bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Illusory bastions
Authors: Fox Robert 
Published: July 2015

Purpose
– This column explores issues regarding the exposure of online patron information, privacy and intellectual freedom. Several angles are explored and ways in which libraries can effectively respond to these issues are proposed.

Design/methodology/approach
– This is a regular journal column.

Findings
– There is a need for balance in our concerns over the use of technology and patron privacy and freedom. On the one hand, libraries have an obligation to maintain patron privacy to promote intellectual freedom. On the other hand, once reasonable steps are taken to protect patrons, an informed-consent approach seems to strike the right balance between protection from constraint and the freedom to research as a person sees fit.

Originality/value
– The Internet is known as the “information highway” but is also an “Internet of Things” where smart devices are connected to one another either through centralized services or peer-to-peer networks. This growing phenomenon is a result as much of the desire to automate as it is the increased expectations for convenience and ease of use. Libraries need to be prepared to protect patrons from external threats to privacy as a response to this situation, as well as educate patrons on the risks associated with data aggregation and exposure through the use of online services.
Effects of agricultural management practices on earthworm populations and crop yield: validation and application of a mechanistic modelling approach
Authors: Johnston Alice S.A. , Sibly Richard M. , Hodson Mark E. , Alvarez Tania , Thorbek Pernille 
Published: July 2015

Summary

There is little consensus on how agriculture will meet future food demands sustainably. Soils and their biota play a crucial role by mediating ecosystem services that support agricultural productivity. However, a multitude of site‐specific environmental factors and management practices interact to affect the ability of soil biota to perform vital functions, confounding the interpretation of results from experimental approaches. Insights can be gained through models, which integrate the physiological, biological and ecological mechanisms underpinning soil functions.

We present a powerful modelling approach for predicting how agricultural management practices (pesticide applications and tillage) affect soil functioning through earthworm populations. By combining energy budgets and individual‐based simulation models, and integrating key behavioural and ecological drivers, we accurately predict population responses to pesticide applications in different climatic conditions.

We use the model to analyse the ecological consequences of different weed management practices. Our results demonstrate that an important link between agricultural management (herbicide applications and zero, reduced and conventional tillage) and earthworms is the maintenance of soil organic matter (SOM).

We show how zero and reduced tillage practices can increase crop yields while preserving natural ecosystem functions. This demonstrates how management practices which aim to sustain agricultural productivity should account for their effects on earthworm populations, as their proliferation stimulates agricultural productivity.

Synthesis and applications. Our results indicate that conventional tillage practices have longer term effects on soil biota than pesticide control, if the pesticide has a short dissipation time. The risk of earthworm populations becoming exposed to toxic pesticides will be reduced under dry soil conditions. Similarly, an increase in soil organic matter could increase the recovery rate of earthworm populations. However, effects are not necessarily additive and the impact of different management practices on earthworms depends on their timing and the prevailing environmental conditions. Our model can be used to determine which combinations of crop management practices and climatic conditions pose least overall risk to earthworm populations. Linking our model mechanistically to crop yield models would aid the optimization of crop management systems by exploring the trade‐off between different ecosystem services.
Assessing bundles of ecosystem services from regional to landscape scale: insights from the French Alps
Authors: Crouzat Emilie , Mouchet Maud , Turkelboom Francis , Byczek Coline , Meersmans Jeroen , Berger Frederic , Verkerk Pieter Johannes , Lavorel Sandra 
Published: July 2015

Summary

Assessments of ecosystem services (ES) and biodiversity (hereafter ecological parameters) provide a comprehensive view of the links between landscapes, ecosystem functioning and human well‐being. The investigation of consistent associations between ecological parameters, called bundles, and of their links to landscape composition and structure is essential to inform management and policy, yet it is still in its infancy.

We mapped over the French Alps an unprecedented array of 18 ecological parameters (16 ES and two biodiversity parameters) and explored their co‐occurrence patterns underpinning the supply of multiple ecosystem services in landscapes. We followed a three‐step analytical framework to i) detect the ES and biodiversity associations relevant at regional scale, ii) identify the clusters supplying consistent bundles of ES at subregional scale and iii) explore the links between landscape heterogeneity and ecological parameter associations at landscape scale.

We used successive correlation coefficients, overlap values and self‐organizing maps to characterize ecological bundles specific to given land cover types and geographical areas of varying biophysical characteristics and human uses at nested scales from regional to local.

The joint analysis of land cover richness and ES gamma diversity demonstrated that local landscape heterogeneity alone did not imply compatibility across multiple ecosystem services, as some homogeneous landscape could supply multiple ecosystem services.

Synthesis and applications. Bundles of ecosystem services and biodiversity parameters are shaped by the joint effects of biophysical characteristics and of human history. Due to spatial congruence and to underlying functional interdependencies, ecological parameters should be managed as bundles even when management targets specific objectives. Moreover, depending on the abiotic context, the supply of multiple ecosystem services can arise either from deliberate management in homogeneous landscapes or from spatial heterogeneity.
PrfA regulation offsets the cost of Listeria virulence outside the host
Authors: Vasanthakrishnan Radhakrishnan B. , de las Heras Aitor , Scortti Mariela , Deshayes Caroline , Colegrave Nick , Vázquez‐Boland José A. 
Published: July 2015

SummaryVirulence traits are essential for pathogen fitness, but whether they affect microbial performance in the environment, where they are not needed, remains experimentally unconfirmed. We investigated this question with the facultative pathogen Listeria monocytogenes and its PrfA virulence regulon. PrfA‐regulated genes are activated intracellularly (PrfA ‘ON’) but shut down outside the host (PrfA ‘OFF’). Using a mutant PrfA regulator locked ON (PrfA*) and thus causing PrfA‐controlled genes to be constitutively activated, we show that virulence gene expression significantly impairs the listerial growth rate (μ) and maximum growth (A) in rich medium. Deletion analysis of the PrfA regulon and complementation of a L. monocytogenes mutant lacking all PrfA‐regulated genes with PrfA* indicated that the growth reduction was specifically due to the unneeded virulence determinants and not to pleiotropic regulatory effects of PrfA ON. No PrfA*‐associated fitness disadvantage was observed in infected eukaryotic cells, where PrfA‐regulated virulence gene expression is critical for survival. Microcosm experiments demonstrated that the constitutively virulent state strongly impaired L. monocytogenes performance in soil, the natural habitat of these bacteria. Our findings provide empirical proof that virulence carries a significant cost to the pathogen. They also experimentally substantiate the assumed, although not proven, key role of virulence gene regulation systems in suppressing the cost of bacterial virulence outside the host.
MetaKosovo: Local and International Narratives
Authors: Musliu Vjosa , Orbie Jan 
Published: July 2015

This article: Problematizes the concept of ‘home’ and ‘hospitality’ in the case of unfinished states in terms of sovereignty. Argues that the concept of home is always preconditioned by the differences of host and guest; in cases where these two are intermingled/confused/unclear, the concept of home changes too. Looks at local and international narratives on Kosovo as a struggle of conceptual ownerships. Asserts that international and local narratives are always already both subject and object, yet fully neither at the same time, they exist and are destroyed by their own, and their subjectivity therefore lies in their autoimmunity, which makes them intrinsically undecidable. States that the Serbs and the Albanians have reached a historical point on their claim on Kosovo, where they share Kosovo as a state beyond ‘home’ (beyond sovereignty); for the Serbs, Kosovo as their previous ‘home’ is beyond remedy, for the Albanians Kosovo as their new/legitimate ‘home’ is beyond reach. This article examines local narratives on Kosovo and their role in crafting and articulating interpretations of Kosovo and international missions. Using the concept of ‘home’, as used and conceptualised by Jacques Derrida, the article reverses the order of who is ‘guest’ and ‘host’ in Kosovo and how that defines the local narratives on the subject. In the first part, attention is paid solely to letting local narratives deconstruct themselves, while in the second part we let them deconstruct the international narrative on Kosovo. The aim of the article is to present Kosovo as a battleground of division and commonality among the narratives and at the same time as an ‘impossible’ ‘home’ of all its narratives. In conclusion, some thoughts pave the way for the idea of ‘renegotiating’ the concept of ‘home’ with particular focus on ‘home’ in interventions and missions and its ultimate influence on the ethics of intervention.
Hard and Soft Densification Policies in the Paris City‐Region
Authors: Touati‐Morel Anastasia 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThis essay is concerned with the planning and densification of suburbs, which present a huge challenge insofar as they form a large area of urbanized land that remains underexploited due to low residential density. Drawing on current research in the Paris city‐region, the essay focuses specifically on the difficulty in implementing densification policies in low‐rise suburban areas. It examines the varying degrees of densification fostered by these policies, and builds upon recent urban studies literature on suburban change to trace how suburban areas are being transformed through regulations, instruments and market dynamics associated with densification processes. What kinds of densification policy are being implemented and what are the socio‐economic, political and cultural determinants of each type of regulatory approach? This essay will attempt to answer this question via an analysis of the densification policies being put in place in the municipalities of the Paris city‐region. It will offer in turn a typology of these different policies. It shows that densification is an instrument that can be used to address local political concerns which vary greatly depending on the economic, social and geographical position of municipalities within larger urban areas.
Cosmopolitics: towards a new articulation of politics, science and critique
Authors: Saito Hiro 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThis paper explores howUlrichBeck's world‐risk‐society theory (WRST) andBrunoLatour'sActor‐NetworkTheory (ANT) can be combined to advance a theory of cosmopolitics. On the one hand,WRSThelps to examine ‘cosmopolitan politics’, how actors try to inject cosmopolitanism into existing political practices and institutions anchored in the logic of nationalism. On the other hand,ANTsheds light on ‘cosmological politics’, how scientists participate in the construction of reality as a reference point for political struggles. By combining theWRSTandANTperspectives, it becomes possible to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of cosmopolitics that takes into account both political and ontological dimensions. The proposed synthesis ofWRSTandANTalso calls for a renewal of critical theory by making social scientists aware of their performative involvement in cosmopolitics. This renewal prompts social scientists to explore how they can pragmatically support certain ideals of cosmopolitics through continuous dialogues with their objects of study, actors who inhabit different nations and different cosmoses.
Fetal sex dependency of maternal vascular adaptation to pregnancy: a prospective population‐based cohort study
Authors: Broere‐Brown ZA , Schalekamp‐Timmermans S , Hofman A , Jaddoe VWV , Steegers EAP 
Published: July 2015

ObjectiveTo investigate fetal sex dependency of maternal vascular adaptation to pregnancy as assessed by uteroplacental vascular resistance and maternal blood pressure.DesignProspective population‐based cohort study.SettingRotterdam, the Netherlands.PopulationIn total, 8224 liveborn singleton pregnancies were included.MethodsMaternal vascular adaptation was assessed in all trimesters of pregnancy. Pregnancies were stratified into being either complicated by the placental syndrome (i.e. pre‐eclampsia, fetal growth restriction or preterm birth, n = 1229) or uncomplicated (n = 6995).Main outcome measuresFirst trimester: blood pressures. Second trimester: blood pressures, pulsatility index of the uterine artery (PI‐UtA). Third trimester: blood pressures, PI‐UtA, presence of notching in the uterine artery.ResultsIn women carrying a male fetus PI‐UtA was higher than in women with a female fetus in the total group (second trimester P < 0.001, third trimester P = 0.005). Effect estimates differed between women with or without the placental syndrome. In the total group, women with a male fetus more often showed notching in the Doppler resistance pattern (odds ratio 1.42, 95% confidence interval 1.17–1.72). Different blood pressure patterns were observed between pregnant women with a male fetus and pregnant women with a female fetus and between complicated pregnancies and uncomplicated pregnancies.ConclusionFetal sex is significantly associated with maternal vascular adaptation to pregnancy with differential effects in uncomplicated pregnancies and in pregnancies complicated by the placental syndrome.Tweetable abstractFetal sex is significantly associated with maternal vascular adaptation to pregnancy.
Associational Patterns of Scavenger Beetles to Decomposition Stages
Authors: Zanetti Noelia I. , Visciarelli Elena C. , Centeno Nestor D. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractBeetles associated with carrion play an important role in recycling organic matter in an ecosystem. Four experiments on decomposition, one per season, were conducted in a semirural area in Bahía Blanca, Argentina. Melyridae are reported for the first time of forensic interest. Apart from adults and larvae of Scarabaeidae, thirteen species and two genera of other coleopteran families are new forensic records in Argentina. Diversity, abundance, and species composition of beetles showed differences between stages and seasons. Our results differed from other studies conducted in temperate regions. Four guilds and succession patterns were established in relation to decomposition stages and seasons. Dermestidae (necrophages) predominated in winter during the decomposition process; Staphylinidae (necrophiles) in Fresh and Bloat stages during spring, summer, and autumn; and Histeridae (necrophiles) and Cleridae (omnivores) in the following stages during those seasons. Finally, coleopteran activity, diversity and abundance, and decomposition rate change with biogeoclimatic characteristics, which is of significance in forensics.
Nocturnal Oviposition Behavior of Forensically Important Diptera in Central England
Authors: Barnes Kate M. , Grace Karon A. , Bulling Mark T. 
Published: July 2015

AbstractTiming of oviposition on a corpse is a key factor in entomologically based minimum postmortem interval (mPMI) calculations. However, there is considerable variation in nocturnal oviposition behavior of blow flies reported in the research literature. This study investigated nocturnal oviposition in central England for the first time, over 25 trials from 2011 to 2013. Liver‐baited traps were placed in an urban location during control (diurnal), and nocturnal periods and environmental conditions were recorded during each 5‐h trial. No nocturnal activity or oviposition was observed during the course of the study indicating that nocturnal oviposition is highly unlikely in central England.
Transmission ecology of rodent‐borne diseases: New frontiers
Authors: BORDES Frédéric , BLASDELL Kim , MORAND Serge 
Published: July 2015

AbstractRodents are recognized reservoir hosts for many human zoonotic pathogens. The current trends resulting from anthropocene defaunation suggest that in the future they, along with other small mammals, are likely to become the dominant mammals in almost all human‐modified environments. Recent intricate studies on bat‐borne emerging diseases have highlighted that many gaps exist in our understanding of the zoonotic transmission of rodent‐borne pathogens. This has emphasized the need for scientists interested in rodent‐borne diseases to integrate rodent ecology into their analysis of rodent‐borne pathogen transmission in order to identify in more detail the mechanisms of spillover and chains of transmission. Further studies are required to better understand the true impact of rodent abundance and the importance of pathogen sharing and circulation in multi‐host– multi‐pathogen communities. We also need to explore in more depth the roles of generalist and abundant species as the potential links between pathogen‐sharing, co‐infections and disease transmission.
SPARROW Modeling of Nitrogen Sources and Transport in Rivers and Streams of California and Adjacent States, U.S.
Authors: Saleh Dina , Domagalski Joseph 
Published: July 2015

AbstractThe SPARROW (SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes) model was used to evaluate the spatial distribution of total nitrogen (TN) sources, loads, watershed yields, and factors affecting transport and decay in the stream network of California and portions of adjacent states for the year 2002. The two major TN sources to local catchments on a mass basis were fertilizers and manure (51.7%) and wastewater discharge (15.9%). Other sources contributed < 12%. Fertilizer use is widespread in the Central Valley region of California, and also important in several other regions because of the diversity of California agriculture. Precipitation, sand content of surficial soils, wetlands, and tile drains were important for TN movement to stream reaches. Median streamflow in the study area is about 0.04 m3/s. Aquatic losses of nitrogen were found to be most important in intermittent and small to medium sized streams (0.2‐14 m3/s), while larger streams showed less loss, and therefore are important for TN transport. Nitrogen loss in reservoirs was found to be insignificant, possibly because most of the larger ones are located upstream of nitrogen sources. The model was used to show loadings, sources, and tributary inputs to several major rivers. The information provided by the SPARROW model is useful for determining both the major sources contributing nitrogen to streams and the specific tributaries that transport the load.
An Analysis of the Effects of Land Use and Land Cover on Flood Losses along the Gulf of Mexico Coast from 1999 to 2009
Authors: Brody Samuel D. , Highfield Wesley E. , Blessing Russell 
Published: July 2015

AbstractMajor coastal flooding events over the last decade have led decision makers in the United States to favor structural engineering solutions as a means to protect vulnerable coastal communities from the adverse impacts of future storms. While a resistance‐based approach to flood mitigation involving large‐scale construction works may be a central component of a regional flood risk reduction strategy, it is equally important to consider the role of land use and land cover (LULC) patterns in protecting communities from floods. To date, little observational research has been conducted to quantify the effects of various LULC configurations on the amount of property damage occurring across coastal regions over time. In response, we statistically examine the impacts of LULC on observed flood damage across 2,692 watersheds bordering the Gulf of Mexico. Specifically, we analyze statistical linear regression models to isolate the influence of multiple LULC categories on over 372,000 insured flood losses claimed under the National Flood Insurance Program per year from 2001 to 2008. Results indicate that percent increase in palustrine wetlands is the equivalent to, on average, a $13,975 reduction in insured flood losses per year, per watershed. These and other results provide important insights to policy makers on how protecting specific types of LULC can help reduce adverse impacts to local communities.
Reducing Fertilizer‐Nitrogen Losses from Rowcrop Landscapes: Insights and Implications from a Spatially Explicit Watershed Model
Authors: McLellan Eileen , Schilling Keith , Robertson Dale 
Published: July 2015

AbstractWe present conceptual and quantitative models that predict changes in fertilizer‐derived nitrogen delivery from rowcrop landscapes caused by agricultural conservation efforts implemented to reduce nutrient inputs and transport and increase nutrient retention in the landscape. To evaluate the relative importance of changes in the sources, transport, and sinks of fertilizer‐derived nitrogen across a region, we use the spatially explicit SPAtially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes watershed model to map the distribution, at the small watershed scale within the Upper Mississippi‐Ohio River Basin (UMORB), of: (1) fertilizer inputs; (2) nutrient attenuation during delivery of those inputs to the UMORB outlet; and (3) nitrogen export from the UMORB outlet. Comparing these spatial distributions suggests that the amount of fertilizer input and degree of nutrient attenuation are both important in determining the extent of nitrogen export. From a management perspective, this means that agricultural conservation efforts to reduce nitrogen export would benefit by: (1) expanding their focus to include activities that restore and enhance nutrient processing in these highly altered landscapes; and (2) targeting specific types of best management practices to watersheds where they will be most valuable. Doing so successfully may result in a shift in current approaches to conservation planning, outreach, and funding.