Distribution and thermal stability of physically and chemically protected organic matter fractions in soils across different ecosystems

Accrual of carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in soil is a significant and realizable management option to mitigate climate change; thus, a clear understanding of the mechanisms controlling the persistence of C and N in soil organic matter (SOM) across different ecosystems has never been more needed. Here, we investigated SOM distribution between physically and chemically stabilized fractions in soils from a variety of ecosystems (i.e., coniferous and broadleaved forest soils, grassland soils, technosols, and agricultural soils). Using elemental and thermal analyses, we examined changes in the quantity and quality of physically fractionated SOM pools characterized by different mechanisms of protection from decomposition. Independently of the ecosystem type, most of the organic C and total N were found in the mineral-associated SOM pool, known to be protected mainly by chemical mechanisms. Indexes of thermal stability and C/N ratio of this heavy SOM fraction were lower (especially in agricultural soils) compared to light SOM fractions found free or occluded in aggregates, and suggested a marked presence of inherently labile compounds. Our results confirm that the association of labile organic molecules with soil minerals is a major stabilization mechanism of SOM, and demonstrate that this is a generalizable finding occurring across different mineral soils and ecosystems.     

IMAGING DIAGNOSIS—ULTRASONOGRAPHIC APPEARANCE OF SKELETAL MUSCLE METASTASES IN A DOG WITH HEMANGIOSARCOMA

A 13‐year‐old spayed female German shepherd dog was presented for acute onset of lethargy, anorexia, and disseminated erythematous skin lesions. Thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasonographic findings were consistent with metastatic hemangiosarcoma. Multiple, ill‐defined, irregularly shaped hypoechoic nodules were also detected within the thoracic and abdominal wall. Hemangiosarcoma metastases to the skeletal muscle were confirmed based on histopathological examination. Multivisceral involvement was also confirmed by necropsy. Metastatic neoplasia should be considered as a differential diagnosis for dogs with ill‐defined, irregular, hypoechoic, intramuscular nodules.     

Molecular characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xiphinema brevicollum</Emphasis> (Nematoda: Longidoridae) from the Czech Republic

Populations of Xiphinema brevicollum occurring in the Czech Republic were described morphologically and molecularly. Published species-specific primer set BL18 and BV3 was used to amplify three populations of X. brevicollum from the Czech Republic. These primers were tested against 9 species of Xiphinema and 11 species of Longidorus. Amplification was also observed for X. inaequale, X. italiae and X. lambertii. Three additional markers, mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1, ribosomal D2/D3 expansion segment of the 28S gene and 18S gene, were amplified and sequenced for X. brevicollum, X. inaequale and X. lambertii belonging to X. americanum-group. Comparison of cox1 sequences of X. brevicollum from the Czech Republic with X. taylori from the Slovak Republic (accession number AM086702) suggested that these populations represent the same species.     

Diversity of human copy number variation and multicopy genes

Copy number variants affect both disease and normal phenotypic variation, but those lying within heavily duplicated, highly identical sequence have been difficult to assay. By analyzing short-read mapping depth for 159 human genomes, we demonstrated accurate estimation of absolute copy number for duplications as small as 1.9 kilobase pairs, ranging from 0 to 48 copies. We identified 4.1 million "singly unique nucleotide" positions informative in distinguishing specific copies and used them to genotype the copy and content of specific paralogs within highly duplicated gene families. These data identify human-specific expansions in genes associated with brain development, reveal extensive population genetic diversity, and detect signatures consistent with gene conversion in the human species. Our approach makes ~1000 genes accessible to genetic studies of disease association.     

Animal poisoning in Europe. Part 2: Companion animals

This is the second in a series of three review articles on animal poisoning in Europe and focuses on cases in pet animals and horses in five European countries (Belgium, France, Greece, Italy and Spain) reported over the last decade. In the participating countries, dogs were the most commonly poisoned species, particularly younger animals. The majority of cases in companion animals resulted from exposure to insecticides, although rodenticides (especially anticoagulants and strychnine) posed a significant risk. In all five countries, horses and cats appeared to be more susceptible to plant toxins. Intoxications with herbicides, metals, household products and drugs for veterinary and human use were reported sporadically. The review demonstrates the importance of increased awareness so as to minimise poisoning episodes and emphasises the need to establish a European system for the recording of poisoning data.     

Influence of grape maturity and maceration length on color, polyphenolic composition, and polysaccharide content of cabernet sauvignon and tempranillo wines

The aim of this paper was to study how maturity and maceration length affect color, phenolic compounds, polysaccharides, and sensorial quality of Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo wines at three stages of grape ripening. Ripeness increased color extractability, phenolic compounds, and polysaccharide concentrations. Moreover, the proanthocyanidin mean degree of polymerization (mDP) and the percentage of prodelphinidins also increased with maturity, whereas the percentage of galloylation decreased. In general, wines from riper grapes contain higher proportions of skin proanthocyanidins. Color and anthocyanin concentration decreased when the maceration was longer, whereas polysaccharide and proanthocyanidin concentrations did the opposite. It was also detected that the mDP and the percentage of prodelphinidins decreased when the maceration was extended, whereas the percentage of galloylation increased. These data seem to indicate that proanthocyanidin extraction from seeds is clearly increased throughout the maceration time.     

Conversion of the mycotoxin patulin to the less toxic desoxypatulinic acid by the biocontrol yeast Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae strain LS11

The infection of stored apples by the fungus Penicillium expansum causes the contamination of fruits and fruit-derived products with the mycotoxin patulin, which is a major issue in food safety. Fungal attack can be prevented by beneficial microorganisms, so-called biocontrol agents. Previous time-course thin layer chromatography analyses showed that the aerobic incubation of patulin with the biocontrol yeast Rhodosporidium kratochvilovae strain LS11 leads to the disappearance of the mycotoxin spot and the parallel emergence of two new spots, one of which disappears over time. In this work, we analyzed the biodegradation of patulin effected by LS11 through HPLC. The more stable of the two compounds was purified and characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance as desoxypatulinic acid, whose formation was also quantitated in patulin degradation experiments. After R. kratochvilovae LS11 had been incubated in the presence of (13)C-labeled patulin, label was traced to desoxypatulinic acid, thus proving that this compound derives from the metabolization of patulin by the yeast. Desoxypatulinic acid was much less toxic than patulin to human lymphocytes and, in contrast to patulin, did not react in vitro with the thiol-bearing tripeptide glutathione. The lower toxicity of desoxypatulinic acid is proposed to be a consequence of the hydrolysis of the lactone ring and the loss of functional groups that react with thiol groups. The formation of desoxypatulinic acid from patulin represents a novel biodegradation pathway that is also a detoxification process.     

Biochemical and immunochemical characterization of different varieties of amaranth (Amaranthus L. ssp.) as a safe ingredient for gluten-free products

Celiac disease is a food intolerance triggered by the ingestion of gluten-containing cereals; the only therapy is a strict gluten-free diet for life. In recent years, amaranth flour has received considerable attention as an interesting source for the formulation of gluten-free products due to its high nutritional value and low content of prolamins, the toxic proteins for celiacs. The aim of this study was to characterize 40 amaranth varieties using both SDS-PAGE/immunoblotting and ELISA to assess their possible tolerance by celiac subjects. All of the amaranth samples studied showed similar binding affinities for both specific anti-gliadin antibodies and human IgAs. In most amaranth grains, the content of gluten-like proteins measured by ELISA was <20 ppm. The molecular characterization of amaranth proteins suggests that amaranth is safe for celiacs to consume. It is recommended that the most suitable amaranth varieties are those having the lowest content of proteins cross-reacting with anti-gliadin antibodies.