Changes in Phytoplankton and Bacterioplankton Biomass and Rate Processes in Apalachicola Bay, Florida, in Response to Reduction in River Discharge

Bacterioplankton abundance and chlorophyll concentration and the factors that control them (temperature, nutrient concentrations, and rates of growth, grazing, and export) were studied in Apalachicola Bay, FL, during two summers with contrasting river discharge. A reduction in river discharge from the summer of 2003 (S03) to the summer of 2004 (S04) led to a reduction in estuarine concentrations of dissolved inorganic nitrogen and rates of export, phytoplankton and bacterioplankton growth, and microzooplankton grazing on phytoplankton and bacterioplankton. Bacterioplankton abundance and chlorophyll concentration during S03 were not significantly different from those during S04. Neither the growth rates and abundances of ciliates nor the egg production rates and abundances of Acartia tonsa were significantly affected by the reduction in rate processes of bacterioplankton or phytoplankton. The proposed diversion of freshwater from the Apalachicola River during summer months may lead to substantial changes in the rate processes of bacterioplankton and phytoplankton, but little change in the standing stocks of bacterioplankton, phytoplankton, ciliates, A. tonsa, or ciliate growth rates and A. tonsa egg production rates

Effects of processing variables and full fat soy flour on nutritional and sensory properties of spaghetti using a mixture design approach.

The influence of full-fat soy flour (FFSF) and extrusion conditions on nutritional and sensory characteristics of spaghetti was evaluated using a mixture design, in order to produce functional pasta. Addition of FFSF increases the nutritional composition significantly (P<or=0.05). Generally, the presence of FFSF showed a negative influence on the color attribute, but no effect on the firmness and surface condition of spaghetti. No significant difference was observed in the beany flavor up to 23.0 g/100 g. The temperature and screw speed of the extruder had no significant effect on nutritional and sensory attributes, but both enhanced the effect of formulation on the color and surface condition of spaghetti. Also, interaction between the screw speed and the ingredients resulted in a slight positive effect on the firmness and beany flavor attributes. Optimum nutritional value and sensory attributes of spaghetti were produced when 17.0 g/100 g FFSF was added and processed at a screw speed of 40 rpm and a temperature of 70 degrees C

The Influence of Juncus-rhizosphere Dissolved Organic Matter on Coastal Plankton Communities

Many aquatic plants produce copious amounts of dissolved organic matter (DOM) which enters surrounding waters and potentially stimulates planktonic activity. In the northern Gulf of Mexico, Juncus roemarianus (i.e. black needlerush) is a dominant marsh grass species residing in coastal zones and barrier islands. The below-ground biomass i.e. rhizosphere, can be consistently submerged, serving as a potential source of DOM to the surrounding waters. The lability and possible stimulatory effect of J. roemarianus DOM was examined for three plankton communities collected within the discharge region of Mobile Bay and adjacent waters of Gulf Shores, Alabama (less affected by Mobile Bay). DOM within the pore water surrounding the J. roemarianus was extracted, concentrated, and added to the field communities along with positive (i.e. addition of labile organic matter) and negative (i.e. no additions) controls. In the Mobile Bay experiment, the DOM addition stimulated increased autotrophic biomass and heterotrophic activity well above that observed in the negative controls. However, experiments utilizing Gulf Shores water showed little to no stimulation. Our results suggest that J. roemarianus DOM addition may stimulate planktonic activity; however, the degree of enhancement is likely controlled by the community composition and water properties (e.g. nutrient availability)

A Promising Modified Procedure for Upper Eyelid Retraction-Associated Graves’ Ophthalmopathy: Transconjunctival Lateral Levator Aponeurectomy

Upper eyelid retraction is a characteristic feature of thyroid eye disease, including Graves’ orbitopathy. In this study, a new surgical technique for correction of lid retraction secondary to Graves’ orbitopathy is described. Sixteen eyelids of patients older than 18 years old underwent surgical correction for moderate to severe lid retraction secondary to Graves’ orbitopathy. In this procedure, levator aponeurectomy was performed via a transconjunctival approach. Upper marginal reflex distance (MRD1) was measured before the surgery and at 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months after the surgery. MRD1 was reduced significantly from preoperatively (mean: 7.84 mm) to 1 week after the surgery (mean: 3.59 mm) (P &lt; 0.001). Three and six months after surgery, mean MRD1 was 5.09 mm and 5.10 mm, respectively, showing that lid retraction was improved significantly (P &lt; 0.001). Lateral levator aponeurectomy via the transconjunctival approach is a simple, scar-less, quick procedure that has optimal stable outcome.Â

A Promising Modified Procedure for Upper Eyelid Retraction-Associated Graves’ Ophthalmopathy: Transconjunctival Lateral Levator Aponeurectomy

Upper eyelid retraction is a characteristic feature of thyroid eye disease, including Graves’ orbitopathy. In this study, a new surgical technique for correction of lid retraction secondary to Graves’ orbitopathy is described. Sixteen eyelids of patients older than 18 years old underwent surgical correction for moderate to severe lid retraction secondary to Graves’ orbitopathy. In this procedure, levator aponeurectomy was performed via a transconjunctival approach. Upper marginal reflex distance (MRD1) was measured before the surgery and at 1 week, 3 months, and 6 months after the surgery. MRD1 was reduced significantly from preoperatively (mean: 7.84 mm) to 1 week after the surgery (mean: 3.59 mm) (P &lt; 0.001). Three and six months after surgery, mean MRD1 was 5.09 mm and 5.10 mm, respectively, showing that lid retraction was improved significantly (P &lt; 0.001). Lateral levator aponeurectomy via the transconjunctival approach is a simple, scar-less, quick procedure that has optimal stable outcome.

Dynamic bacterial and viral response to an algal bloom at subzero temperatures

New evidence suggests that cold‐loving (psychrophilic) bacteria may be a dynamic component of the episodic bloom events of high‐latitude ecosystems. Here we report the results of an unusually early springtime study of pelagic microbial activity in the coastal Alaskan Arctic. Heterotrophic bacterioplankton clearly responded to an algal bloom by doubling cell size, increasing the fraction of actively respiring cells (up to an unprecedented 84% metabolically active using redox dye CTC), shifting substrate‐uptake capabilities from kinetic parameters better adapted to lower substrate concentrations to those more suited for higher concentrations, and more than doubling cell abundance. Community composition (determined by polymerase chain reaction/DGGE and nucleotide sequence analysis) also shifted over the bloom. Results support, for the first time with modern molecular methods, previous culture‐based observations of bacterial community succession during Arctic algal blooms and confirm that previously observed variability in pelagic microbial activity can be linked to changes in community structure. During early bloom stages, virioplankton and bacterial abundance were comparable, suggesting that mortality due to phage infection was low at that time. The virus‐to‐bacteria ratio (VBR) increased 10‐fold at the height of the bloom, however, suggesting an increased potential for bacterioplankton mortality resulting from viral infection. The peak in VBR coincided with observed shifts in both microbial activity and community structure. These early‐season data suggest that substrate and virioplankton interactions may control the active microbial carbon cycling of this region

Intra-Articular Injections for Pain Relief Following Knee Arthroscopy: A Literature Review

Arthroscopy procedures for the knee are excellent and tend to be outpatient procedures. Pain control after arthroscopic surgery is an important aspect of patient satisfaction and quicker return to daily activities following surgery. The objective of this article was to review the current literature regarding pain management after knee arthroscopy using intra-articular (IA) injections. Our goal in this article is to review the drugs that have been suggested in various articles for IA injections following knee arthroscopy to control pain. In conclusion, the current evidence suggests that combining IA lidocaine and morphine with tranexamic acid (TXA), in addition to ketorolac, is effective for pain relief after arthroscopic knee surgery

Variability in the carbon isotopic composition of foliage carbon pools (soluble carbohydrates, waxes) and respiration fluxes in southeastern U.S. pine forests

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2012. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research 117 (2012): G02009, doi:10.1029/2011JG001867.We measured the δ13C of assimilated carbon (foliage organic matter (δCOM), soluble carbohydrates (δCSC), and waxes (δCW)) and respiratory carbon (foliage (δCFR), soil (δCSR) and ecosystem 13CO2 (δCER)) for two years at adjacent ecosystems in the southeastern U.S.: a regenerated 32 m tall mature Pinus palustris forest, and a mid-rotation 13 m tall Pinus elliottii stand. Carbon pools and foliage respiration in P. palustris were isotopically enriched by 2‰ relative to P. elliottii. Despite this enrichment, mean δCER values of the two sites were nearly identical. No temporal trends were apparent in δCSC, δCFR, δCSR and δCER. In contrast, δCOM and δCW at both sites declined by approximately 2‰ over the study. This appears to reflect the adjustment in the δ13C of carbon storage reserves used for biosynthesis as the trees recovered from a severe drought prior to our study. Unexpectedly, the rate of δ13C decrease in the secondary C32–36 n-alkanoic acid wax molecular cluster was twice that observed for δCOM and the predominant C22–26 compound cluster, and provides new evidence for parallel but separate wax chain elongation systems utilizing different carbon precursor pools in these species. δCFR and δCER were consistently enriched relative to assimilated carbon but, in contrast to previous studies, showed limited variations in response to changes in vapor pressure deficit (D). This limited variability in respiratory fluxes and δCSC may be due to the shallow water table as well as the deep taproots of pines, which limit fluctuations in photosynthetic discrimination arising from changes in D.This work was supported by a NSF grants DEB-0343604, DEB-0344562 and DEB-0552202, and DOE grant DE-FC02-06ER64156/06-SC-NICCR-1063.2012-10-1

Microbial Community Analysis of a Coastal Salt Marsh Affected by the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

Conceived and designed the experiments: MJB RJM BM PAS. Performed the experiments: MJB RJM SR JP YMP LMT JDVN. Analyzed the data: MJB RJM YMP LMT GLA TCH JDVN JZ PAS. Contributed reagents/materials/analysis tools: GLA TCH JZ BM PAS. Wrote the paper: MJB RJM PAS.Coastal salt marshes are highly sensitive wetland ecosystems that can sustain long-term impacts from anthropogenic events such as oil spills. In this study, we examined the microbial communities of a Gulf of Mexico coastal salt marsh during and after the influx of petroleum hydrocarbons following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Total hydrocarbon concentrations in salt marsh sediments were highest in June and July 2010 and decreased in September 2010. Coupled PhyloChip and GeoChip microarray analyses demonstrated that the microbial community structure and function of the extant salt marsh hydrocarbon-degrading microbial populations changed significantly during the study. The relative richness and abundance of phyla containing previously described hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria (Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria) increased in hydrocarbon-contaminated sediments and then decreased once hydrocarbons were below detection. Firmicutes, however, continued to increase in relative richness and abundance after hydrocarbon concentrations were below detection. Functional genes involved in hydrocarbon degradation were enriched in hydrocarbon-contaminated sediments then declined significantly (p<0.05) once hydrocarbon concentrations decreased. A greater decrease in hydrocarbon concentrations among marsh grass sediments compared to inlet sediments (lacking marsh grass) suggests that the marsh rhizosphere microbial communities could also be contributing to hydrocarbon degradation. The results of this study provide a comprehensive view of microbial community structural and functional dynamics within perturbed salt marsh ecosystems.Yeshttp://www.plosone.org/static/editorial#pee