Atmospheric nitrogen deposition in terrestrial ecosystems:Its impact on plant communities and consequences across trophic levels

The global nitrogen cycle has been greatly perturbed by human activities resulting in elevated nitrogen deposition in many parts of the world. The threat nitrogen deposition poses to ecosystem function and biodiversity is increasingly recognised. In terrestrial systems, impacts on the plant community are mainly through eutrophication and soil acidification. Interactions with secondary environmental drivers such as extreme weather and disease are also key mechanisms. Impacts on consumers can be caused by changes in the quality or quantity of food as a result of changes in food plant chemistry or species composition, changes in vegetation structure leading to a change in the availability of prey species, nesting sites or cooled microclimates or changes in the phenology of plants leading to causing phenological asynchrony. Primary consumers have received considerably less research attention than plants but negative impacts have been observed for both folivorous insects and pollinators. Mammal herbivores have received little research attention. New analysis of changes in plant traits along a gradient of nitrogen deposition in the UK shows that plants pollinated by large bees were negatively associated with N deposition whilst low pH was associated with lower nectar production, reduced occurrence of plants pollinated by long-tongued insects and a reduction in plants with larger floral units. Very few studies have investigated the effects on secondary consumers, but those that have suggest that there are likely to be negative impacts. This review identifies considerable knowledge gaps in the impacts of N deposition on higher tropic levels and highlights that for many groups, knowledge of N deposition impacts is patchy at best. Evidence that has been collected suggests that there are likely to be impacts on primary and secondary consumers making this a priority area for investigation

Effects of Physical Exercise Training on Cerebral Blood Flow Measurements:A Systematic Review of Human Intervention Studies

The aim of this systematic review was to examine the effects of physical exercise training on cerebral blood flow (CBF), which is a physiological marker of cerebrovascular function. Relationships between training-induced effects on CBF with changes in cognitive performance were also discussed. A systematic search was performed up to July 2022. Forty-five intervention studies with experimental, quasi-experimental, or pre-post designs were included. Sixteen studies (median duration: 14 weeks) investigated effects of physical exercise training on CBF markers using magnetic resonance imaging, 20 studies (median duration: 14 weeks) used transcranial Doppler ultrasound, and eight studies (median duration: 8 weeks) used near-infrared spectroscopy. Studies using magnetic resonance imaging observed consistent increases in CBF in the anterior cingulate cortex and hippocampus, but not in whole-brain CBF. Effects on resting CBF-measured with transcranial Doppler ultrasound and near-infrared spectroscopy-were variable, while middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity increased in some studies following exercise or hypercapnic stimuli. Interestingly, concomitant changes in physical fitness and regional CBF were observed, while a relation between training-induced effects on CBF and cognitive performance was evident. In conclusion, exercise training improved cerebrovascular function because regional CBF was changed. Studies are however still needed to establish whether exercise-induced improvements in CBF are sustained over longer periods of time and underlie the observed beneficial effects on cognitive performance.</p

Detection of intensification of the global water cycle: the potential role of FRIEND

Diagnostic studies of 14-year, 2 — 2°, Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) model off-line simulations of the global terrestrial water budget suggest that, given the annual variability in the major components of continental hydrological cycles (precipitation, evaporation, and runoff), several decades to perhaps centuries of measurements may be needed to detect with high confidence the intensification predicted by recent global climate model (GCM) studies simulating plausible global warming scenarios. Furthermore, these measurements may need to originate from a wider geographic expanse than is currently investigated within large-scale hydrological assessment programmes, such as the Global Energy and Water Experiment (GEWEX). Smaller, geographically dispersed basins, including many of those participating in the International Flow Regimes from International Experimental and Network Data (FRIEND) programme, could therefore play important roles in detection of an intensification in the global water cycle

Wat levert de melkrobot op

Met behulp van een aantal modelberekeningen wordt in dit artikel een inzicht gegeven in de effecten van de robot op het inkomen van de boer bij verschillende bedrijfsgroottes

Development of an intervention aimed at increasing awareness and acknowledgement of victimisation and its consequences among people with severe mental illness

Individuals with severe mental illness have a significant risk of (anticipated) discrimination and (criminal) victimisation, which is not structurally and systematically addressed by mental health practitioners. The aim of this study was to develop and pilot an intervention which supports professionals to address victimisation and its consequences, in order to reinforce safe social participation and improve recovery. Following the rehabilitation and positive risk management literature, in addition to current practice, intervention components were developed in two focus groups and four subsequent expert meetings. The intervention was piloted in two outpatient teams before being finalised. The Victoria intervention includes positive risk management, focusing on clients’ narratives and strengths, and awareness of unsafe (home) environments: it comprises four steps: exploring issues with social participation, analysing victimisation experiences, clarifying the context of these experiences, and determining future steps, including victimisation-sensitive rehabilitation planning and optional trauma treatment. Future research should further test this intervention

Effects of reducing beta-lactam antibiotic pressure on intestinal colonization of antibiotic-resistant gram-negative bacteria

Background: We determined the effects of two antibiotic policies (predominance of either β-lactam antibiotics or fluroquinolones) on acquisition with third-generation cephalosporin-resistant Enterobacteriaceae (CRE) and fluoroquinolone-resistant CRE (FCRE) in two ICUs, with monitoring of other variables that may influence acquisition. Methods: After an 8-month baseline period, units were randomized to a predominant β-lactam antibiotic regimen (weekly cycling of ceftriaxone, amoxicillin-clavulanic acid and fluroquinolones) or a fluoroquinolone regimen for 3 months, with cross-over for another 3 months. Acquisition of CRE and FCRE was determined by microbiological surveillance. Results: During baseline, acquisition rates for CRE and FCRE were 14/1,000 and 2/1,000 patient days at risk, respectively. Cross-transmission of CRE accounted for ≤25% of acquisitions, and CRE acquisition was associated with the use of β-lactam antibiotics (amoxicillin-clavulanic acid in particular). As compared to baseline, β-lactam antibiotic use [in defined daily dose (DDD)/1,000 patient days] was reduced from 854 to 526 (-39%) and 555 (-35%) during both intervention periods. Fluoroquinolone use was increased from 150 and 129 DDD/1,000 patient days in baseline and the β-lactam period to 514 DDD/1,000 patient days (+243%) in the fluoroquinolone period. Reductions in β-lactam use were not associated with reduced CRE acquisition [adjusted HRs were 1.0 (95% CR: 0.5-2.2) and 1.1 (95% CI: 0.5-2.5) during both periods, respectively]. Increased use of fluoroquinolones was associated with increased acquisition of FCRE [adjusted HR 4.1 (95% CI: 1.4-11.9; p < 0.01]. Infection control variables remained comparable during all periods. Conclusion: A 35-39% reduction of β-lactam exposure was not associated with reduced acquisition of CRE, whereas a 243% increase of fluoroquinolone use increased acquisition of FCRE

A unified approach for process-based hydrologic modeling: 1. Modeling concept

This work advances a unified approach to process-based hydrologic modeling to enable controlled and systematic evaluation of multiple model representations (hypotheses) of hydrologic processes and scaling behavior. Our approach, which we term the Structure for Unifying Multiple Modeling Alternatives (SUMMA), formulates a general set of conservation equations, providing the flexibility to experiment with different spatial representations, different flux parameterizations, different model parameter values, and different time stepping schemes. In this paper, we introduce the general approach used in SUMMA, detailing the spatial organization and model simplifications, and how different representations of multiple physical processes can be combined within a single modeling framework. We discuss how SUMMA can be used to systematically pursue the method of multiple working hypotheses in hydrology. In particular, we discuss how SUMMA can help tackle major hydrologic modeling challenges, including defining the appropriate complexity of a model, selecting among competing flux parameterizations, representing spatial variability across a hierarchy of scales, identifying potential improvements in computational efficiency and numerical accuracy as part of the numerical solver, and improving understanding of the various sources of model uncertainty.Keywords: unified model, hydrometeorology, scaling behavio

Determinants of victimization in patients with severe mental illness:Results from a nation-wide cross-sectional survey in the Netherlands

We aimed to examine determinants of criminal victimization (i.e. both personal and property crime victimization) in outpatients with severe mental illness. Data was collected using a multisite epidemiological survey including a random sample of 956 adult outpatients with SMI. Data on 12-month victimization prevalence and frequency were obtained using the victimization scale of the Dutch Crime and Victimization Survey. Demographic characteristics, clinical diagnosis, psychosocial functioning, drug use and alcohol abuse over the past 12 months, co-morbid PTSD diagnosis, physical abuse, physical neglect and sexual abuse in childhood, perpetration of violence over the past 12-months, and anger disposition were assessed as determinants. Univariable and multivariable hurdle regression analyses were conducted to test associations of the potential determinants with victimization prevalence and frequency. We found that different sets of demographic and clinical characteristics were associated with personal and property crime victimization. Clinical characteristics were more pronounced regarding personal crime victimization. In the multivariable model, presence of psychotic disorder, drug use, childhood physical and sexual abuse, and recent violent perpetration were associated with the 12-month prevalence or frequency rate of personal crime victimization. Native Dutch and divorced patients were more at risk as well. Next to this being employed, poor social functioning, having perpetrated a violent crime, as well as alcohol abuse and recent drug use were all significantly related to property crime prevalence or frequency rate in the multivariable model.<br/