bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Effects of afforestation on ammonification and nitrification rates in former agricultural soils
Authors: Haque S.M.S. , Billett M.F. , Grayston S. , Ord B.G. 
Published: August 2010

Abstract. The effects of afforestation on potential nitrification, nitrification and ammonification rates were studied at an experimental site in NE Scotland 4½ years after afforestation of former arable land. The site had been planted with three tree species (Sitka spruce, sycamore and hybrid larch) at three different planting densities, with half the plots treated with inorganic NPK fertilizer. Laboratory measurements of potential nitrification, nitrification and ammonification rates, measured using a perfusion system, were compared between the unforested control and combinations of the various treatments. Differences in soil pH and soil moisture content were also investigated.Potential nitrification rates measured in plantation soils were significantly lower than in the unplanted control soil. Nitrification and ammonification rates were also consistently lower, although these differences were only significant in a few of the treatments. Soils planted with a normal tree density had a tendency to show higher nitrification rates compared to soils planted with a high tree density.The results suggest that afforestation of former agricultural soils may cause changes in important parts of the soil N cycle soon after planting. At this early stage in the life of the plantation this appears to be unrelated to changes in soil pH or moisture content, even though soils beneath the trees are drier. The apparent change may be the result of differences in the soil microbial community associated with the type of organic matter substrate present in the unplanted and planted soils.
Relationships between land use, fertility and Andisol behaviour: examples from volcanic islands
Authors: Perret S. , Dorel M. 
Published: August 2010

Abstract. Soils developed on volcanic parent materials have many intrinsic qualities favourable to cropping. However, fertility decreases dramatically when they are badly managed. A short review and case studies from Réunion and Guadeloupe highlight the special characteristics of these soils, and their response to management.The interplay of cropping systems and physical characteristics of Andisols is first considered through the example of Pelargonium and food crop systems in Réunion. Progressive decrease in production and cropping potential shows in falling yields as well as in the overall decline of the system. The example of banana production in Guadeloupe highlights the increase in inputs needed to realise the land's potential and to maintain yields, in particular more tillage and pest treatment.In both cases, these trends are connected to the co‐evolution of soil characteristics and cropping systems. They lead to an increase of risks with less security and less scope in the choice of cropping systems. Technical solutions in the form of erosion‐control measures, rotation and planting techniques have been developed and prove to be relevant and consistent in their benefit.
Evaluation of World Reference Base for Soil Resources and FAO Soil Map of the World using nationwide grid soil data from Denmark
Authors: Krogh L. , Greve M.H. 
Published: August 2010

Abstract. Soil classification is a tool for stratifying and generalizing information on soil resources but most systems are tailored to handle only slightly disturbed soil. We tested the applicability of the legend of the FAO‐Unesco Soil Map of the World and the new World Reference Base for Soil Resources by classifying at the highest order 831 profiles from a nationwide 7 km grid survey in Denmark, where soils are developed in Quaternary glacial and marine sediments and intensively farmed. Comparison of the variability of pH and % clay +% silt of the master horizons (A, E, B, and C) within and between the major well‐drained soil groupings shows that liming, fertilizing and ploughing have produced significantly deeper A‐horizons with higher pH, lower % humus and C:N ratios on the two‐thirds of the country that is cultivated. ‘Anthropogenic’ mollic and umbric horizons are a common result but the liming causes a random final classification of these surface horizons and, hence, random allocation of the soils in both systems. It separates cultivated soils and their undisturbed equivalents, and results in considerable within‐group variation in soil texture. Grouping of cultivated and undisturbed soils, on the other hand, results in wide within‐horizon pH ranges for most groups, again compromising the advantage of making useful general statements on the basis of classification.We propose that anthropogenic mollic and umbric horizons should be allowed in any soil group and that ‘anthric properties’ should be used to distinguish between profoundly changed cultivated soils and largely undisturbed soils, hereby constructing a two‐tier system within each highest‐order soil group. We classified the soils according to this proposal. The results show generally narrower ranges for both pH and % clay +% silt. We evaluated the within‐group homogeneity by multivariate analysis of variance of pH, % clay +% silt, % clay, % humus, C:N ratio, exchangeable cations, and CEC. The results (Wilks's Lamda) show a higher degree of group compactness compared to the original FAO and World Reference Base systems.
Changes in soil structure and hydraulic properties in regenerating rain forest
Authors: Deuchars S.A. , Townend J. , Aitkenhead M. J. , FitzPatrick E.A. 
Published: August 2010

Abstract. The structure of soils in areas of rain forest cleared for pasture is often compacted due to trampling by animals. When pasture is abandoned, regeneration of forest cover may be achieved from natural seed sources nearby.However, the regeneration of soil structure is also important for local hydrology and successful establishment of some plant species. In this study we investigated changes in soil structure and hydraulic properties in a series of plots on volcanic soils in the San Luis Valley, Costa Rica. The plots were current pasture, 15‐ and 20‐year‐old regenerating forest, and primary rain forest.Infiltration rate increased with increasing forest age and the water release characteristic reverted gradually from one with greater water retention at all matric potentials in the pasture plot towards that found in the primary forest. Compaction and low porosity were features of both the current pasture and 15‐year‐old regenerating forest in comparison to the primary forest.
Meeting the UK's climate change commitments: options for carbon mitigation on agricultural land
Authors: Smith P. , Powlson D.S. , Smith J.U. , Falloon P. , Coleman K. 
Published: August 2010

Abstract. Under the Kyoto Protocol, the European Union is committed to an 8% reduction in CO2 emissions, compared to baseline (1990) levels, during the first commitment period (2008–2012). However, within the overall EU agreement, the UK is committed to a 12.5% reduction. In this paper, we estimate the carbon mitigation potential of various agricultural land‐management strategies (Kyoto Article 3.4) and examine the consequences of UK and European policy options on the potential for carbon mitigation.We show that integrated agricultural land management strategies have considerable potential for carbon mitigation. Our figures suggest the following potentials (Tg yr−1) for each scenario: animal manure, 3.7; sewage sludge, 0.3; cereal straw incorporation, 1.9; no‐till farming, 3.5; agricultural extensification, 3.3; natural woodland regeneration, 3.2 and bioenergy crop production, 4.1. A realistic land‐use scenario combining a number of these individual management options has a mitigation potential of 10.4 Tg C yr−1 (equivalent to about 6.6% of 1990 UK CO2‐carbon emissions). An important resource for carbon mitigation in agriculture is the surplus arable land, but in order to fully exploit it, policies governing the use of surplus arable land would need to be changed. Of all options examined, bioenergy crops show the greatest potential. Bioenergy crop production also shows an indefinite mitigation potential compared to other options where the potential is infinite.The UK will not attempt to meet its climate change commitments solely through changes in agricultural land‐use, but since all sources of carbon mitigation will be important in meeting these commitments, agricultural options should be taken very seriously.
Nitrate leaching following autumn and winter application of animal manures to grassland
Authors: Smith K.A. , Beckwith C.P. , Chalmers A.G. , Jackson D.R. 
Published: August 2010

Abstract. Under a UK Government consultation procedure announced in 2001, it was proposed that measures agreed within already designated Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZ ‘s) would be extended to include a considerably increased area of England, Wales and Scotland. Since existing NVZ ‘s in the UK have included relatively little grassland, it is important to examine how nitrate losses from grassland areas, especially from animal manures, one of the major potential sources of nitrate loss, can be minimized. Experiments were carried out on freely draining grassland soils at four sites (Devon, Hampshire, Shropshire and N Yorkshire) representative of a wide range of climatic and farming conditions across lowland England, over a four year period, 1990/91 to 1993/94. Slurry was applied to experimental plots over a range of times (including June and then monthly, from September to January) at a target rate of 200 kg N ha–1. Nitrogen leaching over the four years ranged from 0 to >50% of applied slurry N, with the largest losses occurring following applications in the September to November period. The use of a nitrification inhibitor with slurry applied in November failed to provide consistent reduction in nitrate leaching.A strategy to reduce the risk of N leaching from manures applied to freely draining grassland soils must take account of the characteristics of the manure, in particular its N content, the application rate and the amount of excess rainfall following application. The experimental results suggest that slurry applications to freely draining grassland, in September, October and November should generally be avoided, the rationale for this being dependent on the amount of excess rainfall subsequent to application. Farmyard manure represents a lower risk and does not justify the restrictions on application timing that appear to be necessary with slurry.
Field studies of the effects of jute geotextiles on runoff and erosion in Shropshire, UK
Authors: Mitchell D.J. , Barton A.P. , Fullen M.A. , Hocking T.J. , Zhi Wu Bo , Yi Zheng 
Published: August 2010

Abstract. Jute geotextiles are widely used to stabilize steep banks and road cuttings. Jute protects bare surfaces until seeded grass becomes established, then after several years, the jute decays. To evaluate two types of jute geotextiles, eight erosion plots were established in July 1994 at the Hilton Experimental Site, Shropshire, UK. On 10 April 1995, the plots were treated as follows:

jute geotextile net;
jute mat;
perennial rye grass (Lolium perenne); and
bare soil, with duplicates of each treatment.

Over one year, sediment yields from jute net and jute mat were 1.1% and 1.2%, respectively, of the yield from the bare control. Although both had similar soil protection qualities, runoff was very different. The runoff from the jute net was 35% and the jute mat 247% of the control. Results demonstrate the effectiveness of jute net for erosion and runoff control, while the jute mat may both conserve soil and ‘harvest’ rain or redirect runoff.
Regional simulation of long‐term organic carbon stock changes in cropland soils using the DNDC model: 2. Scenario analysis of management options
Authors: Sleutel S. , De Neve S. , Beheydt D. , Li C. , Hofman G. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractThe development of successful agricultural policies in response to the Kyoto Protocol is aided by the identification of regions where the effects of soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration measures can be maximized. We describe a modelling approach which incorporates a spatial analysis of the results from regional simulation under different management alternatives. SOC stock changes in Flemish cropland soils, simulated with the DNDC model, were previously fitted to a large data set of SOC measurements for the period 1990–2000. Using the results of this study, simulations with DNDC of SOC stock changes during the period 2006–2012 including the Kyoto commitment period were carried out at the community level for a business‐as‐usual (BAU) scenario and seven alternative agricultural management options for SOC sequestration. The baseline SOC stock decreased during that period by 0.15 t OC ha−1 year−1 compared with 0.48 t OC ha−1 year−1 in the 1990s. All alternative scenarios resulted in net SOC storage compared with the BAU scenario, but none of the individual scenarios were able to increase the average absolute SOC stock. Overall, spatial variability in SOC storage for the selected management options was strongly dependent on the current distribution of crops and associated management. The modelling approach used in this study provides a case study in regional scale modelling of SOC sequestration and is applicable to other regions in Europe with comparable intensive agriculture.
Identifying potential management zones in a layered soil using several sources of ancillary information
Authors: Vitharana U. W. A. , Van Meirvenne M. , Cockx L. , Bourgeois J. 
Published: August 2010

AbstractVariation in soil texture has a profound effect on soil management, especially in texturally complex soils such as the polder soils of Belgium. The conventional point sampling approach requires high sampling intensity to take into account such spatial variation. In this study we investigated the use of two ancillary variables for the detailed mapping of soil texture and subsequent delineation of potential management zones for site‐specific management. In an 11.5 ha arable field in the polder area, the apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) was measured with an EM38DD electromagnetic induction instrument. The geometric mean values of the ECameasured in both vertical and horizontal orientations strongly correlated with the more heterogeneous subsoil clay content (r = 0.83), but the correlation was weaker with the homogenous topsoil clay content (r = 0.40). The gravimetric water content at wilting point (θg(−1.5 MPa)) correlated very well (r = 0.96) with the topsoil clay content. Thus maps of topsoil and subsoil clay contents were obtained from 63 clay analyses supplemented with 117θg(−1.5 MPa)and 4048ECameasurements, respectively, using standardized ordinary cokriging. Three potential management zones were identified based on the spatial variation of both top and subsoil clay contents. The influence of subsoil textural variation on crop behaviour was illustrated by an aerial image, confirming the reliability of the results from the small number of primary samples.
Involvement of p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase pathway in honokiol‐induced apoptosis in a human hepatoma cell line (hepG2)
Authors: Deng Junfang , Qian Yigang , Geng Lei , Chen Jie , Wang Xiaohui , Xie Haiyang , Yan Sheng , Jiang Guoping , Zhou Lin , Zheng Shusen 
Published: August 2010

AbstractBackground: Honokiol has been known to have antitumour activity. This study was conducted to evaluate the antiproliferative potential of honokiol against the hepG2 heptocellular cell line and its mechanism of action.Methods: hepG2 cells were treated with honokiol of 0–40 μg/ml concentration. The cytotoxic effect of honokiol was determined by a 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. The apoptosis was evaluated by flow cytometry. Western blots were used to analyse the expression of various proteins (procaspase‐9, procaspase‐3, cleaved caspase‐3, cytochrome c, Bcl‐2, Bax, Bad, Bcl‐XL and p38).Results: Honokiol induced apoptosis with a decreased expression of procaspase‐3 and ‐9 and an increased expression of active caspase‐3. Exposure of hepG2 cells to honokiol resulted in the downregulation of Bcl‐XL and Bcl‐2 expression and the release of mitochondrial cytochrome c to the cytosol. In addition, honokiol activated the p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway, and the inhibition of this pathway by SB203580 reduced honokiol‐induced apoptosis and activation of caspase‐3.Conclusion: Honokiol induces apoptosis of hepG2 human hepatocellular carcinoma cells through activation of the p38 MAPK pathway, and, in turn, activation of caspase‐3.
Women’s health in early pregnancy: Findings from an Australian nulliparous cohort study
Authors: GARTLAND Deirdre , BROWN Stephanie , DONATH Susan , PERLEN Susan 
Published: August 2010

Background:  Much is known about severe maternal morbidity during pregnancy, but there has been little attention paid to the impact of pregnancy itself on women’s general health and well‐being.Aim:  To investigate women’s general health and well‐being in early pregnancy and examine the relationship between maternal age and women’s physical and mental health.Method:  Cross‐sectional analysis of baseline data from a multicentre, prospective nulliparous pregnancy cohort study. The baseline questionnaire included the SF‐36 health status measure and individual items assessing a range of common maternal health issues.Results:  A total of 1507 eligible women returned baseline questionnaires in early pregnancy (mean gestation 15 weeks, range 6–24 weeks) ranging from 18 to 49 years of age (mean age 30.1 years). Study participants reported significantly poorer health compared with age and gender‐standardised population means on all SF‐36 scales except general health. Two‐thirds of women (68%) reported three or more health issues, the most common being exhaustion (87%), nausea (64%), back pain (46%), constipation (44%) and severe headaches/migraines (30%). Younger women (18–24 years) had significantly lower SF‐36 scores (poorer self perceived health) compared with women ≥35 (P ≤ 0.03). After adjusting for socio‐demographic factors, maternal age remained significantly positively associated with women’s mental and physical component scores. Younger women reported significantly more health issues than women ≥35 (4.39 and 3.27, mean difference = 1.12, 95% CI 0.75–1.79, P < 0.001).Conclusions:  Common pregnancy symptoms have a marked impact on women’s physical and mental health in early pregnancy, with the greatest impact apparent for younger women.
The attitudes of Australian gynaecologists to HPV vaccination: An ASCCP survey
Authors: TAN Jeffrey , FARRELL Louise , ALLEN David G. 
Published: August 2010

Background:  With human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccines now approved for women up to 45 years of age, gynaecologists in Australia will be approached increasingly for advice on whether to have the HPV vaccine.Aim:  We seek to establish the attitudes of gynaecologists to HPV vaccination when advising women in various age groups.Methods:  Fellows, members and trainees of Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists were approached in early 2009 to complete an Australian Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology survey, which they could return by post or internet on‐line. There were 836 (49.0%) responses, with 35.6% of responders using ‘Tuna’ on‐line.Results:  836 RANZCOG fellows, members and trainees responded to the survey. The gender of responders are 261 (43%) females and 470 (56%) males. Of the responders, 391 (46.8%) usually initiated discussion regarding the role of HPV vaccination with their patients. More than 93% encourage when recommending the HPV vaccines for female responders aged 12–26 years. This proportion decreased to 66% for women aged 27–45 years, with 15% strongly encouraging vaccination for this age group. The attitudes to HPV vaccination for the different age groups of females were similar for trainees, fellows and members, as well as for gender and age groups of the responders. However, those with lower level of knowledge are less likely to encourage HPV vaccination in all vaccination age groups and the association is statistically significant after adjusting for role, gender and age.Conclusions:  The results show a strong support from gynaecologists in Australia for HPV vaccination.
Management of pre‐labour rupture of membranes at term – A survey of current practice in Australia
Authors: WEEKES Christopher R. , MAHOMED Kassam 
Published: August 2010

Background:  Women with pre‐labour rupture of membranes at term (Term‐PROM) commonly choose to have early induction of labour with the use of oxytocin. Although there is evidence of efficacy and safety of induction by the use of prostaglandin, it is used infrequently in Australia.Aims:  To identify current practice and views of obstetricians in Australia, on Term‐PROMMethods:  A postal survey among all obstetricians in Australia in April 2009. Fellows no longer practising obstetrics or who were non‐practising were asked to return the survey without completing it.Results:  Of the 1319 surveys posted, 720 (54.6%) were returned, 23.8% of whom were practising only gynaecology or non‐practising, leaving 548 respondents practising obstetrics (41.5%). The most common management of Term‐PROM is induction of labour (IOL) within 24 h at the next convenient opportunity (75%). More than 96% would use intravenous oxytocin at some stage as their method of induction. Prostaglandin gel (PGE2) was utilised by 15% of respondents regularly, mainly for ripening of an unfavourable cervix in a primigravida, but nearly 40% would consider the use of PGE2 indicating that it would produce a more ‘natural’ labour, that women could ambulate more and that there would be reduced impact on midwifery staff. For those who would not consider PGE2, the most common reasons were concerns of hyperstimulation, increased infection rate and precautions of use based on product information.Conclusions:  Oxytocin is the most widely used induction agent for women with term‐PROM. PGE2 is an important alternative method of induction and nearly 40% would consider using it. Clarification from RANZCOG and further studies on whether PGE2 offers a safe and effective option are now required.
The effect of cultural and linguistic diversity on pregnancy outcome
Authors: THOMAS Penelope E. , BECKMANN Michael , GIBBONS Kristen 
Published: August 2010

Background:  Cultural and linguistic diversity in Australia is increasing rapidly. Culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) women include those born outside Australia/New Zealand, non‐English speaking, non‐Caucasian and refugees. Individually, each of these factors has the potential to influence health and pregnancy outcomes.Aims:  The aim of this study was to determine whether CALD parameters, including country of birth, race, primary language spoken, need for an interpreter and refugee status are independent predictors of obstetric or neonatal outcomes.Methods:  A retrospective analysis of 4751 women (including 461 women using an interpreter; 1046 non‐Caucasian and 117 women identifying as refugees) was performed.Results:  Generalized ordered logistic modelling found no significant relationship between adverse outcomes and refugee status (P = 0.863). Use of interpreter services (P = 0.015) and country of birth (P < 0.001 when at least one adverse outcome has occurred) were significant indicating that using an interpreter and/or being born outside Australia/New Zealand reduced the likelihood of an adverse outcome.Conclusions:  These findings are relevant to planning appropriate models of care and guiding effective use of resources.