Nitrous oxide from soil denitrification: factors controlling its biological production

Increasing concentrations of nitrate, nitrite, and molecular oxygen enhanced production of nitrous oxide relative to molecular nitrogen during denitrification in soils. Soil acidity interacted with nitrate to increase the ratio of nitrous oxide to molecular nitrogen. In response to anoxic conditions, nitrous oxide production initially increased but nitrous oxide was then consumed, a pattern which resulted from the sequential synthesis of nitrogenous oxide reductases.     

Iron-Containing Cells in the Honey Bee (Apis mellifera)

Honey bees are sensitive to earth strength magnetic fields and are reported to contain magnetite (Fe3O4) in their abdomens. We report bands of cells around each abdominal segment that contain numerous electron-opaque, iron-containing granules. The iron is principally in the form of hydrous iron oxides.     

Rheology of glacier ice

A new method for calculating the stress field in bounded ice shelves is used to compare strain rate and deviatoric stress on the Ross Ice Shelf, Antarctica. The analysis shows that strain rate (per second) increases as the third power of deviatoric stress (in newtons per square meter), with a constant of proportionality equal to 2.3 x 10(-25).     

Mariner 9 television reconnaissance of Mars and its satellites: preliminary results

At orbit insertion on 14 November 1971 the Martian surface was largely obscured by a dust haze with an extinction optical depth that ranged from near unity in the south polar region to probably greater than 2 over most of the planet. The only features clearly visible were the south polar cap, one dark, spot in Nix Olympica, and three dark spots in the Tharsis region. During the third week the atmosphere began to clear and surface visibility improved, but contrasts remained a fraction of their normal value. Each of the dark spots that apparently protrude through most of the dust-filled atmosphere has a crater or crater complex in its center. The craters are rimless and have featureless floors that, in the crater complexes, are at different levels. The largest crater within the southernmost spot is approximately 100 kilometers wide. The craters apparently were formed by subsidence and resemble terrestrial calderas. The south polar cap has a regular margin, suggsting very flat topography. Two craters outside the cap have frost on their floors; an apparent crater rim within the cap is frost free, indicating preferentia loss of frost from elevated ground. If this is so then the curvilinear streaks, which were frost covered in 1969 and are now clear of frost, may be low-relief ridges. Closeup pictures of Phobos and Deimos show that Phobos is about 25 +/-5 by 21 +/-1 kilometers and Deimos is about 13.5 +/- 2 by 12.0 +/-0.5 kilometers. Both have irregular shapes and are highly cratered, with some craters showing raised rims. The satellites are dark objects with geometric albedos of 0.05.     

Comment on "Absence of cooling in New Zealand and the adjacent ocean during the Younger Dryas chronozone"

Barrows et al. (Reports, 5 October 2007, p. 86) presented cosmogenic exposure dates and data from an ocean sediment core that challenge evidence for glacier advance in New Zealand during the Younger Dryas event. We use modeling of geomorphic processes to argue that their cosmogenic exposure dates are inconclusive.     

Viking magnetic properties investigation: further results

The amounts of magnetic particles held on the reference test chart and backhoe magnets on lander 2 and lander 1 are comparable, indicating the presence of an estimated 3 to 7 percent by weight of relatively pure, strongly magnetic particles in the soil at the lander 2 sampling site. Preliminary spectrophotometric analysis of the material held on the backhoe magnets on lander 1 indicates that its reflectance characteristics are indistinguishable from material within a sampling trench with which it has been compared. The material on the RTC magnet shows a different spectrum, but it is suspected that the difference is the result of a reflectance contribution from the magnesium metal covering on the magnet. It is argued that the results indicate the presence, now or originally, of magnetite, which may be titaniferous.     

Magnetic cristobalite (?): a possible new magnetic phase produced by the thermal decomposition of nontronite

Prolonged heat treatment (> 1 hour) of nontronite (an iron-rich smectite clay) at 900 degrees to 1000 degrees C produces a phase with some unusual magnetic properties. This new phase has a Curie temperature of 200 degrees to 220 degrees C, extremely high remanent coercivities in excess of 800 milliteslas, and a room-temperature coercivity dependent on the magnitude of the applied field during previous thermomagnetic cycling from above 220 degrees C. X-ray and magnetic analyses suggest that an iron-substituted cristobalite could be responsible, in part, for these observations. Formation of this magnetic cristobalite, however, may require topotactic growth from a smectite precursor.     

Ronidazole pharmacokinetics after intravenous and oral immediate-release capsule administration in healthy cats

Ronidazole (RDZ) is an effective treatment for feline Tritrichomonas foetus infection, but has produced neurotoxicity in some cats. An understanding of the disposition of RDZ in cats is needed in order to make precise dosing recommendations. Single-dose pharmacokinetics of intravenous (IV) RDZ and immediate-release RDZ capsules were evaluated. A single dose of IV RDZ (mean 9.2mg/kg) and a 95mg immediate-release RDZ capsule (mean 28.2mg/kg) were administered to six healthy cats in a randomized crossover design. Plasma samples were collected for 48 h and assayed for RDZ using high pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Systemic absorption of oral RDZ was rapid and complete, with detection in the plasma of all cats by 10 min after dosing and a bioavailability of 99.64 (±16.54)%. The clearance of RDZ following IV administration was 0.82 (±0.07) ml/kg/min. The terminal half-life was 9.80 (±0.35) and 10.50 (±0.82) h after IV and oral administration, respectively, with drug detectable in all cats 48h after both administrations. The high oral bioavailability of RDZ and slow elimination may predispose cats to neurotoxicity with twice-daily administration. Less frequent administration should be considered for further study of effective treatment of T foetus-infected cats.     

Suspected epidural morphine analgesia induced chronic urinary and bowel dysfunction in a cat

A 12-year-old male castrated domestic shorthair developed chronic urinary retention, constipation and a decreased perineal reflex following a single lumbo-sacral epidural injection of morphine during general anesthesia. Similar adverse effects have been reported in humans following epidural analgesia, but this is the first reported case of both urinary and bowel dysfunction in a cat purportedly from an epidural. The cat was medically managed with manual bladder expressions, intermittent enemas, and various medications including bethanechol, cisapride and stool softeners. The cat continues to have long-term neurologic dysfunction 15 months post-onset. This case report describes a rare but serious potential risk of lumbo-sacral epidural injections in cats.