Mineralization of native soil organic matter is not regulated by the size,activity or composition of the soil microbial biomass—a new perspective

Soil organic matter is extensively humified; some fractions existing for more than 1000 years. The soil microbial biomass is surrounded by about 50 times its mass of soil organic matter, but can only metabolize it very slowly. Paradoxically, even if more than 90% of the soil microbial biomass is killed, the mineralization of soil organic matter proceeds at the same rate as in an unperturbed soil. Here we show that soil organic matter mineralization is independent of microbial biomass size, community structure or specific activity. We suggest that the rate limiting step is governed by abiological processes (which we term the Regulatory Gate hypothesis), which convert non-bioavailable soil organic matter into bioavailable soil organic matter, and cannot be affected by the microbial population. This work challenges one of the long held theories in soil microbiology proposed by Winogradsky, of the existence of autochthonous and zymogenous microbial populations. This has significant implications for our understanding of carbon mineralization in soils and the role of soil micro-organisms in the global carbon cycle. Here we describe experiments designed to determine if the Regulatory Gate operates. We conclude that there is sufficient experimental evidence for it to be offered as a working hypothesis.     

Experimental infection of cats (Felis catus) with Tritrichomonas foetus isolated from cattle

Tritrichomonas foetus is recognized as the causative agent of venereal trichomoniasis in cattle. It is characterized by embryonic and early fetal death and post-coital pyometra, and feline trichomoniasis, manifest as chronic, large bowel diarrhea. Many of the infected cats are less than 2 years old and specific routes of transmission remain unknown. We recently demonstrated that feline isolates of T. foetus can successfully infect heifers, resulting in pathologic changes similar, but not identical to those previously reported as representative of bovine trichomoniasis. In this study, we experimentally infected six cats less than 1 year of age with a bovine (D-1) isolate of T. foetus and one cat with a feline (AUTf-1) isolate of T. foetus. Within 2 weeks, the cat infected with the feline (AUTf-1) isolate was culture positive for trichomonads in weekly fecal samples. At the end of 5 weeks, only one cat infected with the bovine (D-1) isolate was fecal culture positive for trichomonads. At necropsy, the intestine of each cat was removed and divided into five sections (ileum, cecum, anterior, medial and posterior colon). Contents from each section were collected and cultured. The cat infected with the feline (AUTf-1) isolate was culture positive in the ileum, cecum, medial and posterior colon. Two cats infected with the bovine (D-1) isolate were culture positive in the cecum only. Additionally, each intestinal section was submitted to a pathologist for histopathological examination. The combined results indicate that there are demonstrable differences between the feline (AUTf-1) and bovine (D-1) isolates regarding their infectivity in cats.     

The outcomes of epidural anaesthesia in horses with perineal and tail melanomas: Complications associated with ataxia and the risks of rope recovery

Melanoma is a common neoplasm in horses, with a high rate of incidence in the perineum and ventral tail. Surgical excision is often recommended to remove such masses and can be achieved in the standing horse either via local infiltration of local anaesthetic, or via epidural administration of a local anaesthetic and/or an adrenergic α₂ receptor agonist. The clinical records of all horses with tail and/or perineal melanomas that received epidural anaesthesia at a single equine hospital, over a 7-year period, were reviewed to determine the drugs administered and complications associated with the epidural injection. Twenty-five cases were identified, five of which received epidural anaesthesia on two occasions. Epidural anaesthesia was insufficient to allow surgical melanoma excision in two horses; repeated epidural injection allowed sufficient loss of sensation in one of these horses and additional regional infiltration of local anaesthetic allowed completion of surgery in the other. Three horses developed significant ataxia associated with epidural anaesthesia, two of which became recumbent. Both recumbent horses were placed under general anaesthesia, and in one of these, rope-assisted anaesthetic recovery resulted in additional complications associated with facial nerve paresis, fractured ribs and a fracture of the first coccygeal vertebra, with associated neurological dysfunction of the rectum, anus, tail and surrounding skin.     

Accumulation of 60Co and 134Cs in Lake Whitefish in a Canadian Shield Lake

Radionuclides were added to the anaerobic hypolimnion of a Canadian Shield lake during the summer of 1989 to simulate nuclear fuel waste leakage into the bottom waters of a lake with deep groundwater flow. Lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) were sampled in mid-October each year from 1989 to 1994, except for 1992, to determine the concentration of ⁶⁰and ¹³⁴Cs in their tissues. The radionuclides remained in the hypolimnion until lake mixing in the autumn. Subsequently, there was more loss of ⁶⁰than¹³⁴Cs from the water. After one year, 4% of the⁶⁰Co and 15% of the ¹³⁴Cs remained in the water. This decreased to about 0.4% of the ⁶⁰and 0.6% of the ¹³⁴Cs in the water after five years. Little ⁶⁰and ¹³⁴Cs were present in lake whitefish the first autumn following the radionuclide addition. In fish, the highest concentrations were recorded in October, 1990, after which concentrations gradually decreased. Cobalt-60 concentrations were lower than ¹³⁴Cs concentrations, probably because ⁶⁰has a high affinity for organic particles and was not available for uptake. The relatively high ¹³⁴Cs concentrations in fish reflects its tendency to remain in the water and its continued availability to biota. Both ⁶⁰and ¹³⁴Cs concentrations were high in the soft tissues. Co-60 was mainly distributed in the flesh, gut, gill, kidney, and liver, whereas¹³⁴Cs was mainly distributed in the flesh. The occurrence of relatively high ¹³⁴Cs concentrations in lake whitefish five years after their addition to the lake, long after ¹³⁴Cs concentrations are no longer detectable in lake water, attests to the continued persistence of this contaminant in aquatic biota.     

Platelet aggregation responses in clinically healthy adult llamas

Background: Limited information exists regarding hemostasis in camelids despite the importance of platelet function testing in the accurate identification of platelet disorders. As further importation of llamas to North America is restricted, variability in breeding stock will continue to decrease, potentially leading to an increase in heritable bleeding disorders. Objective: The objective of this study was to measure platelet aggregation responses in clinically healthy llamas and provide baseline data to which abnormal platelet function may be compared in the future. Methods: Blood samples were collected from 39 healthy adult llamas, citrated, and centrifuged to produce platelet‐rich plasma (PRP). Within 4 hours of the blood draw, 20 μL of each agonist reagent were added to 180 μL of PRP. Final concentrations of agonists were 2 × 10^?5 M ADP, 0.19 mg collagen/mL PRP, 1 × 10^?4 M epinephrine, and 500 μg arachidonic acid/mL PRP. Results: Llama platelets were most responsive to ADP and collagen, with a maximum percent aggregation (mean±SD) of 71.3±18.6% and 55.8±19% and aggregation rates of 9.5±3.9 and 6.7±3.7 cm/min, respectively. Llama platelet aggregation in response to epinephrine and arachidonic acid was minimal to absent. Conclusions: This study is the first of its kind to establish baseline values for platelet aggregation in healthy adult llamas.     

Organogenesis and foetal haemodynamics during the normal gestation of healthy black‐rumped agoutis (Dasyprocta prymnolopha,Wagler, 1831) bred in captivity

The objective of this study was to define the patterns of organogenesis and foetal haemodynamics during the normal gestation of healthy agoutis (Dasyprocta prymnolopha) kept in captivity. Thirty pregnant agoutis that ranged in size from small to medium and weighed between 2.5 and 3 kg underwent B‐mode and Doppler ultrasonography for the biometric evaluation of the foetal organs. The foetal aortic blood flow proved to be predominantly systolic, and the measured flow velocity was 78.89 ± 2.95 cm/s, with a maximum pressure gradient of 2.12 ± 0.27 mmHg. The liver was characterized by its large volume, occupying the entire cranial aspect of the abdominal cavity, and it was associated cranially with the diaphragm and caudally with the stomach. The flow velocity in the portal vein was estimated to equal 12.17 ± 2.37 cm/s, with a resistivity index of 0.82 ± 0.05. The gallbladder was centrally located and protruded cranially towards the diaphragm. The spleen was visualized as an elongated structure with tapered cranial and caudal extremities, and the foetal kidneys were visualized bilaterally in the retroperitoneal region, with the right kidney positioned slightly more cranially than the left. The morphological characterization and hemodynamic analysis of the foetal organs of black‐rumped agoutis via B‐mode and Doppler ultrasonography allow determination of the vascular network and of reference values for the blood flow required for perfusing the anatomical elements essential for maintaining the viability of foetuses at different gestational ages.     

Outbreak of human infections with uncommon Salmonella serotypes linked to pet bearded dragons, 2012–2014

Reptiles are one of the fastest growing sectors in the United States pet industry. Reptile‐associated salmonellosis (RAS) continues to be an important public health problem, especially among children. We investigated an outbreak of human Salmonella infections resulting from serotypes Cotham and Kisarawe, predominately occurring among children. An outbreak of illnesses was identified in persons with exposure to pet bearded dragon lizards. Human and animal health officials, in cooperation with the pet industry, conducted epidemiologic, traceback and laboratory investigations. Onsite sampling was conducted at two US breeding facilities, one foreign breeding facility, and a large pet retail chain. A total of 166 patients in 36 states were identified with illness onset dates from 02/2012–06/2014. The median patient age was 3 years (range, <1–79 years), 57% were aged ≤5 years, and 37% were aged ≤1 year. Forty‐four patients (37%) were hospitalized, predominantly children. Sampling at breeding facilities and a national pet store chain resulted in isolation of outbreak serotypes at each facility; isolation proportions ranged from 2%–24% of samples collected at each facility.Epidemiologic, microbiologic and traceback evidence linked an outbreak of uncommon Salmonella serotypes to contact with pet bearded dragons. The high proportion of infants involved in this outbreak highlights the need to educate owners about the risk of RAS in children and the potential for household contamination by pet reptiles or their habitats. Strategies should be developed to improve breeding practices, biosecurity and monitoring protocols to reduce Salmonella in the pet reptile trade.     

A dual‐porous,inverse model of water retention to study biological and hydrological interactions in soil

The deterministic modelling of bio‐hydrological processes in soil requires a void structure model that is explicitly dual‐porous containing fully and separately characterized macroporosity and microporosity. It should also contain information that relates the positioning of microporosity relative to macroporosity. An example of such a process is the production of nitrous oxide, in which bacteria in microporous ‘hot‐spots’ are supplied with nutrients and gases through a macroporous pathway. We present a precision void‐structure model that satisfies these two criteria, namely explicit macroporosity and microporosity, and their positional relationship. To demonstrate the construction of the model, we describe the modelling of a single soil, namely Warren soil from Rothamsted Research's Woburn Experimental Farm in Bedfordshire, UK, although the modelling approach is applicable to a wide range of soils and other dual porous solids. The model is capable of fitting several fundamental properties of soil, namely water retention, aggregate size distribution, and porosity of the microporous and macroporous zones. It comprises a dendritic critical percolation path, around which are clustered the microporous regions. The saturated hydraulic conductivity of the dual‐porous network is of the correct order of magnitude for a soil of the same density and texture as the Warren sample. Finally, we demonstrate how the preferential flow pathway in the resulting structure differs from the critical percolation pathway, and that only 4.6% by volume of the unclogged macroporosity contributes to the fluid flow through the structure.     

Contributions of woody and herbaceous vegetation to tropical savanna ecosystem productivity: a quasi-global estimate

To estimate the relative contributions of woody and herbaceous vegetation to savanna productivity, we measured the 13C/12C isotopic ratios of leaves from trees, shrubs, grasses and the surface soil carbon pool for 22 savannas in Australia, Brazil and Ghana covering the full savanna spectrum ranging from almost pure grassland to closed woodlands on all three continents. All trees and shrubs sampled were of the C3 pathway and all grasses of the C4 pathway with the exception of Echinolaena inflexa (Poir.) Chase, a common C3 grass of the Brazilian cerrado. By comparing the carbon isotopic compositions of the plant and carbon pools, a simple model relating soil delta 13C to the relative abundances of trees + shrubs (woody plants) and grasses was developed. The model suggests that the relative proportions of a savanna ecosystem's total foliar projected cover attributable to grasses versus woody plants is a simple and reliable index of the relative contributions of grasses and woody plants to savanna net productivity. Model calibrations against woody tree canopy cover made it possible to estimate the proportion of savanna productivity in the major regions of the world attributable to trees + shrubs and grasses from ground-based observational maps of savanna woodiness. Overall, it was estimated that 59% of the net primary productivity (Np) of tropical savannas is attributable to C4 grasses, but that this proportion varies significantly within and between regions. The C4 grasses make their greatest relative contribution to savanna Np in the Neotropics, whereas in African regions, a greater proportion of savanna Np is attributable to woody plants. The relative contribution of C4 grasses in Australian savannas is intermediate between those in the Neotropics and Africa. These differences can be broadly ascribed to large scale differences in soil fertility and rainfall.     

The effect of iron concentration,hindered settling,saturating cation and aggregate density of clays on the size distribution determined by gravitation X‐ray sedimentometry

X‐ray sedimentation is potentially attractive for estimating the particle‐size distribution of soil, but has been thought to overestimate clay fractions because of the iron they contain. We have examined X‐ray sedimentation for estimating the particle‐size distribution of fully dispersed and of aggregated clay. We obtained good agreement between the pipette and X‐ray sedimentation methods using two different kaolinite samples with a small iron concentration. We also studied montmorillonite saturated with Li, Na, K, Mg or Ca to investigate possible effects of hindered settling. For the Ca montmorillonite, we obtained good agreement between X‐ray sedimentation and the pipette method at concentrations up to 40 g l^?1. We also found that X‐ray sedimentation could be used at concentrations less than those recommended by the manufacturer. Hindered settling was observed at concentrations > 20 g l^?1 for Li‐ and Na‐saturated montmorillonite. Our data suggest that conducting experiments at different mass concentrations is a sensitive test to detect such problems. Finally we used a fractal model to investigate the possible errors that might result from the size dependence of aggregate density and show that the error caused by assuming a single value for particle density of solids is small.