Search results for "hell"
showing 10 items of 1035 documents
Gull-derived trace elements trigger small-scale contamination in a remote Mediterranean nature reserve
2013
The role of a yellow-legged gull (Larus michahellis) small colony in conveying trace elements (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, THg, V, Zn) was assessed in a Mediterranean nature reserve (Marinello ponds) at various spatial and temporal scales. Trace element concentrations in guano were high and seasonally variable. In contrast, contamination in the ponds was not influenced by season but showed strong spatial variability among ponds, according to the different guano input. Biogenic enrichment factor B confirmed the role of gulls in the release of trace elements through guano subsidies. In addition, comparing trace element pond concentrations to the US NOAA’s SQGs, As, Cu and Ni showed contamination …
Effects of a small seagull colony on trophic status and primary production in a Mediterranean coastal system (Marinello ponds, Italy)
2012
Abstract Colonies of seabirds have been shown to influence nutrient cycling and primary production of coastal areas, but knowledge is still limited above all for smaller colonies. This study evaluates the influence of a small resident seagull colony (Larus michahellis Naumann, 1840) on a Mediterranean coastal system (Marinello ponds, Sicily, Italy). The presence of ornithogenic organic matter from seagull guano was first assessed at increasing distances from the colony using δ15N to indicate the effects of guano on the trophic status and primary production. The pond directly affected by guano deposition showed an anomalous water and sediment chemistry, especially regarding physico-chemical …
Mediterranean species of Eudendrium Ehrenberg, 1834 (Hydrozoa, Anthomedusae, Eudendriidae) with the description of a new species
2000
A new species of Eudendrium from the Chafarinas Islands (south-western Mediterranean) is described. The distinctive character of this species is its association with symbiotic zooxanthellae, a feature in common with Myrionema, the only other genus of the family Eudendriidae. The evolutionary implications of this similarity are discussed. A review of the Mediterranean species of Eudendriidae is presented, including data on the cnidome when available, biological data from the material studied, and a key to identify the Mediterranean species.
Oxygen and carbon stable isotopes ofMytilus galloprovincialisLamarck, 1819 shells as environmental and provenance proxies
2019
Mollusc shell stable isotopes are commonly used to reconstruct past environmental conditions. However, despite being abundant components of natural and anthropogenic fossil accumulations, the geochemical composition of mussel shells ( Mytilus spp.) has rarely received attention in palaeoenvironmental studies. This study tests the suitability of oxygen isotopes (δ18Os) of Mytilus galloprovincialis as palaeothermometer. For 1 year, mussels and water samples were collected twice a month from Berria Beach, in Northern Spain. The geochemical data of the shells indicate that water temperatures can be reconstructed with an average offset of 1.2 ± 0.7°C with respect to the measured values. Furtherm…
A multiplex PCR for the detection of Vibrio vulnificus hazardous to human and/or animal health from seafood
2022
Vibrio vulnificus is a zoonotic pathogen linked to aquaculture that is spreading due to climate change. The pathogen can be transmitted to humans and animals by ingestion of raw shellfish or seafood feed, respectively. The aim of this work was to design and test a new procedure to detect V. vulnificus hazardous to human and/or animal health in food/feed samples. For this purpose, we combined a pre-enrichment step with multiplex PCR using primers for the species and for human and animal virulence markers. In vitro assays with mixed DNA from different Vibrio species and Vibrio cultures showed that the new protocol was 100 % specific with a detection limit of 10 cfu/mL. The protocol was succes…
Density functional study of Cu2+-phenylalanine complex under micro-solvation environment
2013
Abstract We present an atomistic study carried out using density functional calculations including structural relaxations and Car–Parrinello Molecular Dynamics (CPMD) simulations, aiming to investigate the structures of phenylalanine-copper (II) ([Phe-Cu] 2+ ) complexes and their micro-solvation processes. The structures of the [Phe-Cu] 2+ complex with up to four water molecules are optimized using the B3LYP/6-311++G** model in gas phase to identify the lowest energy structures at each degree of solvation ( n = 0–4). It is found that the phenylalanine appears to be in the neutral form in isolated and mono-hydrated complexes, but in the zwitterionic form in other hydrated complexes (with n …
Au-40(SR)(24) Cluster as a Chiral Dimer of 8-Electron Superatoms: Structure and Optical Properties
2012
We predict and analyze density-functional theory (DFT)-based structures for the recently isolated Au(40)(SR)(24) cluster. Combining structural information extracted from ligand-exchange reactions, circular dichroism and transmission electron microscopy leads us to propose two families of low-energy structures that have a chiral Au-S framework on the surface. These families have a common geometrical motif where a nonchiral Au(26) bi-icosahedral cluster core is protected by 6 RS-Au-SR and 4 RS-Au-SR-Au-SR oligomeric units, analogously to the "Divide and Protect" motif of known clusters Au(25)(SR)(18)(-/0), Au(38)(SR)(24) and Au(102)(SR)(44). The strongly prolate shape of the proposed Au(26) c…
Role of Solvent on Nonenzymatic Peptide Bond Formation Mechanisms and Kinetic Isotope Effects
2013
Based on the hypothesis that similar mechanisms are involved in the peptide bond formation in aqueous solution and in the ribosome, the aminolysis of esters in aqueous solution has been the subject of numerous studies as the reference reaction for the catalyzed process. The mechanisms proposed in the literature have been explored in the present paper by hybrid QM/MM molecular dynamics simulations. The free energy profiles have been computed with the QM region of the system described at semiempirical AM1 level and by DFT within the M06-2X functional. According to the results, the formation of adduct zwitterion species is a preliminary step required for all possible mechanisms. Then, from dif…
On the Structure of Thiolate-Protected Au25
2008
Density functional theory is used to explore the structure of Au25(RS)18. The preferred structure consists of an icosahedral Au13 core protected by 6 RS-Au-RS-Au-RS units. The enhanced stability of the structure as an anion is found to originate from closure of an eight-electron shell for delocalized Au(6s) electrons. The evaluated XRD pattern and optical spectra are in good agreement with experimental data.
Elucidation of Carbohydrate Molecular Interaction Mechanism of Recombinant and Native ArtinM
2013
[EN] The quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) technique has been applied for monitoring the biorecognition of ArtinM lectins at low horseradish peroxidase glycoprotein (HRP) concentrations, using a simple kinetic model based on Langmuir isotherm in previous work.(18) The latter approach was consistent with the data at dilute conditions but it fails to explain the small differences existing in the jArtinM and rArtinM due to ligand binding concentration limit. Here we extend this analysis to differentiate sugar-binding event of recombinant (rArtinM) and native (jArtinM) ArtinM lectins beyond dilute conditions. Equivalently, functionalized quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (…