Soil property and management effects on grassland microbial communities across a latitudinal gradient in Germany

There is much interest in the identification of the main drivers controlling changes in the microbial community that may be related to sustainable land use. We examined the influence of soil properties and land-use intensity (N fertilization, mowing, grazing) on total phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomass, microbial community composition (PLFA profiles) and activities of enzymes involved in the C, N, and P cycle. These relationships were examined in the topsoil of grasslands from three German regions (Schorfheide-Chorin (SCH), Hainich-Dun (HAI), Schwabische Alb (ALB)) with different parent material. Differences in soil properties explained 60% of variation in PLFA data and 81% of variation in enzyme activities across regions and land-use intensities. Degraded peat soils in the lowland areas of the SCH with high organic carbon (OC) concentrations and sand content contained lower PLFA biomass, lower concentrations of bacterial, fungal, and arbuscular mycorrhizal PLFAs, but greater enzyme activities, and specific enzyme activities (per unit microbial biomass) than mineral soils in the upland areas of the HAI and ALB, which are finer textured, drier, and have smaller OC concentrations. After extraction of variation that originated from large-scale differences among regions and differences in land-use intensities between plots, soil properties still explained a significant amount of variation in PLFA data (34%) and enzyme activities (60%). Total PLFA biomass and all enzyme activities were mainly related to OC concentration, while relative abundance of fungi and fungal to bacterial ratio were mainly related to soil moisture. Land-use intensity (LUI) significantly decreased the soil C:N ratio. There was no direct effect of LUI on total PLFA biomass, microbial community composition, N and P cycling enzyme activities independent of study region and soil properties. In contrast, the activities and specific activities of enzymes involved in the C cycle increased significantly with LUI independent of study region and soil properties, which can have impact on soil organic matter decomposition and nutrient cycling. Our findings demonstrate that microbial biomass and community composition as well as enzyme activities are more controlled by soil properties than by grassland management at the regional scale. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V: All rights reserved.

Assessment and management of dental erosion

Studies have shown a growing trend toward increasing prevalence of dental erosion, associated with the declining prevalence of caries disease in industrialized countries. Erosion is an irreversible chemical process that results in tooth substance loss and leaves teeth susceptible to damage as a result of wear over the course of an individual's lifetime. Therefore, early diagnosis and adequate prevention are essential to minimize the risk of tooth erosion. Clinical appearance is the most important sign to be used to diagnose erosion. The Basic Erosive Wear Examination (BEWE) is a simple method to fulfill this task. The determination of a variety of risk and protective factors (patient-dependent and nutrition-dependent factors) as well as their interplay are necessary to initiate preventive measures tailored to the individual. When tooth loss caused by erosive wear reaches a certain level, oral rehabilitation becomes necessary.

Ventricular prosthesis embolization during transapical aortic valve implantation: the role of transesophageal echocardiography in diagnosis and management

The authors present the case of an 81-year-old patient with severe aortic stenosis who experienced left ventricular embolization of an aortic bioprosthesis during transapical aortic valve implantation. The authors discuss reasons for prosthesis embolization and reinforce the attention to technical details and the widespread use of multimodality imaging techniques. In this context, transesophageal echocardiography appears indispensable in the detection and management of procedure-related complications.

2010 International consensus algorithm for the diagnosis, therapy and management of hereditary angioedema

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Life history, ecology and the biogeography of strong genetic breaks among 15 species of PaciWc rockWsh, Sebastes

Strong genetic change over short spatial scales is surprising among marine species with high dispersal potential. Concordant breaks among several species signals a role for geographic barriers to dispersal. Along the coast of California, such breaks have not been seen across the biogeographic barrier of Point Conception, but other potential geographic boundaries have been surveyed less often.;We tested for strong-population structure in 11 species of Sebastes sampled across two regions containing potential dispersal barriers, and conducted a meta-analysis including four additional species. We show two strong breaks north of Monterey Bay, spanning an oceanographic gradient and an upwelling jet. Moderate genetic structure is just as common in the north as it is in the south, across the biogeographic break at Point Conception. Gene Xow is generally higher among deep-water species, but these conclusions are confounded by phylogeny. Species in the subgenus Sebastosomus have higher structure than those in the subgenus;Pteropodus, despite having larvae with longer pelagic phases. DiVerences in settlement behavior in the face of ocean currents might help explain these diVerences. Across similar species across the same coastal environment, we document a wide variety of patterns in gene Xow, suggesting that interaction of individual species traits such as settlement behavior with environmental factors such as;oceanography can strongly impact population structure

Clinical aspects, diagnostic challenges and management of patients with neuroendocrine tumors (NETs)

Neuroendocrine tumor (NET) entities are rare malignancies. Higher awareness and improved diagnostic methods have led to an increasing incidence of these diseases, and most oncologists deal with such patients in their daily practice. The symposium on NETs that was held in Merano (Italy) in October 2009 was organized by the German-speaking European School of Oncology (dESO) and gathered specialists from different disciplines of transalpine countries to bring together experiences and observations regarding these tumors. The goal of the meeting and of this review was to illustrate both well- and poorly differentiated NETs and to encourage interdisciplinary approaches.

Gastrointestinal function in intensive care patients: terminology, definitions and management. Recommendations of the ESICM Working Group on Abdominal Problems

Acute gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction and failure have been increasingly recognized in critically ill patients. The variety of definitions proposed in the past has led to confusion and difficulty in comparing one study to another. An international working group convened to standardize the definitions for acute GI failure and GI symptoms and to review the therapeutic options.

Deforestation and forest degradation monitoring and assessment of biomass and carbon stock of lowland rainforest in the Analanjirofo region, Madagascar

Madagascar is currently developing a policy and strategies to enhance the sustainable management of its natural resources, encouraged by United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and REDD. To set up a sustainable financing scheme methodologies have to be provided that estimate, prevent and mitigate leakage, develop national and regional baselines, and estimate carbon benefits. With this research study this challenge was tried to be addressed by analysing a lowland rainforest in the Analanjirofo region in the district of Soanierana Ivongo, North East of Madagascar. For two distinguished forest degradation stages: “low degraded forest” and “degraded forest” aboveground biomass and carbon stock was assessed. The corresponding rates of carbon within those two classes were calculated and linked to a multi-temporal set of SPOT satellite data acquired in 1991, 2004 and 2009. Deforestation and particularly degradation and the related carbon stock developments were analysed. With the assessed data for the 3 years 1991, 2004 and 2009 it was possible to model a baseline and to develop a forest prediction for 2020 for Analanjirofo region in the district of Soanierana Ivongo. These results, developed applying robust methods, may provide important spatial information regarding the priorities in planning and implementation of future REDD+ activities in the area.