Plasma interleukin-6 response is predictive for severity and mortality in canine systemic inflammatory response syndrome and sepsis

BACKGROUND: Sepsis is still a major cause of death in both human and veterinary medicine. Early diagnosis is essential for appropriate treatment. Identification of patients at risk for developing sepsis is already possible in human medicine through the measurement of plasma interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels. In veterinary medicine, however, this has been investigated only in canine experimental models. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to measure IL-6 plasma levels in dogs with naturally occurring systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and sepsis and to analyze the value of IL-6 as a predictive parameter for severity and mortality. METHODS: Included in the study were 79 dogs that had been admitted to the small animal clinics of Munich and Berlin from July 2004 to July 2005 and that satisfied the diagnostic criteria for SIRS and sepsis as defined using established parameters. Measurement of plasma IL-6 levels on days 0, 1, and 2 was performed by the use of a colorimetric bioassay based on IL-6-dependent cell growth. RESULTS: Septic foci were identified in 43 patients (septic group), and 36 patients were enrolled in the SIRS group. The frequency of positive blood cultures was 11%. The overall mortality rate was 48%. Higher plasma IL-6 levels on the day of admission were significantly correlated with a more severe degree of disease, increased mortality rate, and earlier fatality. CONCLUSIONS: Plasma IL-6 concentration is predictive of outcome in canine SIRS and sepsis and may be a valuable laboratory parameter for assessing critically ill dogs.     

Conservation needs for the endangered New Zealand sea lion,Phocarctos hookeri

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Characterization of clay and fine silt fractions of forest soils by standardized K/Ca sorption isotherms

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Improved cadmium sorption isotherms by the determination of initial contents using the radioisotope 109Cd

Cadmium (Cd) sorption isotherms were estimated by two different analytical approaches to assess the influence of initial Cd concentrations of soil matrix on the sorption of added Cd. For the laboratory experiments a heterogeneous set of samples was collected to include a wide range of different initial Cd concentrations. Comparison of both analytical methods (conventional analysis, radioanalysis) resulted in a strong conformity of Cd contents in solution at equilibrium. The calculated Cd concentrations in the soil solid phase differ according to the analytical approach for considering the initial contents. The determination of the initial contents by the proposed radioanalytical method with ¹⁰⁹Cd resulted in long linear Freundlich‐isotherms, even in the low concentration range. Thus, radioanalysis seems to be the most suitable method to recognise the initial contents of Cd in soil. EDTA extractable Cd represent the initial concentrations, which are averaged over solid and liquid phase. However, depending on the sorption characteristics of the soil these rates vary. In the investigated set of soil samples 52.3 to 99.3% of Cd must be added to the solid phase.     

From Natural Xanthones to Synthetic C-1 Aminated 3,4-Dioxygenated Xanthones as Optimized Antifouling Agents

Biofouling, which occurs when certain marine species attach and accumulate in artificial submerged structures, represents a serious economic and environmental issue worldwide. The discovery of new non-toxic and eco-friendly antifouling systems to control or prevent biofouling is, therefore, a practical and urgent need. In this work, the antifouling activity of a series of 24 xanthones, with chemical similarities to natural products, was exploited. Nine (1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 19, 21, and 23) of the tested xanthones presented highly significant anti-settlement responses at 50 μM against the settlement of mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis larvae and low toxicity to this macrofouling species. Xanthones 21 and 23 emerged as the most effective larval settlement inhibitors (EC₅₀ = 7.28 and 3.57 µM, respectively). Additionally, xanthone 23 exhibited a therapeutic ratio (LC₅₀/EC₅₀) > 15, as required by the US Navy program attesting its suitability as natural antifouling agents. From the nine tested xanthones, none of the compounds were found to significantly inhibit the growth of the marine biofilm-forming bacterial strains tested. Xanthones 4, 6, 8, 16, 19, 21, and 23 were found to be non-toxic to the marine non-target species Artemia salina (<10% mortality at 50 μM). Insights on the antifouling mode of action of the hit xanthones 21 and 23 suggest that these two compounds affected similar molecular targets and cellular processes in mussel larvae, including that related to mussel adhesion capacity. This work exposes for the first time the relevance of C-1 aminated xanthones with a 3,4-dioxygenated pattern of substitution as new non-toxic products to prevent marine biofouling.     

Utilization of municipal organic wastes in agriculture: where do we stand,where will we go?

Generation of organic waste is increasing worldwide and strategies for its environmentally sound use must be developed and optimized. Regulations in European countries and the USA differ largely with respect to requirements of organic waste quality and the quantities of pollutants which can be added to the soil. Research has shown beneficial effects regarding the improvement of soil fertility. Enrichment of total metals in soil was attributed to long‐term sludge application but the effect on bioavailability of metals must be further clarified. A number of organic pollutants, such as hydrophobic persistent organic contaminants and surfactants, are known to accumulate in organic wastes. However, the former interact strongly with organic matter in the sludge‐soil‐plant system and systemic plant uptake is generally assumed to be minimal. Surfactants may cause adverse environmental impacts when they enter sewage systems in high loads and accumulate in sludge. Surfactants and some of their metabolites are not readily biodegraded in non‐aerated environments. Due to their toxicity and estrogenic activity, of nonylphenol for example, more research is needed to optimize analytical techniques and to trace their behavior in soil. Some options to cope with the risks of huge amounts of organic waste and also some benefits are presented: (1) further limitation of standards for pollutants and reduced application rates; (2) improved treatment of sewage sludge to reduce the total and bioavailable portions of both heavy metals and organic pollutants; (3) adaptation of waste application rates to soil properties such as sorption capacity for pollutants; (4) harmonization of analytical protocols for organic contaminants, i.e. surfactants and metabolites, enabling a more thorough monitoring of the wastes which are to be applied onto soils.     

Evolutionary analysis of plant jacalin-related lectins (JRLs) family and expression of rice JRLs in response to Magnaporthe oryzae

Jacalin-related lectins (JRLs) are widely distributed carbohydrate-binding proteins in the plant kingdom, which play key roles in development and pathogen defense. In this study, we profiled evolutionary trajectory of JRLs family in 30 plant species and identified domain diversification and recombination leading to different responsive patterns of JRLs in rice during defense against rice blast. All of 30 plant species analyzed in our study have two types of JRLs by containing either a single jacalin or repeated jacalin domains, while chimeric jacalins exist in more than half of the species, especially in the Poaceae family. Moreover, Poaceae species have evolved two types of unique chimeric JRLs by fusing the jacalin domain(s) with dirigent or NB_ARC domain, some of which positively regulate plant immunity. Seven Poaceae-specific JRLs are found in the rice genome. We further found expression of rice JRLs, including four Poaceae-specific JRLs, are induced by Magnaporthe oryzae infections at either early or late infection stages. Overall, the results present the evolutionary trajectory of JRLs in plant and highlight essential roles of Poaceae specific JRLs against pathogen attacks in rice.     

The pine wood nematode,Bursaphelenchus xylophilus (Steiner & Buhrer) Nickle,and its pathogenicity to German Pinus sylvestris provenances

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Dissolved and colloidal phosphorus fluxes in forest ecosystems—an almost blind spot in ecosystem research

Understanding and quantification of phosphorus (P) fluxes are key requirements for predictions of future forest ecosystems changes as well as for transferring lessons learned from natural ecosystems to croplands and plantations. This review summarizes and evaluates the recent knowledge on mechanisms, magnitude, and relevance by which dissolved and colloidal inorganic and organic P forms can be translocated within or exported from forest ecosystems. Attention is paid to hydrological pathways of P losses at the soil profile and landscape scales, and the subsequent influence of P on aquatic ecosystems. New (unpublished) data from the German Priority Program 1685 “Ecosystem Nutrition: Forest Strategies for limited Phosphorus Resources” were added to provide up‐to‐date flux‐based information. Nitrogen (N) additions increase the release of water‐transportable P forms. Most P found in percolates and pore waters belongs to the so‐called dissolved organic P (DOP) fractions, rich in orthophosphate‐monoesters and also containing some orthophosphate‐diesters. Total solution P concentrations range from ca. 1 to 400 µg P L^?1, with large variations among forest stands. Recent sophisticated analyses revealed that large portions of the DOP in forest stream water can comprise natural nanoparticles and fine colloids which under extreme conditions may account for 40–100% of the P losses. Their translocation within preferential flow passes may be rapid, mediated by storm events. The potential total P loss through leaching into subsoils and with streams was found to be less than 50 mg P m^?2 a^?1, suggesting effects on ecosystems at centennial to millennium scale. All current data are based on selected snapshots only. Quantitative measurements of P fluxes in temperate forest systems are nearly absent in the literature, probably due to main research focus on the C and N cycles. Therefore, we lack complete ecosystem‐based assessments of dissolved and colloidal P fluxes within and from temperate forest systems.     

Validation of topsoil texture derived from agricultural soil maps by current dense soil sampling

Agricultural soil maps were created to facilitate the management of fields. Such maps, at very large scale (1:5000), cover almost the entire agricultural land in Poland. These maps can be very useful for precision field management. However, they were prepared about 40–50 years ago using old mapping techniques with mainly field (organoleptic) examination of soil. For this reason it is necessary to verify agreement between such maps with the current soil status. In the case of detection of disagreements it is important to identify the causes and propose methods for improving soil maps. Only few studies were made in this aspect. The soil texture (ST) of the upper layer, as presented on the agricultural soil maps from the 1960s and 1970s, was compared with the actual ST of the same four fields in northern and central Poland. For laboratory ST determination, soil samples were collected in a dense sampling network. On average, the agreement of the ST presented on the agricultural soil maps and determined in this study was classified as medium for three fields and good for one field. However, the presence of field areas with poor agreement between the ST determined in this study and that shown on the agricultural maps was detected in all investigated fields. Identified causes for this comprised imprecision of ST determination using the organoleptic method, the generalization of the soil quality maps, and erosion processes during the years between soil mapping and this investigation. The improvement of ST presentation on the large scale soil maps might be achieved by quite denser soil sampling for ST analysis supported by ECa, yield and NDVI maps.