Release of Nitrogen and Phosphorus from Poultry Litter Amended with Acidified Biochar

Application of poultry litter (PL) to soil may lead to nitrogen (N) losses through ammonia (NH3) volatilization and to potential contamination of surface runoff with PL-derived phosphorus (P). Amending litter with acidified biochar may minimize these problems by decreasing litter pH and by retaining litter-derived P, respectively. This study evaluated the effect of acidified biochars from pine chips (PC) and peanut hulls (PH) on NH3 losses and inorganic N and P released from surface-applied or incorporated PL. Poultry litter with or without acidified biochars was surface-applied or incorporated into the soil and incubated for 21 d. Volatilized NH3 was determined by trapping it in acid. Inorganic N and P were determined by leaching the soil with 0.01 M of CaCl2 during the study and by extracting it with 1 M KCl after incubation. Acidified biochars reduced NH3 losses by 58 to 63% with surface-applied PL, and by 56 to 60% with incorporated PL. Except for PH biochar, which caused a small increase in leached NH4 +-N with incorporated PL, acidified biochars had no effect on leached or KCl-extractable inorganic N and P from surface-applied or incorporated PL. These results suggest that acidified biochars may decrease NH3 losses from PL but may not reduce the potential for P loss in surface runoff from soils receiving PL

Atrazine and picloram adsorption in organic horizon forest samples under laboratory conditions Adsorção de atrazina e picloram em amostras florestais de horizonte orgânico

Adsorption of two herbicides, atrazine and picloram, displaying different sorption characteristics, were evaluated for O (organic) horizon samples collected from SMZs (streamside management zones) in Piedmont (Ultisol) of Georgia, USA. Samples were randomly collected from within 5 SMZs selected for a study of surface flow in field trials. The five SMZs represented five different slope classes, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 20%. Results indicate that 0 horizons have the potential for sorbing atrazine from surface water moving through forested SMZs. Atrazine adsorption was nearly linear over a 24-hour period. Equilibrium adsorption, determined through 24-hour laboratory tests, resulted in a Freundlich coefficient of 67.5 for atrazine. For picloram, negative adsorption was observed in laboratory experiments. This seemed to be due to interference with ELISA analyses; however, this was not confirmed. The adsorption coefficient (Kd) obtained for atrazine in 0 horizons was greater than it would have been expected for mineral soil (from 1 to 4). Picloram was not sorbed in 0 horizons at any significant degree. Although there is a significant potential for the direct adsorption of soluble forms of herbicides in SMZs, the actual value of this adsorption for protecting water is likely to be limited even for relatively strongly sorbed chemicals, such as atrazine, due to relatively slow uptake kinetics.<br>Este trabalho avaliou a adsorção de dois herbicidas - atrazina e picloram - com diferentes características de sorção, em amostras florestais de horizonte orgânico (HO) coletadas em matas ciliares de manejo (MCM) localizadas em uma região de Piedmond (Ultisol), no estado da Geórgia, EUA. As amostras foram coletadas aleatoriamente dentro de cinco áreas de mata ciliar distintas, em classes de declividade de 2, 5, 10, 15 e 20%, as quais foram selecionadas para desenvolver experimentos de campo sobre o transporte de herbicidas por escoamento superficial. Os resultados indicam que o HO apresenta potencial para adsorver atrazina na solução do escoamento superficial ao longo da mata ciliar. Em um período de 24 horas, o processo de adsorção de atrazina apresentou tendência linear. O equilíbrio de adsorção, determinado em testes em laboratório com duração de 24 horas, pode ser expresso pela curva de Freundlich com coeficiente f de 67,5 para a atrazina. O comportamento do picloram nos experimentos em laboratório foi diferente, apresentando tendência de adsorção negativa. Apesar de ainda não ser comprovado, esse fato pode ser devido à interferência do produto nas análises por Elisa. O coeficiente de adsorção (kd) da atrazina com HO foi maior do que o obtido para solos minerais (entre 1 e 4). Nenhum grau de significância foi obtido para adsorção de picloram aos HOs. Embora exista potencial significativo para a adsorção direta de formas solúveis de herbicidas em matas ciliares, a obtenção dos valores reais dessa adsorção, visando a proteção dos cursos d'água, é freqüentemente limitada, mesmo para aqueles produtos que apresentam forte sorção (atrazina), em razão do pouco tempo de contato entre o produto e o HO, para que a cinética ocorra

HLA-G, -E and -F regulatory and coding region variability and haplotypes in the Beninese Toffin population sample

HLA-G/E/F genes exhibit immunomodulatory properties and are expressed in placenta. Little attention has been devoted to the study of these genes in sub-Saharan African populations, which are yet the most diverse. To fill this gap, we evaluated the complete gene variability, approximately 5.1 kb for HLA-G (n = 149), 7.7 kb for HLAE (n = 150) and 6.2 kb for HLA-P (n = 152) in the remote Beninese Toffin population, using massive parallel sequencing. Overall, 96, 37 and 68 variable sites were detected along the entire HLA-G,-E and-F, respectively, arranged into region-specific haplotypes; i.e., promoter haplotypes (16, 19, and 15 respectively), coding haplotypes (19, 15, and 29 respectively), 3' untranslated region (3'UTR) haplotypes (12, 7 and 2, respectively) and extended haplotypes (33, 31 and 32 respectively). All promoter/coding/3'UTR haplotypes followed the patterns already described in worldwide populations. HLA-E was the most conserved, exhibiting mainly two full-length encoded-molecules (E*01:01 and E*01:03), followed by HLA-F, three full-length proteins (F*01:01, F*01:02 and F*01:03) and HLA-G, four proteins: three full-length (G*01:01, G*01:03 and G*01:04) and one truncated (G*01:05N). Although HLA-G/E/F alleles in the Toffin population were the most frequently observed worldwide, the frequencies of the coding haplotypes were closely similar to those described for other African populations (Guinea-Conakry and Burkina-Faso), when compared to non-African ones (Brazilian), indicating that variable sites along these genes were present in Africa before human dispersion

Schistosoma haematobium infection modulates Plasmodium falciparum parasite density and antimalarial antibody responses

Aims Schistosomiasis and malaria are endemic in sub-Saharan Africa where Schistosoma haematobium (Sh) and Plasmodium falciparum (Pf) coinfections are thus frequent. We explored the effect of Sh infection on antibody responses directed to Pf merozoite antigens and on malaria susceptibility in Beninese children. Methods and results A total of 268 children were followed during a malaria transmission season. Detection of Pf infection was performed by microscopy and rapid diagnostic tests. Sh infection was determined in urine by microscopy. Antimalarial antibody, cytokine and HLA-G concentrations were quantified by ELISA. The expression of HLA-G receptors by immune cells was assessed by flow cytometry. Children infected by Sh had higher concentrations of IgG1 directed to MSP3 and GLURP(R0), IgG2 directed to GLURP(R0) and IgG3 directed to MSP3, GLURP(R0) and GLURP(R2) and have lower Pf densities than those uninfected by Sh. No difference in cytokine and HLA-G concentrations was observed between Sh egg carriers and non-carriers. Conclusion Schistosoma haematobium modulates host immune responses directed to Pf antigens. The absence of immune downregulation usually observed during helminth infections is surprising in our study. We hypothesize that the stage of Sh development could partly explain the immune pathways leading to increased antibody levels that favour better control of Pf parasitemia