Dissemination, Access, Preservation: A Case Study of Publications from the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative

The Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative, administered by USDA-NIFA, is the major federal funder of organic agricultural research. Analysis of 733 publications produced during the initiative’s first five years explored the dissemination of this research, and accessibility to and preservation of the publications. Publications associated with conferences (e.g., abstracts) were most numerous (36%). Many publications (69%) were openly accessible online in 2017 but fewer than 10% of these appeared in a stable digital repository. In four of the eight publication categories, access disappeared over time. No program exists to systematically collect and preserve these outputs of organic agricultural research. Supplementary files attached below

Reviews of Science for Science Librarians: Drought in the Agricultural and Geosciences Literature

Drought is a hot topic, given the climatic events of summer 2012 in the United States. This article provides a fundamental understanding of drought—its definitions, classifications, ratings, and impact on agriculture. Also included are introductions to drought-related research areas in the geosciences—specifically geology, hydrology, and atmospheric sciences—as well as pointers to reliable sources of information about drought from the agricultural and geosciences literature

Investigating the Practices and Needs of Agricultural Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Libraries was one of 19 libraries participating in a national study, initiated by Ithaka S+R, of the research practices and needs of agricultural researchers. Two UNL Libraries faculty members participated in this study by interviewing 11 UNL agricultural scholars during the summer of 2016. The ethnographic research approach revealed four core themes explored in this UNL-specific report: interdisciplinarity and collaborations; scientific communication practices; scientific research data; and challenges and opportunities. Illustrated by the sample of faculty comments presented here, the themes have direct implications for the UNL Libraries, while in other cases these point to concerns and opportunities for the university, the academy, and the nation

Investigating the Practices and Needs of Agricultural Researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Libraries was one of 19 libraries participating in a national study, initiated by Ithaka S+R, of the research practices and needs of agricultural researchers. Two UNL Libraries faculty members participated in this study by interviewing 11 UNL agricultural scholars during the summer of 2016. The ethnographic research approach revealed four core themes explored in this UNL-specific report: interdisciplinarity and collaborations; scientific communication practices; scientific research data; and challenges and opportunities. Illustrated by the sample of faculty comments presented here, the themes have direct implications for the UNL Libraries, while in other cases these point to concerns and opportunities for the university, the academy, and the nation

Simple Darwin Core for Non-Biologists Primer

This primer focuses on Simple DwC (http://rs.tdwg.org/dwc/terms/simple/), a “mechanism used to share biodiversity information using the simplest methods and structure” (Darwin Core Task Group, 2014). With Simple DwC, the DwC schema is applied to a single flat file (i.e., table or spreadsheet). Because it is a self-contained data set that can be opened, edited, and analyzed using a wide variety of software, Simple DwC is easier to implement than other forms of DwC that use XML, RDF, or relational databases. The primer’s goal is to assist a curator presented with a data set structured in Simple DwC, or to assist a curator in a decision to apply the standard to a data set. This work was created as part of the “Specialized Data Curation” Workshop #3 held at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, United States on November 5-6, 2019

The Effects of Infections by \u3ci\u3ePyrenophora Teres\u3c/i\u3e and Barley Yellow Dwarf Virus on the Freezing Hardiness of Winter Barley

Single and mixed infections by Pyrenophora teres and two isolates of barley yellow dwarf virus (BYDV) were evaluated for their effects on the resistance to freezing stress of crowns of the winter barley cultivar Pennrad. Plants received one of several treatments: P. teres; either the RMV-NY or PAV-NY isolate of BYDV; RMV + P. teres; PAV + P. teres; or infestation with either nonviruliferous Rhopalosiphum maidis or R. padi. After the treatments, foliage and roots were harvested from 4-wk-old plants to evaluate the effects of infection(s) on top and root growth before freezing. The crowns were subjected to a controlled freezing regime, and resistance to freezing stress was evaluated by assessing retardation of shoot and root regrowth after freezing (crown injury). The treatment combinations resulted in decreased plant growth before freezing and in increased crown injury, relative to control plants. Infection by P. teres did not reduce top and root growth, or lead to crown injury, to the extent of the other treatments. Feeding by viruliferous aphid species, in comparison to feeding by nonviruliferous aphid species, led to decreased top and root growth and to further crown injury. Infections by PAV + P. teres or R MV + P. teres did not reduce top and root growth, but led to increased crown injury relative to plants exposed only to viruliferous aphids

Obtaining and Using Copyrighted Research Journal Content—Convenience vs Ethics

Members of American Dietetic Association (ADA) or those credentialed by the Commission on Dietetic Registration agree to abide by the ADA/Commission on Dietetic Registration Code of Ethics for the dietetics profession (1). A fundamental principle within the Code is to conduct dietetics practice with honor, integrity, and fairness and to comply with all laws and regulations applicable or related to the profession. Dietetics practitioners read and apply the results of research published in professional journals and other publications to guide their evidence-based practice. Authors of research articles can, in some cases, make their work more accessible to practitioners by amendment of the copyright transfer agreements required by the publisher. And practitioners working in the United States must understand and abide by the US copyright laws that govern the fair use of these resources. In this digital age, inappropriate access to and distribution of copyrighted research content can occur. This article briefly describes the key requirements of current US copyright law, generalized to situations that a dietetics practitioner might encounter, through scenarios that illustrate implications for practitioners and suggests options for the retrieval and use of copyrighted research information while abiding by the Code of Ethics. The discovery, access, and use of freely available literature (“open access”) with proper attribution of authorship is also discussed

Pisatin demethylation by fungal pathogens and nonpathogens of pea: Association with pisatin tolerance and virulence

Previous studies have indicated that detoxification of their hosts’ phytoalexins is a tolerance mechanism for some true fungi, but not the fungus-like Oomycota, and may be involved in determining the virulence of a pathogen. In the present study, the associations between demethylation of the pea phytoalexin pisatin, tolerance to pisatin, and viru­lence on pea were examined for 50 fungal isolates which represent 17 species of pathogens and nonpathogens of pea. All isolates of Pythium coloratum and P. irregulare failed to metabolize and were sensitive to pisatin, consistent with previous observations that members of the Oomycota generally lack the ability to metabolize and are sensitive to their hosts’ phytoalexins. Among true fungi tested, the ability to demethylate pisatin was common, regardless of whether the particular isolate was pathogenic on pea or not. However, when the rate of pisatin demethylation was compared to virulence, all but one of the moderate to highly virulent isolates rapidly demethylated pisatin. In addition, the more rapidly demethylating isolates were generally more tolerant of pisatin. These results suggest that a specialized en­zyme system for quickly detoxifying pisatin might be present in most pea pathogens. In previous studies a specific cy­tochrome P450 enzyme for demethylating pisatin was identified in the pea pathogen Nectria haematococca mating pop­ulation VI, and genes (PDA genes) encoding that enzyme have been cloned from this fungus. When DNA specific for these genes was used to probe genomic DNA from other fungi that demethylate pisatin, significant hybridization was detected with only one fungus, the pea pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi. If the other pea pathogens possess a specific cytochrome P450 system for detoxification of pisatin, the genes encoding these enzymes apparently share lim­ited nucleotide similarity with N. haematococca PDA genes

Pisatin demethylation by fungal pathogens and nonpathogens of pea: Association with pisatin tolerance and virulence

Previous studies have indicated that detoxification of their hosts’ phytoalexins is a tolerance mechanism for some true fungi, but not the fungus-like Oomycota, and may be involved in determining the virulence of a pathogen. In the present study, the associations between demethylation of the pea phytoalexin pisatin, tolerance to pisatin, and viru­lence on pea were examined for 50 fungal isolates which represent 17 species of pathogens and nonpathogens of pea. All isolates of Pythium coloratum and P. irregulare failed to metabolize and were sensitive to pisatin, consistent with previous observations that members of the Oomycota generally lack the ability to metabolize and are sensitive to their hosts’ phytoalexins. Among true fungi tested, the ability to demethylate pisatin was common, regardless of whether the particular isolate was pathogenic on pea or not. However, when the rate of pisatin demethylation was compared to virulence, all but one of the moderate to highly virulent isolates rapidly demethylated pisatin. In addition, the more rapidly demethylating isolates were generally more tolerant of pisatin. These results suggest that a specialized en­zyme system for quickly detoxifying pisatin might be present in most pea pathogens. In previous studies a specific cy­tochrome P450 enzyme for demethylating pisatin was identified in the pea pathogen Nectria haematococca mating pop­ulation VI, and genes (PDA genes) encoding that enzyme have been cloned from this fungus. When DNA specific for these genes was used to probe genomic DNA from other fungi that demethylate pisatin, significant hybridization was detected with only one fungus, the pea pathogen Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. pisi. If the other pea pathogens possess a specific cytochrome P450 system for detoxification of pisatin, the genes encoding these enzymes apparently share lim­ited nucleotide similarity with N. haematococca PDA genes

Collection Development Policy, Digital Commons Institutional Repository, University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries

Purpose of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Digital Commons Institutional Repository Collection Development Policy This collection development policy is intended to provide guidance for content selection that anticipates and meets the needs of the communities of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL). It directly relates to the library\u27s vision statement and defines the scope and standards that guide the services that generate the collection. Purpose of the UNL Digital Commons Institutional Repository The UNL institutional repository (IR) comprises services that result in the stewardship and global online dissemination of content created and selected by UNL authors and affiliates. With the aim of contributing to the broader world of scholarship and facilitating discovery, the repository reflects the intellectual life of the institution. The IR drives a significant level of Web traffic to UNL. As such, the IR may serve as a promotional and marketing tool for authors, programs, and the university as a whole