Hepatitis E virus as an emerging zoonotic pathogen

Hepatitis E outbreaks are a serious public health concern in developing countries. The disease causes acute infections, primarily in young adults. The mortality rate is approximately 2%; however, it can exceed 20% in pregnant women in some regions in India. The causative agent, hepatitis E virus (HEV), has been isolated from several animal species, including pigs. HEV genotypes 3 and 4 have been isolated from both humans and animals, and are recognized as zoonotic pathogens. Seroprevalence studies in animals and humans indirectly suggest that HEV infections occur worldwide. The virus is primarily transmitted to humans via undercooked animal meats in developed countries. Moreover, transfusion- and transplantation-mediated HEV infections have recently been reported. This review summarizes the general characteristics of hepatitis E, HEV infection status in animals and humans, the zoonotic transmission modes of HEV, and HEV vaccine development status.     

Soil texture affects the conversion factor of electrical conductivity from 1:5 soil-water to saturated paste extracts

Electrical conductivity (EC) of soil-water extracts is commonly used to assess soil salinity. However, its conversion to the EC of saturated soil paste extracts (EC_e), the standard measure of soil salinity, is currently required for practical applications. Although many regression models can be used to obtain EC_e from the EC of soil-water extracts, the application of a site-specific model to different sites is not straightforward due to confounding soil factors such as soil texture. This study was conducted to develop a universal regression model to estimate a conversion factor (CF) for predicting EC_e from EC of soil-water extracts at a 1:5 ratio (EC_1:5), by employing a site-specific soil texture (i.e., sand content). A regression model, CF=8.910 5e^{0.010 6sand}/1.298 4 (r²=0.97, P < 0.001), was developed based on the results of coastal saline soil surveys (n=173) and laboratory experiments using artificial saline soils with different textures (n=6, sand content=10%-65%) and salinity levels (n=7, salinity=1-24 dS m^-1). Model performance was validated using an independent dataset and demonstrated that EC_e prediction using the developed model is more suitable for highly saline soils than for low saline soils. The feasibility of the regression model should be tested at other sites. Other soil factors affecting EC conversion factor also need to be explored to revise and improve the model through further studies.     

Natural N abundances of inorganic nitrogen in soil treated with fertilizer and compost under changing soil moisture regimes

This study was conducted to examine whether the applications of N-inputs (compost and fertilizer) having different N isotopic compositions (δ¹⁵N) produce isotopically different inorganic-N and to investigate the effect of soil moisture regimes on the temporal variations in the δ¹⁵N of inorganic-N in soils. To do so, the temporal variations in the concentrations and the δ¹⁵N of NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ in soils treated with two levels (0 and 150 mg N kg⁻¹) of ammonium sulfate (δ¹⁵N=−2.3‰) and compost (+13.9‰) during a 10-week incubation were compared by changing soil moisture regime after 6 weeks either from saturated to unsaturated conditions or vice versa. Another incubation study using ¹⁵N-labeled ammonium sulfate (3.05 ¹⁵N atom%) was conducted to estimate the rates of nitrification and denitrification with a numerical model FLUAZ. The δ¹⁵N values of NH₄⁺ and NO₃⁻ were greatly affected by the availability of substrate for each of the nitrification and denitrification processes and the soil moisture status that affects the relative predominance between the two processes. Under saturated conditions for 6 weeks, the δ¹⁵N of NH₄⁺ in soils treated with fertilizer progressively increased from +2.9‰ at 0.5 week to +18.9‰ at 6 weeks due to nitrification. During the same period, NO₃⁻ concentrations were consistently low and the corresponding δ¹⁵N increased from +16.3 to +39.2‰ through denitrification. Under subsequent water-unsaturated conditions, the NO₃⁻ concentrations increased through nitrification, which resulted in the decrease in the δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻. In soils, which were unsaturated for the first 6-weeks incubation, the δ¹⁵N of NH₄⁺ increased sharply at 0.5 week due to fast nitrification. On the other hand, the δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ showed the lowest value at 0.5 week due to incomplete nitrification, but after a subsequence increase, they remained stable while nitrification and denitrification were negligible between 1 and 6 weeks. Changing to saturated conditions after the initial 6-weeks incubation, however, increased the δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ progressively with a concurrent decrease in NO₃⁻ concentration through denitrification. The differences in δ¹⁵N of NO⁻₃ between compost and fertilizer treatments were consistent throughout the incubation period. The δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ increased with the addition of compost (range: +13.0 to +35.4‰), but decreased with the addition of fertilizer (−10.8 to +11.4‰), thus resulting in intermediate values in soils receiving both fertilizer and compost (−3.5 to +20.3‰). Therefore, such differences in δ¹⁵N of NO₃⁻ observed in this study suggest a possibility that the δ¹⁵N of upland-grown plants receiving compost would be higher than those treated with fertilizer because NO₃⁻ is the most abundant N for plant uptake in upland soils.     

Interpreting the temperature-induced response of ammonia oxidizing microorganisms in soil using nitrogen isotope fractionation

Purpose  

Although nitrification plays a key role in the fate of soil nitrogen (N) under global warming, little information is available for the nitrifiers’ response to changing temperatures. Nitrogen isotope fractionation associated with nitrification can be a proxy of nitrifiers’ sensitivity to changing temperature. We hypothesized that the temperature-induced balance between the transport of substrate NH₄⁺ into the microbial cell (supply) and the intracellular NH₄⁺ oxidation (consumption) governs the intracellular NH₄⁺ concentration and then affects nitrification rates and associated isotope fractionations. This study was conducted to understand the microbial response of NH₄⁺ oxidation to changing temperatures by examining the effect of changing temperature on nitrification rate and apparent isotope fractionation.     

Natural 15N abundance of paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown with synthetic fertilizer, livestock manure compost, and hairy vetch

Nitrogen isotope abundance (?? ¹⁵N) of paddy rice (Oryza sativa L.) grown for 110?days after transplanting (DAT) under field conditions with ammonium sulfate (AS with ?0.4?? as a synthetic fertilizer), pig manure compost (PMC with 15.3?? as a livestock manure compost), and hairy vetch (HV with ?0.5?? as a green manure) was investigated to test the possible use of ?? ¹⁵N technique in discriminating organically grown from conventionally grown rice. At 15 DAT, the ?? ¹⁵N of whole rice decreased (P?<?0.05) in the order of 10.5?? for PMC > 5.5?? for control (without N input) > 4.0?? for HV > 1.8?? for AS. This difference seemed to reflect primarily the ?? ¹⁵N signal of N sources. Although differences in ?? ¹⁵N of rice grown with isotopically distinct N inputs (i.e. PMC vs. AS and PMC vs. HV) became smaller over time, the difference (2.8 and 3.0?? difference at harvest on 110 DAT, respectively) was still significant (P?<?0.05). However, there was no distinguishable difference between AS and HV treatment after 42 DAT. Such effect of N inputs on ?? ¹⁵N of whole rice was also observed for root, shoot, and grain at harvest. Therefore, our study suggests that it is possible to distinguish rice grown with manure composts from that grown with synthetic fertilizers. However, if green manure of preceding N₂-fixing plants is used as the N source, ?? ¹⁵N of rice may not be a good surrogate of N sources.     

Interactive effects of N fertilizer source and timing of fertilization leave specific N isotopic signatures in Chinese cabbage and soil

Natural ¹⁵N abundances (δ¹⁵N) in plant and soil can be used as a powerful marker to reveal the history of N fertilization. To investigate whether N fertilizer source and timing of fertilization leave specific δ¹⁵N signals in plant tissue and soil inorganic N, Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. cv. Maeryok), one of the most popular vegetables in Asia, was grown in pots for 60 days with a single or split N applications of organic (composted manure; δ¹⁵N=+16.4‰) or inorganic N (urea; δ¹⁵N=−0.7‰). Seven N treatments were studied: (1) a single basal fertilization with compost or (2) urea; (3) a basal urea application followed by an additional (at 40 days after transplant, same below) compost or (4) urea application; (5) a basal compost application followed by an additional compost or (6) urea application; and (7) no N fertilization. Regardless of the time of N application, δ¹⁵N of cabbage treated with compost was higher (>+9.0‰) than that (< +1.0‰) treated with urea, reflecting the effect of isotopically different N sources. In split N fertilization, only the addition of isotopically different N sources in the middle of the growth period significantly affected the δ¹⁵N of the whole plant. Specific δ¹⁵N signals of basal N inputs were detected in outer cabbage parts formed in the early growth stage, while those of additional N inputs were detected in inner cabbage parts formed in the latter growth stage. We conclude that measurements of temporal variations in δ¹⁵N of plant parts formed in different growth stages could reveal the history of N fertilization.     

Potential use of δ13C, δ15N, N concentration, and Ca/Al of Pinus densiflora tree rings in estimating historical precipitation pH

Purpose  

The chemistry of annual tree growth rings is affected by precipitation pH, and tree rings store information on environmental conditions at the time of ring formation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the potential use of tree ring chemistry data in estimating historical precipitation pH using the relationship between precipitation pH and tree ring chemistry.     

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Carbocyclic Analogues of Pachastrissamine

A series of carbocyclic analogues of naturally-occurring marine sphingolipid pachastrissamine were prepared and biologically evaluated. The analogues were efficiently synthesized via a tandem enyne/diene-ene metathesis reaction as a key step. We found that the analogue 4b exhibited comparable cytotoxicity and more potent inhibitory activity against sphingosine kinases, compared to pachastrissamine. Molecular modeling studies were conducted to provide more detailed insight into the binding mode of 4b in sphingosine kinase. In our docking model, pachastrissamine and 4b were able to effectively bind to the binding pocket of sphingosine kinase 1 as co-crystalized sphingosine. However, 4b showed a hydrophobic interaction with Phe192, which suggests that it contributes to its increased inhibitory activity against sphingosine kinase 1.     

Reduction in CO2 emission from normal and saline soils amended with coal fly ash

Purpose

Fly ash can reduce CO₂ emission from soils via biochemical (i.e., inhibition of microbial activity) and physicochemical (i.e., carbonation) mechanisms. This study investigated the effects of fly ash amendment on biochemical and physicochemical reduction in CO₂ emission from normal and saline soils.

Materials and methods

The physicochemical mechanisms of reduction in CO₂ emission by fly ash were estimated in a batch experiment with carbonate solution as a CO₂ source by the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and inductively coupled plasma analyses. Biochemical mechanisms of reduction in CO₂ emission by fly ash were investigated in a 3-day laboratory incubation experiment with normal and saline soils in the absence and presence of fly ash. Finally, the effects of fly ash amendment at a variety rate from 2 to 15?% (w/w) on CO₂ emission from normal and saline soils in the presence of additional organic carbon source (glucose) were investigated through a 15-day laboratory incubation study.

Results and discussion

In the batch experiment with carbonate solution, both the SEM image of fly ash and changes in soluble Ca and Mg concentrations during reaction with carbonate suggested that the formation of CaCO₃ and MgCO₃ via carbonation was the principal physicochemical mechanism of carbonate removal by fly ash. In the 3-day incubation study conducted to examine biochemical mechanisms of reduction in CO₂ emission by fly ash, microbial respiration of saline soil was inhibited (P?<?0.05) by fly ash due to high pH, salinity, and boron concentration of fly ash; meanwhile, for normal soil, there was no inhibitory effect of fly ash on microbial respiration. In the 15-day incubation with glucose, fly ash application at a variety rates from 2 to 15?% (w/w) reduced CO₂ emission by 3.6 to 21.4?% for normal and by 19.8 to 30.3?% for saline soil compared to the control without fly ash. For saline soil, the reduction in CO₂ emission was attributed primarily to inhibition of microbial respiration by fly ash; however, for normal soil in which suppression of microbial respiration by fly ash was not apparent, carbonation was believed to play an important role in reduction of CO₂ emission.

Conclusions

Therefore, fly ash may be helpful in reducing CO₂ emission from normal soils via carbonation. For saline soil, however, fly ash needs to be carefully considered as a soil amendment to reduce CO₂ emission as it can inhibit soil microbial activities and thus degrade soil quality.     

Variations of δ13C AND δ15N in Pinus Densiflora Tree-Rings and their Relationship to Environmental Changes in Eastern Korea

Natural abundances of carbon-13 and nitrogen-15 were analyzed in 3-year bands of annual rings of three red pine (Pinus densiflora Sieb. et Zucc.) trees in eastern Korea to elucidate their variations in relation to changing environmental conditions, particularly air pollution. Tree ring width had a trend to decrease with time (r = ?0.79, P < 0.001); however, tree-ring indices did not show any consistent pattern of change over time. Tree ring indices were correlated neither with the respective precipitation nor temperature. The δ¹³C (range: ?25.7 to ?24.4ä) of tree rings became less negative as tree ring indices increase (r = 0.43, P < 0.05), suggesting that radial growth of trees might have been affected by environmental factors such as nutrient deficiency and acid rain that affect carboxylation efficiency. Increasing N concentration (range: 0.40 to 0.68 g N kg^?1) with decreasing δ¹⁵N (range: +4.2 to ?0.6ä) of tree rings (r = ?0.84, P < 0.01) during the period (since 1980s) of increasing NO _x emission in Korea was consistent with the hypothesis that increasing deposition of N depleted in ¹⁵N may lead to ¹⁵N depletion in tree tissues. However, quantitative information on inter-ring translocation of N which may cause N isotopic fractionation is necessary to use the δ¹⁵N signal as a reliable indicator of air pollution.