136 research outputs found
Relational coupling of multiple streams: The case of COVIDâ19 infections in German abattoirs
After a series of COVID-19 outbreaks among employees in the German meat-processing industry, the Work Safety Control Act protecting these workers made it on the government's agenda in July 2020. From a Multiple Streams perspective, local corona hotspots may be understood as policy windows for introducing respective measures. However, this alone is not sufficient to explain agenda setting. This study investigates the coupling of streams within policy windows. Introducing the notion of relational coupling to the MSF research agenda, discourse network analysis provides a new methodology to reveal entrepre-neurial activities. Studying the German mass media discourse on the issue identifies two stages: (1) An initial problem broker-age without coupling of core policies, followed by (2) a coupling across all streams based on a focusing event. We argue that relational coupling allows for an enhanced understanding of agenda setting
Approaches and concepts of modelling denitrification: increased process understanding using observational data can reduce uncertainties
Denitrification is a key but poorly quantified component of the Ncycle. Because it is difficult to measure the gaseous (NO, NO, N)and soluble (NO) components of denitrification with sufficientintensity, models of varying scope and complexity have beendeveloped and applied to estimate how vegetation cover, landmanagement and environmental factors such as soil type andweather interact to control these variables. In this paper we assessthe strengths and limitations of different modeling approaches,highlight major uncertainties, and suggest how differentobservational methods and process-based understanding can becombined to better quantify N cycling. Representation of howbiogeochemical (e.g. org. C., pH) and physical (e.g. soil structure)factors influence denitrification rates and product ratios combinedwith ensemble approaches may increase accuracy withoutrequiring additional site level model inputs
Nitrous Oxide Emission from Grazing Is Low across a Gradient of Plant Functional Diversity and Soil Conditions
Nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from pastures can vary significantly depending on soil and environmental conditions, nitrogen (N) input, as well as the plantâs ability to take up the N. We tested the hypothesis that legume-based N sources are characterized by significantly lower emission factors than mineral N based dairy systems. Therefore, this study monitored N2O emissions for a minimum of 100 days and up to two growing seasons across a gradient of plant species diversity. Emissions were measured from both grazed pastures and a controlled application of urine and dung using the static chamber method. About 90% of the simulated experimentsâ accumulated N2O emissions occurred during the first 60â75 days. The average accumulated N2O emissions were 0.11, 0.87, 0.99, and 0.21 kg haâ1 for control, dung, urine patches, and grazed pastures, respectively. The N uptake efficiency at the excreta patch scale was about 70% for both dung and urine. The highest N2O-N emission factor was less than half compared with the IPCC default (0.3 vs. 0.77), suggesting an overestimation of N2O-N emissions from organically managed pastures in temperate climates. Plant diversity showed no significant effect on N2O emission. However, functional groups were significant (p < 0.05). We concluded that legume-containing pasture systems without a fertilizer addition generally appear capable of utilizing nitrogen inputs from excreta patches efficiently, resulting in low N2O emissions
Simulating water and nitrogen runoff with APSIM
To determine the impact of potential reductions of terrain-targeted nitrogen (N) fertilisation rates on N losses a simulation study was carried out using the Agricultural Production Systems Simulator (APSIM). To simulate N runoff a simple approach was used, in which runoff is based on the N concentration in the soil solution and an extraction coefficient. Firstly, APSIM parameters that have the largest effect on runoff of water and N were determined for terrains with different slopes for a poorly drained silt loam. A sensitivity analysis was then conducted to assess the effect of soil hydraulic properties and soil organic carbon content on runoff losses. Finally, APSIM was set up to simulate pasture production and water and N dynamics (including pasture N uptake, leaching and N runoff) for a farm on rolling hills in South Canterbury, New Zealand. Two different fertilisation approaches were used, either scheduled or based on the aboveground N concentration of the pasture. For the poorly drained silt loam, the rainfall intensity and the surface conductance had the highest effect on the amount of water lost by runoff. Soil hydraulic conductivity at saturation and field capacity, as well as plant available water content also controlled runoff of water and N, while the organic carbon content of the topsoil had less effect on N runoff. Both the extraction coefficient and the depth considered to exchange N with the runoff water affected the amount of N lost via runoff. Using the aboveground pasture N concentration prior to fertilisation had positive effects on pasture yield and reduced N runoff losses
Livestock Farming at the Expense of Water Resources?: The WaterâEnergyâFood Nexus in Regions with Intensive Livestock Farming
Policymaking in the waterâenergyâfood nexus is characterized by complex ecological,
social, and economic interdependencies. Nexus research assumes these interactions to be overseen in
the respective resource governance resulting in sectoral perspectives contributing to unsustainable
outcomes. In Germany, the political priority given to the formation of an internationally competitive
livestock sector by means of intensification, specialization and regional concentration has exerted
sustained pressure on water and soil resources. The expansion of bioenergy plants promoted by
the renewable energy act has exacerbated the situation. Despite the persistency of the ecological
challenges, German policymakers only reacted when the European Commission referred Germany
to the European Court of Justice. Current policy eorts to tackle the ecological problems are now
provoking disruptions in the agrarian sector in regions with high nitrate concentrations in water
resources. By combining the social-ecological systems framework with hypotheses derived from
nexus research, we explore the interactions between food, water and energy systems and aim at
understanding the unsustainable outcomes. We argue that the non-consideration of the complex
interdependencies between the agricultural, the water and the energy system in policymaking and
the divergence of policy goals constitute a major cause of unsustainable governance
Iterative optimization-based simulation in practice â simulation of the surface finishing at Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH
The Salzgitter Flachstahl GmbH plans a shift in their production program, which might require adaptions in the logistics. A discrete event simulation model is used to evaluate the impact of the new production program on logistics and the effects of various adaptations. In practice, however, optimization algorithms are applied in this system to facilitate resource planning, e.g., for loading train wagons or crane scheduling. To develop a valid production system model, it was necessary to implement optimization algorithms directly within the simulation and execute them iteratively during the simulation run. Using this approach, different adaptions of the logistic system could be evaluated. The approach to implementing iterative optimization-based simulation in practice and the lessons learned are reported
Dynamics of nuclear receptor gene expression during Pacific oyster development
BACKGROUND: Nuclear receptors are a highly conserved set of ligand binding transcription factors, with essential roles regulating aspects of vertebrate and invertebrate biology alike. Current understanding of nuclear receptor regulated gene expression in invertebrates remains sparse, limiting our ability to elucidate gene function and the conservation of developmental processes across phyla. Here, we studied nuclear receptor expression in the early life stages of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, to identify at which specific key stages nuclear receptors are expressed RESULTS: We used quantitative RT-PCR to determine the expression profiles of 34 nuclear receptors, revealing three developmental key stages, during which nuclear receptor expression is dynamically regulated: embryogenesis, mid development from gastrulation to trochophore larva, and late larval development prior to metamorphosis. Clustering of nuclear receptor expression patterns demonstrated that transcriptional regulation was not directly related to gene phylogeny, suggesting closely related genes may have distinct functions. Expression of gene homologs of vertebrate retinoid receptors suggests participation in organogenesis and shell-formation, as they are highly expressed at the gastrulation and trochophore larval initial shell formation stages. The ecdysone receptor homolog showed high expression just before larval settlement, suggesting a potential role in metamorphosis. CONCLUSION: Throughout early oyster development nuclear receptors exhibited highly dynamic expression profiles, which were not confined by gene phylogeny. These results provide fundamental information on the presence of nuclear receptors during key developmental stages, which aids elucidation of their function in the developmental process. This understanding is essential as ligand sensing nuclear receptors can be disrupted by xenobiotics, a mode of action through which anthropogenic environmental pollutants have been found to mediate effects. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12861-016-0129-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users
The nuclear receptor gene family in the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas, contains a novel subfamily group
Published onlineResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tBACKGROUND: Nuclear receptors are a superfamily of transcription factors important in key biological, developmental and reproductive processes. Several of these receptors are ligand- activated and through their ability to bind endogenous and exogenous ligands, are potentially vulnerable to xenobiotics. Molluscs are key ecological species in defining aquatic and terrestrial habitats and are sensitive to xenobiotic compounds in the environment. However, the understanding of nuclear receptor presence, function and xenobiotic disruption in the phylum Mollusca is limited. RESULTS: Here, forty-three nuclear receptor sequences were mined from the genome of the Pacific oyster, Crassostrea gigas. They include members of NR0-NR5 subfamilies, notably lacking any NR6 members. Phylogenetic analyses of the oyster nuclear receptors have been conducted showing the presence of a large novel subfamily group not previously reported, which is named NR1P. Homologues to all previous identified nuclear receptors in other mollusc species have also been determined including the putative heterodimer partner retinoid X receptor, estrogen receptor and estrogen related receptor. CONCLUSION: C. gigas contains a highly diverse set of nuclear receptors including a novel NR1 group, which provides important information on presence and evolution of this transcription factor superfamily in invertebrates. The Pacific oyster possesses two members of NR3, the sex steroid hormone receptor analogues, of which there are 9 in humans. This provides increasing evidence that steroid ligand specific expansion of this family is deuterostome specific. This new knowledge on divergence and emergence of nuclear receptors in C. gigas provides essential information for studying regulation of molluscan gene expression and the potential effects of xenobiotics
Modeling coupled nitrificationâdenitrification in soil with an organic hotspot
The emission of nitrous oxide (N2O) from agricultural soils to the atmosphere is a significant contributor to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. The recycling of organic nitrogen (N) in manure and crop residues may result in spatiotemporal variability in N2O production and soil efflux which is difficult to capture by process-based models. We propose a multi-species, reactive transport model to provide detailed insight into the spatiotemporal variability in nitrogen (N) transformations around such N2O hotspots, which consists of kinetic reactions of soil respiration, nitrification, nitrifier denitrification, and denitrification represented by a system of coupled partial differential equations. The model was tested with results from an incubation experiment at two different soil moisture levels (â30Â and â100âhPa) and was shown to reproduce the recorded N2O and dinitrogen
(N2) emissions and the dynamics of important carbon (C) and N components in soil reasonably well. The simulation indicated that the four different
microbial populations developed in closely connected but separate layers,
with denitrifying bacteria growing within the manure-dominated zone and
nitrifying bacteria in the well-aerated soil outside the manure zone and
with time also within the manure layer. The modeled N2O production
within the manure zone was greatly enhanced by the combined effect of oxygen
deficit, abundant carbon source, and supply of nitrogenous substrates. In the
wetter soil treatment with a water potential of â30âhPa, the diffusive flux of nitrate (NO3-) across the manureâsoil interface was the main
source of NO3- for denitrification in the manure zone, while at a
soil water potential of â100âhPa, diffusion became less dominant and
overtaken by the co-occurrence of nitrification and denitrification in the
manure zone. Scenarios were analyzed where the diffusive transport of dissolved
organic carbon or different mineral N species was switched off, and they
showed that the simultaneous diffusion of NO3-, ammonium
(NH4+), and nitrite (NO2-) was crucial to simulate the
dynamics of N transformations and N2O emissions in the model. Without
considering solute diffusion in process-based N2O models, the rapid
turnover of C and N associated with organic hotspots can not be accounted
for, and it may result in the underestimation of N2O emissions from soil
after manure application. The model and its parameters allow for new
detailed insights into the interactions between transport and microbial
transformations associated with N2O emissions in heterogeneous soil
environments.</p
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