Soil carbon release along a gradient of physical disturbance in a harvested northern hardwood forest

Changes in soil respiration associated with forest harvest could increase net loss of CO₂ to the atmosphere relative to pre-harvest values. By excavating quantitative soil pits across a gradient of physical disturbance in a harvested northern hardwood forest, this study examines C release from mineral soil. Mineral soil samples were analyzed for pH, percent organic matter (%OM), C and N concentration, δ¹³C, and total C per unit area. Results show a relationship between degree of disturbance and C concentration in soil 10-30 cm beneath the O-horizon. Highly disturbed sites show C depletion, with horizons from disturbed sites containing 25% less total C than the least disturbed sites. δ¹³C signatures of soil profiles at these sites show vertical mixing of plant-derived material into deeper mineral horizons. Mixing, as a result of physical disturbance, could have led to the observed C depletion by physical or chemical destabilization, or through the promotion of microbial respiration in deep mineral soil. Regardless of the mechanism, these results suggest elevated CO₂ emissions from soil following harvest, and, thus, have implications for the validity of wood biomass as a carbon neutral energy source.     

Prevalence of thermophilic Campylobacter species in Swedish dogs and characterization of C. jejuni isolates

Background

The aims of this study were to investigate the prevalence of Campylobacter species in Swedish dogs, to identify the species of the Campylobacter isolates and to genotype the C. jejuni isolates. Young and healthy dogs were targeted and the sampling was performed at 11 veterinary clinics throughout Sweden from October 2011 to October 2012. Faecal swab samples were collected and sent to the laboratory at the National Veterinary Institute (SVA) for isolation of Campylobacter, speciation and genotyping.

Results

Campylobacter spp. were isolated from 67 of the 180 sampled dogs which yields an overall prevalence of 37%. The most prevalent species of Campylobacter among the participating dogs was C. upsaliensis with 52 of the 67 identified isolates. A lower prevalence was observed for C. jejuni with seven identified isolates and one isolate was identified as C. helveticus. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) was carried out on the seven C. jejuni isolates and all sequence types that were found are also commonly found in humans. The dogs were divided into three age groups; 1) under 12 months, 2) 12 to 23 months and 3) 24 months and older. The highest prevalence was found in the two younger age groups. Dogs shedding C. jejuni were between 3–12 months of age while dogs shedding C. upsaliensis were found in all ages.

Conclusions

The present investigation finds that Campylobacter spp. known to cause campylobacteriosis in humans are present in Swedish dogs. The results suggest an age predisposition where dogs under 2 years of age are more likely to shed Campylobacter spp. than older dogs. The most commonly isolated species was C. upsaliensis followed by C. jejuni, which was only detected in dogs up to 12 months of age. All C. jejuni isolates identified in the present study were of the same MLST types that have previously been described both in humans and in animals. The awareness of the Campylobacter risk of healthy young dogs may be an important way to reduce the transmission from dogs to infants, young children and immunocompromised adults.     

Variations in carbon and nitrogen ratios and their effects on seed germination in Cupressus sempervirens populations

This study investigated the variations in the carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and C/N ratios in the seeds of the Mediterranean Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens L.), a typical forest tree of the Mediterranean Region. The data were gathered from populations distributed across Turkey. We also evaluated the relationship between these variations and germination parameters such as the germination percentage (GP) and mean germination time (MGT). All of the evaluated characteristics demonstrated statistically significant variations among the populations. The GPs were generally low and varied between 14% in Datça and 51% in the Köprülü Kanyon. The MGTs ranged from 14.9 in the Köprülü Kanyon to 18.9 in Marmaris. In addition, the C ratios varied between 46% in Marmaris and 52% in the Köprülü Kanyon, while the N ratios ranged from 1.1% in Beycik and Göksu to 1.8% in the Köprülü Kanyon. Furthermore, we observed a positive correlation between the GP and the C and N contents (R² = 0.51 and R² = 0.49, respectively) but found a negative correlation between the MGT and the C and N contents (R² = 0.56 and R² = 0.32, respectively). Moreover, with regard to the combined C and N seed ratios of the regression models, R² = 0.95 for the GP and R² = 0.87 for the MGT, and the populations with higher quantities of C and N in their seeds had shorter MGTs and higher GPs.     

一种高效多串口扩展方法

很多单片机应用系统常需用到多个串口，但常用的51单片机只有一个串口，而双串口单片机价格较高。本文介绍了一种基于STl6C554、CPLD的高效多串口扩展方法，采用软硬件结合，实现4个串口中断源共用单片机的一个中断，解决了51单片机中断资源有限的问题，降低了系统成本。ST16C554工作在FIFO模式，采用中断方式收发数据，并有16字节的硬件接收发送缓冲区，降低了CPU的开销。     

Soil microbial activity and nutrients of evergreen broad-leaf forests in mid-subtropical region of China

To better understand the effects of forest suc-cession on soil microbial activity, a comparison of soil microbial properties and nutrients was conducted between three forest types representing a natura...     

樟白轮蚧的四种天敌瓢虫检索表

红点唇瓢虫、湖北红点唇瓢虫、细缘唇瓢虫、中原寡节瓢虫是樟白轮蚧 （ Ａｕｌａｃａｓｐｉｓ ｒｏｓａｒｕｍ ） 的４ 种捕食性天敌, 本文以检索表形式区分它们的成虫和幼虫。     

Structure and properties of the cellulose microfibril

The current structural models of the cellulose microfibril as well as its mechanical and thermal properties are reviewed. The cellulose microfibril can be considered as a single thin and long crystalline entity with highly anisotropic physical properties. The contribution and limit of different methods employed such as electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray scattering and diffraction, solid state nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and molecular modeling are also discussed.     

Comparative pharmacokinetics of three triterpene acids in rat plasma after oral administration of Poria extract and its formulated herbal preparation: GuiZhi-FuLing capsule

A sensitive liquid chromatographic-mass spectrometric technique coupled with liquid-liquid extraction method was developed and validated for simultaneous determination of dehydro-tumulosic acid, tumulosic acid and polyporic acid C in rat plasma. The analytes were separated on a Kromasil C₁₈ column with a total running time of 12.5 min. Author had compared the pharmacokinetics of dehydro-tumulosic acid, tumulosic acid and polyporic acid C after oral administration of the extract of Poria and its formulated herbal preparation (GuiZhi-FuLing capsule). The improved pharmacokinetic profiles of the three compounds were found in the GuiZhi-FuLing capsule, indicating the more effective absorption and the slower elimination, compared with the Poria extract. Furthermore, this study revealed that as far as the Poria extract was concerned, it is very valuable to be used as a clinical instruction of GF capsule.     

大豆活性肽对肉鸡肠道黏膜结构的影响

将500只1日龄艾维茵肉鸡随机分为5组,即分别饲喂添加80、120和200g/kg大豆活性肽的日粮、添加抗生素的日粮和基础日粮。在28、49日龄取材,采用组织切片及组织化学染色方法检测肉鸡十二指肠、空肠、盲肠的绒毛长度与隐窝深度比值、杯状细胞数量,观察大豆活性肽对肉鸡肠道黏膜结构的影响,进而研究大豆活性肽对肉鸡消化能力的作用。结果表明:日粮中添加80￣120g/kg的大豆活性肽能够提高肉鸡生长初期的肠道杯状细胞数量,增加肉鸡肠道绒毛长度/隐窝深度比值。