bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Small but active – pool size does not matter for carbon incorporation in below‐ground food webs
Authors: Pausch Johanna , Kramer Susanne , Scharroba Anika , Scheunemann Nicole , Butenschoen Olaf , Kandeler Ellen , Marhan Sven , Riederer Michael , Scheu Stefan , Kuzyakov Yakov , Ruess Liliane
Published: July 2015

The complexity of soil food webs and the cryptic habitat hamper the analyses of pools, fluxes and turnover rates of carbon (C) in organisms and the insight into their interactions. Stable isotope analysis has been increasingly used to disentangle soil food web structure, yet it has not been applied to quantitatively characterize C dynamics at the level of the entire soil food web.

The present study employed13CO2pulse labelling to investigate the incorporation of maize root‐derived C into major soil compartments and food web players in an arable field for 25 days. Bulk tissue and compound‐specific (lipids) C isotope ratios were used to quantify pool sizes and13C incorporation in bacteria and fungi as primary decomposers, nematodes as key drivers of the microfood web and decomposers and predators among the meso‐ and macrofauna.

About 20% of the C assimilated by maize was transferred to below‐ground pools.13C was predominantly incorporated into rhizosphere micro‐organisms rather than in those of the bulk soil.13C in phospholipid fatty acid biomarkers revealed that root‐derived C was incorporated into the soil food web mainly via saprotrophic fungi rather than via bacteria. Only small amounts of13C were transferred to higher trophic levels, predominantly into fungal‐feeding nematodes and macrofauna decomposers.

Most importantly, C pool size and13C incorporation did not match closely. Although the fungal C stock was less than half that of bacteria, C transfers from fungi into higher trophic levels of the fungal energy pathway, that is fungal‐feeding nematodes and meso‐ and macrofauna decomposers, by far exceed that of bacterial C. This challenges previous views on the dominance of bacteria in root C dynamics and suggests saprotrophic fungi to function as major agents channelling recent photoassimilates into the soil food web.
Nonlinear responses of ecosystem carbon fluxes and water‐use efficiency to nitrogen addition in Inner Mongolia grassland
Authors: Tian Dashuan , Niu Shuli , Pan Qingmin , Ren Tingting , Chen Shiping , Bai Yongfei , Han Xingguo
Published: July 2015

Nitrogen (N) deposition is a continuous process and likely to affect ecosystem carbon (C) and water fluxes in a nonlinear way. However, experimental evidence is still lacking because most previous studies on these impacts usually used two discrete levels of N treatment.

By a 12‐year, 6‐level N addition experiment in Inner Mongolia grassland, we found that the responses of C fluxes, including net ecosystem carbon exchange (NEE), gross ecosystem productivity (GEP), ecosystem respiration (ER), all exhibited nonlinear patterns with increasing N addition rate while that of evapotranspiration did not significantly change. As a result, the response of ecosystem water‐use efficiency (EWUE) followed a similar pattern with NEE.

These N‐induced changes in C fluxes were greatly affected by the distribution of precipitation among different stages of growing seasons and mainly driven by the alterations in biomass production rather than soil temperature and soil moisture.

This study highlights the importance of the nonlinearity of N addition impacts on ecosystem C fluxes, which should be incorporated into the global‐C‐cycling models for better predicting future C balance. Our results also have implications for the use of fertilization in restoring the degraded grasslands given that N addition can promote biomass production and ecosystem C uptake without additional water evapotranspiration but also change ecosystem composition.
Raccoon contact networks predict seasonal susceptibility to rabies outbreaks and limitations of vaccination
Authors: Reynolds Jennifer J. H. , Hirsch Ben T. , Gehrt Stanley D. , Craft Meggan E.
Published: July 2015

Infectious disease transmission often depends on the contact structure of host populations. Although it is often challenging to capture the contact structure in wild animals, new technology has enabled biologists to obtain detailed temporal information on wildlife social contacts. In this study, we investigated the effects of raccoon contact patterns on rabies spread using network modelling.

Raccoons (Procyon lotor) play an important role in the maintenance of rabies in theUnitedStates. It is crucial to understand how contact patterns influence the spread of rabies in raccoon populations in order to design effective control measures and to prevent transmission to human populations and other animals.

We constructed a dynamic system of contact networks based on empirical data from proximity logging collars on a wild suburban raccoon population and then simulated rabies spread across these networks. Our contact networks incorporated the number and duration of raccoon interactions. We included differences in contacts according to sex and season, and both short‐term acquaintances and long‐term associations. Raccoons may display different behaviours when infectious, including aggression (furious behaviour) and impaired mobility (dumb behaviour); the network model was used to assess the impact of potential behavioural changes in rabid raccoons. We also tested the effectiveness of different vaccination coverage levels.

Our results demonstrate that when rabies enters a suburban raccoon population, the likelihood of a disease outbreak affecting the majority of the population is high. Both the magnitude of rabies outbreaks and the speed of rabies spread depend strongly on the time of year that rabies is introduced into the population. When there is a combination of dumb and furious behaviours in the rabid raccoon population, there are similar outbreak sizes and speed of spread to when there are no behavioural changes due to rabies infection.

By incorporating detailed data describing the variation in raccoon contact rates into a network modelling approach, we were able to show that suburban raccoon populations are highly susceptible to rabies outbreaks, that the risk of large outbreaks varies seasonally and that current vaccination target levels may be inadequate to prevent the spread of rabies within these populations. Our findings provide new insights into rabies dynamics in raccoon populations and have important implications for disease control.
REVIEW: Translocation tactics: a framework to support the IUCN Guidelines for wildlife translocations and improve the quality of applied methods
Authors: Batson William G. , Gordon Iain J. , Fletcher Donald B. , Manning Adrian D.
Published: July 2015

Translocation is a popular conservation tool, but the outcomes are variable. Many tactics can be used to improve the probability of success, but a comprehensive summary of these does not exist. This increases the risk that valuable tactics will be overlooked, and inhibits effective communication.

We assess the diversity of ‘translocation tactics’ used in mammal and bird translocations, by reviewing the IUCN/SSC Guidelines for Reintroduction and other Conservation Translocations, 195 peer‐reviewed articles and 73 case studies from the IUCN/SSC Global Reintroduction Perspectives Series.

We recorded descriptions of every technique used to influence the post‐release performance of translocated wildlife. We developed the Translocation Tactics Classification System (TTCS) which defines a collection of 30 tactics and organize them into an ecologically relevant framework. We also assess the occurrence of tactics within the Guidelines, the primary literature and the case studies to evaluate how tactics are communicated within these mediums.

Our results indicate that the Guidelines are a valuable resource, but do not exhaustively cover tactics, and that detailed methodological accounts are rarely made publicly accessible. This highlights the need to develop context‐specific resources to support the Guidelines, and to develop and exploit mediums that facilitate recording of methodological detail, the tactical rationale behind the design and evaluations of effectiveness. Although some forms of grey literature address this issue, the general lack of information limits the ability to investigate the relationship between tactics and translocation success.

Synthesis and applications. The Translocation Tactics Classification System (TTCS) provides a checklist which ensures that the full diversity of tactics is considered when developing translocation processes. Standardizing the communication of tactics, and encouraging detailed accounts of applied methodologies to be recorded, along with the tactical reasoning behind the design, will provide operational models and the data required to conduct broad‐scale meta‐analyses.
Minocycline inhibits neurogenic inflammation by blocking the effects of tumor necrosis factor‐α
Authors: Gong Kerui , Zou Xiaoju , Fuchs Perry N , Lin Qing
Published: July 2015

It has been well established that neurogenic inflammation is one of the major pathological processes underlying inflammatory pain, but there are few effective anti‐inflammatory drugs to alleviate such pain. The present study shows that minocycline, a widely used glial activation inhibitor, is effective in reducing neurogenic inflammation. Patch‐clamp recordings showed that small sized dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons were dramatically excited following intradermal capsaicin injection in the rat hind paw, evidenced by decreased rheobase and membrane threshold. Pretreatment with minocycline (30 mg/kg for 1 day, intraperitoneal injection) blocked the increased neuronal excitability. Western blot and immunostaining of DRG revealed the activation of satellite glial cells (SGCs) following capsaicin injection. The up‐regulation of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) was significantly inhibited by minocycline pre‐administration. Measurement of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF‐α) and its receptor, TNF‐α receptor 1 (TNFR1), showed that minocycline mainly blocked the up‐regulation of TNF‐α in SGCs and TNFR1s in neurons following capsaicin injection. The pivotal role of TNF‐α in neurogenic inflammation was further supported by the findings that incubation DRG with TNF‐α mimicked the increased excitability of DRG neurons induced by capsaicin injection, and that TNF‐α application enhanced cutaneous vasodilation in the hind paws induced by antidromic electrical stimulation of dorsal roots. Based on these results, we propose that minocycline is a potential therapeutic drug that can reduce neuronal excitability and neurogenic inflammation by working on SGCs to inhibit the expression of TNF‐α.
Silymarin attenuates paraquat‐induced lung injury via Nrf2‐mediated pathway in vivo and in vitro
Authors: Zhao Feng , Shi Danyang , Li Tiegang , Li Lizhuo , Zhao Min
Published: July 2015

The present study aims to investigate the impacts and mechanisms of silymarin on paraquat (PQ)‐induced lung injury in vivo and in vitro. In in vivo experiments, a total of 32 male Sprague‐Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into four groups. The rats were killed on day 3. Histopathological changes in lung tissue were examined using HE and Masson's trichrome staining. Biomarkers of neutrophil activation, pulmonary oedema, pulmonary fibrosis, lung permeability and oxidative stress were detected. Several proinflammatory mediators and antioxidant related proteins were measured. In in vitro experiments, A549 cells were transfected with Nrf2 special siRNA to investigate the roles of Nrf2. The results show that silymarin administration abated PQ‐induced lung histopathologic changes, decreased inflammatory cell infiltration and lung wet weight/dry weight (W/D) ratio, suppressed myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity and nitric oxide (NO)/inducible nitric oxide synthases (iNOS) expression, downregulated hydroxyproline (HYP) levels, reduced total protein concentration and proinflammatory mediator release, and improved oxidative stress (malondialdehyde, MDA; superoxide dismutase, SOD; catalase, CAT; and glutathione peroxidase, GSH‐Px) in lung tissue and serum. Meanwhile, treatment with silymarin upregulated the levels of nuclear factor‐erythroid‐2‐related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase‐1 (HO‐1) and NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase‐1(NQO1). However, the addition of Nrf2 siRNA reduced the expression of Nrf2‐mediated antioxidant protein HO‐1 and thus reversed the protective effects of silymarin against oxidative stress and inflammatory response. These results suggest that silymarin may exert protective effects against PQ‐induced lung injury. Its mechanisms were associated with the Nrf2‐mediated pathway. Therefore, silymarin may be a potential therapeutic drug for lung injury.
Synchronized dynamics of bacterial niche‐specific functions during biofilm development in a cold seep brine pool
Authors: Zhang Weipeng , Wang Yong , Bougouffa Salim , Tian Renmao , Cao Huiluo , Li Yongxin , Cai Lin , Wong Yue Him , Zhang Gen , Zhou Guowei , Zhang Xixiang , Bajic Vladimir B. , Al‐Suwailem Abdulaziz , Qian Pei‐Yuan
Published: July 2015

The biology of biofilm in deep‐sea environments is barely being explored. Here, biofilms were developed at the brine pool (characterized by limited carbon sources) and the normal bottom water adjacent to Thuwal cold seeps. Comparative metagenomics based on 50 Gb datasets identified polysaccharide degradation, nitrate reduction and proteolysis as enriched functional categories for brine biofilms. The genomes of two dominant species: a novel Deltaproteobacterium and a novel Epsilonproteobacterium in the brine biofilms were reconstructed. Despite rather small genome sizes, the Deltaproteobacterium possessed enhanced polysaccharide fermentation pathways, whereas the Epsilonproteobacterium was a versatile nitrogen reactor possessing nar, nap and nif gene clusters. These metabolic functions, together with specific regulatory and hypersaline‐tolerant genes, made the two bacteria unique compared with their close relatives, including those from hydrothermal vents. Moreover, these functions were regulated by biofilm development, as both the abundance and the expression level of key functional genes were higher in later stage biofilms, and co‐occurrences between the two dominant bacteria were demonstrated. Collectively, unique mechanisms were revealed: (i) polysaccharides fermentation, proteolysis interacted with nitrogen cycling to form a complex chain for energy generation, and (ii) remarkably exploiting and organizing niche‐specific functions would be an important strategy for biofilm‐dependent adaptation to the extreme conditions.
Enhanced salinities, as a proxy of seawater desalination discharges, impact coastal microbial communities of the eastern Mediterranean Sea
Authors: Belkin Natalia , Rahav Eyal , Elifantz Hila , Kress Nurit , Berman‐Frank Ilana
Published: July 2015

Seawater desalination plants increase local coastal salinities by discharging concentrated brine back to the sea with ∼50% higher than ambient salinities. The impacts of high salinities on microbial coastal populations of the eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS) were examined in two mesocosm experiments; first, during the mixed‐spring and second, during the stratified‐summer periods with average salinity of ∼39. Ambient salinities were increased by 5% and 15%. Higher salinity (15%) mesocosms induced rapid (within 2 h) declines in both primary productivity (PP) and algal biomass parallel to an increase in bacterial productivity. Subsequently, for the duration of the experiments (11–12 days), both Chlorophyll a and PP rates increased (2 to 5 and 1.5 to 2.5–fold, respectively) relative to unamended controls. The initial assemblages of the ambient microbial populations and intensity of salinity enrichments influenced the community responses. During the mixed‐spring experiment, the composition of prokaryotic and eukaryotic populations shifted only slightly, suggesting high functional plasticity of the initial populations. While during the stratified‐summer experiment, high salinity changed the composition and reduced the biodiversity of the microbial communities. In an ultra‐oligotrophic environment such as the EMS, salinity induced declines in microbial diversity may provide a tipping point destabilizing the local aquatic food web.
Microenvironment and phylogenetic diversity of Prochloron inhabiting the surface of crustose didemnid ascidians
Authors: Nielsen Daniel A. , Pernice Mathieu , Schliep Martin , Sablok Gaurav , Jeffries Thomas C. , Kühl Michael , Wangpraseurt Daniel , Ralph Peter J. , Larkum Anthony W. D.
Published: July 2015

The cyanobacterium Prochloron didemni is primarily found in symbiotic relationships with various marine hosts such as ascidians and sponges. Prochloron remains to be successfully cultivated outside of its host, which reflects a lack of knowledge of its unique ecophysiological requirements. We investigated the microenvironment and diversity of Prochloron inhabiting the upper, exposed surface of didemnid ascidians, providing the first insights into this microhabitat. The pH and O2 concentration in this Prochloron biofilm changes dynamically with irradiance, where photosynthetic activity measurements showed low light adaptation (Ek ∼80 ± 7 μmol photons m−2 s−1) but high light tolerance. Surface Prochloron cells exhibited a different fine structure to Prochloron cells from cloacal cavities in other ascidians, the principle difference being a central area of many vacuoles dissected by single thylakoids in the surface Prochloron. Cyanobacterial 16S rDNA pyro‐sequencing of the biofilm community on four ascidians resulted in 433 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) where on average −85% (65–99%) of all sequence reads, represented by 136 OTUs, were identified as Prochloron via blast search. All of the major Prochloron‐OTUs clustered into independent, highly supported phylotypes separate from sequences reported for internal Prochloron, suggesting a hitherto unexplored genetic variability among Prochloron colonizing the outer surface of didemnids.
Risk and self‐managing chronic joint pain: looking beyond individual lifestyles and behaviour
Authors: Morden Andrew , Jinks Clare , Ong Bie Nio
Published: July 2015

Self‐managing chronic musculoskeletal pain is predominantly framed within a discourse of modifying behaviour, or lifestyle risk factors such as diet, weight loss and exercise by policymakers, researcher and clinicians. Little research has been conducted which explores how ‘risk’ is understood or encountered by those with joint pain and how it may relate to self‐management. Drawing from serial interviews and a diary study with 22 participants, the findings demonstrate that people with chronic pain engage in a process of assessing and adapting to hazardous or pain conferring situations in relation to daily activities. ‘Risks’ are embedded within a dialectic between corporeal experience and the design features of everyday social environments. Self‐management, in this context, is not necessarily solely related to following clinical advice, rather it includes dealing with ‘risks’ of pain, hazards relating to bodily limitations and the environment, and ensuring the ability to continue with valued activities. Findings contribute to sociological understandings of self‐management and risk while demonstrating the limits of viewing self‐management as an individualised endeavour of changing behaviour.
‘Many Rivers to Cross’: Suburban Densification and the Social Status Quo in Greater Lyon
Authors: Rousseau Max
Published: July 2015

Urban research often considers densification from the perspective of sustainable development and social mix. This essay focuses instead on the social and political stakes involved in densification through the example of a large French metropolitan area. It shows that the densification policies put in place in the Lyon agglomeration cannot be said to succeed in breaking down the historical segregation between its residential and affluent western suburbs (banlieues) and its industrial and working‐class eastern ones. The political manoeuvres executed by the institutions implementing densification, and the search for consensus characterizing France's intercommunalities, block any possibility of redistributing functions and social classes at the metropolitan scale, and hence of ending the social specialization of Lyon's suburbs. Moreover, municipalities subjected to pressure from suburban areas carefully assess the profile of residents selected to occupy new housing units—i.e. individuals already residing in the commune in the case of western suburbs, and middle‐class individuals hailing from the eastern part of the agglomeration in the case of eastern suburbs. Densification does not foster social mix at the metropolitan scale, neither does it improve the housing conditions of disadvantaged populations.
Santiago Calatrava and the ‘Power of Faith’: Global Imaginaries in Valencia
Authors: Tarazona Vento Amparo
Published: July 2015

The focus of this article is on the importance of collective imaginaries for urban policy mobility, and on the agents and modes of power through which imaginaries are translated, mobilized and become materialized in specific places. Through the case study of the monumental complex of the City of Arts and Sciences in Valencia, designed by Valencian global architect Santiago Calatrava, I discuss Calatrava's mobilization of ideas of modernity, tradition, democratization and self‐esteem already present in the collective imaginary of the people and the politicians of post‐Franco's Spain to promote his global architecture. In this process, I argue, global imaginaries were translated into local imaginaries and vice versa as they became embodied in persons and objects, represented in this case by Calatrava's figure as a local/global architect and by the architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences. Particularly, I analyse Calatrava's use of the power of seduction, persuasion and coercion to mobilize such imaginaries in order to build his ubiquitous signature architecture in Valencia.
Practising family history: ‘identity’ as a category of social practice
Authors: Bottero Wendy
Published: July 2015

Research on family history argues it performs the task of anchoring a sense of ‘self’ through tracing ancestral connection and cultural belonging, seeing it as a form of storied ‘identity‐work’. This paper draws on a small‐scale qualitative study to think further on the identity‐work of family history. Using practice theory, and a disaggregated notion of ‘identity’, it explores how the storying of family histories relates to genealogy as a leisure hobby, a form of historical research, and an information‐processing activity; and examines the social organization of that narrativity, where various practical engagements render certain kinds of genealogical information more, or less, ‘storyable’. Key features of ‘identity‐work’ in family history, such as the construction of genealogy as a personal journey of discovery and identification with particular ancestors, emerge as a consequence of the procedures of family history, organized as a set of practical tasks. The paper explores ‘identity‐work’ as a consequence of people's engagement in specific social practices which provide an internal logic to their actions, with various components of ‘identity’ emerging as categories of practice shaped within, and for, use. Focusing on ‘identity’ as something produced when we are engaged in doing other things, the paper examines how the practical organization of ‘doing other things’ helps produce ‘identity’ in particular ways.
Differences in milk characteristics between a cow herd transitioning to organic versus milk from a conventional dairy herd
Authors: Tunick Michael H. , Paul Moushumi , Ingham Elaine R. , Karreman Hubert J. , Van Hekken Diane L.
Published: July 2015

Characteristics of conventional milk and milk from a herd transitioning from nongrazing to organic were studied by comparing adjacent farms over a 12‐month period. Levels of short‐ and medium‐chain fatty acids partially responsible for aroma and flavour were initially lower in the milk from the transitioning herd, but not after the cows had settled into an organic diet. Once that point was reached, the amount of α‐linolenic acid in the transitioning herd milk exceeded that of the conventional herd. This case study demonstrates that subtle differences occur in the milk as cows transition to organic.
Frequency, severity and risk factors for urinary and faecal incontinence at 4 years postpartum: a prospective cohort
Authors: Gartland D , MacArthur C , Woolhouse H , McDonald E , Brown SJ
Published: July 2015

Objectives

To investigate frequency, severity and risk factors for urinary incontinence and faecal incontinence 4 years after a first birth.

Design

Prospective pregnancy cohort study.

Setting

Melbourne, Australia.

Sample

A total of 1011 nulliparous women recruited in early pregnancy.

Methods

Participants were followed up at 32 weeks of gestation; then at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months and 4 years postpartum.

Main outcome measures

Frequency and severity of urinary and faecal incontinence.

Results

At 4 years, 29.6% of women reported urinary incontinence and 7.1% reported faecal incontinence. Compared with women having only spontaneous vaginal births, women who delivered exclusively by caesarean section were less likely to have urinary incontinence at 4 years postpartum (adjusted odds ratio 0.4, 95% confidence interval 0.3–0.6). Women who reported urinary incontinence before or during the index pregnancy, and those experiencing symptoms in the first year postpartum had increased odds of incontinence at 4 years, with the highest odds (6–12 times higher) among women who had previously reported moderate or severe symptoms. The odds of reporting faecal incontinence at 4 years were two to six times higher for women experiencing symptoms in pregnancy, and around four to eight times higher for those with symptoms in the first year postpartum.

Conclusion

Urinary and faecal incontinence are prevalent conditions 4 years after a first birth. Women reporting urinary or faecal incontinence during pregnancy had markedly higher odds of reporting symptoms at 4 years postpartum, suggesting a need for further investigation and elucidation of aetiological pathways involving nonbirth‐related risk factors.

Tweetable abstract

Moderate/severe incontinence prevalent 4 years after first birth in population cohort. Prior symptoms are biggest predictor.
The nature of cyberbullying and what we can do about it
Authors: Smith Peter K.
Published: July 2015

Cyberbullying is a type of bullying, which in turn is a type of aggression. This paper gives a brief history of research, and discusses definitional issues around cyberbullying, and three challenges facing researchers; it then reviews some basic findings about prevalence, age and gender differences, predictors of involvement, and effects and correlates of involvement. It concludes with evidence as to whether cyberbullying is getting worse, on coping strategies, and on resources, guidance and intervention.
Mortgage Choice Determinants: The Role of Risk and Bank Regulation
Authors: Dungey Mardi , Doko Tchatoka Firmin , Wells Graeme , Yanotti María B.
Published: July 2015

We shed new light on the role of borrower characteristics in mortgage product choice, and how these are impacted by regulatory capital requirements. Using rich loan‐level data from the Australian market, we analyse the borrower idiosyncratic risk effects on the choice between variable‐rate mortgages and other mortgages with reduced initial payments. We find that income, wealth and mobility risks play a role in product choice. We investigate regulatory capital requirements in a market where banks hold mortgage risk on balance sheet and find that the Basel capital discounts based on loan‐to‐valee ratios divide otherwise similar borrowers in their mortgage choices.
Generosity in intergovernmental negotiations: The impact of state power, pooling and socialisation in the Council of the European Union
Authors: Naurin Daniel
Published: July 2015

Scholars have long emphasised the consensual nature of the intergovernmental negotiations in the Council of the European Union. Unlike other international organisations, where surface consensus has been found to be merely a cover for the dominance of powerful states, the EU literature describes a norm of generosity that works as a real constraining factor. In contrast, this article warns against descriptions of the EU as different in kind. Based on interviews with 231 EU Member State representatives involved in day‐to‐day negotiations in the Council, it finds a strong bias in generosity on behalf of the three dominant powers: France, Germany and the United Kingdom. The ‘Big 3’ are strikingly unwilling to make generous concessions, compared to other states. Furthermore, from a rational perspective, there are good reasons for expecting this pattern. The study also shows that extensive pooling of power in the form of qualified majority rule and hard law commitment is associated with less generosity, while there seems to be no socialising effect towards generosity from exposure to the ‘Brussels community’. These findings cast a new light on the common narrative of the EU as a ‘soft‐bargaining’ anomaly among international organisations, where national interests are upgraded into common interests by a process of norm socialisation. Instead, it seems that the purported ‘consensus norm’ has been far from successful in transcending fundamental power asymmetries between the EU Member States.
Chromatographic Methods for the Determination of Carbohydrates and Organic Acids in Foods of Animal Origin
Authors: Pereira da Costa Marion , Conte‐Junior Carlos Adam
Published: July 2015

Carbohydrates are ubiquitous and range from simple monosaccharides to large complex polysaccharides. Organic acids are compounds with acidic properties. Both occur naturally in many foods and in fermented products. Organic acids are usually derived from the hydrolysis of carbohydrates by microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria convert carbohydrates into energy required for growth, since they are not equipped with the enzymes necessary for respiration and are unable to perform oxidative phosphorylation. Determination of carbohydrates and organic acids in foods of animal origin is important, since they contribute to flavor and texture. Their presence and proportions can affect the chemical and sensory characteristics of a food matrix and they can provide information on nutritional properties of food and the means to optimize selected technological processes. Furthermore, the levels of carbohydrate and organic acid are important to monitor bacterial growth and activity. Actually, these compounds can be quantified by several methods including high‐performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and gas chromatography (GC). High‐performance liquid chromatography has been widely used to analyze carbohydrates and nonvolatile organic acids, while gas chromatography has been used to determine the volatile organic acids in complex matrices. This contribution provides an overview of chromatographic methods (HPLC and GC) used to analyze carbohydrates and organic acids in foods of animal origin.
Forensic Evidence in Homicide Investigations and Prosecutions
Authors: McEwen Tom , Regoeczi Wendy
Published: July 2015

Even though forensic evidence is collected at virtually every homicide scene, only a few studies have examined its role in investigation and prosecution. This article adds to the literature by providing the results of a study of 294 homicide cases (315 victims) occurring in Cleveland, Ohio, between 2008 and 2011. Through a logistic regression on open versus closed cases, the collection of knives, administration of gunshot residue (GSR) kits, and clothing at the scene were positively and significantly related to case closures, while collection of ballistics evidence andDNAevidence were statistically significant in the opposite direction. With regard to analysis, the clearance rate for cases with probative results (i.e., matches or exclusions) was 63.1% compared to a closure rate of 56.3% for cases without probative results. However, only 23 cases had probative results prior to arrest compared to 128 cases with probative results after arrest.
Quantitation of Synthetic Cannabinoids in Plant Materials Using High Performance Liquid Chromatography with UV Detection (Validated Method)
Authors: Ciolino Laura A.
Published: July 2015

Plant based products laced with synthetic cannabinoids have become popular substances of abuse over the last decade. Quantitative analysis for synthetic cannabinoid content in the laced materials is necessary for health hazard assessments addressing overall exposure and toxicity when the products are smoked. A validated, broadly applicable HPLC‐UV method for the determination of synthetic cannabinoids in plant materials is presented, using acetonitrile extraction and separation on a commercial phenylhexyl stationary phase. UV detection provides excellent sensitivity with limits of quantitation (LOQs) less than 10 μg/g for many cannabinoids. The method was validated for several structural classes (dibenzopyrans, cyclohexylphenols, naphthoylindoles, benzoylindoles, phenylacetylindoles, tetramethylcyclopropylindoles) based on spike recovery experiments in multiple plant materials over a wide cannabinoid contents range (0.1–81 mg/g). Average recovery across 32 cannabinoids was 94% for marshmallow leaf, 95% for damiana leaf, and 92% for mullein leaf. The method was applied to a series of case‐related products with determined amounts ranging from 0.2 to >100 mg/g.
Taxonomy of Challenges for Digital Forensics
Authors: Karie Nickson M. , Venter Hein S.
Published: July 2015

Since its inception, over a decade ago, the field of digital forensics has faced numerous challenges. Despite different researchers and digital forensic practitioners having studied and analysed various known digital forensic challenges, as of 2013, there still exists a need for a formal classification of these challenges. This article therefore reviews existing research literature and highlights the various challenges that digital forensics has faced for the last 10 years. In conducting this research study, however, it was difficult for the authors to review all the existing research literature in the digital forensic domain; hence, sampling and randomization techniques were employed to facilitate the review of the gathered literature. Taxonomy of the various challenges is subsequently proposed in this paper based on our review of the literature. The taxonomy classifies the large number of digital forensic challenges into four well‐defined and easily understood categories. The proposed taxonomy can be useful, for example, in future developments of automated digital forensic tools by explicitly describing processes and procedures that focus on addressing specific challenges identified in this paper. However, it should also be noted that the purpose of this paper was not to propose any solutions to the individual challenges that digital forensics face, but to serve as a survey of the state of the art of the research area.
TESTING FOR TEMPORALLY DIFFERENTIATED RELATIONSHIPS AMONG POTENTIALLY CRIMINOGENIC PLACES AND CENSUS BLOCK STREET ROBBERY COUNTS
Authors: HABERMAN CORY P. , RATCLIFFE JERRY H.
Published: July 2015

This study examined street robbery patterns in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from the years 2009 to 2011 to determine whether the effects of potentially criminogenic places are different across different periods of the day. Census block (N = 13,164) street robbery counts across four periods (6:45 a.m. to 9:59 a.m., 10:00 a.m. to 4:29 p.m., 4:30 p.m. to 9:14 p.m., and 9:15 p.m. to 6:44 a.m.) were modeled with 12 different potentially criminogenic places, 3 measures of illicit markets, 4 compositional control variables, and spatially lagged versions of the 12 potentially criminogenic places and population using simultaneously estimated negative binomial regression models. Differences in the magnitudes of the parameter estimates across the time periods were assessed with Wald tests. Overall, the patterns across the four models were mostly consistent with the effects hypothesized based on the study's crime pattern theory and time‐geography theoretical frame; yet differences in the magnitudes of the coefficients were less pronounced than hypothesized. Overall, the results provide moderate support for the crime pattern theory and time‐geography explanation of spatial‐temporal robbery patterns; however, numerous points are raised for future crime and place research.
Sources and Transport of Phosphorus to Rivers in California and Adjacent States, U.S., as Determined by SPARROW Modeling
Authors: Domagalski Joseph , Saleh Dina
Published: July 2015

The SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regression on Watershed attributes) model was used to simulate annual phosphorus loads and concentrations in unmonitored stream reaches in California, U.S., and portions of Nevada and Oregon. The model was calibrated using de‐trended streamflow and phosphorus concentration data at 80 locations. The model explained 91% of the variability in loads and 51% of the variability in yields for a base year of 2002. Point sources, geological background, and cultivated land were significant sources. Variables used to explain delivery of phosphorus from land to water were precipitation and soil clay content. Aquatic loss of phosphorus was significant in streams of all sizes, with the greatest decay predicted in small‐ and intermediate‐sized streams. Geological sources, including volcanic rocks and shales, were the principal control on concentrations and loads in many regions. Some localized formations such as the Monterey shale of southern California are important sources of phosphorus and may contribute to elevated stream concentrations. Many of the larger point source facilities were located in downstream areas, near the ocean, and do not affect inland streams except for a few locations. Large areas of cultivated land result in phosphorus load increases, but do not necessarily increase the loads above those of geological background in some cases because of local hydrology, which limits the potential of phosphorus transport from land to streams.
Quantifying Tradeoffs Associated with Hydrologic Environmental Flow Methods
Authors: McKay S. Kyle
Published: July 2015

Freshwater management requires balancing and tradingoff multiple objectives, many of which may be competing. Ecological needs for freshwater are often described in terms of environmental flow recommendations (e.g., minimum flows), and there are many techniques for developing these recommendations, which range from hydrologic rules to multidisciplinary analyses supported by large teams of subject matter experts. Although hydrologic rules are well acknowledged as overly simplified, these techniques remain the state‐of‐the‐practice in many locations. This article seeks to add complexity to the application of these techniques by studying the emergent properties of hydrologic environmental flow methodologies. Two hydrologic rules are applied: minimum flow criteria and sustainability boundaries. Objectives and metrics associated with withdrawal rate and similarity to natural flow regimes are used to tradeoff economic and environmental needs, respectively, over a range of flow thresholds and value judgments. A case study of hypothetical water withdrawals on the Middle Oconee River near Athens, Georgia is applied to demonstrate these techniques. For this case study, sustainability boundaries emerge as preferable relative to both environmental and economic outcomes. Methods applied here provide a mechanism for examining the role of stakeholder values and tradeoffs in application of hydrologic rules for environmental flows.
Influence of Riparian Seepage Zones on Nitrate Variability in Two Agricultural Headwater Streams
Authors: Williams Mark R. , Buda Anthony R. , Elliott Herschel A. , Singha Kamini , Hamlett James
Published: July 2015

Riparian seeps have been recognized for their contributions to stream flow in headwater catchments, but there is limited data on how seeps affect stream water quality. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of seeps on the variability of stream NO3‐N concentrations in FD36 and RS, two agricultural catchments in Pennsylvania. Stream samples were collected at 10‐m intervals over reaches of 550 (FD36) and 490 m (RS) on 21 occasions between April 2009 and January 2012. Semi‐variogram analysis was used to quantify longitudinal patterns in stream NO3‐N concentration. Seep water was collected at 14 sites in FD36 and 7 in RS, but the number of flowing seeps depended on antecedent conditions. Seep NO3‐N concentrations were variable (0.1‐29.5 mg/l) and were often greater downslope of cropped fields compared to other land uses. During base flow, longitudinal variability in stream NO3‐N concentrations increased as the number of flowing seeps increased. The influence of seeps on the variability of stream NO3‐N concentrations was less during storm flow compared to the variability of base flow NO3‐N concentrations. However, 24 h after a storm in FD36, an increase in the number of flowing seeps and decreasing streamflow resulted in the greatest longitudinal variability in stream NO3‐N concentrations recorded. Results indicate seeps are important areas of NO3‐N delivery to streams where targeted adoption of mitigation measures may substantially improve stream water quality.
Adaptive Targeting: Engaging Farmers to Improve Targeting and Adoption of Agricultural Conservation Practices
Authors: Kalcic Margaret M. , Frankenberger Jane , Chaubey Indrajeet , Prokopy Linda , Bowling Laura
Published: July 2015

Targeting of agricultural conservation practices to cost‐effective locations has long been of interest to watershed managers, yet its implementation cannot succeed without meaningful engagement of agricultural producers who are decision makers on the lands they farm. In this study, we engaged 14 west‐central Indiana producers and landowners in an adaptive targeting experiment. Interviews carried out prior to targeting provided rich spatial information on existing conservation practices as well as producers' preferences for future conservation projects. We targeted six of the most accepted conservation practices using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool and spatial optimization using a genetic algorithm approach. Fairly optimal conservation scenarios were possible with even the most limiting constraints of farmer‐accepted practices. We presented in follow‐up interviews a total of 176 conservation practice recommendations on 103 farm fields to 10 farmers whose lands were targeted for conservation. Primary findings indicated producers were interested in the project, were open to hearing recommendations about their lands, and expressed a high likelihood of adopting 35% of targeted recommendations. Farmers generally viewed the interview process and presentation of results quite favorably, and the interviews were found to build trust and make the targeting process more acceptable to them.
Spatial Optimization of Six Conservation Practices Using Swat in Tile‐Drained Agricultural Watersheds
Authors: Kalcic Margaret M. , Frankenberger Jane , Chaubey Indrajeet
Published: July 2015

Targeting of agricultural conservation practices to the most effective locations in a watershed can promote wise use of conservation funds to protect surface waters from agricultural nonpoint source pollution. A spatial optimization procedure using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool was used to target six widely used conservation practices, namely no‐tillage, cereal rye cover crops (CC), filter strips (FS), grassed waterways (GW), created wetlands, and restored prairie habitats, in two west‐central Indiana watersheds. These watersheds were small, fairly flat, extensively agricultural, and heavily subsurface tile‐drained. The targeting approach was also used to evaluate the model's representation of conservation practices in cost and water quality improvement, defined as export of total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and sediment from cropped fields. FS, GW, and habitats were the most effective at improving water quality, while CC and wetlands made the greatest water quality improvement in lands with multiple existing conservation practices. Spatial optimization resulted in similar cost‐environmental benefit tradeoff curves for each watershed, with the greatest possible water quality improvement being a reduction in total pollutant loads by approximately 60%, with nitrogen reduced by 20‐30%, phosphorus by 70%, and sediment by 80‐90%.
3T MRI evaluation of large nerve perineural spread of head and neck cancers
Authors: Baulch Justin , Gandhi Mitesh , Sommerville Jennifer , Panizza Ben
Published: July 2015

Introduction

Accurate definition of the presence and extent of large nerve perineural spread (PNS) is a vital component in planning appropriate surgery and radiotherapy for head and neck cancers. Our research aimed to define the sensitivity and specificity of 3T MRI in detecting the presence and extent of large nerve PNS, compared with histologic evaluation.

Methods

Retrospective review of surgically proven cases of large nerve PNS in patients with preoperative 3T MRI performed as high resolution neurogram.

Results

3T MRI had a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 84%, detecting PNS in 36 of 38 nerves and correctly identifying uninvolved nerves in 16 of 19 cases. It correctly identified the zonal extent of spread in 32 of 36 cases (89%), underestimating the extent in three cases and overestimating the extent in one case.

Conclusion

Targeted 3T MRI is highly accurate in defining the presence and extent of large nerve PNS in head and neck cancers. However, there is still a tendency to undercall the zonal extent due to microscopic, radiologically occult involvement. Superficial large nerve involvement also remains a difficult area of detection for radiologists and should be included as a ‘check area’ for review. Further research is required to define the role radiation‐induced neuritis plays in the presence of false‐positive PNS on MRI.
The de novo genome assembly and annotation of a female domestic dromedary of North African origin
Authors: Fitak Robert R. , Mohandesan Elmira , Corander Jukka , Burger Pamela A.
Published: July 2015

The single‐humped dromedary (Camelus dromedarius) is the most numerous and widespread of domestic camel species and is a significant source of meat, milk, wool, transportation and sport for millions of people. Dromedaries are particularly well adapted to hot, desert conditions and harbour a variety of biological and physiological characteristics with evolutionary, economic and medical importance. To understand the genetic basis of these traits, an extensive resource of genomic variation is required. In this study, we assembled at 65× coverage, a 2.06 Gb draft genome of a female dromedary whose ancestry can be traced to an isolated population from the Canary Islands. We annotated 21 167 protein‐coding genes and estimated ~33.7% of the genome to be repetitive. A comparison with the recently published draft genome of an Arabian dromedary resulted in 1.91 Gb of aligned sequence with a divergence of 0.095%. An evaluation of our genome with the reference revealed that our assembly contains more error‐free bases (91.2%) and fewer scaffolding errors. We identified ~1.4 million single‐nucleotide polymorphisms with a mean density of 0.71 × 10−3 per base. An analysis of demographic history indicated that changes in effective population size corresponded with recent glacial epochs. Our de novo assembly provides a useful resource of genomic variation for future studies of the camel's adaptations to arid environments and economically important traits. Furthermore, these results suggest that draft genome assemblies constructed with only two differently sized sequencing libraries can be comparable to those sequenced using additional library sizes, highlighting that additional resources might be better placed in technologies alternative to short‐read sequencing to physically anchor scaffolds to genome maps.