Microbial use of lignite compared to recent plant litter as substrates in reclaimed coal mine soils

In the Lusatian mining district, rehabilitated mine soils contain substantial amounts of lignite in addition to recent carbon derived from plant litter. The aim of this study was to examine the importance of the two organic matter types as substrates for soil microbial biomass in mine soils containing organic matter with a contrasting degree of humification. Samples were taken from the lignite-containing overburden material, from a mine soil under 14-year-old black pine (Pinus nigra) and from a mine soil under 37-year-old red oak (Quercus rubra). Overburden material was ameliorated with alkaline ash and incubated in an identical manner as the 14-year-old and 37-year-old mine soils for 16 months. Carbon mineralisation was monitored throughout. After 0, 3, 6, 12 and 16 months, samples were removed and analysed for chemical parameters and for microbial biomass. In addition, ¹⁴C activity measurements in bulk soil and microbial biomass were used to estimate their lignite content.Despite the high content of organic carbon in lignite-rich overburden material, low contents of microbial biomass were recorded. Ash-amelioration led to high pH values in the overburden material, resulting in high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon most likely derived from lignite. Development of the microbial community was subsequently stimulated by presence of an easily available carbon source. In older mine soils, larger amounts of microbial biomass are most likely related to the presence of recent organic matter. Radiocarbon analysis of the microbial biomass extracted from the 14-year-old mine soil indicated higher lignite carbon contribution than recorded for microbial biomass of the 37-year-old mine soil. The highest concentration of lignite C present in microbial biomass as indicated by the C_mic/C_org ratio was, however, observed in the ameliorated overburden material. Therefore, we conclude that the importance of lignite as a carbon source for micro-organisms decreases when recent organic matter is present in the older stages of mine soil development.     

Solanum scabrum—a potential source of a coloring plant extract

The objective of this study was to examine the potential of Solanum scabrum to provide a colorant for food. We conducted a field trial with eight accessions from four different sources and recorded both morphological variability and fruit yield differences between accessions. Further, anthocyanin and glucoalkaloid concentrations were determined. The accessions could be assigned to two distinct groups: a leafy vegetable type with toxic fruits used in Africa and a berry type with edible fruits known as Garden Huckleberry in North America, but both types had edible leaves with low glucoalkaloid concentrations. The leafy vegetable type set not much fruit. In contrast, the berry type yielded on average 800–900 g berries per plant with remarkable high anthocyanin concentrations of 8.1–13.9 g kg⁻¹ fresh weight, calculated as petunidin 3-p-(coumaryl-runtinoside)-5-glucoside. Thus, S. scabrum can serve as a source for natural anthocyanin pigments. In particular, two accessions with a high fruit yield were promising candidates as a berry crop. One had the best anthocyanin concentration of the examined material and the other one had a low percentage of unripe berries as a further advantage.     

Variation in black spruce (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Picea mariana</Emphasis> (Mill.) BSP) wood quality after thinning

• Introduction   

Commercial thinning (CT) could contribute to increase short-term tree growth and be beneficial in a cold climate, as in boreal regions. Thus, growth rate, ring density and flexural modulus of elasticity (MOE) of trees may change after CT. Moreover, mechanical wood properties vary with position in the tree, and there is a need to develop optimal log allocation strategies in order to allocate logs to their best use.     

Folate content in strawberries (Fragaria x ananassa): effects of cultivar,ripeness, year of harvest,storage, and commercial processing

Folate concentrations in strawberries and folate retention during storage and commercial processing of strawberries were investigated. No previous study has focused on the effects of cultivar, ripeness, and year of harvest of strawberries with respect to the folate content. This study showed the folate concentration in strawberries to significantly depend on all of these different factors. Total folate was quantified using a modified and validated radioprotein-binding assay with external calibration (5-CH(3)-H(4)folate). Folate content in 13 different strawberry cultivars varied from 335 microg/100 g of dry matter (DM) for cv. Senga Sengana to 644 microg/100 g of DM for cv. Elsanta. Swedish harvests from 1999 and 2001 yielded higher folate concentrations than did the harvest from 2000, and the grade of ripeness affected the folate content in strawberries. This study indicated high folate retention in intact berries during storage until 3 or 9 days at 4 degrees C (71-99%) and also in most tested commercial products (79-103%). On the basis of these data fresh strawberries as well as processed strawberry products are recommended to be good folate sources. For instance, 250 g (fresh weight) of strawberries ( approximately 125 microg of folate) supplies approximately 50% of the recommended daily folate intake in various European countries (200-300 microg/day) or 30% of the U.S. recommendation (400 microg/day).     

Eosinophilia in a cat with acute leukemia

A 4-year-old castrated male domestic shorthaired cat with a history of vomiting and anorexia was diagnosed with leukemia with marked hepatic and splenic infiltration and concurrent eosinophilia with marked tissue infiltration. Despite thorough immunocytochemical and immunohistochemical immunophenotyping, the cell lineage of the leukemia was not identified.     

COMPARATIVE EVALUATION OF THE VENTRICLES IN THE YORKSHIRE TERRIER AND THE GERMAN SHEPHERD DOG USING LOW-FIELD MRI

MR images provide for the exact assessment of the brain, including ventricular size. Still inter- and intrabreed comparison of ventricle size is difficult due to the varying anatomies in dogs. To compare the ventricle area of different sized breeds, 25 dogs (13 Yorkshire Terriers and 12 German Shepard dogs) were reviewed, retrospectively. Hemisphere and ventricle of each side were outlined manually three times. All measurements were averaged and their percentage (ventricle area by hemisphere area) was defined as the relative ventricle area. This value in Yorkshire Terriers (5.3) was significantly higher compared to German Shepard dogs (1.7). However, on the basis of the neurologically symptomatic sample (7 Yorkshire Terriers) in this study, threshold values of normal and abnormal relative ventricle areas could not be detected.     

Effects of autogenous cancellous bone on healing of homogenous cortical bone grafts

A comparative clinical and histological study was made of the effects of autogenous cancellous grafts on the rate of healing of homogenous cortical bone grafts in dogs: their right foreleg received homogenous bone grafts and their left foreleg received pre-drilled homogenous bone grafts filled with autogenous cancellous bone. Histologically, the use of homogenous cortical grafts with pre-drilled holes and autogenous cancellous bone appeared to accelerate reorganization and development of these grafts. This was seen particularly 1–2 months post-operatively and at nine months when the graft in the left leg was made up of spongy bone marrow; whereas the right leg graft still contained compact dead bone and the marrow was filled with fibrous tissue.