Environmental Toxicology

This study integrated physical, chemical, and molecular techniques to assess relationships between soil bacterial community structures and the quantity and quality of soil organic carbon (SOC) at the soil microenvironment scale (eg, within different aggregate size-fractions). To accomplish this goal, soil samples (0–5 cm) were collected from the Texas High Plains region under a variety of dryland and irrigated cropping systems.

Abstract Global climate change models indicate that storm magnitudes will increase in many areas throughout southwest North America, which could result in up to a 25% increase in seasonal precipitation in the Big Bend region of the Chihuahuan Desert over the next 50 years. Seasonal precipitation is a key limiting factor regulating primary productivity, soil microbial activity, and ecosystem dynamics in arid and semiarid regions.

Abstract Over the last two decades, although much has been learned regarding the multifaceted nature of biodiversity, relatively little is known regarding spatial variation in constituents other than species richness. This is particularly true along extensive environmental gradients such as latitude. Herein, we describe latitudinal gradients in the functional diversity of New World bat communities. Bat species from each of 32 communities were assigned to one of seven functional groups.

Abstract Global and regional climate models predict higher air temperature and less frequent, but larger precipitation events in arid regions within the next century. While many studies have addressed the impact of variable climate in arid ecosystems on plant growth and physiological responses, fewer studies have addressed soil microbial community responses to seasonal shifts in precipitation and temperature in arid ecosystems.

10.0 METHODS: General: In previous years, we developed methods to determine explosives in water, soil, organ tissue, blood, plants, eggs, and animal food With the exception of water analysis each of these methods required Extraction with acetonitrile, and clean-up with florisil solid phase extraction (SPE) columns. In the case of liver and egg samples styrene-divinyl benzene SPE columns were also needed.

Currently, more than 50 different classes of dressings and more than 3,000 products are available to clinicians for wound care. Each has various properties designed to enhance the body's ability to heal a wound. Although mechanisms of action may be quite diverse, many dressing choices and strategies have merit. It is up to the clinician to develop a formulary and select the most suitable dressing for each wound at each evaluation. 1, 2

Continuous measurement of plant canopy temperature is useful in both research and production agriculture settings. Industrial-quality infrared thermometers which are often used for measurement of canopy temperatures, while reliable, are not always cost effective. For this study a relatively low-cost, consumer-quality infrared thermometer was incorporated into a wireless monitoring system intended for use in plant physiological studies and in agricultural production settings.

We assessed the effects of landscape features (vegetation type and topography), season, and spatial hierarchy on the nutrient content of surface soils in the Luquillo Experimental Forest (LEF) of Puerto Rico. Considerable spatial variation characterized the soils of the LEF, and differences between replicate sites within each combination of vegetation type (tabonuco vs. palo colorado vs. dwarf vs. pasture) and topographic position (ridge vs valley) accounted for 11–60% of the total variation in soil properties.

Natural perchlorate is believed to be of atmospheric origin, yet no systematic study has been conducted to evaluate perchlorate deposition rate and possible seasonal or spatial variations. This study evaluated perchlorate concentrations in weekly composite wet deposition samples acquired through the National Atmospheric Deposition Program from 26 sites across the continental United States, Alaska, and Puerto Rico for a 1−3 year period.

New, nonparticulate decontamination materials promise to reduce both military and civilian casualties by enabling individuals to decontaminate themselves and their equipment within minutes of exposure to chemical warfare agents or other toxic materials.

RESUMEN Las actividades antropogénicas han acelerado el ritmo de pérdida de biodiversidad global, por lo que es más importante que nunca comprender la estructura de los puntos con alta biodiversidad. Un enfoque actual es la relación entre la riqueza de especies y la biomasa sobre el suelo en una variedad de ecosistemas.

Availability of clean water sources is critical to the daily survival of wild bird species, while migratory species are dependent on water sources as they labor to reach their wintering or breeding grounds. Water availability in the western US is a particularly important consideration in the life of local or migratory birds as its scarcity makes it a critical commodity.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Inhalation injury is a particularly lethal form of thermal burn injury, and is associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Pneumonia is a common complication of inhalation injury, due to the increased susceptibility of lungs that have been stripped of their biologic defense mechanisms, as well as the general susceptibility of the burn population to infections.

Abstract Contamination of hexahydro-1, 3, 5-trinitro-1, 3, 5-triazine (RDX) has been identified at areas of explosive manufacturing, processing, storage, and usage. Conversion of RDX to anaerobic N-nitroso metabolites (hexahydro-1-nitroso-3, 5-dinitro-1, 3, 5-triazine (MNX), hexahydro-1, 3-dinitroso-5-nitro-1, 3, 5-triazine (DNX), and hexahydro-1, 3, 5-trinitroso-1, 3, 5-triazine (TNX)) has been demonstrated in the environment and in the gastrointestinal tract of mammals in vivo.

Background Chronic wounds affect millions of people and cost billions of dollars in the United States each year. These wounds harbor polymicrobial biofilm communities, which can be difficult to elucidate using culturing methods. Clinical molecular microbiological methods are increasingly being employed to investigate the microbiota of chronic infections, including wounds, as part of standard patient care.

Background The high demand for ethanol in the US has generated large stocks of wet distillers grains (DG), a byproduct from the manufacture of ethanol from corn and sorghum grains. Little is known, however, about the potential influence of dietary DG on fecal microbial community structure.