Near‐surface paleosols in coastal sands at the outlet of Hadera stream (Israel) in the light of archeology and luminescence chronology

Catenary changes, archeology, micromorphology, and magnetic mineralogy of paleosols in coastal sands, Israel, were investigated under chronostratigraphic control by available luminescence datings from adjacent sites. At the outlet of Hadera stream, eolianites (Hebrew: “kurkar”) underlie paleosols with Epipaleolithic (approx. 17–20 ky) artifacts at the top and occasional Mousterian (>40 ky) artifacts in the subsoil. The optically stimulated–luminescence/infrared stimulated–luminescence (OSL/IRSL) dates (>50–12 ky) from adjacent sites roughly agree with the archeological findings. The paleosols show a magnetically depleted Vertisol superimposed on a magnetically enhanced cumulative Chromic Luvisol (WRB) (USDA: Rhodoxeralf, Israeli class.: Hamra). The latter contain approx. 0.25 mm thick, isotropic clay infillings distinctly separated from the soil matrix. These infillings are tentatively interpreted as the result of strong environmental disturbances, such as surface desiccation, subsequent waterlogging, and enhanced dust deposition, presumably at the time of the Last Glacial Maximum. In addition to the massive accumulation of eolian dust, diverse pedogeomorphic changes lagging in time from the onset of climatic deterioration may have taken place in coastal settings. Recurrent desiccation cracks may have exposed subsurface materials repeatedly to sunlight, consequently resetting the luminescence signal. The eolianite sequences are thus distinct from loess/paleosol sequences from temperate climates and have to be treated more rigorously at a site‐specific level.     

Impact of tree species on nutrient stocks in the forest floors of a temperate forest ecosystem

To investigate the effect of silvicultural methods on forest floor C, N and elements stocks an experiment was carried out by sampling the forest floors of a 100-120-years-old species including beech, Norway spruce and mixed beech-spruce at the Solling forest, Germany. While the stocks of carbon and nitrogen in the forest floors of pure beech and spruce were significantly influenced by species specific differences of litter quality (p < 0.001), no significant differences were detected between pure and mixed species stands. Forest floor mass, some elements concentrations and C/nutrient ratios were significantly affected by tree species differences, while no clear dependency between pH and site specific effects was found among pure stands. Acid element concentrations in the forest floors of pure spruce were remarkably higher than the values obtained at beech stand, while the stocks were to some extent modified in mixed silviculture. The base-pump effect of beech significantly controlled variation between mono cultures on calcium stocks, while the acidifying effect of spruce in mixtures resulted in modification of Ca stocks of forest floors. The status of other nutrient elements at mixed species cultures due to variation in nutritional properties and composition of litter compared to pure species were between the range of values observed in mono cultures.     

Pyrite oxidation in sediment samples from the German open‐cut brown coal mine Zwenkau: mineral formation and dissolution of silicates

Changes in mineral composition occurring in pyrite‐containing sediments under aerobic conditions are complex and not fully understood. The objective was to study the mineral formation and dissolution of silicates using ion activity product (IAP) calculations and x‐ray diffraction (XRD) on samples of different degrees of pyrite oxidation. Three sediment samples were obtained from the open‐cut brown coal mine of Zwenkau (Saxony, Germany) with low (ZL: 28 g kg^—1), medium (ZM: 67 g kg^—1) and high (ZH: 95 g kg^—1) pyrite contents. These samples were oxidized in the laboratory for 3, 20, 67, and 130 days to obtain four different degrees of pyrite oxidation for each sediment. Sequential batch experiments were carried out for each sediment and oxidation status. Additionally, cation exchange capacities were determined. XRD showed the formation of gypsum (all sediments), jarosite (ZM, ZH), and rozenite (ZH) with increasing pyrite oxidation. IAP calculations suggested an occurrence of gypsum in all samples, of schwertmannite in slightly (ZH) and moderately oxidized (ZM, ZL) samples, and of alunite in a moderately oxidized sample (ZL). The contents of feldspar (ZL), mica/illite (ZL, ZH), and kaolinite (ZH) decreased with increasing pyrite oxidation. The cation exchange capacities of the sediments decreased by 20 (ZH) to 70 mmol_c kg^—1 (ZM). The change in mineral phases with increasing oxidation status of the sediments also changed the activities of Al, Fe, and SO₄ in solution phases. The results obtained in this study suggested the usefulness of predictive models to estimate sediment and water acidification due to pyrite oxidation.     

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolated from small and exotic animals at a university hospital during routine microbiological examinations

Clinical specimens of small animals (n=869) were screened for the occurrence of methicillin-sensitive and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA; MRSA) during routine microbiological examinations, and results were confirmed by a multiplex PCR strategy. The genetic relatedness of all mecA-positive S. aureus isolates was further investigated by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), PCR for Panton-Valentine leukocidine genes (PVL) and staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec-typing (SCCmec). A total of 61 S. aureus isolates were found during a 20-month period of investigation, 27 (44.3%) of them harbouring the mecA gene for methicillin-resistance. The majority of MRSA were isolated in specimens from dogs (n=18) and cats (n=4). One guinea pig and one rabbit were found to be positive for an MRSA infected site. Similarly, three exotic animals, a turtle, a bat and a parrot, were found to be infected with MRSA. PFGE and MLST analysis revealed a certain genotype ("A" and "A-1") dominating the isolate collection (23 of 27). Furthermore, one isolate showed homologous PFGE pattern to the German epidemic strain Barnim ("BE") and another one ("BE-1") was considered to be closely related. A third genotype ("B") was detected in two cases. Two different sequence types (ST) were identified among the 27 MRSA isolates. PFGE type "A" and both strains related to the Barnim epidemic strain were assigned to ST22, whereas ST239 was associated to PFGE profile "B". The present data show that certain MRSA genotypes are capable of infecting a wide spectrum of small and exotic animals, especially in clinical facilities.     

Soil pH and plant diversity drive co-occurrence patterns of ammonia and nitrite oxidizer in soils from forest ecosystems

In this study, we investigated how co-occurrence patters of ammonia and nitrite oxidizers, which drive autotrophic nitrification, are influenced by tree species composition as well as soil pH in different forest soils. We expected that a decline of ammonia oxidizers in coniferous forests, as a result of excreted nitrification inhibitors and at acidic sites with low availability of ammonia, would reduce the abundance of nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB). To detect shifts in co-occurrence patterns, the abundance of key players was measured at 50 forest plots with coniferous respectively deciduous vegetation and different soil pH levels in the region Schwäbische Alb (Germany). We found ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and Nitrospira-like NOB (NS) to be dominating in numbers over their counterparts across all forest types. AOA co-occurred mostly with NS, while bacterial ammonia oxidizers (AOB) were correlated with Nitrobacter-like NOB (NB). Co-occurrence patterns changed from tight significant relationships of all ammonia and nitrite oxidizers in deciduous forests to a significant relationship of AOB and NB in coniferous forests, where AOA abundance was reduced. Surprisingly, no co-occurrence structures between ammonia and nitrite oxidizers could be determined at acidic sites, although abundances were correlated to the respective nitrogen pools. This raises the question whether interactions with heterotrophic nitrifiers may occur, which needs to be addressed in future studies.     

Apoptogenic Metabolites in Fractions of the Benthic Diatom Cocconeis scutellum parva

Benthic diatoms of the genus Cocconeis contain a specific apoptogenic activity. It triggers a fast destruction of the androgenic gland in the early post-larval life of the marine shrimp Hippolyte inermis, leading to the generation of small females. Previous in vitro investigations demonstrated that crude extracts of these diatoms specifically activate a dose-dependent apoptotic process in human cancer cells (BT20 breast carcinoma) but not in human normal lymphocytes. Here, a bioassay-guided fractionation has been performed to detect the apoptogenic compound(s). Various HPLC separation systems were needed to isolate the active fractions, since the apoptogenic metabolite is highly active, present in low amounts and is masked by abundant but non-active cellular compounds. The activity is due to at least two compounds characterized by different polarities, a hydrophilic and a lipophilic fraction. We purified the lipophilic fraction, which led to the characterization of an active sub-fraction containing a highly lipophilic compound, whose molecular structure has not yet been identified, but is under investigation. The results point to the possible medical uses of the active compound. Once the molecular structure has been identified, the study and modulation of apoptotic processes in various types of cells will be possible.     

Localization and Characterization of Ferritin in Demospongiae: A Possible Role on Spiculogenesis

Iron, as inorganic ion or as oxide, is widely used by biological systems in a myriad of biological functions (e.g., enzymatic, gene activation and/or regulation). In particular, marine organisms containing silica structures—diatoms and sponges—grow preferentially in the presence of iron. Using primary sponge cell culture from S. domuncula–primmorphs—as an in vitro model to study the Demospongiae spiculogenesis, we found the presence of agglomerates 50 nm in diameter exclusively inside sponge specialized cells called sclerocytes. A clear phase/material separation is observed between the agglomerates and the initial stages of intracellular spicule formation. STEM-HRTEM-EDX analysis of the agglomerates (30–100 nm) showed that they are composed of pseudohexagonal nanoparticles between 5 and 15 nm in size, displaying lattice parameters corresponding to hematite (Fe₂O₃) and mixed iron oxide phases typically attributed to ferritin. Further analysis, using western blotting, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), sequence alignment analysis, immunostaining and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), of mature spicule filaments confirm the presence of ferritin within these organic structures. We suggest that S. domuncula can be classified as a dual biomineralizating organism, i.e., within the same cellular structure two distinct biomineralizing processes can occur as a result of the same cellular/metabolic function, spiculogenesis.     

Rapid spread and association of Schmallenberg virus with ruminant abortions and foetal death in Austria in 2012/2013

Schmallenberg virus (SBV) has emerged in summer–autumn 2011 in north-western Europe. Since then, SBV has been continuously spreading over Europe, including Austria, where antibodies to SBV, as well as SBV genome, were first detected in autumn 2012. This study was performed to demonstrate the dynamics of SBV spread within Austria, after its probable first introduction in summer 2012. True seroprevalence estimates for cattle and small ruminates were calculated to demonstrate temporal and regional differences of infection. Furthermore, the probability of SBV genome detection in foetal tissues of aborted or stillborn cattle and small ruminants as well as in allantoic fluid samples from cows with early foetal losses was retrospectively assessed.