertebrate abundance and richness in May. We found out that canopy cover and environmental factors affected macroinvertebrates abundance, diversity, and richness and that the individual taxon had varying responses to these factors. These results help identify the mechanisms underlying the effects of canopy cover and other environmental factors on Afrotropical stream invertebrate communities.

A model for global diversity in response to temperature change over geological time scales, with reference to planktic organisms.

PubMed

De Blasio, Fabio Vittorio; Liow, Lee Hsiang; Schweder, Tore; De Blasio, Birgitte Freiesleben

2015-01-21

There are strong propositions in the literature that abiotic factors override biotic drivers of diversity on time scales of the fossil record. In order to study the interaction of biotic and abiotic forces on long term changes, we devise a spatio-temporal discrete-time Markov process model of macroevolution featuring population formation, speciation, migration and extinction, where populations are free to migrate. In our model, the extinction probability of these populations is controlled by latitudinally and temporally varying environment (temperature) and competition. Although our model is general enough to be applicable to disparate taxa, we explicitly address planktic organisms, which are assumed to disperse freely without barriers over the Earth's oceans. While rapid and drastic environmental changes tend to eliminate many species, generalists preferentially survive and hence leave generalist descendants. In other words, environmental fluctuations result in generalist descendants which are resilient to future environmental changes. Periods of stable or slow environmental changes lead to more specialist species and higher population numbers. Simulating Cenozoic diversity dynamics with both competition and the environmental component of our model produces diversity curves that reflect current empirical knowledge, which cannot be obtained with just one component. Our model predicts that the average temperature optimum at which planktic species thrive best has declined over the Neogene, following the trend of global average temperatures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Circumnutation and its dependence on the gravity response in rice, morning glory and pea plants: verification by spaceflight experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takahashi, Hideyuki; Kobayashi, Akie; Fujii, Nobuharu; Yano, Sachiko; Shimazu, Toru; Kim, Hyejeong; Tomita, Yuuta; Miyazawa, Yutaka

Plant organs display helical growth movement known as circumnutation. This movement helps plant organs find suitable environmental cues. The amplitude, period and shape of the circumnutation differ depending on plant species or organs. Although the mechanism for circumnutation is unclear, it has long been argued whether circumnutation is involved with gravitropic response. Previously, we showed that shoots of weeping morning glory (we1 and we2) are impaired in not only the differentiation of endodermis (gravisensing cells) and gravitropic response, but also winding and circumnutation (Kitazawa et al., PNAS 102: 18742-18747, 2005). Here, we report a reduced circumnutation in the shoots of rice and the roots of pea mutants defective in gravitropic response. Coleoptiles of clinorotated rice seedlings and decapped roots of pea seedlings also showed a reduction of their circumnutational movement. These results suggest that circumnutation is tightly related with gravitropic response. In the proposed spaceflight experiments, “Plant Rotation”, we will verify the hypothesis that circumnutation requires gravity response, by using microgravity environment in KIBO module of the International Space Station. We will grow rice and morning glory plants under both muG and 1G conditions on orbit and monitor their growth by a camera. The downlinked images will be analyzed for the measurements of plant growth and nutational movements. This experiment will enable us to answer the question whether circumnutation depends on gravity response or not.

The comet assay in Environmental Risk Assessment of marine pollutants: applications, assets and handicaps of surveying genotoxicity in non-model organisms.

PubMed

Martins, Marta; Costa, Pedro M

2015-01-01

Determining the genotoxic effects of pollutants has long been a priority in Environmental Risk Assessment (ERA) for coastal ecosystems, especially of complex areas such as estuaries and other confined waterbodies. The acknowledged link between DNA damage, mutagenicity and carcinogenicity to the exposure to certain toxicants has been responsible to the growing interest in determining the genotoxic effects of xenobiotics to wildlife as a measure of environmental risk. The comet assay, although widely employed in in vivo and in vitro toxicology, still holds many constraints in ERA, in large part owing to difficulties in obtaining conclusive cause-effect relationships from complex environments. Nevertheless, these challenges do not hinder the attempts to apply the alkaline comet assay on sentinel organisms, wild or subjected to bioassays in or ex situ (from fish to molluscs) as well to standardise protocols and establish general guidelines to the interpretation of findings. Fish have been regarded as an appealing subject due to the ease of performing the comet assay in whole blood. However, the application of the comet assay is becoming increasingly common in invertebrates (e.g. in molluscan haemocytes and solid tissues such as gills). Virtually all sorts of results have been obtained from the application of the comet assay in ERA (null, positive and inconclusive). However, it has become clear that interpreting DNA damage data from wild organisms is particularly challenging due to their ability to adapt to continuous environmental stressors, including toxicants. Also, the comet assay in non-model organisms for the purpose of ERA implies different constraints, assumptions and interpretation of findings, compared with the in vitro procedures from which most guidelines have been derived. This paper critically reviews the application of the comet assay in ERA, focusing on target organisms and tissues; protocol developments, case studies plus data handling and interpretation. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the UK Environmental Mutagen Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The evolution of ethylene signaling in plant chemical ecology.

PubMed

Groen, Simon C; Whiteman, Noah K

2014-07-01

Ethylene is a key hormone in plant development, mediating plant responses to abiotic environmental stress, and interactions with attackers and mutualists. Here, we provide a synthesis of the role of ethylene in the context of plant ecology and evolution, and a prospectus for future research in this area. We focus on the regulatory function of ethylene in multi-organismal interactions. In general, plant interactions with different types of organisms lead to reduced or enhanced levels of ethylene. This in turn affects not only the plant's response to the interacting organism at hand, but also to other organisms in the community. These community-level effects become observable as enhanced or diminished relationships with future commensals, and systemic resistance or susceptibility to secondary attackers. Ongoing comparative genomic and phenotypic analyses continue to shed light on these interactions. These studies have revealed that plants and interacting organisms from separate kingdoms of life have independently evolved the ability to produce, perceive, and respond to ethylene. This signature of convergent evolution of ethylene signaling at the phenotypic level highlights the central role ethylene metabolism and signaling plays in plant interactions with microbes and animals.

Gene response profiles for Daphnia pulex exposed to the environmental stressor cadmium reveals novel crustacean metallothioneins.

PubMed

Shaw, Joseph R; Colbourne, John K; Davey, Jennifer C; Glaholt, Stephen P; Hampton, Thomas H; Chen, Celia Y; Folt, Carol L; Hamilton, Joshua W

2007-12-21

Genomic research tools such as microarrays are proving to be important resources to study the complex regulation of genes that respond to environmental perturbations. A first generation cDNA microarray was developed for the environmental indicator species Daphnia pulex, to identify genes whose regulation is modulated following exposure to the metal stressor cadmium. Our experiments revealed interesting changes in gene transcription that suggest their biological roles and their potentially toxicological features in responding to this important environmental contaminant. Our microarray identified genes reported in the literature to be regulated in response to cadmium exposure, suggested functional attributes for genes that share no sequence similarity to proteins in the public databases, and pointed to genes that are likely members of expanded gene families in the Daphnia genome. Genes identified on the microarray also were associated with cadmium induced phenotypes and population-level outcomes that we experimentally determined. A subset of genes regulated in response to cadmium exposure was independently validated using quantitative-realtime (Q-RT)-PCR. These microarray studies led to the discovery of three genes coding for the metal detoxication protein metallothionein (MT). The gene structures and predicted translated sequences of D. pulex MTs clearly place them in this gene family. Yet, they share little homology with previously characterized MTs. The genomic information obtained from this study represents an important first step in characterizing microarray patterns that may be diagnostic to specific environmental contaminants and give insights into their toxicological mechanisms, while also providing a practical tool for evolutionary, ecological, and toxicological functional gene discovery studies. Advances in Daphnia genomics will enable the further development of this species as a model organism for the environmental sciences.

Gene response profiles for Daphnia pulex exposed to the environmental stressor cadmium reveals novel crustacean metallothioneins

PubMed Central

Shaw, Joseph R; Colbourne, John K; Davey, Jennifer C; Glaholt, Stephen P; Hampton, Thomas H; Chen, Celia Y; Folt, Carol L; Hamilton, Joshua W

2007-01-01

Background Genomic research tools such as microarrays are proving to be important resources to study the complex regulation of genes that respond to environmental perturbations. A first generation cDNA microarray was developed for the environmental indicator species Daphnia pulex, to identify genes whose regulation is modulated following exposure to the metal stressor cadmium. Our experiments revealed interesting changes in gene transcription that suggest their biological roles and their potentially toxicological features in responding to this important environmental contaminant. Results Our microarray identified genes reported in the literature to be regulated in response to cadmium exposure, suggested functional attributes for genes that share no sequence similarity to proteins in the public databases, and pointed to genes that are likely members of expanded gene families in the Daphnia genome. Genes identified on the microarray also were associated with cadmium induced phenotypes and population-level outcomes that we experimentally determined. A subset of genes regulated in response to cadmium exposure was independently validated using quantitative-realtime (Q-RT)-PCR. These microarray studies led to the discovery of three genes coding for the metal detoxication protein metallothionein (MT). The gene structures and predicted translated sequences of D. pulex MTs clearly place them in this gene family. Yet, they share little homology with previously characterized MTs. Conclusion The genomic information obtained from this study represents an important first step in characterizing microarray patterns that may be diagnostic to specific environmental contaminants and give insights into their toxicological mechanisms, while also providing a practical tool for evolutionary, ecological, and toxicological functional gene discovery studies. Advances in Daphnia genomics will enable the further development of this species as a model organism for the environmental sciences. PMID:18154678

Characterizing Dissolved Organic Matter and Metabolites in an Actively Serpentinizing Ophiolite Using Global Metabolomics Techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seyler, L. M.; Rempfert, K. R.; Kraus, E. A.; Spear, J. R.; Templeton, A. S.; Schrenk, M. O.

2017-12-01

Environmental metabolomics is an emerging approach used to study ecosystem properties. Through bioinformatic comparisons to metagenomic data sets, metabolomics can be used to study microbial adaptations and responses to varying environmental conditions. Since the techniques are highly parallel to organic geochemistry approaches, metabolomics can also provide insight into biogeochemical processes. These analyses are a reflection of metabolic potential and intersection with other organisms and environmental components. Here, we used an untargeted metabolomics approach to characterize dissolved organic carbon and aqueous metabolites from groundwater obtained from an actively serpentinizing habitat. Serpentinites are known to support microbial communities that feed off of the products of serpentinization (such as methane and H2 gas), while adapted to harsh environmental conditions such as high pH and low DIC availability. However, the biochemistry of microbial populations that inhabit these environments are understudied and are complicated by overlapping biotic and abiotic processes. The aim of this study was to identify potential sources of carbon in an environment that is depleted of soluble inorganic carbon, and to characterize the flow of metabolites and describe overlapping biogenic and abiogenic processes impacting carbon cycling in serpentinizing rocks. We applied untargeted metabolomics techniques to groundwater taken from a series of wells drilled into the Semail Ophiolite in Oman.. Samples were analyzed via quadrupole time-of-flight liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (QToF-LC/MS/MS). Metabolomes and metagenomic data were imported into Progenesis QI software for statistical analysis and correlation, and metabolic networks constructed using the Genome-Linked Application for Metabolic Maps (GLAMM), a web interface tool. Further multivariate statistical analyses and quality control was performed using EZinfo. Pools of dissolved organic carbon could readily be distinguished based on their source rock and the pH of the groundwater sample. Our results are promising regarding the future use of metabolomics techniques in this and other serpentinizing environments, for the identification of nutrients, biomarkers and metabolic pathways in the subsurface biosphere.

Ecological and toxicological responses in a multistressor scenario: Are monitoring programs showing the stressors or just showing stress? A case study in Brazil.

PubMed

López-Doval, Julio C; Meirelles, Sergio Tadeu; Cardoso-Silva, Sheila; Moschini-Carlos, Viviane; Pompêo, Marcelo

2016-01-01

The Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP) is located in the Brazilian State of São Paulo and reservoirs in this region are vital for water supply and energy production. Changes in economic, social, and demographic trends produced pollution of water bodies, decreasing water quality for human uses and affecting freshwater populations. The presence of emerging pollutants, classical priority substances, nutrient excess and the interaction with tropical-climate conditions require periodic reviews of water policies and monitoring programs in order to detect and manage these threats in a global change scenario. The objective of this work is to determine whether the monitoring program of the São Paulo's Environmental Agency, is sufficient to explain the toxicological and biological responses observed in organisms in reservoirs of the MRSP, and whether it can identify the possible agents causing these responses. For that, we used publicly available data on water quality compiled by this agency in their routine monitoring program. A general overview of these data and a chemometric approach to analyze the responses of biotic indexes and toxicological bioassays, as a function of the physical and chemical parameters monitored, were performed. Data compiled showed temporal and geographical information gaps on variables measured. Toxicological responses have been observed in the reservoirs of the MRSP, together with a high incidence of impairments of the zooplankton community. This demonstrates the presence of stressors that affect the viability of organisms and populations. The statistical approach showed that the data compiled by the environmental agency are insufficient to identify and explain the factors causing the observed ecotoxicological responses and impairments in the zooplankton community, and are therefore insufficient to identify clear cause-effect relationships. Stressors different from those analyzed could be responsible for the observed responses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Environmental response nanosilica for reducing the pressure of water injection in ultra-low permeability reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Peisong; Niu, Liyong; Li, Xiaohong; Zhang, Zhijun

2017-12-01

The super-hydrophobic silica nanoparticles are applied to alter the wettability of rock surface from water-wet to oil-wet. The aim of this is to reduce injection pressure so as to enhance water injection efficiency in low permeability reservoirs. Therefore, a new type of environmentally responsive nanosilica (denote as ERS) is modified with organic compound containing hydrophobic groups and "pinning" groups by covalent bond and then covered with a layer of hydrophilic organic compound by chemical adsorption to achieve excellent water dispersibility. Resultant ERS is homogeneously dispersed in water with a size of about 4-8 nm like a micro-emulsion system and can be easily injected into the macro or nano channels of ultra-low permeability reservoirs. The hydrophobic nanosilica core can be released from the aqueous delivery system owing to its strong dependence on the environmental variation from normal condition to injection wells (such as pH and salinity). Then the exposed silica nanoparticles form a thin layer on the surface of narrow pore throat, leading to the wettability from water-wet to oil-wet. More importantly, the two rock cores with different permeability were surface treated with ERS dispersion with a concentration of 2 g/L, exhibit great reduce of water injection pressure by 57.4 and 39.6%, respectively, which shows great potential for exploitation of crude oil from ultra-low permeability reservoirs during water flooding. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Proteomic and metabolomic analysis on the toxicological effects of As (III) and As (V) in juvenile mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis.

PubMed

Yu, Deliang; Ji, Chenglong; Zhao, Jianmin; Wu, Huifeng

2016-05-01

Inorganic arsenic (As) is a known pollutant including two chemical forms (arsenite (As III) and arsenate (As V)), in marine and coastal environment. Marine mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis is an important environmental monitoring species around the world. In this study, we focused on valence-specific responses of As in juvenile mussel M. galloprovincialis using a combined proteomic and metabolomic approach. Metabolic responses indicated that As (III) mainly caused disturbance in osmotic regulation in juvenile mussels. As (V) caused disturbances in both osmotic regulation and energy metabolism marked by different metabolic responses, including betaine, taurine, glucose and glycogen. Proteomic responses exhibited that As (III) had a significant negative effect on cytoskeleton and cell structure (actin and collagen alpha-6(VI) chain). As (V) affected some key enzymes involved in energy metabolism (cytosolic malate dehydrogenase, cMDH) and cell development (ornithine aminotransferase and astacin). Overall, all these results confirmed the valence-specific responses in juvenile mussels to As exposures. These findings demonstrate that a combined metabolomic and proteomic approach could provide an important insight into the toxicological effects of environmental pollutants in organisms. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emerging applications of low temperature gas plasmas in the food industry.

PubMed

Shaw, Alex; Shama, Gilbert; Iza, Felipe

2015-06-16

The global burden of foodborne disease due to the presence of contaminating micro-organisms remains high, despite some notable examples of their successful reduction in some instances. Globally, the number of species of micro-organisms responsible for foodborne diseases has increased over the past decades and as a result of the continued centralization of the food processing industry, outbreaks now have far reaching consequences. Gas plasmas offer a broad range of microbicidal capabilities that could be exploited in the food industry and against which microbial resistance would be unlikely to occur. In addition to reducing the incidence of disease by acting on the micro-organisms responsible for food spoilage, gas plasmas could also play a role in increasing the shelf-life of perishable foods and thereby reduce food wastage with positive financial and environmental implications. Treatment need not be confined to the food itself but could include food processing equipment and also the environment in which commercial food processing occurs. Moreover, gas plasmas could also be used to bring about the degradation of undesirable chemical compounds, such as allergens, toxins, and pesticide residues, often encountered on foods and food-processing equipment. The literature on the application of gas plasmas to food treatment is beginning to reveal an appreciation that attention needs also to be paid to ensuring that the key quality attributes of foods are not significantly impaired as a result of treatment. A greater understanding of both the mechanisms by which micro-organisms and chemical compounds are inactivated, and of the plasma species responsible for this is forming. This is significant, as this knowledge can then be used to design plasma systems with tailored compositions that will achieve maximum efficacy. Better understanding of the underlying interactions will also enable the design and implementation of control strategies capable of minimizing variations in plasma treatment efficacy despite perturbations in environmental and operational conditions.

Envirotyping for deciphering environmental impacts on crop plants.

PubMed

Xu, Yunbi

2016-04-01

Global climate change imposes increasing impacts on our environments and crop production. To decipher environmental impacts on crop plants, the concept "envirotyping" is proposed, as a third "typing" technology, complementing with genotyping and phenotyping. Environmental factors can be collected through multiple environmental trials, geographic and soil information systems, measurement of soil and canopy properties, and evaluation of companion organisms. Envirotyping contributes to crop modeling and phenotype prediction through its functional components, including genotype-by-environment interaction (GEI), genes responsive to environmental signals, biotic and abiotic stresses, and integrative phenotyping. Envirotyping, driven by information and support systems, has a wide range of applications, including environmental characterization, GEI analysis, phenotype prediction, near-iso-environment construction, agronomic genomics, precision agriculture and breeding, and development of a four-dimensional profile of crop science involving genotype (G), phenotype (P), envirotype (E) and time (T) (developmental stage). In the future, envirotyping needs to zoom into specific experimental plots and individual plants, along with the development of high-throughput and precision envirotyping platforms, to integrate genotypic, phenotypic and envirotypic information for establishing a high-efficient precision breeding and sustainable crop production system based on deciphered environmental impacts.

Gene expression profiling of the effects of organic dust in lung epithelial and THP-1 cells reveals inductive effects on inflammatory and immune response genes

PubMed Central

Loose, David S.; Gottipati, Koteswara R.; Natarajan, Kartiga; Mitchell, Courtney T.

2016-01-01

The intensification and concentration of animal production operations expose workers to high levels of organic dusts in the work environment. Exposure to organic dusts is a risk factor for the development of acute and chronic respiratory symptoms and diseases. Lung epithelium plays important roles in the control of immune and inflammatory responses to environmental agents to maintain lung health. To better understand the effects of organic dust on lung inflammatory responses, we characterized the gene expression profiles of A549 alveolar and Beas2B bronchial epithelial and THP-1 monocytic cells influenced by exposure to poultry dust extract by DNA microarray analysis using Illumina Human HT-12 v4 Expression BeadChip. We found that A549 alveolar and Beas2B bronchial epithelial and THP-1 cells responded with unique changes in the gene expression profiles with regulation of genes encoding inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and other inflammatory proteins being common to all the three cells. Significantly induced genes included IL-8, IL-6, IL-1β, ICAM-1, CCL2, CCL5, TLR4, and PTGS2. Validation by real-time qRT-PCR, ELISA, Western immunoblotting, and immunohistochemical staining of lung sections from mice exposed to dust extract validated DNA microarray results. Pathway analysis indicated that dust extract induced changes in gene expression influenced functions related to cellular growth and proliferation, cell death and survival, and cellular development. These data show that a broad range of inflammatory mediators produced in response to poultry dust exposure can modulate lung immune and inflammatory responses. This is the first report on organic dust induced changes in expression profiles in lung epithelial and THP-1 monocytic cells. PMID:26884459

Environmental disruption of the circadian clock leads to altered sleep and immune responses in mouse.

PubMed

Phillips, Derrick J; Savenkova, Marina I; Karatsoreos, Ilia N

2015-07-01

In mammals, one of the most salient outputs of the circadian (daily) clock is the timing of the sleep-wake cycle. Modern industrialized society has led to a fundamental breakdown in the relationship between our endogenous timekeeping systems and the solar day, disrupting normal circadian rhythms. We have argued that disrupted circadian rhythms could lead to changes in allostatic load, and the capacity of organisms to respond to other environmental challenges. In this set of studies, we apply a model of circadian disruption characterized in our lab in which mice are housed in a 20h long day, with 10h of light and 10h of darkness. We explored the effects of this environmental disruption on sleep patterns, to establish if this model results in marked sleep deprivation. Given the interaction between circadian, sleep, and immune systems, we further probed if our model of circadian disruption also alters the innate immune response to peripheral bacterial endotoxin challenge. Our results demonstrate that this model of circadian disruption does not lead to marked sleep deprivation, but instead affects the timing and quality of sleep. We also show that while circadian disruption does not lead to basal changes in the immune markers we explored, the immune response is affected, both in the brain and the periphery. Together, our findings further strengthen the important role of the circadian timing system in sleep regulation and immune responses, and provide evidence that disrupting the circadian clock increases vulnerability to further environmental stressors, including immunological challenges. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Intraspecific variation shapes community-level behavioral responses to urbanization in spiders.

PubMed

Dahirel, Maxime; Dierick, Jasper; De Cock, Maarten; Bonte, Dries

2017-09-01

Urban areas are an extreme example of human-changed environments, exposing organisms to multiple and strong selection pressures. Adaptive behavioral responses are thought to play a major role in animals' success or failure in such new environments. Approaches based on functional traits have proven especially valuable to understand how species communities respond to environmental gradients. Until recently, they have, however, often ignored the potential consequences of intraspecific trait variation (ITV). When ITV is prevalent, it may highly impact ecological processes and resilience against stressors. This may be especially relevant in animals, in which behavioral traits can be altered very flexibly at the individual level to track environmental changes. We investigated how species turnover and ITV influenced community-level behavioral responses in a set of 62 sites of varying levels of urbanization, using orb web spiders and their webs as models of foraging behavior. ITV alone explained around one-third of the total trait variation observed among communities. Spider web structure changed according to urbanization, in ways that increase the capture efficiency of webs in a context of smaller urban prey. These trait shifts were partly mediated by species turnover, but ITV increased their magnitude, potentially helping to buffer the effects of environmental changes on communities. The importance of ITV varied depending on traits and on the spatial scale at which urbanization was considered. Despite being neglected from community-level analyses in animals, our results highlight the importance of accounting for intraspecific trait variation to fully understand trait responses to (human-induced) environmental changes and their impact on ecosystem functioning. © 2017 by the Ecological Society of America.

Physiologically grounded metrics of model skill: a case study estimating heat stress in intertidal populations

PubMed Central

Kish, Nicole E.; Helmuth, Brian; Wethey, David S.

2016-01-01

Models of ecological responses to climate change fundamentally assume that predictor variables, which are often measured at large scales, are to some degree diagnostic of the smaller-scale biological processes that ultimately drive patterns of abundance and distribution. Given that organisms respond physiologically to stressors, such as temperature, in highly non-linear ways, small modelling errors in predictor variables can potentially result in failures to predict mortality or severe stress, especially if an organism exists near its physiological limits. As a result, a central challenge facing ecologists, particularly those attempting to forecast future responses to environmental change, is how to develop metrics of forecast model skill (the ability of a model to predict defined events) that are biologically meaningful and reflective of underlying processes. We quantified the skill of four simple models of body temperature (a primary determinant of physiological stress) of an intertidal mussel, Mytilus californianus, using common metrics of model performance, such as root mean square error, as well as forecast verification skill scores developed by the meteorological community. We used a physiologically grounded framework to assess each model's ability to predict optimal, sub-optimal, sub-lethal and lethal physiological responses. Models diverged in their ability to predict different levels of physiological stress when evaluated using skill scores, even though common metrics, such as root mean square error, indicated similar accuracy overall. Results from this study emphasize the importance of grounding assessments of model skill in the context of an organism's physiology and, especially, of considering the implications of false-positive and false-negative errors when forecasting the ecological effects of environmental change. PMID:27729979

The Autoimmune Ecology

PubMed Central

Anaya, Juan-Manuel; Ramirez-Santana, Carolina; Alzate, Maria A.; Molano-Gonzalez, Nicolas; Rojas-Villarraga, Adriana

2016-01-01

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) represent a heterogeneous group of disorders that affect specific target organs or multiple organ systems. These conditions share common immunopathogenic mechanisms (i.e., the autoimmune tautology), which explain the clinical similarities they have among them as well as their familial clustering (i.e., coaggregation). As part of the autoimmune tautology, the influence of environmental exposure on the risk of developing ADs is paramount (i.e., the autoimmune ecology). In fact, environment, more than genetics, shapes immune system. Autoimmune ecology is akin to exposome, that is all the exposures – internal and external – across the lifespan, interacting with hereditary factors (both genetics and epigenetics) to favor or protect against autoimmunity and its outcomes. Herein, we provide an overview of the autoimmune ecology, focusing on the immune response to environmental agents in general, and microbiota, cigarette smoking, alcohol and coffee consumption, socioeconomic status (SES), gender and sex hormones, vitamin D, organic solvents, and vaccines in particular. Inclusion of the autoimmune ecology in disease etiology and health will improve the way personalized medicine is currently conceived and applied. PMID:27199979

Medical Toxicology and Public Health-Update on Research and Activities at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry : Environmental Exposures among Arctic Populations: The Maternal Organics Monitoring Study in Alaska.

PubMed

Anwar, Mehruba; Ridpath, Alison; Berner, James; Schier, Joshua G

2016-09-01

Evidence suggests that in-utero exposure to environmental chemicals, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs), heavy metals, and radionuclides, that might bioaccumulate in the mother may increase a newborn's risk of adverse developmental, neurological, and immunologic effects. Chemical contamination of bodies of water and strong ocean currents worldwide can drive these chemicals from lower latitudes to Arctic waters where they accumulate in common traditional subsistence foods. In response to concerns of the people from Alaska of the effects of bio-accumulated chemicals on their children, the Maternal Organics Monitoring Study(MOMS) was developed. The objective of the study was to assess the risks and benefits associated with the population's subsistence diet. Data analysis of biological samples at the CDC's NCEH laboratory and maternal questionnaires is ongoing. Results will be provided to Alaska Native communities to help support public health actions and inform future interventions and research.

Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Alveolar Destruction in Emphysema

PubMed Central

Tuder, Rubin M.; Yoshida, Toshinori; Arap, Wadih; Pasqualini, Renata; Petrache, Irina

2006-01-01

Emphysema consists of a unique pattern of alveolar destruction, resulting in marked airspace enlargement with reduction of alveolar capillary exchange area. Classical concepts of the pathogenesis of emphysema have relied on the paradigm set by the inflammation and protease/antiprotease imbalance. We propose herein that cigarette smoke constitutes an environmental hazard that causes alveolar destruction by the interaction of apoptosis, oxidative stress, and protease/antiprotease imbalance. We draw a parallel between organismal aging, organ structural maintenance, and the damage resulting from chronic cigarette smoke inhalation. The stochastic interaction between environmental hazards and the effort of an organism or a particular organ to fend off these hazards results in the accumulation of cellular damage and features characteristic of aging. Inflammation follows as the result of the multiplication of injuries. We highlight the importance of understanding the biology of the interaction of alveolar cells in homeostasis and in alveolar destruction, and the potential role of novel processes related to senescence and stress response. An evolutionary perspective of emphysema that incorporates mechanisms related to aging may lead to important advances in the understanding and therapeutic targeting of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. PMID:16921129

Views on Environmental Concerns of University Graduate Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lubrica, Maria Azucena B.; Lubrica, Joel V.

2010-07-01

The study investigated the views of graduate students on various environmental concerns. There were thirty (30) respondents, enrolled at Benguet State University of the Republic of the Philippines during the period March-May 2009, distributed as follows: nine for Master of Arts (MA) in Physics, two for MA General Science, fifteen for MA Mathematics, and four for MA Applied Statistics. There were ten males and twenty females. Likert-type responses for sixty-nine items were elicited through a questionnaire regarding levels of a) awareness, b) perceived knowledge, c) agreement, d) commitment, and e) expectations. Data analysis involved tests on means, based on the assumption that the responses were interval data. Results indicated that respondents lacked awareness about important national documents (such as Philippine Agenda 21 and Philippine Environment Code), perceived that they had a great knowledge of environmental topics (e.g., climate change and global warming), agreed to various environmental issues (involving balance of nature and sustainable development, among others), held a strong commitment to do action (especially in terms of integrating environmental education with their classes, if they were teachers), and held great expectations of the University's roles as an Organic Agriculture University (such as integrating environmental concerns in the curriculum, or introducing adaptation strategies for dealing with environmental problems, among others). In general, the respondents held similar perceptions, whether grouped according to sex or degree program. The major implication is that the MA Physics program, like the other three, can be a fertile ground for the inclusion of environmental concerns, towards the goal of producing solutions for both local and global challenges.

International jurisprudence on trade and environmental health: one step forward, two steps back?

PubMed

Timmermans, Karin

2008-01-01

Since the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO), there has been considerable debate regarding the impact of its rules on public health. By contrast, the role of the WTO dispute settlement mechanism has received little attention, even though the bodies responsible for settling disputes are the ultimate interpreters of WTO rules and agreements. To date, three WTO disputes that relate to occupational and/or environmental health have been fully litigated. A review of the decisions and reasoning in these cases indicates that WTO jurisprudence is evolving, as Panels and the Appellate Body try--with varying degrees of success--to balance countries' rights and obligations under international trade agreements with their right to protect occupational and environmental health. Disputes between nations can have an impact beyond the parties concerned, and raise questions about the relationship between trade agreements and other international agreements, especially multilateral environmental agreements (MEAs).

Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property.

PubMed

Schmidt, Michael W I; Torn, Margaret S; Abiven, Samuel; Dittmar, Thorsten; Guggenberger, Georg; Janssens, Ivan A; Kleber, Markus; Kögel-Knabner, Ingrid; Lehmann, Johannes; Manning, David A C; Nannipieri, Paolo; Rasse, Daniel P; Weiner, Steve; Trumbore, Susan E

2011-10-05

Globally, soil organic matter (SOM) contains more than three times as much carbon as either the atmosphere or terrestrial vegetation. Yet it remains largely unknown why some SOM persists for millennia whereas other SOM decomposes readily--and this limits our ability to predict how soils will respond to climate change. Recent analytical and experimental advances have demonstrated that molecular structure alone does not control SOM stability: in fact, environmental and biological controls predominate. Here we propose ways to include this understanding in a new generation of experiments and soil carbon models, thereby improving predictions of the SOM response to global warming.

Persistence of soil organic matter as an ecosystem property

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schmidt, M.W.; Torn, M. S.; Abiven, S.

2011-08-15

Globally, soil organic matter (SOM) contains more than three times as much carbon as either the atmosphere or terrestrial vegetation. Yet it remains largely unknown why some SOM persists for millennia whereas other SOM decomposes readily—and this limits our ability to predict how soils will respond to climate change. Recent analytical and experimental advances have demonstrated that molecular structure alone does not control SOM stability: in fact, environmental and biological controls predominate. Here we propose ways to include this understanding in a new generation of experiments and soil carbon models, thereby improving predictions of the SOM response to global warming.

Genetic variation in heat-stress tolerance among South American Drosophila populations.

PubMed

Fallis, Lindsey C; Fanara, Juan Jose; Morgan, Theodore J

2011-10-01

Spatial or temporal differences in environmental variables, such as temperature, are ubiquitous in nature and impose stress on organisms. This is especially true for organisms that are isothermal with the environment, such as insects. Understanding the means by which insects respond to temperature and how they will react to novel changes in environmental temperature is important for understanding the adaptive capacity of populations and to predict future trajectories of evolutionary change. The organismal response to heat has been identified as an important environmental variable for insects that can dramatically influence life history characters and geographic range. In the current study we surveyed the amount of variation in heat tolerance among Drosophila melanogaster populations collected at diverse sites along a latitudinal gradient in Argentina (24°-38°S). This is the first study to quantify heat tolerance in South American populations and our work demonstrates that most of the populations surveyed have abundant within-population phenotypic variation, while still exhibiting significant variation among populations. The one exception was the most heat tolerant population that comes from a climate exhibiting the warmest annual mean temperature. All together our results suggest there is abundant genetic variation for heat-tolerance phenotypes within and among natural populations of Drosophila and this variation has likely been shaped by environmental temperature.

Improving environmental assessments by integrating Species Sensitivity Distributions into environmental modeling: examples with two hypothetical oil spills.

PubMed

Bejarano, Adriana C; Mearns, Alan J

2015-04-15

A three dimensional (3D) trajectory model was used to simulate oil mass balance and environmental concentrations of two 795,000 L hypothetical oil spills modeled under physical and chemical dispersion scenarios. Species Sensitivity Distributions (SSD) for Total Hydrocarbon Concentrations (THCs) were developed, and Hazard Concentrations (HC) used as levels of concern. Potential consequences to entrained water column organisms were characterized by comparing model outputs with SSDs, and obtaining the proportion of species affected (PSA) and areas with oil concentrations exceeding HC5s (Area ⩾ HC5). Under the physically-dispersed oil scenario ⩽ 77% of the oil remains on the water surface and strands on shorelines, while with the chemically-dispersed oil scenario ⩽ 67% of the oil is entrained in the water column. For every 10% increase in chemical dispersion effectiveness, the average PSA and Area ⩾ HC5 increases (range: 0.01-0.06 and 0.50-2.9 km(2), respectively), while shoreline oiling decreases (⩽ 2919 L/km). Integrating SSDs into modeling may improve understanding of scales of potential impacts to water column organisms, while providing net environmental benefit comparison of oil spill response options. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling Root Exudation, Priming and Protection in Soil Carbon Responses to Elevated CO2 from Ecosystem to Global Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sulman, B. N.; Phillips, R.; Shevliakova, E.; Oishi, A. C.; Pacala, S. W.

2014-12-01

The sensitivity of soil organic carbon (SOC) to changing environmental conditions represents a critical uncertainty in coupled carbon cycle-climate models. Much of this uncertainty arises from our limited understanding of the extent to which plants induce SOC losses (through accelerated decomposition or "priming") or promote SOC gains (via stabilization through physico-chemical protection). We developed a new SOC model, "Carbon, Organisms, Rhizosphere and Protection in the Soil Environment" (CORPSE), to examine the net effect of priming and protection in response to rising atmospheric CO2, and conducted simulations of rhizosphere priming effects at both ecosystem and global scales. At the ecosystem scale, the model successfully captured and explained disparate SOC responses at the Duke and Oak Ridge free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments. We show that stabilization of "new" carbon in protected SOC pools may equal or exceed microbial priming of "old" SOC in ecosystems with readily decomposable litter (e.g. Oak Ridge). In contrast, carbon losses owing to priming dominate the net SOC response in ecosystems with more resistant litters (e.g. Duke). For global simulations, the model was fully integrated into the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) land model LM3. Globally, priming effects driven by enhanced root exudation and expansion of the rhizosphere reduced SOC storage in the majority of terrestrial areas, partially counterbalancing SOC gains from the enhanced ecosystem productivity driven by CO2 fertilization. Collectively, our results suggest that SOC stocks globally depend not only on temperature and moisture, but also on vegetation responses to environmental changes, and that protected C may provide an important constraint on priming effects.

Phycomyces blakesleeanus Ein Modell für die Sinnesphysiologie aneuraler Organismen

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russo, V. E. A.; Pohl, U.

1980-06-01

Phycomyces blakesleeanus, as many aneural organisms, reacts to a series of environmental stimuli. Genetic analysis proved that the biochemical pathways of many responses (geotropism, autochemotropism, phototropism, photocarotenogenesis, photodifferentiation) are interrelated. The sporangiophore can sense very low (10-8 W/m2) as well as high (10 W/m2) light intensities and shows dark and light adaptation phenomena as the human eye.

Identifying calcium sources at an acid deposition-impacted spruce forest: a strontium isotope, alkaline earth element multi-tracer approach

Treesearch

Thomas D. Bullen; Scott W. Bailey

2005-01-01

Depletion of calcium from forest soils has important implications for forest productivity and health. Ca is available to fine feeder roots from a number of soil organic and mineral sources. but identifying the primary source or changes of sources in response to environmental change is problematic. We used strontium isotope and alkaline earth element concentration...

Soil fauna responses to natural disturbances, invasive species, and global climate change: Current state of the science and a call to action

Treesearch

David R. Coyle; Uma J. Nagendra; Melanie K. Taylor; J. Holly Campbell; Chelsea E. Cunard; Aaron H. Joslin; Abha Mundepi; Carly A. Phillips; Mac A. Callaham

2017-01-01

Environmental disturbances seem to be increasing in frequency and impact, yet we have little understanding of the belowground impacts of these events. Soil fauna, while widely acknowledged to be important drivers of biogeochemical function, soil structure and sustainability, and trophic interactions, are understudied compared to other belowground organisms such as...

Response to Nuclear Regulatory Commission`s ten questions pertaining to site-specific models for use in the license termination rule: Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Buck, J.W.; Whelan, G.; Strenge, D.L.

This paper is in response to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) ten questions posed at the Modeling Workshop held November 13 and 14, 1997. The ten questions were developed in advance of the workshop to allow model developers to prepare a presentation at the Workshop. This paper is an expanded version of the Multimedia Environmental Pollutant Assessment System (MEPAS) presentation given at the Modeling Workshop by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) staff. This paper is organized by the ten questions asked by the NRC, each section devoted to a single question. The current version of methodology is MEPAS 3.2more » (NRC 1997) and the discussion in this paper will pertain to that version. In some cases, MEPAS 4.0, which is currently being developed under the Framework for Risk Analysis in Multimedia Environmental Systems (FRAMES) (Whelan et al. 1997), will be referenced to inform the reader of potential capabilities in the near future. A separate paper is included in the document that discusses the FRAMES concept.« less

Hormonal interactions during root tropic growth: hydrotropism versus gravitropism.

PubMed

Takahashi, Hideyuki; Miyazawa, Yutaka; Fujii, Nobuharu

2009-03-01

Terrestrial plants have evolved remarkable morphological plasticity that enables them to adapt to their surroundings. One of the most important traits that plants have acquired is the ability to sense environmental cues and use them as a basis for governing their growth orientation. The directional growth of plant organs relative to the direction of environmental stimuli is a tropism. The Cholodny-Went theory proposes that auxin plays a key role in several tropisms. Recent molecular genetic studies have strongly supported this hypothesis for gravitropism. However, the molecular mechanisms of other tropisms are far less clear. Hydrotropism is the response of roots to a moisture gradient. Since its re-discovery in 1985, root hydrotropism has been shown to be common among higher plant species. Additionally, in some species, gravitropism interferes with hydrotropism, suggesting that both shared and divergent mechanisms mediating the two tropisms exist. This hypothesis has been supported by recent studies, which provide an understanding of how roots sense multiple environmental cues and exhibit different tropic responses. In this review, we focus on the overlapping and unique mechanisms of the hormonal regulation underlying gravitropism and hydrotropism in roots.

Staphylococcal Bap Proteins Build Amyloid Scaffold Biofilm Matrices in Response to Environmental Signals

PubMed Central

Taglialegna, Agustina; Navarro, Susanna; Ventura, Salvador; Garnett, James A.; Matthews, Steve; Penades, José R.; Lasa, Iñigo; Valle, Jaione

2016-01-01

Biofilms are communities of bacteria that grow encased in an extracellular matrix that often contains proteins. The spatial organization and the molecular interactions between matrix scaffold proteins remain in most cases largely unknown. Here, we report that Bap protein of Staphylococcus aureus self-assembles into functional amyloid aggregates to build the biofilm matrix in response to environmental conditions. Specifically, Bap is processed and fragments containing at least the N-terminus of the protein become aggregation-prone and self-assemble into amyloid-like structures under acidic pHs and low concentrations of calcium. The molten globule-like state of Bap fragments is stabilized upon binding of the cation, hindering its self-assembly into amyloid fibers. These findings define a dual function for Bap, first as a sensor and then as a scaffold protein to promote biofilm development under specific environmental conditions. Since the pH-driven multicellular behavior mediated by Bap occurs in coagulase-negative staphylococci and many other bacteria exploit Bap-like proteins to build a biofilm matrix, the mechanism of amyloid-like aggregation described here may be widespread among pathogenic bacteria. PMID:27327765

Biotechnological approaches to study plant responses to stress.

PubMed

Pérez-Clemente, Rosa M; Vives, Vicente; Zandalinas, Sara I; López-Climent, María F; Muñoz, Valeria; Gómez-Cadenas, Aurelio

2013-01-01

Multiple biotic and abiotic environmental stress factors affect negatively various aspects of plant growth, development, and crop productivity. Plants, as sessile organisms, have developed, in the course of their evolution, efficient strategies of response to avoid, tolerate, or adapt to different types of stress situations. The diverse stress factors that plants have to face often activate similar cell signaling pathways and cellular responses, such as the production of stress proteins, upregulation of the antioxidant machinery, and accumulation of compatible solutes. Over the last few decades advances in plant physiology, genetics, and molecular biology have greatly improved our understanding of plant responses to abiotic stress conditions. In this paper, recent progresses on systematic analyses of plant responses to stress including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and transgenic-based approaches are summarized.

Biotechnological Approaches to Study Plant Responses to Stress

PubMed Central

Pérez-Clemente, Rosa M.; Vives, Vicente; Zandalinas, Sara I.; López-Climent, María F.; Muñoz, Valeria; Gómez-Cadenas, Aurelio

2013-01-01

Multiple biotic and abiotic environmental stress factors affect negatively various aspects of plant growth, development, and crop productivity. Plants, as sessile organisms, have developed, in the course of their evolution, efficient strategies of response to avoid, tolerate, or adapt to different types of stress situations. The diverse stress factors that plants have to face often activate similar cell signaling pathways and cellular responses, such as the production of stress proteins, upregulation of the antioxidant machinery, and accumulation of compatible solutes. Over the last few decades advances in plant physiology, genetics, and molecular biology have greatly improved our understanding of plant responses to abiotic stress conditions. In this paper, recent progresses on systematic analyses of plant responses to stress including genomics, proteomics, metabolomics, and transgenic-based approaches are summarized. PMID:23509757

The Environmental Self-Audit for Campus-Based Organizations: A Quick and Easy Guide to Environmental Compliance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation, Albany.

This guide is intended to help public and not-for-profit campus-based organizations in New York State to comply with local, state, and federal environmental regulations. The environmental self-audit serves as a basic diagnostic tool for campus-based organizations (centralized schools, colleges/universities, correctional facilities, mental health…

Specialized Proresolving Mediators in Innate and Adaptive Immune Responses in Airway Diseases.

PubMed

Krishnamoorthy, Nandini; Abdulnour, Raja-Elie E; Walker, Katherine H; Engstrom, Braden D; Levy, Bruce D

2018-07-01

Airborne pathogens and environmental stimuli evoke immune responses in the lung. It is critical to health that these responses be controlled to prevent tissue damage and the compromise of organ function. Resolution of inflammation is a dynamic process that is coordinated by biochemical and cellular mechanisms. Recently, specialized proresolving mediators (SPMs) have been identified in resolution exudates. These molecules orchestrate anti-inflammatory and proresolving actions that are cell type specific. In this review, we highlight SPM biosynthesis, the influence of SPMs on the innate and adaptive immune responses in the lung, as well as recent insights from SPMs on inflammatory disease pathophysiology. Uncovering these mediators and cellular mechanisms for resolution is providing new windows into physiology and disease pathogenesis.

Impact and mitigation of stratospheric ozone depletion by chemical rockets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mcdonald, A.J.

1992-03-01

The American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) conducted a workshop in conjunction with the 1991 AIAA Joint Propulsion Conference in Sacramento, California, to assess the impact of chemical rocket propulsion on the environment. The workshop included recognized experts from the fields of atmospheric physics and chemistry, solid rocket propulsion, liquid rocket propulsion, government, and environmental agencies, and representatives from several responsible environmental organizations. The conclusion from this workshop relative to stratospheric ozone depletion was that neither solid nor liquid rocket launchers have a significant impact on stratospheric ozone depletion, and that there is no real significant difference between themore » two.« less

Fatty acid metabolism in fish species as a biomarker for environmental monitoring.

PubMed

Olivares-Rubio, Hugo F; Vega-López, Armando

2016-11-01

Pollution by Organic Contaminants (OC) in aquatic environments is a relevant issue at the global scale. Lipids comprised of Fatty Acids (FA) play many important roles in the physiology and life history of fishes. Toxic effects of OC are partly dependent on its bioaccumulation in the lipids of aquatic organisms due its physicochemical properties. Therefore, there is an increasing interest to investigate the gene expression as well as the presence and activity of proteins involved in FA metabolism. The attention on Peroxisome Proliferation Activate Receptors (PPARs) also prevails in fish species exposed to OC and in the transport, biosynthesis and β-oxidation of FA. Several studies have been conducted under controlled conditions to evaluate these biological aspects of fish species exposed to OC, as fibrates, endocrine disrupting compounds, perfluoroalkyl acids, flame retardants, metals and mixtures of organic compounds associated with a polluted area. However, only fibrates, which are agonists of PPARs, induce biological responses suitable to be considered as biomarkers of exposure to these pollutants. According to the documented findings on this topic, it is unlikely that these physiological aspects are suitable to be employed as biomarkers with some noticeable exceptions, which depend on experimental design. This emphasises the need to investigate the responses in fish treated with mixtures of OC and in wild fish species from polluted areas to validate or refute the suitability of these biomarkers for environmental or fish health monitoring. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Light-dependent governance of cell shape dimensions in cyanobacteria.

PubMed

Montgomery, Beronda L

2015-01-01

The regulation of cellular dimension is important for the function and survival of cells. Cellular dimensions, such as size and shape, are regulated throughout the life cycle of bacteria and can be adapted in response to environmental changes to fine-tune cellular fitness. Cell size and shape are generally coordinated with cell growth and division. Cytoskeletal regulation of cell shape and cell wall biosynthesis and/or deposition occurs in a range of organisms. Photosynthetic organisms, such as cyanobacteria, particularly exhibit light-dependent regulation of morphogenes and generation of reactive oxygen species and other signals that can impact cellular dimensions. Environmental signals initiate adjustments of cellular dimensions, which may be vitally important for optimizing resource acquisition and utilization or for coupling the cellular dimensions with the regulation of subcellular organization to maintain optimal metabolism. Although the involvement of cytoskeletal components in the regulation of cell shape is widely accepted, the signaling factors that regulate cytoskeletal and other distinct components involved in cell shape control, particularly in response to changes in external light cues, remain to be fully elucidated. In this review, factors impacting the inter-coordination of growth and division, the relationship between the regulation of cellular dimensions and central carbon metabolism, and consideration of the effects of specific environment signals, primarily light, on cell dimensions in cyanobacteria will be discussed. Current knowledge about the molecular bases of the light-dependent regulation of cellular dimensions and cell shape in cyanobacteria will be highlighted.

Experience Modulates the Reproductive Response to Heat Stress in C. elegans via Multiple Physiological Processes

PubMed Central

Gouvêa, Devin Y.; Aprison, Erin Z.; Ruvinsky, Ilya

2015-01-01

Natural environments are considerably more variable than laboratory settings and often involve transient exposure to stressful conditions. To fully understand how organisms have evolved to respond to any given stress, prior experience must therefore be considered. We investigated the effects of individual and ancestral experience on C. elegans reproduction. We documented ways in which cultivation at 15°C or 25°C affects developmental time, lifetime fecundity, and reproductive performance after severe heat stress that exceeds the fertile range of the organism but is compatible with survival and future fecundity. We found that experience modulates multiple aspects of reproductive physiology, including the male and female germ lines and the interaction between them. These responses vary in their environmental sensitivity, suggesting the existence of complex mechanisms for coping with unpredictable and stressful environments. PMID:26713620

[The Free Trade Agreement and environmental health in Mexico].

PubMed

Hernández-Peña, P; Gutiérrez-Zúñiga, C; Zurutuza-Fernández, R; Jiménez-González, O

1993-01-01

This work offers an overview of the state of the art and future state of environmental health in our country from a viewpoint of the impact of the commercial opening established in the Free Trade Agreement among Mexico, the USA, and Canada. In the first section of this work, we analyze the expected economic changes resulting from the implementation of the FTA and foretells the way in which those changes will influence the present environmental and epidemiologic profiles of this country in the medium and long term. The main changes predicted by the analysis are, in the epidemiologic context, the acceleration of the transference of occupational, consumption, environmental and population risks, characteristic of industrialized countries, to the country's polarized epidemiologic profile; and, in the environmental context, a transition consisting of a broadening and composition of the spectrum of pollutants, including and important lagging of bacteriologic control. The second section offers an analysis of the predicted response capacity facing the new environmental risk dynamics in the country, encompassing regulation, normativeness and enforcement of environmental and consumer protection, as well as obstacles found in health services to the implementation of surveillance, detection and treatment of health damages caused by environmental factors. The analysis of the organized social response to these problems discloses a relative flexibility of the normativeness and enforcement functions in comparison with our northern neighbors, a paramount factor for the possible transference of environmental risks, as well as the informational and research deficiency about environmental issues, basic elements for sustaining environmental health in the country, aiming at speeding up the development and transference of technologies for prevention, detection and management of environmental risks in the country, drawing upon the systematization of our experience and that of our neighbors. This speeding process ought to match, in the medium term, the velocity of risk transference produced by the commercial opening. In this way, the commercial integration of North America will become a favorable context for the development of the environmental health infrastructure of the country.

Three-Dimensional, Live-Cell Imaging of Chromatin Dynamics in Plant Nuclei Using Chromatin Tagging Systems.

PubMed

Hirakawa, Takeshi; Matsunaga, Sachihiro

2016-01-01

In plants, chromatin dynamics spatiotemporally change in response to various environmental stimuli. However, little is known about chromatin dynamics in the nuclei of plants. Here, we introduce a three-dimensional, live-cell imaging method that can monitor chromatin dynamics in nuclei via a chromatin tagging system that can visualize specific genomic loci in living plant cells. The chromatin tagging system is based on a bacterial operator/repressor system in which the repressor is fused to fluorescent proteins. A recent refinement of promoters for the system solved the problem of gene silencing and abnormal pairing frequencies between operators. Using this system, we can detect the spatiotemporal dynamics of two homologous loci as two fluorescent signals within a nucleus and monitor the distance between homologous loci. These live-cell imaging methods will provide new insights into genome organization, development processes, and subnuclear responses to environmental stimuli in plants.

Extreme Terrestrial Environments: Life in Thermal Stress and Hypoxia. A Narrative Review.

PubMed

Burtscher, Martin; Gatterer, Hannes; Burtscher, Johannes; Mairbäurl, Heimo

2018-01-01

Living, working and exercising in extreme terrestrial environments are challenging tasks even for healthy humans of the modern new age. The issue is not just survival in remote environments but rather the achievement of optimal performance in everyday life, occupation, and sports. Various adaptive biological processes can take place to cope with the specific stressors of extreme terrestrial environments like cold, heat, and hypoxia (high altitude). This review provides an overview of the physiological and morphological aspects of adaptive responses in these environmental stressors at the level of organs, tissues, and cells. Furthermore, adjustments existing in native people living in such extreme conditions on the earth as well as acute adaptive responses in newcomers are discussed. These insights into general adaptability of humans are complemented by outcomes of specific acclimatization/acclimation studies adding important information how to cope appropriately with extreme environmental temperatures and hypoxia.

Environmental laws in health care.

PubMed

Ruff, G G

1992-11-01

Federal and state regulations regarding the management and disposal of medical waste are currently quite extensive and will only become more comprehensive in the future. The public's heightened awareness and concerns over infectious diseases and discoveries of medical waste on beaches in New Jersey, Alabama, and other states, as well as medical waste being found in open trash bins and at public landfills, has brought to the public's attention the need for governmental intervention into this growing area of concern. Because regulations originating from the local, state, and federal levels have the potential to significantly affect hospitals, it is important that a specific person or department within the organization have a clearly designated responsibility to stay informed and follow up on these regulations. The designated person or department must work closely with the hospital's attorney to make sure that he or she stays current on environmental laws and keeps the institution adequately advised of its legal responsibilities.

Comparative genomics explains the evolutionary success of reef-forming corals.

PubMed

Bhattacharya, Debashish; Agrawal, Shobhit; Aranda, Manuel; Baumgarten, Sebastian; Belcaid, Mahdi; Drake, Jeana L; Erwin, Douglas; Foret, Sylvian; Gates, Ruth D; Gruber, David F; Kamel, Bishoy; Lesser, Michael P; Levy, Oren; Liew, Yi Jin; MacManes, Matthew; Mass, Tali; Medina, Monica; Mehr, Shaadi; Meyer, Eli; Price, Dana C; Putnam, Hollie M; Qiu, Huan; Shinzato, Chuya; Shoguchi, Eiichi; Stokes, Alexander J; Tambutté, Sylvie; Tchernov, Dan; Voolstra, Christian R; Wagner, Nicole; Walker, Charles W; Weber, Andreas Pm; Weis, Virginia; Zelzion, Ehud; Zoccola, Didier; Falkowski, Paul G

2016-05-24

Transcriptome and genome data from twenty stony coral species and a selection of reference bilaterians were studied to elucidate coral evolutionary history. We identified genes that encode the proteins responsible for the precipitation and aggregation of the aragonite skeleton on which the organisms live, and revealed a network of environmental sensors that coordinate responses of the host animals to temperature, light, and pH. Furthermore, we describe a variety of stress-related pathways, including apoptotic pathways that allow the host animals to detoxify reactive oxygen and nitrogen species that are generated by their intracellular photosynthetic symbionts, and determine the fate of corals under environmental stress. Some of these genes arose through horizontal gene transfer and comprise at least 0.2% of the animal gene inventory. Our analysis elucidates the evolutionary strategies that have allowed symbiotic corals to adapt and thrive for hundreds of millions of years.

Full circumpolar migration ensures evolutionary unity in the Emperor penguin.

PubMed

Cristofari, Robin; Bertorelle, Giorgio; Ancel, André; Benazzo, Andrea; Le Maho, Yvon; Ponganis, Paul J; Stenseth, Nils Chr; Trathan, Phil N; Whittington, Jason D; Zanetti, Enrico; Zitterbart, Daniel P; Le Bohec, Céline; Trucchi, Emiliano

2016-06-14

Defining reliable demographic models is essential to understand the threats of ongoing environmental change. Yet, in the most remote and threatened areas, models are often based on the survey of a single population, assuming stationarity and independence in population responses. This is the case for the Emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri, a flagship Antarctic species that may be at high risk continent-wide before 2100. Here, using genome-wide data from the whole Antarctic continent, we reveal that this top-predator is organized as one single global population with a shared demography since the late Quaternary. We refute the view of the local population as a relevant demographic unit, and highlight that (i) robust extinction risk estimations are only possible by including dispersal rates and (ii) colony-scaled population size is rather indicative of local stochastic events, whereas the species' response to global environmental change is likely to follow a shared evolutionary trajectory.

Full circumpolar migration ensures evolutionary unity in the Emperor penguin

PubMed Central

Cristofari, Robin; Bertorelle, Giorgio; Ancel, André; Benazzo, Andrea; Le Maho, Yvon; Ponganis, Paul J.; Stenseth, Nils Chr; Trathan, Phil N.; Whittington, Jason D.; Zanetti, Enrico; Zitterbart, Daniel P.; Le Bohec, Céline; Trucchi, Emiliano

2016-01-01

Defining reliable demographic models is essential to understand the threats of ongoing environmental change. Yet, in the most remote and threatened areas, models are often based on the survey of a single population, assuming stationarity and independence in population responses. This is the case for the Emperor penguin Aptenodytes forsteri, a flagship Antarctic species that may be at high risk continent-wide before 2100. Here, using genome-wide data from the whole Antarctic continent, we reveal that this top-predator is organized as one single global population with a shared demography since the late Quaternary. We refute the view of the local population as a relevant demographic unit, and highlight that (i) robust extinction risk estimations are only possible by including dispersal rates and (ii) colony-scaled population size is rather indicative of local stochastic events, whereas the species' response to global environmental change is likely to follow a shared evolutionary trajectory. PMID:27296726

Extreme Terrestrial Environments: Life in Thermal Stress and Hypoxia. A Narrative Review

PubMed Central

Burtscher, Martin; Gatterer, Hannes; Burtscher, Johannes; Mairbäurl, Heimo

2018-01-01

Living, working and exercising in extreme terrestrial environments are challenging tasks even for healthy humans of the modern new age. The issue is not just survival in remote environments but rather the achievement of optimal performance in everyday life, occupation, and sports. Various adaptive biological processes can take place to cope with the specific stressors of extreme terrestrial environments like cold, heat, and hypoxia (high altitude). This review provides an overview of the physiological and morphological aspects of adaptive responses in these environmental stressors at the level of organs, tissues, and cells. Furthermore, adjustments existing in native people living in such extreme conditions on the earth as well as acute adaptive responses in newcomers are discussed. These insights into general adaptability of humans are complemented by outcomes of specific acclimatization/acclimation studies adding important information how to cope appropriately with extreme environmental temperatures and hypoxia. PMID:29867589

Phenological response of sea turtles to environmental variation across a species' northern range.

PubMed

Mazaris, Antonios D; Kallimanis, Athanasios S; Pantis, John D; Hays, Graeme C

2013-01-22

Variations in environmental parameters (e.g. temperature) that form part of global climate change have been associated with shifts in the timing of seasonal events for a broad range of organisms. Most studies evaluating such phenological shifts of individual taxa have focused on a limited number of locations, making it difficult to assess how such shifts vary regionally across a species range. Here, by using 1445 records of the date of first nesting for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) at different breeding sites, on different continents and in different years across a broad latitudinal range (25-39° 'N), we demonstrate that the gradient of the relationship between temperature and the date of first breeding is steeper at higher latitudes, i.e. the phenological responses to temperature appear strongest at the poleward range limit. These findings support the hypothesis that biological changes in response to climate change will be most acute at the poleward range limits and are in accordance with the predictions of MacArthur's hypothesis that poleward range limit for species range is environmentally limited. Our findings imply that the poleward populations of loggerheads are more sensitive to climate variations and thus they might display the impacts of climate change sooner and more prominently.

Phenological response of sea turtles to environmental variation across a species' northern range

PubMed Central

Mazaris, Antonios D.; Kallimanis, Athanasios S.; Pantis, John D.; Hays, Graeme C.

2013-01-01

Variations in environmental parameters (e.g. temperature) that form part of global climate change have been associated with shifts in the timing of seasonal events for a broad range of organisms. Most studies evaluating such phenological shifts of individual taxa have focused on a limited number of locations, making it difficult to assess how such shifts vary regionally across a species range. Here, by using 1445 records of the date of first nesting for loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) at different breeding sites, on different continents and in different years across a broad latitudinal range (25–39° ′N), we demonstrate that the gradient of the relationship between temperature and the date of first breeding is steeper at higher latitudes, i.e. the phenological responses to temperature appear strongest at the poleward range limit. These findings support the hypothesis that biological changes in response to climate change will be most acute at the poleward range limits and are in accordance with the predictions of MacArthur's hypothesis that poleward range limit for species range is environmentally limited. Our findings imply that the poleward populations of loggerheads are more sensitive to climate variations and thus they might display the impacts of climate change sooner and more prominently. PMID:23193130

Thermo-responsive polymer tethered metal-organic framework core-shell magnetic microspheres for magnetic solid-phase extraction of alkylphenols from environmental water samples.

PubMed

Jia, Yuqian; Su, Hao; Wong, Y-L Elaine; Chen, Xiangfeng; Dominic Chan, T-W

2016-07-22

In this work, the thermo-responsive polymer PNIPAM tethered to Fe3O4@SiO2@MOF core-shell magnetic microspheres was first synthesized by a surface-selective post-synthetic strategy and underwent highly efficient magnetic solid-phase extraction (MSPE) of alkylphenols from aqueous samples. Alkylphenols, including 4-tert-octylphenol (OP) and 4-n-nonylphenol (NP), were selected as target compounds. The sample quantification was carried out using LC-MS/MS in multiple reaction monitor (MRM) mode. Under optimal working conditions, the developed method showed good linearity in the range of 5-1000ngL(-1), a low limit of detection (1.5ngL(-1)), and good repeatability (relative standard deviation, <8%, n=5) for NP and OP. Owning to the hydrophilic/hydrophobic switchable properties of the nanocomposite, high recoveries (78.7-104.3%) of alkylphenols were obtained under different extraction conditions. The levels of OP and NP in environmental samples collected from local river, lake and pond waters were analyzed using the developed method. It was believed that the synthesized material with the thermo-responsive coating, large surface areas and magnetic properties should have great potential in the extraction and removal of alkylphenols from environmental samples. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Antioxidant systems in supporting environmental and programmed adaptations to low temperatures.

PubMed

Blagojević, Dusko P

2007-01-01

Hetero and endothermic adaptive responses arising as a result of natural responses to environmental cues include antioxidant systems that support adaptations to environmental low temperatures in the broadest sense. These temperatures induce phase changes in energy production and consequently changes in the concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The latter may lead to oxidative stress and the impairment of cellular homeostasis and antioxidant defence systems (ADS) scavenge the ROS so generated. In endotherms the ADS responds to oxidative pressure during acute cold stress conditions, this response is tissue specific and does not extend to prevent other oxidative damage. The early acute phase of cold exposure is accompanied by a significant depletion in redox equivalents. Under such conditions it is questionable if ADS has the capacity to neutralize elevated levels of ROS since there is also an increased energy demand and enhanced ATP consumption. Prolonged exposure to cold leads to ADS adaptation. Hibernators and freeze-tolerant species elevate their ADS before hibernation or freezing in order to prepare for and cope with re-awakening. The involvement of ROS and the role of the ADS in organisms subjected to low temperatures are features intercalated into physiological mechanisms of homestasis. The exact mechanisms for ADS regulation have not been fully defined and are the subject of many ongoing intriguing scientific investigations.

Environmental and Genetic Determinants of Colony Morphology in Yeast

PubMed Central

Granek, Joshua A.; Magwene, Paul M.

2010-01-01

Nutrient stresses trigger a variety of developmental switches in the budding yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. One of the least understood of such responses is the development of complex colony morphology, characterized by intricate, organized, and strain-specific patterns of colony growth and architecture. The genetic bases of this phenotype and the key environmental signals involved in its induction have heretofore remained poorly understood. By surveying multiple strain backgrounds and a large number of growth conditions, we show that limitation for fermentable carbon sources coupled with a rich nitrogen source is the primary trigger for the colony morphology response in budding yeast. Using knockout mutants and transposon-mediated mutagenesis, we demonstrate that two key signaling networks regulating this response are the filamentous growth MAP kinase cascade and the Ras-cAMP-PKA pathway. We further show synergistic epistasis between Rim15, a kinase involved in integration of nutrient signals, and other genes in these pathways. Ploidy, mating-type, and genotype-by-environment interactions also appear to play a role in the controlling colony morphology. Our study highlights the high degree of network reuse in this model eukaryote; yeast use the same core signaling pathways in multiple contexts to integrate information about environmental and physiological states and generate diverse developmental outputs. PMID:20107600

Effectiveness of benthic foraminiferal and coral assemblages as water quality indicators on inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uthicke, S.; Thompson, A.; Schaffelke, B.

2010-03-01

Although the debate about coral reef decline focuses on global disturbances (e.g., increasing temperatures and acidification), local stressors (nutrient runoff and overfishing) continue to affect reef health and resilience. The effectiveness of foraminiferal and hard-coral assemblages as indicators of changes in water quality was assessed on 27 inshore reefs along the Great Barrier Reef. Environmental variables (i.e., several water quality and sediment parameters) and the composition of both benthic foraminiferal and hard-coral assemblages differed significantly between four regions (Whitsunday, Burdekin, Fitzroy, and the Wet Tropics). Grain size and organic carbon and nitrogen content of sediments, and a composite water column parameter (based on turbidity and concentrations of particulate matter) explained a significant amount of variation in the data (tested by redundancy analyses) in both assemblages. Heterotrophic species of foraminifera were dominant in sediments with high organic content and in localities with low light availability, whereas symbiont-bearing mixotrophic species were dominant elsewhere. A similar suite of parameters explained 89% of the variation in the FORAM index (a Caribbean coral reef health indicator) and 61% in foraminiferal species richness. Coral richness was not related to environmental setting. Coral assemblages varied in response to environmental variables, but were strongly shaped by acute disturbances (e.g., cyclones, Acanthaster planci outbreaks, and bleaching), thus different coral assemblages may be found at sites with the same environmental conditions. Disturbances also affect foraminiferal assemblages, but they appeared to recover more rapidly than corals. Foraminiferal assemblages are effective bioindicators of turbidity/light regimes and organic enrichment of sediments on coral reefs.

Redox rhythm reinforces the circadian clock to gate immune response.

PubMed

Zhou, Mian; Wang, Wei; Karapetyan, Sargis; Mwimba, Musoki; Marqués, Jorge; Buchler, Nicolas E; Dong, Xinnian

2015-07-23

Recent studies have shown that in addition to the transcriptional circadian clock, many organisms, including Arabidopsis, have a circadian redox rhythm driven by the organism's metabolic activities. It has been hypothesized that the redox rhythm is linked to the circadian clock, but the mechanism and the biological significance of this link have only begun to be investigated. Here we report that the master immune regulator NPR1 (non-expressor of pathogenesis-related gene 1) of Arabidopsis is a sensor of the plant's redox state and regulates transcription of core circadian clock genes even in the absence of pathogen challenge. Surprisingly, acute perturbation in the redox status triggered by the immune signal salicylic acid does not compromise the circadian clock but rather leads to its reinforcement. Mathematical modelling and subsequent experiments show that NPR1 reinforces the circadian clock without changing the period by regulating both the morning and the evening clock genes. This balanced network architecture helps plants gate their immune responses towards the morning and minimize costs on growth at night. Our study demonstrates how a sensitive redox rhythm interacts with a robust circadian clock to ensure proper responsiveness to environmental stimuli without compromising fitness of the organism.

Population responses to environmental change in a tropical ant: the interaction of spatial and temporal dynamics.

PubMed

Jackson, Doug; Vandermeer, John; Perfecto, Ivette; Philpott, Stacy M

2014-01-01

Spatial structure can have a profound, but often underappreciated, effect on the temporal dynamics of ecosystems. Here we report on a counterintuitive increase in the population of a tree-nesting ant, Azteca sericeasur, in response to a drastic reduction in the number of potential nesting sites. This surprising result is comprehensible when viewed in the context of the self-organized spatial dynamics of the ants and their effect on the ants' dispersal-limited natural enemies. Approximately 30% of the trees in the study site, a coffee agroecosystem in southern Mexico, were pruned or felled over a two-year period, and yet the abundance of the ant nests more than doubled over the seven-year study. Throughout the transition, the spatial distribution of the ants maintained a power-law distribution - a signal of spatial self organization - but the local clustering of the nests was reduced post-pruning. A cellular automata model incorporating the changed spatial structure of the ants and the resulting partial escape from antagonists reproduced the observed increase in abundance, highlighting how self-organized spatial dynamics can profoundly influence the responses of ecosystems to perturbations.

Population Responses to Environmental Change in a Tropical Ant: The Interaction of Spatial and Temporal Dynamics

PubMed Central

Jackson, Doug; Vandermeer, John; Perfecto, Ivette; Philpott, Stacy M.

2014-01-01

Spatial structure can have a profound, but often underappreciated, effect on the temporal dynamics of ecosystems. Here we report on a counterintuitive increase in the population of a tree-nesting ant, Azteca sericeasur, in response to a drastic reduction in the number of potential nesting sites. This surprising result is comprehensible when viewed in the context of the self-organized spatial dynamics of the ants and their effect on the ants’ dispersal-limited natural enemies. Approximately 30% of the trees in the study site, a coffee agroecosystem in southern Mexico, were pruned or felled over a two-year period, and yet the abundance of the ant nests more than doubled over the seven-year study. Throughout the transition, the spatial distribution of the ants maintained a power-law distribution – a signal of spatial self organization – but the local clustering of the nests was reduced post-pruning. A cellular automata model incorporating the changed spatial structure of the ants and the resulting partial escape from antagonists reproduced the observed increase in abundance, highlighting how self-organized spatial dynamics can profoundly influence the responses of ecosystems to perturbations. PMID:24842117

Intention to purchase organic food among young consumers: Evidences from a developing nation.

PubMed

Yadav, Rambalak; Pathak, Govind Swaroop

2016-01-01

The present study attempts to investigate the consumer's intention to purchase organic food in the context of a developing nation (India) using the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB). Further, the study has incorporated additional constructs (moral attitude, health consciousness and environmental concern) in the TPB and measured its appropriateness. Responses were collected from 220 young consumers adopting convenience sampling approach. Data were analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to evaluate the strength of relationship between the constructs. The findings reported that the TPB partially supported the organic food purchase intention. Among the additional constructs incorporated, moral attitude and health consciousness positively influenced the consumer's intention to purchase organic food. The study has supported the inclusion of new constructs in the TPB as it has improved the predictive power of the proposed framework in determining consumer's intention to purchase organic food. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.