bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Case 100
Authors: Covey Anne M. , Pua Bradley B , Aguado Allison , Madoff David C.
Published: June 2015

This is a case from the Drainage section of Interventional Radiology Cases. The specific content of each case and its diagnosis are necessarily hidden from this abstract. Each case contains case history, followed immediately by the diagnosis, which is supported with findings, differential diagnosis, teaching points, management, and further reading suggestions.
The limping child
Authors: Khan Lalarukh , Sajjanhar Tina
Published: June 2015

This chapter provides an overview of the challenges facing the emergency physician dealing with a child with a new presentation of limp. It describes an overview of the range of potential differential diagnoses and a structure in which to stratify the risk of each.

It examines the evidence base for three key clinical questions: an approach to differentiating the child with septic arthritis from transient synovitis, the evaluation of imaging modalities comparing the use of plain radiographs versus ultrasound of the hips, and the role of steroids in addition to antibiotics in confirmed septic arthritis. The chapter also explores the potential use of bedside emergency department ultrasound and the role of MRI scanning in confirming diagnoses.
Atraumatic testicular pain
Authors: Spencer Oliver , Hashemi Kambiz
Published: June 2015

This chapter provides a discussion of the challenges facing the emergency physician dealing with the acute scrotum presenting to the emergency department. It describes an overview of the range of potential presentations and differential diagnoses and the signs and symptoms that may aide differentiation.

It examines the evidence base for three key clinical questions: the use of clinical signs in ruling in or ruling out torsion; the practicalities of attempting manual detorsion of a testes, and the contentious role of ultrasound as to whether to conduct scans at all. Evidence is examined as to whether all acute presentations of scrotal pain should be explored regardless of evidence of blood flow on scan.
Dentofacial emergencies
Authors: Trivedy Chet , Bhatia Sunil
Published: June 2015

This chapter provides a discussion of the challenges facing the emergency physician dealing with a patient who has traumatic loss of a tooth. It is highlighted that the loss of a tooth is a time-critical emergency and emergency physicians should be familiar with what is required in the first few hours. The importance of a comprehensive examination is highlighted and the rational use of imaging discussed.

It examines the evidence base for three key clinical questions:the best transport medium for an avulsed tooth; replantation of the avulsed tooth; and the use of dental splinting in the emergency department.
Hypothermia
Authors: Finlay Sarah , Thenabadu Sam , Vercueil André
Published: June 2015

This chapter provides a discussion of the challenges facing the emergency physician dealing with a patient presenting with significant hypothermia. It describes an overview of the range of potential presentations, aetiologies, and staging systems, and the treatment options both within and out of cardiac arrest. The ALS algorithm is explained in relation to the particular considerations required in hypothermia.

It examines the evidence base for three key clinical questions: examining the best re-warming strategies in hypothermia; describing the prognostic indicators used to guide resuscitation efforts in cardiac arrest; and ultimately discussing how long cardiac arrest efforts should continue.
The collapsed marathon runner
Authors: Black Lisa , Henderson Katherine
Published: June 2015

This chapter provides a discussion of the specific challenges facing the emergency physician dealing with a patient presenting with a collapse after marathon running. It describes an overview of the range of heat-related presentations, the monitoring required, and the subsequent electrolyte disturbances and the acute management strategies required.

It examines the evidence base for three key clinical questions:a consideration of whether standard tympanic temperature measurement is accurate and adequate; an analysis of how patients with exertional heat stroke should be best cooled; and discussion around whether standard antipyretic treatments have a role in lowering temperatures and alleviating symptoms.
Primary prevention: principles and practice
Authors: Vannuzzo Diego , Giampaoli Simona
Published: June 2015

Cardiovascular primary prevention is a coordinated set of actions at community and individual level aimed at eradicating, eliminating, or compressing at later ages the impact of cardiovascular diseases and their related disability. Its aim is healthy ageing. Cardiovascular epidemiology has elucidated the role of cardiovascular risk factors, forming the basis of strategies to reduce cardiovascular risk and subsequent disease. There is evidence that cardiovascular primary prevention works if three strategies are implemented together: a population strategy (particularly through a widespread adoption of healthy lifestyles) which aims to keep everyone at low risk from infancy and reduces the cardiovascular risk profile of the whole community; an individualized high-risk strategy through lifestyle changes also prophylactic evidence-based drugs if necessary; and an individualized intermediate-risk strategy which may benefit from non-invasive assessment of subclinical disease and end organ damage.
The Vestibular-Optokinetic System
Authors: Leigh R. John , Zee David S.
Published: June 2015

This chapter reviews properties and neural substrate of vestibular and
optokinetic eye movements. Geometric aspects of head rotations and
translations (linear movements) are related to properties of
rotational and translational vestibulo-ocular reflexes. The motion
sensors of the vestibular labyrinth -the semicircular canals and
otolith organs - are described. The contributions that direct and
indirect central pathways make to the direction and temporal
properties of vestibulo-ocular responses are summarized.
Optokinetic-vestibular interactions during sustained rotations are
discussed. Properties of vestibular and optokinetic responses -gain,
phase, and time constant - are explained as well as how they are
influenced by factors including target location, mental set, and
changing visual demands (vestibular adaptation and the cerebellum).
The multiple cerebral areas that contribute to vestibular sensation
are reviewed. Clinical and laboratory evaluation of vestibulo-ocular
function is summarized including rotational and caloric testing, and
vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (VEMPs). The pathogenesis of
common vestibular and optokinetic disorders is reviewed.
Vergence Eye Movements
Authors: Leigh R. John , Zee David S.
Published: June 2015

This chapter reviews the stimuli for vergence, the properties of
fusional and accommodative vergence, as well as vergence made in
combination with saccades or vestibular eye movements, or blinks.
Different properties of horizontal, vertical, and torsional vergence
are discussed. Current models are presented to account for
interactions between vergence and saccades. The neural substrate for
vergence movements is reviewed from ocular motoneurons to the midbrain
supraoculomotor area, to visual cortical areas such as MST and frontal
eye field, including pontine nuclei, cerebellar vermis, and fastigial
nucleus. Adaptive properties of vergence are reviewed, especially
phoria adaptation, discussing the role of the cerebellum. The bedside
and laboratory evaluation of vergence is summarized and the
pathophysiology of disorders of vergence discussed, including
developmental disorders associated with childhood strabismus and
acquired disorders such as convergence spasm, convergence
insufficiency, vergence forms of nystagmus such as
convergence-retraction nystagmus, and effects of focal pontine
lesions.
Diagnosis of Peripheral Ocular Motor Palsies and Strabismus
Authors: Leigh R. John , Zee David S.
Published: June 2015

This chapter reviews the physiologic basis for diplopia, including
Sherington’s law of reciprocal innervation and Hering’s law of motor
correspondence. Clinical testing is reviewed, including cover tests,
red glass, Maddox rod, the Bielschowsky head-tilt test, and abnormal
head postures. Clinical features (with illustrative video cases),
etiology, and management of abducens nerve palsy, trochlear nerve
palsy, oculomotor nerve palsy, and combined neuropathies are
discussed, as well as Miller Fisher syndrome, amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis, neuromyotonia, Brown’s syndrome and superior oblique
myokymia. Disorders of the neuromuscular junction are examined,
including systemic botulism, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome, and
myasthenia gravis. Disorders affecting the extraocular muscles are
reviewed, including chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia,
Duchenne dystrophy, myotonic dystrophy, oculopharyngeal dystrophy,
congenital myopathies, Kearns-Sayre syndrome and mitochondrial
myopathies. The chapter also discusses thyroid eye disease, acquired
restrictive ophthalmopathies, and congenital cranial dysinnervation
disorders (CCDD), Duane syndrome, horizontal gaze palsy with
scloliosis, and congenital fibrosis of the extraocular muscles.
A novel inert crystal delivery medium for serial femtosecond crystallography
Authors: Conrad Chelsie E. , Basu Shibom , James Daniel , Wang Dingjie , Schaffer Alexander , Roy-Chowdhury Shatabdi , Zatsepin Nadia A. , Aquila Andrew , Coe Jesse , Gati Cornelius , Hunter Mark S. , Koglin Jason E. , Kupitz Christopher , Nelson Garrett , Subramanian Ganesh , White Thomas A. , Zhao Yun , Zook James , Boutet Sébastien , Cherezov Vadim , Spence John C. H. , Fromme Raimund , Weierstall Uwe , Fromme Petra
Published: June 2015

Serial femtosecond crystallography (SFX) has opened a new era in crystallography by permitting nearly damage-free, room-temperature structure determination of challenging proteins such as membrane proteins. In SFX, femtosecond X-ray free-electron laser pulses produce diffraction snapshots from nanocrystals and microcrystals delivered in a liquid jet, which leads to high protein consumption. A slow-moving stream of agarose has been developed as a new crystal delivery medium for SFX. It has low background scattering, is compatible with both soluble and membrane proteins, and can deliver the protein crystals at a wide range of temperatures down to 4°C. Using this crystal-laden agarose stream, the structure of a multi-subunit complex, phycocyanin, was solved to 2.5 Å resolution using 300 µg of microcrystals embedded into the agarose medium post-crystallization. The agarose delivery method reduces protein consumption by at least 100-fold and has the potential to be used for a diverse population of proteins, including membrane protein complexes.
Crystal structure of [(E)-({2-[3-(2-{(1E)-[(carbamothioylamino)imino]methyl}phenoxy)propoxy]phenyl}methylidene)amino]thiourea with an unknown solvate
Authors: Mague Joel T. , Mohamed Shaaban K. , Akkurt Mehmet , Younes Sabry H. H. , Albayati Mustafa R.
Published: June 2015

The title molecule, C19H22N6O2S2, has crystallographically imposedC2symmetry, with the central C atom lying on the rotation axis. The O—C—C—C torsion angle for the central chain is −59.22 (16)° and the dihedral angle between the planes of the benzene rings is 75.20 (7)°. In the crystal, N—H...O and N—H...S interactions link the molecules, forming a three-dimensional network encompassing channels running parallel to thecaxis, which account for about 20% of the unit-cell volume. The contribution to the scattering from the highly disordered solvent molecules in these channels was removed with the SQUEEZE routine [Spek (2015).Acta Cryst. C71, 9–18] inPLATON. The stated crystal data forMr, μetc.do not take these into account.
The crystal structure of 4′-{4-[(2,2,5,5-tetramethyl-N-oxyl-3-pyrrolin-3-yl)ethynyl]phenyl}-2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine
Authors: Meyer Andreas , Wiecek Jennifer , Schnakenburg Gregor , Schiemann Olav
Published: June 2015

The terpyridine group of the title compound, C31H27N4O, assumes an all-transoidconformation and is essentially planar with the dihedral angles between the mean planes of the central pyridine and the two outer rings amounting to 3.87 (5) and 1.98 (5)°. The pyrroline-N-oxyl group commonly seen in such nitroxyls is found in the title structure and the mean plane of the pyrroline ring subtends a dihedral angle of 88.44 (7)° to the mean plane of the central pyridine ring. The intramolecular separation between the nitrogen atom of the central pyridine unit of the terpyridine group and the nitroxyl group is 14.120 (2) Å. In the crystal, the molecules are arranged in layers stacked along [001]. Slipped face-to-face π–π interactions between the pyridine rings are observed along this direction with the shortest centroid–centroid distances amounting to 3.700 (1) and 3.781 (1) Å. Furthermore, edge-on C—H...π interactions between the phenylene rings of neighbouring molecules are observed along this direction. A two-dimensional C—H...O hydrogen-bonded network is formed within the (010) plane. The shortest O...O separation between neighbouring molecules is 5.412 (3) Å.
Crystal structure of 3-acetyl-4H-chromen-4-one
Authors: Ishikawa Yoshinobu
Published: June 2015

In the title compound, C11H8O3, the fused-ring system is almost planar (r.m.s. deviation = 0.020 Å), with the largest deviation from the least-squares plane [0.0462 (17) Å] being for a pyran C atom. The dihedral angle between the plane of the fused-ring system and acetyl plane is 5.149 (16)°. In the crystal, the fused rings are linked by aromatic π–π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distance between the benzene and pyran rings = 3.643 (6) Å] and C—H...O hydrogen bonds, generating a three-dimensional network.
Fair value: model proposal for the dairy sector
Authors: Oliveira Jonas da Silva , Azevedo Graça Maria do Carmo , Santos Cláudia da Silva Amaral , Vasconcelos Sandra Cristina Santos
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it intends to assess the level of comparability of the fair value-based valuation criteria for biological assets of Portuguese dairy farms after the adoption of the Portuguese Accounting Standardization System. Second, it presents an innovative valuation model to assess the fair value of dairy herds.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper conducts a multiple case study at dairy farms in the central region of Portugal which had adopted the new Accounting Standardization System. Data were captured through interviews to assess how dairy farms were using the new valuation criteria required by this recent accounting frame of reference. A proposal for a model to measure fair value is presented.

Findings

– Main findings indicate that market values for dairy production animals are inconsistent, reducing financial information comparability levels. To solve these problems, the authors propose a new model to assess fair value based on the net present value (NPV) of future cash-flows. This is a possible method to measure bovines that are in a breeding stage and it will assure the comparability of financial statements among dairy farms.

Research limitations/implications

– The study is confined to one case study and one country, not allowing generalization.

Originality/value

– Results indicate the need to harmonize one possible method for measuring cattle that are in a breeding stage. In order to overcome these shortcomings, a model was designed to calculate the fair value of dairy production based on the NPV of future economic benefits.
Does weather matter? How rainfall affects credit risk in agricultural microfinance
Authors: Pelka Niels , Musshoff Oliver , Weber Ron
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– Small-scale farmers in developing countries are undersupplied with capital. Although microfinance institutions (MFIs) have become well established in developing countries, they have not significantly extended their services to farmers. It is generally believed that this is partly due to the riskiness of lending to farmers. The purpose of this paper is to combine original data from a Madagascan MFI with weather data to estimate the effect of rainfall on the repayment performance of loans granted to farmers.

Design/methodology/approach

– The basis of the empirical analysis is a unique data set of a commercial MFI in Madagascar and weather data provided by the German Meteorological Service. The repayment performance of loans granted to small-scale farmers is estimated using a two-step estimation approach based on linear probability models (LPMs) and a sequential logit model (SLM).

Findings

– The results reveal that an excessive amount of rain in the harvest period of rice increases the credit risk of loans granted to small-scale farmers in Madagascar. Furthermore, the results confirm that credit features affect the repayment performance of loans.

Research limitations/implications

– Since the returns from weather index-based insurance (at least as a future contract) are perfectly correlated with weather events, the authors can set the effect of weather events on the repayment performance of loans equal to the effect of the returns of weather index-based insurance on the repayment performance of loans. Thus, the results imply that weather index-based insurance might have the potential to mitigate a certain part of the risk in agricultural lending.

Practical implications

– The focus and results of the present study are very relevant for MFIs, potential providers of weather index-based insurances as well as for farmers. The results confirm that weather events are a primary reason for the risk perception of lenders in developing countries toward small-scale farmers. Future research should, hence, concentrate on the development of index-based insurances in agricultural lending and consider interventions on different levels, e.g., insurance on the farm and the bank level.

Originality/value

– To the knowledge, this is the first study that combines original loan repayment data from a Madagascan MFI with weather data in order to estimate the effect of weather events on the repayment performance of loans granted to farmers. Furthermore, to the knowledge, this is the first study that uses a two-step estimation approach based on LPMs and a SLM to investigate the repayment performance in agricultural lending.
Unlocking the social domain in sustainable development
Authors: Thiel Monica
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– Beginning with a multitude of differing definitions and theories of CSR and sustainability, an analysis of the effects and impacts of the social domain to remain an untapped resource to strengthen and merge the practice of sustainable development. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

– Utilizing a systematic review of literature between 1977 and 2013 about CSR and sustainability definitions and theories to reveal knowledge fragmentation in the use of the social domain and its implications within sustainable development.

Findings

– Identifies the gaps of the social domain in sustainable development and raises awareness to advance sustainable development beyond current sustainable development strategies, initiatives and practices. The pertinent publications from the inclusion and exclusion criteria in the systematic literature review were analyzed to determine how the social domain is used and interpreted in CSR and sustainability. Based upon the findings, four themes represent the social domain as socio-economics, stakeholders, societal well-being and social sustainability with suggestions for further research.

Research limitations/implications

– The systematic literature review searched one academic search engine and focussed on journals and books written in English.

Originality/value

– The contribution of the paper highlights, first, how an underdeveloped social domain can contribute toward multiple meanings of sustainable development and the social domain’s untapped capacity to develop a clearer standard definition of sustainable development and second, the potential to advance competitive advantage for corporations and governments.
Human sensitivity towards nature: Eastern and Western perspectives
Authors: Randerson Anne K.
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to focus on the religious and philosophical ways humans view nature, and how we perceive and treat our planet, including all its living entities. Its purpose is to make a positive influence on individuals living in the Eastern and Western hemispheres, so that those who are unaware may be given an unexpected glimpse at our current human situation, which appears increasingly discouraging with regard to sensitivity towards nature.

Design/methodology/approach

– By offering a subtle, insightful view of human nature and its connection to religion and the universe, rather than facts and statistics on pollution alone, this conceptual paper introduces theoretical and philosophical discussions from comparative literature as well as narratives from actual interviews conducted in Japan.

Findings

– As human beings, we need to better define our position in this world, in order to learn to appreciate the true value of our own existence. With regard to the question of where humans lie in nature, a basic difference exists between Asian and Western views. The Asian view of nature has traditionally regarded humans and the universe as continually interacting together – human beings are an integral part of life. This differs from the basic Western notion of humans and nature comprising two separate, opposing elements.

Originality/value

– This paper offers readers a deeper understanding of how humans feel and perceive nature, to help them realize how urgent it is for us to respect our natural resources on Earth.
Living in the end times: a short course addressing end of life issues for older people in an English parish church setting
Authors: Collicutt Joanna
Published: June 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to report a pilot study that evaluated an innovative practice in a faith community context designed to help older people live well at the end of life and prepare for death.

Design/methodology/approach

– A simple audit of the intervention using a contemporaneous journal kept by the author, and a follow up questionnaire completed by participants.

Findings

– Rich findings on the process are reported. These indicate a high degree of engagement by participants, the establishment of a high degree of group intimacy and trust, a high level of articulation of wisdom, the emergence of significant anxiety in some isolated cases, and the use made of tea and cake to manage the transition between the existentially demanding nature of the discussions and normal life. The outcome indicated very high levels of appreciation and increased confidence in relation to issues of death and dying.

Practical implications

– The findings of the pilot have been used to inform training of clergy in the principles of working in this area (e.g. in ways of managing group dynamics and anxiety, pacing, tuning in to archetypes and the natural symbols that people use to talk about death and dying, self-care and supervision of the programme leader/facilitator).

Originality/value

– The paper adds to knowledge in terms of an in depth description of processes at work in a group of older people working on spiritual and practical issues in relation to death, and offers ideas for supporting older people in this process, some of which are specific to the Christian tradition, and some of which are more widely applicable to people of all faiths and none. It gives a specific worked example of what “spiritual care” in this area might look like.
Pirfenidone‐induced photoleukomelanoderma in a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Authors: Tsuruta Aoi , Washio Ken , Fukunaga Atsushi , Nishigori Chikako
Published: June 2015

This is believed to be the first report of pirfenidone‐induced photoleukomelanoderma. We discuss the male predominance of photosensitivity induced by pirfenidone. Both ultraviolet (UV)‐A and UV‐B seemed to be included within the action spectrum of this disorder. Although pirfenidone is a key drug for the treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, clinicians should be aware of the high prevalence of photosensitivity and perform sufficient patient education for comprehensive photoprotection before prescription.
Frequency of metabolic syndrome in patients with knuckle pads
Authors: Saylam Kurtipek Gulcan , Kutlu Orkide , Duran Cevdet , Kurku Huseyin , Ataseven Arzu , Tuncez Akyurek Fatma
Published: June 2015

Knuckle pads are hyperkeratotic, benign skin lesions that we commonly observe in obese patients. There is no study that investigates the association between metabolic syndrome (MetS) and knuckle pads. We aimed to investigate the frequency of MetS in patients with knuckle pads. Forty‐seven patients with knuckle pads and 46 age‐ and sex‐matched controls were enrolled. The presence of MetS was evaluated according to National Cholesterol Education Program–Adult Treatment Panel III criteria. In the patient group, waist circumference (P < 0.01), body mass index (BMI; P < 0.01), and systolic (P < 0.01) and diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.01) were higher than controls, and most of the patients had a history of hypertension (P < 0.01). The presence of MetS was found in 66% of the patients with knuckle pads and in 52.2% of the controls (P = 0.25). In the patient group, compared with controls, more patients had blood pressure above reference values or were on antihypertensive therapy (70.2% and 43.5%, P = 0.017, respectively), and had greater waist circumference value (93.6% and 76.1%, P = 0.038, respectively). The presence of the other three criteria were similar in both groups. Although we found similar MetS frequency in both groups, patients with knuckle pads should be examined for the presence of MetS components, especially abdominal obesity and hypertension.
Salt body detection from seismic data via sparse representation
Authors: Ramirez Carlos , Larrazabal German , Gonzalez Gladys
Published: June 2015

In seismic interpretation and seismic data analysis, it is of critical importance to effectively identify certain geologic formations from very large seismic data sets. In particular, the problem of salt characterization from seismic data can lead to important savings in time during the interpretation process if solved efficiently and in an automatic manner. In this work, we present a novel numerical approach that is able to automatically segmenting or identifying salt structures from a post‐stack seismic data set with a minimum intervention from the interpreter. The proposed methodology is based on the recent theory of sparse representation and consists in three major steps: first, a supervised learning assisted by the user which is performed only once, second a segmentation process via unconstrained ℓ1 optimization, and finally a post‐processing step based on signal separation. Furthermore, since the second step only depends upon local information at each time, the whole process greatly benefits from parallel computing platforms. We conduct numerical experiments in a synthetic 3D seismic data set demonstrating the viability of our method. More specifically, we found that the proposed approach matches up to 98.53% with respect to the corresponding 3D velocity model available in advance. Finally, in appendixes A and B, we present a convergence analysis providing theoretical guarantees for the proposed method.
Trade‐offs in parasitism efficiency and brood size mediate parasitoid coexistence, with implications for biological control of the invasive emerald ash borer
Authors: Wang Xiao‐Yi , Jennings David E. , Duan Jian J.
Published: June 2015

Parasitoids often are selected for use as biological control agents because of their high host specificity, yet such host specificity can result in strong interspecific competition. Few studies have examined whether and how various extrinsic factors (such as parasitism efficiency, i.e. the ability to optimize host‐finding attack rates) influence the outcome of competition between parasitoids, even though they could have profound effects on the implementation of classical biological control programmes.

To determine the potential influence of extrinsic competition and coexistence on host suppression efficacy, we compared parasitism by two larval parasitoids (Tetrastichus planipennisiandSpathius galinae) of the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB)Agrilus planipennis, under different host densities, parasitoid densities, host plant sizes and parasitoid–host ratios.

Spathius galinaehad significantly higher parasitism efficiency (≈4 times), but significantly lower brood size (>6 times) than that ofT. planipennisi. The attack rates of hosts increased significantly with parasitoid density, whereas host density did not significantly affect multiparasitism. The parasitism rate ofT. planipennision small host logs was significantly higher than that on large logs, while host plant (log) size had no significant impact onS. galinaeparasitism.

The multiparasitism rate was rather low regardless of host log size and parasitoid/host density, indicating that intrinsic competition between the two species of parasitoids might seldom occur in the field. The two species of parasitoids could therefore coexist in the same habitat, and any adverse effects on the suppression ofEABpopulations caused by competitive behaviour between the two species of parasitoids would likely be negligible.

Synthesis and applications. Our findings suggest that introducing multiple species of parasitic natural enemies could be feasible for management of invasive species, but it is important to examine multiple extrinsic factors simultaneously when evaluating interspecific competition between them. Among these different extrinsic factors, we found that coexistence between parasitoids can be mediated by trade‐offs in their parasitism efficiency and brood sizes. Thus, the differences in life‐history traits of natural enemies could be used to select among biological control agents being considered for releases.
Assessing the efficacy and ecology of biocontrol and biomanipulation for managing invasive pest fish
Authors: Davies Gareth D. , Britton J. Robert
Published: June 2015

Management of non‐native species aims to prevent biological invasions using actions including control and containment of the potential invader. Biocontrol and biomanipulation strategies are used frequently to reduce population sizes of non‐native species and reduce their ecological impacts and dispersal rates.

Assessments of the efficacy of biocontrol and biomanipulation actions for managing non‐native pest fish, and the ecological mechanisms involved, were studied here using lentic populations of the invasive fish Pseudorasbora parva. Biocontrol was through release of the indigenous piscivorous fish Perca fluviatilis and biomanipulation through intensive fish removals.

A combined biocontrol and removal programme was completed in an invaded pond over two reproductive seasons. Almost 10 000 P. parva were removed, with cumulative removal numbers significantly related to their decreased abundance (>60 to <0·1 m−2). Ten adult P. fluviatilis were also released initially and reproduced each season. Analyses revealed P. parva contribution to P. fluviatilis diet was high initially, but decreased as P. parva abundance reduced. Individual contributions of the management actions to declined P. parva abundance were difficult to isolate.

The individual effects of biocontrol and removals on P. parva populations were then tested using a field trial in replicated pond mesocosms over three reproductive seasons. Replicates started with 1500 P. parva. The control (no interventions) revealed no significant temporal changes in P. parva abundances. In the removal treatment, where over 17 000 P. parva were removed per replicate over the trial, abundance declined initially, but increased significantly after each reproductive season as remaining fish compensated through increased reproductive output. In the biocontrol, abundance declined and remained low; analyses revealed P. parva were an important dietary component of larger P. fluviatilis, with predation suppressing compensatory responses.

Synthesis and applications. Biocontrol and removals can significantly reduce abundances of lentic populations of small invasive fishes. Removals provide short‐term population suppression, but high effort is needed to overcome compensatory responses. Biocontrol can provide longer‐term suppression but could invoke unintended ecological consequences via ‘stocking‐up’ food webs. Application of these results to decision‐making frameworks should enable managers to make more objective decisions on risk‐commensurate methodologies for controlling small invasive fishes.
Modelling short‐rotation coppice and tree planting for urban carbon management – a citywide analysis
Authors: McHugh Nicola , Edmondson Jill L. , Gaston Kevin J. , Leake Jonathan R. , O'Sullivan Odhran S.
Published: June 2015

The capacity of urban areas to deliver provisioning ecosystem services is commonly overlooked and underutilized. Urban populations have globally increased fivefold since 1950, and they disproportionately consume ecosystem services and contribute to carbon emissions, highlighting the need to increase urban sustainability and reduce environmental impacts of urban dwellers. Here, we investigated the potential for increasing carbon sequestration, and biomass fuel production, by planting trees and short‐rotation coppice (SRC), respectively, in a mid‐sized UK city as a contribution to meeting national commitments to reduce CO2 emissions.

Iterative GIS models were developed using high‐resolution spatial data. The models were applied to patches of public and privately owned urban greenspace suitable for planting trees and SRC, across the 73 km2 area of the city of Leicester. We modelled tree planting with a species mix based on the existing tree populations, and SRC with willow and poplar to calculate biomass production in new trees, and carbon sequestration into harvested biomass over 25 years.

An area of 11 km2 comprising 15% of the city met criteria for tree planting and had the potential over 25 years to sequester 4200 tonnes of carbon above‐ground. Of this area, 5·8 km2 also met criteria for SRC planting and over the same period this could yield 71 800 tonnes of carbon in harvested biomass.

The harvested biomass could supply energy to over 1566 domestic homes or 30 municipal buildings, resulting in avoided carbon emissions of 29 236 tonnes of carbon over 25 years when compared to heating by natural gas. Together with the net carbon sequestration into trees, a total reduction of 33 419 tonnes of carbon in the atmosphere could be achieved in 25 years by combined SRC and tree planting across the city.

Synthesis and applications. We demonstrate that urban greenspaces in a typical UK city are underutilized for provisioning ecosystem services by trees and especially SRC, which has high biomass production potential. For urban greenspace management, we recommend that planting SRC in urban areas can contribute to reducing food–fuel conflicts on agricultural land and produce renewable energy sources close to centres of population and demand.
Long‐term avian community response to housing development at the boundary of US protected areas: effect size increases with time
Authors: Wood Eric M. , Pidgeon Anna M. , Radeloff Volker C. , Helmers David P. , Culbert Patrick D. , Keuler Nicholas S. , Flather Curtis H.
Published: June 2015

Biodiversity conservation is a primary function of protected areas. However, protected areas also attract people, and therefore, land use has intensified at the boundaries of these lands globally. In the USA, since the 1970s, housing growth at the boundaries (<1 km) of protected areas has increased at a rate far higher than on more distant private lands. Here, we designed our analyses to address our central hypothesis that increasing housing density in and near protected areas will increasingly alter their avian communities.

We quantified the relationship between abundance and richness of protected‐area avian species of greatest conservation need, land‐cover affiliates (e.g. species associated with natural land cover such as forest breeders) and synanthropes (e.g. species associated with humans) with housing density on the boundary of protected areas and on more distant private lands from 1970 to 2010 in three ecoregions of the USA. We accomplished this using linear mixed‐model analyses, data from the US Census Bureau and 90 routes of the North American Breeding Bird Survey.

Housing density at the boundary of protected areas tended to be strongly negatively related with the abundance and richness of species of greatest conservation need and land‐cover affiliates (upwards of 88% of variance explained) and strongly positively related with synanthropes (upwards of 83% of variance explained). The effect size of these relationships increased in most cases from 1970 to 2010 and was greatest in the densely developed eastern forests. In the more sparsely populated West, we found similar, though weaker, associations.

Housing density on private lands more distant from protected areas had similar, but more muted negative effects.

Synthesis and applications. Our results illustrate that as housing density has increased along the boundary of protected areas, the conservation benefit of these lands has likely diminished. We urge conservation planners to prioritize the purchase of private‐land inholdings in order to maximize the extent of unfragmented natural lands within protected areas. Further, we strongly recommend that land‐use planners implement boundary management strategies to alter the pattern of human access to protected areas, cluster development to concentrate the footprint of rural housing, and establish conservation agreements through local land trusts to buffer protected areas from the effects of development along protected‐area boundaries. To maximize the conservation benefit of protected areas, we suggest that housing development should be restricted within 1 km of their boundaries.
Let there be bioluminescence: development of a biophotonic imaging platform for in situ analyses of oral biofilms in animal models
Authors: Merritt Justin , Senpuku Hidenobu , Kreth Jens
Published: June 2015

In the current study, we describe a novel biophotonic imaging‐based reporter system that is particularly useful for the study of virulence in polymicrobial infections and interspecies interactions within animal models. A suite of luciferase enzymes was compared using three early colonizing species of the human oral flora (Streptococcus mutans, Streptococcus gordonii and Streptococcus sanguinis) to determine the utility of the different reporters for multiplexed imaging studies in vivo. Using the multiplex approach, we were able to track individual species within a dual‐species oral infection model in mice with both temporal and spatial resolution. We also demonstrate how biophotonic imaging of multiplexed luciferase reporters could be adapted for real‐time quantification of bacterial gene expression in situ. By creating an inducible dual‐luciferase expressing reporter strain of S. mutans, we were able to exogenously control and measure expression of nlmAB (encoding the bacteriocin mutacin IV) within mice to assess its importance for the persistence ability of S. mutans in the oral cavity. The imaging system described in the current study circumvents many of the inherent limitations of current animal model systems, which should now make it feasible to test hypotheses that were previously impractical to model.
CaCO3 and SrCO3 bioprecipitation by fungi isolated from calcareous soil
Authors: Li Qianwei , Csetenyi Laszlo , Paton Graeme Iain , Gadd Geoffrey Michael
Published: June 2015

The urease‐positive fungi Pestalotiopsis sp. and Myrothecium gramineum, isolated from calcareous soil, were examined for their properties of CaCO3 and SrCO3 biomineralization. After incubation in media amended with urea and CaCl2 and/or SrCl2, calcite (CaCO3), strontianite (SrCO3), vaterite in different forms [CaCO3, (CaxSr1−x)CO3] and olekminskite [Sr(Sr,Ca)(CO3)2] were precipitated, and fungal ‘footprints’ were observed on mineral surfaces. The amorphous precipitate mediated by Pestalotiopsis sp. grown with urea and equivalent concentrations of CaCl2 and SrCl2 was identified as hydrated Ca and Sr carbonates by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Liquid media experiments showed M. gramineum possessed the highest Sr2+ removal ability, and ∼ 49% of supplied Sr2+ was removed from solution when grown in media amended with urea and 50 mM SrCl2. Furthermore, this organism could also precipitate 56% of the available Ca2+ and 28% of the Sr2+ in the form of CaCO3, SrCO3 and (CaxSr1−x)CO3 when incubated in urea‐amended media and equivalent CaCl2 and SrCl2 concentrations. This is the first report of biomineralization of olekminskite and coprecipitation of Sr into vaterite mediated by fungi. These findings suggest that urease‐positive fungi could play an important role in the environmental fate, bioremediation or biorecovery of Sr or other metals and radionuclides that form insoluble carbonates.
Unconventional membrane lipid biosynthesis in Xanthomonas campestris
Authors: Aktas Meriyem , Narberhaus Franz
Published: June 2015

All bacteria are surrounded by at least one bilayer membrane mainly composed of phospholipids (PLs). Biosynthesis of the most abundant PLs phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylglycerol (PG) and cardiolipin (CL) is well understood in model bacteria such as Escherichia coli. It recently emerged, however, that the diversity of bacterial membrane lipids is huge and that not yet explored biosynthesis pathways exist, even for the common PLs. A good example is the plant pathogen Xanthomonas campestris pv. campestris. It contains PE, PG and CL as major lipids and small amounts of the N‐methylated PE derivatives monomethyl PE and phosphatidylcholine (PC = trimethylated PE). Xanthomonas campestris uses a repertoire of canonical and non‐canonical enzymes for the synthesis of its membrane lipids. In this minireview, we briefly recapitulate standard pathways and integrate three recently discovered pathways into the overall picture of bacterial membrane biosynthesis.
Acclimation of Emiliania huxleyi (1516) to nutrient limitation involves precise modification of the proteome to scavenge alternative sources of N and P
Authors: McKew Boyd A. , Metodieva Gergana , Raines Christine A. , Metodiev Metodi V. , Geider Richard J.
Published: June 2015

Limitation of marine primary production by the availability of nitrogen or phosphorus is common. Emiliania huxleyi, a ubiquitous phytoplankter that plays key roles in primary production, calcium carbonate precipitation and production of dimethyl sulfide, often blooms in mid‐latitude at the beginning of summer when inorganic nutrient concentrations are low. To understand physiological mechanisms that allow such blooms, we examined how the proteome of E. huxleyi (strain 1516) responds to N and P limitation. We observed modest changes in much of the proteome despite large physiological changes (e.g. cellular biomass, C, N and P) associated with nutrient limitation of growth rate. Acclimation to nutrient limitation did however involve significant increases in the abundance of transporters for ammonium and nitrate under N limitation and for phosphate under P limitation. More notable were large increases in proteins involved in the acquisition of organic forms of N and P, including urea and amino acid/polyamine transporters and numerous C‐N hydrolases under N limitation and a large upregulation of alkaline phosphatase under P limitation. This highly targeted reorganization of the proteome towards scavenging organic forms of macronutrients gives unique insight into the molecular mechanisms that underpin how E. huxleyi has found its niche to bloom in surface waters depleted of inorganic nutrients.
Specific global responses to N and Fe nutrition in toxic and non‐toxic Microcystis aeruginosa
Authors: Alexova Ralitza , Dang The Cuong , Fujii Manabu , Raftery Mark J. , Waite T. David , Ferrari Belinda C. , Neilan Brett A.
Published: June 2015

The bloom‐forming cyanobacteria species Microcystis aeruginosa includes toxic and non‐toxic (microcystin‐producing) strains. Certain stress conditions stimulate synthesis of microcystin (MCYST) and enhance the binding of the MCYST molecule to proteins. In this quantitative proteomic study, we compared the response of a wild‐type toxic strain PCC 7806, an mcyH− knockout non‐toxic strain, and a naturally occurring non‐toxic strain, PCC 7005, after 8 days in low iron (Fe) and nitrogen (N) starvation in order to assess the benefit of MCYST synthesis in non‐optimal conditions. Fe limitation increased MCYST synthesis and caused an accumulation of phycobilisome proteins and the ferric iron transporter FutA only in the toxic PCC 7806 but not the non‐toxic strains. In N starvation, photosynthetic, C and N metabolism proteins were more abundant in the non‐toxic strains, as were chaperones and proteases. Significant interaction between nutrient availability and toxicity existed for thioredoxin peroxidase and several thioredoxin‐regulated proteins. We propose a competition of MCYST for binding sites in thioredoxin‐regulated proteins during oxidative stress (low Fe) but not in growth‐limiting conditions (low N). This then leads to differences in the regulation of C:N metabolism in toxic and non‐toxic M. aeruginosa in nutrient‐replete and nutrient‐limited conditions.
Endomicrobium proavitum, the first isolate of Endomicrobia class. nov. (phylum Elusimicrobia) – an ultramicrobacterium with an unusual cell cycle that fixes nitrogen with a Group IV nitrogenase
Authors: Zheng Hao , Dietrich Carsten , Radek Renate , Brune Andreas
Published: June 2015

The bacterial tree contains many deep‐rooting clades without any cultured representatives. One such clade is ‘Endomicrobia’, a class‐level lineage in the phylum Elusimicrobia represented so far only by intracellular symbionts of termite gut flagellates. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of the first free‐living member of this clade from sterile‐filtered gut homogenate of defaunated (starch‐fed) Reticulitermes santonensis. Strain Rsa215 is a strictly anaerobic ultramicrobacterium that grows exclusively on glucose, which is fermented to lactate, acetate, hydrogen and CO2. Ultrastructural analysis revealed a Gram‐negative cell envelope and a peculiar cell cycle. The genome contains a single set of nif genes that encode homologues of Group IV nitrogenases, which were so far considered to have functions other than nitrogen fixation. We documented nitrogenase activity and diazotrophic growth by measuring acetylene reduction activity and 15N2 incorporation into cell mass, and demonstrated that transcription of nifH and nitrogenase activity occur only in the absence of ammonium. Based on the ancestral relationship to ‘Candidatus Endomicrobium trichonymphae’ and other obligate endosymbionts, we propose the name ‘Endomicrobium proavitum’ gen. nov., sp. nov. for the first isolate of this lineage and the name ‘Endomicrobia’ class. nov. for the entire clade.