Sequestration of quaternary ammonium compounds in soil and its relevance for the proliferation of antibiotic resistance in the environment

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are a group of surface-active, biocidal, high production volume chemicals. In the agricultural sector, their applications are especially broad and range from disinfectants and detergents in animal husbandry to their use as adjuvants in pesticide formulations. Inputs of QACs into agroecosystems are potentially high where manures, sewage sludge or wastewater are applied to the farmer’s fields for nutrient recycling. The presence of QACs in the environment has frequently been inflicted in the co-selection for antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) with unforeseeable risks for environmental and human health [1]–[3]. The selection of ARGs depends on concentrations of QACs in bio-accessible form and the persistence of these compounds. However, a comprehensive overview on i) predicted & measured concentrations of QACs in soils including their analysis, ii) mechanisms of their sequestration in soils based on their physicochemical and structural properties, and iii) the implications of the concentrations and the fate of QACs in soils for the proliferation of ARGs in the environment is missing. Based on a review of these topics, we propose that QACs are sequestered in the interlayer regions of clay minerals in soils, which reduces their acute toxicity, but increases their persistence. The slow release of QACs from the interlayer regions may maintain concentrations levels in soil solution that are large enough to co-select for antibiotic resistant soil bacteria promoting the proliferation of ARGs in the environment

Expression von Zytokinen und Lymphozytenrezeptoren im Pankreas bei chronischer Pankreatitis

Die Infiltration des Gewebes bei der chronischen Pankreatitis mit Leukozyten ist bereits ausführlich beschrieben worden. Die Aktivierung dieser Zellinfiltrate ist abhängig von der Produktion von Entzündungsmediatoren. Ziel der Arbeit war es, Unterschiede in der Expression ausgewählter Zytokingene zwischen Patienten und Kontrollgruppe festzustellen, sowie diese Ergebnisse auf klinische und histopathologische Daten zu beziehen. Zusammenfassend können immunologische Mechanismen bei der CP vermutet werden. Für die Pathogenese scheint eine Immunantwort vom Th1-Typ von besonderer Bedeutung zu sein

Nitrogen release from different polymer‐coated urea fertilizers in soil is affected by soil properties

The use of urea as nitrogen (N) fertilizer in agriculture needs to consider environmental, economic and resource conservation aspects because of low N-use efficiency (NUE). Polymer-coated urea (PCU) offers an effective way to improve the NUE of urea and to reduce its environmental trade-offs. However, we lack information on the impact of climate and soil properties on N release from PCU. Therefore, this study was performed to quantify the effects of soil texture, moisture and temperature on the release kinetics of N from PCU. We designed a test system for soil incubation experiments and investigated three fertilizers with different release patterns, five topsoils, three moisture levels and two temperatures over 48 days. We analysed the concentrations of inorganic N (NH$_{4}$$^{+}$ – N and NO$_{3}$$^{-}$ - N) in the soil and estimated N release rates using the unified Richards model. Soil texture did not change the N release patterns, but release rates varied significantly among the investigated soils. Changes in soil moisture for a given soil had no effect on N release from PCU and urea when fertilizers were incorporated into the soil at conditions supportive of crop growth. Lowering soil temperatures, however, decreased N release rates from PCU by 16%–49% but only in silt loam and not in sandy loam. We conclude that PCU improves the N residence time in soil, but predictions on N release from PCU must be adapted to the prevailing environmental conditions and cannot be generalized across differently textured soils

Salinity-independent dissipation of antibiotics from flooded tropical soil: a microcosm study

River deltas are frequently facing salinity intrusion, thus challenging agricultural production in these areas. One adaption strategy to increasing salinity is shrimp production, which however, heavily relies on antibiotic usage. This study was performed to evaluate the effect of increasing salinity on the dissipation rates of antibiotics in tropical flooded soil systems. For this purpose, paddy top soil from a coastal Vietnamese delta was spiked with selected frequently used antibiotics (sulfadiazine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim) and incubated with flood water of different salt concentrations (0, 10, 20 g L−1). Antibiotic concentrations were monitored in water and soil phases over a period of 112 days using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. We found that sulfamethazine was the most persistent antibiotic in the flooded soil system (DT50 = 77 days), followed by sulfadiazine (DT50 = 53 days), trimethoprim (DT50 = 3 days) and sulfamethoxazole (DT50 = 1 days). With the exception of sulfamethoxazole, the apparent distribution coefficient increased significantly (p < 0.05) for all antibiotics in course of the incubation, which indicates an accumulation of antibiotics in soil. On a whole system basis, including soil and water into the assessment, there was no overall salinity effect on the dissipation rates of antibiotics, suggesting that common e-fate models remain valid under varying salinity

Comparative computational analysis to distinguish mesenchymal stem cells from fibroblasts

IntroductionMesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are considered to be the most promising stem cell type for cell-based therapies in regenerative medicine. Based on their potential to home to diseased body sites following a therapeutically application, these cells could (i) differentiate then into organ-specific cell types to locally restore injured cells or, most prominently, (ii) foster tissue regeneration including immune modulations more indirectly by secretion of protective growth factors and cytokines. As tissue-resident stem cells of mesenchymal origin, these cells are morphologically and even molecularly- at least concerning the classical marker genes- indistinguishable from similar lineage cells, particularly fibroblasts.MethodsHere we used microarray-based gene expression and global DNA methylation analyses as well as accompanying computational tools in order to specify differences between MSCs and fibroblasts, to further unravel potential identity genes and to highlight MSC signaling pathways with regard to their trophic and immunosuppressive action.ResultsWe identified 1352 differentially expressed genes, of which in the MSCs there is a strong signature for e.g., KRAS signaling, known to play essential role in stemness maintenance, regulation of coagulation and complement being decisive for resolving inflammatory processes, as well as of wound healing particularly important for their regenerative capacity. Genes upregulated in fibroblasts addressed predominately transcription and biosynthetic processes and mapped morphological features of the tissue. Concerning the cellular identity, we specified the already known HOX code for MSCs, established a potential HOX code for fibroblasts, and linked certain HOX genes to functional cell-type-specific properties. Accompanied methylation profiles revealed numerous regions, especially in HOX genes, being differentially methylated, which might provide additional biomarker potential.DiscussionConclusively, transcriptomic together with epigenetic signatures can be successfully be used for the definition (cellular identity) of MSCs versus fibroblasts as well as for the determination of the superior functional properties of MSCs, such as their immunomodulatory potential

One-step reforming of CO₂ and CH₄ to high-value liquid chemicals and fuels at room temperature via plasma-driven catalysis

Conversion of CO₂ with CH₄ into liquid fuels and chemicals in a single-step catalytic process bypassing the production of syngas remains a challenge. In this study, one-step synthesis of liquid fuels and chemicals (e.g. acetic acid, methanol, ethanol and formaldehyde) from CO₂ and CH₄ has been achieved at room temperature (30°C) and atmospheric pressure for the first time using a novel plasma reactor with a water electrode. The total selectivity to oxygenates was ca. 50-60%, with acetic acid the major component at 40.2% selectivity, the highest value reported for acetic acid so far. Interestingly, direct plasma synthesis of acetic acid from CH₄ and CO₂ is an ideal reaction with a 100% atom economy, but it is almost impossible via thermal catalysis due to the significant thermodynamic barrier. The combination of plasma and catalyst in this process shows great potential for manipulating the distribution of different liquid chemicals

Der Geologische Dienst in Sachsen: Festband zum Jubiläum 150 Jahre Landesgeologie

Der Geologische Dienst von Sachsen feiert im Jahr 2022 sein 150-jähriges Jubiläum – am 6. April 1872 wurde die Geologische Landesuntersuchung im Königreich Sachsen gegründet. Auf 153 Seiten der Reihe „Geoprofil“ werden Einblicke in die Arbeit des Geologischen Dienstes im LfULG, seinen Aufgaben und die Dienste als zuständige Fachbehörde gegeben. Die elf Einzelbeiträge zeigen die aktuellen Herausforderungen und Chancen, die sich aus den Themenbereichen Umwelt, Naturschutz und Geologie für Sachsen stellen. Im Einzelnen geht es in den Beiträgen um die sächsische Rohstoffstrategie, die Suche nach einem Endlagerstandort für radioaktive Abfälle, Erdwärme, Hydrogeologie, die Eisenbahn Neubaustrecke Dresden – Prag, Naturgefahren, das geowissenschaftliche Archiv, Träger öffentlicher Belange (TöB), Geoparks und einen Blick in die 150 jährige Geschichte. Redaktionsschluss: 30.11.202

Compatible measurements of volumetric soil water content using a neutron probe and Diviner 2000 after field calibration.

Field calibrations for a neutron probe and a capacitance sensor (Diviner 2000) for measuring the soil water content of a shrinking–swelling clay soil were substantially different from commonly used default values. Using our field calibrations, the two instruments estimated similar changes in the cumulative water content of a soil profile (0–1 m depth) over one growing se

Subverting Civilian Control: Security Sector Reform and Autocratisation in Turkey (2002–2017)

This thesis aims to explain why the acclaimed civilianisation project of the AKP government did not achieve meaningful democratisation in Turkey. The key question of this research is as follows: Why did democratisation not follow political demilitarisation under AKP rule in Turkey and why have the civil-military reforms contributed to autocratisation and the emergence of a competitive authoritarian setup? The thesis will answer these questions through building up one main and two auxiliary causal mechanisms covering the full period from the takeover of the government by the AKP in 2002 until the end of 2017. At the end, it aims to reveal a process of political demilitarisation that turned into autocratisation where a new coercive structure has been forged, together with the rebuilding of the socio-political domain in the form of securitisation of dissent, and the rebuilding of the economic domain in the form of securitisation of wealth