Microbial Composition and Functional Diversity Differ Across Urban Green Infrastructure Types.

Functional and biogeographical properties of soil microbial communities in urban ecosystems are poorly understood despite their role in metabolic processes underlying valuable ecosystem services. The worldwide emergence of engineered habitats in urban landscapes-green roofs, bioswales, and other types of soil-based green infrastructure-highlights the importance of understanding how environmental changes affect the community assembly processes that shape urban microbial diversity and function. In this study we investigated (1) whether engineered green roofs and bioswales in New York City had distinct microbial community composition and trait-associated diversity compared to non-engineered soils in parks and tree pits, and (2) if these patterns were consistent with divergent community assembly processes associated with engineered specifications of green infrastructure habitats not present in conventional, non-engineered green infrastructure; specifically, tree pit and park lawn soils.

The effects of oxytocin and arginine vasopressin in vitro on epididymal contractility in the rat.

Oxytocin (OT) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) have been found to be present in the reproductive system of the mammalian male, but their function in this system is unclear. This study examined the effects of these two hormones on contractions of the rat caput epididymis, as well as the hormones' effects on epididymal diameter during contractions. The initial segments of caput epididymides were observed in vitro in a solution of modified Tyrode's solution, with a test solution containing a concentration of either OT or AVP being added after a 5-min period.