Soil organic carbon is not just for soil scientists: measurement recommendations for diverse practitioners.

Soil organic carbon (SOC) regulates terrestrial ecosystem functioning, provides diverse energy sources for soil microorganisms, governs soil structure, and regulates the availability of organically bound nutrients. Investigators in increasingly diverse disciplines recognize how quantifying SOC attributes can provide insight about ecological states and processes. Today, multiple research networks collect and provide SOC data, and robust, new technologies are available for managing, sharing, and analyzing large data sets. We advocate that the scientific community capitalize on these developments to augment SOC data sets via standardized protocols. We describe why such efforts are important and the breadth of disciplines for which it will be helpful, and outline a tiered approach for standardized sampling of SOC and ancillary variables that ranges from simple to more complex. We target scientists ranging from those with little to no background in soil science to those with more soil-related expertise, and offer examples of the ways in which the resulting data can be organized, shared, and discoverable.

Strong Coupling of Organic Dyes Located at the Surface of a Dielectric Slab Microcavity.

Strong coupling to the electronic or vibronic transitions of an organic semiconductor has been extensively studied in microcavity structures in which a molecular film is placed between two closely spaced mirrors. Recent experiments suggest that such strong coupling can be used to modify chemical reactions; however, the geometry of conventional microcavity structures makes such studies difficult as they limit the ability of molecules to interact with their local environment. Here, we show that optical strong coupling to a molecular film can be achieved even when such molecules are located on the surface of a dielectric slab. We then show that such molecules on the surface of the slab can undergo facile interactions with molecules in their surrounding environment, and evidence a reversible protonation/deprotonation reaction by exposing a surface-bound porphyrin to an acidic or basic vapor. Although our proof-of-principle measurements do not evidence any change in reaction rates, we believe our structures represent a promising system in which to explore polariton-driven chemical phenomena.

Salivary dysfunction caused by medication usage.

A considerable number of patients arriving in dental offices are being treated with ongoing medication for a variety of chronic diseases. As a result, dentists must be familiar with the potential side effects these therapeutic agents may have on the tissues of the oral cavity, and in particular on the salivary gland. Salivary gland function may be altered by a wide range of medications, leading to effects such as xerostomia, hyposalivation, hypersalivation or even swelling of the glands. These disorders can cause a variety of other health complications. This review will focus on the most common groups of drugs responsible for salivary gland dysfunction, including psychoactive drugs, antidepressants, antipsychotics, antihypertensives, and antihistamines.

Extreme weather and air pollution effects on cardiovascular and respiratory hospital admissions in Cyprus.

In many regions of the world, climatic change is associated with increased extreme temperatures, which can have severe effects on mortality and morbidity. In this study, we examine the effect of extreme weather on hospital admissions in Cyprus, for inland and coastal areas, through the use of synoptic weather classifications (air mass types). In addition, the effect of particulate air pollution (PM10) on morbidity is examined. Our results show that two air mass types, namely (a) warm, rainy days with increased levels of water vapour in the atmosphere and (b) cold, cloudy days with increased levels of precipitation, were associated with increased morbidity in the form of hospital admissions. This was true both for cardiovascular and respiratory conditions, for all age groups, but particularly for the elderly, aged over 65. Particulate air pollution was also associated with increased morbidity in Cyprus, where the effect was more pronounced for cardiovascular diseases.

Damage and recovery of the bone marrow microenvironment induced by cancer chemotherapy - potential regulatory role of chemokine CXCL12/receptor CXCR4 signalling.

The bone marrow microenvironment houses haematopoietic stem cells (HSC), mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) and their progeny, supports haematopoiesis, osteogenesis, osteoclastogenesis, and adipogenesis. It plays a key role in maintaining homeostatic production of erythroid, myeloid or lymphoid cells, appropriate bone mass and bone health throughout life. Through cell-cell adhesion and chemotactic axes, a reciprocal inter-dependent relationship exists between these two cell lineages. Following chemotherapy-induced myelosuppression observed in cancer patients, HSCs are induced to enter into the cell cycle in order to re-establish the damaged microenvironment. These cells not only have the capacity to mobilize to the peripheral blood, but the ability to repopulate the marrow cavity as required. However, depending on the dosage and length of chemotherapy treatment, complications in bone and bone marrow recovery occur. This may manifest as marrow haematopoietic depletion, high marrow fat content, reduced bone formation and aggravated osteoclastic bone resorption. Although the molecular and cellular mechanisms governing injured states of the marrow microenvironment are yet to be fully elucidated, many reports have demonstrated the CXCL12/CXCR4 axis plays an important role in regulating the two cell lineages. Their interaction maintains bone marrow homeostasis and orchestrates its regeneration following chemotherapy. This review explores movement of MSC and HSC, haematopoiesis, commitment of osteoblasts, osteoclasts, and adipocytes, as well as the major signalling pathways that regulate these cellular processes under chemotherapy-treated conditions. This review also discusses molecular targets that are being used clinically or are currently under investigation for preserving the bone marrow microenvironment during or enhancing recovery after chemotherapy.

Investigations into the cause of foot-and-mouth disease virus seropositive small ruminants in Cyprus during 2007.

In 2007, serological evidence for foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) infection was found as a result of differential diagnostic testing of Cypriot sheep suspected to be infected with bluetongue or contagious ecthyma. Seropositive sheep and goats were subsequently uncovered on ten geographically clustered flocks, while cattle and pigs in neighbouring herds were all seronegative. These antibodies were specific for serotype-O FMD virus, reacting with both structural and non-structural (NS) FMD viral proteins. However, no FMD virus could be recovered from the seropositive flocks. FMD had not been recorded in Cyprus since 1964 and there has been no vaccination programme since 1984. Since all the seropositive animals were at least 3 years old and home-bred, it was concluded that infection had occurred approximately 3 years previously had passed un-noticed and died out spontaneously. It therefore appears that antibodies to FMD virus NS proteins can still be detected around 3 years after infection of small ruminants, but that virus carriers cannot be detected at this time. This unusual situation of finding evidence of historical infection in a FMD-free country caused considerable disruption and alarm and posed questions about the definition of what constitutes a FMD outbreak.

Distortion of the gizzard in Cyprus pigeons (Columba livia) associated with Hadjelia truncata infestation.

Hadjelia truncata is well recognised as an avian parasite but is rarely reported as pathogenic. This paper describes severe disease in pigeons due to this parasite and is the first to describe the condition in Cyprus. The morphology of the parasite and the associated lesions are described and illustrated and the pathogenesis of the condition is discussed.

The temporal distribution of an arthrotropic reovirus in the leg of the chicken after oral infection.

One-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) light hybrid chicks were infected orally with an arthrotropic reovirus strain R2. At 2, 5, 8 and 10 weeks post infection (p.i.) birds were killed and tissues were taken from 7 sites in the leg for virus isolation and titration. Over the 10-week period the highest number of isolations was made from the hypo-tarsal sesamoid bone (89.7% of such specimens), followed in turn by digital flexor tendons (66.7%), articular cartilage at the hock (64.1%), gastrocnemius tendon (61.5%), head of the femur (56.4%), joint swab (30.8%) and synovial membrane at the hock (20.5%). Swabbing of the hock joint, although technically the simplest sampling method, was one of the least successful for virus recovery. Virus isolations from the articular cartilage at the hock gradually increased during the 10 weeks p.i. but decreased in the other tissues. Best correlations between the presence of gross tendon lesions and virus isolation were at 5 and 8 weeks p.i. With one exception, virus could always be recovered from specimens of hock articular cartilage which had gross lesions. For diagnostic purposes it is recommended that specimens from several birds in an infected flock, both with and without gross lesions, should be examined for virus, and the hypotarsal sesamoid bone and hock cartilage would be the tissues of choice.

Reovirus-induced tenosynovitis in chickens the influence of age at infection.

Groups of specific pathogen-free (SPF) light hybrid chickens were infected with an arthrotropic reovirus at 1 day old, or at 2, 4, 6 or 9 weeks of age. In each group, approximately 20 were infected orally and 6 via the footpad. For each age group clinical signs of tenosynovitis, gross and microscopic lesions in the legs, virus excretion in the faeces, virus persistence in the joints, and precipitin response to reovirus were observed over a period of 9 weeks post infection (p.i.). For both routes of infection an age-limited susceptibility was shown, the most serious effects, both in numbers of affected birds and severity of gross lesions including tendon rupture, being seen in the youngest group. Gross lesions were rarely seen after oral infection of 6- and 9-week-old chickens. Footpad inoculation of virus had a more severe effect overall, and extended the age susceptibility, mild leg swellings being seen in some birds infected at 6 and 9 weeks of age. After oral infection, higher virus titres in the faeces and a more prolonged persistence in the gut and hock joint were recorded in chicks infected at 1 day old compared with the other age groups. Also, compared with the older groups, a delayed precipitin response was found in those infected at 1 day old. Footpad inoculation provoked earlier virus replication in the gut and a more rapid precipitin response.

Experimental infection of chickens with an adenovirus isolated from tenosynovitis, following infection with either (1) an arthrotropic reovirus, or (2) infectious bursal disease virus.

In an attempt to show arthrotropic activity for an adenovirus isolated from tenosynovitis in chickens, but which did not cause tenosynovitis on its own, two dual infections were conducted. In the first, specific pathogen-free (SPF) chicks were infected with a tenosynovitis-inducing reovirus at 1-day-old, and the adenovirus was given 3 days later. In both cases viruses were administered orally or via the footpad. The adenovirus did not exacerbate reovirus-induced lesions of tenosynovitis. There was an indication that lesions regressed more rapidly in dually-infected chickens. Neither virus appeared to influence the persistence of the other in joints or the gut. In a second experiment, infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) was inoculated onto the conjunctiva of 1-day-old SPF chicks and 6 days later they were infected with the adenovirus by either route. No tenosynovitis occurred, although preinfection with IBDV caused a more prolonged shedding of adenovirus, and in a greater proportion of the birds than those infected with adenovirus alone. In neither experiment did the dual infection cause the adenovirus to become pathogenic for the hock joints. It is considered that there is no evidence that adenoviruses are important agents of hock disorders in the chicken.