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Land application of biosolids is a primary means of recycling human waste products globally; however, because biosolids are also heavily enriched with nutrients and pollutants, it is necessary to consider the environmental impacts of land applications in various agro-ecosystems. To reduce costs and divert waste, biosolids from Joint Base Lewis-McChord, a military installation south of Tacoma, WA, USA, are composted with organic materials derived from the base itself. The potential for turfgrass management using the composted biosolids was tested in a field study at the military recreation facility, Eagles Pride golf course. The composted biosolids were surface-amended to golf course fairways (n = 3) at a rate of 46 Mg ha−1, in split applications, fall and spring, over two years, 2015 and 2016. Soil bacterial and fungal community responses were evaluated in amended and unamended soils from each fairway, along with soil chemical properties, including soil pH, total carbon (C), total nitrogen (N), and the C:N ratio. Soil microbial community analysis on soils sampled pre- and post-amendment did not demonstrate changes in community structure as a result of the composted biosolids application. Differences observed in soil microbial community structure appears to reflect edaphic and vegetative differences between fairways. Generally, correlations between soil properties and bacterial community OTUs were stronger than those with fungal OTUs, and predicted bacterial community functional analysis revealed several KO term groups were significantly correlated with soil TC and TN. Turfgrass biomass was unaffected, while leaf tissue N was increased by 4.5 and 10.6% in 2015 and 2016, respectively. These results suggest that amendment with composted biosolids does not strongly impact microbial communities across two years; however, long-term amendment could have affects that are not detected during this short-term study. • Golf course biosolids land applications may be a viable new disposal route. • Composted biosolids efficiently supplemented golf course N fertilizer applications. • Fairway turfgrass readily accumulates N available in composted biosolids. • Microbiome structure in fairways was most strongly impacted by edaphic factors. • Microbial nutrient cycling was predicted best by soil total C and N content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses the political significance of Henry of Blois to the Lordship of Glastonbury in 12th century England. How Henry of Blois was depicted in literature and sculpture; Ascension of Henry of Blois to the bishopric of Winchester; Discussion on the political and ecclesiastical condition during the time of Henry of Blois.

A cichlid (Haplochromis burtoni) detects conjugated steroids through five olfactory receptor mechanisms, and increases serum testosterone in response to a mixture of detected steroids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Laboratory studies in domesticated goldfish (Carassius auratus) show that, during the preovulatory luteinizing hormone (LH) surge, females release a complex steroidal pheromone that induces in males a rapid increase of plasma LH, which in turn increases strippable milt (sperm and seminal fluid) prior to ovulation and spawning. The objective of this study was to determine if the same phenomenon occurs in a wild congener, the crucian carp (Carassius carassius), under field conditions where fish are held in natural waters under ambient temperature and photoperiod. During the spawning season in June 2003, crucian carp were trapped in a small pond near Uppsala, Sweden, and held separately by sex in floating net pens. Addition of untreated females to male pens did not change male LH concentrations or milt volume during the 17h sampling period. In contrast, addition of females injected with Ovaprim™ (to induce an LH surge and ovulation) increased male LH concentrations at all sample times (5, 9, 13, and 17h) following female addition and increased milt volumes at all but the first (5h) sample time. Similar increases in male LH and milt that also occurred when untreated females ovulated spontaneously after addition to male pens suggest it is female ovulatory condition, rather than injection of ovaprim per se, that induced male LH and milt responses. Males also increased LH and milt 9h after addition of females injected with the goldfish pheromonal steroid 4-pregnen-17,20β-diol-3-one (17,20βP), suggesting that similar responses to ovaprim-injected females were due, at least in part, to release of preovulatory pheromonal steroid(s). The clear and consistent effects of ovulatory females on male LH and milt, and the fact that crucian carp adapted well to confinement, ovulated spontaneously, and exhibited apparently normal spawning behavior, all suggest that this species can serve as a useful cyprinid model to study reproductive processes in natural conditions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]