bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Yield reductions in agricultural grasslands in Norway after springtime grazing by pink‐footed geese
Authors: Bergjord Olsen Anne Kari , Bjerke Jarle W. , Tombre Ingunn M. 
Published: April 2017

Summary

A large population increase of the Svalbard‐breeding pink‐footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus over recent decades has intensified the conflict with agriculture at the spring‐staging sites in Norway. Knowledge of the yield loss caused by goose grazing in these northern areas is lacking, and the motivation behind the study was to quantify a relationship between grazing pressure and yield loss of agricultural grasslands and corresponding changes in vegetation composition.

Field trials were established on agricultural grasslands at four sites in central Norway. Eight plots were established at each site; four with exclosures to exclude or reduce grazing from geese and four with access for the geese. The exact same plots were followed for 2–4 years. Dropping density, used as a measure of grazing pressure, and compressed sward height were recorded throughout the goose staging periods, and dry matter yield was determined at first and second harvests. Plant samples from first harvests were analysed for vegetation composition.

Grazing pressure varied between both years and sites. Exclosures reduced grazing pressure by 75–78% during high‐pressure grazing periods and increased first harvest yields by up to 31%. At lower grazing pressure, exclosures prevented grazing completely. Grazing pressure was inversely correlated with dry matter yield at first harvest, but second harvest yields were unaffected.

The fraction of sown species declined while the fraction of weeds increased during the study both in open plots and exclosures, but level of grazing pressure did not have any significant influence on the overall fraction of sown species, or in any specific year.

Synthesis and applications. As the same plots were measured over several years, it was possible to quantify goose‐grazing effects beyond one season. In the context of the wildlife‐agriculture conflict, the results demonstrate that some farmers always suffer disproportionately with yearly variations. The relationship between grazing pressure and yield loss may provide knowledge to a regional goose grazing subsidy scheme in the study area, identifying the most affected areas and distributing the subsidies correspondingly. However, the seasonal variations in grazing pressure demonstrate the difficulty of targeting exact areas on a yearly basis. On the other hand, the observed variations may promote another management tool in the form of delayed ploughing of stubble fields before spring sowing, as stubble fields may attract more geese, reducing the grazing pressure on agricultural grasslands and hence the overall conflicts with agricultural interests.
Restoration of endangered fen communities: the ambiguity of iron–phosphorus binding and phosphorus limitation
Authors: Emsens W.‐J. , Aggenbach C.J.S. , Smolders A.J.P. , Zak D. , van Diggelen R. 
Published: April 2017

Summary

Low phosphorus (P) availability limits plant biomass production in fens, which is a prerequisite for the persistence of many endangered plant species. We hypothesized that P limitation is linked to soil iron (Fe) content and soil Fe : P ratios as iron compounds provide binding sites for dissolved P, presumably reducing P availability to plants.

We sampled 30 fens in a trans‐European field survey to determine how soil Fe pools relate to pools of P and Fe‐bound P, and we measured vegetation P uptake and N : P ratio to assess where P limitation occurs. Next, we determined P uptake by Carex rostrata in experimental fen mesocosms to investigate interactive effects of soil Fe and P pools (and fractions) and water levels (drained or rewetted).

The field survey revealed that soil P pools correlate positively with soil Fe pools, regardless of fen degradation level, location or sampling depth. Moreover, soil Fe and P pools correlated positively with P uptake by the vegetation and negatively with vegetation N : P ratios. Generally, N : P ratios dropped below 10 g g−1 whenever thresholds of 15 mmol Fe L−1 soil and 3·3 mmol P L−1 soil were exceeded. Endangered fen species mainly thrived in Fe‐ (and thus P‐) poor fens.

The mesocosm experiment further showed that interactions between water levels and P pools determined plant P uptake: although fen rewetting led to an overall increase in P uptake, plants that had grown on drained Fe‐rich soils with large acid‐extractable P pools (>1·6 mmol Pacid L−1) could still sequester large quantities of P. Soil Fe : P ratio had no effect on P uptake.

Synthesis and applications. Our findings have important implications for the management and restoration of endangered fen communities. We demonstrated the existence of an iron–phosphorus (Fe–P) binding ambiguity in fens: large Fe pools ‘trap’ mobile P, thereby enhancing overall P availability to plants rather than diminishing it. For P limitation, we suggest an empirical threshold of <3·3 mmol P L−1 soil, which is mainly found in Fe‐poor fens. Restoring fens by rewetting increases the relative availability of P and may not always result in favourable conditions for endangered fen communities. Rewetting of drained fens is most likely to be successful if soil P and Fe pools are well below 3·3 and 15 mmol L−1 respectively.
Fixation of CO2 using the ethylmalonyl‐CoA pathway in the photoheterotrophic marine bacterium Dinoroseobacter shibae
Authors: Bill Nelli , Tomasch Jürgen , Riemer Alexander , Müller Katrin , Kleist Sarah , Schmidt‐Hohagen Kerstin , Wagner‐Döbler Irene , Schomburg Dietmar 
Published: April 2017

SummaryThe ability of aerobic anoxygenic photoheterotrophs (AAPs) to gain additional energy from sunlight represents a competitive advantage, especially in conditions where light has easy access or under environmental conditions may change quickly, such as those in the world´s oceans. However, the knowledge about the metabolic consequences of aerobic anoxygenic photosynthesis is very limited. Combining transcriptome and metabolome analyses, isotopic labelling techniques, measurements of growth, oxygen uptake rates, flow cytometry, and a number of other biochemical analytical techniques we obtained a comprehensive overview on the complex adaption of the marine bacterium Dinoroseobacter shibae DFL12T during transition from heterotrophy to photoheterotrophy (growth on succinate). Growth in light was characterized by reduced respiration, a decreased metabolic flux through the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle and the assimilation of CO2 via an enhanced flux through the ethylmalonyl‐CoA (EMC) pathway, which was shown to be connected to the serine metabolism. Adaptation to photoheterotrophy is mainly characterized by metabolic reactions caused by a surplus of reducing potential and might depend on genes located in one operon, encoding branching point enzymes of the EMC pathway, serine metabolism and the TCA cycle.
Methylphosphonate metabolism by Pseudomonas sp. populations contributes to the methane oversaturation paradox in an oxic freshwater lake
Authors: Wang Qian , Dore John E. , McDermott Timothy R. 
Published: April 2017

SummaryThe ‘CH4 oversaturation paradox’ has been observed in oxygen‐rich marine and lake waters, and viewed to significantly contribute to biosphere cycling of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Our study focused on the intriguing well‐defined pelagic methane enriched zone (PMEZ) in freshwater lakes. Spiking Yellowstone Lake PMEZ samples with 13C‐labeled potential methanogenesis substrates found only 13C‐methylphosphonate (MPn) resulted in 13CH4 generation. In 16S rRNA gene Illumina libraries, four Pseudomonas sp. operational taxonomic units surprisingly accounted for ∼11% abundance in the PMEZ community. Pseudomonas sp. isolates were also obtained from MPn enrichments with PMEZ water; they were most aggressive in MPn metabolism and their 16S rRNA gene sequences matched 35% of the Illumina PMEZ Pseudomonas reads. Further, two key genes encoding C‐P lyase (phnJL, an important enzyme for dealkylation of MPn), were only amplifiable from PMEZ DNA and all PCR generated phnJL clones matched those of the Pseudomonas sp. isolates. Notably, methanogen 16S rRNA signatures were absent in all Illumina libraries and mcrA was not detected via PCR. Collectively, these observations are consistent with the conclusion that MPn metabolism contributes significantly to CH4 oversaturation in Yellowstone Lake and likely other oxic freshwater lake environments, and that Pseudomonas sp. populations are critical participants.
Leucine, starch and bicarbonate utilization by specific bacterial groups in surface shelf waters off Galicia (NWSpain)
Authors: Teira E. , Hernando‐Morales V. , Guerrero‐Feijóo E. , Varela M. M. 
Published: April 2017

SummaryThe capability of different bacterial populations to degrade abundant polymers, such as algal‐derived polysaccharides, or to utilize preferentially polymers over monomers, remains largely unknown. In this study, microautoradiography was combined with fluorescence in situ hybridization (MAR‐FISH) to evaluate the ability of Bacteroidetes, SAR11, Roseobacter spp., Gammaproteobacteria and SAR86 cells to use bicarbonate, leucine and starch under natural light conditions at two locations in shelf surface waters off NW Spain. The percentage of cells incorporating bicarbonate was relatively high (mean 32% ± 4%) and was positively correlated with the intensity of solar radiation. The proportion of cells using starch (mean 56% ± 4%) or leucine (mean 47% ± 4%) was significantly higher than that using bicarbonate. On average, SAR11, Roseobacter spp. and Gammaproteobacteria showed a similarly high percentage of cells using leucine (47%–65% of hybridized cells) than using starch (51%–64% of hybridized cells), while Bacteroidetes and SAR86 cells preferentially used starch (53% of hybridized cells) over leucine (34%–40% of hybridized cells). We suggest that the great percentage of bacteria using starch is related to a high ambient availability of polymers associated to algal cell lysis, which, in turn, weakens the short‐term coupling between phytoplankton release and bacterial production.
Proteolysis and antioxidant activity of peptic, tryptic and chymotryptic hydrolysates of cow, buffalo, goat and camel caseins
Authors: Assem Fayza M , Abd El‐Gawad Mona A M , Kassem Jihan M , Abd El‐Salam Mohamed H 
Published: April 2017

Caseins of cow, buffalo, goat and camel milks were hydrolysed using pepsin, trypsin and chymotrypsin. The rate and degree of casein hydrolysis and the antioxidant activity (AA) of the casein hydrolysates (CH) were followed. Camel casein showed the highest rate and degree of hydrolysis with pepsin and trypsin, while cow casein was more rapidly hydrolysed with chymotrypsin than other caseins studied. The AA of all CH increased to a maximum after 24 h of hydrolysis. The AA of tryptic hydrolysates was higher (P < 0.002) than that of peptic hydrolysates. Camel CH exhibited higher AA than hydrolysates of other caseins.
Feasibility and acceptability of introducing routine antenatal contraceptive counselling and provision of contraception after delivery: the APPLES pilot evaluation
Authors: Cameron ST , Craig A , Sim J , Gallimore A , Cowan S , Dundas K , Heller R , Milne D , Lakha F 
Published: April 2017

ObjectiveTo determine the feasibility and acceptability of routine antenatal contraceptive counselling and contraception provision including long‐acting reversible contraception (LARC) postpartum.DesignHealth service research evaluation.SettingCommunity antenatal clinics and hospital maternity settings in National Health Service, Scotland UK.PopulationWomen booked for antenatal care.MethodsContraceptive counselling with a community midwife (22 weeks’ gestation) and provision of contraception (with facilitated access to LARC methods) prior to discharge from maternity hospital. Evaluation consisted of (i) self administered questionnaire (32–34 weeks) of women's views of antenatal contraceptive counselling, (ii) database review of contraceptive methods provided at discharge, and (iii) focus groups with midwives and obstetricians.Main outcome measuresWomen's views on antenatal contraceptive counselling. Secondary outcomes included (i) uptake of LARC methods and (ii) barriers and facilitators to providing antenatal counselling and contraception.ResultsThere were 1369 women in the cohort. Questionnaires were distributed to 1064 women (78%) and completed by 794 (75%). In all, 78% of respondents (n = 621) discussed contraception antenatally with a community midwife and 74% (n = 461) found this helpful. Although 43% of respondents (n = 341) were planning to use LARC, only 9% of the cohort (118 of 1369) received LARC prior to discharge. Community midwives indicated that antenatal contraceptive counselling was now embedded in their role, but hospital staff indicated that workloads impacted upon ability to provide contraception for women.ConclusionsAntenatal contraceptive counselling, delivered by community midwives, is feasible and highly acceptable to women. However, providing contraception and LARC for women before they are discharged home remains a challenge.Tweetable abstractGiving contraceptive advice antenatally is feasible and acceptable.
The Effect of Access to Electronic Health Records on Throughput Efficiency and Imaging Utilization in the Emergency Department
Authors: Knepper Matthew M. , Castillo Edward M. , Chan Theodore C. , Guss David A. 
Published: April 2017

Study ObjectiveTo evaluate whether the availability of Electronic Health Records (EHRs) reduces throughput time and utilization of advanced imaging for patients in an academic ED.Data SourcesAll patients arriving at an academic Emergency Department (ED) via ambulance between June 1, 2011, and June 4, 2012, were included in the study. This accounted for 9,970 unique ambulance patient visits.Study DesignRetrospective noninterventional analysis of patients in an academic ED. The primary independent variable was whether the patient had a prior EHR at the study hospital. Main outcomes were throughput time, number of advanced diagnostic imaging studies (CT, MRI, ultrasound), and the associated cost of these imaging studies. A set of controls, including age, gender, ICD9 codes, acuity measures, and NYU ED algorithm case severity classifications, was used in an ordinary least‐squares (OLS) regression framework to estimate the association between EHR availability and the outcome measures.Principal FindingsA patient with a prior EHR experienced a mean reduction in CT scans of 13.9 percent ([4.9, 23.0]). There was no material change in throughput time for patients with a prior EHR and no difference in utilization of other imaging studies across patients with a prior EHR and those without. Cost savings associated with prior EHRs are $22.52 per patient visit.ConclusionEHR availability for ED patients is associated with a reduction in CT scans and cost savings but had no impact on throughput time or order frequency of other imaging studies.
Trends in Officer‐involved Firearm Deaths in Oklahoma from 2000 to 2015
Authors: Jorgenson Kyla M. , Wiens Andrea L. , Pfeifer Eric A. , Lanter Joshua 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to collect data and disseminate trends in officer‐involved firearm deaths in Oklahoma from 2000 to 2015. The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) database was searched for civilian decedents with gunshot wounds inflicted by law enforcement officers and officer decedents with gunshot wounds inflicted by civilians. Five decedents were law enforcement officers, while 274 decedents were civilians. The number of civilian decedents throughout the study followed a quadratic trend. Civilian decedents were most commonly males (95%) between the ages of 20 and 39 (64%), had one or two gunshot wounds (46%), and had an increasing number of gunshot wounds over time. Postmortem toxicology testing most commonly detected ethanol, methamphetamine, cocaine, and PCP. Efforts toward increased tracking by various agencies and more scientific studies like this are needed to facilitate future analysis of trends in officer‐involved firearm deaths.
Comparative assessment of the thermal tolerance of spotted stemborer, Chilo partellus (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and its larval parasitoid, Cotesia sesamiae (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
Authors: Mutamiswa Reyard , Chidawanyika Frank , Nyamukondiwa Casper 
Published: April 2017

AbstractUnder stressful thermal environments, insects adjust their behavior and physiology to maintain key life‐history activities and improve survival. For interacting species, mutual or antagonistic, thermal stress may affect the participants in differing ways, which may then affect the outcome of the ecological relationship. In agroecosystems, this may be the fate of relationships between insect pests and their antagonistic parasitoids under acute and chronic thermal variability. Against this background, we investigated the thermal tolerance of different developmental stages of Chilo partellus Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) and its larval parasitoid, Cotesia sesamiae Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) using both dynamic and static protocols. When exposed for 2 h to a static temperature, lower lethal temperatures ranged from −9 to 6 °C, −14 to −2 °C, and −1 to 4 °C while upper lethal temperatures ranged from 37 to 48 °C, 41 to 49 °C, and 36 to 39 °C for C. partellus eggs, larvae, and C. sesamiae adults, respectively. Faster heating rates improved critical thermal maxima (CTmax) in C. partellus larvae and adult C. partellus and C. sesamiae. Lower cooling rates improved critical thermal minima (CTmin) in C. partellus and C. sesamiae adults while compromising CTmin in C. partellus larvae. The mean supercooling points (SCPs) for C. partellus larvae, pupae, and adults were −11.82 ± 1.78, −10.43 ± 1.73 and −15.75 ± 2.47, respectively. Heat knock‐down time (HKDT) and chill‐coma recovery time (CCRT) varied significantly between C. partellus larvae and adults. Larvae had higher HKDT than adults, while the latter recovered significantly faster following chill‐coma. Current results suggest developmental stage differences in C. partellus thermal tolerance (with respect to lethal temperatures and critical thermal limits) and a compromised temperature tolerance of parasitoid C. sesamiae relative to its host, suggesting potential asynchrony between host–parasitoid population phenology and consequently biocontrol efficacy under global change. These results have broad implications to biological pest management insect–natural enemy interactions under rapidly changing thermal environments.
treespace: Statistical exploration of landscapes of phylogenetic trees
Authors: Jombart Thibaut , Kendall Michelle , Almagro‐Garcia Jacob , Colijn Caroline 
Published: April 2017

AbstractThe increasing availability of large genomic data sets as well as the advent of Bayesian phylogenetics facilitates the investigation of phylogenetic incongruence, which can result in the impossibility of representing phylogenetic relationships using a single tree. While sometimes considered as a nuisance, phylogenetic incongruence can also reflect meaningful biological processes as well as relevant statistical uncertainty, both of which can yield valuable insights in evolutionary studies. We introduce a new tool for investigating phylogenetic incongruence through the exploration of phylogenetic tree landscapes. Our approach, implemented in the R package treespace, combines tree metrics and multivariate analysis to provide low‐dimensional representations of the topological variability in a set of trees, which can be used for identifying clusters of similar trees and group‐specific consensus phylogenies. treespace also provides a user‐friendly web interface for interactive data analysis and is integrated alongside existing standards for phylogenetics. It fills a gap in the current phylogenetics toolbox in R and will facilitate the investigation of phylogenetic results.
Discussion of “Are Related Party Transactions Red Flags?”
Authors: Jorgensen Bjorn N. , Morley Julia 
Published: April 2017

AbstractKohlbeck and Mayhew () create a new data set featuring two types of related party transactions. They use empirical‐archival methods to investigate the effect of such transactions on the likelihood of restatements and on audit fees. Their findings suggest that related party transactions related to directors, officers and major shareholders are associated with poor “tone at the top” and that this leads management to negotiate for lower‐quality audits to minimize monitoring costs. To offer avenues for future research, we focus our discussion on three aspects of their paper related to causality, definitions of variables, and generalizability to non‐U.S. jurisdictions.
Post‐operative pain relief using local infiltration analgesia during open abdominal hysterectomy: a randomized, double‐blind study
Authors: Hayden J. M. , Oras J. , Karlsson O. I. , Olausson K. G. , Thörn S.‐E. , Gupta A. 
Published: April 2017

BackgroundPost‐operative pain is common and often severe after open abdominal hysterectomy, and analgesic consumption high. This study assessed the efficacy of local infiltration analgesia (LIA) injected systematically into different tissues during surgery compared with saline on post‐operative pain and analgesia.MethodsFifty‐nine patients were randomized to Group LIA (n = 29) consisting of 156 ml of a mixture of 0.2% ropivacaine + 30 mg ketorolac + 0.5 mg (5 ml) adrenaline, where the drugs were injected systematically in the operating site, around the proximal vagina, the ligaments, in the fascia and subcutaneously, or to saline and intravenous ketorolac, Group C (Control, n = 28), in a double‐blind study. Post‐operative pain, analgesic consumption, side‐effects, and home discharge were analysed.ResultsMedian dose of rescue morphine given 0–24 h after surgery was significantly lower in group LIA (18 mg, IQR 5–25 mg) compared with group C (27 mg, IQR 15–43 mg, P = 0.028). Median time to first analgesic injection was significantly longer in group LIA (40 min, IQR 20–60 min) compared with group C (20 min, IQR 12–30 min, P = 0.009). NRS score was lower in the group LIA compared with group C in the direct post‐operative period (0–2 h). No differences were found in post‐operative side‐effects or home discharge between the groups.DiscussionSystematically injected local infiltration analgesia for pain management was superior to saline in the primary endpoint, resulting in significantly lower rescue morphine requirements during 0–24 h, longer time to first analgesic request and lower early post‐operative pain intensity.