Biodegradation of Organic Matter During Mechanical Biological Treatment of MSW

The German Technical Guideline for Municipal Solid Waste (TASI) stipulates criteria for waste to be landfilled in order to minimize environmental hazards and landfill maintenance. One of these requirements is an ignition loss of less than five percent dm (dry matter). Only waste which has been incinerated can comply with this criterion, and subsequently be landfilled. Experts agree that the ignition loss alone is not suitable to predict reactions in a landfill. Therefore, other methods of assessing biological activity of processed MSW in a landfill are presented and discussed. It was found that respiration activity was most appropriate for such an assessment at this stage. From available data, it was concluded that processed MSW is fit for landfilling if the respiration activity is below 5 mg O₂/g dm over a period of 96 hours.     

Response of aerobic rice growth and grain yield to N fertilizer at two contrasting sites near Beijing,China

In the system of “aerobic rice”, especially adapted aerobic rice varieties are grown under non-flooded conditions in non-puddled and aerobic soils with supplemental irrigation and moderate external inputs. Limited research has been done so far on optimizing nutrient management to produce high yields. In this study, we investigated yield formation and dry matter translocation of aerobic rice cultivar HD297 in response to N application, grown under different irrigation regimes at two sites close to Beijing, North China. At the “experimental farm”, the groundwater table depth was 0.2–1 m; at the “experimental station”, it was deeper than 2 m. Fertilizer-N rates were 0, 75, and 150 kg N ha⁻¹ applied in split dressings according to regional recommendations for lowland rice, with 30% being applied at sowing, 40% at tillering, and 30% at panicle initiation.     

不同水分条件下水稻根系生长与产量变化关系研究

大田试验条件下设置常规水稻和覆草旱作水稻两个处理,研究不同水分条件下水稻根系生长对水稻产量的影响。结果表明：旱作水稻根冠比较常规水稻高23.2%。常规水稻最大根深为28cm,旱作水稻为35cm。水稻旱作后根系呼吸强度有明显增加。早造常规水稻断根后产量下降15%~23%,而旱作水稻断1/4根产量增加约20%。晚造常规水稻断根处理之间产量没有显著性差异,而旱作水稻断3/4根处理产量较不断根处理下降20.4%。早造水稻断根不利于水稻贮存物质输出而有利用于净光合产物积累。断根后旱作水稻穗增重增加,而常规水稻断根后穗增重下降。晚造旱作水稻断根后贮存物质输出减少,断1/4根处理水稻净光合生产量有升高趋势,但断根过多则引起净光合生产量下降,最终导致穗增重下降。常规水稻断根后对贮存物质的输出影响不大,断1/4根水稻净光合生产量有升高趋势,但断根过多则导致净光合生产量的下降。     

Seroepidemiological studies on the detection of Q fever in sheep in middle Thuringia]

In a random samples test altogether 4337 sheep of varying ages from several herds of different sizes in the middle region of Thuringia were investigated with complement fixing test for the existence of Q fever. In 47.1 per cent of the tested herds and in 5 from 8 of the included districts Q fever reagents were provable. The serological detection quota of all tested sheep amounts to 1.11 per cent, but the percentage of serological reagents in mother-sheep was 1.36 per cent, in the female young sheep 1.04 per cent and in the lambs 0.74 per cent. The investigations of rams and sheep for slaughter were negative. Serological testing in 7 sheep showed a Q fever antibody persistence about 6 until 10 months. Increased animal concentration and adverse conditions led to an increase of the Q fever seroprevalence in the herds.     

Heterotrophic plant cell suspension cultures for monitoring biological activity in agrochemical research. Comparison with screens using algae,germinating seeds and whole plants

Heterotrophically cultured cell suspensions are used increasingly in agrochemical research for screening plant-growth retardants and herbicides which influence plant meristems. For this purpose, a large-scale microscreen has been devised, which permits the objective monitoring of cell division by measuring the conductivity in cell suspensions cultured in test tubes. Comparing the effects of a wide spectrum of growth retardants and herbicides with different primary modes of action, the test was most sensitive to nitrogen-geterocyclic retardants in wheat-cell suspensions and to sulfonylurea > imidazolinone > cyclohexanedione, oxy-phenoxypropionic acid, nitrile > glufosinate, phenoxy acid, bipyridylium and diphenyl ether herbicides in maize and oilseed rape cell cultures. As had been expected, inhibitors of photosynthetic processes were only slightly active. The results of the tests were compared with the effects of the compounds on germinating seeds of cress (Lepidium sativum L.) and on photoautotrophic systems using algal cell suspensions (Scenedesmus acutus) and duckweeds (Lemna paucicostata). It is suggested that heterotrophic cell suspensions, in combination with the series of biotests mentioned above, are a valuable complement to the whole-plant screens used routinely in industrial laboratories. They are particularly useful for identifying compounds whose biological activity is masked by limited penetration or translocation behaviour in whole plants.     

The herbicide binding niche of photosystem II-a model

The Q_B binding niche of photosystem II is also the binding site for many different herbicides. In order to understand the mode of binding of the herbicides, a 3-dimensional model of the binding niche was constructed. The model was based upon a comparison of the known structure of the Q_B binding niche in purple bacteria with sequence and mutant data of the D-1 protein of photosystem II. Plastoquinone builds up hydrogen bonds to phenylalanine 265 backbone amide nitrogen, to serine 264 hydroxyl, and to histidine 215 delta-1 nitrogen. In addition to these hydrogen bond donors and acceptors, herbicides can build up hydrogen bonds to backbone carbonyl of alamine 263 and to serine 268 hydroxyl. This is supported by binding data of inhibitors in Chlamydomonas reinhardtii chloroplasts of wild type and of five D-1 protein mutants (Ser264 Ala, Ala251 Val, Phe255Tyr, Val2191le, Leu275Phe).     

Concentrations of minerals in the canine prostatic fluid

Current knowledge about the composition of the prostate fluid in healthy male dogs is limited and restricted to small case numbers. Furthermore, published data often vary significantly regarding sample processing and analytical methods. Therefore, we aimed to provide data on the composition of electrolytes and minerals in the canine prostatic fluid in a larger population (n = 30 dogs/samples) and to compare these results with the existing literature. Concentrations of sodium, potassium and copper analysed in our population were most consistent with those in the literature. Different to this, concentrations of total calcium, magnesium, zinc and inorganic phosphate varied. Whereas magnesium, zinc and inorganic phosphate seemed to depend on the analysis method, total calcium concentrations differed if centrifugation was performed or not. Our results clearly indicate a need for standardization of methods for analysis of seminal plasma components.     

Seroprevalence for norovirus genogroups GII and GIV in captive non‐human primates

Noroviruses (NoVs) are a major cause of epidemic gastroenteritis in children and adults. Several pieces of evidence suggest that viruses genetically and antigenically closely related to human NoVs might infect animals, raising public health concerns about potential cross‐species transmission. The natural susceptibility of non‐human primates (NPHs) to human NoV infections has already been reported, but a limited amount of data is currently available. In order to start filling this gap, we screened a total of 86 serum samples of seven different species of NPHs housed at the Zoological Garden (Bioparco) of Rome (Italy), collected between 2001 and 2017, using an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) based on virus‐like particles (VLPs) of human GII.4 and GIV.1 NoVs. Antibodies specific for both genotypes were detected with an overall prevalence of 32.6%. In detail, IgG antibodies against GII.4 NoVs were found in 18 Japanese macaques (29.0%, 18/62), a mandrill (10.0%, 1/10), a white‐crowned mangabey (16.6%, 1/6) and in an orangutan (33.3%, 1/3). Twelve macaques (19.3%, 12/62), five mandrills (50.0%, 5/10), two chimpanzees (100%, 2/2) and a white‐crowned mangabey (16.6%, 1/6) showed antibodies for GIV.1 NoVs. The findings of this study confirm the natural susceptibility of captive NHPs to GII NoV infections. In addition, IgG antibodies against GIV.1 were detected, suggesting that NHPs are exposed to GIV NoVs or to antigenically related NoV strains.