Characterization of a novel coronavirus associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome

In March 2003, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was discovered in association with cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The sequence of the complete genome of SARS-CoV was determined, and the initial characterization of the viral genome is presented in this report. The genome of SARS-CoV is 29,727 nucleotides in length and has 11 open reading frames, and its genome organization is similar to that of other coronaviruses. Phylogenetic analyses and sequence comparisons showed that SARS-CoV is not closely related to any of the previously characterized coronaviruses.     

Owners’ perception of the efficacy of Newmarket bloodroot ointment in treating equine sarcoids

A retrospective questionnaire-based survey was used to determine the perceived efficacy of Newmarket bloodroot ointment in treating equine sarcoids. In 49 horses with 74 sarcoids, 64 sarcoids responded either completely (n = 49) or partially (n = 15) while 10 did not respond or worsened. Sarcoids < 2 cm responded better to treatment (P < 0.001) than did larger sarcoids.     

Genetic variation in nitrogen uptake and utilization efficiency in a segregating DH population of winter oilseed rape

Genetic variation in nitrogen (N) use efficiency, N uptake, and N utilization was analyzed in a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from winter oilseed rape cultivars. The aim was to analyze the relative importance of uptake and utilization efficiency and to identify parameters that allow an easy selection of N efficient genotypes. Fifty-four DH lines were tested in four to seven environments at two levels of N supply: no fertilization and 240 kg N ha^?1. N uptake efficiency is defined as the amount of N acquired by a genotype as the proportion of the N available in the soil. N utilization efficiency is measured as unit grain yield per unit of N taken up. Significant genotypic variation was observed for both uptake and utilization efficiency. At low N supply, variation in N efficiency was mainly the result of differences in uptake efficiency. Seed yield was correlated positively with N uptake and N utilization efficiencies at low N supply and with N uptake at high N supply. The correlation was positive between harvest index (HI) and N use efficiency at both N levels (r = 0.45**; r = 0.36**) and for HI and N utilization at low N supply (r = 0.46**), indicating that a shorter plant ideotype might be more N efficient. The interaction between genotypes and N supply for grain yield was highly significant, and the correlation between low N and high N was of only medium size (r = 0.60**), suggesting the possibility of selecting genotypes with specific adaptation to low N supply.     

A pilot study of the effects of acupuncture treatment on objective and subjective gait parameters in horses

Objectives

To investigate whether acupuncture can alter gait in horses as assessed by objective and subjective parameters.

Effect of triple superphosphate and biowaste compost on mycorrhizal colonization and enzymatic P mobilization under maize in a long‐term field experiment

Phosphorus (P) fertilizers and mycorrhiza formation can both significantly improve the P supply of plants, but P fertilizers might inhibit mycorrhiza formation and change the microbial P cycling. To test the dimension and consequences of P fertilizer impacts under maize (Zea mays L.), three fertilizer treatments (1) triple superphosphate (TSP, 21–30 kg P ha^?1 annually), biowaste compost (ORG, 30 Mg ha^?1 wet weight every third year) and a combination of both (OMI) were compared to a non‐P‐fertilized control (C) in 2015 and 2016. The test site was a long‐term field experiment on a Stagnic Cambisol in Rostock (NE Germany). Soil microbial biomass P (P_mic) and soil enzyme activities involved in P mobilization (phosphatases and ß‐glucosidase), plant‐available P content (double lactate‐extract; P_DL), mycorrhizal colonization, shoot biomass, and shoot P concentrations were determined. P deficiency led to decreased P immobilization in microbial biomass, but the maize growth was not affected. TSP application alone promoted the P uptake by the microbial biomass but reduced the mycorrhizal colonization of maize compared to the control by more than one third. Biowaste compost increased soil enzyme activities in the P cycling, increased P_mic and slightly decreased the mycorrhizal colonization of maize. Addition of TSP to biowaste compost increased the content of P_DL in soil to the level of optimal plant supply. Single TSP supply decreased the ratio of P_DL:P_mic to 1:1 from about 4:1 in the control. Decreased plant‐benefits from mycorrhizal symbiosis were assumed from decreased mycorrhizal colonization of maize with TSP supply. The undesirable side effects of TSP supply on the microbial P cycling can be alleviated by the use of compost. Thus, it can be concluded that the plant‐availability of P from soil amendments is controlled by the amendment‐specific microbial P cycling and, likely, P transfer to plants.     

Effect of organic,inorganic, and combined organic and inorganic P fertilization on plant P uptake and soil P pools

Phosphorus (P) is a limited resource, and its efficient use is a main task in sustainable agriculture. In a 6‐year field experiment on a loamy‐sand soil poor in P, the effects of organic, inorganic, and combined organic‐inorganic fertilization on crop yield, P uptake into grain, and soil properties (organic matter [OM] content, pH, water‐extractable P [P_w], double lactate–extractable P [P_dl], oxalate‐extractable P [P_ox], P‐sorption capacity [PSC], and degree of P saturation [DPS]) were investigated for the maritime climate in northeast Germany. Nine treatments were compared: a control treatment without fertilizer application, two organic fertilizers (cattle manure [CM] and biowaste compost [BC]; applied at a rate of 30 t ha^–1 in autumn 1998 and 2001), application of triple‐superphosphate (TSP; applied once a year either in autumn or in spring to evaluate the effects of application date), and combinations of organic and inorganic fertilizations. Several winter and spring crops (oilseed rape, barley, wheat) were cultivated according to good agricultural practice. The 6 year–average yield and P uptake were significantly higher for fertilized plots than for nonfertilized plots. Although the combination of organic × inorganic fertilizers resulted in higher soil P contents, significant yield increases were only found when organic fertilization was combined with TSP in spring. Small effects of P supply on yield in some years indicate that plant‐available soil P (despite of low P_dl values) was sufficient for crop growth. Phosphorus supply affected soil P_dl and P_w more than the parameters measured in the oxalate extract (P_ox, PSC, DPS). In general, periodically applied cattle manure and biowaste compost had the same effect on yield, P uptake, and soil P status as annually applied soluble mineral P.     

Changes in collembolan species composition in Eastern German mine sites over fifty years of primary succession

Brown-coal opencast mining provides a virgin soil substratum at a scale of square kilometres that is open to primary succession. Focusing on this process, we investigated changes in collembolan species composition in a long-term study that lasted almost 40 years (1960–1998) at mine sites, afforested with deciduous trees. The geological overburden, which characterises the soil quality, consisted mainly of Pleistocene and Tertiary sands, interspersed with lignite and dark Tertiary loam and clay.

According to their appearance during the primary succession, we established eight colonising groups, representing 90 of 113 species found. Results from soil samples as well as from pitfall traps were taken into account for the definition of the groups. Thus, edaphic and epedaphic life forms were equally regarded. Generally, “initial”, “pioneer” and “woodland” groups were discernible.

Largest changes in species composition occurred during the first ten years, as indicated by decreasing species turnover rates and increasing alpha diversity. A comparison with other (essentially shorter) studies on Collembola of mine sites (12 in Europe, 3 in other parts of the world) showed that some pioneer species are cosmopolitan whilst others seem to be regionally specific. Important events in the ecosystem development of mine sites, as indicated by the collembolan community, are the first occurrence of other humiphagous soil animal groups, especially that of earthworms, followed by a disappearance of the ectohumus layer. The similarity between collembolan communities of mine sites and of adjacent native woodlands is greatest ten years after afforestation. Fifty years after afforestation, the collembolan community still differed markedly from that of native stands. Thus, a gradual development of the mine site collembolan communities to a comparable native woodland community is not evident from the data.     

The enhanced mineralization of simazine and bentazon in soil after plant uptake

[triazine-ring-¹⁴C] simazine and [benzene-ring-¹⁴C] bentazon were added to the epipedon of a Luvisol from loess with and without maize shoots or roots (2 g/100 g soil) and mineralization proceeded in accordance with the standardized BBA degradation method at 50% of the maximum water holding capacity of the soil and at 22°C. The same degradation study was conducted using maize shoots (simazine) and maize roots (bentazon) which had taken up either ¹⁴C-simazine or ¹⁴C-bentazon from soil application. After 93 days of incubation 6.6% (simazine) or 7.2% (bentazon) of this plant incorporated ¹⁴C was mineralized to ¹⁴CO₂. This was 4–10 times greater than the mineralization of active ingredients applied to the soil and 4–6 times higher when compared to variants which in addition received maize shoots (simazine) or roots (bentazon) as an additional energy source for microbial development. Apparently as a consequence of the more intensified degradation processes, the bound residue fractions were higher by a factor of 2 when the residual radiocarbon reached the soil already incorporated into plant material.     

Relative importance of coarse and fine woody debris for the diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi in temperate broadleaf forests

Dead wood is considered important in forest conservation, but patterns of fungal diversity on dead wood have rarely been quantified. We investigated the relative importance of coarse (diameter >10 cm) and fine woody debris (1-10 cm) for fungi in broadleaf forests in southern Sweden. The numbers of species per unit wood volume and per forest area were significantly higher for fine than for coarse woody debris for both ascomycetes and basidiomycetes. When the number of species was plotted against the number of records, coarse woody debris was more species rich than fine woody debris for a given number of basidiomycete records. Of the ascomycetes, 75% were found exclusively on fine woody debris (the corresponding proportion for basidiomycetes is 30%), 2% were found exclusively on coarse woody debris (basidiomycetes 26%), and 23% of the species were found on both diameter classes (basidiomycetes 44%). We conclude that fine woody debris is important for diversity of wood-inhabiting fungi, especially ascomycetes, in this forest type. However, coarse woody debris must also be provided to insure the occurrence of many species of basidiomycetes.