Rhizosphere Priming and Methane Oxidation in Agricultural Soil - Effect of Land Use on Atmospheric Concentrations of CO2 and CH4 and Climate Change

Rhizosphere interactions have high influence on the fluxes of carbon to and from terrestrial ecosystems. One very important part of the rhizosphere interactions is the rhizosphere priming effect (RPE) which is defined as changes in the decomposition rate of soil organic matter (SOM) in response to labile organic carbon input from plant roots. Changes in decomposition of SOM affect nutrient availability and nutrient cycling, and does also bring changes in emissions of CO2 from soil. Therefore, changes in the RPE can have a crucial impact in the ecosystems of soil and on the atmospheric concentrations of CO2. Oxidation of methane in soil is another component affecting carbon fluxes in soil and global climate. The aim of this study was to test whether differences in priming could be observed in soil of different agricultural land uses; arable land, pasture and ley, and at the same time measuring methane oxidation to test if any differences occurred between the three different land uses. According to the microbial mining hypothesis, it was hypothesized that the highest levels of priming would occur in pasture soil with low availability of nitrogen. Due to expected low concentrations of nitrogen and especially ammonium, methane oxidation was also expected to be highest in pasture. Priming was observed as significant changes in SOM decomposition due to glucose amendments. No significant differences were found between arable land, pasture and ley in terms of SOM respiration, priming or methane oxidation. However, a pattern supporting the stoichiometric decomposition theory was observed, as pasture on average had the lowest priming effect. At the same time, the highest methane oxidation rate was observed on pasture. This indicate low emissions of greenhouse gasses from pasture relative to arable land and ley. However, this pattern is not significantly evident and does need more research.Från marken skickas växthusgaser ut i atmosfären - kan jordbruket påverka detta? Klimatförändringarna har flera orsaker. Den största är naturligtvis avbränningen av fossila bränslen, men även mikrober i marken producerar stora mängder koldioxid när de bryter ner organiskt material i jorden. Andra typer av bakterier i jorden bryter ner metan som också är en viktig växthusgas. Nedbrytning av metan är bra för klimatet eftersom det kommer mindre upp i atmosfären, medan nedbrytningen av organiskt material inte är bra för klimatet eftersom det ökar mängden koldioxid i atmosfären! I marken finns det många olika processer som är förbundna på olika sätt. Många av dem har vi ännu inte koll på hur de fungerar eller hur de hänger ihop med varandra. En sådan är den process som kallas ”the priming effect”. Man vet idag att ”priming” händer i den jord som ligger närmst växternas rötter, den så kallade rotzonen. Här är aktiviteten av mikroorganismer, så som bakterier och svampar, mycket stor i förhållande till i resten av jorden. En av orsakerna till detta är att växterna skickar ut sockerarter i jorden via rötterna, som mikroorganismerna kan tillgodogöra sig. ”Priming” definieras som förändringar i nedbrytningen av organiskt material orsakad av sockerarter från växters rötter. Nedbrytning av organiskt material orsakas av mikroorganismer i jorden och är en viktig del av näringskretsloppet i jorden, men den frigör också kol som släpps ut som till atmosfären i form av koldioxid (CO2). En annan viktig process är nedbrytningen av metan (CH4), som också är en växthusgas. Metan kan brytas ner av speciella bakterier i jorden, vilket gör att koncentrationen minskar i atmosfären. Forskarna vet fortfarande bara lite om vilka faktorer som styr dessa två processer, men att förstå hur de fungerar är nödvändigt för att kunna jobba med denna del av den globala klimatförändringen. Syftet med denna studie var att ta reda på om det finns skillnader på hur olika typer av markanvändning inom jordbruket påverkar ”priming” och nedbrytning av metan. Detta är viktigt att veta för att jordbruket kan reducera sin klimatpåverkan. Jord från åkermark, betesmark och vall togs in i laboratoriet för att undersökas. En av de faktorer som har stor betydelse för mikroberna är tillgången till kväve, som är det viktigaste näringsämnet tillsammans med kol. Koncentrationen av kväve och kol i de olika jordtyperna testades därför på labbet. För att simulera rötternas utsöndring av sockerarter tillsattes glukos. Både den lägsta ”priming effect” och den högsta metannedbrytningen observerades i betesmark, och koncentrationen av kväve i jorden visade sig vara en viktig faktor för båda processer. Detta visar på att jorden i betesmarker skickar ut mindre växthusgaser än jorden i vall och åkermark, och av den anledningen är betesmark att föredra för att minska klimatpåverkan från jordbruket. Sambanden mellan markanvändning och “priming” respektive metannedbrytning var dock inte tydliga nog för att detta ska kunna fastställas med säkerhet, och antalet jordprover bör utökas i en eventuell liknande studie. Viktigt att påpeka är att detta bara är en utav många aspekter av jordbruket som påverkar klimatet. Organiskt material = ofullständigt nedbrutna växtrester som innehåller grundämnet kol (C) Sockerarter = lätt nedbrytbara ämnen som innehåller kol (C) The priming effect = förändring i nedbrytningen av organiskt material i jorden orsakad av sockerarter från växters rötte

The association between early-onset schizophrenia with employment, income, education, and cohabitation status : nationwide study with 35 years of follow-up

Purpose Individuals with schizophrenia have been reported to have low employment rates. We examined the associations of schizophrenia with employment, income, and status of cohabitation from a work life course perspective. Methods Nationwide cohort study including all individuals (n = 2,390,127) born in Denmark between 1955 and 1991, who were alive at their 25th birthday. Diagnosis of schizophrenia (yes/no) between ages 15 and 25 was used as an exposure. Employment status, annual wage or self-employment earnings, level of education, and cohabitant status from the age of 25–61 (years 1980–2016) were used as outcomes. Results Schizophrenia diagnosis between ages 15 and 25 (n = 9448) was associated with higher odds of not being employed (at the age of 30: OR 39.4, 95% CI 36.5–42.6), having no secondary or higher education (7.4, 7.0–7.8), and living alone (7.6, 7.2–8.1). These odds ratios were two-to-three times lower and decreasing over time for those individuals who did not receive treatment in a psychiatric inpatient or outpatient clinic for schizophrenia after the age of 25. Between ages 25–61, individuals with schizophrenia have cumulative earning of $224,000, which is 14% of the amount that the individuals who have not been diagnosed with schizophrenia earn. Conclusions Individuals with schizophrenia are at high risk of being outside the labour market and living alone throughout their entire life, resulting in an enormous societal loss in earnings. Individuals with less chronic course of schizophrenia had a gradual but substantial improvement throughout their work life.Peer reviewe

Extraintestinal pathogenic <i>Escherichia coli</i> are associated with intestinal inflammation in patients with ulcerative colitis

E. coli of the phylogenetic group B2 harbouring Extra intestinal Pathogenic Escherichia coli (ExPEC) genes are frequently seen as colonizers of the intestine in patients with active ulcerative colitis (UC). In this study, we describe the influence of E. coli Nissle (EcN) B2 as add-on treatment to conventional therapies in patients with active UC. For this study one hundred active UC patients were randomized to ciprofloxacin or placebo for 1 week followed by EcN or placebo for 7 weeks. Stool samples were collected at weeks 0, 1, 8, 12, where E. coli were characterized and fecal calprotectin was measured. We showed that in the active UC patient group receiving Placebo/EcN, fewer patients reached remission, in comparison to the patient group receiving Placebo/placebo (p < 0.05). Active UC patients initially colonized with E. coli B2 had increased fecal calprotectin values and Colitis Activity Index scores in comparison to patients colonized with E. coli A and D (p < 0.05*). In conclusion, treatment of UC patients with E. coli Nissle (B2) does not promote clinical remission and active UC patients colonized with E. coli B2 have an increased intestinal inflammation

Cesarean section and rate of subsequent stillbirth, miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy: a Danish register-based cohort study

Background: With cesarean section rates increasing worldwide, clarity regarding negative effects is essential. This study aimed to investigate the rate of subsequent stillbirth, miscarriage, and ectopic pregnancy following primary cesarean section, controlling for confounding by indication. Methods and Findings: We performed a population-based cohort study using Danish national registry data linking various registers. The cohort included primiparous women with a live birth between January 1, 1982, and December 31, 2010 (n = 832,996), with follow-up until the next event (stillbirth, miscarriage, or ectopic pregnancy) or censoring by live birth, death, emigration, or study end. Cox regression models for all types of cesarean sections, sub-group analyses by type of cesarean, and competing risks analyses for the causes of stillbirth were performed. An increased rate of stillbirth (hazard ratio [HR] 1.14, 95% CI 1.01, 1.28) was found in women with primary cesarean section compared to spontaneous vaginal delivery, giving a theoretical absolute risk increase (ARI) of 0.03% for stillbirth, and a number needed to harm (NNH) of 3,333 women. Analyses by type of cesarean section showed similarly increased rates for emergency (HR 1.15, 95% CI 1.01, 1.31) and elective cesarean (HR 1.11, 95% CI 0.91, 1.35), although not statistically significant in the latter case. An increased rate of ectopic pregnancy was found among women with primary cesarean overall (HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.04, 1.15) and by type (emergency cesarean, HR 1.09, 95% CI 1.03, 1.15, and elective cesarean, HR 1.12, 95% CI 1.03, 1.21), yielding an ARI of 0.1% and a NNH of 1,000 women for ectopic pregnancy. No increased rate of miscarriage was found among women with primary cesarean, with maternally requested cesarean section associated with a decreased rate of miscarriage (HR 0.72, 95% CI 0.60, 0.85). Limitations include incomplete data on maternal body mass index, maternal smoking, fertility treatment, causes of stillbirth, and maternally requested cesarean section, as well as lack of data on antepartum/intrapartum stillbirth and gestational age for stillbirth and miscarriage. Conclusions: This study found that cesarean section is associated with a small increased rate of subsequent stillbirth and ectopic pregnancy. Underlying medical conditions, however, and confounding by indication for the primary cesarean delivery account for at least part of this increased rate. These findings will assist women and health-care providers to reach more informed decisions regarding mode of delivery

Intrafraction tumor motion monitoring and dose reconstruction for liver pencil beam scanning proton therapy.

BACKGROUND Pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton therapy can provide highly conformal target dose distributions and healthy tissue sparing. However, proton therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is prone to dosimetrical uncertainties induced by respiratory motion. This study aims to develop intra-treatment tumor motion monitoring during respiratory gated proton therapy and combine it with motion-including dose reconstruction to estimate the delivered tumor doses for individual HCC treatment fractions. METHODS Three HCC-patients were planned to receive 58 GyRBE (n=2) or 67.5 GyRBE (n=1) of exhale respiratory gated PBS proton therapy in 15 fractions. The treatment planning was based on the exhale phase of a 4-dimensional CT scan. Daily setup was based on cone-beam CT (CBCT) imaging of three implanted fiducial markers. An external marker block (RPM) on the patient's abdomen was used for exhale gating in free breathing. This study was based on 5 fractions (patient 1), 1 fraction (patient 2) and 6 fractions (patient 3) where a post-treatment control CBCT was available. After treatment, segmented 2D marker positions in the post-treatment CBCT projections provided the estimated 3D motion trajectory during the CBCT by a probability-based method. An external-internal correlation model (ECM) that estimated the tumor motion from the RPM motion was built from the synchronized RPM signal and marker motion in the CBCT. The ECM was then used to estimate intra-treatment tumor motion. Finally, the motion-including CTV dose was estimated using a dose reconstruction method that emulates tumor motion in beam's eye view as lateral spot shifts and in-depth motion as changes in the proton beam energy. The CTV homogeneity index (HI) The CTV homogeneity index (HI) was calculated as . RESULTS The tumor position during spot delivery had a root-mean-square error of 1.3 mm in left-right, 2.8 mm in cranio-caudal and 1.7 mm in anterior-posterior directions compared to the planned position. On average, the CTV HI was larger than planned by 3.7%-points (range: 1.0-6.6%-points) for individual fractions and by 0.7%-points (range: 0.3-1.1%-points) for the average dose of 5 or 6 fractions. CONCLUSIONS A method to estimate internal tumor motion and reconstruct the motion-including fraction dose for PBS proton therapy of HCC was developed and demonstrated successfully clinically

Sub-Clinical Cognitive Decline and Resting Cerebral Blood Flow in Middle Aged Men

Although dementia is associated with both global and regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes, little is known about cerebral perfusion in the early pre-clinical stages of cognitive decline preceding overt cognitive dysfunction. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of early sub-clinical cognitive decline with CBF. The study participants were recruited from a cohort of Danish men born in 1953. Based on a regression model we selected men who performed better (Group A, n=94) and poorer (Group B, n=95) on cognitive testing at age 57 than expected from testing at age 20. Participants underwent supplementary cognitive testing, blood sampling and MRI including measurements of regional and global CBF. Regional CBF was lower in group B than in group A in the posterior cingulate gyrus and the precuneus. The associations were attenuated when corrected for global atrophy, but remained significant in regions of interest based analysis adjusting for regional gray matter volume and vascular risk factors. No influence of group on global CBF was observed. We conclude that early sub-clinical cognitive decline is associated with reduced perfusion in the precuneus and posterior cingulate gyrus independently of regional atrophy and vascular risk factors, but cannot be statistically separated from an association with global atrophy

Impaired aortic distensibility and elevated central blood pressure in Turner Syndrome:a cardiovascular magnetic resonance study

Abstract Background Women with Turner Syndrome have an increased risk for aortic dissection. Arterial stiffening is a risk factor for aortic dilatation and dissection. Here we investigate if arterial stiffening can be observed in Turner Syndrome patients and is an initial step in the development of aortic dilatation and subsequent dissection. Methods Fifty-seven women with Turner Syndrome (48 years [29–66]) and thirty-six age- and sex-matched controls (49 years [26–68]) were included. Distensibility, blood pressure, carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV), the augmentation index (Aix) and central blood pressure were determined using cardiovascular magnetic resonance, a 24-h blood pressure measurement and applanation tonometry. Aortic distensibility was determined at three locations: ascending aorta, transverse aortic arch, and descending aorta. Results Mean aortic distensibility in the descending aorta was significantly lower in Turner Syndrome compared to healthy controls (P = 0.02), however, this was due to a much lower distensibility among Turner Syndrome with coarctation, while Turner Syndrome without coarctation had similar distensibility as controls. Both the mean heart rate adjusted Aix (31.4% vs. 24.4%; P = 0.02) and central diastolic blood pressure (78.8 mmHg vs. 73.7 mmHg; P = 0.02) were higher in Turner Syndrome compared to controls, and these indices correlated significantly with ambulatory night-time diastolic blood pressure. The presence of aortic coarctation (r = − 0.44, P = 0.005) and a higher central systolic blood pressure (r = − 0.34, P = 0.03), age and presence of diabetes were inversely correlated with aortic distensibility in TS. Conclusion Aortic wall function in the descending aorta is impaired in Turner Syndrome with lower distensibility among those with coarctation of the aorta, and among all Turner Syndrome higher Aix, and elevated central diastolic blood pressure when compared to sex- and age-matched controls. Trial registration The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (#NCT01678274) on September 3, 2012

Characterization of Eight Novel Spiroleptosphols from Fusarium avenaceum

Chemical analyses of Fusarium avenaceum grown on banana medium resulted in eight novel spiroleptosphols, T1, T2 and U&ndash;Z (1&ndash;8). The structures were elucidated by a combination of high-resolution mass spectrometric data and 1- and 2-D NMR experiments. The relative stereochemistry was assigned by 1H coupling and NOESY/ROESY experiments. Absolute stereochemistry established for 7 by vibrational circular dichroism was found analogous to that of the putative polyketide spiroleptosphol from Leptosphaeria doliolum

Lessons on Marine Protected Area Management in Northern Boreal Regions from the United States and Norway

In comparison to tropical reef systems, relatively few marine protected areas (MPA’s) exist in temperate or subarctic systems (e.g., North Pacific and North Atlantic) where species diversity is lower, abundance of individual species is often higher, and many fish species exhibit large amounts of movement during one or more of their life stages, especially as adults. A review of MPA’s in three northern areas—the Northwest Atlantic, Northeast Atlantic, and the Northeast Pacific—indicates that MPA’s can be useful management tools towards fisheries management and habitat conservation. However, achieving fishery goals, such as sustainable use of the fisheries resources, will depend on population abundance (relative to unfished conditions) and fish behavior and movement. For example, depleted populations of stationary species such as Atlantic sea scallops, Placopecten magellanicus, in the Northeast Atlantic and European lobster, Homarus grammarus, in the North Sea have responded positively to small MPA’s, whereas migratory offshore Atlantic cod, Gadus morhua, and Pacific cod, Gadus macrocephalus, apparently do not appear to benefit from closed areas because of movement into fished areas. Efficient habitat conservation requires detailed habitat mapping on relevant spatial scales. In northern boreal systems with large remote areas, this information is difficult and expensive to access. An alternative strategy of closing and protecting unexploited areas has worked well for the Aleutian Island coral closure area in Alaska. MPA’s can be effective fisheries management tools when the species to be protected have been depleted and show a small to moderate level of movement, and reproductive success is ensured. MPA’s can be effective at preserving habitat when the design is based on scientific information and takes into account the impact on the user groups.publishedVersio