Effects of MCPA and difenoconazole on glyphosate degradation and soil microorganisms.

Modern agriculture relies heavily on pesticide use to meet the demands of food quality and quantity. Therefore, pesticides are often applied in mixtures, leading to a diverse cocktail of chemicals and their metabolites in soils, which can affect non-target organisms such as soil microorganisms. Pesticides are tested for their single effects, but studies on their interactive effects are scarce.

Drought resistance and resilience of rhizosphere communities in forest soils from the cellular to ecosystem scale - insights from C pulse labeling.

The link between above- and belowground communities is a key uncertainty in drought and rewetting effects on forest carbon (C) cycle. In young beech model ecosystems and mature naturally dry pine forest exposed to 15-yr-long irrigation, we performed C pulse labeling experiments, one during drought and one 2 wk after rewetting, tracing tree assimilates into rhizosphere communities. The C pulses applied in tree crowns reached soil microbial communities of the young and mature forests one and 4 d later, respectively.

Formation of mineral-associated organic matter in temperate soils is primarily controlled by mineral type and modified by land use and management intensity.

Formation of mineral-associated organic matter (MAOM) supports the accumulation and stabilization of carbon (C) in soil, and thus, is a key factor in the global C cycle. Little is known about the interplay of mineral type, land use and management intensity in MAOM formation, especially on subdecadal time scales. We exposed mineral containers with goethite or illite, the most abundant iron oxide and phyllosilicate clay in temperate soils, for 5 years in topsoils of 150 forest and 150 grassland sites in three regions across Germany.

C assimilation as well as functional gene abundance and expression elucidate the biodegradation of glyphosate in a field experiment.

Glyphosate (N-phosphonomethylglycine; GLP) and its main metabolite AMPA (aminomethylphosphonic acid), are frequently detected in relatively high concentrations in European agricultural topsoils. Glyphosate has a high sorption affinity, yet it can be detected occasionally in groundwater. We hypothesized that shrinkage cracks occurring after dry periods could facilitate GLP transport to greater depths where subsoil conditions slow further microbial degradation.

Heavy rainfall following a summer drought stimulates soil redox dynamics and facilitates rapid and deep translocation of glyphosate in floodplain soils.

We present field data on the effects of heavy rainfall after drought on the mobility of glyphosate and redox conditions in a clayey floodplain soil. By applying glyphosate together with deuterated water as conservative tracer in combination with time resolved redox potential measurements, the spatial and temporal patterns of water infiltration and pesticide transport as well as the concomitant changes of the redox conditions were revealed. Our findings demonstrate that shrinkage cracks in dry soils can serve as effective transport paths for atmospheric oxygen, water and glyphosate.

Long-term manipulation of mean climatic conditions alters drought effects on C- and N-cycling in an arable soil.

Climate is changing and predicted future scenarios include both changes in long-term mean climatic conditions and intensification of extreme events such as drought. Drought can have a major impact on soil functional processes; soil microorganisms, key to these processes, depend on water and temperature dynamics. Consequently, feedback mechanisms regarding microbially mediated carbon and nitrogen cycling in soils may be affected.

Can Sensory- and Attachment-Informed Approaches Modify the Perception of Pain? An Experimental Study.

Accumulating evidence linking pain with both attachment and sensory processing variables introduces the possibility that attachment- and sensory-informed strategies may modify pain experiences. The aim of this study was to investigate this proposition using an experimentally induced pain procedure. Pain perceptions of individuals using either a sensory-informed (weighted modality) or an attachment-informed (secure base priming) coping strategy were compared with those of individuals using no designated coping strategy.

Shell Lesions Associated With Infection in Freshwater Aquatic Turtles.

A newly described onygenalean fungus, , has been isolated from ulcerative shell and skin lesions of freshwater aquatic chelonians. To investigate the shell lesions associated with infection and determine if any lesional features were unique to . , tissues from turtles housed in zoological institutions ( = 45) in the United States and free-living turtles ( = 5) submitted for diagnostic biopsy or necropsy were examined.

Biodegradation of Pesticides at the Limit: Kinetics and Microbial Substrate Use at Low Concentrations.

The objective of our study was to test whether limited microbial degradation at low pesticide concentrations could explain the discrepancy between overall degradability demonstrated in laboratory tests and their actual persistence in the environment. Studies on pesticide degradation are often performed using unrealistically high application rates seldom found in natural environments. Nevertheless, biodegradation rates determined for higher pesticide doses cannot necessarily be extrapolated to lower concentrations.

Rhizosphere activity in an old-growth forest reacts rapidly to changes in soil moisture and shapes whole-tree carbon allocation.

Drought alters carbon (C) allocation within trees, thereby impairing tree growth. Recovery of root and leaf functioning and prioritized C supply to sink tissues after drought may compensate for drought-induced reduction of assimilation and growth. It remains unclear if C allocation to sink tissues during and following drought is controlled by altered sink metabolic activities or by the availability of new assimilates.

Plant litter enhances degradation of the herbicide MCPA and increases formation of biogenic non-extractable residues in soil.

Amendment of soils with plant residues is common practice for improving soil quality. In addition to stimulated microbial activity, the supply of fresh soluble organic (C) from litter may accelerate the microbial degradation of chemicals in soils. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test whether the maize litter enhances degradation of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) and increases formation of non-toxic biogenic non-extractable residues (bioNERs).

Dual mechanism of action of T2 inhibitor therapies in virally induced exacerbations of asthma: evidence for a beneficial counter-regulation.

Biological agents such as omalizumab and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that inhibit type 2 (T2) immunity significantly reduce exacerbations, which are mainly due to viral infections, when added to inhaled corticosteroids in patients with severe asthma. The mechanisms for the therapeutic benefit of T2 inhibitors in reducing virally induced exacerbations, however, remain to be fully elucidated. Pre-clinical and clinical evidence supports the existence of a close counter-regulation of the high-affinity IgE receptor and interferon (IFN) pathways, and a potential dual mechanism of action and therapeutic benefit for omalizumab and other T2 inhibitors that inhibit IgE activity, which may enhance the prevention and treatment of virally induced asthma exacerbations.

Body Growth and Rapid Hematological Development Support Breath Hold of Baby Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) during Subice Transit.

Body size and oxygen stores in the blood and muscle set breath-hold limits in marine mammals, yet these characteristics are understudied in immature cetaceans. We examined body mass and hematology from birth through adulthood in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). At birth, body mass was 8% and 6% of the maximum mass recorded for adult females and males, respectively.

Offsetting global warming-induced elevated greenhouse gas emissions from an arable soil by biochar application.

Global warming will likely enhance greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from soils. Due to its slow decomposability, biochar is widely recognized as effective in long-term soil carbon (C) sequestration and in mitigation of soil GHG emissions. In a long-term soil warming experiment (+2.

Quantifying global soil carbon losses in response to warming.

The majority of the Earth's terrestrial carbon is stored in the soil. If anthropogenic warming stimulates the loss of this carbon to the atmosphere, it could drive further planetary warming. Despite evidence that warming enhances carbon fluxes to and from the soil, the net global balance between these responses remains uncertain.

Temperature response of soil respiration largely unaltered with experimental warming.

The respiratory release of carbon dioxide (CO) from soil is a major yet poorly understood flux in the global carbon cycle. Climatic warming is hypothesized to increase rates of soil respiration, potentially fueling further increases in global temperatures. However, despite considerable scientific attention in recent decades, the overall response of soil respiration to anticipated climatic warming remains unclear.

Neutral sphingomyelinase-2, acid sphingomyelinase, and ceramide levels in COPD patients compared to controls.

Background: Increased pulmonary ceramide levels are suggested to play a causative role in lung diseases including COPD. Neutral sphingomyelinase-2 (nSMase-2) and acid SMase (aSMase), which hydrolyze sphingomyelin to produce ceramide, are activated by a range of cellular stresses, including inflammatory cytokines and pathogens, but notably cigarette smoke appears to only activate nSMase-2. Our primary objective was to investigate nSMase-2 and aSMase protein localization and quantification in lung tissue from nonsmokers (NS), smokers (S), and COPD patients.

The impact of chemical pollution on the resilience of soils under multiple stresses: A conceptual framework for future research.

Soils are faced with man-made chemical stress factors, such as the input of organic or metal-containing pesticides, in combination with non-chemical stressors like soil compaction and natural disturbance like drought. Although multiple stress factors are typically co-occurring in soil ecosystems, research in soil sciences on this aspect is limited and focuses mostly on single structural or functional endpoints. A mechanistic understanding of the reaction of soils to multiple stressors is currently lacking.

Evidence for the importance of litter as a co-substrate for MCPA dissipation in an agricultural soil.

Environmental controls of 2-methyl-4-chlorophenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) degradation are poorly understood. We investigated whether microbial MCPA degraders are stimulated by (maize) litter and whether this process depends on concentrations of MCPA and litter. In a microcosm experiment, different amounts of litter (0, 10 and 20 g kg(-1)) were added to soils exposed to three levels of the herbicide (0, 5 and 30 mg kg(-1)).

NVP-QBE170: an inhaled blocker of the epithelial sodium channel with a reduced potential to induce hyperkalaemia.

Background And Purpose: Inhaled amiloride, a blocker of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC), enhances mucociliary clearance (MCC) in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. However, the dose of amiloride is limited by the mechanism-based side effect of hyperkalaemia resulting from renal ENaC blockade. Inhaled ENaC blockers with a reduced potential to induce hyperkalaemia provide a therapeutic strategy to improve mucosal hydration and MCC in the lungs of CF patients.

Understanding the electronic structure of IrO2 using hard-X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density-functional theory.

The electronic structure of IrO2 has been investigated using hard x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and density-functional theory. Excellent agreement is observed between theory and experiment. We show that the electronic structure of IrO2 involves crystal field splitting of the iridium 5d orbitals in a distorted octahedral field.

Succession of bacterial and fungal 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid degraders at the soil-litter interface.

Phenoxyacetic acids can be degraded by diverse soil microorganisms. Nevertheless, we miss information about the succession of 4-chloro-2-methylphenoxyacetic acid (MCPA) degraders in micro-environments of soils as well as specific functions of different microbial groups during MCPA degradation. We studied MCPA degradation at the soil-litter interface in a microcosm experiment and followed the succession of different degrader populations by quantifying the abundance of 16S rRNA genes as well as, the fungal ITS fragment and the functional genes tfdA (in total and divided into three classes) and cadA.

Targeting TRP channels in airway disorders.

Novel effective therapeutic agents are actively sought for the treatment of a broad spectrum of respiratory diseases which collectively significantly impact on mortality, morbidity and quality of life of hundreds of millions of people world-wide. These include asthma, allergic rhinitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cough, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary arterial hypertension, cystic fibrosis and acute lung injury. TRP channels are broadly distributed throughout the respiratory tract and play an important physiological role in sensing and subsequently responding to a wide variety of stimuli, for example temperature, osmolarity and oxidant stress.

Impacts of temperature increase and change in precipitation pattern on crop yield and yield quality of barley.

Spring barley was grown in a field experiment under moderately elevated soil temperature and changed summer precipitation (amount and frequency). Elevated temperature affected the performance and grain quality characteristics more significant than changes in rainfall. Except for the decrease in thousand grain weight, warming had no impacts on aboveground biomass and grain yield traits.

Successful treatment of a severe case of fusariomycosis in a beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas leucas).

An adult male beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas leucas) was presented with a 4-cm-diameter, raised, firm nodule on the medial aspect of the left pectoral fin. A fissure developed within the center of the nodule, which formed an ulcerated cyst-like lesion. The lesion rapidly progressed in size, and, with peeling of material present within the cyst, the lesion flattened to a 36 x 25-cm cutaneous ulcer that extended into the axilla.