bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Migration of nurses: is there any other option?
Authors: Thupayagale‐Tshweneagae G.
Published: February 2007

Background:  Migration of nurses has taken center stage as a human resource issue in global discussion. Migration of nurses is associated with shortage of manpower, HIV/AIDS and the expanded roles of nurses.

Purpose:  To examine reasons behind migration and to argue that there are greater incentives for migrating than staying.

Results:  There are greater incentives for migrating than staying.

Conclusion:  Migration will remain an option until governments put in place professional mechanisms and incentives that will counteract various push factors.
The academization of nursing: implications for Arab enrolled nurses in Israel
Authors: Arieli D.
Published: February 2007

Background:  The trend towards the abolition of second level (practical) nurse education, begun decades ago in Western countries, is being adopted in Israel. In 2004 practical (enrolled) nurses constituted approximately one‐third of the Israeli nursing labour force, many of whom were Arab‐Israelis. Practical nurses in Israel are now expected to upgrade their education to ﬁrst (registered) level nurse.

Aim:  To understand the current situation of Arab‐Israeli practical nurses, taking into account the cultural, ethnic, socio‐economic and gender aspects of their lives.

Methods:  A qualitative, ethnographic approach, using in‐depth interviews with 13 Arab‐Israeli nurses.

Findings:  The women’s negative attitudes to the conversion course were not related to their otherwise positive attitudes to education in general. The conversion course was affected by adverse material conditions; cultural factors and feeling of helplessness. The threat of loss of professional nursing status as a result of the changes in nursing gave rise to a great sense of personal loss.

Conclusion:  As reported in other countries, the academization of nursing in Israel is obstructing one of the major routes of social mobility for women in the weaker sections of society. This situation is experienced as particularly harsh, because of the overall oppressive situation that Arab women in Israel suffer.
Global constraints on rural fishing communities: whose resilience is it anyway?
Authors: Robards Martin D , Greenberg Joshua A
Published: February 2007

Sustaining natural resources is regarded as an important component of ecological resilience and commonly assumed to be of similar importance to social and economic vitality for resource‐dependent communities. However, communities may be prevented from benefiting from healthy local resources due to constrained economic or political opportunities. In the case of Alaskan wild salmon, the fisheries are in crisis due to declining economic revenues driven by the proliferation of reliable and increasingly high‐quality products from fish farms around the world. This stands in contrast with many of the world's wild‐capture fisheries where diminished biological abundance has led to fishery collapse. Furthermore, increasing efficiency of salmon farm production, globalization, and dynamic consumer preferences, suggests that the wild salmon industry will continue to be challenged by the adaptability, price and quality of farmed salmon. Conventional responses to reduced revenues by the wild‐capture industry have been to increase economic efficiency through implementing a range of entry entitlement and quota allocation schemes. However, while these mechanisms may improve economic efficiency at a broad scale, they may not benefit local community interests, and in Alaska have precipitated declines in local ownership of the fishery. To be viable, economic efficiency remains a relevant consideration, but in a directionally changing environment (biological, social or economic), communities unable to procure livelihoods from their local resources (through access or value) are likely to seek alternative economic opportunities. The adopted strategies, although logical for communities seeking viability through transformation in a changing world, may not be conducive to resilience of a ‘fishing community’ or the sustainability of their wild fish resources. We use a theoretically grounded systems approach and data from Alaska's Bristol Bay salmon fishery to demonstrate feedbacks between global preferences towards salmon and the trade‐offs inherent when managing for the resilience of wild salmon populations and human communities at different scales.
Fish welfare: a challenge to the feelings‐based approach, with implications for recreational fishing
Authors: Arlinghaus Robert , Cooke Steven J. , Schwab Alexander , Cowx Ian G.
Published: February 2007

Fish welfare issues are increasingly appearing on social and political agendas and have recently gained prominence in fisheries literature. By focusing on examples from recreational fishing, this paper challenges some of the previous accounts of fish welfare. Issues of concern encompass: (1) the feelings‐based approach to fish welfare; (2) the artificial divide between human beings and nature; and (3) ways in which stakeholders can address fish welfare issues. The different approaches to characterizing the interaction of humans with animals are animal welfare, animal liberation and animal rights. We show that the suffering‐centred approaches to fish welfare and the extension of the moral domain to fish – characteristic of the concepts of animal liberation and animal rights – are not the cornerstone of animal welfare. This, however, does not question the need of fisheries stakeholders to consider the well‐being of fish when interacting with them. There are many ways in which recreational fishing stakeholders can modify standard practices to improve the welfare of fish, without questioning fishing as an activity per se. Examples are choice of gear and handling techniques. Previous accounts have failed to include discussions of the many efforts – voluntary or mandated – pursued by fisheries stakeholders to reduce fish stress, injury and mortality. Progress towards addressing fish welfare issues will be enhanced by avoiding the viewing of humans as ‘non‐natural’ disturbance to fishes and keeping three types of crucial question in separate compartments. The three questions cover the symptoms of good and poor welfare, the conscious experience of suffering, and the ethical attitudes towards animals. Fish biologists should focus on the first question – objective measurement of biochemical, physiological and behavioural indicators – to evaluate whether human interactions with fish impair the latters’ health or prevent them from receiving what they need, if held in captivity.
Reducing seabird bycatch in longline, trawl and gillnet fisheries
Authors: Bull Leigh S.
Published: February 2007

With an increasing number of seabird species, particularly albatross and petrels, becoming threatened, a reduction of fishery impacts on these species is essential for their future survival. Here, mitigation methods to reduce and avoid seabird bycatch are assessed in terms of their ability to reduce bycatch rates and their economic viability for longline, trawl and gillnet fisheries worldwide. Factors influencing the appropriateness and effectiveness of a mitigation device include the fishery, vessel, location, seabird assemblage present and season of year. As yet, there is no single magic solution to reduce or eliminate seabird bycatch across all fisheries: a combination of measures is required, and even within a fishery there is likely to be refinement of techniques by individual vessels in order to maximize their effectiveness at reducing seabird bycatch. In longline demersal and pelagic fisheries, a minimum requirement of line weighting that achieves hook sink rates minimizing seabird bycatch rates should be tailored with a combination of strategic offal and discard management, bird‐scaring lines (BSLs) and night‐setting, particulary in Southern Hemisphere fisheries. Urgent investigation is needed into more effective measures at reducing seabird interactions with trawl nets and gill nets. In trawl fisheries, a combination of offal and discard management, the banning of net monitoring cables, paired BSLs, and a reduction in the time the net is on or near the surface are likely to be the most effective in reducing seabird interactions with the warp cables and net. Few seabird bycatch reduction methods have been developed for gillnet fisheries, although increasing the visibility of the net has been shown to reduce seabird bycatch. Further studies are required to determine the efficacy of this technique and its influence on target species catch rates.
Nail disorders in patients with chronic renal failure and undergoing haemodialysis treatment: a case–control study
Authors: Dyachenko P , Monselise A , Shustak A , Ziv M , Rozenman D
Published: February 2007

Background  Few controlled studies have compared nail disorders in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) and haemodialysis (HD)‐dependent individuals with a healthy population.

Objective  The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of nail disorders in patients with CRF and patients undergoing HD treatment with a healthy population, and evaluate the relationship between nail changes and various demographic, medical and laboratory parameters in these groups.

Methods  In this case–control study we recruited 73 patients affected with CRF, 77 patients undergoing regular HD and 77 healthy individuals. All patients were examined for the presence of nail disorders. Various parameters [age, gender, type of kidney disease, regular medications, duration of renal failure and HD, dialysis efficacy (Kt/v), haemoglobin, neutrophil count, calcium, phosphorus, albumin, creatinine, urea, alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels] of the patients were determined by multivariate analysis and compared.

Results  Forty‐four patients (60.3%) with CRF and 48 patients (62.3%) undergoing HD treatment had at least one type of nail pathology. The most common nail alterations found in patients with CRF and those undergoing HD were absence of lunula (AL) and half‐and‐half nails (HHN), respectively. Prevalence of nail disorders among patients with CRF was influenced significantly by PTH level (P = 0.03). In the HD group, male sex, age above 65 years and comorbidities (diabetes mellitus, hypertension and heart failure) were significantly associated with nail pathologies.

Conclusion  Patients with CRF and those undergoing HD therapy have higher rates of nail disorders when compared to a healthy population. Efficient HD does not improve nail changes.
Hydrothermal dolomitization, mixing corrosion and deep burial porosity formation: numerical results from 1‐D reactive transport models
Authors: SALAS J. , TABERNER C. , ESTEBAN M. , AYORA C.
Published: February 2007

Major corrosion has been found at depth in carbonate hydrocarbon reservoirs from different geologic provinces. Fluid inclusion microthermometry and stable isotopic compositions of carbonate cements, predating major corrosion, constrain the interpretation of the evolution of parental fluids during progressive burial and prior to the major corrosion event. Post‐major corrosion mineral paragenesis includes pyrite (‐marcasite), anhydrite, kaolinite (dickite) and fluorite. Although the post‐corrosion mineral paragenesis represents minor volumes of rock, it may provide valuable insights into the post‐corrosion brine chemistry.

Using reactive transport numerical models, the roles of cooling and/or mixing of brines on corrosion have been evaluated as controls for dolomitization, deep burial corrosion and precipitation of the post‐corrosion mineral paragenesis. Modelling results show that cooling of deep‐seated fluids moving upward along a fracture may cause minor calcite dissolution and porosity generation. Significant dolomitization along a fracture zone and nearby host‐rock only occurs when deep‐seated fluids have high salinities (4 mol Cl kg−1 of solution) and Darcian flow rates are relatively high (1 m3 m−2 year−1). Only minor volumes of quartz and fluorite precipitate in the newly formed porosity. Moreover, modelling results cannot reproduce the authigenic precipitation of kaolinite (dickite at high temperatures) by cooling.

As an alternative to cooling as a cause of corrosion, mixing between two brines of different compositions and salinities is represented by two main cases. One case consists of the flow up along a fracture of deep‐seated fluids with higher salinities than the fluid in the wall rock. Dolomite does not precipitate at a fracture zone. Nevertheless, minor volumes of dolomite are formed away from the fracture. The post‐corrosion mineral paragenesis can be partly reproduced, and the results are comparable to those obtained from cooling calculations. Minor volumes of quartz and fluorite are formed, and kaolinite‐dickite does not precipitate. The major outputs of this scenario are calcite dissolution and slight net increase in porosity. A second case corresponds to the mixing of low salinity deep‐seated fluids, flowing up along fractures, with high salinity brines within the wall rock. Calculations predict major dissolution of calcite and precipitation of dolomite. The post‐corrosion mineral paragenesis can be reproduced. High volumes of quartz, fluorite and kaolinite‐dickite precipitate and may even completely occlude newly formed porosity.
Genetic structure and evidence for recent population decline in Eurasian otter populations in the Czech and Slovak Republics: implications for conservation
Authors: Hájková P. , Pertoldi C. , Zemanová B. , Roche K. , Hájek B. , Bryja J. , Zima J.
Published: February 2007

Over the latter part of the 20th century, Eurasian otter Lutra lutra populations suffered dramatic declines, resulting in extinction or fragmentation of populations in many western and central European countries. Part of the Czech otter population became totally isolated while the Slovak population remained partly connected to the relatively continuous central and eastern European otter distribution range. This paper examines the genetic structure and past demographic history of otters in the Czech and Slovak Republics, using microsatellite nuclear markers amplified from DNA extracted from tissue and faecal samples. A relatively high level of genetic differentiation was found between the Czech and Slovak populations (FST=0.154, P=0.0002), supported by a perfect assignment in Bayesian cluster analysis. Both the Czech and Slovak populations showed significant heterozygosity excess (assuming an infinite allele model), indicating recent population bottlenecks. A very recent population decline was also suggested by coalescent analysis, inferring a drop to c. 25% of past effective population size in both populations. The timing of the decline was in accordance with published data from otter surveys, suggesting that the strongest decline probably occurred between the 1970s and the mid‐1990s. The results of this study confirm that otter populations remain vulnerable to any violent demographic change and, despite the claims of fish‐farmers and anglers for legal culls, it is highly desirable that they remain a strongly protected species in both countries. The spreading and re‐connection of otter populations observed recently is essential for the future health of the populations, and should be supported through habitat conservation.
ARES: software to compare allelic richness between uneven samples
Authors: VAN LOON E. E. , CLEARY D. F. R. , FAUVELOT C.
Published: February 2007

Allelic richness is one of the most basic measures of genetic diversity. Its calculation is, however, still problematic because estimates depend on sample size. This paper describes an r library that calculates mean allelic richness with confidence bounds for a range of sample sizes. It takes a file in genepop format as input, or alternatively a binary data matrix with columns representing different individuals and rows representing different alleles. The output is tabular as well as graphical. Unlike existing tools, ares does extrapolate beyond the sample size and provides confidence bounds for these predictions.
Characterization of 16 highly variable tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri) and cross amplification in Umpqua chub (O. kalawatseti)
Authors: ARDREN WILLIAM R. , AMATA LARA , WHELAN JENNIFER , DEHAAN PATRICK W.
Published: February 2007

We describe the isolation and development of 16 polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite loci for the endangered Oregon chub (Oregonichthys crameri). Two loci appear to be duplicated. For the remaining 14 loci, we observed between three and 19 alleles per locus in a sample of 42 fish. Thirteen of these loci were also polymorphic in the closely related Umpqua chub (O. kalawatseti). These loci will aid in our understanding of the molecular ecology and conservation of these two species.
Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci to study parthenogenesis in the citrine forktail, Ischnura hastata (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
Authors: CARBALLA OLALLA LORENZO , GIERE SANDRA , CORDERO ADOLFO , HADRYS HEIKE
Published: February 2007

The citrine forktail, Ischnura hastata, is an American damselfly species, widely distributed, with only‐female populations also found at the Azores islands. Here we report the development of nine microsatellite loci for this species. The number of alleles per locus ranged from six to 11, with an observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.245 to 0.737. Eight of the nine loci successfully amplified in a sample of parthenogenetic females from the Azores. The developed microsatellite system will be a useful tool to investigate population structure, as well as the number of clones, the type of parthenogenesis and the origin of the parthenogenetic populations of this species.
Effects of the State Children's Health Insurance Program on Access to Dental Care and Use of Dental Services
Authors: Wang Hua , Norton Edward C. , Rozier R. Gary
Published: February 2007

Objective. To provide national estimates of implementation effects of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) on dental care access and use for low‐income children.

Data Source. The 1997–2002 National Health Interview Survey.

Study Design. The study design is based on variation in the timing of SCHIP implementation across states and among children observed before and after implementation. Two analyses were conducted. The first estimated the total effect of SCHIP implementation on unmet need for dental care due to cost in the past year and dental services use for low‐income children (family income below state SCHIP eligibility thresholds) using county and time fixed effects models. The second analysis estimated differences in dental care access and use among low‐income children with SCHIP or Medicaid coverage and their uninsured counterparts, using instrumental variables methods to control for selection bias. Both analyses controlled for child and family characteristics.

Principal Findings. When SCHIP had been implemented for more than 1 year, the probability of unmet dental care needs for low‐income children was lowered by 4 percentage points. Compared with their uninsured counterparts, those who had SCHIP or Medicaid coverage were less likely to report unmet dental need by 8 percentage points (standard error: 2.3), and more likely to have visited a dentist within 6 or 12 months by 17 (standard error: 3.7) and 23 (standard error: 3.6) percentage points, respectively. SCHIP program type had no differential effects.

Conclusions. Consistent results from two analytical approaches provide evidence that SCHIP implementation significantly reduced financial barriers for dental care for low‐income children in the U.S. Low‐income children enrolled in SCHIP or Medicaid had substantially increased use of dental care than the uninsured.
Missing in Action: Care by Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners in National Health Surveys
Authors: Morgan Perri A. , Strand Justine , Østbye Truls , Albanese Mark A.
Published: February 2007

Objective. To assess applicability of national health survey data for generalizable research on outpatient care by physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs).

Data Sources. Methodology descriptions and 2003 data files from the National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, and the Community Tracking Study.

Study Design. Surveys were assessed for utility for research on PA and NP patient care, with respect to survey coverage, structure, content, generalizability to the U.S. population, and validity. National estimates of patient encounters, statistically adjusted for survey design and nonresponse, were compared across surveys.

Data Collection/Extraction Methods. Surveys were identified through literature review, selected according to inclusion criteria, and analyzed based on methodology descriptions. Quantitative analyses used publicly available data downloaded from survey websites.

Principal Findings. Surveys varied with respect to applicability to PA and NP care. Features limiting applicability included (1) sampling schemes that inconsistently capture nonphysician practice, (2) inaccurate identification of provider type, and (3) data structure that does not support analysis of team practice.

Conclusions. Researchers using national health care surveys to analyze PA and NP patient interactions should account for design features that may differentially affect nonphysician data. Workforce research that includes NPs and PAs is needed for national planning efforts, and this research will require improved survey methodologies.
Public Savings from the Prevention of Unintended Pregnancy: A Cost Analysis of Family Planning Services in California
Authors: Amaral Gorette , Foster Diana Greene , Biggs M. Antonia , Jasik Carolyn Bradner , Judd Signy , Brindis Claire D.
Published: February 2007

Objective. To assess the short‐term economic savings associated with the prevention of unintended pregnancies through California's Medicaid family planning demonstration project.

Data Sources. Secondary data from health and social service programs available to pregnant or parenting women at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level in California in 2002 and data on the quantity and type of contraceptives dispensed to clients of California's 1115 Federal Medicaid demonstration project.

Study Design. The cost of providing publicly funded family planning services was compared with an estimate of public savings resulting from the prevention of unintended pregnancies.

Data Collection. To estimate costs and participation rates in each health and social service program, we examined published program reports, government budgetary data, analyses conducted by federal and state level program managers, and calculations from national datasets.

Findings. The unintended pregnancies averted by California's family planning demonstration project in 2002 would have incurred $1.1 billion in public expenditures within 2 years and $2.2 billion within 5 years, significantly more than the $403.8 million spent on the project. Each dollar spent generated savings of $2.76 within 2 years and $5.33 within 5 years.

Conclusions. The California 1115 Medicaid family planning demonstration project resulted in significant public cost savings. The cost of the project was substantially less than the public sector health and social service costs which would have occurred in its absence.
Are the Current Population Survey Uninsurance Estimates Too High? An Examination of the Imputation Process
Authors: Davern Michael , Rodin Holly , Blewett Lynn A. , Call Kathleen Thiede
Published: February 2007

Research Objective. To determine whether the imputation procedure used to replace missing data by the U.S. Census Bureau produces bias in the estimates of health insurance coverage in the Current Population Survey's (CPS) Annual Social and Economic Supplement (ASEC).

Data Source. 2004 CPS‐ASEC.

Study Design. Eleven percent of the respondents to the monthly CPS do not take the ASEC supplement and the entire supplement for these respondents is imputed by the Census Bureau. We compare the health insurance coverage of these “full‐supplement imputations” with those respondents answering the ASEC supplement. We then compare demographic characteristics of the two groups and model the likelihood of having insurance coverage given the data are imputed controlling for demographic characteristics. Finally, in order to gauge the impact of imputation on the uninsurance rate we remove the full‐supplement imputations and reweight the data, and we also use the multivariate regression model to simulate what the uninsurance rate would be under the counter‐factual simulation that no cases had the full‐supplement imputation.

Population Studied. The noninstitutionalized U.S. population under 65 years of age in 2004.

Data Extraction Methods. The CPS‐ASEC survey was extracted from the U.S. Census Bureau's FTP web page in September of 2004 (http://www.bls.census.gov/ferretftp.htm).

Principal Findings. In the 2004 CPS‐ASEC, 59.3 percent of the full‐supplement imputations under age 65 years had private health insurance coverage as compared with 69.1 percent of the nonfull‐supplement imputations. Furthermore, full‐supplement imputations have a 26.4 percent uninsurance rate while all others have an uninsurance rate of 16.6 percent. Having imputed data remains a significant predictor of health insurance coverage in multivariate models with demographic controls. Both our reweighting strategy and our counterfactual modeling show that the uninsured rate is approximately one percentage point higher than it should be for people under 65 (i.e., approximately 2.5 million more people are counted as uninsured due to this imputation bias).

Conclusions. The imputed ASEC data are coding too many people to be uninsured. The situation is complicated by the current survey items in the ASEC instrument allowing all members of a household to be assigned coverage with the single press of a button. The Census Bureau should consider altering its imputation specifications and, more importantly, altering how it collects survey data from those who respond to the supplement.

Implications for Policy Delivery or Practice. The bias affects many different policy simulations, policy evaluations and federal funding allocations that rely on the CPS‐ASEC data.

Primary Funding Source. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Rereading Marc Bloch: The Life and Works of a Visionary Modernist
Authors: Stirling Katherine
Published: February 2007

This article seeks to defamiliarize and reassess Marc Bloch, the canonical historian and co‐founder of the Annales School, as a quintessential modernist. In resituating Bloch, I seek to separate him from both the hagiography that has come to dominate studies of his work due to his sympathetic biography and the co‐opting of his ideas by the second‐generation Annalistes, led by Fernand Braudel. It is crucial to examine Bloch's life and works in tandem, and this article seeks to chart them alongside one another in order to elucidate his curiously liminal and groundbreaking perspective. Bloch's revolutionary charting of mentalities at the same time period as the psychological novel came of age is an oft‐overlooked fact of his scholarship, and one that I argue is critical to an understanding of his contribution to twentieth‐century methodological developments. The article examines this essentially stylistic trait alongside Bloch's peculiarly quixotic idealism, which tempered and sometimes compromised his work through his hope for a truly cooperative model of historical inquiry. While humanizing and questioning him, it gives credit to Bloch for helping to break through the monotonous methodological alternance between positivism and narrative history, creating a new, synthetic version of the historical practice that has since become so ingrained in the discipline that it is typically overlooked. This article seeks to shed a fresh light on Bloch by stripping away the tidy packaging that usually surrounds accounts of his life and work and portraying him as the flawed visionary that he was.
Cum Consensu Omnium: Frankish Church Councils from Clovis to Charlemagne
Authors: Halfond Gregory I.
Published: February 2007

For scholars of early medieval Europe, and of the Frankish Kingdoms in particular, the canonical decisions of church councils have proven to be immensely valuable sources for understanding the beliefs and policies of the ecclesiastical elite. Although we cannot always assume their enforcement, the canons offer a priceless window into the minds of their authors and the historical contexts that prompted their action. Less work has been done, however, on the institution that produced this legislation. The following article provides an overview of the function of the church council in the Frankish Kingdoms, as well as surveys the relevant evidence and scholarly literature.
Cytoprotective effects of taurocholic acid feeding on the biliary tree after adrenergic denervation of the liver
Authors: Marzioni Marco , Ueno Yoshiyuki , Glaser Shannon , Francis Heather , Benedetti Antonio , Alvaro Domenico , Venter Juliet , Fava Giammarco , Alpini Gianfranco
Published: February 2007

Background: Cholangiopathies impair the balance between proliferation and apoptosis of cholangiocytes leading to the disappearance of bile ducts and liver failure. Taurocholic acid (TC) is essential for cholangiocyte proliferative and functional response to cholestasis. Bile acids and neurotransmitters co‐operatively regulate the biological response of the biliary epithelium to cholestasis. Adrenergic denervation of the liver during cholestasis results in the damage of bile ducts.

Aim: To verify whether TC feeding prevents the damage of the biliary tree induced by adrenergic denervation in the course of cholestasis.

Methods: Rats subjected to bile duct ligation (BDL) and to adrenergic denervation were fed a TC‐enriched diet, in the absence or presence of daily administration of the phosphatidyl‐inositol‐3‐kinase (PI3K) inhibitor wortmannin for 1 week.

Results: TC prevented the induction of cholangiocyte apoptosis induced by adrenergic denervation. TC also restored cholangiocyte proliferation and functional activity, reduced after adrenergic denervation. TC prevented AKT dephosphorylation induced by adrenergic denervation. The cytoprotective effects of TC were abolished by the simultaneous administration of wortmannin.

Summary/conclusions: TC administration prevents the damage of the biliary tree induced by the adrenergic denervation of the liver. These novel findings open novel perspectives in the understanding of the potential of bile acids especially in post‐transplant liver disease.
Science‐Driven Restoration: A Square Grid on a Round Earth?
Authors: Cabin Robert J.
Published: February 2007

Is formal science necessarily an effective framework and methodology for designing and implementing ecological restoration programs? My experience as an ecologist in Hawaii suggests that even when scientific research programs are explicitly designed to guide and facilitate restoration, the culture of science, heterogeneity of nature, and real‐world complexities of implementing land management practices often limit the practical relevance of conventional scientific research. Although alternative models such as adaptive management and transdisciplinary science may facilitate research that more robustly models the real world, there is often little professional support or incentive to orient even these nonconventional research approaches toward actually solving on‐the‐ground problems. Thus, if one’s goal is to accomplish ecological restoration as quickly and efficiently as possible, a trial‐and‐error/intelligent tinkering–type approach might often be better than using more rigorous, data‐intensive scientific methodology. However, the sympatric implementation of ecological restoration and scientific research programs can lead to valuable synergies such as mutual logistical and financial support and the exchange of distinct forms of knowledge. The professional activities and mere presence of scientists can also greatly enhance a program’s prestige and visibility, which in turn can indirectly promote more and better ecological restoration. Improving our understanding of when formal science can directly assist restoration projects and when its value will more likely be synergistic and indirect could lead to better science, better ecological restoration, and better relationships between these two cultures.
Effects of Frequent Mowing on Survival and Persistence of Forbs Seeded into a Species‐Poor Grassland
Authors: Williams Dave W. , Jackson Laura L. , Smith Daryl D.
Published: February 2007

Many early attempts at tallgrass prairie reconstruction failed to achieve the high species diversity of remnant prairies, and instead consist primarily of C4 grasses. We hypothesized that frequent mowing of established prairie grasses could create sufficient gaps in the aboveground and belowground environment to allow for the establishment of native forbs from seed. We studied forb seedling establishment in a 25‐year‐old prairie planting in northern Iowa that was dominated by native warm‐season grasses. In winter 1999, 23 species of native forbs were broadcast into the recently burned sod at a rate of 350 viable seeds/m2. Treatment plots were mowed weekly for either one or two growing seasons, and control plots were unmowed. Mowed plots had greater light availability than controls, especially when warm‐season grasses began to flower. Overwinter seedling mortality was 3% in mowed treatments compared to 29% in the controls. Forbs in mowed plots had significantly greater root and shoot mass than those in control plots in the first and second growing seasons but were not significantly more abundant. By the fourth growing season, however, forbs were twice as abundant in the mowed treatments. No lasting negative impacts of frequent mowing on the grass population were observed. Mowing a second year influenced species composition but did not change total seedling establishment. Experimental evidence is consistent with the idea that mowing reduced competition for light from large established grasses, allowing forb seedlings the opportunity to reach sufficient size to establish, survive, and flower in the second and subsequent years.
The Restoration of Elk (Cervus elaphus) in Ontario, Canada: 1998–2005
Authors: Rosatte Rick , Hamr Joe , Young Jim , Filion Ivan , Smith Howard
Published: February 2007

In 1997, a plan to restore Elk (Cervus elaphus) to Ontario was approved by the provincial government. The objective of the Ontario elk restoration program, a multipartnered collaboration, was to restore a species that had been extirpated from the province during the 1800s. During 1998–2001, 460 elk were acquired from Elk Island National Park, Alberta, for release in four areas of Ontario. As greater than 90% of the elk were radio collared, monitoring provided detailed information on the dynamics of the four populations. Comprehensive research projects using graduate students were implemented to determine the environmental impact of releasing elk in Ontario. Those studies are in progress or have been completed and include the effect of wolf predation on restored elk, white‐tailed deer and elk resource overlap, the development of genetic profiles for elk, and solutions for elk/human conflicts. Mortality of the released elk averaged 41% (190/460) during 1998–2004 with annual mortality generally declining over time in each release area. The primary causes of elk mortality included wolf predation (25% of mortalities), illegal shooting (13%), stress‐related emaciation (13%) (partially due to the stress of relocation), bacterial infections (7%), and collisions with vehicles (6%). Productivity has been high in one of the release areas with 24–65% of the cows being observed with calves during late winter surveys. However, productivity has been low in two of the northern release areas due to a variety of factors including wolf predation. In some areas, dispersion of elk appeared to be related to the length of time animals were kept in pens prior to release. The precalving population estimate for Ontario in March 2004 was 375–440 elk. A comprehensive program review was conducted in 2003/2004 that included recommendations relating to the future management of elk in Ontario.
Comparisons of Mycorrhizal Responsiveness with Field Soil and Commercial Inoculum for Six Native Montane Species and Bromus tectorum
Authors: Rowe Helen I. , Brown Cynthia S. , Claassen Victor P.
Published: February 2007

Reestablishing native perennial plants and reducing invasive species are pivotal for many ecological restoration projects. The interactions among plant species, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and soil P availability may be critical determinants of the success of native and non‐native plants in restoration and species invasions. Here we assessed mycorrhizal responsiveness for three late‐successional and three early‐successional plant species native to Rocky Mountain National Park and for the non‐native Downy brome, cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) using field soil and commercial inoculum. Factorial greenhouse experiments were conducted to compare biomass of plant species with and without field soil and commercial inoculum treatments along a phosphorus (P) gradient, which ranged from ambient field levels to 12% of field levels, using dilutions of native soils. The two field soil inoculum treatments resulted in significant biomass differences for all species studied. Late‐successional species responded positively to field inoculum, whereas early‐successional species responded negatively. The two commercial inocula had low colonization rates (14 of 166 inoculated plants). The commercial inocula substrates had significant treatment effects on five of seven species included in the study in the apparent absence of mycorrhizal symbiosis. Soil P levels influenced mycorrhizal responsiveness in only one species, Smooth blue aster (Aster laevis L.). Our results show that, at least for the species studied here, locally collected field inoculum is the best choice for reestablishment of late‐successional native plant species.
The Role of Sprouts in the Restoration of Atlantic Rainforest in Southern Brazil
Authors: Simões Cecília G. , Marques Márcia C. M.
Published: February 2007

The relative importance of sexual reproduction (seed) and sprouting as sources for regeneration in Brazilian Atlantic Forest was evaluated in three different successional forest stages: young forest, immature forest, and late‐successional forest. Young plants (10–100 cm tall) of tree species were classified into the following categories: (1) seedlings that are nonsprouting—plants that originated through sexual reproduction as seeds; (2) stem base sprouting—plants that sprouted at the base of an existing plant; and (3) underground stem sprouting—plants that sprouted from subterranean stems of an existing plant. A total of 1,030 individuals of 48 species were collected. Underground stem sprouting is the rarest form of propagation, with stem base sprouting somewhat more common and possibly associated with recovery of damaged parts. The greatest contribution to regeneration was due to seeds: 92% of the individuals counted in 67% of the plant species. However, 13 species were “facultative” sprouters as seedlings and sprouters were observed in this group. The three forest ages differed in the proportion of regeneration strategies; in immature forest, sprouting was more common (15%) than in young (7%) and late‐successional (3%; p < 0.05) forest. In these three forest stages, germinating seeds are the major source of new plants; although sprouting as a reproductive strategy is rare, it is related to recovery after damage of an already existing plant and may be due to previous land use history (agriculture) and low soil fertility. Restoration using natural regeneration should consider these factors to understand seed arrival as seed is the main source of regeneration.
The Role of Mycorrhizae Associated with Vetiver Grown in Pb‐/Zn‐Contaminated Soils: Greenhouse Study
Authors: Wong Ching Chi , Wu Sheng Chun , Kuek Clem , Khan Abdul G. , Wong Ming Hung
Published: February 2007

The effects of mycorrhizae on growth and uptake of N, P, Zn, and Pb by plants were investigated in a greenhouse trial using vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) as host. Inoculation of the host plants with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), Glomus mosseae and G. intraradices spores, significantly increased the growth and P uptake. Mycorrhizal colonization increased Pb and Zn uptake by plants under low soil metal concentrations (at 0 and 10 mg/kg of Pb or Zn), whereas under higher concentrations (at 100 and 1,000 mg/kg of Pb or Zn), it decreased Pb and Zn uptake. P concentration in soil was negatively correlated with mycorrhizal colonization as well as Zn or Pb concentrations. The results showed that inoculation of the host plants with AMF protects them from the potential toxicity caused by increased uptake of Pb and Zn, but the degree of protection varied according to the fungus and host plant combination. The potential of arbuscular mycorrhizae in phytoremediation of the Zn‐ or the Pb‐contaminated soils is discussed in this article.
Flagging Aberrant Sites and Assemblages in Restoration Projects
Authors: Wassenaar Theo D. , Ferreira Sam M. , Van Aarde Rudi J.
Published: February 2007

The recovery of an ecosystem in response to a restoration program that relies on natural processes may be characterized by heterogeneous changes in species composition and structure. In most cases, such variability is natural and should even be welcomed. However, variability that arises from a specific restoration site, as opposed to randomly from all sites, may indicate problems with the restoration process and may jeopardize the outcome of a project. Here, we describe a technique to flag those sites and assemblages that tend to develop aberrantly. We use data on plant and animal assemblages, collected during routine monitoring operations over several surveys on a chronosequence of rehabilitating dune forests. Using this technique, we show that a bird assemblage on one of the sites at our study area on the coast of southern Africa tends to develop slower than expected. This site is situated farther than others from potential source areas (intact forests) and closer to human habitation. In essence, the technique uses a permutation test to identify ecological variables and assemblages that tend to be more variable than expected. It then focuses on these to identify specific aberrant sites. The technique allows management to concentrate scarce resources to determine the causes of aberrant changes, as well as possible mitigating actions, for specific sites instead of across the board. This cost‐efficient rapid assessment technique will lead to improved chances of restoration success. It may be applied in all projects where a chronosequence of sites can be sampled repeatedly, as is often the case in post‐mining restoration.
Road Slope Revegetation in Semiarid Mediterranean Environments. Part I: Seed Dispersal and Spontaneous Colonization
Authors: Bochet Esther , García‐Fayos Patricio , Tormo Jaume
Published: February 2007

The importance of neighboring vegetation as a seed reservoir for spontaneous colonization of adjacent road slopes was analyzed in a semiarid region of east Spain. Two independent methodological approaches were used to examine the relative contribution of seed from neighboring vegetation and the efficiency of different seed dispersal strategies in plant colonization. We first used a randomization test to compare floristic similarity between road slopes, neighboring flora, and local flora (the regional species pool found in the same climate and soil conditions as the road slopes). Second, we compared seed dispersal mechanisms of road slope vegetation with those of the surrounding area using frequency analysis. Species composition of road slopes was more similar to that of the flora of adjacent surrounding areas than expected by chance. Anemochorous (wind‐dispersed) plants were over‐represented in road slopes 8 years after road slopes were built. We concluded that seed dispersal from neighboring vegetation is an important factor in the vegetative colonization of road slopes. However, this initial species pool was also strongly shaped by the harsh environmental conditions of roadcuts and southern aspect. These results have important implications in road slope restoration because they suggest that naturally vegetated areas should be maintained adjacent to road slopes to enhance seed immigration from species adapted to local site conditions, which will accelerate the successional process. The application of this single reclamation strategy and mixed strategies that combine the use of natural colonization and soil amendment for road slope restoration in Mediterranean environmental conditions is discussed.
Roadfill Revegetation in Semiarid Mediterranean Environments. Part II: Topsoiling, Species Selection, and Hydroseeding
Authors: Tormo Jaume , Bochet Esther , García‐Fayos Patricio
Published: February 2007

Erosion is one of the main problems in roadfill restoration. Revegetation is widely used as a method to reduce erosion rates, and it is often carried out through hydroseeding. In semiarid Mediterranean conditions, this approach to revegetation often produces poor results due to climatic limitations. We evaluated whether (1) spreading topsoil and (2) hydroseeding with local rather than commercial species mixtures could improve the vegetative cover of roadfills. The study was carried out in 24 plots over a 20‐month period. At the end of the study, vegetation cover was higher in topsoiled plots (38.8%) than in nontopsoiled plots (21.5%). Locally selected species produced higher vegetative cover (61.1%) than did standard commercial species (52.2%). After 20 months, the erosion index was not different among any treatment probably due to the low sensitivity of this variable. These results suggest that amendment of soils through the addition of topsoil is an important technique in roadfill revegetation in Mediterranean environments. Additionally, hydroseeding with local species will produce better vegetative cover on roadfills than does hydroseeding with available commercial species.