A methodological approach to improve estimates of nutrient gains by partially myco-heterotrophic plants†

The stable isotopes ¹⁵N and ¹³C can be used to investigate the nutritional mode of terrestrial orchids and pyroloids (Monotropoideae, Ericaceae). Some of these plants are putatively autotrophic but meet their nitrogen and carbon demands by gaining organic compounds (e.g. amino acids) from mycorrhizal fungi. This so-called partially myco-heterotrophic nutrition is reflected by their isotope signature. The application of a two-source linear mixing model on δ values of such plants allows calculating the percentage of N and C derived from their associated mycorrhizal fungi. Here we present an approach to improve estimates of the plants’ degree of myco-heterotrophy. Due to the presented conversion of δ values into enrichment factors (?), results obtain a better resolution and data from various studies become normalised which facilitates combined representations and meta-analyses.     

Fourier Transform Mid-Infrared Photoacoustic Spectroscopy for Presymptomatic Detection of Powdery Mildew Infection in Rubus corchorifolius L.

A powdery mildew fungi-induced disease appearing on leaves of Rubus corchorifolius L. has been observed in China, which resulted in seriously influencing the yield and quality of the fruit, and a presymptomatic detection of powdery mildew infection is needed to guarantee the yield and quality through removing the fungi in an early stage. Depth-profiling Fourier transform mid-infrared photoacoustic spectroscopy was applied to characterize both the healthy leaves and powdery mildew-infected leaves of Rubus corchorifolius L. The profiled surface could be divided into out layer (depth of about 1.32 µm) and deep layer (depth of about 1.87 µm). There were numerous differences in the total spectral range (500–4000 cm^?1) between healthy leaves and infected leaves, especially the intensity of absorption bands of 2800–3000 cm^?1 (aliphatic C–H vibration) and 2250–2350 cm^?1 (CO₂) significantly decreased when the leaf was infected by powdery mildew. For the out layer the standard spectral variance between healthy leaf and infected leaf was 7.33 × 10², whereas it was 1.86 × 10⁴ for the deep layer; the standard spectral variance between out layer and deep layer for healthy leaf was 3.38 × 10³, whereas it was 1.84 × 10⁴ for infected leaf, which implied that both out layer and deep layer responded to powdery mildew infection. Combining spectral differences between healthy leaf and infected leaf and variances between out layer and deep layer, a presymptomatic detection of powdery mildew infection was successfully made, which provided an alternative option and noninvasive method for the fast diagnosis of powdery mildew infection on Rubus corchorifolius L.     

Stable isotope ratio method for the characterisation of the poultry house environment

Stable isotope analysis was applied to describe the poultry house environment. The poultry house indoor environment was selected for this study due to the relevant health problems in animals and their caretakers. Air quality parameters including temperature, relative humidity, airflow rate, NH₃, CO₂ and total suspended particles, as well as mean levels of total airborne bacteria and fungi count, were measured. Carbon isotope ratios (¹³C/¹²C) were obtained in size-segregated aerosol particles. The carbon (¹³C/¹²C) and nitrogen (¹⁵N/¹⁴N) isotope ratios were measured in feed, litter, scrapings from the ventilation system, feathers and eggs. Additionally, the distribution of δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N values in different tissues of the chicken was examined. The airborne bacteria and fungi extracted from the air filters collected from poultry farms were grown in the laboratory in media with known isotope values and measured for stable isotope ratios. Analysis of isotope fractionation between microorganisms and their media indicated the applicability of stable isotope analysis in bulk samples for the identification of source material. The analysed examples imply that stable isotope analysis can be used to examine the indoor environment along with its biology and ecology, and serve as an informative bioanalytical tool.     

Radiocaesium pollution of fly agaric Amanita muscaria in fruiting bodies decreases with developmental stage

Amanita muscaria collected from a forested area in northern Poland in 2015 were analysed for activity concentrations of ¹³⁷Cs and ⁴⁰K. Total K concentration values were calculated from ⁴⁰K data. Mushrooms were grouped in six fruiting bodies size classes regarding to their developmental stage. The ¹³⁷Cs activity concentrations declined in A. muscaria as the fruiting bodies maturated. The contents of ⁴⁰K/K activity remained constant in caps at different developmental stage, while for stipes an increase was around twofold (⁴⁰K from 925?±?55 Bq kg^?1 dry biomass in the baby individuals and 1600?±?63–1700?±?53 Bq kg^?1 dry biomass in two oldest classes). A. muscaria is a weak accumulator of ¹³⁷Cs, while a steep drop in activity concentrations of this nuclide in the fruiting bodies as they maturate has not been reported earlier for mushrooms. Clearly, a fate of ¹³⁷Cs in A. muscaria is highly different from that of ⁴⁰K/K that is an essential element to fungi. In parallel, an observed increase in the content of ⁴⁰K/K in stipes of fruiting bodies with developmental state can be related to its ‘hardening’ and more fibrous nature with age and basic function to support the cap, but this has not been studied.     

Nitrogen Isotope Ratios in Different Compartments of a Mixed Stand of Spruce,Larch and Beech Trees and of Understorey Vegetation Including Fungi

Abstract

Natural nitrogen isotope ratios were measured in different compartments (needles or leaves and twigs of different age classes and crown positions, roots and soil of different horizons) of spruce (Picea abies), larch (Larix decidua) and beech (Fagus sylvatica) trees in an 11-year-old mixed stand in the Fichtelgebirge, NE Bavaria, Germany. In addition, samples of understorey vegetation (mainly ericaceous shrubs and grass) and of ectomycorrhizal and saprophytic fungi were analyzed. The δ¹⁵N values found for all samples ranged between ?7.5 and + 4.5‰. No significant differences were found for the nitrogen isotope ratios of the three tree species despite of their evergreen versus deciduous foliage and despite of their different rooting depth. Ericaceous shrubs had the most negative and fungi and soil from the mineral horizon the most positive δ¹⁵N values. Positive δ¹⁵N values of the fungi indicate their ability to utilize organic soil nitrogen, but the data do not unequivocally show that plants forming mycorrhizas profit from this organic nitrogen source.     

Mechanism of formation of delta FeOOH in a basic aqueous medium

The mechanism of oxidation of ferrous hydroxide precipitated by mixing FeSO₄ · 7H₂O and NaOH solutions depends on the ratioR=[FeSO₄]/[NaOH]. The study presented here concerns values ofR ranging from 0.38 to 0.43, i.e. Fe(OH)₂ is precipitated in the presence of an excess of caustic soda. The analysis made by Mössbauer spectroscopy of the final compounds of oxidation shows that the valueR=5/12 is particular. At this value, 8FeOOH is the main product of oxidation. Its formation is assumed to take place through an intermediate compound, which formula is deduced from the value R=5/12 to be: 3Fe(OH)₂ · 2Fe(OH)₃ ·nH₂O. This compound could be considered as a green rust one compound including excess OH^– ions in theAcB i BaC j CbA k stacking, whereA, B andC are the OH^– planes,a, b andc the iron planes, andi, j andk layers made of the excess OH^– ions and water molecules.     

Fe–Mn–Al–C Alloys: a Study of Their Corrosion Behaviour in SO2 Environments

The corrosion reaction of four Fe–Mn–Al alloys exposed to a cycling, dry–humid, SO₂ (0.001% by volume) polluted atmosphere was studied. ICEMS, XPS, AES-SAM and transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy at different temperatures were employed to characterize the corrosion products. The analytical results indicate that (i) ferrihydrite is the main component of the rust; (ii) there is an abundant presence of Mn²⁺ and SO₃ ^2–/SO₄ ^2– on the top of the corrosion layer, the concentration of SO₄ ^2– increasing with the number of cycles; and (iii) the magnetic hyperfine pattern exhibited by the series of low-temperature spectra of the rust is quite different from that observed in the rust formed under similar corrosive environments on iron and weathering steel. This latter finding is correlated with a slow rate of transformation of the Fe³⁺ species formed at the early stages of corrosion into -FeOOH, the usual final product of this type of corrosion processes. The sulphate anions, abundant inside the electrolyte during the wet periods, could be incorporated to the ferrihydrite structure being responsible for the Mössbauer spectral pattern recorded from the corrosion products at low temperatures.     

Konstanz summer school 2018 on isotope ecology

Abstract

Biodegradation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in soil is considered to be very complex due to various physico-chemical factors involved. Isotope labelling technique is the best to trace fate of the xenobiotic in the environment. In this work, the uniformly ¹⁴C-labelled PCB congener 11 (3,3′-chlorobiphenyl) was chosen as a low chlorinated coplanar biphenyl which was assumed to be readily degraded by microorganisms. Pleurotus ostreatus and two Pseudomonas species, representing white rot fungi and soil bacteria were used separately or in a consortium. The amount of liberated ¹⁴CO₂ and radio-HPLC, HPLC, GC-MS, and radio-TLC analyses of extracts at the end of a two-month experiment showed that the mineralization of PCB 11 was < 0.4%, volatilization < 3.1%, and 30% of radioactivity was irreversibly bound to the soil matrix. The respective contents of all intermediate metabolites were 4.7 to 10.5 and 2.5 to 2.7% where Pseudomonas alcaligenes alone or in combination with P. putida was applied. 3-Chlorobenzoic acid was the major biodegradation product.     

Preparation and Eh--pH diagrams of Fe(II)--Fe(III) green rust compounds; hyperfine interaction characteristics and stoichiometry of hydroxy-chloride, -sulphate and -carbonate

Fe(II)--Fe(III) hydroxy-chloride, -sulphate and -carbonate were prepared by oxidation of a ferrous hydroxide precipitate in anion-containing aqueous solutions. The compounds are characterized by monitoring the redox potential E_h and the pH of stochiometric suspension vs time with the appropriate concentration ratios. X-ray diffraction allows us to characterize the crystal structure by distinguishing “green rust one” (GR1) from “green rust two” (GR2). Since green rusts (GRs) are of a pyroaurite-sjögrenite-like structure, i.e., consisting of intercalated foreign anions and water molecules in the interlayers between the brucite-like layers of Fe(OH)₂, their chemical formulae can be determined from the Mössbauer spectra. Three quadrupole doublets are observed: D₁ and D₂ correspond to a ferrous state with isomershift IS of about 1.27 mm s^-1 and quadrupole splittings QS of about 2.85 and 2.60 mm s^-1, respectively, whereas D₃ corresponds to a ferric state with IS and QS of about 0.4 mm s^-1. The hyperfine parameters of these doublets are similar from one green rust to another but their intensity ratios vary considerably. Finally, E_h and pH equilibrium diagrams of the Fe species in the presence of chloride, sulphate and carbonate anions contained within the water solution are drawn and the thermodynamic conditions of existence and degrees of oxidation of green rusts are discussed.     

Microbial Reduction of Lepidocrocite γ-FeOOH by Shewanella putrefaciens; The Formation of Green Rust

Dissimilatory iron-reducing bacteria (DIRB) couple the oxidation of organic matter or H₂ to the reduction of iron oxides. The bacterial reduction of a most common well-crystallised ferric oxyhydroxide, -FeOOH was investigated using DIRB Shewanella putrefaciens, strain CIP 8040. Experiments were conducted in the presence of neither organic buffer nor phosphate, with formate as electron donor, bicarbonate, and anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonate (AQDS, a humic acid analogue) that influenced the extent of ferric oxide bioreduction. The production of Fe²⁺ was followed with time. The solid phases obtained after bacterial iron reduction were analysed by transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy (TMS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Biogenic formation of green rust 1 compound, which contains carbonate anions, [Fe^II ₂Fe^III ₂(OH)₈]²⁺[CO₃ ^2–]^2– was observed. TMS was used to follow the evolution of the green rust abundance during the bacterial culture.     

Investigation of growth responses in saprophytic fungi to charred biomass

We present the results of a study testing the response of two saprophytic white-rot fungi species, Pleurotus pulmonarius and Coriolus versicolor, to charred biomass (charcoal) as a growth substrate. We used a combination of optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, elemental abundance measurements, and isotope ratio mass spectrometry (¹³C and ¹⁵N) to investigate fungal colonisation of control and incubated samples of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris) wood, and charcoal from the same species produced at 300 °C and 400 °C. Both species of fungi colonise the surface and interior of wood and charcoals over time periods of less than 70 days; however, distinctly different growth forms are evident between the exterior and interior of the charcoal substrate, with hyphal penetration concentrated along lines of structural weakness. Although the fungi were able to degrade and metabolise the pine wood, charcoal does not form a readily available source of fungal nutrients at least for these species under the conditions used in this study.     

Study of archaeological iron objects by PGAA,Mössbauer spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction

Archaeological iron objects often corrode rapidly after their excavation, even though they have survived long times of burial in the ground. Chlorine that accumulates during burial is thought to play a major role in this destructive post-excavation corrosion. It is therefore important for the conservation of such objects to determine the chlorine content in a non-destructive manner and, if necessary, to remove the chlorine from the artefacts by appropriate methods. Such methods are leaching in alkaline solutions or heating in a reducing atmosphere at temperatures up to 800 ^°C. We have studied the efficiency of the heating method using prompt gamma activation analysis (PGAA) for monitoring the Cl content and Mössbauer spectroscopy at room temperature (RT) and 4.2 K as well as X-ray diffraction to study the mineralogical transformations of the rust layers. The heat treatments were performed a N₂/H₂ (90/10) mixture at temperatures up to 750 ^°C. As test specimens sections of iron rods from the Celtic oppidum of Manching (Bavaria) were used. The initial Cl contents of the pieces varied in the range of several hundred ppm, referring to the iron mass. Annealing for 24 h at 350, 550 and 750 ^°C was found to reduce the Cl contents of the specimens, to about 70, 30 and 15 % of the original values, respectively. The rust consists mainly of goethite with admixtures of magnetite, lepidocrocite and akaganeite, which is thought to be a major carrier of chlorine, probably together with iron chlorides. Much of the goethite is so fine-grained that it does not split magnetically at RT. Annealing converts the rust mainly to maghemite at 350 ^°C, to magnetite at 550 ^°C and to wüstite plus magnetite and metallic iron at 750 ^°C. Pure akaganeite behaves in nearly the same manner.     

A New Antimicrobial Sesquiterpene Lactone from Artemisia giraldii

A new antimicrobial eudesmanolide, 1-oxo-8α-hydroxy-11αH-eudesm-4-en-12, 6α-olide (1), was isolated from a medicinal plant Artemisia giraldii and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods (IR, MS, ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, ¹H-¹H COSY and NOESY). Antimicrobial bioassay indicated that this compound inhibited the growth of human pathogenic bacteria Staphylococcus auerus, Bacillus subtilis and Escherichia coli as well as human opportunistic pathogenic fungi Candida tropicalis, Gecotrichum candidun, Aspergillus flavus and A. nigers.     

High-power sonication of soy proteins: Hydroxyl radicals and their effects on protein structure

High-power sonication (HPS) is shown to alter protein structure, thus, its functionality, via intermolecular interactions. This study evaluated the effects of HPS on molecular structure of soy proteins in aqueous medium. Free radicals generated during HPS were quantitated using the 5,5-dimethyl-l-pyrrolin N-oxide (DMPO) spin trap method. Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was used to identify them as mostly hydroxyl radicals. The minimum saturation concentration of spin trap solution was determined to be 500 mM of DMPO in water, when exposed to 5 W/cm³ ultrasound power density (PD) for 10 min; subsequently, this concentration was used for quantitating radicals generated in protein samples. Five aqueous soy protein systems, namely, 5% soy protein isolate (SPI), 5% SPI without isoflavonoids (NO-ISO SPI), subunit solutions 1% glycinin (11S) and 1% β conglycinin (7S), and 10% soy flakes (w/v), were sonicated at 2.5 and 5 W/cm³ PDs. Only adducts of hydroxyl radicals (DMPO-OH) were detected in all of these aqueous systems. The highest concentration (3.68 µM) of DMPO-OH adduct was measured in 11S subunit solution at 5 W/cm³, whereas, the lowest (0.67 µM) was in soy flakes solution at 2.5 W/cm³. PD 5 W/cm³ generated higher concentration of radicals in 7S subunit solution, NO-ISO SPI, and soy flakes protein, compared to sonication at PD 2.5 W/cm³. No change in the protein electrophoretic patterns were observed due to HPS. However, some changes due to HPS were observed in the estimated secondary and tertiary structures, and the contents of free sulfhydryl groups and disulfide bonds in proteins.     

Synthesis by Coprecipitation of Al-Substituted Hydroxysulphate Green Rust FeII 4FeIII (2−y)AlIII y (OH)12SO4,nH2O

Al-substituted hydroxysulphate green rust (Al-GR{SO₄}) were synthesised by the coprecipitation of Fe^II, Fe^III and Al^III cations. The Al-GR{SO₄} crystals (～50 nm) are significantly smaller than the hydroxysulphate green rust GR{SO₄} crystals (～500 nm). The Mössbauer spectrum of Al-GR{SO₄} was adjusted with two ferrous doublets D₁ and D₃ and one ferric doublet D₂. Doublet D₃ is attributed to Fe^II ions that have Al^III ions as a first neighbour.

     

Feasibility of similarity coefficient map in improving morphological evaluation of T2* weighted MRI for renal cancer

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the feasibility of similarity coefficient map (SCM) in improving morphological evaluation of T₂^* weighted (T₂^*W) magnatic resonance imaging (MRI) for renal cancer. Simulation studies and in vivo 12-echo T₂^*W experiments for renal cancers were performed for this purpose. The results of the first simulation study suggest that SCM can reveal small structures which are hard to be distinguished from the background tissue in T₂^*W images and the corresponding T₂^* map. The capability of improving morphological evaluation is likely due to the improvement in signal to noise ratio (SNR) and carrier to noise ratio (CNR) by SCM technique. Compared with T₂^*W images, SCM can improve SNR by a factor ranging from 1.87 to 2.47. Compared with T₂^* maps, SCM can improve SNR by a factor ranging from 3.85 to 33.31. Compared with T₂^*W images, SCM can improve CNR by a factor raging from 2.09 to 2.43. Compared with T₂^* maps SCM can improve CNR by a factor raging from 1.94 to 8.14. For a given noise level, the improvements of SNR and CNR depend mainly on the original SNRs and CNRs in T₂^*W images, respectively. In vivo experiments confirmed the results of the first simulation study. The results of the second simulation study suggest that more echoes are used to generate SCM, and higher SNR and CNR can be achieved in SCM. In conclusion, SCM can provide improved morphological evaluation of T₂^*W MR images for renal cancer by unveiling fine structures which are ambiguous or invisible in the corresponding T₂^*W MR images and T₂^* maps. What is more, in practical application, for a fixed total sampling time, one should increase the number of echoes as much as possible to achieve SCMs with better SNR and CNR.     

Quantization of surface rust by using laser imaging techniques

Laser speckle interferometry^1,2 and image processing^3,4 have been used to detect and quantize the rust build-up on metal surfaces under water. Speckle information from the sample metal surface was captured by a CCD camera and a frame grabber card. Software techniques were used to convert the image data files into ASCII files in an appropriate format. Three-dimensional surface plots were generated to define the numerical values for the amout of rust build-up.     

The quotient construction for a class of compact Einstein manifolds

Given any Einstein manifoldM ^E , one can obtain further examples of Einstein manifolds by taking the quotientM ^E /G by a freely acting, properly discontinuous group of isometries. We study this method in the case in whichM ^E is Kählerian,M ^E /G is compact, and the Ricci curvature is non-negative. In many cases, the candidates forG can be completely classified.     

Representation of Quantum States as Points in a Probability Simplex Associated to a SIC-POVM

The quantum state of a d-dimensional system can be represented by a probability distribution over the d ² outcomes of a Symmetric Informationally Complete Positive Operator Valued Measure (SIC-POVM), and then this probability distribution can be represented by a vector of \mathbb R^d2-1\mathbb {R}^{d^{2}-1} in a (d ²−1)-dimensional simplex, we will call this set of vectors Q\mathcal{Q}. Other way of represent a d-dimensional system is by the corresponding Bloch vector also in \mathbb R^d2-1\mathbb {R}^{d^{2}-1}, we will call this set of vectors B\mathcal{B}. In this paper it is proved that with the adequate scaling B=Q\mathcal{B}=\mathcal{Q}. Also we indicate some features of the shape of Q\mathcal{Q}.     

Synthesis and characterisation of the Fe(II–III) hydroxy-formate green rust

A new methodology was envisioned in order to prepare green rust compounds build on organic anions that could intervene in microbiologically influenced corrosion processes of iron and steel. The formate ion was chosen as an example. The formation of rust was simulated by the oxidation of aqueous suspensions of Fe(OH)₂ precipitated from Fe(II) lactate and sodium hydroxide, in the presence of sodium formate to promote the formation of the corresponding green rust. The evolution of the precipitate with time was followed by transmission Mössbauer spectroscopy at 15 K. It was observed that the initial hydroxide was transformed into a new GR compound. Its spectrum is composed of three quadrupole doublets, D ₁ (δ?=?1.28 mm s^?1, Δ?=?2.75 mm s^?1) and D ₂ (δ?=?1.28 mm s^?1, Δ?=?2.48 mm s^?1) that correspond to Fe(II) and D ₃ (δ?=?0.49 mm s^?1, Δ?=?0.37 mm s^?1) that corresponds to Fe(III). The relative area of D ₃, close to the proportion of Fe(III) in the GR, was found at 28.5?±?1.5% (～2/7). Raman spectroscopy confirmed that the intermediate compound was a Fe(II–III) hydroxy-formate, GR(HCOO^?).