| 1. |
- Snell, Per, et al.
(author)
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Characterisation of Grains and Flour Fractions from Field Grown Transgenic Oil-Accumulating Wheat Expressing Oat WRI1
- 2022
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In: Plants. - : MDPI AG. - 2223-7747. ; 11:7
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is one of the major staple crops in the world and is used to prepare a range of foods. The development of new varieties with wider variation in grain composition could broaden their use. We characterized grains and flours from oil-accumulating transgenic wheat expressing the oat (Avena sativa L.) endosperm WRINKLED1 (AsWRI1) grown under field conditions. Lipid and starch accumulation was determined in developing caryopses of AsWRI1-wheat and X-ray microtomography was used to study grain morphology. The developing caryopses of AsWRI1-wheat grains had increased triacylglycerol content and decreased starch content compared to the control. Mature AsWRI1-wheat grains also had reduced weight, were wrinkled and had a shrunken endosperm and X-ray tomography revealed that the proportion of endosperm was decreased while that of the aleurone was increased. Grains were milled to produce two white flours and one bran fraction. Mineral and lipid analyses showed that the flour fractions from the AsWRI1-wheat were contaminated with bran, due to the effects of the changed morphology on milling. This study gives a detailed analysis of grains from field grown transgenic wheat that expresses a gene that plays a central regulatory role in carbon allocation and significantly affects grain composition.
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| 2. |
- Capo, Eric, et al.
(author)
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Oxygen-deficient water zones in the Baltic Sea promote uncharacterized Hg methylating microorganisms in underlying sediments
- 2022
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In: Limnology and Oceanography. - : Wiley. - 1939-5590 .- 0024-3590. ; 67:1, s. 135-146
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Human-induced expansion of oxygen-deficient zones can have dramatic impacts on marine systems and its resident biota. One example is the formation of the potent neurotoxic methylmercury (MeHg) that is mediated by microbial methylation of inorganic divalent Hg (HgII) under oxygen-deficient conditions. A negative consequence of the expansion of oxygen-deficient zones could be an increase in MeHg production due to shifts in microbial communities in favor of microorganisms methylating Hg. There is, however, limited knowledge about Hg-methylating microbes, i.e., those carrying hgc genes critical for mediating the process, from marine sediments. Here, we aim to study the presence of hgc genes and transcripts in metagenomes and metatranscriptomes from four surface sediments with contrasting concentrations of oxygen and sulfide in the Baltic Sea. We show that potential Hg methylators differed among sediments depending on redox conditions. Sediments with an oxygenated surface featured hgc-like genes and transcripts predominantly associated with uncultured Desulfobacterota (OalgD group) and Desulfobacterales (including Desulfobacula sp.) while sediments with a hypoxic-anoxic surface included hgc-carrying Verrucomicrobia, unclassified Desulfobacterales, Desulfatiglandales, and uncharacterized microbes. Our data suggest that the expansion of oxygen-deficient zones in marine systems may lead to a compositional change of Hg-methylating microbial groups in the sediments, where Hg methylators whose metabolism and biology have not yet been characterized will be promoted and expand.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Duit, Andreas, et al.
(author)
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Saving the Woodpeckers : Social Capital, Governance, and Policy Performance
- 2009
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In: Journal of Environment and Development. - : SAGE Publications. - 1070-4965 .- 1552-5465. ; 18:1, s. 42-61
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- This article investigates if higher levels of social capital,better governance structures, and a more ambitious conservationpolicy are positively linked to the ability of states to addressbiodiversity loss. Serving this purpose is a data set containingestimates of woodpecker diversity in 20 European countries.These data are argued to be a more valid indicator of biodiversitythan most other available cross-national measures of environmentalquality. A seemingly unrelated regression analysis reveals thatnone of the indicators are linked to higher levels of woodpeckerdiversity, which in turn leads to the conclusion that presentinstitutions, environmental policies, and social structureshave negligible effects on biodiversity compared to long-termlandscape transformations.
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| 5. |
- Flink, Henrik, et al.
(author)
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Examining the effects of authentic C&R on the reproductive potential of Northern pike
- 2021
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In: Fisheries Research. - : Elsevier. - 0165-7836 .- 1872-6763. ; 243
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The practice within recreational fisheries to release captured fish back to the wild, known as catch-and-release (C&R), is an increasingly important strategy to protect fish stocks from overexploitation. However, C&R is a stressor and since animal reproduction is particularly sensitive to stress there is reason to suspect that such a practice induces sublethal fitness consequences. Here, we investigated whether and how C&R fishing influenced the reproductive potential in an anadromous population of Northern pike (Esox lucius). First, female pike were exposed to authentic C&R using rod-and-reel fishing in a coastal foraging habitat prior to the spawning period. Next, we observed the migration to the freshwater spawning habitat and compared both the timing of arrival and maturity stage between C&R-treated and control individuals. Finally, to evaluate effects on the quality and viability of eggs we stripped captured control and recaptured C&R-treated females, measured egg dry mass to assess nutrient content, conducted artificial fertilisations and incubated eggs in a controlled laboratory experiment. We found no evidence of C&R causing alterations in either arrival time, maturity stage, or the quality and viability of fertilised eggs. In combination, our results suggest that long-term effects of C&R-induced stress on key reproductive traits of pike, if any, are minor.
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| 6. |
- Hall, Ola, et al.
(author)
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A decade of maize yield gap studies in sub-Saharan Africa : how are farm-level factors considered?
- 2024
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In: International Journal of Agricultural Sustainability. - : Routledge. - 1473-5903 .- 1747-762X. ; 22:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The study of yield gaps has become more complex, prompting the use of varied approaches to measure yields and a wider range of factors to explain these gaps. In the Global North, the focus is on precision farming, whereas in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), a broader perspective is necessary due to pronounced variability in farmland conditions. While biogeophysical and management factors have been traditional focal points in yield gap analyses, socio-economic and institutional factors are increasingly recognized as significant, especially in SSA. This review synthesizes research from the past decade in SSA that integrates biogeophysical, management, farm characteristics, and institutional factors in yield gap discussions. The findings indicate a slow shift in including socio-economic factors, with management, particularly nutrient supply and crop management, remaining predominant. However, there is a growing trend towards methodological diversity, such as the adoption of remote sensing and GIS in recent years. Case studies from Kenya and Ghana, utilizing field surveys, interviews, panel data, and spatial analysis, highlight how a multifaceted approach can enhance our understanding of the various elements influencing maize yield gaps in SSA.
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