bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of cutting seed tubers on number of stems and tubers and tuber yields of several potato varieties
Authors: Allen E. J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYSix experiments are reported which examined the effects of various seed cutting treatments on numbers of tubers and tuber yields of several maincrop potato varieties. Using conventional potato ridges, the cutting of seed tubers into 12 mm cubes or the use of potato peel reduced early growth and yields compared with whole tubers in some experiments but in two others had little effect on tuber yields. In Majestic, seed cutting produced large increases in number of stems and tubers and increases in yields of small sized tubers. In Pentland Crown and King Edward, the effects of seed cutting were small. In King Edward no differences in growth and yield were found between individual eyes and in this variety and Pentland Crown, 56g whole tubers produced similar yields to halves of 112 g seed tubers planted at the same seed rate. The implications of cutting for use in commercial production are discussed.
Studies on the physiological determinants of grain yield in five varieties of sorghum
Authors: Willey R. W. , Basiime D. R. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYExperiments are described in which the relative importance of head storage capacity and carbohydrate supply was examined in five sorghum varieties of different heights. The varieties were: Namatera (270 cm), Dobbs (180 cm), MUS 78 (100 cm), MUS 23 (85 cm) and MUS 70 (85 cm). Techniques used were (i) cutting off part of the head or part of the leaf at anthesis, (ii) shading during different periods of development, and (iii) thinning the plants at different physiological stages. Varietal differences ranged from a situation where the head was little more than half-filled by the available carbohydrate (MUS 78), through intermediate stages (Dobbs and Namatera), to a situation where the head capacity limited the amount of carbohydrate which could be stored (MUS 23 and MUS 70). Some differences could be attributed to pre-anthesis competition between head and stem, but in the dwarfs a more important factor appeared to be pre-anthesis competition between head and leaf. It is suggested that for maximum efficiency of grain-yield production, maximum carbohydrate should be utilized for pre-anthesis head and leaf growth and that partitioning between these plant parts should be such that the supply of carbohydrate for grain filling is in balance with head storage capacity.
Growth, nitrogen uptake and partitioning within the potato (Solatium tuberosum L.) crop, in relation to nitrogen application
Authors: Millard P. , Marshall B. 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe effects of nitrogen applications, ranging from 0 to 25 g N/m2, on the nitrogen uptake and growth of the potato crop was studied in an experiment in both 1983 and 1984. Nitrogen uptake was substantially increased by fertilizer application. At high rates of nitrogen application, the crops took up more than was needed to satisfy their immediate requirements for growth. Initially, this extra nitrogen appeared predominantly in the form of soluble protein in the leaves and nitrate in the stem, with reduced-nitrogen in the tubers becoming a large component during tuber bulking. Application of 25 g N/m2 increased the partitioning of nitrogen to the foliage compared with the tubers.Tuber yield was considered to be a product of four processes: radiation interception, conversion of intercepted radiation to dry matter, partitioning of dry matter between tubers and the rest of the plant and regulation of tuber dry-matter contents. Maximum tuber yields at final harvest were achieved with 15 g N/m2 in both years. Yield increases were due to increased radiation interception, while the photosynthetic efficiency of the canopy and the dry-matter contents of the tubers were little affected. Increases in light interception, in response to nitrogen, were partially offset by a concomitant decrease in the proportion of the dry weight partitioned to the tubers, particularly during the initial period of tuber bulking. The effect of nitrogen application on tuber yield was, therefore, dependent on the date of harvest.
An experiment begun in 1958 measuring effects of N, P and K fertilizers on yield and N, P and K contents of grass:1. Effects during 1964–7
Authors: Penny A. , Widdowson F. V. , Williams R. J. B. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe effects of N, P and K fertilizers on the yield and N, P and K contents of grass cut for conservation, measured during 1958–63, were again measured during 1964–7. Grass given 38 kg N/ha per cut needed 31 kg K/ha per cut for full yield, grass given 75 or 113 kg N/ha per cut needed twice as much K. With sufficient K, at least 75 kg N/ha per cut was justified. The grass responded little to P.Percentage N in the grass, though greatly increased by N fertilizer, was little altered by K fertilizer. Percentage K, whilst greatly increased by K fertilizer, was decreased by N unless 62 kg K/ha per cut also was given. Percentage P in the grass was little increased by P fertilizer.Exchangeable K in the surface soil (0–20 cm) was maintained with time where the grass was given either 38 kg N plus 31 kg K or 75 kg N plus 62 kg K/ha per cut, corresponding to an N:K ratio of 1:0·82. Percentage K in the grass decreased with time throughout. Whereas a N:K ratio of 1:1·66 best maintained % K in grass during 1958–63 it was no better than an N:K ratio of 1:0·82 during 1964–7.Although exchangeable Mg in the surface soil decreased markedly between 1958 and 1967 (Mg fertilizer was not applied), % Mg in the grass did not. Mg in the grass was increased by N, but decreased by K fertilizer, and exceeded 0·2% (in dry matter) only in 1967 and then only where 75 or 113 kg N/ha per cut was applied.
The use of Sodium Hypobromite for the Oxidation of Organic Matter in the Mechanical Analysis of Soils
Authors: Troell Erik 
Published: March 2009

1. The use of freshly prepared solutions of sodium hypobromite instead of boiling hydrogen peroxide solutions in the pretreatment of soils for mechanical analysis by the pipette method has the following advantages:(a) Soils containing manganese dioxide or large amounts of organic matter may be oxidised rapidly without heat, whereas oxidation of such soils by hydrogen peroxide is a tedious operation requiring large amounts of reagent.(b) Possible changes in the clay through heating and the dissolution of considerable amounts of sesquioxides are avoided.(c) The reagents are cheaper and more stable, especially in the tropics.(d) It makes possible further simplification in the technique of mechanical analysis.
The effect of sucrose supplementation on kinetics of nitrogen, ruminal propionate and plasma glucose in sheep
Authors: Sutoh M. , Obara Y. , Miyamoto S. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYThe effects of dietary sucrose on the metabolic rate of plasma glucose and ruminal propionate as well as the change in nitrogen kinetics were examined in four mature wethers fitted with rumen fistulas in Tsukuba, Japan in 1990. Wethers were fed at 12 equal intervals daily on crushed lucerne hay cubes (1233 g DM/day), with or without 204 g/day of sucrose. Plasma urea and glucose kinetics were determined following a single intravenous injection of [I5N]urea and [U-13C]glucose respectively; and the kinetics of ruminal ammonia and propionate were determined following a single intraruminal injection of [15N]ammonium chloride and [2–13c]sodium propionate respectively. Following supplementation of sucrose to the diet, nitrogen retention was increased (P< 0·05) with a decrease in plasma urea concentration (P< 0·05) and urinary urea excretion (P< 0·05). Sucrose supplementation decreased (P< 005) the concentration and irreversible loss rate of ruminal ammonia. Urinary allantoin excretion did not change with sucrose treatment, but the flow rate of non-ammonia-nitrogen from the rumen was increasedP< 0·05). The transfer rate of ruminal ammonia to plasma urea was also decreased (P< 0·01), whilst the transfer rate of plasma urea to ruminal ammonia was increased (P< 0·05) by dietary sucrose. Sucrose supplementation resulted in a higher concentration of propionate and butyrate (P< 0·05) in the rumen with no significant change in acetate or pH. The concentration of plasma glucose did not change with sucrose treatment, but the concentration of insulin, pool size (P< 0·05) and the irreversible loss rate of glucose (P< 0·01) were increased, reflecting the increase in the production rate of ruminal propionate (P< 0·05). It was concluded that the supplementation of sucrose affected the metabolism of urea and glucose in plasma via a change in ruminal production rate of ammonia and propionate, respectively.
National and Other Identities in Bukovina in Late Austrian Times
Authors: Stambrook Fred 
Published: March 2009

Many years ago, Arthur J. May wrote, “Only the Bucovina provided a patch of blue in the beclouded nationality sky of Austria.” Without going into the comparative aspect of this assertion, the object of this study is to ascertain to what extent May's statement correctly reflects the complex relationships of the ethnoculrural or national groups in Bukovina. How blue was the sky really?Acquired by Austria in 1774–75, Bukovina prior to 1918 was a small Crownland in the northeastern corner of the Austrian Empire. It bordered on Hungary, Romania, the Russian Empire, and the Austrian province of Galicia. Its area was about 410,000 square kilometers, and its population in 1910 was just over 800,000. Some of the land was rolling and fairly fertile countryside, especially in the north and east, merging into the foothills that in turn gave way to the Carpathian Mountains in the south and west. Much of Bukovina was forested. The estates of the large landowners, sometimes with a palace or large manor house, stood in glaring contrast to the small landholdings of the peasantry and their cramped housing. The capital, Czernowitz (Chernivtsi), with a population in 1910 of around 87,000, was the only sizable city.
Topologically transitive skew-products of operators
Authors: BAYART FRÉDÉRIC , COSTAKIS GEORGE , HADJILOUCAS DEMETRIS 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe purpose of the present paper is to provide a link between skew-product systems and linear dynamics. In particular, we give a criterion for skew-products of linear operators to be topologically transitive. This is then applied to certain families of linear operators including scalar multiples of the backward shift, backward unilateral weighted shifts, composition, translation and differentiation operators. We also prove the existence of common hypercyclic vectors for certain families of skew-product systems.
Morbidity, mortality and spatial distribution of meningococcal disease, 1974–2007
Authors: HOWITZ M. , LAMBERTSEN L. , SIMONSEN J. B. , CHRISTENSEN J. J. , MØLBAK K. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYTo identify determinants for mortality and sequelae and to analyse the spatial distribution of meningococcal disease, we linked four national Danish registries. In the period 1974–2007, 5924 cases of meningococcal disease were registered. Our analysis confirms known risk factors for a fatal meningococcal disease outcome, i.e. septicaemia and high age (>50 years). The overall case-fatality rate was 7·6%; two phenotypes were found to be associated with increased risk of death; C:2a:P1.2,5 and B:15:P1.7,16. B:15:P1.7,16 was also associated with excess risk of perceptive hearing loss. The incidence rates of meningococcal disease were comparable between densely and less densely populated areas, but patients living further from a hospital were at significantly higher risk of dying from the infection. To improve control of meningococcal disease, it is important to understand the epidemiology and pathogenicity of virulent ‘successful clones’, such as C:2a:P1.2,5 and B:15:P1.7,16, and, eventually, to develop vaccines against serogroup B.
Risk factors for the occurrence ofEscherichia colivirulence geneseae,stx1andstx2in wild bird populations
Authors: HUGHES L. A. , BENNETT M. , COFFEY P. , ELLIOTT J. , JONES T. R. , JONES R. C. , LAHUERTA-MARIN A. , McNIFFE K. , NORMAN D. , WILLIAMS N. J. , CHANTREY J. 
Published: March 2009

SUMMARYShiga toxin-producingEscherichia coli(STEC) can cause serious disease in human beings. Ruminants are considered to be the main reservoir of human STEC infections. However, STEC have also been isolated from other domestic animals, wild mammals and birds. We describe a cross-sectional study of wild birds in northern England to determine the prevalence ofE. coli-containing genes that encode Shiga toxins (stx1and stx2) and intimin (eae), important virulence determinants of STEC associated with human disease. Multivariable logistic regression analysis identified unique risk factors for the occurrence of each virulence gene in wild bird populations. The results of our study indicate that while wild birds are unlikely to be direct sources of STEC infections, they do represent a potential reservoir of virulence genes. This, coupled with their ability to act as long-distance vectors of STEC, means that wild birds have the potential to influence the spread and evolution of STEC.
Decision Trees and Influences of Variables Over Product Probability Spaces
Authors: HATAMI HAMED 
Published: March 2009

A celebrated theorem of Friedgut says that every function f : {0, 1}n → {0, 1} can be approximated by a function g : {0, 1}n → {0, 1} with $\|f-g\|_2^2 \leq \epsilon$, which depends only on eO(If / ε) variables, where If is the sum of the influences of the variables of f. Dinur and Friedgut later showed that this statement also holds if we replace the discrete domain {0, 1}n with the continuous domain [0, 1]n, under the extra assumption that f is increasing. They conjectured that the condition of monotonicity is unnecessary and can be removed.We show that certain constant-depth decision trees provide counter-examples to the Dinur–Friedgut conjecture. This suggests a reformulation of the conjecture in which the function g : [0, 1]n → {0, 1}, instead of depending on a small number of variables, has a decision tree of small depth. In fact we prove this reformulation by showing that the depth of the decision tree of g can be bounded by eO(If / ε2).Furthermore, we consider a second notion of the influence of a variable, and study the functions that have bounded total influence in this sense. We use a theorem of Bourgain to show that these functions have certain properties. We also study the relation between the two different notions of influence.
Metal Ion-Binding Properties of Phytochelatins and Related Ligands
Authors: Devez Aurélie , Achterberg Eric , Gledhill Martha 
Published: March 2009

The development of human activities and industrialization has led to an increased release of metals to the aquatic environment. Several metals (such as copper, zinc, and iron) are essential for many physiological processes but can be toxic at enhanced concentrations; others (such as cadmium, lead, and mercury) are not physiologically essential and are toxic at very low concentrations in both plant and algal cells. To cope with the deleterious effects of metals, eukaryotic cells produce strong metal-binding proteins and peptides (including the thiol phytochelatins) involved in metal tolerance and detoxification mechanisms. Plants and algae are also able to maintain the homeostasis of essential metal ions in different cellular compartments by interactions between metal transport, chelation, trafficking and sequestration activities, which regulate the uptake and distribution of these metal ions.
In this chapter, we present an overview of the metal ion-binding properties of phytochelatins and related ligands and their involvement in metal ion homeostasis, metal tolerance and detoxification mechanisms. Enzymatic processes implicated in thiol biosynthesis and regulation, and in metal ion sequestration activities, are also described. In addition, this chapter assesses our state of knowledge on the induction of thiols by phytoplankton in laboratory and field experiments.
Incidence and outcomes of dystocia in the active phase of labor in term nulliparous women with spontaneous labor onset
Authors: KJÆRGAARD HANNE , OLSEN JØRN , OTTESEN BENT , DYKES ANNA‐KARIN 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjective. To estimate the incidence of dystocia among nulliparous women without apparent co‐morbidity and to examine maternal and fetal short‐term outcomes after dystocia. Design. A multi‐center cohort study with prospectively collected data. Setting. Nine obstetric departments with annual birth rates between 850 and 5,400. Population. Low‐risk nulliparous women in term spontaneous labor with a singleton fetus in cephalic presentation. Methods. Follow‐up of 2,810 nulliparas using self‐administered questionnaires supplemented with clinical records. Criteria for dystocia. Cervical dilatation ≤2 cm over four hours during the first stage of labor or no descent during two hours (three hours with epidural analgesia) in the descending phase of second stage or no progress for one hour during the expulsive phase of the second stage. Inclusion took place between May 2004 and July 2005. Main outcome measures. Incidences of dystocia, maternal, and fetal outcomes. Results. The cumulative incidence of dystocia was 37% and of the diagnoses 61% were given in the second stage of labor. Women with dystocia treated by augmentation had more cesarean and ventouse deliveries, more often non‐clear amniotic fluid, more post‐partum hemorrhage and their children were more often given low one‐minute neonatal Apgar scores as compared to women delivered without a diagnosis of dystocia. Conclusions. A dystocia incidence of 37% was found in healthy term nulliparas with no indication for induction or elective cesarean delivery. The adverse maternal and neonatal birth outcomes may be related to the cause of dystocia or to augmentation of labor and this question calls for further studies.
Socioeconomic and maternal determinants of small‐for‐gestational age births: Patterns of increasing disparity
Authors: BEARD JOHN R. , LINCOLN DOUG , DONOGHUE DEBORAH , TAYLOR DANIELLE , SUMMERHAYES RICHARD , DUNN THERESE M , EARNEST ARUL , MORGAN GEOFF 
Published: March 2009

AbstractObjective. To better characterize the relation between socioeconomic disadvantage and small‐for‐gestational age births (SGA). Design. Analysis of data from a mandatory population‐based surveillance system. Setting. Public or private hospitals and at home. Population. All 877,951 singleton births occurring in New South Wales, Australia, between 1994 and 2004. Methods. Multilevel models were developed to determine the factors associated with babies weighing less than the 3rd percentile for gestation and gender. Main outcome measures. Odds of SGA. Results. The risk of SGA increased with increasing socioeconomic disadvantage. Smoking accounted for approximately 40% of the increased risk associated with socioeconomic disadvantage, and delayed antenatal care approximately 5%. While the absolute rate of SGA remained stable over the study period, the odds of SGA in mothers living in the most disadvantaged areas compared to those in the least disadvantaged areas increased from approximately 1.7 to 2.2. This trend persisted after accounting for maternal smoking. The risk of SGA over this period also increased in mothers commencing antenatal care after the first trimester. After accounting for smoking, socioeconomic disadvantage and clinical conditions, mothers under 21 years of age were at reduced risk of SGA, but mothers over 35 were at increased risk. Conclusions. Socioeconomic disadvantage remains one of the dominant determinants of SGA, even in a developed country with universal insurance. This relation appears to be strengthening. Smoking patterns, inadequate antenatal care and clinical conditions partially account for this association and trend, however, most is mediated by other factors.
The cervical mucus plug: Structured review of the literature
Authors: BECHER NAJA , WALDORF KRISTINA ADAMS , HEIN MERETE , ULDBJERG NIELS 
Published: March 2009

AbstractThe cervical mucus plug is a large, complex structure within the cervical canal that is shed shortly before or during labor. We propose that the cervical mucus plug fulfills critical ‘gate‐keeper’ functions based on its physical and immunologic properties, which help prevent ascending infection and preterm labor. The viscoelastic properties of the cervical mucus plug are determined by mucins (large glycoproteins), which can inhibit viral replication and exclude larger molecules and bacteria by preventing their diffusion through the plug. Furthermore, the innate and adaptive immunological properties of the cervical mucus plug are well suited for arresting bacterial infection by stimulating a robust inflammatory response. A possible association between an impaired gate‐keeper function of the cervical mucus plug and preterm birth is discussed.
Identification and Functional Characterization of Inhibitor-3, a Regulatory Subunit of Protein Phosphatase 1 in Plants
Authors: Takemiya Atsushi , Ariyoshi Chie , Shimazaki Ken-ichiro 
Published: March 2009

AbstractProtein phosphatase 1 (PP1) is a eukaryotic serine/threonine protein phosphatase, and mediates diverse cellular processes in animal systems via the association of a catalytic subunit (PP1c) with multiple regulatory subunits that determine the catalytic activity, the subcellular localization, and the substrate specificity. However, no regulatory subunit of PP1 has been identified in plants so far. In this study, we identified inhibitor-3 (Inh3) as a regulatory subunit of PP1 and characterized a functional role of Inh3 in Vicia faba and Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana). We found Inh3 as one of the proteins interacting with PP1c using a yeast two-hybrid system. Biochemical analyses demonstrated that Arabidopsis Inh3 (AtInh3) bound to PP1c via the RVxF motif of AtInh3, a consensus PP1c-binding sequence both in vitro and in vivo. AtInh3 inhibited the PP1c phosphatase activity in the nanomolar range in vitro. AtInh3 was localized in both the nucleus and cytoplasm, and it colocalized with Arabidopsis PP1c in these compartments. Disruption mutants of AtINH3 delayed the progression of early embryogenesis, arrested embryo development at the globular stage, and eventually caused embryo lethality. Furthermore, reduction of AtINH3 expression by RNA interference led to a decrease in fertility. Transformation of the lethal mutant of inh3 with wild-type AtINH3 restored the phenotype, whereas that with the AtINH3 gene having a mutation in the RVxF motif did not. These results define Inh3 as a regulatory subunit of PP1 in plants and suggest that Inh3 plays a crucial role in early embryogenesis in Arabidopsis.
Cytogenetic abnormalities in multiple myeloma: poor prognosis linked to concomitant detection in random and focal lesion bone marrow samples and associated with high‐risk gene expression profile
Authors: Zhou Yiming , Nair Bijay , Shaughnessy Jr John D , Cartron Marie‐Astrid , Haessler Jeff , Anaissie Elias , Van Rhee Frits , Crowley John , Barlogie Bart 
Published: March 2009

SummaryThe clinical significance of cytogenetic abnormalities (CA) present in randomly sampled (RS) or focal lesion (FL) bone marrow sites was examined in 419 untreated myeloma patients. Among 290 patients with gene expression profiling (GEP) data generated from RS sites, GEP‐defined high‐risk was present in 52% of the RS+/FL+ group but in only 9% of the remainder (P < 0·001). The RS+/FL+ constellation (18%) was an independent predictor of poor survival, also after adjusting for GEP‐derived risk andTP53status (Hazard ratio = 2·42,P = 0·004). The prevalence of high‐risk myeloma in the RS+/FL+ group may reflect a dissemination‐prone condition not shared by the other three groups.