Microbially mediated fossil concretions and their characterization by the latest methodologies: a review.

The study of well-preserved organic matter (OM) within mineral concretions has provided key insights into depositional and environmental conditions in deep time. Concretions of varied compositions, including carbonate, phosphate, and iron-based minerals, have been found to host exceptionally preserved fossils. Organic geochemical characterization of concretion-encapsulated OM promises valuable new information of fossil preservation, paleoenvironments, and even direct taxonomic information to further illuminate the evolutionary dynamics of our planet and its biota. Full exploitation of this largely untapped geochemical archive, however, requires a sophisticated understanding of the prevalence, formation controls and OM sequestration properties of mineral concretions. Past research has led to the proposal of different models of concretion formation and OM preservation. Nevertheless, the formation mechanisms and controls on OM preservation in concretions remain poorly understood. Here we provide a detailed review of the main types of concretions and formation pathways with a focus on the role of microbes and their metabolic activities. In addition, we provide a comprehensive account of organic geochemical, and complimentary inorganic geochemical, morphological, microbial and paleontological, analytical methods, including recent advancements, relevant to the characterization of concretions and sequestered OM. The application and outcome of several early organic geochemical studies of concretion-impregnated OM are included to demonstrate how this underexploited geo-biological record can provide new insights into the Earth's evolutionary record. This paper also attempts to shed light on the current status of this research and major challenges that lie ahead in the further application of geo-paleo-microbial and organic geochemical research of concretions and their host fossils. Recent efforts to bridge the knowledge and communication gaps in this multidisciplinary research area are also discussed, with particular emphasis on research with significance for interpreting the molecular record in extraordinarily preserved fossils.

Response of bacterial community composition and co-occurrence network to straw and straw biochar incorporation.

Microbial decomposition plays a crucial role in the incorporation of straw and straw biochar (SSB) into soil. Lime concretion black soil (LCBS) is a typical low-medium crop yield soil, and it is also one of the main soil types for grain production in China. However, the link between SSB additions and soil bacterial communities in LCBS remains unclear. This study explored the effects of SSB incorporation on bacterial community composition, structure and co-occurrence network patterns at different soil depths and maize growth stages. The results showed that soil PH, soil organic matter and total nitrogen significantly affected the seasonality and stratification of the soil bacterial community. The composition and diversity of bacterial communities were significantly affected by growth period and treatment rather than soil depth. Specifically, the bacterial community diversity increased significantly with crop growth at 0-20 cm, decreased the relative abundance of Actinobacteria, and increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria. SF (straw with fertilizer) and BF (straw biochar with fertilizer) treatments decreased bacterial community diversity. Co-occurrence networks are more complex in BF, S (straw), and SF treatments, and the number of edge network patterns is increased by 92.5, 40, and 60% at the maturity stage compared with F (fertilizer) treatment, respectively. Moreover, the positive effect of straw biochar on the bacterial network pattern increased with time, while the effect of straw weakened. Notably, we found that rare species inside keystone taxa (Gemmatimonadetes and Nitrospirae) play an indispensable role in maintaining bacterial network construction in LCBS. This study offers a comprehensive understanding of the response of soil bacterial communities to SSB addition in LCBS areas, and provides a reference for further improvement of LCBS productivity.

Determination of soil pH from Vis-NIR spectroscopy by extreme learning machine and variable selection: A case study in lime concretion black soil.

Variable selection is widely accepted as an important step in the quantitative analysis of visible and near-infrared (Vis-NIR) spectroscopy, as it tends to improve the model's robustness and predictive ability. In this study, a total of 140 lime concretion black soil samples were collected from two towns in Guoyang County, China. The Vis-NIR spectra measured in the laboratory were used to estimate soil pH by an extreme learning machine (ELM). First, the soil spectra were treated by the optimized continuous wavelet transform (CWT), and then four spectral feature selection methods (competitive adaptive reweighted sampling, CARS; successive projections algorithm, SPA; Monte Carlo uninformative variable elimination, MCUVE; genetic algorithm, GA) were applied with ELM in the CWT domain to determine the techniques with most predictions. For comparison, The PLS and SVM models were also developed. The coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and residual prediction deviation (RPD) were used to evaluate the model performance. Based on the validation dataset, the performance of the ELM models was superior to that of the PLS and SVM models expect SPA and MCUVE. In the ELM models, the order of the prediction accuracy was GA-ELM (R2p = 0.86; RMSEp = 0.1484; RPD = 2.64), CARS-ELM (R2p = 0.84; RMSEp = 0.1565; RPD = 2.50), ELM (R2p = 0.84; RMSEp = 0.1572; RPD = 2.49), SPA-ELM (R2p = 0.84; RMSEp = 0.1589; RPD = 2.47) and MCUVE-ELM (R2p = 0.83; RMSEp = 0.1599; RPD = 2.45). The proposed method of CARS-ELM had a relatively strong ability for spectral variable selection while retaining excellent prediction accuracy and short computing time (0.39 s). In addition, the variables selected by the four methods (CARS, SPA, MCUVE and GA) indicated the prediction mechanism for pH in lime concretion black soil may be the relation between pH and iron oxides and organic matter. In conclusion, CARS-ELM has great potential to accurately determine the pH in lime concretion black soil using Vis-NIR spectroscopy.

Metagenomics of infective canaliculitis: The Lacriome paper 3.

PURPOSE: To study the metagenomics of the microbes isolated from the canaliculus of patients with infective canaliculitis. METHODS: A prospective study was performed on five consecutive canalicular samples obtained for the metagenomic analysis from the patients with infective canaliculitis who underwent non-incisional canalicular curettage at a tertiary care Dacryology service. The canalicular concretions were collected intraoperatively soon after a canalicular curettage and immediately transported on ice to the laboratory. Following DNA extraction and library preparation, a whole shotgun metagenome sequencing was performed on the Illumina™ platform. The downstream processing and bioinformatics of the samples were performed using multiple software packaged in SqueezeMeta™ pipeline or MG-RAST™ pipeline. RESULTS: The taxonomic hit distribution across the samples showed that bacteria were the most common isolates (mean-80.5%), followed by viruses (mean-0.74%), and archaea (0.01%). The five major phyla identified across the samples of infective canaliculitis were, Fusobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Firmicutes. The prevalent organisms include Fusobacterium nucelatum, Fusobacterium periodonticum, Parvimonas micra, Prevotella oris, Selonomonas noxia, Pseudopropionobacterium propoinicum, Campylobacter showae, and Streptococcus anginosus, amongst few others. Actinomycetes israelii was noted in all the samples, though it was not the most abundant. The microbial gene mapping and protein prediction demonstrated proteins with known functions to range from 69.91% to 87.09% across the samples. The functional subsystem profiling demonstrated genes associated with carbohydrate, amino acid, and co-enzyme transport and metabolism, cell wall or cell membrane biogenesis, energy production and conversion, transcription, translation, and cellular communications. CONCLUSION: This is the first whole metagenome sequencing of infective canaliculitis. Infected canaliculi harbor diverse microbial communities, including bacteria, viruses, and archaea. Functional analysis has provided newer insights into the ecosystem dynamics and strategies of microbial communities.

Case Report: A Rare Orbital Abscess Caused by Dacryocystitis After Administration of Rebamipide Ophthalmic Suspension.

Background: Rebamipide ophthalmic suspension was launched in Japan in 2012 and is used for the treatment of dry eye. Case Presentation: We report two cases of orbital abscess, which resulted from dacryocystitis that occurred after administration of rebamipide ophthalmic suspension. Computed tomography images showed an eyeball deformity in one case and exophthalmos in the other. In both cases, light microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray examinations revealed lacrimal sac concretions, which contained calcium phosphate crystals that were surrounded by microorganisms. Lacrimal sac concretion removal from the lacrimal sacs during dacryocystorhinostomies was performed on both patients. Although the postoperative outcome was favorable in one case, vision was lost in the other case due to the development of retinal artery occlusion as a complication of the orbital abscess, despite lacrimal sac concretion removal and administration of antimicrobials. Conclusions: This is the first case report to highlight that rebamipide ophthalmic suspension can cause an orbital abscess via development of lacrimal sac concretion. Ophthalmologists should be aware that rebamipide ophthalmic suspension might induce the formation of concretion in the lacrimal sac.

Primary Lacrimal Canaliculitis with clinically detected concretions: One-snip punctoplasty with lateral canaliculotomy vs. punctum sparing canalicular curettage.

PURPOSE: To compare two distinct surgical techniques in the management of chronic Primary Lacrimal Canaliculitis (PLC) with clinically detectable concretions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Inclusion criteria: Patients presenting with symptoms consistent with the diagnosis of primary lacrimal canaliculitis (PLC) with ocular involvement were gathered. Gomori-Grocott Methenamine Silver test was used for concretion staining. Two groups were identified based on the surgical technique. Group A consisted of patients who underwent a punctum sparing canalicular curettage using a chalazion curette, while the patients in Group B underwent one-snip punctoplasty with lateral canaliculotomy. Failure was defined as recurrence of the initial symptoms at any time (ocular and canalicular inflammation with purulent discharge and pouting punctum). The results were analyzed by comparisons using a Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Ninety-six consecutive patients (96) with a confirmed diagnosis of PLC underwent surgical treatment between 1987 and 2017. Data were collected and divided based on the surgical technique discussed above (Group A and B). Group A: 51 cases with a mean follow-up time of 22 months [1-224] presented with a mean age of 51.5 [25-83] and a surgical failure rate of 19.6%. Group B: 45 patients with a mean follow-up time of 27 months [1-176], a mean age of 68 [17-87] years and a surgical failure rate of 4.4%. Statistical significance was demonstrated, with a p-value of 0.033, odds ratio (OR) of 0.1936 and Standard Deviation (SD) at a 95% confidence interval of [0.0195-0.9885]. CONCLUSIONS: One-snip punctoplasty with lateral canaliculotomy is a simple, fast and effective procedure that allows better anatomical visualization intraoperatively and is thus shown to be statistically superior to punctum sparing canalicular curettage using a chalazion curette.

[Living Lab and technologies for the elderly]. / Living lab et technologies pour les personnes âgées.

The living lab is an approach that encourages the design and development of innovative technological solutions in a process of coconstruction involving users and other key players. Its methodology develops the technologies of the Broca living lab, dedicated to the care of elderly people with cognitive disorders and their carers.

Etiopathogenesis of lacrimal sac mucopeptide concretions: insights from cinematic rendering techniques.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To investigate the structural features following the cinematic rendering of lacrimal sac mucopeptide concretions (MPC). METHODS: The study was performed on five mucopeptide concretions obtained from the lacrimal sac during dacryocystorhinostomy. All the concretions were imaged using special protocols of CT scans to obtain ultra-thin slices. Cinematic rendering (CR) techniques (Siemens Healthineers AG, Erlangen, Germany) were utilized to allow real-time computation of the interaction of photons and scanned patient images using the Monte Carlo path tracing algorithms. The CR algorithms facilitated volumetric reconstruction of the mucopeptide concretions to visualize the texture and inner structures. Each concretion could be sliced and viewed at 100-µm intervals. False color display and the use of different transfer functions were utilized to display variable densities of the concretions in color during visualization. Images obtained by virtual camera were further analysed to assess the structural features. RESULTS: The 3D cinematic rendered images of MPC showed uniform structural consistency on the surface and minimal heterogeneity from the surface up to the core. As the image slicing occurs towards the core, a well-defined structure of grossly different consistency (nidus) from the rest of the MPC was noted. This area was usually located in the paracentral region and constitutes approximately < 10% of the entire area. If a color display was assigned to the internal structure of the MPC, most of it appears to be compact and dense but the density reduces in the periphery of the nidus and delineates it well. Further structural enhancements with the 3D cinematic rendering in some MPCs demonstrate occasional 1-2 more areas with similar features as that of nidus. CONCLUSIONS: 3D CR is a useful modality to study the internal structure of MPC. The CR findings also provide further evidence to support the earlier etiopathogenesis theory based on ultrastructural and immunohistochemistry features.

Polycyanoacrylate (super glue) as bladder concretion in a patient after bilateral inguinal hernioplasty.

A rare case of cyanoacrylate urine bladder urolithiasis in a 60-year-old male is presented. The application of surgical glue (Glubran) as treatment of seroma one month after laparoscopic inguinal hernioplasty led to the instillation of the n-butyl cyanoacrylate into the bladder resulting in the formation of a concretion. Infrared spectroscopy of the urine stone removed by cystoscopic laser lithotripsy four months after the surgery allowed the identification of the nature of the stone and revealed cyanoacrylate as the major component and co-monomer methacryloxy sulfolane as the minor component. Polypropylene from the mesh was not detected.

Effects of long-term fertilization on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community in lime concretion black soil.

In agroecosystem, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi have mutually beneficial symbiosis with roots of many crops. Meanwhile, this special fungal community is also affected by agricultural mana-gements such as fertilization. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of long-term fertilization managements (no fertilizer, chemical fertilizer, chemical fertilizer combined with straw, chemical fertilizer combined with manure) on arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community (AM fungal community) in lime concretion black soil, and to identify the indicator species in each fertilization regime. The most dominant arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal phyla in lime concretion black soil were Archaeosporaceae, Diversisporaceae, Gigasporaceae, Claroideoglomeraceae, Glomeraceae and Paraglomeraceae. The genus Paraglomus was strongly and significantly associated with the application of chemical fertilizer and organic fertilizer. Compared with the control, long-term application of chemical fertilizer greatly changed AM fungal community structure and resulted in the decrease of AM fungal diversity, and the addition of wheat straw further decreased the diversity, while the addition of manure could alleviate diversity loss resulted from chemical fertilization. Soil pH and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) were the main factors affecting the changes of AM fungal community. In summary, long-term application of chemical fertilizer combined with different organic materials had different impacts on soil AM fungal community structure and diversity. The combination of chemical fertilizer and manure would be more conducive to the maintenance of AM fungal diversity.

Clarifying the origin of Houzao.

BACKGROUND: Houzao (bezoar) is a valuable imported Chinese medicine that is commonly used as a pediatric medicine to transform phlegm. There are mainly two types of Houzao, "Southeast Asian Houzao" and "Indian Houzao". "Indian Houzao" is the dominant commercial product accounts for over 95% of the actual utilization in the market. However, its origin, formation, composition, efficacy and pharmacology remain unclear. Therefore, we have conducted on-site investigation to clarify the origin of Indian Houzao. We have dissected one male and one female domestic Indian goats in the pastoral areas of Telangana province in south-central India. Our results show: Indian Houzao originates from Indian goats rather than from macaques; it comes from goats and not sheep, and is not limited to female goats.The exact location of the bezoar is in the caecum and not stomach or intestines.Acacia seeds serve as the primer to induce the formation of bezoar in the caecum.The formation and development of the bezoar are closely related to the special local ecosystem and food chain. These goats eat the shoots of Acacia nilotica, and also other local plants in the families of Euphorbiaceae, Rutaceae, Combretaceae, etc.It takes around 120 days for the bezoar to be fully developed inside the goat. Many goats are slaughtered in the Indian festival Dusserah from October to December.Indian Houzao is the bezoar from the caecum of Indian goats, formed in response to pathological stimulation, and is the dominant commercial form of "Houzao" on the market. It has been used historically. It has natural supply source. Producers can guarantee a sustainable supply of the bezoars for the market. The usage of bezoar as medicine is also acceptable from the perspective of animal protection. Many patients and people in the Chinese medicine field do not know Indian Houzao comes from Indian goats but from other unsustainable animal sources, which has a negative influence on its actual use and scientific research potential. CONCLUSION: Our study has clarified the origin of Indian Houzao, which can help to further develop Indian Houzao for the treatment of diseases.

Electron microscopic features of the lacrimal sac mucopeptide concretions.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to examine the ultrastructural features of the mucopeptide concretions obtained from the lacrimal sac. METHODS: Mucopeptide concretions obtained from the lacrimal sacs of 10 patients during a dacryocystorhinostomy were immediately fixed for electron microscopic analysis. The surfaces were studied separately and longitudinal and transverse ultra-thin sections were obtained at different levels and all were studied using the standard protocols of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). RESULTS: Mucopeptide concretions based on their extent take the shape of the lacrimal sac and nasolacrimal duct. The external surfaces and cut sections show mostly areas of homogenous deposits with occasional intervening heterogenic areas. Two distinct types of craters were noted, mostly in the heterogeneous areas. The core of the concretions was made up of extensive networks of fibril like tangles filled predominantly with granular material and red blood cells with occasional presence of granulocytes and epithelial cells. Numerous vacuoles and fissures appear to be more of artifacts than any metabolic process. No organic fibers of fungal filaments were noted within the concretions. There was no evidence of any bacterial biofilms other than few focal areas of scattered bacteria. Possible events in the development of mucopeptide concretions have been hypothesized based on the ultrastructural findings. CONCLUSION: Ultrastructural features of mucopeptide concretions from the lacrimal sac help in better understanding of their etiopathogenesis and tissue interactions. Further exploration of different stages of a concretion is needed to understand the potential factors that trigger its genesis and evolution.

Taphonomy of Isisfordia duncani specimens from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) portion of the Winton Formation, Isisford, central-west Queensland.

Taphonomic analysis of fossil material can benefit from including the results of actualistic decay experiments. This is crucial in determining the autochthony or allochthony of fossils of juvenile and adult Isisfordia duncani, a basal eusuchian from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) distal-fluvial-deltaic lower Winton Formation near Isisford. The taphonomic characteristics of the I. duncani fossils were documented using a combination of traditional taphonomic analysis alongside already published actualistic decay data from juvenile Crocodylus porosus carcasses. We found that the I. duncani holotype, paratypes and referred specimens show little signs of weathering and no signs of abrasion. Disarticulated skeletal elements are often found in close proximity to the rest of the otherwise articulated skeleton. The isolated and disarticulated skeletal elements identified, commonly cranial, maxillary and mandibular elements, are typical of lag deposits. The holotype QM F36211 and paratype QM F34642 were classified as autochthonous, and the remaining I. duncani paratypes and referred specimens are parautochthonous. We propose that I. duncani inhabited upper and lower delta plains near the Eromanga Sea in life. Their carcasses were buried in sediment-laden floodwaters in delta plain overbank and distributary channel deposits. Future studies should refer to I. duncani as a brackish water tolerant species.

A case with corneal perforation due to bacterial concretion derived from lacrimal canaliculitis.

PURPOSE: To report a case with corneal perforation, presumably due to ocular cicatricial pemphigoid (OCP) and bacterial concretion derived from lacrimal canaliculitis. OBSERVATIONS: A patient with OCP demonstrated adherence of concretion to the cornea of her right eye. She also demonstrated canaliculitis in this eye. We removed a whitish precipitate from the bottom of the corneal ulcer. When we flushed her lacrimal pathway, a marked amount of bacterial concretion and dense mucosa were refluxed from both puncta on the right side. On the next day, corneal perforation was visible from the area where concretion was removed. We performed punctoplasty and removed the bacterial concretion from the lacrimal canaliculus and sac. After the operation, her symptoms improved and corneal perforation recovered. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: Both lacrimal canaliculitis and OCP can cause corneal perforation, and adherence of bacterial concretion onto the cornea is very rare. However, once it occurs, corneal perforation can rapidly follow. OCP sometimes causes corneal epithelial damage, which may influence adherence to concretion. Canaliculitis in patients with OCP should be managed carefully.

Microscopic study on the concretion of ceramics in the "Nanhai I" shipwreck of China, Southern Song Dynasty (1,127-1,279 A.D.).

"Nanhai I" shipwreck of China Southern Song Dynasty is the oldest and the most integrally preserved shipwreck in the world. The related conservation and archeological research have caught great attention of different experts all over the world. In this study, different types of concretion covered on the surface of the ceramics in "Nanhai I" shipwreck were analyzed by X-ray diffractometer, micro-Raman spectrometer, and scanning electron microscope equipped with energy dispersive spectroscopy. Based on the analyses, we found that the grey concretion was mainly composed of quartz, aragonite, and calcite while the reddish concretion was mainly composed of pyrite and quartz. Our study indicated that the formation process of the grey concretion probably included the crystallization and transformation of aragonite, while the corrosion of iron implements and crystallization of pyrite were highly involved in the formation of reddish concretion.

Commemoration in crisis: A discursive analysis of who 'we' and 'they' have been or become in ceremonial political speeches before and during the Greek financial downturn.

This study analyses the discourse of statements of the leaders of two Greek political parties commemorating the restoration of Greek democracy on 24 July 1974; the ruling party New Democracy and the opposition, Coalition of the Radical Left. We focus on how these leaders act as entrepreneurs of their identities by constructing their ingroups in broad or narrow terms and their outgroups in vague or specific terms. These constructions were ventured during a period of relative political stability (2008) and instability (2012), and we focus on how ingroup prototypes and group boundaries are narrated across Greece's past, present and future in ambiguous or concrete terms. The study aligns the social identity approach to political leadership with studies on political discourse and 'the rhetoric of we'. We view commemorative statements as historical charters and respond to calls for discourse analysis to take greater account of historical context. The findings suggest concrete hypotheses about how leaders with different amounts of political support might define, as identity entrepreneurs, who 'we' are, and who 'we' are not in democratic contexts marked by stability or crisis.

[Effects of tillage and nitrogen application rate on soil nitrogen transformation and yield in a winter wheat/summer maize multiple cropping system]. / 耕作方式与施氮量对小麦-çŽ‰ç±³å¤ç§ç³»ç»ŸçŽ‰ç±³å­£åœŸå£¤æ°®ç´ è½¬åŒ–åŠäº§é‡çš„å½±å“.

In the winter-wheat and summer-maize multiple cropping system in lime concretion black soil of Huanghuaihai Plain, the effects of three tilling methods (conventional tillage, rotary tillage, subsoiling tillage) in wheat season coupling with three nitrogen treatments (120 kg·hm-2, 225 kg·hm-2, 330 kg·hm-2) before maize sowing on the activities of microorganisms and enzymes re-lated nitrogen transformation, and inorganic nitrogen content in the rhizosphere soil during the main growth stages of maize, as well as the yield were investigated. The results showed that the rotary tillage had the highest ammonification intensity, and the more nitrogen was put in, the higher were the activities of microorganisms and enzymes related to soil nitrogen transformation. The activities of nitrification, denitrification and urease of subsoiling tillage was significantly higher than those of conventional and rotary tillage. Furthermore, in subsoiling tillage treatment, increasing nitrogen fertili-zer could promote soil nitrogen transformation while excessive nitrogen input inhibited soil nitrogen transformation, though the latter had higher yield and soil inorganic nitrogen content. The treatment of subsoiling tillage coupling with 225 kg·hm-2 nitrogen, was best for soil nitrogen transformation while the treatment of subsoiling tillage coupling with 330 kg·hm-2 nitrogen, had the highest corn yield.

[Dacryolith in a lacrimal duct]. / Dakryolith der zuführenden Tränenwege.

A 31-year-old woman presented with a prominent, yellowish conjunctival mass in the left temporal canthus that had persisted for 3 months despite previous puncture. Repeat incision and curettage produced an 8 mm long concretion. A histopathological examination revealed a dacryolith in the lacrimal duct. This pathology is very rare in this location but has to be considered as a differential diagnosis when patients present with prominence and discomfort in the area of the temporal canthus. The treatment of choice is resection of the dacryolith and irrigation of the lacrimal ducts with penicillin.

Biochemical characteristics of organic matter in a guano concretion of late miocene or pliocene age from manchester parish in Jamaica.

The biogeochemical fate of organic matter (OM) entering soils is an important issue that must be examined to better understand its roles in nitrogen cycling and as a natural modulator of soil-atmospheric carbon fluxes. Despite these critical roles, there are uncertainties in estimating the contribution of this feedback mechanism due in part to a lack of molecular-level information regarding the origin and labile and refractory inventories of OM in soils. In this study, we used a multi-analytical approach to determine molecular-level information for the occurrence and stabilization of OM in a bird guano concretion of the Late Miocene or Pliocene age in Jamaica. We determined the specific organic structures persisting in the concretion and the possible contribution of fossil organic matter to the OM pool in modern environments. Our results indicate that aliphatic species, presumably of a highly polymethylenic nature [(CH2)n], may significantly contribute to the stable soil-C pool. Although not as significant, proteins and carbohydrates were also enriched in the sample, further suggesting that fossil organic matter may contribute to carbon and nitrogen pools in present day soil organic matter.