Effect of biochar amendment on organic matter and dissolved organic matter composition of agricultural soils from a two-year field experiment.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is an important organic matter fraction that plays a key role in many biological and chemical processes in soil. The effect of biochar addition on the content and composition of soil organic matter (SOM) and DOM in an agricultural soil in Italy was investigated within a two-year period. UV-Vis spectroscopy and analytical pyrolysis have been applied to study complex components in DOM soil samples. Additionally, analytical pyrolysis was used to provide qualitative information of SOM at molecular level and the properties of biochar before and one year after amendment. A method was developed to quantify biochar levels by thermogravimetric analysis that enabled to identify deviations from the amendment rate. The water-soluble organic carbon (WSOC) concentrations in the amended soils were significantly lower than those in the control soils, indicating that biochar decreased the leaching of DOM. DOM in treated soils was characterized by a higher aromatic character according to analytical pyrolysis and UV-Vis spectroscopy. Moreover, a relatively high abundance of compounds with N was observed in pyrolysates of treated soils, suggesting that biochar increased the proportion of microbial DOM. The results from thermal and spectroscopy techniques are consistent in highlighting significant changes in DOM levels and composition due to biochar application with important effects on soil carbon storage and cycling.

Do It by Yourself: Larval Locomotion in the Black Soldier Fly Hermetia illucens, with a Novel "Self-Harvesting" Method to Separate Prepupae.

The neotropical insect Hermetia illucens has become a cosmopolite species, and it is considered a highly promising insect in circular and sustainable economic processes. Being able to feed on a wide variety of organic substrates, it represents a source of lipids and proteins for many uses and produces recyclable waste. We investigated the characteristics and differences in the poorly-known locomotory behaviour of larvae of different instars, paying particular attention to the unique characteristics of the prepupal stage, key to farming and industrial processes. Moreover, we attempted to develop a "self-harvesting" system relying on the behavioural traits of prepupae to obtain their separation from younger larvae under rearing condition with minimum effort. Prepupae differ from younger larvae in their response to physical disturbance in the form of tonic immobility and significantly differ in their locomotory movements. Both prepupae and younger larvae reacted similarly to heat or light-induced stress, but low light and high moisture induced only prepupae to migrate away, which resulted in the development of a highly efficient separation methodology. The new data on the behaviour of H. illucens not only shed new light on some unexplored aspects of its biology, but also led to develop an inexpensive self-harvesting system that can be implemented in small-scale and industrial farming.

New Tools for Conservation Biological Control: Testing Ant-Attracting Artificial Nectaries to Employ Ants as Plant Defenders.

Knowledge of the role of ants in many agroecosystems is relatively scarce, and in temperate regions the possibility to exploit ants as biocontrol agents for crop protection is still largely unexplored. Drawing inspiration from mutualistic ant-plant relationships mediated by extrafloral nectaries (EFNs), we tested the use of artificial nectaries (ANs) in order to increase ant activity on pear trees and to evaluate the effects on the arthropods, plant health and fruit production. While EFNs secrete a complex solution mainly composed of sugars and amino acids, ANs were filled with water and sucrose only. The results suggest that ANs can be used as manipulative instruments to increase ant activity over long periods of time. High ant activity was significantly linked to lower incidence of the pathogen fungus Venturia pyrina (pear scab) on pear leaves, and of the presence of Cydia pomonella (codling moth) caterpillars on pear fruit production. These results further encourage exploring underrated possibilities in the development of new tools for conservation biological control (CBC).

Fraturas intertrocanterianas instáveis: técnica de tratamento / Unstable intertrochanteric fractures: technique of treatment

os autores analisam 30 casos de fraturas intertrocanterians, instáveis, operados entre 1981 e 1991, fixadas segundo os princípios de Hughsston-Dimon e utilizando-se placas anguladas "AO"de 130§. Houve consideraçäo em todos os casos, numa média de três a quatro meses; como complicaçäo, houve dois casos com protrusöes acetabulares da lâmina da placa e um paciente com consolidaçäo em varo importante. Vinte e cinco pacientes tiveram bons resultados, o que representa 86,6 por cento dos casos. O uso dos princípios de Hughston-Dimon demonstrou que a técnica cirúrgica apurada tem maior valor que a natureza do material de implante

Efectos adversos y seguridad del dipiridamol como apremio farmacológico, para evaluar perfusión miocárdica con Talio 201 / Adverse effects and security of dipyridamole as useful pharmacological, to evaluate myocardial perfusion with tallium

Objetivos: este estudio describe la incidencia de efectos adversos y síntomas causados por el dipiridamol, usado como apremio farmacológico para estudio de perfusión miocárdica Talio 201. Métodos: se seleccionaron 175 pacientes consecutivos durante un período de tiempo de 18 meses, a los cuales se les realizó estudio de perfusión miocárdica con Talio 201 SPECT con apremio farmacológico con dipiridamol a dosis de 0,56 mg/kg. Población: de los 175 pacientes en los que se usó apremio con dipiridamol 100 (57,1 por ciento) eran de sexo masculino, el promedio de edad fue de 61 años (26-82), 34 (19,4 por ciento) tenían antecedentes de IAM previo, en 110 (62,8) se realizó el estudio para diagnóstico de enfermedad coronaria, I (0,57 por ciento) prequirúrgico y en los 30 (17,14 por ciento) pacientes restantes, el mativo fue detección de viabilidad y cuantificación de izquemia. Sobre la totalidad de los pacientes 43 (24,5 por ciento) presentaban previamente al estudio bloqueo completo de rama izquierda, 26 (14,8 por ciento) arteriopatía periférica, 57 (32,5 por ciento) efecto medicamentoso, 12 (6,8 por ciento) IAM de menos de 5 días de evolución y 47 (26,8 por ciento) imposiblidad de pedalear...