Sushi in Pregnancy,Parasitic Diseases – Obstetrician Survey

Parasites from raw fish can lead to a wide range of clinical manifestations and can be challenging to treat in pregnancy as result of medication exposure of the foetus. We surveyed obstetrician‐gynecologists (ob‐gyns) in the U.S. to determine their knowledge about the consumption of raw fish during pregnancy. In March 2007, a questionnaire was mailed to members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) randomly selected to represent all members. Non‐responding physicians were sent two additional mailings. Of the 606 ACOG members surveyed, 305 (50%) responded. Most (82%) respondents indicated that eating raw fish is not safe during pregnancy. However, few (19%) knew that thorough freezing kills parasites in fish. Nearly all (94%) respondents thought that parasitic infections can be more challenging to treat in pregnancy. U.S. ob‐gyns believe that eating raw fish during pregnancy is not safe; most would benefit from information about how to prevent infection and about treatment.     

Heterotic effects of wheat-rye chromosomal translocations on agronomic traits of hybrid wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under an adequate moisture regime

Translocated chromosomes T1BL⋅1RS and T1AL⋅1RS have been widely used in many wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) breeding programs to develop high yielding cultivars. The objective of this study was to evaluate the heterotic effects of T1BL⋅1RS + T1AL⋅1RS, T1BL⋅1RS, and T1AL⋅1RS on yield and yield components of hybrid wheat grown under adequate moisture regimes. Thirteen hybrid wheats and seven parents with different chromosome constitutions relative to T1AL⋅1RS and T1BL⋅1RS were evaluated in a randomized complete block design. Variable performance was observed among the hybrids tested. Two of the three hybrids with T1BL⋅1RS + T1AL⋅1RS, produced 25.26% and 44.64% more grain than the hybrids with only T1BL⋅1RS. This was due to increased biomass, harvest index (HI) and spike density. However, the combination of these two translocations resulted in reduced kernels/spike, spikelets/spike and spike length compared to the T1BL⋅1R Stranslocation alone. When comparing closely related parents, the parent with T1AL⋅1RS produced 23.51% more grain yield than the non-translocated parent. The presence of T1AL⋅1RS resulted in 10.37% heterotic advantage for yield due to increased biomass, KW, and spike density. When the two wheat-rye translocated chromosomes are present in the same hybrid, T1AL⋅1RS seems to have a positive effect on yield through spike density and HI, but masks the effects of T1BL⋅1RS for some agronomic traits. This revised version was published online in August 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

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Volume Contents

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Immunolabelling of Atrazine Residues in Soil

An immunolabelling procedure was developed to detect bound pesticide residues in soil using atrazine as an example. Polyclonal antibodies directed against atrazine were raised in rabbits. Antigen-binding fragments (F_ab) were prepared and coupled to the fluorescent stain Rose Bengal B. The dye conjugate produced a fluorescence signal which was related to the amount of atrazine found in native soil samples. Preincubation with unlabelled immunoglobulines (IgG) from preimmune sera proved to be essential for blocking unspecific binding of the antibodies which varied greatly between different samples of soil material. Labelled antibodies, whose specific binding sites had been blocked by free atrazine, were used as controls. Strong unspecific labelling, which also could be suppressed with IgG from preimmune sera, was observed in a soil under a barn. Changes due to the permanent dryness and the lack of aeration are discussed as possible causes.     

Aboveground vegetation effects on the deposition and cycling of atmospheric sulfur: Chemical and stable isotope evidence

Up to 60% of the sulfate in upland forest throughfall and stemflow at Plastic Lake in central Ontario is non-precipitation by origin, but is derived from aboveground vegetation. The sources of this aboveground vegetation sulfate include dry deposited aerosols and SO₂, and mineralized plant organic S. σ³⁴S data indicate that atmospheric S dominates the upland forest ecosystems of southern and central Ontario, with little S isotope fractionation. Seasonal σ³⁴S variations in precipitation sulfate may be due to mixing of bacteriogenic and anthropogenic S. σ¹⁸O and concentration data indicate that oxidation of dry-deposited SO₂, and mineralization of organic S on vegetation surfaces may contribute one third or more of throughfall sulfate in summer and autumn, but less in late spring, perhaps due to foliar uptake of S during this season. Oxidized SO₂, or mineralized organic S contributes one third or more of stemflow sulfate during these seasons.     

Eine Methode zur Bestimmung austauschbarer Kationen in Waldböden

A Method for the Determination of Exchangeable Cations in Forest Soils A simple extraction method with NH₄Cl was developed for determining exchangeable cations in forest soils. The influence of selected parameters (reaction time, concentration of NH₄Cl, filter medium etc.) affecting the amount of extractable cations was tested and a standardisation was done. The cation exchange was completed in less than 4 h. For a quantitative extraction of K, Mg, Ca, and Mn a concentration of 0.05 M NH₄Cl was sufficient. The extractable amount of these cations was always clearly defined. However, extracted Al and Fe increased with the NH₄Cl-concentration. Depending on the soil samples, the exchange is not quantitative even when using a saturated solution. The extractable H⁺ is nearly independent of the NH₄Cl-concentration. Probably considerable amounts are dissociated from organic acids. The optimized method is feasible and can be used for K, Mg, Ca, and Mn as an alternative to percolation methods.     

Hydrochemical budgets of a small forested granitic catchment exposed to acid deposition: The strengbach catchment case study (Vosges massif,France)

Hydrochemical budgets have been obtained for the 3-yr period 1986–89 at Strengbach, a small granitic basin in the Vosges mountains (north-eastern France). Here, the spruce forest shows both yellowing and crown thinning, symptoms of forest decline. Water amount and surface water chemistry were monitored in each ecosystem compartment. Bulk precipitation is acidic. Some pollution episodes occur in winter and early spring, but the annual bulk deposition acidity is rather low. Throughfall however, is much more concentrated, particularly for H⁺ and associated strong acid anions. These inputs come as occult deposits which comprise major ecosystem inputs, as confirmed by the chloride balance for the catchment. Input-output budgets for the catchment indicate a net deficit of base cations, especially calcium. Sulfate also shows a net loss while N budget is well balanced. As the soil exchange capacity is nearly exhausted for base cations, and dominated by H⁺ and Al, the neutralization of incident acid inputs occurs mainly in the weathered bedrock. Silicate weathering processes lead to high losses of cations and of silica. Aluminium hydroxide is precipitated; however, bicarbonate remains very low indicating poorly-buffered surface water.     

Kinetics of microbial phosphorus uptake in cultivated soils

Knowledge about the role of microorganisms in P cycling at conditions of constant soil respiration rates and constant size of microbially bound P is lacking. To study the kinetics of microbial P uptake and cycling under such conditions, soils differing in biological activity were ³³PO₄ labelled by introducing a carrier-free tracer solution and incubated for 56 days. The ³³PO₄ incorporation into the fraction of microbial P releasable by chloroform treatment (P_chl) was assessed and the isotopic composition [=specific activity (SA); SA=³³PO₄/³¹PO₄] of P_chl and soil solution P compared. Soils were taken from a 20-year-old field experiment including a non-fertilised control (NON), a minerally fertilised conventional (MIN) and two organic farming systems [bio-organic (ORG); bio-dynamic (DYN)]. Tracer P incorporation continuously increased during incubation in DYN, ORG and MIN soils. It decreased in the order DYN>ORG>MIN, with differences in ³³PO₄ uptake between the farming systems being higher than suggested by the differences in the amount of P_chl. In the P-deficient NON soil, the highest initial incorporation of tracer P was found, but no additional uptake could be detected thereafter. In all soils, the SA of P_chl converged to the SA of the soil solution with increasing time. Since P_chl remained almost constant during the experiment, the findings suggest an intensive uptake of P from the soil solution into P_chl and concomitant release of P back to the soil solution and, thus, a rapid cycling through P_chl. Intensive P cycling between P_chl and the soil solution was confirmed in an additional experiment where microbial activity was stimulated by glucose and N additions.