Sorption of dissolved organic C and P to agricultural top- and subsoil

In order to study the mobility of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic P (DOP) in soil, the pH-dependent sorption of dissolved organic matter to an agricultural top- and subsoil was investigated. In general, sorption isotherms had convex shapes and DOC and DOP sorption increased with time of reaction. There was a very pronounced effect of pH resulting in much higher sorption of DOC at pH 5 than at pH 7; actually extensive desorption was observed at pH 7 especially for the topsoil. Similar sorption patterns were observed for DOP, but they were not as pronounced as for DOC

Nitrogen regulation of the <i>xyl</i> genes of <i>Pseudomonas putida</i> mt-2 propagates into a significant effect of nitrate on <i>m</i>-xylene mineralization in soil

The nitrogen species available in the growth medium are key factors determining expression of xyl genes for biodegradation of aromatic compounds by Pseudomonas putida. Nitrogen compounds are frequently amended to promote degradation at polluted sites, but it remains unknown how regulation observed in the test tube is propagated into actual catabolism of, e.g. m‐xylene in soil, the natural habitat of this bacterium. To address this issue, we have developed a test‐tube‐to‐soil model system that exposes the end‐effects of remediation practices influencing gene expression of P. putida mt‐2. We found that NO (3) (−) compared with NH (4) (+) had a stimulating effect on xyl gene expression in pure culture as well as in soil, and that this stimulation was translated into increased m‐xylene mineralization in soil. Furthermore, expression analysis of the nitrogen‐regulated genes amtB and gdhA allowed us to monitor nitrogen sensing status in both experimental systems. Hence, for nitrogen sources, regulatory patterns that emerge in soil reflect those observed in liquid cultures. The current study shows how distinct regulatory traits can lead to discrete environmental consequences; and it underpins that attempts to improve bioremediation by nitrogen amendment should integrate knowledge on their effects on growth and on catabolic gene regulation under natural conditions

Reviews

Reviews: Arne Skjølsvold: Slettabøboplassen. Et bidrag til diskusjonen om forholdet mellem fangst- og bondesamfunnet i yngre steinalder og bronsealder. Stavanger 1977. (by Svend Nielsen). Klaus Ebbesen: Tragtbægerkultur i Nordjylland. Nordiske Fortidsminder. Ser. B, Vol. 5, 197 8. (by P. 0. Nielsen). Birgitta Hulthen: On Ceramic Technology during the Scanian Neolithic and Bronze Age. Stockholm 1977. (by Ulla Engberg). Renate Rolle: Totenkult der Skythen I. Das Steppengebiet. Vorgeschichtliche Forschungen 18,I, I and I,2. Berlin-N.Y. 1979. (by Ole Klindt-Jensen). Werner Haarnagel: Die Grabung Feddersen Wierde. Methode, Hausbau, Siedlungs- u. Wirtschaftsformen sowie Sozialstruktur. Wiesbaden 1979. (by Steen Hvass). U. Nasman and E. Wegraeus (eds.): Eketorp. Fortification and Settlement on Öland/Sweden. The Setting. Stockholm 1979. (by Ulla Lund Hansen). Ingrid Ulbricht: Die Geweihverarbeitung in Haithabu. Die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu, Vol. 7. Neumünster 1978 . Heid Gjöstein Resi: Die Specksteinfunde aus Haithabu. Berichte über die Ausgrabungen in Haithabu, Vol. 14. Neumünster 1979. (by Hans Jørgen Madsen)

Urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (uPAR) on tumor-associated macrophages is a marker of poor prognosis in colorectal cancer

Patients were identified from a population-based prospective study of 4990 individuals with symptoms associated with colorectal cancer (CRC). A total of 244 CRC tissue samples were available for immunohistochemical staining of uPAR, semiquantitatively scored at the invasive front, and in the tumor core on cancer cells, macrophages, and myofibroblasts. In addition, the levels of the intact and cleaved uPAR-forms in blood from the same patients are evaluated in this study. In a univariate analysis, the number of uPAR-positive versus uPAR-negative macrophages (HR = 2.26, [95% CI: 1.39–3.66, P = 0.0009]) and cancer cells (HR=1.49, [95% CI: 1.01–2.20, P = 0.047]) located in the tumor core were significantly associated to overall survival. In a multivariate analysis, uPAR-positive versus uPAR-negative macrophages located in the tumor core showed the best separation of patients with positive score associated to poor prognosis (HR = 1.84 [95% CI: 1.12–3.04, P = 0.017]). In a multivariate analysis including clinical covariates and soluble uPAR(I), the latter was significantly associated to overall survival (HR = 2.68 [95% CI: 1.90–3.79, P < 0.0001]) and uPAR-positive macrophages in the tumor core remained significantly associated to overall survival (HR = 1.81 [95% CI: 1.08–3.01, P = 0.023]). Membrane-bound uPAR showed additive effects with the circulating uPAR(I) and stage, giving a hazard ratio of 12 between low and high scores. Thus, combining stage, uPAR(I) in blood and uPAR on macrophages in the tumor core increase the prognostic precision more than tenfold, as compared to stage alone

Fecal microbiota transplantation in the treatment of chronic pouchitis:A systematic review

The objective was to evaluate available literature on treatment of chronic pouchitis with fecal microbiota transplantation (FMT) focusing on clinical outcomes, safety, and different approaches to FMT preparation and delivery. A systematic review of electronic databases was conducted using Medline, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials Library from inception through April 2020. Human studies of all study types reporting results of FMT to treat chronic pouchitis were included. Nine studies, reporting FMT treatment of 69 patients with chronic pouchitis were found eligible for the review. Most studies were case series and cohort studies rated as having fair to poor quality due to high risk of bias and small sample size. Only one randomized controlled trial was included, finding no beneficial effect of FMT. In total clinical response after FMT was reported in 14 (31.8%) out of 44 evaluated patients at various timepoints after FMT, and clinical remission in ten (22.7%) patients. Only minor self-limiting adverse events were reported. FMT varied greatly regarding preparation, length of treatment, and route of delivery. The effects of FMT on symptoms of chronic pouchitis are not established, though some studies show promising results. Future controlled well-designed studies are warranted