Identification of bacterial dissimilatory antimonate reductase AnrA: genes and proteins involved in antimonate respiration and resistance in sp. strain SVR.

sp. strain SVR uses antimonate [Sb(V)] as a terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration. Here, we visualized a possible key enzyme, periplasmic Sb(V) reductase (Anr), via active staining and non-denaturing gel electrophoresis.

Investigation of HO uptake mechanisms onto multiple-component ambient aerosols collected in summer and winter time in Yokohama, Japan.

The heterogeneous loss of HO radicals onto ambient aerosols plays an important role in tropospheric chemistry. However, sparse investigation of the dominating parameters controlling the HO uptake coefficients onto ambient aerosols (γHO) has largely hindered the application of the measured γHO to the global spatial prediction. Here we induced an offline method using LFP-LIF technique to measure the kinetics of HO uptake onto ambient aerosols collected in summertime and wintertime in Yokohama city, a regional urban site near Tokyo, Japan.

Aerosol Proteinaceous Matter in Coastal Okinawa, Japan: Influence of Long-Range Transport and Photochemical Degradation.

The characteristics, sources, and atmospheric oxidation processes of marine aerosol proteinaceous matter (APM), including total proteins and free amino acids (FAAs), were investigated using a set of 1 year total suspended particulate (TSP) samples collected in the coastal area of Okinawa Island in the western North Pacific rim. The concentrations of APM at this site (total proteins: 0.16 ± 0.

Measuring Photophysiology of Attached Stage of Colacium sp. by a Cuvette-Type Fast Repetition Rate Fluorometer.

Fast repetition rate fluorometer (FRRf) is a beneficial method for measuring photosystem II (PSII) photophysiology and primary productivity. Although FRRf can measure PSII absorption cross-section (σPSII), maximum photochemical efficiency (Fv/Fm), effective photochemical efficiency (Fq'/Fm'), and non-photochemical quenching (NPQNSV) for various eukaryotic algae and cyanobacteria, almost all FRRf studies to date have focused on phytoplankton. Here, the protocol describes how to measure PSII photophysiology of an epizoic alga Colacium sp.

Nitrous acid (HONO) emission factors for diesel vehicles determined using a chassis dynamometer.

Vehicle exhaust gases are important sources of nitrous acid (HONO). In this study, HONO in diesel vehicle exhaust was measured by incoherent broadband cavity-enhanced absorption spectroscopy using a chassis dynamometer system. The mean HONO concentrations in exhaust gases emitted by passenger cars and light-duty trucks were high when the after treatment devices were not fully working during the warming up period.

Complete Genome Sequence of sp. Strain SVR, an Antimonate-Reducing Bacterium Isolated from Antimony-Rich Mine Soil.

We report here the complete genome sequence of sp. strain SVR, isolated from antimony mine soil in Nakase Mine, Hyogo Prefecture, Japan. SVR strains proliferate using antimonate [Sb(V)] as an electron acceptor, providing insights into the antimony reduction mechanism.

Differences in the isotopic signature of activated sludge in four types of advanced treatment processes at a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

The natural abundance of stable isotopes is a powerful tool for evaluating biological reactions and process conditions. However, there are few stable isotope studies on the wastewater treatment process. This study carried out the first investigation on variations in natural abundance of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios (δC and δN) of activated sludge in four types of advanced treatment process (extended aeration activated sludge (EAAS), aerobic-anoxic-aerobic (AO), recycled nitrification-denitrification (RND), and modified Bardenpho (MB)) at a municipal wastewater treatment plant.

Suppression of phosphorus release from eutrophic lake sediments by sediment microbial fuel cells.

Sediment microbial fuel cells (SMFCs) have served as an alternative technique to suppress phosphorus release from lake sediments to water bodies and thus mitigate eutrophication. However, the phosphorus regulation mechanism remains unclear. The purpose of this research was to understand the electrochemical influence of an SMFC on the phosphorus concentration in interstitial water.

Development of photosynthetic carbon fixation model using multi-excitation wavelength fast repetition rate fluorometry in Lake Biwa.

Direct measurements of gross primary productivity (GPP) in the water column are essential, but can be spatially and temporally restrictive. Fast repetition rate fluorometry (FRRf) is a bio-optical technique based on chlorophyll a (Chl-a) fluorescence that can estimate the electron transport rate (ETRPSII) at photosystem II (PSII) of phytoplankton in real time. However, the derivation of phytoplankton GPP in carbon units from ETRPSII remains challenging because the electron requirement for carbon fixation (Фe,C), which is mechanistically 4 mol e- mol C-1 or above, can vary depending on multiple factors.

Production of two morphologically different antimony trioxides by a novel antimonate-reducing bacterium, Geobacter sp. SVR.

A novel dissimilatory antimonate [Sb(V)]-reducing bacterium, strain SVR, was isolated from soil of a former antimony (Sb) mine. Strain SVR coupled Sb(V) reduction to acetate oxidation with an apparent reduction rate of 2.4 mM d.

A unified framework for herbivore-to-producer biomass ratio reveals the relative influence of four ecological factors.

The biomass ratio of herbivores to primary producers reflects the structure of a community. Four primary factors have been proposed to affect this ratio, including production rate, defense traits and nutrient contents of producers, and predation by carnivores. However, identifying the joint effects of these factors across natural communities has been elusive, in part because of the lack of a framework for examining their effects simultaneously.

Evaluation of stable isotope ratios (δN and δO) of nitrate in advanced sewage treatment processes: Isotopic signature in four process types.

Stable isotope ratios of nitrate are a powerful tool to evaluate aquatic environment stress from treated and untreated sewage. However, there is generally a lack of knowledge on the change in stable isotope ratios within wastewater treatment plants. We investigated nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios (δN and δO) of nitrate in four types of advanced treatment processes operated in parallel; (A) extended aeration activated sludge, (B) anaerobic-anoxic-aerobic (AO), (C) recycled nitrification-denitrification, and (D) modified Bardenpho.

A dataset of Cs activity concentration and inventory in forests contaminated by the Fukushima accident.

The majority of the area contaminated by the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident is covered with forests. We developed a dataset for radiocaesium (Cs) in trees, soil, and mushrooms measured at numerous forest sites. The Cs activity concentration and inventory data reported in scientific journal papers written in English and Japanese, governmental reports, and governmental monitoring data on the web were collated.

Complete Genome Sequence of the Cesium-Accumulating Bacterium Rhodococcus qingshengii CS98, Isolated from Soil in Japan.

CS98 is a bacterium isolated from soil in Japan that shows strong cesium-accumulating ability. Here, we report the complete genome sequence of (6.7 Mb), which may provide useful genetic information supporting its bioremediation features.

Draft Genome Sequence of sp. Strain SbOxS2, an Antimony-Oxidizing Bacterium Isolated from Stibnite Mine Tailing Soil.

The antimony-oxidizing sp. strain SbOxS2 was isolated from stibnite mine tailing soil. The draft genome sequence of strain SbOxS2 comprises 4.

Draft Genome Sequence of the Antimony-Oxidizing sp. Strain SbOxS1, Isolated from Stibnite Mine Tailing Soil.

sp. strain SbOxS1 was isolated from stibnite mine tailing soil for its ability to oxidize antimonite. We present a draft genome sequence of strain SbOxS1, which contains 6,484 predicted protein-coding sequences.

Seasonal dynamics of the activities of dissolved Cs and the Cs of fish in a shallow, hypereutrophic lake: Links to bottom-water oxygen concentrations.

Remobilization of radiocesium from anoxic sediments can be an important mechanism responsible for long-term contaminations of lakes. However, it is unclear whether such remobilization occurs in shallow lakes, where concentrations of dissolved oxygen in the hypolimnion (bottom DO) change temporally in response to meteorological conditions, and whether remobilized radiocesium influences the activity in fish. We examined the seasonal dynamics of the activities of dissolved Cs and Cs in fish (pond smelt and crucian carp) from Lake Kasumigaura, a shallow, hypereutrophic lake, five years after the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant accident.

Nitrogen and Oxygen Isotope Signatures of Nitrogen Compounds during Anammox in the Laboratory and a Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Isotopic fractionation factors against N and O during anammox (anaerobic ammonia oxidization by nitrite) are critical for evaluating the importance of this process in natural environments. We performed batch incubation experiments with an anammox-dominated biomass to investigate nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O) isotopic fractionation factors during anammox and also examined apparent isotope fractionation factors during anammox in an actual wastewater treatment plant. We conducted one incubation experiment with high δO of water to investigate the effects of water δO.

Estimation of the rate of Cs root uptake into stemwood of Japanese cedar using an isotopic approach.

Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) is the main timber species in Japan. The prediction of the temporal changes in the Cs concentration in the stemwood of Japanese cedar after the Fukushima nuclear accident is essential for optimizing forest management in contaminated areas. However, it is difficult to estimate the respective contributions of root and foliar uptake to Cs accumulation in stemwood from simple field measurements, especially in trees that contain the residue of initially-deposited Cs.

Possible Involvement of a Tetrathionate Reductase Homolog in Dissimilatory Arsenate Reduction by sp. Strain PSR-1.

sp. strain PSR-1, a dissimilatory arsenate [As(V)]-reducing bacterium, can utilize As(V) as a terminal electron acceptor for anaerobic respiration. A previous draft genome analysis revealed that strain PSR-1 lacks typical respiratory As(V) reductase genes (), which suggested the involvement of another protein in As(V) respiration.

Effect of Asian dust on respiratory symptoms among children with and without asthma, and their sensitivity.

There has been little study on the effect of Asian dust exposure on respiratory symptoms among children who are vulnerable to environmental factors. In this panel study, we investigated the effect of Asian dust on respiratory symptoms among children with and without asthma, and their sensitivity. Children attending two elementary schools (137 total), and 23 children with asthma from cooperating medical institutions in Fukuoka prefecture were recruited.

Primary production estimated for large lakes and reservoirs in the Mekong River Basin.

Understanding the proximate factors and mechanisms driving primary production in manmade reservoirs is crucial because such production can translate into added fish yields that provide people with food and livelihoods. Furthermore, reservoir fish production could potentially compensate for the loss of fish yields due to habitat fragmentation and alterations caused by damming and impoundment. We monitored primary production, identified environmental factors responsible for its variability, and examined the relationship between primary production and fish production in nine large water bodies of the Lower Mekong Basin for 2 years.