Chemometric dissimilarity in nutritive value of popularly consumed Nigerian brown and white common beans.

PubMed

Moyib, Oluwasayo Kehinde; Alashiri, Ganiyy Olasunkanmi; Adejoye, Oluseyi Damilola

2015-01-01

Brown beans are the preferred varieties over the white beans in Nigeria due to their assumed richer nutrients. This study was aimed at assessing and characterising some popular Nigerian common beans for their nutritive value based on seed coat colour. Three varieties, each, of Nigerian brown and white beans, and one, each, of French bean and soybean were analysed for 19 nutrients. Z-statistics test showed that Nigerian beans are nutritionally analogous to French bean and soybean. Analysis of variance showed that seed coat colour varied with proximate nutrients, Ca, Fe, and Vit C. Chemometric analysis methods revealed superior beans for macro and micro nutrients and presented clearer groupings among the beans for seed coat colour. The study estimated a moderate genetic distance (GD) that will facilitate transfer of useful genes and intercrossing among the beans. It also offers an opportunity to integrate French bean and soybean into genetic improvement programs in Nigerian common beans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutrient profiling can help identify foods of good nutritional quality for their price: a validation study with linear programming.

PubMed

Maillot, Matthieu; Ferguson, Elaine L; Drewnowski, Adam; Darmon, Nicole

2008-06-01

Nutrient profiling ranks foods based on their nutrient content. They may help identify foods with a good nutritional quality for their price. This hypothesis was tested using diet modeling with linear programming. Analyses were undertaken using food intake data from the nationally representative French INCA (enquête Individuelle et Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires) survey and its associated food composition and price database. For each food, a nutrient profile score was defined as the ratio between the previously published nutrient density score (NDS) and the limited nutrient score (LIM); a nutritional quality for price indicator was developed and calculated from the relationship between its NDS:LIM and energy cost (in euro/100 kcal). We developed linear programming models to design diets that fulfilled increasing levels of nutritional constraints at a minimal cost. The median NDS:LIM values of foods selected in modeled diets increased as the levels of nutritional constraints increased (P = 0.005). In addition, the proportion of foods with a good nutritional quality for price indicator was higher (P < 0.0001) among foods selected (81%) than among foods not selected (39%) in modeled diets. This agreement between the linear programming and the nutrient profiling approaches indicates that nutrient profiling can help identify foods of good nutritional quality for their price. Linear programming is a useful tool for testing nutrient profiling systems and validating the concept of nutrient profiling.

Stability of vitamin C in frozen raw fruit and vegetable homogenates

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Retention of vitamin C in homogenized raw fruits and vegetables stored under laboratory conditions prior to analysis was investigated. Raw collard greens, clementines, and potatoes were chosen, to be representative of food matrices to be sampled in USDA’s National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program...

Integration of Nutrient and Activity Analysis Software into a Worksite Weight Management Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dennison, Darwin; And Others

1990-01-01

A weight management program utilized the participant's own data for the participant to (1) understand energy balance; (2) compare his/her diet with U.S. dietary codes; (3) know which food selections were high in calories, fat, and cholesterol, and low in complex carbohydrates and fiber; and (4) understand weight management. (JD)

Local food-based complementary feeding recommendations developed by the linear programming approach to improve the intake of problem nutrients among 12-23-month-old Myanmar children.

PubMed

Hlaing, Lwin Mar; Fahmida, Umi; Htet, Min Kyaw; Utomo, Budi; Firmansyah, Agus; Ferguson, Elaine L

2016-07-01

Poor feeding practices result in inadequate nutrient intakes in young children in developing countries. To improve practices, local food-based complementary feeding recommendations (CFR) are needed. This cross-sectional survey aimed to describe current food consumption patterns of 12-23-month-old Myanmar children (n 106) from Ayeyarwady region in order to identify nutrient requirements that are difficult to achieve using local foods and to formulate affordable and realistic CFR to improve dietary adequacy. Weekly food consumption patterns were assessed using a 12-h weighed dietary record, single 24-h recall and a 5-d food record. Food costs were estimated by market surveys. CFR were formulated by linear programming analysis using WHO Optifood software and evaluated among mothers (n 20) using trial of improved practices (TIP). Findings showed that Ca, Zn, niacin, folate and Fe were 'problem nutrients': nutrients that did not achieve 100 % recommended nutrient intake even when the diet was optimised. Chicken liver, anchovy and roselle leaves were locally available nutrient-dense foods that would fill these nutrient gaps. The final set of six CFR would ensure dietary adequacy for five of twelve nutrients at a minimal cost of 271 kyats/d (based on the exchange rate of 900 kyats/USD at the time of data collection: 3rd quarter of 2012), but inadequacies remained for niacin, folate, thiamin, Fe, Zn, Ca and vitamin B6. TIP showed that mothers believed liver and vegetables would cause worms and diarrhoea, but these beliefs could be overcome to successfully promote liver consumption. Therefore, an acceptable set of CFR were developed to improve the dietary practices of 12-23-month-old Myanmar children using locally available foods. Alternative interventions such as fortification, however, are still needed to ensure dietary adequacy of all nutrients.

Modeling small-scale dairy farms in central Mexico using multi-criteria programming.

PubMed

Val-Arreola, D; Kebreab, E; France, J

2006-05-01

Milk supply from Mexican dairy farms does not meet demand and small-scale farms can contribute toward closing the gap. Two multi-criteria programming techniques, goal programming and compromise programming, were used in a study of small-scale dairy farms in central Mexico. To build the goal and compromise programming models, 4 ordinary linear programming models were also developed, which had objective functions to maximize metabolizable energy for milk production, to maximize margin of income over feed costs, to maximize metabolizable protein for milk production, and to minimize purchased feedstuffs. Neither multi-criteria approach was significantly better than the other; however, by applying both models it was possible to perform a more comprehensive analysis of these small-scale dairy systems. The multi-criteria programming models affirm findings from previous work and suggest that a forage strategy based on alfalfa, ryegrass, and corn silage would meet nutrient requirements of the herd. Both models suggested that there is an economic advantage in rescheduling the calving season to the second and third calendar quarters to better synchronize higher demand for nutrients with the period of high forage availability.

Water-quality assessment of the western Lake Michigan drainages; analysis of available information on nutrients and suspended sediment, water years 1971-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Dale M.; Saad, D.A.

1996-01-01

To fulfill the goals of the NAWQA program, the USGS plans to examine 60 areas (study units) across the United States during full implementation of the program. In 1991, the NAWQA program went into full implementation with the intensive investigation of 20 of these study units; one of these study units is the Western Lake Michigan Drainages (WMIC) study unit.

Lack of A-factor production induces the expression of nutrient scavenging and stress-related proteins in Streptomyces griseus.

PubMed

Birkó, Zsuzsanna; Swiatek, Magdalena; Szájli, Emília; Medzihradszky, Katalin F; Vijgenboom, Erik; Penyige, András; Keseru, Judit; van Wezel, Gilles P; Biró, Sándor

2009-10-01

The small gamma-butyrolactone A-factor is an important autoregulatory signaling molecule for the soil-inhabiting streptomycetes. Starvation is a major trigger for development, and nutrients are provided by degradation of the vegetative mycelium via a process of programmed cell death, reusing proteins, nucleic acids, and cell wall material. The A-factor regulon includes many extracellular hydrolases. Here we show via proteomics analysis that many nutrient-scavenging and stress-related proteins were overexpressed in an A-factor non-producing mutant of Streptomyces griseus B-2682. Transcript analysis showed that this is primarily due to differential transcription of the target genes during early development. The targets include proteins relating to nutrient stress and environmental stress and an orthologue of the Bacillus sporulation control protein Spo0M. The enhanced expression of these proteins underlines the stress that is generated by the absence of A-factor. Wild-type developmental gene expression was restored to the A-factor non-producing mutant by the signaling protein Factor C in line with our earlier observation that Factor C triggers A-factor production.

Advances in fertilization for hardwood regeneration

Treesearch

Douglass F. Jacobs

2013-01-01

Optimizing fertilization programs in the nursery and field may help improve regeneration and restoration of temperate deciduous hardwoods. Our research program has demonstrated the applicability of nutrient loading in fine hardwood systems to promote seedling uptake and storage of nutrients during the nursery phase. We also have shown the benefits of nutrient loading...

Examination of the food and nutrient content of school lunch menus of two school districts in Mississippi.

PubMed

Addison, Clifton C; Jenkins, Brenda W; White, Monique S; Young, Lavon

2006-09-01

This study examined the diet quality of the school meals in two Mississippi school districts and compared them to the national guidelines. We examined the lunch menus of the two school districts that participated in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program focusing on food quality and assessing both healthy and unhealthy foods and eating behaviors. This analysis was completed through a computerized review used to accurately determine the nutrient content. Both the standard and the alternative meals provided by the cafeterias in the two school districts exceeded the minimum requirement for calories for all grade levels. The meals from the urban schools cafeteria provide more calories than meals from the cafeteria in the rural school district. Although schools believe that they are making positive changes to children's diets, the programs are falling short of the nutrient recommendations. Poor nutrition and improper dietary practices are now regarded as important risk factors in the emerging problems of obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and other chronic diseases, with excessive energy intake listed as a possible reason. Dieticians, school professionals and other health care practitioners need to accurately assess energy intake and adequately promote a dietary responsible lifestyle among children.

Meeting Expanding Needs to Collect Food Intake Specificity: The Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanHeel, Nancy; Pettit, Janet; Rice, Barbara; Smith, Scott M.

2003-01-01

Food and nutrient databases are populated with data obtained from a variety of sources including USDA Reference Tables, scientific journals, food manufacturers and foreign food tables. The food and nutrient database maintained by the Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC) at the University of Minnesota is continually updated with current nutrient data and continues to be expanded with additional nutrient fields to meet diverse research endeavors. Data are strictly evaluated for reliability and relevance before incorporation into the database; however, the values are obtained from various sources and food samples rather than from direct chemical analysis of specific foods. Precise nutrient values for specific foods are essential to the nutrition program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Specific foods to be included in the menus of astronauts are chemically analyzed at the Johnson Space Center for selected nutrients. A request from NASA for a method to enter the chemically analyzed nutrient values for these space flight food items into the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R) software resulted in modification of the database and interview system for use by NASA, with further modification to extend the method for related uses by more typical research studies.

The Prime Time Diet: A Content Analysis of Eating Behavior and Food Messages in Television Program Content and Commercials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Story, Mary; Faulkner, Patricia

1990-01-01

Identifies and analyzes messages related to food and eating behavior as presented on prime time television programing and commercials. Finds that food references occur an average of 4.8 times per 30 minutes and that over half of all food references were for low nutrient beverages and sweets, which is inconsistent with healthy dietary guidelines.…

Soy-enhanced lunch acceptance by preschoolers.

PubMed

Endres, Jeannette; Barter, Sharon; Theodora, Perseli; Welch, Patricia

2003-03-01

To evaluate acceptance of soy-enhanced compared with traditional menus by preschool children. Soy-enhanced foods were substituted on a traditional cycle menu, and the amount eaten, energy, and nutrient values for traditional and soy-enhanced lunches were compared. A traditional three-week cycle menu, using the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) meal pattern guidelines, was used to develop a comparable soy-enhanced menu. Traditional and soy-enhanced lunches were randomly assigned to respective days. Foods were portioned onto individual plates using standardized measuring utensils. Individual plate waste techniques were used to collect food waste. Subjects/setting Participants were preschool children, three to six years of age and of white and Hispanic origin, attending a part-day Head Start program. Statistical analyses performed Analysis of covariance was used to adjust lunch and food intakes for differences in average amounts of foods served. The Nutrient Data System was used to calculate energy and nutrient content of lunches. Analysis of variance was used to calculate differences in amounts eaten, energy values, and nutrient values of traditional and soy-enhanced lunches and foods. Data analyses were performed with the Statistical Analysis Software (version 8.0, 1999, SAS Institute, Cary, NC). Soy-enhanced foods were successfully substituted for 23 traditional foods included in the cycle menus. Soy-enhanced foods tended to be higher in energy, protein, and iron. Traditional lunches tended to be higher in fat, saturated fat, and vitamin A. Consumption was significantly less for energy, protein, fiber, and iron from foods eaten from traditional compared with soy-enhanced lunch menus. Applications/conclusions Acceptance of soy-enhanced lunches was shown because there were no significant differences in the average amount eaten (grams per meal) between traditional and soy-enhanced lunches. Preschool programs can substitute soy-enhanced for traditional foods, which will add variety to the diet without sacrificing taste, energy, or nutrient value. The fat and energy content of the lunches was higher than recommended, and soy-enhanced foods were not always lower in fat. There is a need for the food industry and foodservice personnel to address the energy and fat content of all foods served in lunches to preschool children because a few extra calories added to the daily intakes can contribute to weight gain.

From Biological to Program Efficacy: Promoting Dialogue among the Research, Policy, and Program Communities12

PubMed Central

Habicht, Jean-Pierre; Pelto, Gretel H.

2014-01-01

The biological efficacy of nutritional supplements to complement usual diets in poor populations is well established. This knowledge rests on decades of methodologic research development and, more recently, on codification of methods to compile and interpret results across studies. The challenge now is to develop implementation (delivery) science knowledge and achieve a similar consensus on efficacy criteria for the delivery of these nutrients by public health and other organizations. This requires analysis of the major policy instruments for delivery and well-designed program delivery studies that examine the flow of a nutrient through a program impact pathway. This article discusses the differences between biological and program efficacy, and why elucidating the fidelity of delivery along the program impact pathways is essential for implementing a program efficacy trial and for assessing its internal and external validity. Research on program efficacy is expanding, but there is a lack of adequate frameworks to facilitate the process of harmonizing concepts and vocabulary, which is essential for communication among scientists, policy planners, and program implementers. There is an urgent need to elaborate these frameworks at national and program levels not only for program efficacy studies but also for the broader research agenda to support and improve the science of delivering adequate nutrition to those who need it most. PMID:24425719

Health and nutrient content claims in food advertisements on Hispanic and mainstream prime-time television.

PubMed

Abbatangelo-Gray, Jodie; Byrd-Bredbenner, Carol; Austin, S Bryn

2008-01-01

Characterize frequency and type of health and nutrient content claims in prime-time weeknight Spanish- and English-language television advertisements from programs shown in 2003 with a high viewership by women aged 18 to 35 years. Comparative content analysis design was used to analyze 95 hours of Spanish-language and 72 hours of English-language television programs (netting 269 and 543 food ads, respectively). A content analysis instrument was used to gather information on explicit health and nutrient content claims: nutrition information only; diet-disease; structure-function; processed food health outcome; good for one's health; health care provider endorsement. Chi-square statistics detected statistically significant differences between the groups. Compared to English-language television, Spanish-language television aired significantly more food advertisements containing nutrition information and health, processed food/health, and good for one's health claims. Samples did not differ in the rate of diet/disease, structure/function, or health care provider endorsement claims. Findings indicate that Spanish-language television advertisements provide viewers with significantly more nutrition information than English-language network advertisements. Potential links between the deteriorating health status of Hispanics acculturating into US mainstream culture and their exposure to the less nutrition-based messaging found in English-language television should be explored.

The competitive advantage of a dual-transporter system.

PubMed

Levy, Sagi; Kafri, Moshe; Carmi, Miri; Barkai, Naama

2011-12-09

Cells use transporters of different affinities to regulate nutrient influx. When nutrients are depleted, low-affinity transporters are replaced by high-affinity ones. High-affinity transporters are helpful when concentrations of nutrients are low, but the advantage of reducing their abundance when nutrients are abundant is less clear. When we eliminated such reduced production of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae high-affinity transporters for phosphate and zinc, the elapsed time from the initiation of the starvation program until the lack of nutrients limited growth was shortened, and recovery from starvation was delayed. The latter phenotype was rescued by constitutive activation of the starvation program. Dual-transporter systems appear to prolong preparation for starvation and to facilitate subsequent recovery, which may optimize sensing of nutrient depletion by integrating internal and external information about nutrient availability.

The omniscient placenta: Metabolic and epigenetic regulation of fetal programming

PubMed Central

Nugent, Bridget M.; Bale, Tracy L.

2015-01-01

Fetal development could be considered a sensitive period wherein exogenous insults and changes to the maternal milieu can have long-term impacts on developmental programming. The placenta provides the fetus with protection and necessary nutrients for growth, and responds to maternal cues and changes in nutrient signaling through multiple epigenetic mechanisms. The X-linked enzyme O-linked-N-acetylglucosamine transferase (OGT) acts as a nutrient sensor that modifies numerous proteins to alter various cellular signals, including major epigenetic processes. This review describes epigenetic alterations in the placenta in response to insults during pregnancy, the potential links of OGT as a nutrient sensor to placental epigenetics, and the implications of placental epigenetics in long-term neurodevelopmental programming. We describe the role of placental OGT in the sex-specific programming of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis programming deficits by early prenatal stress as an example of how placental signaling can have long-term effects on neurodevelopment. PMID:26368654

Effect of Nutrient Management Planning on Crop Yield, Nitrate Leaching and Sediment Loading in Thomas Brook Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amon-Armah, Frederick; Yiridoe, Emmanuel K.; Ahmad, Nafees H. M.; Hebb, Dale; Jamieson, Rob; Burton, David; Madani, Ali

2013-11-01

Government priorities on provincial Nutrient Management Planning (NMP) programs include improving the program effectiveness for environmental quality protection, and promoting more widespread adoption. Understanding the effect of NMP on both crop yield and key water-quality parameters in agricultural watersheds requires a comprehensive evaluation that takes into consideration important NMP attributes and location-specific farming conditions. This study applied the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to investigate the effects of crop and rotation sequence, tillage type, and nutrient N application rate on crop yield and the associated groundwater leaching and sediment loss. The SWAT model was applied to the Thomas Brook Watershed, located in the most intensively managed agricultural region of Nova Scotia, Canada. Cropping systems evaluated included seven fertilizer application rates and two tillage systems (i.e., conventional tillage and no-till). The analysis reflected cropping systems commonly managed by farmers in the Annapolis Valley region, including grain corn-based and potato-based cropping systems, and a vegetable-horticulture system. ANOVA models were developed and used to assess the effects of crop management choices on crop yield and two water-quality parameters (i.e., leaching and sediment loading). Results suggest that existing recommended N-fertilizer rate can be reduced by 10-25 %, for grain crop production, to significantly lower leaching ( P > 0.05) while optimizing the crop yield. The analysis identified the nutrient N rates in combination with specific crops and rotation systems that can be used to manage leaching while balancing impacts on crop yields within the watershed.

Secondary analysis of a marketing research database reveals patterns in dairy product purchases over time.

PubMed

Van Wave, Timothy W; Decker, Michael

2003-04-01

Development of a method using marketing research data to assess food purchase behavior and consequent nutrient availability for purposes of nutrition surveillance, evaluation of intervention effects, and epidemiologic studies of diet-health relationships. Data collected on household food purchases accrued over a 13-week period were selected by using Universal Product Code numbers and household characteristics from a marketing research database. Universal Product Code numbers for 39,408 dairy product purchases were linked to a standard reference for food composition to estimate the nutrient content of foods purchased over time. Two thousand one hundred sixty-one households located in Victoria, Texas, and surrounding communities who were active members of a frequent shopper program. Demographic characteristics of sample households and the nutrient content of their dairy product purchases were analyzed using frequency distribution, cross tabulation, analysis of variance, and t test procedures. A method for using marketing research data was successfully used to estimate household purchases of specific foods and their nutrient content from a marketing database containing hundreds of thousands of records. Distribution of dairy product purchases and their concomitant nutrients between Hispanic and non-Hispanic households were significant (P<.01, P<.001, respectively) and sustained over time. Purchase records from large, nationally representative panels of shoppers, such as those maintained by major market research companies, might be used to accomplish detailed longitudinal epidemiologic studies or surveillance of national food- and nutrient-purchasing patterns within and between countries and segments of their respective populations.

Examination of the Food and Nutrient Content of School Lunch Menus of Two School Districts in Mississippi

PubMed Central

Addison, Clifton C.; Jenkins, Brenda W.; White, Monique S.; Young, Lavon

2006-01-01

This study examined the diet quality of the school meals in two Mississippi school districts and compared them to the national guidelines. We examined the lunch menus of the two school districts that participated in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program focusing on food quality and assessing both healthy and unhealthy foods and eating behaviors. This analysis was completed through a computerized review used to accurately determine the nutrient content. Both the standard and the alternative meals provided by the cafeterias in the two school districts exceeded the minimum requirement for calories for all grade levels. The meals from the urban schools cafeteria provide more calories than meals from the cafeteria in the rural school district. Although schools believe that they are making positive changes to children’s diets, the programs are falling short of the nutrient recommendations. Poor nutrition and improper dietary practices are now regarded as important risk factors in the emerging problems of obesity, diabetes mellitus, hypertension and other chronic diseases, with excessive energy intake listed as a possible reason. Dieticians, school professionals and other health care practitioners need to accurately assess energy intake and adequately promote a dietary responsible lifestyle among children. PMID:16968975

FY 2018 Grant Announcement: FY2018 support for Small Water Grant (SWG) and Innovative and Nutrient Sediment Reduction (INSR) Grant

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesapeake Bay Program Office is announcing a request for proposals (RFP) for supporting both the:1.Small Watershed Grants (SWG) program; and 2.Innovative Nutrient and Sediment Reduction (INSR) grants program.

Determining ecoregional numeric nutrient criteria by stressor-response models in Yungui ecoregion lakes, China.

PubMed

Huo, Shouliang; Ma, Chunzi; Xi, Beidou; Tong, Zhonghua; He, Zhuoshi; Su, Jing; Wu, Fengchang

2014-01-01

The importance of developing numeric nutrient criteria has been recognized to protect the designated uses of water bodies from nutrient enrichment that is associated with broadly occurring levels of nitrogen/phosphorus pollution. The identification and estimation of stressor-response models in aquatic ecosystems has been shown to be useful in the determination of nutrient criteria. In this study, three methods based on stressor-response relationships were applied to determine nutrient criteria for Yungui ecoregion lakes with respect to total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), and planktonic chlorophyll a (Chl a). Simple linear regression (SLR) models were established to provide an estimate of the relationship between a response variable and a stressor. Multiple linear regressions were used to simultaneously estimate the effect of TP and TN on Chl a. A morphoedaphic index (MEI) was applied to derive nutrient criteria using data from Yungui ecoregion lakes, which were considered as areas with less anthropogenic influences. Nutrient criteria, as determined by these three methods, showed broad agreement for all parameters. The ranges of numeric nutrient criteria for Yungui ecoregion lakes were determined as follows: TP 0.008-0.010 mg/L and TN 0.140-0.178 mg/L. The stressor-response analysis described will be of benefit to support countries in their numeric criteria development programs and to further the goal of reducing nitrogen/phosphorus pollution in China.

Dual role of starvation signaling in promoting growth and recovery

PubMed Central

Leshkowitz, Dena; Barkai, Naama

2017-01-01

Growing cells are subject to cycles of nutrient depletion and repletion. A shortage of nutrients activates a starvation program that promotes growth in limiting conditions. To examine whether nutrient-deprived cells prepare also for their subsequent recovery, we followed the transcription program activated in budding yeast transferred to low-phosphate media and defined its contribution to cell growth during phosphate limitation and upon recovery. An initial transcription wave was induced by moderate phosphate depletion that did not affect cell growth. A second transcription wave followed when phosphate became growth limiting. The starvation program contributed to growth only in the second, growth-limiting phase. Notably, the early response, activated at moderate depletion, promoted recovery from starvation by increasing phosphate influx upon transfer to rich medium. Our results suggest that cells subject to nutrient depletion prepare not only for growth in the limiting conditions but also for their predicted recovery once nutrients are replenished. PMID:29236696

Operation Guiding Light-Scientific Program and Field Plan. The Pilot Field Experiment for NORDA Project Chemical Dynamics in Ocean Frontal Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-03-01

distribution. Samples of suspended partici’lates will also be collected for later image and elemental analysis . 25 Method of analysis for particle...will be flow injection analysis . This method will allow rapid, continuous analysis of seawater nutrients. Measurements will be made at one minute...5 m intervals) as well as from the underway pumping system. Method of pigment analysis for porphyrin and carotenoid pigments will be separation by

Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative: nutrients and dissolved oxygen - issues and impacts.

PubMed

Chambers, Patricia A; Culp, Joseph M; Glozier, Nancy E; Cash, Kevin J; Wrona, Fred J; Noton, Leigh

2006-02-01

Anthropogenic inputs of nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and oxygen-consuming material to aquatic ecosystems can change nutrient dynamics, deplete oxygen, and change abundance and diversity of aquatic plants and animals. The Northern Rivers Ecosystem Initiative required a research and assessment program to establish the contribution of pulp mill and sewage discharges to eutrophication and depressions in dissolved oxygen (DO) in the Athabasca and Wapiti rivers of northern Alberta, Canada and examine the adequacy of existing guidelines for protecting these systems. Analysis of long-term data showed that total N (TN) and total P (TP) concentrations in exposed river reaches exceeded concentrations in reference reaches by < or = 2 times for the Athabasca River, and by 9.6 (TP) and 2.6 (TN) times for the Wapiti River. Results from nutrient limitation experiments conducted in situ and in mesocosms showed that benthic algal production was nutrient sufficient downstream of pulp mill discharges but constrained in upper river reaches by insufficient P (Athabasca River) or N + P (Wapiti River). Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations in both rivers declined during winter such that median concentrations in the Athabasca River 945 km downstream of the headwaters were approximately 8 mg L(-1) in mid-February. Although water column DO rarely approached the guideline of 6.5 mg L(-1), DO studies undertaken in the Wapiti River showed that pore water DO often failed to meet this guideline and could not be predicted from water column DO. Results from this integrated program of monitoring and experimentation have improved understanding of the interactions between nutrients, DO and aquatic ecosystem productivity and resulted in recommendations for revisions to nutrient and DO guidelines for these northern rivers.

Life-cycle analysis on biodiesel production from microalgae: water footprint and nutrients balance.

PubMed

Yang, Jia; Xu, Ming; Zhang, Xuezhi; Hu, Qiang; Sommerfeld, Milton; Chen, Yongsheng

2011-01-01

This research examines the life-cycle water and nutrients usage of microalgae-based biodiesel production. The influence of water types, operation with and without recycling, algal species, geographic distributions are analyzed. The results confirm the competitiveness of microalgae-based biofuels and highlight the necessity of recycling harvested water and using sea/wastewater as water source. To generate 1 kg biodiesel, 3726 kg water, 0.33 kg nitrogen, and 0.71 kg phosphate are required if freshwater used without recycling. Recycling harvest water reduces the water and nutrients usage by 84% and 55%. Using sea/wastewater decreases 90% water requirement and eliminates the need of all the nutrients except phosphate. The variation in microalgae species and geographic distribution are analyzed to reflect microalgae biofuel development in the US. The impacts of current federal and state renewable energy programs are also discussed to suggest suitable microalgae biofuel implementation pathways and identify potential bottlenecks. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Interplay between Oxidative Stress and Nutrient Sensing Signaling in the Developmental Origins of Cardiovascular Disease

PubMed Central

Tain, You-Lin; Hsu, Chien-Ning

2017-01-01

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) presents a global health burden, despite recent advances in management. CVD can originate from early life by so-called “developmental origins of health and disease” (DOHaD). Epidemiological and experimental evidence supports that early-life insults can induce programming of later CVD. Underlying the DOHaD concept, early intervention may offset programming process to prevent the development of CVD, namely reprogramming. Oxidative stress and nutrient sensing signals have been considered to be major mechanisms of cardiovascular programming, while the interplay between these two mechanisms have not been examined in detail. This review summarizes current evidence that supports the link between oxidative stress and nutrient sensing signaling to cardiovascular programming, with an emphasis on the l-arginine–asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA)–nitric oxide (NO) pathway. This review provides an overview of evidence from human studies supporting fetal programming of CVD, insight from animal models of cardiovascular programming and oxidative stress, impact of the l-arginine–ADMA–NO pathway in cardiovascular programming, the crosstalk between l-arginine metabolism and nutrient sensing signals, and application of reprogramming interventions to prevent the programming of CVD. A greater understanding of the mechanisms underlying cardiovascular programming is essential to developing early reprogramming interventions to combat the globally growing epidemic of CVD. PMID:28420139

Public-Private Partnerships Working Beyond Scale Challenges toward Water Quality Improvements from Private Lands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Enloe, Stephanie K.; Schulte, Lisa A.; Tyndall, John C.

2017-10-01

In recognition that Iowa agriculture must maintain long-term production of food, fiber, clean water, healthy soil, and robust rural economies, Iowa recently devised a nutrient reduction strategy to set objectives for water quality improvements. To demonstrate how watershed programs and farmers can reduce nutrient and sediment pollution in Iowa waters, the Iowa Water Quality Initiative selected the Boone River Watershed Nutrient Management Initiative as one of eight demonstration projects. For over a decade, diverse public, private, and non-profit partner organizations have worked in the Boone River Watershed to engage farmers in water quality management efforts. To evaluate social dynamics in the Boone River Watershed and provide partners with actionable recommendations, we conducted and analyzed semi-structured interviews with 33 program leaders, farmers, and local agronomists. We triangulated primary interview data with formal analysis of Boone River Watershed documents such as grant applications, progress reports, and outreach materials. Our evaluation suggests that while multi-stakeholder collaboration has enabled partners to overcome many of the traditional barriers to watershed programming, scale mismatches caused by external socio-economic and ecological forces still present substantial obstacles to programmatic resilience. Public funding restrictions and timeframes, for example, often cause interruptions to adaptive management of water quality monitoring and farmer engagement. We present our findings within a resilience framework to demonstrate how multi-stakeholder collaboration can help sustain adaptive watershed programs to improve socio-ecological function in agricultural watersheds such as the Boone River Watershed.

Food choices to meet nutrient recommendations for the adult Brazilian population based on the linear programming approach.

PubMed

Dos Santos, Quenia; Sichieri, Rosely; Darmon, Nicole; Maillot, Matthieu; Verly-Junior, Eliseu

2018-06-01

To identify optimal food choices that meet nutritional recommendations to reduce prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes. Linear programming was used to obtain an optimized diet with sixty-eight foods with the least difference from the observed population mean dietary intake while meeting a set of nutritional goals that included reduction in the prevalence of inadequate nutrient intakes to ≤20 %. Brazil. Participants (men and women, n 25 324) aged 20 years or more from the first National Dietary Survey (NDS) 2008-2009. Feasible solution to the model was not found when all constraints were imposed; infeasible nutrients were Ca, vitamins D and E, Mg, Zn, fibre, linolenic acid, monounsaturated fat and Na. Feasible solution was obtained after relaxing the nutritional constraints for these limiting nutrients by including a deviation variable in the model. Estimated prevalence of nutrient inadequacy was reduced by 60-70 % for most nutrients, and mean saturated and trans-fat decreased in the optimized diet meeting the model constraints. Optimized diet was characterized by increases especially in fruits (+92 g), beans (+64 g), vegetables (+43 g), milk (+12 g), fish and seafood (+15 g) and whole cereals (+14 g), and reductions of sugar-sweetened beverages (-90 g), rice (-63 g), snacks (-14 g), red meat (-13 g) and processed meat (-9·7 g). Linear programming is a unique tool to identify which changes in the current diet can increase nutrient intake and place the population at lower risk of nutrient inadequacy. Reaching nutritional adequacy for all nutrients would require major dietary changes in the Brazilian diet.

A Culture-Specific Nutrient Intake Assessment Instrument in Patients with Pulmonary Tuberculosis

PubMed Central

Frediani, Jennifer K.; Tukvadze, Nestani; Sanikidze, Ekaterina; Kipiani, Maia; Hebbar, Gautam; Easley, Kirk A.; Shenvi, Neeta; Ramakrishnan, Usha; Tangpricha, Vin; Blumberg, Henry M.; Ziegler, Thomas R.

2013-01-01

Background and Aim To develop and evaluate a culture-specific nutrient intake assessment tool for use in adults with pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in Tbilisi, Georgia. Methods We developed an instrument to measure food intake over 3 consecutive days using a questionnaire format. The tool was then compared to 24 hour food recalls. Food intake data from 31 subjects with TB were analyzed using the Nutrient Database System for Research (NDS-R) dietary analysis program. Paired t-tests, Pearson correlations and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to assess the agreement between the two methods of dietary intake for calculated nutrient intakes. Results The Pearson correlation coefficient for mean daily caloric intake between the 2 methods was 0.37 (P = 0.04) with a mean difference of 171 kcals/day (p = 0.34). The ICC was 0.38 (95% CI: 0.03 to 0.64) suggesting the within-patient variability may be larger than between-patient variability. Results for mean daily intake of total fat, total carbohydrate, total protein, retinol, vitamins D and E, thiamine, calcium, sodium, iron, selenium, copper, and zinc between the two assessment methods were also similar. Conclusions This novel nutrient intake assessment tool provided quantitative nutrient intake data from TB patients. These pilot data can inform larger studies in similar populations. PMID:23541173

Nutrient inadequacy among nutritionally vulnerable populations in the US

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Objective: To estimate the prevalence of inadequacy of selected nutrients among participants in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC); participants in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); and those with low/very low food security status. ...

What We Eat In America Food Categories and changes between survey cycles

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Detailed analysis of food and beverage consumption of the U.S. population is limited, yet critical for developing food guidance programs and for dietary surveillance. The What We Eat In America (WWEIA) Food Categories, intended for use with data from WWEIA, NHANES and the Food and Nutrient Database...

Textual Analyses of Nutrition Messages on Prime Time Television.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wadsworth, Laurie A.; Berenbaum, Shawna

2001-01-01

Using textual analysis of 805 incidents in 10 television programs and surrounding commercials, foods portrayed were compared with nutrition guidelines. Foods tended to be higher in fat and lower in fiber, and food portrayals had social and psychological meanings. Adverse health effects of foods low in nutrients were not depicted. (Contains 57…

Nutrient trends through time in Sweden's Baltic Drainage Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fischer, I.; Destouni, G.; Prieto, C.

2015-12-01

Changes in climate and land-use have and will continue to modify regional hydrology, in turn impacting environmental health, agricultural productivity and water resource quality and availability. The Baltic region is an area of interest as the coast spans nine countries- serving over 100 million people. The Baltic Sea contains one of the largest human caused hypoxic dead zones due to eutrophication driven by anthropogenic excess loading of nutrients. Policies to reduce these loads include also international directives and agreements, such as the EU Water Framework Directive, adopted in 2000 to protect and improve water quality throughout the European Union, and the Baltic Sea Action Plan under the Helsinki Commission aimed specifically at reducing the nutrient loading to and mitigating the eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. In light of these policies and amidst the number of studies on the Baltic Sea we ask, using the accessible nutrient and discharge data what does nutrient loading look like today? Are the most excessive loads going down? Observed nutrient and flow time series across Sweden allow for answering these questions, by spatial and temporal trend analysis of loads from various parts of Sweden to the Baltic Sea. Analyzing these observed time series in conjunction with the ecological health status classifications of the EU Water Framework Directive, allows in particular for answering the question if the loads into the water bodies with the poorest water quality, and from those to the Baltic Sea, are improving, being maintained or deteriorating. Such insight is required to contribute to relevant and efficient water and nutrient load management. Furthermore, empirically calculating nutrient loads, rather than only modeling, reveals that the water body health classification may not reflect what water bodies actually contribute the heaviest loads to the Baltic Sea. This work also underscores the importance of comprehensive analysis of all available data from long term monitoring programs over large spatial scales, including large water quality gradients, in order to assess and address water management problems of today and the future.

Contribution of Wastewater Treatment Plant Effluents to Nutrient Dynamics in Aquatic Systems: A Review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carey, Richard O.; Migliaccio, Kati W.

2009-08-01

Excessive nutrient loading (considering nitrogen and phosphorus) is a major ongoing threat to water quality and here we review the impact of nutrient discharges from wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to United States (U.S.) freshwater systems. While urban and agricultural land uses are significant nonpoint nutrient contributors, effluent from point sources such as WWTPs can overwhelm receiving waters, effectively dominating hydrological characteristics and regulating instream nutrient processes. Population growth, increased wastewater volumes, and sustainability of critical water resources have all been key factors influencing the extent of wastewater treatment. Reducing nutrient concentrations in wastewater is an important aspect of water quality management because excessive nutrient concentrations often prevent water bodies from meeting designated uses. WWTPs employ numerous physical, chemical, and biological methods to improve effluent water quality but nutrient removal requires advanced treatment and infrastructure that may be economically prohibitive. Therefore, effluent nutrient concentrations vary depending on the particular processes used to treat influent wastewater. Increasingly stringent regulations regarding nutrient concentrations in discharged effluent, along with greater freshwater demand in populous areas, have led to the development of extensive water recycling programs within many U.S. regions. Reuse programs provide an opportunity to reduce or eliminate direct nutrient discharges to receiving waters while allowing for the beneficial use of reclaimed water. However, nutrients in reclaimed water can still be a concern for reuse applications, such as agricultural and landscape irrigation.

Nutrient Management Certification for Delaware: Developing a Water Quality Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, David J.; Binford, Gregory D.

2004-01-01

Water quality is a critical environmental, social, and political issue in Delaware. In the late 1990s, a series of events related to water quality issues led to the passage of a state nutrient management law. This new law required nutrient management planning and established a state certification program for nutrient users in the agricultural and…

Diet History Questionnaire: Database Utility Program

Cancer.gov

If you need to modify the standard nutrient database, a single nutrient value must be provided by gender and portion size. If you have modified the database to have fewer or greater demographic groups, nutrient values must be included for each group.

Effects of land use changes on eutrophication indicators in five coastal lagoons of the Southwestern Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodríguez-Gallego, Lorena; Achkar, Marcel; Defeo, Omar; Vidal, Leticia; Meerhoff, Erika; Conde, Daniel

2017-03-01

Five catchment areas in Uruguay were selected to conduct a nutrient exportation analysis and to evaluate the effects of current land use on the eutrophication of coastal lagoons. Satellite images and national agriculture censuses were used for a quantitative analysis of land use changes from 1974 to 2005, and a nutrient export coefficient approximation was used to determine long-term changes in annual loads. Several eutrophication indicators (water, sediment and autotrophic communities) were assessed seasonally in the lagoon basins during 2005 and 2006. The areal annual load of nutrients exported to the lagoons increased over time. Population and extensive livestock ranching were the most important nutrient sources, while agriculture is increasing in importance. Buffer effects of riparian forests on eutrophication indicators were observed in contrast to the wetlands surrounding the lagoons, which seem to be acting as a source of nutrients. Catchment size was inversely related to most eutrophication indicators. Afforestation and agriculture were found not to directly impact eutrophication indicators, however, catchments with larger agricultural areas showed higher concentrations of suspended solids, which may indicate the export of particulate nutrients. Salinity was inversely related to most eutrophication indicators, suggesting that the manipulation of the sand bar of the lagoons is a critical management issue. Sediment-related eutrophication indicators were more sensitive to changes in land uses and covers, in contrast with the more variable water column indicators, suggesting their potential use as enduring indicators. This research provides a rapid and integral assessment for qualitatively linking catchment changes with eutrophication indicators in coastal environments, which can easily be replicated to track pollutants in locations that lack standardized monitoring programs needed for more complex catchment modeling approaches.

Transcriptomic response of the red tide dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis, to nitrogen and phosphorus depletion and addition.

PubMed

Morey, Jeanine S; Monroe, Emily A; Kinney, Amanda L; Beal, Marion; Johnson, Jillian G; Hitchcock, Gary L; Van Dolah, Frances M

2011-07-05

The role of coastal nutrient sources in the persistence of Karenia brevis red tides in coastal waters of Florida is a contentious issue that warrants investigation into the regulation of nutrient responses in this dinoflagellate. In other phytoplankton studied, nutrient status is reflected by the expression levels of N- and P-responsive gene transcripts. In dinoflagellates, however, many processes are regulated post-transcriptionally. All nuclear encoded gene transcripts studied to date possess a 5' trans-spliced leader (SL) sequence suggestive, based on the trypanosome model, of post-transcriptional regulation. The current study therefore sought to determine if the transcriptome of K. brevis is responsive to nitrogen and phosphorus and is informative of nutrient status. Microarray analysis of N-depleted K. brevis cultures revealed an increase in the expression of transcripts involved in N-assimilation (nitrate and ammonium transporters, glutamine synthetases) relative to nutrient replete cells. In contrast, a transcriptional signal of P-starvation was not apparent despite evidence of P-starvation based on their rapid growth response to P-addition. To study transcriptome responses to nutrient addition, the limiting nutrient was added to depleted cells and changes in global gene expression were assessed over the first 48 hours following nutrient addition. Both N- and P-addition resulted in significant changes in approximately 4% of genes on the microarray, using a significance cutoff of 1.7-fold and p ≤ 10-4. By far, the earliest responding genes were dominated in both nutrient treatments by pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins, which increased in expression up to 3-fold by 1 h following nutrient addition. PPR proteins are nuclear encoded proteins involved in chloroplast and mitochondria RNA processing. Correspondingly, other functions enriched in response to both nutrients were photosystem and ribosomal genes. Microarray analysis provided transcriptomic evidence for N- but not P-limitation in K. brevis. Transcriptomic responses to the addition of either N or P suggest a concerted program leading to the reactivation of chloroplast functions. Even the earliest responding PPR protein transcripts possess a 5' SL sequence that suggests post-transcriptional control. Given the current state of knowledge of dinoflagellate gene regulation, it is currently unclear how these rapid changes in such transcript levels are achieved.

The effect of a nutritional education program on the nutritional status of elderly patients in a long-term care hospital in Jeollanamdo province: health behavior, dietary behavior, nutrition risk level and nutrient intake

PubMed Central

Kim, Bok Hee; Kim, Mi-Ju

2012-01-01

This study was conducted to assess improvements in nutritional status following the application of nutrition education to elderly patients in a long-term care hospital. The study was carried out from January to May 2009, during which a preliminary survey, a pretest, the application of nutrition education, and a post-test were applied in stages. The number of subjects at pretest was 81, and the number of participants included in the final analysis was 61 (18 men, 43 women), all of whom participated in both the nutrition education program and the post-test. The survey consisted of general demographic items, health behaviors, dietary behaviors, the Nutrition Screening Initiative checklist, and nutrient intake assessment (24 hour recall method). The nutrition education program lasted for four weeks. It included a basic education program, provided once a week, and mini-education program, which was offered daily during lunch times. The survey was conducted before and after the education program using the same assessment method, although some items were included only at pretest. When analyzing the changes in elderly patients after the nutritional education program, we found that, among subjective dietary behaviors, self-rated perceptions of health (P < 0.001) and of depression (P < 0.001) improved significantly and that dietary behavior scores also improved significantly (P < 0.001), while nutritional risk levels decreased. In terms of nutrient intake, subjects' intake of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C all increased significantly (P < 0.001). These results indicated that nutritional education is effective in improving the nutritional status of elderly patients. We hope that the results of this study can be used as preliminary data for establishing guidelines for nutrition management tailored to elderly patients in long-term care hospitals. PMID:22413039

Algal community characteristics and response to nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in streams in the Ozark Plateaus, Southern Missouri, 1993-95 and 2006-07

USGS Publications Warehouse

Femmer, Suzanne R.

2012-01-01

Nutrient and algae data were collected in the 1990s and 2000s by the U.S. Geological Survey for the National Water- Quality Assessment program in the Ozark Highlands, southern Missouri. These data were collected at sites of differing drainage area, land use, nutrient concentrations, and physiography. All samples were collected at sites with a riffle/pool structure and cobble/gravel bed material. A total of 60 samples from 45 sites were available for analyses to determine relations between nutrient concentrations and algal community structure in this region. This information can be used by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to develop the State's nutrient criteria plan. Water samples collected for this study had total nitrogen concentrations ranging from 0.07 to 4.41 milligram per liter (mg/L) with a median of 0.26 mg/L, and total phosphorus concentrations ranging from 0.003 to 0.78 mg/L with a median of 0.007 mg/L. These nutrient concentrations were transformed into nutrient categories consisting of varying percentiles of data. Algal community data were entered into the U.S. Geological Survey's Algae Data Analysis System for the computation of more than 250 metrics. These metrics were correlated with nutrient categories, and four metrics with the strongest relation with the nutrient data were selected. These metrics were Organic Nitrogen Tolerance, Oxygen Tolerance, Bahls Pollution Class, and the Saprobien index with the 25th and 80th percentile nutrient categories. These data indicate that near the 80th percentile (Total Nitrogen = 0.84 mg/L, Total Phosphorus = 0.035 mg/L) the algae communities significantly changed from nitrogen-fixing species dominance to those species more tolerant of eutrophic conditions.

Self-administered structured food record for measuring individual energy and nutrient intake in large cohorts: Design and validation.

PubMed

García, Silvia M; González, Claudio; Rucci, Enzo; Ambrosino, Cintia; Vidal, Julia; Fantuzzi, Gabriel; Prestes, Mariana; Kronsbein, Peter

2018-06-05

Several instruments developed to assess dietary intake of groups or populations have strengths and weaknesses that affect their specific application. No self-administered, closed-ended dietary survey was previously used in Argentina to assess current food and nutrient intake on a daily basis. To design and validate a self-administered, structured food record (NutriQuid, NQ) representative of the adult Argentine population's food consumption pattern to measure individual energy and nutrient intake. Records were loaded onto a database using software that checks a regional nutrition information system (SARA program), automatically quantifying energy and nutrient intake. NQ validation included two phases: (1) NQ construct validity comparing records kept simultaneously by healthy volunteers (45-75 years) and a nutritionist who provided meals (reference), and (2) verification of whether NQ reflected target population consumption (calories and nutrients), week consumption differences, respondent acceptability, and ease of data entry/analysis. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, repeated measures ANOVA, intraclass correlation coefficient, nonparametric regression, and cross-classification into quintiles. The first validation (study group vs. reference) showed an underestimation (10%) of carbohydrate, fat, and energy intake. Second validation: 109 volunteers (91% response) completed the NQ for seven consecutive days. Record completion took about 9min/day, and data entry 3-6min. Mean calorie intake was 2240±119kcal/day (42% carbohydrates, 17% protein, and 41% fat). Intake significantly increased in the weekend. NQ is a simple and efficient tool to assess dietary intake in large samples. Copyright © 2018 SEEN y SED. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Formulation and Recipe Calculations in the USDA National Nutrient Databank System

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objectives of the presentation are to: 1) familiarize representatives of the Office of Pesticide Programs of the Environmental Protection Agency with the Nutrient Data Laboratory's USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference and its relationship to the Food Surveys Research Group's Fo...

Evaluation of agricultural best-management practices in the Conestoga River headwaters, Pennsylvania; effects of nutrient management on water quality in the Little Conestoga Creek headwaters, 1983-89

USGS Publications Warehouse

Koerkle, E.H.; Fishel, D.K.; Brown, M.J.; Kostelnik, K.M.

1996-01-01

Water quality in the headwaters of the Little Conestoga Creek, Lancaster County, Pa., was investigated from April 1986 through September 1989 to determine possible effects of agricultural nutrient management on water quality. Nutrient management, an agricultural Best-Management Practice, was promoted in the 5.8-square-mile watershed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Clean Water Program. Nonpoint-source- agricultural contamination was evident in surface water and ground water in the watershed; the greatest contamination was in areas underlain by carbonate rock and with intensive row-crop and animal production. Initial implementation of nutrient management covered about 30 percent of applicable land and was concentrated in the Nutrient-Management Subbasin. By 1989, nutrient management covered about 45 percent of the entire Small Watershed, about 85 percent of the Nutrient- Management Subbasin, and less than 10 percent of the Nonnutrient-Management Subbasin. The number of farms implementing nutrient management increased from 14 in 1986 to 25 by 1989. Nutrient applications to cropland in the Nutrient- Management Subbasin decreased by an average of 35 percent after implementation. Comparison of base- flow surface-water quality from before and after implementation suggests that nutrient management was effective in slowing or reversing increases in concentrations of dissolved nitrate plus nitrite in the Nutrient-Management Subbasin. Although not statistically significant, the Mann-Whitney step-trend coefficient for the Nutrient-Management Subbasin was 0.8 milligram per liter, whereas trend coefficients for the Nonnutrient-Management Subbasin and the Small Watershed were 0.4 and 1.4 milligrams per liter, respectively, for the period of study. Analysis of covariance comparison of concurrent concentrations from the two sub- basins showed a significant decrease in concen- trations from the Nutrient-Management Subbasin compared to the Nonnutrient-Management Subbasin. The small, positive effect of nutrient management on base-flow water quality should be interpreted with caution. Lack of statistical significance for most tests, short-term variation in climate and agricultural activities, unknown ground-water flow rates, and insufficient agricultural-activity data for farms outside of the Nutrient-Management Subbasin were potential problems. A regression model relating nutrient applications to concen- trations of dissolved nitrate plus nitrite showed no significant explanatory relation.

County-level estimates of nutrient inputs to the landsurface of the conterminous United States, 1982-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ruddy, Barbara C.; Lorenz, David L.; Mueller, David K.

2006-01-01

Nutrient input data for fertilizer use, livestock manure, and atmospheric deposition from various sources were estimated and allocated to counties in the conterminous United States for the years 1982 through 2001. These nationally consistent nutrient input data are needed by the National Water-Quality Assessment Program for investigations of stream- and ground-water quality. For nitrogen, the largest source was farm fertilizer; for phosphorus, the largest sources were farm fertilizer and livestock manure. Nutrient inputs from fertilizer use in nonfarm areas, while locally important, were an order of magnitude smaller than inputs from other sources. Nutrient inputs from all sources increased between 1987 and 1997, but the relative proportions of nutrients from each source were constant. Farm-fertilizer inputs were highest in the upper Midwest, along eastern coastal areas, and in irrigated areas of the West. Nonfarm-fertilizer use was similar in major metropolitan areas throughout the Nation, but was more extensive in the more populated Eastern and Central States and in California. Areas of greater manure inputs were located throughout the South-central and Southeastern States and in scattered areas of the West. Nitrogen deposition from the atmosphere generally increased from west to east and is related to the location of major sources and the effects of precipitation and prevailing winds. These nutrient-loading data at the county level are expected to be the fundamental basis for national and regional assessments of water quality for the National Water-Quality Assessment Program and other large-scale programs.

Comprehensive transcriptome analysis of phytohormone biosyntheis and signaling genes in the flowers of Chinese chinquapin (Castanea henryi)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Chinese chinquapin (Castanea henryi) nut provides a rich source of starch and nutrient elements as food and feed, but its yield is restricted by a low ratio of female to male flowers (1/2000-1/3000). Little is known about the developmental programs underlying the sex differentiation of the flowe...

Engineering and Design: Reservoir Water Quality Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-06-30

Production of Phytoplankton and Decomposition Organic Matter in the Kuybyshen Reservoir,” Hydrobiological Journal, VOI 10, pp 49-52. of Johnson, M. C...developed. Much of the material in this manual is a product of this program and of field experience from Corps district and division offices. FOR THE...Relationships. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3 Nutrient Demand:Supply Ratios During Nonproductive and Productive Seasons

THE COMPARISON OF TWO WATERSHEDS USING A WATERSHED NUTRIENT LOADING MODEL

EPA Science Inventory

Monitoring data, collected from the Yaquina River, Oregon, from 1999 through 2002 were used as the basis for developing the nutrient flux model as part of a larger agency program for quantifying nutrient processes. The PNWL nitrate loading model indicates that the nitrate load is...

Nutrient profiles discriminate between foods according to their contribution to nutritionally adequate diets: a validation study using linear programming and the SAIN,LIM system.

PubMed

Darmon, Nicole; Vieux, Florent; Maillot, Matthieu; Volatier, Jean-Luc; Martin, Ambroise

2009-04-01

The nutrient profile concept implies that it is possible to discriminate between foods according to their contribution to a healthy diet on the basis of their nutrient contents only. The objective was to test the compatibility between nutrient profiling and nutrient-based recommendations by using diet modeling with linear programming. Food consumption data from the French "Individuelle et Nationale sur les Consommations Alimentaires" dietary survey and its associated food-composition database were used as input data. Each food was allocated to 1 of 4 classes, according to the SAIN,LIM system -- a nutrient profiling system based on 2 independent scores, including a total of 8 basic plus 4 optional nutrients. The possibility to model diets fulfilling a set of 40 nutrient recommendations (healthy models) was tested by using foods from a given nutrient profile class only or from a combination of classes. The possibility to fulfill a set of nutrient constraints in contradiction with the recommendations (unhealthy models) was also tested. For each model, the feasible energy range was assessed by minimizing and maximizing total energy content. With foods from the most favorable nutrient profile class, healthy diets could be modeled, but it was impossible to design unhealthy diets within a realistic range of energy intake with these foods. With foods from the least favorable class, unhealthy, but not healthy, diets could be designed. Both healthy and unhealthy diets could be designed with foods from intermediate classes. On the basis of a few key nutrients, it is possible to predict the ability of a given food to facilitate -- or to impair -- the fulfillment of a large number of nutrient recommendations.

Report on the U.S. Geological Survey's Evaluation Program Standard Reference Samples Distributed in October 1995: T-137 (Trace Constituents), M-136 (Major Constituents), N-47 (Nutrient Constituents), N-48 (Nutrient Constituents), P-25 (Low Ionic Strength Constituents), and Hg-21 (Mercury)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farrar, Jerry W.; Long, H. Keith

1996-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for 6 standard reference samples--T-137 (trace constituents), M-136 (major constituents), N-47 (nutrient constituents), N-48 (nutrient constituents), P-25 (low ionic strength constituents), and Hg-21 (mercury)--that were distributed in October 1995 to 149 laboratories registered in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 136 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to: overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Report of the U.S. Geological Survey's evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in April 1993; T-123 (trace constituents), T-125 (trace constituents), M-126 (major constituents, N-38 (nutrients), N-39 (nutrients), P-20 (low ionic strength, and Hg-16 (mercury)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, H.K.; Farrar, J.W.

1993-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for seven standard reference samples--T-123 (trace constituents), T-125 (trace constituents), M-126 (major constituents), N-38 (nutrients), N-39 (Nutrients), P-20 (precipitation-low ionic strength), and Hg-16 (mercury)--that were distributed in April 1993 to 175 laboratories registered in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data received from 131 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to: overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the 7 reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the seven standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Bark analysis as a guide to cassava nutrition in Sierra Leone

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Godfrey-Sam-Aggrey, W.; Garber, M.J.

1979-01-01

Cassava main stem barks from two experiments in which similar fertilizers were applied directly in a 2/sup 5/ confounded factorial design were analyzed and the bark nutrients used as a guide to cassava nutrition. The application of multiple regression analysis to the respective root yields and bark nutrient concentrations enable nutrient levels and optimum adjusted root yields to be derived. Differences in bark nutrient concentrations reflected soil fertility levels. Bark analysis and the application of multiple regression analysis to root yields and bark nutrients appear to be useful tools for predicting fertilizer recommendations for cassava production.

Designing a high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring network for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Pellerin, Brian A.

2017-07-11

Executive SummaryThis report is the third in a series of three reports that provide information about how high-frequency (HF) nutrient monitoring may be used to assess nutrient inputs and dynamics in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, California (Delta). The purpose of this report is to provide the background, principles, and considerations for designing an HF nutrient-monitoring network for the Delta to address high-priority, nutrient-management questions. The report starts with discussion of the high-priority management questions to be addressed, continues through discussion of the questions and considerations that place demands and constraints on network design, discusses the principles applicable to network design, and concludes with the presentation of three example nutrient-monitoring network designs for the Delta. For three example network designs, we assess how they would address high-priority questions that have been identified by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2015).This report, along with the other two reports of this series (Kraus and others, 2017; Downing and others, 2017), was drafted in cooperation with the Delta Regional Monitoring Program to help scientists, managers, and planners understand how HF data improve our understanding of nutrient sources and sinks, drivers, and effects in the Delta. The first report in the series (Kraus and others, 2017) provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind using HF monitoring measurements, including a brief summary of nutrient status and trends in the Delta and an extensive literature review showing how and where other research and monitoring programs have used HF monitoring to improve our understanding of nutrient cycling. The report covers the various technologies available for HF nutrient monitoring and presents the different ways HF monitoring instrumentation may be used for both fixed station and spatial assessments. Finally, it presents numerous examples of how HF measurements are currently (2017) being used in the Delta to examine how nutrients and nutrient cycling are related to aquatic habitat conditions.The second report in the series (Downing and others, 2017) summarizes information about HF nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring in the north Delta. The report synthesizes data available from the nutrient and water quality monitoring network currently (2017) operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in this ecologically important region of the Delta. In the report, we present and discuss the available data at various timescales—first at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales; and, second, for comparison, at the tidal and event timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate concentrations at short timescales, such as within a few hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. This high variability affects calculation of fluxes and loads, indicating that HF monitoring is necessary for understanding and assessing flux-based processes and outcomes in Delta tidal environments.

Environmental and Biological Data of the Nutrient Enrichment Effects on Stream Ecosystems Project of the National Water Quality Assessment Program, 2003-04

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brightbill, Robin A.; Munn, Mark D.

2008-01-01

In 2000, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency began the process of developing regional nutrient criteria for streams and rivers. In response to concerns about nutrients by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and others, the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment Program began studying the effects of nutrient enrichment on agricultural stream ecosystems to aid in the understanding of how nutrients affect the biota in agricultural streams. Streams within five study areas were sampled either in 2003 or 2004. These five study areas were located within six NAWQA study units: the combined Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin (ACFB) and Georgia-Florida Coastal Plain Drainages (GAFL), Central Columbia Plateau?Yakima River Basin (CCYK), Central Nebraska Basins (CNBR), Potomac River?Delmarva Peninsula (PODL), and the White-Miami River Basin (WHMI). Data collected included nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) and other chemical parameters, biological samples (chlorophyll, algal assemblages, invertebrate assemblages, and some fish assemblages), stream habitat, and riparian and basin information. This report describes and presents the data collected from these study areas.

Nutrient mass balance and trends, Mobile River Basin, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harned, D.A.; Atkins, J.B.; Harvill, J.S.

2004-01-01

A nutrient mass balance - accounting for nutrient inputs from atmospheric deposition, fertilizer, crop nitrogen fixation, and point source effluents; and nutrient outputs, including crop harvest and storage - was calculated for 18 subbasins in the Mobile River Basin, and trends (1970 to 1997) were evaluated as part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Agricultural nonpoint nitrogen and phosphorus sources and urban nonpoint nitrogen sources are the most important factors associated with nutrients in this system. More than 30 percent of nitrogen yield in two basins and phosphorus yield in eight basins can be attributed to urban point source nutrient inputs. The total nitrogen yield (1.3 tons per square mile per year) for the Tombigbee River, which drains a greater percentage of agricultural (row crop) land use, was larger than the total nitrogen yield (0.99 tons per square mile per year) for the Alabama River. Decreasing trends of total nitrogen concentrations in the Tombigbee and Alabama Rivers indicate that a reduction occurred from 1975 to 1997 in the nitrogen contributions to Mobile Bay from the Mobile River. Nitrogen concentrations also decreased (1980 to 1995) in the Black Warrior River, one of the major tributaries to the Tombigbee River. Total phosphorus concentrations increased from 1970 to 1996 at three urban influenced sites on the Etowah River in Georgia. Multiple regression analysis indicates a distinct association between water quality in the streams of the Mobile River drainage basin and agricultural activities in the basin.

Changes to dietary intake during a 12-week commercial web-based weight loss program: a randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Hutchesson, M J; Collins, C E; Morgan, P J; Watson, J F; Guest, M; Callister, R

2014-01-01

The primary aim of this secondary analysis was to compare changes in dietary intake among participants randomized to two versions of a 12-week commercial web-based weight loss program (basic or enhanced) with a waiting-list control. An additional investigation compared changes in dietary intake of successful participants (weight loss ≥5%) with those not successful. Dietary intake was assessed at baseline and 12 weeks using a validated 120-item semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. Adults (n=268, 60% female participants, body mass index 32.1 ± 3.9) classified as plausible reporters of energy intake were included in the analyses. Analysis of covariance with baseline observations carried forward for drop-outs (n=38) was used. The basic and enhanced groups significantly increased their percentage of energy contribution from fruits and reduced energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods compared with controls (P<0.001). Successful participants (n=49) reported superior improvements in dietary intake including greater reductions in the mean daily energy intake (P<0.001), the percentage of energy from energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods (-12.0% E vs -4.3% E, P<0.001) and greater increases in the energy contribution from fruits (P<0.001), vegetables (P=0.003) and breads/cereals (P=0.02). Use of a commercial web-based weight loss program facilitated some improvements in the dietary intake. The enhanced web-based tools appeared not to have generated greater improvements in reported dietary intake, compared with the basic or control groups. Those who achieved a weight loss of ≥5% improved their dietary intake in line with the program recommendations and dietary guidelines. Further research to determine web-based components that may improve success and the reasons why programs are successful for some participants is required.

On-line process analysis innovation: DiComp (tm) shunting dielectric sensor technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, Craig R.; Waldman, Frank A.

1993-01-01

The DiComp Shunting Dielectric Sensor (SDS) is a new patent-pending technology developed under the Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) for NASA's Kennedy Space Center. The incorporation of a shunt electrode into a conventional fringing field dielectric sensor makes the SDS uniquely sensitive to changes in material dielectric properties in the KHz to MHz range which were previously detectable only at GHz measurement frequencies. The initial NASA application of the SDS for Nutrient Delivery Control has demonstrated SDS capabilities for thickness and concentration measurement of Hoagland nutrient solutions. The commercial introduction of DiComp SDS technology for concentration and percent solids measurements in dispersions, emulsions and solutions represents a new technology for process measurements for liquids in a variety of industries.

Process Analyzer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1993-01-01

Under a NASA Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract, Axiomatics Corporation developed a shunting Dielectric Sensor to determine the nutrient level and analyze plant nutrient solutions in the CELSS, NASA's space life support program. (CELSS is an experimental facility investigating closed-cycle plant growth and food processing for long duration manned missions.) The DiComp system incorporates a shunt electrode and is especially sensitive to changes in dielectric property changes in materials at measurements much lower than conventional sensors. The analyzer has exceptional capabilities for predicting composition of liquid streams or reactions. It measures concentrations and solids content up to 100 percent in applications like agricultural products, petrochemicals, food and beverages. The sensor is easily installed; maintenance is low, and it can be calibrated on line. The software automates data collection and analysis.

Coupling plant growth and waste recycling systems in a controlled life support system (CELSS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Garland, Jay L.

1992-01-01

The development of bioregenerative systems as part of the Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) program depends, in large part, on the ability to recycle inorganic nutrients, contained in waste material, into plant growth systems. One significant waste (resource) stream is inedible plant material. This research compared wheat growth in hydroponic solutions based on inorganic salts (modified Hoagland's) with solutions based on the soluble fraction of inedible wheat biomass (leachate). Recycled nutrients in leachate solutions provided the majority of mineral nutrients for plant growth, although additions of inorganic nutrients to leachate solutions were necessary. Results indicate that plant growth and waste recyling systems can be effectively coupled within CELSS based on equivalent wheat yield in leachate and Hoagland solutions, and the rapid mineralization of waste organic material in the hydroponic systems. Selective enrichment for microbial communities able to mineralize organic material within the leachate was necessary to prevent accumulation of dissolved organic matter in leachate-based solutions. Extensive analysis of microbial abundance, growth, and activity in the hydroponic systems indicated that addition of soluble organic material from plants does not cause excessive microbial growth or 'biofouling', and helped define the microbially-mediated flux of carbon in hydroponic solutions.

Investigation on effects of the forest canopy on acid and sulfur precipitation in the Ruhr District, Germany

Treesearch

W. Knabe; K. H. G& #252; nther; K. H. nther

1976-01-01

Ecosystem analysis as part of the International Biological Program, has shown that a considerable amount of nutrient input comes from the air through the filter action of vegetation. As investigations were carried out in remote areas, it appeared highly desirable to explore the conditions in the Ruhr district, one of the major industrial areas of the world.

Blackbird Creek Monitoring Program to Study the impact of Climate Change and Land Use

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozbay, G.; Chintapenta, L. K.; Roeske, K. P.; Stone, M.; Phalen, L.

2014-12-01

The Blackbird Creek Monitoring Program at Delaware State University continues to utilize various perspectives to study the dynamics of one of Delaware's most pristine ecosystems. The water quality of Blackbird Creek has been constantly monitored for 3 years and correlated with the rain and storm events. Soil nutrients composition has been studied by extracting the water associated with soil aggregates and analyzing the levels of different nutrients. Soil quality is also assessed for heavy metals to identify potential human impact that may affect the health of ecosystem. Within the Blackbird Creek there is a threat to native plant communities from invasive plant species as they alter the ecosystem dynamics. Saltmarsh cord grass (Spartina alterniflora) and common reed (Phragmites australius) are the common wetland plants. Aerial mapping of the creek has been conducted to determine the area covered by invasive plant species. The microbial community structure plays a key role in soil carbon and nitrogen cycles in the ecosystem. Molecular analysis has been performed to study the microbial diversity with respect to the type of marsh grasses. This program has also incorporated the use of diatoms as biological indicators to assess the health of ecosystem and correlate that data with physical and chemical water quality data. The abundance and diversity of macro fauna such as blue crabs, fish and other significant species has also been studied. Stable isotopic analysis of these macro fauna has also been performed to study the food web. The results from this program will be helpful in addressing environmental challenges and designing management strategies.

Nutrient intake and food habits of soccer players: analyzing the correlates of eating practice.

PubMed

García-Rovés, Pablo M; García-Zapico, Pedro; Patterson, Angeles M; Iglesias-Gutiérrez, Eduardo

2014-07-18

Despite the impact and popularity of soccer, and the growing field of soccer-related scientific research, little attention has been devoted to the nutritional intake and eating habits of soccer players. Moreover, the few studies that have addressed this issue suggest that the nutritional intake of soccer players is inadequate, underscoring the need for better adherence to nutritional recommendations and the development and implementation of nutrition education programs. The objective of these programs would be to promote healthy eating habits for male and female soccer players of all ages to optimize performance and provide health benefits that last beyond the end of a player's career. To date, no well-designed nutrition education program has been implemented for soccer players. The design and implementation of such an intervention requires a priori knowledge of nutritional intake and other correlates of food selection, such as food preferences and the influence of field position on nutrient intake, as well as detailed analysis of nutritional intake on match days, on which little data is available. Our aim is to provide an up-to-date overview of the nutritional intake, eating habits, and correlates of eating practice of soccer players.

Nutrient Intake and Food Habits of Soccer Players: Analyzing the Correlates of Eating Practice

PubMed Central

García-Rovés, Pablo M.; García-Zapico, Pedro; Patterson, Ángeles M.; Iglesias-Gutiérrez, Eduardo

2014-01-01

Despite the impact and popularity of soccer, and the growing field of soccer-related scientific research, little attention has been devoted to the nutritional intake and eating habits of soccer players. Moreover, the few studies that have addressed this issue suggest that the nutritional intake of soccer players is inadequate, underscoring the need for better adherence to nutritional recommendations and the development and implementation of nutrition education programs. The objective of these programs would be to promote healthy eating habits for male and female soccer players of all ages to optimize performance and provide health benefits that last beyond the end of a player’s career. To date, no well-designed nutrition education program has been implemented for soccer players. The design and implementation of such an intervention requires a priori knowledge of nutritional intake and other correlates of food selection, such as food preferences and the influence of field position on nutrient intake, as well as detailed analysis of nutritional intake on match days, on which little data is available. Our aim is to provide an up-to-date overview of the nutritional intake, eating habits, and correlates of eating practice of soccer players. PMID:25045939

The impact of feeding growing-finishing pigs with daily tailored diets using precision feeding techniques on animal performance, nutrient utilization, and body and carcass composition.

PubMed

Andretta, I; Pomar, C; Rivest, J; Pomar, J; Lovatto, P A; Radünz Neto, J

2014-09-01

The impact of moving from conventional to precision feeding systems in growing-finishing pig operations on animal performance, nutrient utilization, and body and carcass composition was studied. Fifteen animals per treatment for a total of 60 pigs of 41.2 (SE = 0.5) kg of BW were used in a performance trial (84 d) with 4 treatments: a 3-phase (3P) feeding program obtained by blending fixed proportions of feeds A (high nutrient density) and B (low nutrient density); a 3-phase commercial (COM) feeding program; and 2 daily-phase feeding programs in which the blended proportions of feeds A and B were adjusted daily to meet the estimated nutritional requirements of the group (multiphase-group feeding, MPG) or of each pig individually (multiphase-individual feeding, MPI). Daily feed intake was recorded each day and pigs were weighed weekly during the trial. Body composition was assessed at the beginning of the trial and every 28 d by dual-energy X-ray densitometry. Nitrogen and phosphorus excretion was estimated as the difference between retention and intake. Organ, carcass, and primal cut measurements were taken after slaughter. The COM feeding program reduced (P < 0.05) ADFI and improved G:F rate in relation to other treatments. The MPG and MPI programs showed values for ADFI, ADG, G:F, final BW, and nitrogen and phosphorus retention that were similar to those obtained for the 3P feeding program. However, compared with the 3P treatment, the MPI feeding program reduced the standardized ileal digestible lysine intake by 27%, the estimated nitrogen excretion by 22%, and the estimated phosphorus excretion by 27% (P < 0.05). Organs, carcass, and primal cut weights did not differ among treatments. Feeding growing-finishing pigs with daily tailored diets using precision feeding techniques is an effective approach to reduce nutrient excretion without compromising pig performance or carcass composition.

Tools to improve planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of complementary feeding programmes.

PubMed

Untoro, Juliawati; Childs, Rachel; Bose, Indira; Winichagoon, Pattanee; Rudert, Christiane; Hall, Andrew; de Pee, Saskia

2017-10-01

Adequate nutrient intake is a prerequisite for achieving good nutrition status. Suboptimal complementary feeding practices are a main risk factor for stunting. The need for systematic and user-friendly tools to guide the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of dietary interventions for children aged 6-23 months has been recognized. This paper describes five tools, namely, ProPAN, Optifood, Cost of the Diet, Fill the Nutrient Gap, and Monitoring Results for Equity System that can be used in different combinations to improve situation analysis, planning, implementation, monitoring, or evaluation approaches for complementary feeding in a particular context. ProPAN helps with development of strategies and activities designed to change the behaviours of the target population. Optifood provides guidance for developing food-based recommendations. The Cost of the Diet can provide insight on economic barriers to accessing a nutritious and balanced diet. The Fill the Nutrient Gap facilitates formulation of context-specific policies and programmatic approaches to improve nutrient intake, through a multistakeholder process that uses insights from linear programming and secondary data. The Monitoring Results for Equity System helps with analysis of gaps, constraints, and determinants of complementary feeding interventions and adoption of recommended practices especially in the most vulnerable and deprived populations. These tools, and support for their use, are readily available and can be used either alone and/or complementarily throughout the programme cycle to improve infant and young child-feeding programmes at subnational and national levels. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Foliar nutrient analysis of sugar maple decline: retrospective vector diagnosis

Treesearch

Victor R. Timmer; Yuanxin Teng

1999-01-01

Accuracy of traditional foiiar analysis of nutrient disorders in sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh) is limited by lack of validation and confounding by nutrient interactions. Vector nutrient diagnosis is relatively free of these problems. The technique is demonstrated retrospectively on four case studies. Diagnostic interpretations consistently...

Are nutrient databases and nutrient analysis systems ready for the International implications of nutrigenomics?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Our objective is to discuss the implications internationally of the increased focus on nutrigenomics as the underlying basis for individualized health promotion and chronic disease prevention and the challenges presented to existing nutrient database and nutrient analysis systems by these trends. De...

Assessment of nutrient enrichment by use of algal-, invertebrate-, and fish-community attributes in wadeable streams in ecoregions surrounding the Great Lakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frey, Jeffrey W.; Bell, Amanda H.; Hambrook Berkman, Julie A.; Lorenz, David L.

2011-01-01

The algal, invertebrate, and fish taxa and community attributes that best reflect the effects of nutrients along a gradient of low to high nutrient concentrations in wadeable, primarily midwestern streams were determined as part of the U.S. Geological Suvey's National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. Nutrient data collected from 64 sampling sites that reflected reference, agricultural, and urban influences between 1993 and 2006 were used to represent the nutrient gradient within Nutrient Ecoregion VI (Cornbelt and Northern Great Plains), VII (Mostly Glaciated Dairy Region), and VIII (Nutrient Poor Largely Glaciated Upper Midwest and Northeast). Nutrient Ecoregions VII and VIII comprise the Glacial North diatom ecoregion (GNE) and Nutrient Ecoregion VI represents the Central and Western Plains diatom ecoregion (CWPE). The diatom-ecoregion groupings were used chiefly for data analysis. The total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) data from 64 sites, where at least 6 nutrient samples were collected within a year at each site, were used to classify the sites into low-, medium-, and high-nutrient categories based upon the 10th and 75th percentiles of for sites within each Nutrient Ecoregion. In general, TN and TP concentrations were 3-5 times greater in Nutrient Ecoregion VI than in Nutrient Ecoregions VII and VIII. A subgroup of 54 of these 64 sites had algal-, invertebrate-, and fish-community data that were collected within the same year as the nutrients; these sites were used to assess the effects of nutrients on the biological communities. Multidimensional scaling was used to determine whether the entire region could be assessed together or whether there were regional differences between the algal, invertebrate, and fish communities. The biological communities were significantly different between the northern sites, primarily in the GNE and the southern sites, primarily in the CWPE. In the higher nutrient concentration gradient in the streams of the CWPE, algae exhibited greater differences than invertebrates and fish between all of the nutrient categories for both TN and TP; however, in the lower nutrient gradient in the streams of the GNE, invertebrates exhibited greater differences between the nutrient categories. Certain species of algae, invertebrates, and fish were more prevalent in low- and high-nutrient categories within each of the diatom ecoregions. Breakpoint analysis was used to identify the concentration at which the relations between the response variable (biological attribute) and the stressor variable (TN and TP) change. There were significant breakpoints for nutrients (TN and TP) and multiple attributes for algae, invertebrates, and fish communities within the CWPE and GNE diatom ecoregions. In general, more significant breakpoints, with lower concentrations, were found in the GNE than the more nutrient-rich CWPE. The breakpoints from all biological communities were generally about 3-5 times higher in the south (CWPE) than the north (GNE). In the north, breakpoints with similar lower concentrations were found for TN from all biological communities (around 0.60 milligram per liter) and for TP (between 0.02 and 0.03 milligram per liter) for the algae and invertebrate communities. The findings from our study suggest that the range in breakpoints for TN and TP from the GNE can be used as oligotrophic and eutrophic boundaries derived from biological response based on this ecoregion having (1) a gradient with sufficiently low to high nutrient concentrations, (2) distinctive differences in the biological communities in the low- to high-nutrient streams, (3) similarity of breakpoints within algal, invertebrate, and fish communities, (4) significant attributes with either direct relations to nutrients or traditional changes in community structure (that is, decreases in sensitive species or increases in tolerant species), and (5) similar breakpoints in other studies in this and other regions. In nutrie

77 FR 59287 - National Organic Program (NOP); Sunset Review (2012) for Nutrient Vitamins and Minerals

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-27

... Value (DRV). FDA stated that substances such as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, inositol, choline....\\3\\ The reference to 21 CFR 104.20 refers to the fortification policy for food under the FDA's... those nutrients. \\3\\ FDA Response to NOP--Questions and Answers Regarding Nutrient Fortification of...

The potential contribution of yellow cassava to dietary nutrient adequacy of primary-school children in Eastern Kenya; the use of linear programming.

PubMed

Talsma, Elise F; Borgonjen-van den Berg, Karin J; Melse-Boonstra, Alida; Mayer, Eva V; Verhoef, Hans; Demir, Ayşe Y; Ferguson, Elaine L; Kok, Frans J; Brouwer, Inge D

2018-02-01

Introduction of biofortified cassava as school lunch can increase vitamin A intake, but may increase risk of other deficiencies due to poor nutrient profile of cassava. We assessed the potential effect of introducing a yellow cassava-based school lunch combined with additional food-based recommendations (FBR) on vitamin A and overall nutrient adequacy using Optifood (linear programming tool). Cross-sectional study to assess dietary intakes (24 h recall) and derive model parameters (list of foods consumed, median serving sizes, food and food (sub)group frequency distributions, food cost). Three scenarios were modelled, namely daily diet including: (i) no school lunch; (ii) standard 5d school lunch with maize/beans; and (iii) 5d school lunch with yellow cassava. Each scenario and scenario 3 with additional FBR were assessed on overall nutrient adequacy using recommended nutrient intakes (RNI). Eastern Kenya. Primary-school children (n 150) aged 7-9 years. Best food pattern of yellow cassava-based lunch scenario achieved 100 % RNI for six nutrients compared with no lunch (three nutrients) or standard lunch (five nutrients) scenario. FBR with yellow cassava and including small dried fish improved nutrient adequacy, but could not ensure adequate intake of fat (52 % of average requirement), riboflavin (50 % RNI), folate (59 % RNI) and vitamin A (49 % RNI). Introduction of yellow cassava-based school lunch complemented with FBR potentially improved vitamin A adequacy, but alternative interventions are needed to ensure dietary adequacy. Optifood is useful to assess potential contribution of a biofortified crop to nutrient adequacy and to develop additional FBR to address remaining nutrient gaps.

Role of the Small Intestine in Developmental Programming: Impact of Maternal Nutrition on the Dam and Offspring123

PubMed Central

Meyer, Allison M; Caton, Joel S

2016-01-01

Small-intestinal growth and function are critical for optimal animal growth and health and play a major role in nutrient digestion and absorption, energy and nutrient expenditure, and immunological competence. During fetal and perinatal development, the small intestine is affected by the maternal environment and nutrient intake. In ruminants, altered small-intestinal mass, villi morphology, hypertrophy, hyperplasia, vascularity, and gene expression have been observed as a result of poor gestational nutrition or intrauterine growth restriction. Although many of these data come from fetal stages, data have also demonstrated that nutrition during mid- and late gestation affects lamb small-intestinal growth, vascularity, digestive enzyme activity, and gene expression at 20 and 180 d of age as well. The small intestine is known to be a highly plastic tissue, changing with nutrient intake and physiological state even in adulthood, and the maternal small intestine adapts to pregnancy and advancing gestation. In ruminants, the growth, vascularity, and gene expression of the maternal small intestine also adapt to the nutritional plane and specific nutrient intake such as high selenium during pregnancy. These changes likely alter both pre- and postnatal nutrient delivery to offspring. More research is necessary to better understand the role of the offspring and maternal small intestines in whole-animal responses to developmental programming, but programming of this plastic tissue seems to play a dynamic role in gestational nutrition impacts on the whole animal. PMID:27180380

CARINA: nutrient data in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanhua, T.; Brown, P. J.; Key, R. M.

2009-11-01

Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA data base were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; Arctic Mediterranean Seas, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 98 were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and of these 84 cruises report nitrate values, 79 silicate, and 78 phosphate. Here we present details of the secondary QC for nutrients for the Atlantic Ocean part of CARINA. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the nutrient values for 43 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s (Key et al., 2004). Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL nutrient data to be: nitrate 1.5%; phosphate 2.6%; silicate 3.1%. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

CARINA: nutrient data in the Atlantic Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanhua, T.; Brown, P. J.; Key, R. M.

2009-07-01

Data on carbon and carbon-relevant hydrographic and hydrochemical parameters from previously non-publicly available cruise data sets in the Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean have been retrieved and merged to a new database: CARINA (CARbon IN the Atlantic). These data have gone through rigorous quality control (QC) procedures to assure the highest possible quality and consistency. The data for most of the measured parameters in the CARINA data base were objectively examined in order to quantify systematic differences in the reported values, i.e. secondary quality control. Systematic biases found in the data have been corrected in the data products, i.e. three merged data files with measured, calculated and interpolated data for each of the three CARINA regions; Arctic, Atlantic and Southern Ocean. Out of a total of 188 cruise entries in the CARINA database, 98 were conducted in the Atlantic Ocean and of these 84 cruises report nitrate values, 79 silicate, and 78 phosphate. Here we present details of the secondary QC for nutrients for the Atlantic Ocean part of CARINA. Procedures of quality control, including crossover analysis between cruises and inversion analysis of all crossover data are briefly described. Adjustments were applied to the nutrient values for 43 of the cruises in the Atlantic Ocean region. With these adjustments the CARINA database is consistent both internally as well as with GLODAP data, an oceanographic data set based on the World Hydrographic Program in the 1990s (Key et al., 2004). Based on our analysis we estimate the internal accuracy of the CARINA-ATL nutrient data to be: nitrate 1.5%; phosphate 2.6%; silicate 3.1%. The CARINA data are now suitable for accurate assessments of, for example, oceanic carbon inventories and uptake rates and for model validation.

Simulation of runoff and nutrient export from a typical small watershed in China using the Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran.

PubMed

Li, Zhaofu; Liu, Hongyu; Luo, Chuan; Li, Yan; Li, Hengpeng; Pan, Jianjun; Jiang, Xiaosan; Zhou, Quansuo; Xiong, Zhengqin

2015-05-01

The Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF), which is a hydrological and water-quality computer model that was developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, was employed to simulate runoff and nutrient export from a typical small watershed in a hilly eastern monsoon region of China. First, a parameter sensitivity analysis was performed to assess how changes in the model parameters affect runoff and nutrient export. Next, the model was calibrated and validated using measured runoff and nutrient concentration data. The Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (E NS ) values of the yearly runoff were 0.87 and 0.69 for the calibration and validation periods, respectively. For storms runoff events, the E NS values were 0.93 for the calibration period and 0.47 for the validation period. Antecedent precipitation and soil moisture conditions can affect the simulation accuracy of storm event flow. The E NS values for the total nitrogen (TN) export were 0.58 for the calibration period and 0.51 for the validation period. In addition, the correlation coefficients between the observed and simulated TN concentrations were 0.84 for the calibration period and 0.74 for the validation period. For phosphorus export, the E NS values were 0.89 for the calibration period and 0.88 for the validation period. In addition, the correlation coefficients between the observed and simulated orthophosphate concentrations were 0.96 and 0.94 for the calibration and validation periods, respectively. The nutrient simulation results are generally satisfactory even though the parameter-lumped HSPF model cannot represent the effects of the spatial pattern of land cover on nutrient export. The model parameters obtained in this study could serve as reference values for applying the model to similar regions. In addition, HSPF can properly describe the characteristics of water quantity and quality processes in this area. After adjustment, calibration, and validation of the parameters, the HSPF model is suitable for hydrological and water-quality simulations in watershed planning and management and for designing best management practices.

Results of the U.S. Geological Survey's Analytical Evaluation Program for standard reference samples: T-155 (trace constituents), M-148 (major constituents), N-59 (nutrient constituents), N-60 (nutrient constituents), P-31 (low ionic strength constituents), GWT-4 (ground-water trace constituents) and Hg-27 (Mercury) distributed in September 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farrar, Jerry W.

1999-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for seven standard reference samples -- T-155 (trace constituents), M-148 (major constituents), N-59 (nutrient constituents), N-60 (nutrient constituents), P-31 (low ionic strength constituents), GWT-4 (ground-water trace constituents), and Hg- 27 (mercury) -- which were distributed in September 1998 to 162 laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 136 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the seven reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the seven standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Report on the U.S. Geological Survey's evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in October 1993 : T-127 (trace constituents), M-128 (major constituents), N-40 (nutrients), N-41 (nutrients), P-21 (low ionic strength), Hg-17 (mercury), AMW-3 (acid mine water), and WW-1 (whole water)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, H.K.; Farrar, J.W.

1994-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for eight standard reference samples--T-127 (trace constituents), M-128 (major constituents), N-40 (nutrients), N-41 (nutrients), P-21 (low ionic strength), Hg-17 (mercury), AMW-3 (acid mine water), and WW-1 (whole water)--that were distributed in October 1993 to 158 laboratories registered in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 145 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to: overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the eight reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the eight standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Report on the U.S. Geological Survey's evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in October 1994 : T-131 (trace constituents), T-133 (trace constituents), M-132 (major constituents), N-43 (nutrients), N-44 (nutrients), P-23 (low ionic strength) and Hg-19 (mercury)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, H. Keith; Farrar, Jerry W.

1995-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for 7 standard reference samples--T-131 (trace constituents), T-133 (trace constituents), M-132 (major constituents), N-43 (nutrients), N-44 (nutrients), P-23 (low ionic strength), and Hg-19 (mercury). The samples were distributed in October 1994 to 131 laboratories registered in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 121 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to: overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the seven reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the seven standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

The Thames Science Plan: Suggested Hydrologic Investigations to Support Nutrient-Related Water-Quality Improvements in the Thames River Basin, Connecticut

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-01-01

Nutrient- Related Water-Quality Improvements in the Thames River Basin, Connecticut Open-File Report 2005-1208 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S...Investigations to Support Nutrient- Related Water-Quality Improvements in the Thames River Basin, Connecticut 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM...Suggested Hydrologic Investigations to Support Nutrient- Related Water-Quality Improvements in the Thames River Basin, Connecticut By Elaine C. Todd

Defense Coastal/Estuarine Research Program (DCERP) Strategic Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-09-01

atmospheric deposition. The source apportionment of nutrients from atmospheric deposition (especially nitrogen) to estuarine waters derived from direct...migrating wildlife, and nutrient release from soil weathering, atmospheric deposition represents the only source of new nutrients into the... apportionment to properly assess the contributions of off-site and on-site emission sources to regional levels of PM2.5. In preparing this DCERP Strategic

State of Washington Aquatic Plant Management Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-10-01

waterfowl diet. A digestive tract analysis of several waterfowl species done by Florshutz (1973) between 1968 and 1971 in Virginia and North Carolina...uustablei and the meal made from milfoil pigmented broilers (Smith, 1971). The estimated c~ost/acre of mechanical harvesting (assuming two cuttings per... digestive tract, large amounts of incom- pletely digested plant material are returned to the water. The nutrients contained in this mate’eial are added to

Metabolic Activity and Biosignatures of Microbes in the Lower Ocean Crust of Atlantis Bank, IODP Expedition 360

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wee, S. Y.; Edgcomb, V. P.; Burgaud, G.; Klein, F.; Schubotz, F.; Yvon-Lewis, S. A.; Sylvan, J. B.

2017-12-01

International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 360 represents the first leg of a multi-phase drilling program, SloMo, aimed at investigating the nature of the lower crust and Moho at slow spreading ridges. The goal of Expedition 360 was to recover a representative transect of the lower oceanic crust formed at Atlantis Bank, an oceanic core complex on the SW Indian Ridge. Recovered cores were primarily gabbro and olivine gabbro, which may potentially host serpentinization reactions and associated microbial life. Our goal was to sample this subseafloor environment and determine quantity, diversity and metabolic capabilities of any resident microbial life. Hole U1473A was drilled during Expedition 360 down to 790 m below seafloor and samples for detection of microbial communities and microbial biosignatures were collected throughout. We present here quantification of microbial biomass via fluorescence microscopy, preliminary analysis of nutrient addition experiments, data from sequencing of microbial 16S rRNA genes, analysis of microbial lipids, and data from Raman spectra of subsurface isolates. We initiated and sampled 12 nutrient addition experiments from 71-745 mbsf by adding sampled rocks to artificial seawater with no additions, added ammonium, added ammonium plus phosphate, and added organic acids. In nearly all of the experiment bottles, methane was detected when samples were collected at six months and again after one year of incubation. Phosphate in the incubations was drawn down, indicating active microbial metabolism, and archaeal lipids from in situ samples indicate the presence of methanogens, corroborating the likelihood of methanogens as the source of detected methane in the nutrient addition incubations. Altogether, the interdisciplinary approach used here provides a peek into life in the subseafloor upper ocean crust.

The 2005 USDA Food Guide Pyramid is associated with more adequate nutrient intakes within energy constraints than the 1992 Pyramid.

PubMed

Gao, Xiang; Wilde, Parke E; Lichtenstein, Alice H; Tucker, Katherine L

2006-05-01

The USDA issued the Food Guide Pyramid (FGP) to help Americans choose healthy diets. We examined whether adherence to the 1992 and 2005 FGP was associated with moderate energy and adequate nutrient intakes. We used data for 2138 men and 2213 women > 18 y old, from the 2001-2002 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Quadratic programming was used to generate diets with minimal departure from intakes reported for the NHANES 2001-02. We examined the effect of the number of servings/d of Food Pyramid groups set at 1992 and at 2005 FGP recommendations for 1600, 2200, and 2800 kcal (1 kcal = 4.184 kJ) levels. We calculated energy and nutrients provided by different FGP dietary patterns. Within current U.S. dietary practices, following the 1992 FGP without sodium restriction may provide 200 more kcal than recommended for each energy level. Although it can meet most of old nutrient recommendations (1989), it fails to meet the latest dietary reference intakes, especially for the 1600 kcal level. The 2005 FGP appears to provide less energy and more adequate nutrient intakes, with the exception of vitamin E and potassium for some groups. However, without discretionary energy restriction, Americans are at risk of having excessive energy intake even if they follow the 2005 FGP food serving recommendations. Our analysis suggests that following the 2005 FGP may be associated with lower energy and optimal nutrient intake. Careful restriction of discretionary calories appears necessary for appropriate energy intakes to be maintained.

Convenience stores are the key food environment influence on nutrients available from household food supplies in Texas Border Colonias

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Few studies have focused on the relationship between the retail food environment and household food supplies. This study examines spatial access to retail food stores, food shopping habits, and nutrients available in household food supplies among 50 Mexican-origin families residing in Texas border colonias. Methods The design was cross-sectional; data were collected in the home March to June 2010 by promotora-researchers. Ground-truthed methods enumerated traditional (supercenters, supermarkets, grocery stores), convenience (convenience stores and food marts), and non-traditional (dollar stores, discount stores) retail food stores. Spatial access was computed using the network distance from each participant’s residence to each food store. Data included survey data and two household food inventories (HFI) of the presence and amount of food items in the home. The Spanish language interviewer-administered survey included demographics, transportation access, food purchasing, food and nutrition assistance program participation, and the 18-item Core Food Security Module. Nutrition Data Systems for Research (NDS-R) was used to calculate HFI nutrients. Adult equivalent adjustment constants (AE), based on age and gender calorie needs, were calculated based on the age- and gender composition of each household and used to adjust HFI nutrients for household composition. Data were analyzed using bivariate analysis and linear regression models to determine the association of independent variables with the availability of each AE-adjusted nutrient. Results Regression models showed that households in which the child independently purchased food from a convenience store at least once a week had foods and beverages with increased amounts of total energy, total fat, and saturated fat. A greater distance to the nearest convenience store was associated with reduced amounts of total energy, vitamin D, total sugar, added sugar, total fat, and saturated fat. Participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was associated with lower household levels of total energy, calcium, vitamin C, sodium, vitamin D, and saturated fat. Spatial access and utilization of supermarkets and dollar stores were not associated with nutrient availability. Conclusions Although household members frequently purchased food items from supermarkets or dollar stores, it was spatial access to and frequent utilization of convenience food stores that influenced the amount of nutrients present in Texas border colonia households. These findings also suggest that households which participate in NSLP have reduced AE-adjusted nutrients available in the home. The next step will target changes within convenience stores to improve in-store marketing of foods and beverages to children and adults. PMID:23327426

Convenience stores are the key food environment influence on nutrients available from household food supplies in Texas Border Colonias.

PubMed

Sharkey, Joseph R; Dean, Wesley R; Nalty, Courtney C; Xu, Jin

2013-01-17

Few studies have focused on the relationship between the retail food environment and household food supplies. This study examines spatial access to retail food stores, food shopping habits, and nutrients available in household food supplies among 50 Mexican-origin families residing in Texas border colonias. The design was cross-sectional; data were collected in the home March to June 2010 by promotora-researchers. Ground-truthed methods enumerated traditional (supercenters, supermarkets, grocery stores), convenience (convenience stores and food marts), and non-traditional (dollar stores, discount stores) retail food stores. Spatial access was computed using the network distance from each participant's residence to each food store. Data included survey data and two household food inventories (HFI) of the presence and amount of food items in the home. The Spanish language interviewer-administered survey included demographics, transportation access, food purchasing, food and nutrition assistance program participation, and the 18-item Core Food Security Module. Nutrition Data Systems for Research (NDS-R) was used to calculate HFI nutrients. Adult equivalent adjustment constants (AE), based on age and gender calorie needs, were calculated based on the age- and gender composition of each household and used to adjust HFI nutrients for household composition. Data were analyzed using bivariate analysis and linear regression models to determine the association of independent variables with the availability of each AE-adjusted nutrient. Regression models showed that households in which the child independently purchased food from a convenience store at least once a week had foods and beverages with increased amounts of total energy, total fat, and saturated fat. A greater distance to the nearest convenience store was associated with reduced amounts of total energy, vitamin D, total sugar, added sugar, total fat, and saturated fat. Participation in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) was associated with lower household levels of total energy, calcium, vitamin C, sodium, vitamin D, and saturated fat. Spatial access and utilization of supermarkets and dollar stores were not associated with nutrient availability. Although household members frequently purchased food items from supermarkets or dollar stores, it was spatial access to and frequent utilization of convenience food stores that influenced the amount of nutrients present in Texas border colonia households. These findings also suggest that households which participate in NSLP have reduced AE-adjusted nutrients available in the home. The next step will target changes within convenience stores to improve in-store marketing of foods and beverages to children and adults.

NUTRIENT RESPONSE IN GREAT LAKES WETLANDS

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. EPA National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory's Aquatic Stressor Framework and associated Nutrient Implementation Plan define scientific and regulatory needs, and lay-out research goals too for a cross divisional program to investigate stressor-response relati...

Reducing Nutrients to San Francisco Bay through Additional Wastewater Sidestream Treatment Project

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Information about the SFBWQP Reducing Nutrients to San Francisco Bay Project, part of an EPA competitive grant program to improve SF Bay water quality focused on restoring impaired waters and enhancing aquatic resources.

Seed tissue and nutrient partitioning, a case for the nucellus.

PubMed

Lu, Jing; Magnani, Enrico

2018-06-05

Flowering plants display a large spectrum of seed architectures. The volume ratio of maternal versus zygotic seed tissues changes considerably among species and underlies different nutrient-storing strategies. Such diversity arose through the evolution of cell elimination programs that regulate the relative growth of one tissue over another to become the major storage compartment. The elimination of the nucellus maternal tissue is regulated by developmental programs that marked the origin of angiosperms and outlined the most ancient seed architectures. This review focuses on such a defining mechanism for seed evolution and discusses the role of nucellus development in seed tissues and nutrient partitioning at the light of novel discoveries on its molecular regulation.

Potato growth and yield using nutrient film technique (NFT)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wheeler, R. M.; Mackowiak, C. L.; Sager, J. C.; Knott, W. M.; Hinkle, C. R.

1990-01-01

Potato plants, cvs Denali and Norland, were grown in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) trays using a continuous flowing nutrient film technique (NFT) to study tuber yield for NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems (CELSS) program. Nutrient solution pH was controlled automatically using 0.39M (2.5% (v/v) nitric acid (HNO3), while water and nutrients were replenished manually each day and twice each week, respectively. Plants were spaced either one or two per tray, allotting 0.2 or 0.4 m2 per plant. All plants were harvested after 112 days. Denali plants yielded 2850 and 2800 g tuber fresh weight from the one- and two-plant trays, respectively, while Norland plants yielded 1800 and 2400 g tuber fresh weight from the one- and two-plant trays. Many tubers of both cultivars showed injury to the periderm tissue, possibly caused by salt accumulation from the nutrient solution on the surface. Total system water usage throughout the study for all the plants equaled 709 liters (L), or approximately 2 L m-2 d-1. Total system acid usage throughout the study (for nutrient solution pH control) equaled 6.60 L, or 18.4 ml m-2 d-1 (7.2 mmol m-2 d-1). The results demonstrate that continuous flowing nutrient film technique can be used for tuber production with acceptable yields for the CELSS program.

A summary of porous tube plant nutrient delivery system investigations from 1985 to 1991

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dreschel, T. W.; Brown, C. S.; Piastuch, W. C.; Hinkle, C. R.; Sager, J. C.; Wheeler, R. M.; Knott, W. M.

1992-01-01

The Controlled Ecological Life Support System (CELSS) Program is a research effort to evaluate biological processes at a one person scale to provide air, water, and food for humans in closed environments for space habitation. This program focuses currently on the use of conventional crop plants and the use of hydroponic systems to grow them. Because conventional hydroponic systems are dependent on gravity to conduct solution flow, they cannot be used in the microgravity of space. Thus, there is a need for a system that will deliver water and nutrients to plant roots under microgravity conditions. The Plant Space Biology Program is interested in investigating the effect that the space environment has on the growth and development of plants. Thus, there is also a need to have a standard nutrient delivery method for growing plants in space for research into plant responses to microgravity. The Porous Tube Plant Nutrient Delivery System (PTPNDS) utilizes a hydrophilic, microporous material to control water and nutrient delivery to plant roots. It has been designed and analyzed to support plant growth independent of gravity and plans are progressing to test it in microgravity. It has been used successfully to grow food crops to maturity in an earth-bound laboratory. This document includes a bibliography and summary reports from the growth trials performed utilizing the PTPNDS.

Complementary feeding recommendations based on locally available foods in Indonesia.

PubMed

Fahmida, Umi; Santika, Otte; Kolopaking, Risatianti; Ferguson, Elaine

2014-12-01

Affordable, locally contextual complementary feeding recommendations (CFRs) that take into account cultural diversity and differences in food availability will be more likely to result in long-term improvements in complementary feeding practices than general recommendations. More objective approaches, such as linear programming (LP), have been recommended to identify optimal but CFRs to meet nutrient requirements given local food availability, food patterns, food portions, and cost. To present results of our previous studies in which we developed CFRs using LP and to provide an example of how these CFRs can be put into practice in a community intervention trial in Indonesia. Dietary data were obtained using single 24-hour dietary recall or 1-day weighed diet record combined with 1-day 24-hour recall and 5-day food intake tally. With the use of the LP approach, nutrient intakes were optimized while ensuring that a realistic diet was selected by using constraints such as the diet's energy content, food patterns, food portions, and cost. The price per 100 g of edible portion was obtained from market surveys in two or three local markets in each study area. LP analysis was performed using Super Solver in MS Excel or Optifood software. Iron, zinc, calcium, and niacin were problem nutrients in all age groups of children (6 to 8, 9 to 11, and 12 to 23 months) in both rural and periurban areas, except among children of higher socioeconomic status in urban areas. Thiamin and folate were also problem nutrients found in some settings. Animal-source foods (meat, fish, poultry, and eggs [MFPE] and fortified foods were the nutrient-dense foods identified by LP to fill the nutrient gaps of these problem nutrients. Iron, calcium, zinc, niacin, and potentially folate and thiamine are typical "problem nutrients" in complementary foods of Indonesian children. However, the extent of dietary inadequacy varies across age groups, area, and socioeconomic level. MFPE and fortified foods can improve micronutrient adequacy in complementary feeding diets and should be promoted in CFRs.

Screening of inbred popcorn lines for tolerance to low phosphorus.

PubMed

Santos, O J A P; Gonçalves, L S A; Scapim, C A; S M de Sousa, de; Castro, C R; Y Baba, V; de Oliveira, A L M

2016-05-06

Increasing phosphorus use efficiency in agriculture is essential for sustainable food production. Thus, the aims of this study were: i) to identify phosphorus use efficiency (PUE) in popcorn lines during the early plant stages, ii) to study the relationship between traits correlated with PUE, and iii) to analyze genetic diversity among lines. To accomplish this, 35 popcorn lines from Universidade Estadual de Maringá breeding program were studied. The experiment was conducted in a growth chamber using a nutrient solution containing two concentrations of phosphorus (P): 2.5 μM or low P (LP) and 250 μM or high P (HP). After 13 days in the nutrient solution, root morphology traits, shoot and root dry weight, and P content of the maize seedlings were measured. A deviance analysis showed there was a high level of genetic variability. An unweighted pair group method with arithmetic mean (UPGMA) clustering analysis identified three groups for the LP treatment (efficient, intermediate, and inefficient) and three groups for the HP treatment (responsive, moderately responsive, and unresponsive). The results of a principal component analysis and selection index were consistent with the UPGMA analysis, and lines 1, 2, 13, 17, 26, and 31 were classified as PUE.

Evaluating Aquatic Life Benefits of Reducing Nutrient Loading ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Theoretical linkages between excess nutrient loading, nutrient-enhanced community metabolism (i.e., production and respiration), and hypoxia in estuaries are well-understood. In seasonally-stratified estuaries and coastal systems (e.g., Chesapeake Bay, northern Gulf of Mexico), hypoxia is predominantly seasonal, such that the spatial extent indicates potential aquatic life impacts. However, in relatively small and shallow Gulf of Mexico bays and bayous, hypoxia frequently occurs episodically or on a diel basis. This study utilized continuous DO monitoring and 3-D hydrodynamic (Environmental Fluid Dynamics Code) and water quality (Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program) models to examine physical and biological controls on DO dynamics and ecosystem metabolism in Weeks Bay, AL. Observed vertical DO gradients varied on a diel basis, with larger amplitude variations at depth relative to the surface, underscoring the importance of benthic production and respiration as a driver of ecosystem metabolism in shallow estuaries. Hydrodynamic and water quality models simulated seasonal and event-driven dynamics, but struggled to resolve the amplitude of daily DO fluctuations, particularly in bottom waters. Using these data in conjunction with the 10-year continuous O2 record from Weeks Bay, we applied empirical relationships and simple scaling relations to predict how reducing nutrient loading may affect the frequency, severity and duration of hypoxia. We further applied

Synthesis of data from high-frequency nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Downing, Bryan D.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Kraus, Tamara E.C.

2017-07-11

Executive SummaryThis report is the second in a series of three reports that provide information about high-frequency (HF) nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta of northern California (Delta). The purpose of this report is to synthesize the data available from a nutrient and water-quality HF (about every 15 minutes) monitoring network operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in the northern Delta. In this report, we describe the network and focus on the purpose of each station. We then present and discuss the available data, at various timescales—first at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales, and second, for comparison, at the tidal and event timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate-N concentrations at short timescales within hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. Resolving this variability is made possible by the HF data, with the largest variability caused by storms, tides, and diel biological processes. Given this large temporal variability, calculations of cumulative nutrient fluxes (for example, daily, monthly, or annual loads) is difficult without HF data. For example, in the Cache Slough, calculation of the annual load without the tidal variability resulted in a 30 percent underestimation of the true annual load value. We conclude that HF measurements are important for accurate determination of fluxes and loads in tidal environments, but, more importantly, provide important insights into processes and rates of nutrient cycling.This report, along with the other two reports of this series (Bergamaschi and others, 2017; Kraus, Bergamaschi, and others, 2017), was drafted in cooperation with the Delta Regional Monitoring Program to help scientists, managers, and planners understand how HF data improve our understanding of nutrient sources and sinks, drivers, and effects in the Delta. The first report in the series (Kraus, Bergamaschi, and others, 2017) provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind using HF monitoring measurements, including a brief summary of nutrient status and trends in the Delta and an extensive literature review showing how and where other research and monitoring programs have used HF monitoring to improve our understanding of nutrient cycling. The report covers the various technologies available for HF nutrient monitoring and presents the different ways HF monitoring instrumentation may be used for fixed station and spatial assessments. Finally, it presents numerous examples of how HF measurements are currently (2017) being used in the Delta to examine how nutrients and nutrient cycling are related to aquatic habitat conditions.The third report in the series (Bergamaschi and others, 2017) provides the background, principles, and considerations for designing an HF nutrient-monitoring network for the Delta to address high-priority, nutrient-management questions. The report starts with discussion of the high‑priority management questions to be addressed, continues through discussion of the questions and considerations that place demands and constraints on network design, discusses the principles applicable to network design, and concludes with the presentation of three example nutrient-monitoring network designs for the Delta, proposed to address high-priority questions identified by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2015).

An Analysis of the United States Air Force Nonpoint Source Water Pollution Abatement Program

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-09-01

salts and other minerals. The nmoff frm barnyards and confined feedlots carries organic matter, amcmia, fecal bacteria and other microorganisms, and...nutrients in fertilizers used in lawn care, fecal bacteria from animals (mainly pets and birds), and pesticides are all contained in this runoff...application of pesticides and fertilizers. Less of these products can be applied at optinun intervals and under the proper conditions to reduce the

Aquatic vegetation and trophic condition of Cape Cod (Massachusetts, U.S.A.) kettle ponds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roman, C.T.; Barrett, N.E.; Portnoy, J.W.

2001-01-01

The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes was evaluated in five Cape Cod, Massachusetts, freshwater kettle ponds, representing a range of trophic conditions from oligotrophic to eutrophic. At each pond, aquatic vegetation and environmental variables (slope, water depth, sediment bulk density, sediment grain size, sediment organic content and porewater inorganic nutrients) were measured along five transects extending perpendicular to the shoreline from the upland border into the pond. Based on a variety of multivariate methods, including Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA), an indirect gradient analysis technique, and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), a direct gradient approach, it was determined that the eutrophic Herring Pond was dominated by floating aquatic vegetation (Brasenia schreberi, Nymphoides cordata, Nymphaea odorata), and the algal stonewort, Nitella. Partial CCA suggested that high porewater PO4-P concentrations and fine-grained sediments strongly influenced the vegetation of this eutrophic pond. In contrast, vegetation of the oligotrophic Duck Pond was sparse, contained no floating aquatics, and was dominated by emergent plants. Low porewater nutrients, low sediment organic content, high water clarity and low pH (4.8) best defined the environmental characteristics of this oligotrophic pond. Gull Pond, with inorganic nitrogen-enriched sediments, also exhibited a flora quite different from the oligotrophic Duck Pond. The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes provide good indicators of the trophic status of freshwater ponds and should be incorporated into long-term monitoring programs aimed at detecting responses to anthropogenically-derived nutrient loading.

Aquatic vegetation and trophic condition of Cape Cod (Massachusetts, USA) kettle ponds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roman, C.T.; Barrett, N.E.; Portnoy, J.W.

2001-01-01

The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes was evaluated in five Cape Cod, Massachusetts, freshwater kettle ponds, representing a range of trophic conditions from oligotrophic to eutrophic. At each pond, aquatic vegetation and environmental variables (slope, water depth, sediment bulk density, sediment grain size, sediment organic content and porewater inorganic nutrients) were measured along five transects extending perpendicular to the shoreline from the upland border into the pond. Based on a variety of multivariate methods, including Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA), an indirect gradient analysis technique, and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA), a direct gradient approach, it was determined that the eutrophic Herring Pond was dominated by floating aquatic vegetation (Brasenia schreberi, Nymphoides cordata, Nymphaea odorata), and the algal stonewort, Nitella. Partial CCA suggested that high porewater PO4-P concentrations and fine-grained sediments strongly influenced the vegetation of this eutrophic pond. In contrast, vegetation of the oligotrophic Duck Pond was sparse, contained no floating aquatics, and was dominated by emergent plants. Low porewater nutrients, low sediment organic content, high water clarity and low pH (4.8) best defined the environmental characteristics of this oligotrophic pond. Gull Pond, with inorganic nitrogen-enriched sediments, also exhibited a flora quite different from the oligotrophic Duck Pond. The species composition and relative abundance of aquatic macrophytes provide good indicators of the trophic status of freshwater ponds and should be incorporated into long-term monitoring programs aimed at detecting responses to anthropogenically-derived nutrient loading.

Assessment of forestry best management practices, I: stream water chemistry natural variability and fertilization influences

Treesearch

Erik Schilling; Daniel McLaughlin; Matt Cohen; Larry Korhnak; Paul Decker; Camille Flinders

2016-01-01

Nutrient pollution can be a leading cause of impairment to some U.S. waters. As a result, state and federal agencies are actively engaged in designing management programs and numeric nutrient criteria (NNC) to address nutrient impairments. Following implementation of the Clean Water Act, Florida, like other timber producing states, developed, tested and implemented...

David Weston – DOE Early Career Research Program Award Winner

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Weston, David

Plant biologist David Weston is one of this year's U.S. Department of Energy Early Career Research Program award recipients. With this award, he will identify the genes and metabolic functions involved in the exchange of nutrients between certain plants and microbes and study their response to environmental changes in both laboratory and field settings. Deeper fundamental understanding of the symbiotic plant-microbe relationship could reveal pathways to improve bioenergy crop production in nutrient-limiting environments.

Analysis of field-scale spatial correlations and variations of soil nutrients using geostatistics.

PubMed

Liu, Ruimin; Xu, Fei; Yu, Wenwen; Shi, Jianhan; Zhang, Peipei; Shen, Zhenyao

2016-02-01

Spatial correlations and soil nutrient variations are important for soil nutrient management. They help to reduce the negative impacts of agricultural nonpoint source pollution. Based on the sampled available nitrogen (AN), available phosphorus (AP), and available potassium (AK), soil nutrient data from 2010, the spatial correlation, was analyzed, and the probabilities of the nutrient's abundance or deficiency were discussed. This paper presents a statistical approach to spatial analysis, the spatial correlation analysis (SCA), which was originally developed for describing heterogeneity in the presence of correlated variation and based on ordinary kriging (OK) results. Indicator kriging (IK) was used to assess the susceptibility of excess of soil nutrients based on crop needs. The kriged results showed there was a distinct spatial variability in the concentration of all three soil nutrients. High concentrations of these three soil nutrients were found near Anzhou. As the distance from the center of town increased, the concentration of the soil nutrients gradually decreased. Spatially, the relationship between AN and AP was negative, and the relationship between AP and AK was not clear. The IK results showed that there were few areas with a risk of AN and AP overabundance. However, almost the entire study region was at risk of AK overabundance. Based on the soil nutrient distribution results, it is clear that the spatial variability of the soil nutrients differed throughout the study region. This spatial soil nutrient variability might be caused by different fertilizer types and different fertilizing practices.

Can uptake length in strams be determined by nutrient addition experiments? Results from an interbiome comparison study

Treesearch

P. J Mulholland; J. L. Tanks; J. R. Webster; W. B. Bowden; W. K Dodds; S. V. Gregory; N. B Grimm; J. L. Meriam; J. L. Meyer; B. J. Peterson; H. M. Valett; W. M. Wollheim

2002-01-01

Nutrient uptake length is an important parnmeter tor quantifying nutrient cycling in streams. Although nutrient tracer additions are the preierred method for measuring uptake length under ambient nutrient concentrations, short-term nutrient addition experiments have more irequently been used to estimate uptake length in streams. Theoretical analysis of the relationship...

Nutrient fluxes in litterfall of a secondary successional alluvial rain forest in Southern Brazil.

PubMed

Scheer, Maurício Bergamini; Gatti, Gustavo; Wisniewski, Celina

2011-12-01

During forest succession, litterfall nutrient fluxes increase significantly. The higher inputs of organic matter and nutrients through litterfall affects positively soil fertility and the species composition, which are essential components in forest restoration and management programs. In the present study, the input of nutrients to the forest soil via litterfall components was estimated for two sites of different development stages, in an early successional alluvial rain forest in Brazil. Litterfall returned to the soil, in kg/ha, ca. 93 N, 79 Ca, 24 K, 15 Mg, 6 P, 1.7 Mn, 0.94 Fe, 0.18 Zn, 0.09 Cu and 11.2 Al, in the site where trees were more abundant and had higher values of basal area. In the other area, where trees where less abundant and values of basal area were comparatively low, litterfall returned < 50% of those amounts to the forest soil, except for Al. The amount of Al that returned to the soil was similar in both areas due to the high contribution of Tibouchina pulchra (82% of Al returned). Comparatively, high proportion of three dominant native tree species (Myrsine coriacea, T. pulchra and Cecropia pachystachya) explained better litter nutrient use efficiency (mainly N and P) in the site with the least advanced successional stage. Although litterfall of these species show lower nutrient concentrations than the other tree species, their nutrient fluxes were high in both sites, indicating a certain independence from soil essential nutrients. Such feature of the native species is very advantageous and should be considered in forest restoration programs.

Application of nutrient intake values (NIVs).

PubMed

Vorster, Hester H; Murphy, Suzanne P; Allen, Lindsay H; King, Janet C

2007-03-01

The process of applying nutrient intake values (NIVs) for dietary assessment, planning, and implementing programs is discussed in this paper. In addition to assessing, monitoring, and evaluating nutritional situations, applications include planning food policies, strategies, and programs for promotion of optimal nutrition and preventing and treating malnutrition (both over- and undernutrition). Other applications include nutrition education, food and nutrient legislation, marketing and labeling, research, product development, food procurement and trade (import and export), food aid, and therapeutic (clinical) nutrition. Specific examples of how NIVs are used to develop food labels, fortification policies, and food-based dietary guidelines are described. Applications in both developed and developing countries are also described. In summary, NIVs are the scientific backbone of all aspects of nutrition policy in countries and regions worldwide.

NUTRIENT AND HABITAT INDICATORS FOR CRITERIA DEVELOPMENT IN THE GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLANDS

EPA Science Inventory

EPA?s National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory (NHEERL) has developed a national research program with the goal of demonstrating approaches for establishing scientifically sound nutrient and biological criteria for coastal ecosystems. Mid-Continent Ecology D...

Selected achievements, science directions, and new opportunities for the WEBB small watershed research program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Glynn, Pierre D.; Larsen, Matthew C.; Greene, Earl A.; Buss, Heather L.; Clow, David W.; Hunt, Randall J.; Mast, M. Alisa; Murphy, Sheila F.; Peters, Norman E.; Sebestyen, Stephen D.; Shanley, James B.; Walker, John F.

2009-01-01

Over nearly two decades, the Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) small watershed research program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has documented how water and solute fluxes, nutrient, carbon, and mercury dynamics, and weathering and sediment transport respond to natural and humancaused drivers, including climate, climate change, and atmospheric deposition. Together with a continued and increasing focus on the effects of climate change, more investigations are needed that examine ecological effects (e.g., evapotranspiration, nutrient uptake) and responses (e.g., species abundances, biodiversity) that are coupled with the physical and chemical processes historically observed in the WEBB program. Greater use of remote sensing, geographic modeling, and habitat/watershed modeling tools is needed, as is closer integration with the USGS-led National Phenology Network. Better understanding of process and system response times is needed. The analysis and observation of land-use and climate change effects over time should be improved by pooling data obtained by the WEBB program during the last two decades with data obtained earlier and (or) concurrently from other research and monitoring studies conducted at or near the five WEBB watershed sites. These data can be supplemented with historical and paleo-environmental information, such as could be obtained from tree rings and lake cores. Because of the relatively pristine nature and small size of its watersheds, the WEBB program could provide process understanding and basic data to better characterize and quantify ecosystem services and to develop and apply indicators of ecosystem health. In collaboration with other Federal and State watershed research programs, the WEBB program has an opportunity to contribute to tracking the short-term dynamics and long-term evolution of ecosystem services and health indicators at a multiplicity of scales across the landscape. 

Microbial biofilm formation and its consequences for the CELSS program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mitchell, R.

1994-01-01

A major goal of the Controlled Ecology Life Support System (CELSS) program is to provide reliable and efficient life support systems for long-duration space flights. A principal focus of the program is on the growth of higher plants in growth chambers. These crops should be grown without the risk of damage from microbial contamination. While it is unlikely that plant pathogens will pose a risk, there are serious hazards associated with microorganisms carried in the nutrient delivery systems and in the atmosphere of the growth chamber. Our experience in surface microbiology showed that colonization of surfaces with microorganisms is extremely rapid even when the inoculum is small. After initial colonization extensive biofilms accumulate on moist surfaces. These microbial films metabolize actively and slough off continuously to the air and water. During plant growth in the CELSS program, microbial biofilms have the potential to foul sensors and to plug nutrient delivery systems. In addition both metabolic products of microbial growth and degradation products of materials being considered for use as nutrient reservoirs and for delivery are likely sources of chemicals known to adversly affect plant growth.

Data to support statistical modeling of instream nutrient load based on watershed attributes, southeastern United States, 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoos, Anne B.; Terziotti, Silvia; McMahon, Gerard; Savvas, Katerina; Tighe, Kirsten C.; Alkons-Wolinsky, Ruth

2008-01-01

This report presents and describes the digital datasets that characterize nutrient source inputs, environmental characteristics, and instream nutrient loads for the purpose of calibrating and applying a nutrient water-quality model for the southeastern United States for 2002. The model area includes all of the river basins draining to the south Atlantic and the eastern Gulf of Mexico, as well as the Tennessee River basin (referred to collectively as the SAGT area). The water-quality model SPARROW (SPAtially-Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes), developed by the U.S. Geological Survey, uses a regression equation to describe the relation between watershed attributes (predictors) and measured instream loads (response). Watershed attributes that are considered to describe nutrient input conditions and are tested in the SPARROW model for the SAGT area as source variables include atmospheric deposition, fertilizer application to farmland, manure from livestock production, permitted wastewater discharge, and land cover. Watershed and channel attributes that are considered to affect rates of nutrient transport from land to water and are tested in the SAGT SPARROW model as nutrient-transport variables include characteristics of soil, landform, climate, reach time of travel, and reservoir hydraulic loading. Datasets with estimates of each of these attributes for each individual reach or catchment in the reach-catchment network are presented in this report, along with descriptions of methods used to produce them. Measurements of nutrient water quality at stream monitoring sites from a combination of monitoring programs were used to develop observations of the response variable - mean annual nitrogen or phosphorus load - in the SPARROW regression equation. Instream load of nitrogen and phosphorus was estimated using bias-corrected log-linear regression models using the program Fluxmaster, which provides temporally detrended estimates of long-term mean load well-suited for spatial comparisons. The detrended, or normalized, estimates of load are useful for regional-scale assessments but should be used with caution for local-scale interpretations, for which use of loads estimated for actual time periods and employing more detailed regression analysis is suggested. The mean value of the nitrogen yield estimates, normalized to 2002, for 637 stations in the SAGT area is 4.7 kilograms per hectare; the mean value of nitrogen flow-weighted mean concentration is 1.2 milligrams per liter. The mean value of the phosphorus yield estimates, normalized to 2002, for the 747 stations in the SAGT area is 0.66 kilogram per hectare; the mean value of phosphorus flow-weighted mean concentration is 0.17 milligram per liter. Nutrient conditions measured in streams affected by substantial influx or outflux of water and nutrient mass across surface-water basin divides do not reflect nutrient source and transport conditions in the topographic watershed; therefore, inclusion of such streams in the SPARROW modeling approach is considered inappropriate. River basins identified with this concern include south Florida (where surface-water flow paths have been extensively altered) and the Oklawaha, Crystal, Lower Sante Fe, Lower Suwanee, St. Marks, and Chipola River basins in central and northern Florida (where flow exchange with the underlying regional aquifer may represent substantial nitrogen influx to and outflux from the surface-water basins).

Has it become increasingly expensive to follow a nutritious diet? Insights from a new price index for nutritious diets in Sweden 1980-2012.

PubMed

Håkansson, Andreas

2015-01-01

Health-related illnesses such as obesity and diabetes continue to increase, particularly in groups of low socioeconomic status. The increasing cost of nutritious food has been suggested as an explanation. To construct a price index describing the cost of a diet adhering to nutritional recommendations for a rational and knowledgeable consumer and, furthermore, to investigate which nutrients have become more expensive to obtain over time. Linear programming and goal programming were used to calculate two optimal and nutritious diets for each year in the interval under different assumptions. The first model describes the rational choice of a cost-minimizing consumer; the second, the choice of a consumer trying to deviate as little as possible from average consumption. Shadow price analysis was used to investigate how nutrients contribute to the diet cost. The cost of a diet adhering to nutritional recommendations has not increased more than general food prices in Sweden between 1980 and 2012. However, following nutrient recommendations increases the diet cost even for a rational consumer, particularly for vitamin D, iron, and selenium. The cost of adhering to the vitamin D recommendation has increased faster than the general food prices. Not adhering to recommendations (especially those for vitamin D) offers an opportunity for consumers to lower the diet cost. However, the cost of nutritious diets has not increased more than the cost of food in general between 1980 and 2012 in Sweden.

Diagnosis of nutrient imbalances with vector analysis in agroforestry systems.

PubMed

Isaac, Marney E; Kimaro, Anthony A

2011-01-01

Agricultural intensification has had unintended environmental consequences, including increased nutrient leaching and surface runoff and other agrarian-derived pollutants. Improved diagnosis of on-farm nutrient dynamics will have the advantage of increasing yields and will diminish financial and environmental costs. To achieve this, a management support system that allows for site-specific rapid evaluation of nutrient production imbalances and subsequent management prescriptions is needed for agroecological design. Vector diagnosis, a bivariate model to depict changes in yield and nutritional response simultaneously in a single graph, facilitates identification of nutritional status such as growth dilution, deficiency, sufficiency, luxury uptake, and toxicity. Quantitative data from cocoa agroforestry systems and pigeonpea intercropping trials in Ghana and Tanzania, respectively, were re-evaluated with vector analysis. Relative to monoculture, biomass increase in cocoa ( L.) under shade (35-80%) was accompanied by a 17 to 25% decline in P concentration, the most limiting nutrient on this site. Similarly, increasing biomass with declining P concentrations was noted for pigeonpea [ (L). Millsp.] in response to soil moisture availability under intercropping. Although vector analysis depicted nutrient responses, the current vector model does not consider non-nutrient resource effects on growth, such as ameliorated light and soil moisture, which were particularly active in these systems. We revisit and develop vector analysis into a framework for diagnosing nutrient and non-nutrient interactions in agroforestry systems. Such a diagnostic technique advances management decision-making by increasing nutrient precision and reducing environmental issues associated with agrarian-derived soil contamination. American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.

A smart market for nutrient credit trading to incentivize wetland construction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raffensperger, John F.; Prabodanie, R. A. Ranga; Kostel, Jill A.

2017-03-01

Nutrient trading and constructed wetlands are widely discussed solutions to reduce nutrient pollution. Nutrient markets usually include agricultural nonpoint sources and municipal and industrial point sources, but these markets rarely include investors who construct wetlands to sell nutrient reduction credits. We propose a new market design for trading nutrient credits, with both point source and non-point source traders, explicitly incorporating the option of landowners to build nutrient removal wetlands. The proposed trading program is designed as a smart market with centralized clearing, done with an optimization. The market design addresses the varying impacts of runoff over space and time, and the lumpiness of wetland investments. We simulated the market for the Big Bureau Creek watershed in north-central Illinois. We found that the proposed smart market would incentivize wetland construction by assuring reasonable payments for the ecosystem services provided. The proposed market mechanism selects wetland locations strategically taking into account both the cost and nutrient removal efficiencies. The centralized market produces locational prices that would incentivize farmers to reduce nutrients, which is voluntary. As we illustrate, wetland builders' participation in nutrient trading would enable the point sources and environmental organizations to buy low cost nutrient credits.

Sensitivity analysis of a pulse nutrient addition technique for estimating nutrient uptake in large streams

Treesearch

Laurence Lin; J.R. Webster

2012-01-01

The constant nutrient addition technique has been used extensively to measure nutrient uptake in streams. However, this technique is impractical for large streams, and the pulse nutrient addition (PNA) has been suggested as an alternative. We developed a computer model to simulate Monod kinetics nutrient uptake in large rivers and used this model to evaluate the...

Quality-assurance results for routine water analysis in US Geological Survey laboratories, water year 1991

USGS Publications Warehouse

Maloney, T.J.; Ludtke, A.S.; Krizman, T.L.

1994-01-01

The US. Geological Survey operates a quality- assurance program based on the analyses of reference samples for the National Water Quality Laboratory in Arvada, Colorado, and the Quality of Water Service Unit in Ocala, Florida. Reference samples containing selected inorganic, nutrient, and low ionic-strength constituents are prepared and disguised as routine samples. The program goal is to determine precision and bias for as many analytical methods offered by the participating laboratories as possible. The samples typically are submitted at a rate of approximately 5 percent of the annual environmental sample load for each constituent. The samples are distributed to the laboratories throughout the year. Analytical data for these reference samples reflect the quality of environmental sample data produced by the laboratories because the samples are processed in the same manner for all steps from sample login through data release. The results are stored permanently in the National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System. During water year 1991, 86 analytical procedures were evaluated at the National Water Quality Laboratory and 37 analytical procedures were evaluated at the Quality of Water Service Unit. An overall evaluation of the inorganic (major ion and trace metal) constituent data for water year 1991 indicated analytical imprecision in the National Water Quality Laboratory for 5 of 67 analytical procedures: aluminum (whole-water recoverable, atomic emission spectrometric, direct-current plasma); calcium (atomic emission spectrometric, direct); fluoride (ion-exchange chromatographic); iron (whole-water recoverable, atomic absorption spectrometric, direct); and sulfate (ion-exchange chromatographic). The results for 11 of 67 analytical procedures had positive or negative bias during water year 1991. Analytical imprecision was indicated in the determination of two of the five National Water Quality Laboratory nutrient constituents: orthophosphate as phosphorus and phosphorus. A negative or positive bias condition was indicated in three of five nutrient constituents. There was acceptable precision and no indication of bias for the 14 low ionic-strength analytical procedures tested in the National Water Quality Laboratory program and for the 32 inorganic and 5 nutrient analytical procedures tested in the Quality of Water Service Unit during water year 1991.

Fiber optic spectrophotometry monitoring of plant nutrient deficiency under hydroponic culture conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liew, Oi Wah; Boey, William S. L.; Asundi, Anand K.; Chen, Jun-Wei; He, Duo-Min

1999-05-01

In this paper, fiber optic spectrophotometry (FOSpectr) was adapted to provide early detection of plant nutrient deficiency by measuring leaf spectral reflectance variation resulting from nutrient stress. Leaf reflectance data were obtained form a local vegetable crop, Brassica chinensis var parachinensis (Bailey), grown in nitrate-nitrogen (N)- and calcium (Ca)- deficient hydroponics nutrient solution. FOSpectr analysis showed significant differences in leaf reflectance within the first four days after subjecting plants to nutrient-deficient media. Recovery of the nutrient-stressed plants could also be detected after transferring them back to complete nutrient solution. In contrast to FOSpectr, plant response to nitrogen and calcium deficiency in terms of reduced growth and tissue elemental levels was slower and less pronounced. Thus, this study demonstrated the feasibility of using FOSpectr methodology as a non-destructive alternative to augment current methods of plant nutrient analysis.

Nonhuman primate breath volatile organic compounds associate with developmental programming and cardio-metabolic status.

PubMed

Bishop, Andrew C; Libardoni, Mark; Choudary, Ahsan; Misra, Biswapriya Biswavas; Lange, Kenneth; Bernal, John; Nijland, Mark; Li, Cun; Olivier, Michael; Nathanielsz, Peter W; Cox, Laura A

2018-03-29

Rodent and nonhuman primate (NHP) studies indicate that developmental programming by reduced perinatal nutrition negatively impacts life course cardio-metabolic health. We have developed a baboon model in which we feed control mothers (CON) ad libitum while nutrient restricted mothers are fed 70% of ad libitum global feed in pregnancy and lactation. Offspring of nutrient restricted mothers are intrauterine growth restricted (IUGR) at term. By 3.5 years IUGR baboons showed signs of insulin resistance, indicating a pre-diabetic phenotype, in contrast to healthy CON offspring. We hypothesized that a novel breath analysis approach would provide markers of the altered cardio-metabolic state in a non-invasive manner. Here we assess whether exhaled breath volatile organic compounds (VOCs) collected from this unique cohort of juvenile baboons with documented cardio-metabolic dysfunction resulting from in utero programming can be detected from their breath signatures. Breath was collected from male and female CON and IUGR baboons at 4.8±0.2 years (human equivalent ~13 years). Breath VOCs were quantified using a two-dimensional gas chromatography mass spectrometer (2D GC-MS). Two-way ANOVA, on 76 biologically relevant VOCs identified 27 VOCs (p<0.05) with altered abundances between groups (sex, birthweight, and sex x birthweight). The 27 VOCs included 2-pentanone, 2-octanone, 2,5,5 trimethyl-1-hexene and 2,2-dimethyl-undecane, which have not previously been associated with cardio-metabolic disease. Unsupervised principal component analysis of these VOCs could discriminate the four defined clusters defining males, females, CON and IUGR. This study, which is the first to assess quantifiable breath signatures associated with cardio-metabolic programing for any model of IUGR, demonstrates the translational value of this unique model to identify metabolites of programmed cardio-metabolic dysfunction in breath signatures. Future studies are required to validate the translatability of these findings to humans. Creative Commons Attribution license.

Sequential determination of multi-nutrient elements in natural water samples with a reverse flow injection system.

PubMed

Lin, Kunning; Ma, Jian; Yuan, Dongxing; Feng, Sichao; Su, Haitao; Huang, Yongming; Shangguan, Qipei

2017-05-15

An integrated system was developed for automatic and sequential determination of NO 2 - , NO 3 - , PO 4 3- , Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ and Mn 2+ in natural waters based on reverse flow injection analysis combined with spectrophotometric detection. The system operation was controlled by a single chip microcomputer and laboratory-programmed software written in LabVIEW. The experimental parameters for each nutrient element analysis were optimized based on a univariate experimental design, and interferences from common ions were evaluated. The upper limits of the linear range (along with detection limit, µmolL -1 ) of the proposed method was 20 (0.03), 200 (0.7), 12 (0.3), 5 (0.03), 5 (0.03), 9 (0.2) µmolL -1 , for NO 2 - , NO 3 - , PO 4 3- , Fe 2+ , Fe 3+ and Mn 2+ , respectively. The relative standard deviations were below 5% (n=9-13) and the recoveries varied from 88.0±1.0% to 104.5±1.0% for spiked water samples. The sample throughput was about 20h -1 . This system has been successfully applied for the determination of multi-nutrient elements in different kinds of water samples and showed good agreement with reference methods (slope 1.0260±0.0043, R 2 =0.9991, n=50). Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A comparison of nutrient density scores for 100% fruit juices.

PubMed

Rampersaud, G C

2007-05-01

The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that consumers choose a variety of nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient density is usually defined as the quantity of nutrients per calorie. Food and nutrition professionals should be aware of the concept of nutrient density, how it might be quantified, and its potential application in food labeling and dietary guidance. This article presents the concept of a nutrient density score and compares nutrient density scores for various 100% fruit juices. One hundred percent fruit juices are popular beverages in the United States, and although they can provide concentrated sources of a variety of nutrients, they can differ considerably in their nutrient profiles. Six methodologies were used to quantify nutrient density and 7 100% fruit juices were included in the analysis: apple, grape, pink grapefruit, white grapefruit, orange, pineapple, and prune. Food composition data were obtained from the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18. Application of the methods resulted in nutrient density scores with a range of values and magnitudes. The relative scores indicated that citrus juices, particularly pink grapefruit and orange juice, were more nutrient dense compared to the other nonfortified 100% juices included in the analysis. Although the methods differed, the relative ranking of the juices based on nutrient density score was similar for each method. Issues to be addressed regarding the development and application of a nutrient density score include those related to food fortification, nutrient bioavailability, and consumer education and behavior.

Assessing the impact of manure application method on runoff phosphorus using controlled and natural rainfall

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Land application of manure is a cost-effective method for recycling nutrients from livestock operations. Increasingly, there has been interest in promoting alternative methods of manure application that minimize nonpoint source phosphorus pollution. Watershed and nutrient trading programs rely upon ...

Implementation of a nutrition education program in a handball team; consequences on nutritional status.

PubMed

Molina-López, Jorge; Molina, José Manuel; Chirosa, Luis Javier; Florea, Daniela; Sáez, Laura; Jiménez, Jorge; Planells, Paloma; Pérez de la Cruz, Antonio; Planells, Elena

2013-01-01

To evaluate nutritional status and dietary habits after implementation of a nutritional education program in professional handball players. Longitudinal study of 14 handball players evaluated with 72-h recall, a questionnaire on food consumption and anthropometric measures during 4 months. The intervention consisted of a nutrition education program. Energy intake was consistently below the recommended allowances. Macronutrient intakes as a percentage of total energy intake were below the recommended allowances for carbohydrates, and above recommended allowances for fats. Nutritional education was followed by a significant increase (p < 0.01) in total energy and macronutrient intakes, with no significant changes in macronutrient or micronutrient intakes after adjustment for energy intake. The imbalance in nutrient intake in handball players suggests that detailed re-analysis is needed to determine specific recommendations for this population. Nutritional education with continuous follow-up to monitor athletes' dietary habits may lead them to adopt appropriate nutritional habits to optimize dietary intakes. The lack of specific recommendations for micronutrient intakes in athletes leads to confusion regarding appropriate intakes; biochemical tests that yield normal values (albeit approaching cut-off values for deficiency) may disguise deficient status for some nutrients when strenuous exercise is involved. In-depth studies with nutrition education programs that include long-term follow-up are advisable to avoid deficiencies that can lead to irreversible damage in competitive athletes. Copyright © AULA MEDICA EDICIONES 2013. Published by AULA MEDICA. All rights reserved.

International Internship Report for Asher Williams

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Asher

2015-01-01

For the 2015 NASA I (sup 2) Internship Program, I was selected to work in Dr. John Hogan's laboratory on a Human Nutrient Production in Space (Bio-Nutrients) Project involving Research & Development in advanced microbial strategies for the production of nutrients within crewed spacecraft and habitats. Long-term space missions encounter the hurdle of substantial degradation of certain nutrients in food and supplements with time, potentially resulting in nutrient deficiency and serious health problems. The goal of the Bio-Nutrients Project is to enable rapid, safe, and reliable in situ production of needed nutrients using minimal mass, power, and volume. A platform technology is being developed to employ hydratable single-use packets that contain an edible growth medium and a food microbe engineered to produce target human nutrients. In particular, we examined the production of the carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin in a spore-forming strain of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Carotenoids are important antioxidants required for ocular health, a problematic area for some astronauts on long-duration ISS missions...To meet the first-year milestones for the Bio-Nutrients project, my specific task was to design and run preliminary tests on a disposable bioreactor for in situ production of human nutrients in space.

Continental shelf processes affecting the oceanography of the South Atlantic Bight: Progress report, June 1, 1987 to May 31, 1988. [FLEX

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Atkinson, L.P.

This study of continental shelf processes affecting the oceanography of the South Atlantic Bight (SAB) is part of the interdisciplinary DOE-sponsored South Atlantic Bight Program. Our part of the program involves hydrographic and nutrient characteristics of the region. Current research efforts in the SAB Program are being focused on the inner shelf region where effects of bottom friction, local wind forcing, river and estuarine discharge, and tides, which are all small scale processes, are important. Our major accomplishment during the past year was the completion of the FLEX (Fall Experiment) field study. Since most of our data collection is computerized,more » preliminary hydrographic data analysis was done on board ship during the cruise and preliminary results are available. These results will be presented in this report. We are just beginning our standard data processing and data analysis procedures. We continued the processing and analysis of SPREX data collected during April 1985. Work has also continued on the older GABEX I and II data sets. 8 refs., 19 figs., 2 tabs.« less

A nutritional analysis of New Zealand military food rations at Gallipoli in 1915: likely contribution to scurvy and other nutrient deficiency disorders.

PubMed

Wilson, Nick; Nghiem, Nhung; Summers, Jennifer A; Carter, Mary-Ann; Harper, Glyn

2013-04-19

Amongst New Zealand soldiers in Gallipoli in 1915 there were reports of poor food quality and cases of scurvy. But no modern analysis of the military food rations has ever been conducted to better understand potential nutritional problems in this group. We analysed the foods in the military rations for 1915 using food composition data on the closest equivalents for modern foods. We compared these results with other plausible diets and various optimised ones using linear programming. Historical accounts provide evidence for poor food quality supplied to these soldiers. The nutrient analysis suggested that the military rations were below modern requirements for vitamins A, C and E; potassium; selenium; and dietary fibre. If military planners had used modest amounts of the canned vegetables and fruit available in 1915, this would probably have eliminated four of these six deficits. The results from the uncertainty analyses for vitamin C (e.g., 95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 5.5 to 6.7 mg per day), was compatible with the range known to cause scurvy, but the UI for vitamin A intake was only partly in the range for causing night blindness. To indicate the gap with the ideal, an optimised diet (using foods available in 1915), could have achieved all nutrient requirements for under half the estimated purchase cost of the 1915 military rations. There is now both historical and analytic evidence that the military rations provided to these soldiers were nutritionally inadequate in vitamin C, and probably other nutrients such as vitamin A. These deficits are likely to have caused cases of scurvy and may have contributed to the high rates of other illnesses experienced at Gallipoli. Such problems could have been readily prevented by providing rations that included some canned fruit or vegetables (e.g., as manufactured by New Zealand at the time).

Impact of Temperature and Nutrients on Carbon: Nutrient Tissue Stoichiometry of Submerged Aquatic Plants: An Experiment and Meta-Analysis.

PubMed

Velthuis, Mandy; van Deelen, Emma; van Donk, Ellen; Zhang, Peiyu; Bakker, Elisabeth S

2017-01-01

Human activity is currently changing our environment rapidly, with predicted temperature increases of 1-5°C over the coming century and increased nitrogen and phosphorus inputs in aquatic ecosystems. In the shallow parts of these ecosystems, submerged aquatic plants enhance water clarity by resource competition with phytoplankton, provide habitat, and serve as a food source for other organisms. The carbon:nutrient stoichiometry of submerged aquatic plants can be affected by changes in both temperature and nutrient availability. We hypothesized that elevated temperature leads to higher carbon:nutrient ratios through enhanced nutrient-use efficiency, while nutrient addition leads to lower carbon:nutrient ratios by the luxurious uptake of nutrients. We addressed these hypotheses with an experimental and a meta-analytical approach. We performed a full-factorial microcosm experiment with the freshwater plant Elodea nuttallii grown at 10, 15, 20, and 25°C on sediment consisting of pond soil/sand mixtures with 100, 50, 25, and 12.5% pond soil. To address the effect of climatic warming and nutrient addition on the carbon:nutrient stoichiometry of submerged freshwater and marine plants we performed a meta-analysis on experimental studies that elevated temperature and/or added nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus). In the microcosm experiment, C:N ratios of Elodea nuttallii decreased with increasing temperature, and this effect was most pronounced at intermediate nutrient availability. Furthermore, higher nutrient availability led to decreased aboveground C:P ratios. In the meta-analysis, nutrient addition led to a 25, 22, and 16% reduction in aboveground C:N and C:P ratios and belowground C:N ratios, accompanied with increased N content. No consistent effect of elevated temperature on plant stoichiometry could be observed, as very few studies were found on this topic and contrasting results were reported. We conclude that while nutrient addition consistently leads to decreased carbon:nutrient ratios, elevated temperature does not change submerged aquatic plant carbon:nutrient stoichiometry in a consistent manner. This effect is rather dependent on nutrient availability and may be species-specific. As changes in the carbon:nutrient stoichiometry of submerged aquatic plants can impact the transfer of energy to higher trophic levels, these results suggest that eutrophication may enhance plant consumption and decomposition, which could in turn have consequences for carbon sequestration.

Use of Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season to Assess Effectiveness of Agricultural and Environmental Best Management Practices in California and Nevada, USA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Domagalski, J. L.; Schlegel, B.; Hutchins, J.

2014-12-01

Long-term data sets on stream-water quality and discharge can be used to assess whether best management practices (BMPs) are restoring beneficial uses of impaired water as required under the Clean Water Act. In this study, we evaluated a greater than 20-year record of water quality from selected streams in the Central Valley (CV) of California and Lake Tahoe (California and Nevada, USA). The CV contains a mix of agricultural and urbanized land, while the Lake Tahoe area is mostly forested, with seasonal residents and tourism. Because nutrients and fine sediments cause a reduction in water clarity that impair Lake Tahoe, BMPs were implemented in the early 1990's, to reduce nitrogen and phosphorus loads. The CV does not have a current nutrient management plan, but numerous BMPs exist to reduce pesticide loads, and it was hypothesized that these programs could also reduce nutrient levels. In the CV and Lake Tahoe areas, nutrient concentrations, loads, and trends were estimated by using the recently developed Weighted Regressions on Time, Discharge, and Season (WRTDS) model. Sufficient data were available to compare trends during a voluntary and enforcement period for seven CV sites within the lower Sacramento and San Joaquin Basins. For six of the seven sites, flow-normalized mean annual concentrations of total phosphorus and nitrate decreased at a faster rate during the enforcement period than during the earlier voluntary period. Concentration changes during similar years and ranges of flow conditions suggest that BMPs designed for pesticides also reduced nutrient loads in the CV. A trend analysis using WRTDS was completed for six streams that enter Lake Tahoe during the late 1980's through 2008. The results of the model confirm that nutrient loading is influenced strongly by season, such as by spring runoff from snowmelt. The highest nutrient concentrations in the late 1980's and early 1990's correlate with high flows, followed by statistically significant decreases in loading from most streams under different flow conditions. The results of the WRTDS model indicate a clear reduction in nutrient loading of nitrogen and phosphorus in all six streams. However, some streams show an increase in nutrient concentrations after 2000, suggesting the possible need for changes to the nutrient reduction management practices.

A program in global biology. [biota-environment interaction important to life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mooneyhan, D. W.

1983-01-01

NASA's Global Biology Research Program and its goals for greater understanding of planetary biological processes are discussed. Consideration is given to assessing major pathways and rates of exchange of elements such as carbon and nitrogen, extrapolating local rates of anaerobic activities, determining exchange rates of ocean nutrients, and developing models for the global cycles of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus. Satellites and sensors operating today are covered: the Nimbus, NOAA, and Landsat series. Block diagrams of the software and hardware for a typical ground data processing and analysis system are provided. Samples of the surface cover data achieved with the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer, the Multispectral Scanner, and the Thematic Mapper are presented, as well as a productive capacity model for coastal wetlands. Finally, attention is given to future goals, their engineering requirements, and the necessary data analysis system.

Effects of Land Use Land Cover (LULC) and Climate on Simulation of Phosphorus loading in the Southeast United States Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jima, T. G.; Roberts, A.

2013-12-01

Quality of coastal and freshwater resources in the Southeastern United States is threatened due to Eutrophication as a result of excessive nutrients, and phosphorus is acknowledged as one of the major limiting nutrients. In areas with much non-point source (NPS) pollution, land use land cover and climate have been found to have significant impact on water quality. Landscape metrics applied in catchment and riparian stream based nutrient export models are known to significantly improve nutrient prediction. The regional SPARROW (Spatially Referenced Regression On Watershed attributes), which predicts Total Phosphorus has been developed by the Southeastern United States regions USGS, as part of the National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) program and the model accuracy was found to be 67%. However, landscape composition and configuration metrics which play a significant role in the source, transport and delivery of the nutrient have not been incorporated in the model. Including these matrices in the models parameterization will improve the models accuracy and improve decision making process for mitigating and managing NPS phosphorus in the region. The National Land Cover Data 2001 raster data will be used (since the base line is 2002) for the region (with 8321 watersheds ) with fragstats 4.1 and ArcGIS Desktop 10.1 for the analysis of landscape matrices, buffers and creating map layers. The result will be imported to the Southeast SPARROW model and will be analyzed. Resulting statistical significance and model accuracy will be assessed and predictions for those areas with no water quality monitoring station will be made.

Simultaneous biological nutrient removal: evaluation of autotrophic denitrification, heterotrophic nitrification, and biological phosphorus removal in full-scale systems.

PubMed

Littleton, Helen X; Daigger, Glen T; Strom, Peter F; Cowan, Robert A

2003-01-01

Simultaneous biological nutrient removal (SBNR) is the biological removal of nitrogen and phosphorus in excess of that required for biomass synthesis in a biological wastewater treatment system without defined anaerobic or anoxic zones. Evidence is growing that significant SBNR can occur in many systems, including the aerobic zone of systems already configured for biological nutrient removal. Although SBNR systems offer several potential advantages, they cannot be fully realized until the mechanisms responsible for SBNR are better understood. Consequently, a research program was initiated with the basic hypothesis that three mechanisms might be responsible for SBNR: the reactor macroenvironment, the floc microenvironment, and novel microorganisms. Previously, the nutrient removal capabilities of seven full-scale, staged, closed-loop bioreactors known as Orbal oxidation ditches were evaluated. Chemical analysis and microbiological observations suggested that SBNR occurred in these systems. Three of these plants were further examined in this research to evaluate the importance of novel microorganisms, especially for nitrogen removal. A screening tool was developed to determine the relative significance of the activities of microorganisms capable of autotrophic denitrification and heterotrophic nitrification-aerobic denitrification in biological nutrient removal systems. The results indicated that novel microorganisms were not substantial contributors to SBNR in the plants studied. Phosphorus metabolism (anaerobic release, aerobic uptake) was also tested in one of the plants. Activity within the mixed liquor that was consistent with current theories for phosphorus-accumulating organisms (PAOs) was observed. Along with other observations, this suggests the presence of PAOs in the facilities studied.

Assessment of Nutrient Status in Athletes and the Need for Supplementation.

PubMed

Larson-Meyer, D Enette; Woolf, Kathleen; Burke, Louise

2018-03-01

Nutrition assessment is a necessary first step in advising athletes on dietary strategies that include dietary supplementation, and in evaluating the effectiveness of supplementation regimens. Although dietary assessment is the cornerstone component of the nutrition assessment process, it should be performed within the context of a complete assessment that includes collection/evaluation of anthropometric, biochemical, clinical, and environmental data. Collection of dietary intake data can be challenging, with the potential for significant error of validity and reliability, which include inherent errors of the collection methodology, coding of data by dietitians, estimation of nutrient composition using nutrient food tables and/or dietary software programs, and expression of data relative to reference standards including eating guidance systems, macronutrient guidelines for athletes, and recommended dietary allowances. Limitations in methodologies used to complete anthropometric assessment and biochemical analysis also exist, as reference norms for the athlete are not well established and practical and reliable biomarkers are not available for all nutrients. A clinical assessment collected from history information and the nutrition-focused physical exam may help identify overt nutrient deficiencies but may be unremarkable in the well-trained athlete. Assessment of potential food-drug interactions and environmental components further helps make appropriate dietary and supplement recommendations. Overall, the assessment process can help the athlete understand that supplement intake cannot make up for poor food choices and an inadequate diet, while a healthy diet helps ensure maximal benefit from supplementation. Establishment of reference norms specifically for well-trained athletes for the nutrition assessment process is a future research priority.

A coastal surface seawater analyzer for nitrogenous nutrient mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masserini, Robert T.; Fanning, Kent A.; Hendrix, Steven A.; Kleiman, Brittany M.

2017-11-01

Satellite-data-based modeling of chlorophyll indicates that ocean waters in the mesosphere category are responsible for the majority of oceanic net primary productivity. Coastal waters, which frequently have surface chlorophyll values in the mesosphere range and have strong horizontal chlorophyll gradients and large temporal variations. Thus programs of detailed coastal nutrient surveys are essential to the study of the dynamics of oceanic net primary productivity, along with land use impacts on estuarine and coastal ecosystems. The degree of variability in these regions necessitates flexible instrumentation capable of near real-time analysis to detect and monitor analytes of interest. This work describes the development of a portable coastal surface seawater analyzer for nutrient mapping that can simultaneously elucidate with high resolution the distribution of nitrate, nitrite, and ammonium - the three principal nitrogenous inorganic nutrients in coastal systems. The approach focuses on the use of pulsed xenon flash lamps to construct an analyzer which can be adapted to any automated chemistry with fluorescence detection. The system has two heaters, on-the-fly standardization, on-board data logging, an independent 24 volt direct current power supply, internal local operating network, a 12 channel peristaltic pump, four rotary injection/selection valves, and an intuitive graphical user interface. Using the methodology of Masserini and Fanning (2000) the detection limits for ammonium, nitrite, and nitrate plus nitrite were 11, 10, and 22 nM, respectively. A field test of the analyzer in Gulf of Mexico coastal waters demonstrated its ability to monitor and delineate the complexity of inorganic nitrogen nutrient enrichments within a coastal system.

Relationships Among Watershed Condition, Nutrients, and Algae in New England Streams Affected by Urbanization

EPA Science Inventory

We examined algal metrics as indicators of altered watershed land cover and nutrients to inform their potential use in monitoring programs. Multiple regression models, in which impervious cover explained the most variation, indicated concentrations <0.202 mg/l NO3 and <0.015 mg/l...

Utilizing Depth of Colonization of Seagrasses to Develop Numeric Water Quality Criteria for Florida Estuaries

EPA Science Inventory

US EPA is working with state and local partners in Florida to develop numeric water quality criteria to protect estuaries from nutrient pollution. Similar to other nutrient management programs in Florida, EPA is considering status of seagrass habitats as an indicator of biologic...

Key Nutrients.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal Extension Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

Lessons written to help trainer agents prepare aides for work with families in the Food and Nutrition Program are presented in this booklet. The key nutrients discussed in the 10 lessons are protein, carbohydrates, fat, calcium, iron, iodine, and Vitamins A, B, C, and D. the format of each lesson is as follows: Purpose, Presentation, Application…

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LAND-BASED NITROGEN LOADING AND EELGRASS EXTENT FOR EMBAYMENTS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND: INITIAL MODEL CONSTRUCTION

EPA Science Inventory

This report outlines research results of the US EPA Atlantic Ecology Division in fulfilling the National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory's Aquatic Stressors Nutrient Program's charge to develop nutrient load-ecological response models useful in setting loading limits ...

Development of endosperm transfer cells in barley.

PubMed

Thiel, Johannes

2014-01-01

Endosperm transfer cells (ETCs) are positioned at the intersection of maternal and filial tissues in seeds of cereals and represent a bottleneck for apoplasmic transport of assimilates into the endosperm. Endosperm cellularization starts at the maternal-filial boundary and generates the highly specialized ETCs. During differentiation barley ETCs develop characteristic flange-like wall ingrowths to facilitate effective nutrient transfer. A comprehensive morphological analysis depicted distinct developmental time points in establishment of transfer cell (TC) morphology and revealed intracellular changes possibly associated with cell wall metabolism. Embedded inside the grain, ETCs are barely accessible by manual preparation. To get tissue-specific information about ETC specification and differentiation, laser microdissection (LM)-based methods were used for transcript and metabolite profiling. Transcriptome analysis of ETCs at different developmental stages by microarrays indicated activated gene expression programs related to control of cell proliferation and cell shape, cell wall and carbohydrate metabolism reflecting the morphological changes during early ETC development. Transporter genes reveal distinct expression patterns suggesting a switch from active to passive modes of nutrient uptake with the onset of grain filling. Tissue-specific RNA-seq of the differentiating ETC region from the syncytial stage until functionality in nutrient transfer identified a high number of novel transcripts putatively involved in ETC differentiation. An essential role for two-component signaling (TCS) pathways in ETC development of barley emerged from this analysis. Correlative data provide evidence for abscisic acid and ethylene influences on ETC differentiation and hint at a crosstalk between hormone signal transduction and TCS phosphorelays. Collectively, the data expose a comprehensive view on ETC development, associated pathways and identified candidate genes for ETC specification.

Development of endosperm transfer cells in barley

PubMed Central

Thiel, Johannes

2014-01-01

Endosperm transfer cells (ETCs) are positioned at the intersection of maternal and filial tissues in seeds of cereals and represent a bottleneck for apoplasmic transport of assimilates into the endosperm. Endosperm cellularization starts at the maternal-filial boundary and generates the highly specialized ETCs. During differentiation barley ETCs develop characteristic flange-like wall ingrowths to facilitate effective nutrient transfer. A comprehensive morphological analysis depicted distinct developmental time points in establishment of transfer cell (TC) morphology and revealed intracellular changes possibly associated with cell wall metabolism. Embedded inside the grain, ETCs are barely accessible by manual preparation. To get tissue-specific information about ETC specification and differentiation, laser microdissection (LM)-based methods were used for transcript and metabolite profiling. Transcriptome analysis of ETCs at different developmental stages by microarrays indicated activated gene expression programs related to control of cell proliferation and cell shape, cell wall and carbohydrate metabolism reflecting the morphological changes during early ETC development. Transporter genes reveal distinct expression patterns suggesting a switch from active to passive modes of nutrient uptake with the onset of grain filling. Tissue-specific RNA-seq of the differentiating ETC region from the syncytial stage until functionality in nutrient transfer identified a high number of novel transcripts putatively involved in ETC differentiation. An essential role for two-component signaling (TCS) pathways in ETC development of barley emerged from this analysis. Correlative data provide evidence for abscisic acid and ethylene influences on ETC differentiation and hint at a crosstalk between hormone signal transduction and TCS phosphorelays. Collectively, the data expose a comprehensive view on ETC development, associated pathways and identified candidate genes for ETC specification. PMID:24723929

Iodine in food- and dietary supplement–composition databases123

PubMed Central

Pehrsson, Pamela R; Patterson, Kristine Y; Spungen, Judith H; Wirtz, Mark S; Andrews, Karen W; Dwyer, Johanna T; Swanson, Christine A

2016-01-01

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Nutrient Data Laboratory (NDL) of the USDA Agricultural Research Service have worked independently on determining the iodine content of foods and dietary supplements and are now harmonizing their efforts. The objective of the current article is to describe the harmonization plan and the results of initial iodine analyses accomplished under that plan. For many years, the FDA’s Total Diet Study (TDS) has measured iodine concentrations in selected foods collected in 4 regions of the country each year. For more than a decade, the NDL has collected and analyzed foods as part of the National Food and Nutrient Analysis Program; iodine analysis is now being added to the program. The NDL recently qualified a commercial laboratory to conduct iodine analysis of foods by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) method. Co-analysis of a set of samples by the commercial laboratory using the ICP-MS method and by the FDA laboratory using its standard colorimetric method yielded comparable results. The FDA recently reviewed historical TDS data for trends in the iodine content of selected foods, and the NDL analyzed samples of a limited subset of those foods for iodine. The FDA and the NDL are working to combine their data on iodine in foods and to produce an online database that can be used for estimating iodine intake from foods in the US population. In addition, the NDL continues to analyze dietary supplements for iodine and, in collaboration with the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, to publish the data online in the Dietary Supplement Ingredient Database. The goal is to provide, through these 2 harmonized databases and the continuing TDS focus on iodine, improved tools for estimating iodine intake in population studies. PMID:27534627

Fortification and health: challenges and opportunities.

PubMed

Dwyer, Johanna T; Wiemer, Kathryn L; Dary, Omar; Keen, Carl L; King, Janet C; Miller, Kevin B; Philbert, Martin A; Tarasuk, Valerie; Taylor, Christine L; Gaine, P Courtney; Jarvis, Ashley B; Bailey, Regan L

2015-01-01

Fortification is the process of adding nutrients or non-nutrient bioactive components to edible products (e.g., food, food constituents, or supplements). Fortification can be used to correct or prevent widespread nutrient intake shortfalls and associated deficiencies, to balance the total nutrient profile of a diet, to restore nutrients lost in processing, or to appeal to consumers looking to supplement their diet. Food fortification could be considered as a public health strategy to enhance nutrient intakes of a population. Over the past century, fortification has been effective at reducing the risk of nutrient deficiency diseases such as beriberi, goiter, pellagra, and rickets. However, the world today is very different from when fortification emerged in the 1920s. Although early fortification programs were designed to eliminate deficiency diseases, current fortification programs are based on low dietary intakes rather than a diagnosable condition. Moving forward, we must be diligent in our approach to achieving effective and responsible fortification practices and policies, including responsible marketing of fortified products. Fortification must be applied prudently, its effects monitored diligently, and the public informed effectively about its benefits through consumer education efforts. Clear lines of authority for establishing fortification guidelines should be developed and should take into account changing population demographics, changes in the food supply, and advances in technology. This article is a summary of a symposium presented at the ASN Scientific Sessions and Annual Meeting at Experimental Biology 2014 on current issues involving fortification focusing primarily on the United States and Canada and recommendations for the development of responsible fortification practices to ensure their safety and effectiveness. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Harmonization of nutrient intake values.

PubMed

King, Janet C; Garza, Cutberto

2007-03-01

The conceptual framework for the various NIVs is depicted in figure 1 along with the methodological approaches and applications. The NIVs consist of two values derived from a statistical evaluation of data on nutrient requirements, the average nutrient requirement (ANR), or nutrient toxicities, the upper nutrient level (UNL). The individual nutrient levelx (INLx) is derived from the distribution of average nutrient requirements. The percentile chosen is often 98%, which is equivalent to 2 SD above the mean requirement. Concepts underlying the NIVs include criteria for establishing a nutrient requirement, e.g., ferritin stores, nitrogen balance, or serum vitamin C. Once the requirement for the absorbed nutrient is determined, it may be necessary to adjust the value for food sources, i.e., bioavailability, or host factors, such as the effect of infection on nutrient utilization. Other concepts that committees may want to consider when establishing NIVs include the effects of genetic variation on nutrient requirements and the role of the nutrient in preventing long-term disease. Two fundamental uses of NIVs are for assessing the adequacy of nutrient intakes and for planning diets for individuals and populations. Establishing the NIV using the statistical framework proposed in this report improves the efficacy of the values for identifying risks of nutrient deficiency or excess among individuals and populations. NIVs also are applied to a number of aspects of food and nutrition policy. Some examples include regulatory issues and trade, labeling, planning programs for alleviating public health nutrition problems, food fortification, and dietary guidance.

Use of Linear Programming to Develop Cost-Minimized Nutritionally Adequate Health Promoting Food Baskets.

PubMed

Parlesak, Alexandr; Tetens, Inge; Dejgård Jensen, Jørgen; Smed, Sinne; Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, Mojca; Rayner, Mike; Darmon, Nicole; Robertson, Aileen

2016-01-01

Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) are developed to promote healthier eating patterns, but increasing food prices may make healthy eating less affordable. The aim of this study was to design a range of cost-minimized nutritionally adequate health-promoting food baskets (FBs) that help prevent both micronutrient inadequacy and diet-related non-communicable diseases at lowest cost. Average prices for 312 foods were collected within the Greater Copenhagen area. The cost and nutrient content of five different cost-minimized FBs for a family of four were calculated per day using linear programming. The FBs were defined using five different constraints: cultural acceptability (CA), or dietary guidelines (DG), or nutrient recommendations (N), or cultural acceptability and nutrient recommendations (CAN), or dietary guidelines and nutrient recommendations (DGN). The variety and number of foods in each of the resulting five baskets was increased through limiting the relative share of individual foods. The one-day version of N contained only 12 foods at the minimum cost of DKK 27 (€ 3.6). The CA, DG, and DGN were about twice of this and the CAN cost ~DKK 81 (€ 10.8). The baskets with the greater variety of foods contained from 70 (CAN) to 134 (DGN) foods and cost between DKK 60 (€ 8.1, N) and DKK 125 (€ 16.8, DGN). Ensuring that the food baskets cover both dietary guidelines and nutrient recommendations doubled the cost while cultural acceptability (CAN) tripled it. Use of linear programming facilitates the generation of low-cost food baskets that are nutritionally adequate, health promoting, and culturally acceptable.

Nitrogen and phosphorus losses from agricultural systems in China: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Cao, Di; Cao, Wenzhi; Fang, Jing; Cai, Longyan

2014-08-30

Studies worldwide have indicated that agricultural pollution is the main source of nitrogen and phosphorus (N and P) in surface waters. A systematic understanding of N and P sources and sinks in agricultural systems is important for selecting the appropriate remedial strategies to control nutrient losses and water pollution. Based on nationwide data and a long-term monitoring program in Southeast China, the nationwide spatial and temporal patterns of N and P losses and the relationships between such losses and N and P inputs and rainfall were analyzed. The results showed that the annual nutrient losses from agricultural systems in China strongly varied, and the N/P values ranged from 0.01 to 51.0, with a majority at approximately 0-20, and an arithmetic mean of 9.73; these values mostly overlap the suitable range of N/P (6-15) for red bloom algae. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Farming and the geography of nutrient production for human use: a transdisciplinary analysis.

PubMed

Herrero, Mario; Thornton, Philip K; Power, Brendan; Bogard, Jessica R; Remans, Roseline; Fritz, Steffen; Gerber, James S; Nelson, Gerald; See, Linda; Waha, Katharina; Watson, Reg A; West, Paul C; Samberg, Leah H; van de Steeg, Jeannette; Stephenson, Eloise; van Wijk, Mark; Havlík, Petr

2017-04-01

Information about the global structure of agriculture and nutrient production and its diversity is essential to improve present understanding of national food production patterns, agricultural livelihoods, and food chains, and their linkages to land use and their associated ecosystems services. Here we provide a plausible breakdown of global agricultural and nutrient production by farm size, and also study the associations between farm size, agricultural diversity, and nutrient production. This analysis is crucial to design interventions that might be appropriately targeted to promote healthy diets and ecosystems in the face of population growth, urbanisation, and climate change. We used existing spatially-explicit global datasets to estimate the production levels of 41 major crops, seven livestock, and 14 aquaculture and fish products. From overall production estimates, we estimated the production of vitamin A, vitamin B 12 , folate, iron, zinc, calcium, calories, and protein. We also estimated the relative contribution of farms of different sizes to the production of different agricultural commodities and associated nutrients, as well as how the diversity of food production based on the number of different products grown per geographic pixel and distribution of products within this pixel (Shannon diversity index [ H ]) changes with different farm sizes. Globally, small and medium farms (≤50 ha) produce 51-77% of nearly all commodities and nutrients examined here. However, important regional differences exist. Large farms (>50 ha) dominate production in North America, South America, and Australia and New Zealand. In these regions, large farms contribute between 75% and 100% of all cereal, livestock, and fruit production, and the pattern is similar for other commodity groups. By contrast, small farms (≤20 ha) produce more than 75% of most food commodities in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, south Asia, and China. In Europe, west Asia and north Africa, and central America, medium-size farms (20-50 ha) also contribute substantially to the production of most food commodities. Very small farms (≤2 ha) are important and have local significance in sub-Saharan Africa, southeast Asia, and south Asia, where they contribute to about 30% of most food commodities. The majority of vegetables (81%), roots and tubers (72%), pulses (67%), fruits (66%), fish and livestock products (60%), and cereals (56%) are produced in diverse landscapes ( H >1·5). Similarly, the majority of global micronutrients (53-81%) and protein (57%) are also produced in more diverse agricultural landscapes ( H >1·5). By contrast, the majority of sugar (73%) and oil crops (57%) are produced in less diverse ones ( H ≤1·5), which also account for the majority of global calorie production (56%). The diversity of agricultural and nutrient production diminishes as farm size increases. However, areas of the world with higher agricultural diversity produce more nutrients, irrespective of farm size. Our results show that farm size and diversity of agricultural production vary substantially across regions and are key structural determinants of food and nutrient production that need to be considered in plans to meet social, economic, and environmental targets. At the global level, both small and large farms have key roles in food and nutrition security. Efforts to maintain production diversity as farm sizes increase seem to be necessary to maintain the production of diverse nutrients and viable, multifunctional, sustainable landscapes. Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, CGIAR Research Programs on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security and on Agriculture for Nutrition and Health funded by the CGIAR Fund Council, Daniel and Nina Carasso Foundation, European Union, International Fund for Agricultural Development, Australian Research Council, National Science Foundation, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and Joint Programming Initiative on Agriculture, Food Security and Climate Change-Belmont Forum.

21 CFR 106.25 - In-process control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... analyzed as specified in § 106.30(b)(1), the manufacturer shall analyze each in-process batch for: (1) Solids; (2) Protein, fat, and carbohydrates (carbohydrates either by analysis or by mathematical difference); (3) The indicator nutrient(s) in each nutrient premix; (4) Each nutrient added independently of...

Remote Sensing Analysis of Malawi's Agricultural Inputs Subsidy and Climate Variability Impacts on Productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galford, G. L.; Fiske, G. J.; Sedano, F.; Michelson, H.

2016-12-01

Agriculture in sub-Saharan Africa is characterized by smallholder production and low yields ( 1 ton ha-1 year-1 since records began in 1961) for staple food crops such as maize (Zea mays). Many years of low-input farming have depleted much of the region's agricultural land of critical soil carbon and nitrogen, further reducing yield potentials. Malawi is a 98,000 km2 subtropical nation with a short rainy season from November to May, with most rainfall occurring between December and mid-April. This short growing season supports the cultivation of one primary crop, maize. In Malawi, many smallholder farmers face annual nutrient deficits as nutrients removed as grain harvest and residues are beyond replenishment levels. As a result, Malawi has had stagnant maize yields averaging 1.2 ton ha-1 year-1 for decades. After multiple years of drought and widespread hunger in the early 2000s, Malawi introduced an agricultural input support program (fertilizer and seed subsidy) in time for the 2006 harvest that was designed to restore soil nutrients, improve maize production, and decrease dependence on food aid. Malawi's subsidy program targets 50-67% of smallholder farmers who cultivate half a hectare or less, yet collectively supply 80% of the country's maize. The country has achieved significant increases in crop yields (now 2 tons/ha/year) and, as our analysis shows, benefited from a new resilience against drought. We utilized Landsat time series to determine cropland extent from 2000-present and identify areas of marginal and/or intermittent production. We found a strong latitudinal gradient of precipitation variability from north to south in CHIRPS data. We used the precipitation variability to normalize trends in a productivity proxy derived from MODIS EVI. After normalization of productivity to precipitation variability, we found significant productivity trends correlated to subsidy distribution. This work was conducted with Google's Earth Engine, a cloud-based platform for data storage and analysis with unprecedented speed and efficient computing by making use of Google's computing infrastructure.

Impacts of Maternal Nutrition on Vascularity of Nutrient Transferring Tissues during Gestation and Lactation

PubMed Central

Vonnahme, Kimberly A.; Lemley, Caleb O.; Caton, Joel S.; Meyer, Allison M.

2015-01-01

As the demand for food increases with exponential growth in the world population, it is imperative that we understand how to make livestock production as efficient as possible in the face of decreasing available natural resources. Moreover, it is important that livestock are able to meet their metabolic demands and supply adequate nutrition to developing offspring both during pregnancy and lactation. Specific nutrient supplementation programs that are designed to offset deficiencies, enhance efficiency, and improve nutrient supply during pregnancy can alter tissue vascular responses, fetal growth, and postnatal offspring outcomes. This review outlines how vascularity in nutrient transferring tissues, namely the maternal gastrointestinal tract, the utero-placental tissue, and the mammary gland, respond to differing nutritional planes and other specific nutrient supplementation regimes. PMID:25984740

The Nutritional Impact of the Dairy Price Support Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heien, Dale; Wessells, Cathy Roheim

1988-01-01

Examined the impact of the dairy price support program and its resulting higher prices on nutrition intake, especially calcium. A demand system emphasizing dairy products was estimated. Concluded that nutrient intake would increase substantially if the program was terminated. (JOW)

Food choice, plate waste and nutrient intake of elementary- and middle-school students participating in the US National School Lunch Program.

PubMed

Smith, Stephanie L; Cunningham-Sabo, Leslie

2014-06-01

To (i) evaluate food choices and consumption patterns of elementary- and middle-school students who participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and (ii) compare students' average nutrient intake from lunch with NSLP standards. Plate waste from elementary- and middle-school students' lunch trays was measured in autumn 2010 using a previously validated digital photography method. Percentage waste was estimated to the nearest 10 % for the entrée, canned fruit, fresh fruit, vegetable, grain and milk. Univariate ANOVA determined differences in percentage waste between schools, grades and genders. Daily nutrient intake was calculated using the district's menu analysis and percentage waste. Elementary and middle schools in northern Colorado (USA). Students, grades 1-8. Plate waste was estimated from 899 lunch trays; 535 elementary- and 364 middle-school students. Only 45 % of elementary- and 34 % middle-school students selected a vegetable. Elementary-school students wasted more than a third of grain, fruit and vegetable menu items. Middle-school students left nearly 50 % of fresh fruit, 37 % of canned fruit and nearly a third of vegetables unconsumed. Less than half of the students met the national meal standards for vitamins A and C, or Fe. Few students' lunch consumption met previous or new, strengthened NSLP lunch standards. Due to the relatively low intake of vegetables, intakes of vitamins A and C were of particular concern. Effective behavioural interventions, combined with marketing, communications and behavioural economics, will likely be necessary to encourage increased vegetable intake to meet the new meal standards.

77 FR 1979 - National Organic Program (NOP); Sunset Review (2012) for Nutrient Vitamins and Minerals

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-12

... levels of protein, fat and linoleic acid in infant formula. As these nutrients are available from... different sectors of the organic market (i.e. infant formula, baby food, fluid milk, breakfast cereals, and... includes protein and potassium and the corresponding Daily Reference Values (DRVs). FDA stated that...

Red Alder (Alnus rubra) Distribution Influences Nitrate Discharge to Coastal Estuaries: Comparison of Two Oregon Watersheds

EPA Science Inventory

We determined nutrient export from the Yaquina and Alsea Rivers as part of a larger program for evaluating nutrient sources to coastal waters. The Yaquina and Alsea data indicated that one river typically contained twice the amount of dissolved nitrate-N, although temperature, co...

Framework to parameterize and validate APEX to support deployment of the nutrient tracking tool

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is the scientific basis for the Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT). NTT is an enhanced version of the Nitrogen Trading Tool, a user-friendly web-based computer program originally developed by the USDA. NTT was developed to estimate reductions in...

Tidal Mixing Box Submodel for Tampa Bay: Calibration of Tidal Exchange Flows with the Parameter Estimation Tool (PEST)

EPA Science Inventory

In the mid-1990s the Tampa Bay Estuary Program proposed a nutrient reduction strategy focused on improving water clarity to promote seagrass expansion within Tampa Bay. A System Dynamics Model is being developed to evaluate spatially and temporally explicit impacts of nutrient r...

AFO Manure Management - Virginia: Nutrient Management Inspector Qualifications

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Compendium of State Approaches for Manure Management, Part A -- Example of program features for manure management that have a regulatory basis, such as permit provisions and other regulatory program elements.

Monitoring TASCC Injections Using A Field-Ready Wet Chemistry Nutrient Autoanalyzer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Snyder, L. E.; Herstand, M. R.; Bowden, W. B.

2011-12-01

Quantification of nutrient cycling and transport (spiraling) in stream systems is a fundamental component of stream ecology. Additions of isotopic tracer and bulk inorganic nutrient to streams have been frequently used to evaluate nutrient transfer between ecosystem compartments and nutrient uptake estimation, respectively. The Tracer Addition for Spiraling Curve Characterization (TASCC) methodology of Covino et al. (2010) instantaneously and simultaneously adds conservative and biologically active tracers to a stream system to quantify nutrient uptake metrics. In this method, comparing the ratio of mass of nutrient and conservative solute recovered in each sample throughout a breakthrough curve to that of the injectate, a distribution of spiraling metrics is calculated across a range of nutrient concentrations. This distribution across concentrations allows for both a robust estimation of ambient spiraling parameters by regression techniques, and comparison with uptake kinetic models. We tested a unique sampling strategy for TASCC injections in which samples were taken manually throughout the nutrient breakthrough curves while, simultaneously, continuously monitoring with a field-ready wet chemistry autoanalyzer. The autoanalyzer was programmed to measure concentrations of nitrate, phosphate and ammonium at the rate of one measurement per second throughout each experiment. Utilization of an autoanalyzer in the field during the experiment results in the return of several thousand additional nutrient data points when compared with manual sampling. This technique, then, allows for a deeper understanding and more statistically robust estimation of stream nutrient spiraling parameters.

Rapid estimation of nutritional elements on citrus leaves by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy.

PubMed

Galvez-Sola, Luis; García-Sánchez, Francisco; Pérez-Pérez, Juan G; Gimeno, Vicente; Navarro, Josefa M; Moral, Raul; Martínez-Nicolás, Juan J; Nieves, Manuel

2015-01-01

Sufficient nutrient application is one of the most important factors in producing quality citrus fruits. One of the main guides in planning citrus fertilizer programs is by directly monitoring the plant nutrient content. However, this requires analysis of a large number of leaf samples using expensive and time-consuming chemical techniques. Over the last 5 years, it has been demonstrated that it is possible to quantitatively estimate certain nutritional elements in citrus leaves by using the spectral reflectance values, obtained by using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). This technique is rapid, non-destructive, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Therefore, the estimation of macro and micronutrients in citrus leaves by this method would be beneficial in identifying the mineral status of the trees. However, to be used effectively NIRS must be evaluated against the standard techniques across different cultivars. In this study, NIRS spectral analysis, and subsequent nutrient estimations for N, K, Ca, Mg, B, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn concentration, were performed using 217 leaf samples from different citrus trees species. Partial least square regression and different pre-processing signal treatments were used to generate the best estimation against the current best practice techniques. It was verified a high proficiency in the estimation of N (Rv = 0.99) and Ca (Rv = 0.98) as well as achieving acceptable estimation for K, Mg, Fe, and Zn. However, no successful calibrations were obtained for the estimation of B, Cu, and Mn.

Rapid estimation of nutritional elements on citrus leaves by near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Galvez-Sola, Luis; García-Sánchez, Francisco; Pérez-Pérez, Juan G.; Gimeno, Vicente; Navarro, Josefa M.; Moral, Raul; Martínez-Nicolás, Juan J.; Nieves, Manuel

2015-01-01

Sufficient nutrient application is one of the most important factors in producing quality citrus fruits. One of the main guides in planning citrus fertilizer programs is by directly monitoring the plant nutrient content. However, this requires analysis of a large number of leaf samples using expensive and time-consuming chemical techniques. Over the last 5 years, it has been demonstrated that it is possible to quantitatively estimate certain nutritional elements in citrus leaves by using the spectral reflectance values, obtained by using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). This technique is rapid, non-destructive, cost-effective and environmentally friendly. Therefore, the estimation of macro and micronutrients in citrus leaves by this method would be beneficial in identifying the mineral status of the trees. However, to be used effectively NIRS must be evaluated against the standard techniques across different cultivars. In this study, NIRS spectral analysis, and subsequent nutrient estimations for N, K, Ca, Mg, B, Fe, Cu, Mn, and Zn concentration, were performed using 217 leaf samples from different citrus trees species. Partial least square regression and different pre-processing signal treatments were used to generate the best estimation against the current best practice techniques. It was verified a high proficiency in the estimation of N (Rv = 0.99) and Ca (Rv = 0.98) as well as achieving acceptable estimation for K, Mg, Fe, and Zn. However, no successful calibrations were obtained for the estimation of B, Cu, and Mn. PMID:26257767

Integrating Spatial Land Use Analysis and Mathematical Material Flow Analysis for Nutrient Management: A Case Study of the Bang Pakong River Basin in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kupkanchanakul, Wallapa; Kwonpongsagoon, Suphaphat; Bader, Hans-Peter; Scheidegger, Ruth

2015-05-01

Rivers in developing and emerging countries often lack good water quality. Tools to assess the water quality in rivers, including identification of possible sources of pollution, are therefore of increasing importance. The aim of this study is to apply mathematical material flow and spatial land use analyses to identify and geographically locate the main nitrogen and phosphorus sources and processes in Bang Pakong Basin (BPB). Potential measures to mitigate the nitrogen and phosphorus loads to the water system can then be efficiently evaluated. The combination of these two methods reveals the overall nutrient load as well as local "hot spots." This allows possible mitigation measures to be discussed with regard to their spatial location. This approach goes beyond previous work in which mathematical material flow analysis was shown to be a useful tool to investigate sources of nutrients regardless of their location. The results show that the main sources contributing nutrients to waterways are aquaculture, such as shrimp, tilapia, catfish, and sea bass farming, as well as rice paddies along the main river. Additional sources contributing nutrients to this basin are field crops, livestock, aquaculture, households, and industry. High levels of nutrient inflows come from feeds and fertilizers through aquaculture and rice cultivation. The excess nutrients run into the waterways by direct discharge from aquaculture and runoff processes from rice paddies. Scenario analysis shows that management practices for aquaculture, rice, pig, and poultry farming are key drivers for reducing nutrients in the BPB.

Integrating spatial land use analysis and mathematical material flow analysis for nutrient management: a case study of the Bang Pakong River Basin in Thailand.

PubMed

Kupkanchanakul, Wallapa; Kwonpongsagoon, Suphaphat; Bader, Hans-Peter; Scheidegger, Ruth

2015-05-01

Rivers in developing and emerging countries often lack good water quality. Tools to assess the water quality in rivers, including identification of possible sources of pollution, are therefore of increasing importance. The aim of this study is to apply mathematical material flow and spatial land use analyses to identify and geographically locate the main nitrogen and phosphorus sources and processes in Bang Pakong Basin (BPB). Potential measures to mitigate the nitrogen and phosphorus loads to the water system can then be efficiently evaluated. The combination of these two methods reveals the overall nutrient load as well as local "hot spots." This allows possible mitigation measures to be discussed with regard to their spatial location. This approach goes beyond previous work in which mathematical material flow analysis was shown to be a useful tool to investigate sources of nutrients regardless of their location. The results show that the main sources contributing nutrients to waterways are aquaculture, such as shrimp, tilapia, catfish, and sea bass farming, as well as rice paddies along the main river. Additional sources contributing nutrients to this basin are field crops, livestock, aquaculture, households, and industry. High levels of nutrient inflows come from feeds and fertilizers through aquaculture and rice cultivation. The excess nutrients run into the waterways by direct discharge from aquaculture and runoff processes from rice paddies. Scenario analysis shows that management practices for aquaculture, rice, pig, and poultry farming are key drivers for reducing nutrients in the BPB.

Soil and Nutrient Loss Following Site Preparation Burning

Treesearch

J.P. Field; E.A. Carter

2000-01-01

Sediment loss and nutrient cpncentrations in runoff were evaluated to determine the effects of site preparation burning on a recently harvested loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) site in east Texas. Sediment and nutrient losses prior to treatment were approximately the same from control plots and pretreatment burn plots. Nutrient analysis of runoff...

Soil and nutrient loss following site preparation burning

Treesearch

J.P. Field; K.W. Farrish; E.A. Carter

2000-01-01

Sediment loss and nutrient cpncentrations in runoff were evaluated to determine the effects of site preparation burning on a recently harvested loblolly pine (Pinur taeda L.) site in east Texas. Sediment and nutrient losses prior to treatment were approximately the same from control plots and pretreatment burn plots. Nutrient analysis of runoff...

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF NUTRIENT LOADING, NUTRIENT RETENTION AND NET ECOSYSTEM METABOLISM IN THREE TIDAL RIVER ESTUARIES DIFFERING PREDOMINATELY BY THEIR WATERSHED LAND USE TYPES.

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract and oral presentation for the Estuarine Research Federation Conference.

Estuarine retention of watershed nutrient loads, system-wide nutrient biogeochemical fluxes, and net ecosystem metabolism (NEM) were determined in three estuaries exhibiting differing magnitud...

Uncovering the Nutritional Landscape of Food

PubMed Central

Kim, Seunghyeon; Sung, Jaeyun; Foo, Mathias; Jin, Yong-Su; Kim, Pan-Jun

2015-01-01

Recent progresses in data-driven analysis methods, including network-based approaches, are revolutionizing many classical disciplines. These techniques can also be applied to food and nutrition, which must be studied to design healthy diets. Using nutritional information from over 1,000 raw foods, we systematically evaluated the nutrient composition of each food in regards to satisfying daily nutritional requirements. The nutrient balance of a food was quantified and termed nutritional fitness; this measure was based on the food’s frequency of occurrence in nutritionally adequate food combinations. Nutritional fitness offers a way to prioritize recommendable foods within a global network of foods, in which foods are connected based on the similarities of their nutrient compositions. We identified a number of key nutrients, such as choline and α-linolenic acid, whose levels in foods can critically affect the nutritional fitness of the foods. Analogously, pairs of nutrients can have the same effect. In fact, two nutrients can synergistically affect the nutritional fitness, although the individual nutrients alone may not have an impact. This result, involving the tendency among nutrients to exhibit correlations in their abundances across foods, implies a hidden layer of complexity when exploring for foods whose balance of nutrients within pairs holistically helps meet nutritional requirements. Interestingly, foods with high nutritional fitness successfully maintain this nutrient balance. This effect expands our scope to a diverse repertoire of nutrient-nutrient correlations, which are integrated under a common network framework that yields unexpected yet coherent associations between nutrients. Our nutrient-profiling approach combined with a network-based analysis provides a more unbiased, global view of the relationships between foods and nutrients, and can be extended towards nutritional policies, food marketing, and personalized nutrition. PMID:25768022

Characterization of nutrients and fecal indicator bacteria at a concentrated swine feeding operation in Wake County, North Carolina, 2009-2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harden, Stephen L.; Rogers, Shane W.; Jahne, Michael A.; Shaffer, Carrie E.; Smith, Douglas G.

2012-01-01

Study sites were sampled for laboratory analysis of nutrients, total suspended solids (TSS), and (or) fecal indicator bacteria (FIB). Nutrient analyses included measurement of dissolved ammonia, total and dissolved ammonia + organic nitrogen, dissolved nitrate + nitrite, dissolved orthophosphate, and total phosphorus. The FIB analyses included measurement of Escherichia coli and enterococci. Samples of wastewater at the swine facility were collected from a pipe outfall from the swine housing units, two storage lagoons, and the spray fields for analysis of nutrients, TSS, and FIB. Soil samples collected from a spray field were analyzed for FIB. Monitoring locations were established for collecting discharge and water-quality data during storm events at three in-field runoff sites and two sites on the headwater stream (one upstream and one downstream) next to the swine facility. Stormflow samples at the five monitoring locations were collected for four storm events during 2009 to 2010 and analyzed for nutrients, TSS, and FIB. Monthly water samples also were collected during base-flow conditions at all four stream sites for laboratory analysis of nutrients, TSS, and (or) FIB.

Use of Linear Programming to Develop Cost-Minimized Nutritionally Adequate Health Promoting Food Baskets

PubMed Central

Tetens, Inge; Dejgård Jensen, Jørgen; Smed, Sinne; Gabrijelčič Blenkuš, Mojca; Rayner, Mike; Darmon, Nicole; Robertson, Aileen

2016-01-01

Background Food-Based Dietary Guidelines (FBDGs) are developed to promote healthier eating patterns, but increasing food prices may make healthy eating less affordable. The aim of this study was to design a range of cost-minimized nutritionally adequate health-promoting food baskets (FBs) that help prevent both micronutrient inadequacy and diet-related non-communicable diseases at lowest cost. Methods Average prices for 312 foods were collected within the Greater Copenhagen area. The cost and nutrient content of five different cost-minimized FBs for a family of four were calculated per day using linear programming. The FBs were defined using five different constraints: cultural acceptability (CA), or dietary guidelines (DG), or nutrient recommendations (N), or cultural acceptability and nutrient recommendations (CAN), or dietary guidelines and nutrient recommendations (DGN). The variety and number of foods in each of the resulting five baskets was increased through limiting the relative share of individual foods. Results The one-day version of N contained only 12 foods at the minimum cost of DKK 27 (€ 3.6). The CA, DG, and DGN were about twice of this and the CAN cost ~DKK 81 (€ 10.8). The baskets with the greater variety of foods contained from 70 (CAN) to 134 (DGN) foods and cost between DKK 60 (€ 8.1, N) and DKK 125 (€ 16.8, DGN). Ensuring that the food baskets cover both dietary guidelines and nutrient recommendations doubled the cost while cultural acceptability (CAN) tripled it. Conclusion Use of linear programming facilitates the generation of low-cost food baskets that are nutritionally adequate, health promoting, and culturally acceptable. PMID:27760131

Genetic associations with micronutrient levels identified in immune and gastrointestinal networks.

PubMed

Morine, Melissa J; Monteiro, Jacqueline Pontes; Wise, Carolyn; Teitel, Candee; Pence, Lisa; Williams, Anna; Ning, Baitang; McCabe-Sellers, Beverly; Champagne, Catherine; Turner, Jerome; Shelby, Beatrice; Bogle, Margaret; Beger, Richard D; Priami, Corrado; Kaput, Jim

2014-07-01

The discovery of vitamins and clarification of their role in preventing frank essential nutrient deficiencies occurred in the early 1900s. Much vitamin research has understandably focused on public health and the effects of single nutrients to alleviate acute conditions. The physiological processes for maintaining health, however, are complex systems that depend upon interactions between multiple nutrients, environmental factors, and genetic makeup. To analyze the relationship between these factors and nutritional health, data were obtained from an observational, community-based participatory research program of children and teens (age 6-14) enrolled in a summer day camp in the Delta region of Arkansas. Assessments of erythrocyte S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH), plasma homocysteine (Hcy) and 6 organic micronutrients (retinol, 25-hydroxy vitamin D3, pyridoxal, thiamin, riboflavin, and vitamin E), and 1,129 plasma proteins were performed at 3 time points in each of 2 years. Genetic makeup was analyzed with 1 M SNP genotyping arrays, and nutrient status was assessed with 24-h dietary intake questionnaires. A pattern of metabolites (met_PC1) that included the ratio of erythrocyte SAM/SAH, Hcy, and 5 vitamins were identified by principal component analysis. Met_PC1 levels were significantly associated with (1) single-nucleotide polymorphisms, (2) levels of plasma proteins, and (3) multilocus genotypes coding for gastrointestinal and immune functions, as identified in a global network of metabolic/protein-protein interactions. Subsequent mining of data from curated pathway, network, and genome-wide association studies identified genetic and functional relationships that may be explained by gene-nutrient interactions. The systems nutrition strategy described here has thus associated a multivariate metabolite pattern in blood with genes involved in immune and gastrointestinal functions.

A cost constraint alone has adverse effects on food selection and nutrient density: an analysis of human diets by linear programming.

PubMed

Darmon, Nicole; Ferguson, Elaine L; Briend, André

2002-12-01

Economic constraints may contribute to the unhealthy food choices observed among low socioeconomic groups in industrialized countries. The objective of the present study was to predict the food choices a rational individual would make to reduce his or her food budget, while retaining a diet as close as possible to the average population diet. Isoenergetic diets were modeled by linear programming. To ensure these diets were consistent with habitual food consumption patterns, departure from the average French diet was minimized and constraints that limited portion size and the amount of energy from food groups were introduced into the models. A cost constraint was introduced and progressively strengthened to assess the effect of cost on the selection of foods by the program. Strengthening the cost constraint reduced the proportion of energy contributed by fruits and vegetables, meat and dairy products and increased the proportion from cereals, sweets and added fats, a pattern similar to that observed among low socioeconomic groups. This decreased the nutritional quality of modeled diets, notably the lowest cost linear programming diets had lower vitamin C and beta-carotene densities than the mean French adult diet (i.e., <25% and 10% of the mean density, respectively). These results indicate that a simple cost constraint can decrease the nutrient densities of diets and influence food selection in ways that reproduce the food intake patterns observed among low socioeconomic groups. They suggest that economic measures will be needed to effectively improve the nutritional quality of diets consumed by these populations.

The effectiveness of streamside management zones in controlling nutrient fluxes following an industrial fertilizer application

Treesearch

Joseph M. Secoges; W. Michael Aust; John R. Seiler

2013-01-01

Many State best management practice programs recommend streamside management zone (SMZ) widths based on limited or inadequate data with regard to nutrient fluxes from silvicultural activities. Diammonium phosphate and urea were applied to subwatersheds of 2- to 3-year-old loblolly pines (Pinus taeda) upslope from 12 SMZ study areas in Buckingham...

Chapter 14. Nutritive principles in restoration and management

Treesearch

Bruce L. Welch

2004-01-01

Most range management or revegetation programs are aimed at providing forage to support the needs of range animals. Among these needs are supplying the nutrients required to drive the physiological processes of the animal body. One major principle in this report is that there is no "perfect forage species" that will supply all the nutrients needed by any...

Analyzing the Implementation of Nutrient Management Plans by Farmers: Implications for Extension Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tao, Haiying; Morris, Thomas F.; Bravo-Ureta, Boris; Meinert, Richard

2016-01-01

We conducted case studies on four Connecticut dairy farms to evaluate how well farmers implemented their nutrient management plans (NMPs). Our findings can help Extension educators develop programs to improve NMPs and NMP adoption by farmers. We identified three educational topic areas that would likely increase NMP understanding and acceptance:…

The microcomputer scientific software series 8: the SYCOOR users manual.

Treesearch

Edgar E. Gutierrez-Espeleta; Gary J. Brand

1993-01-01

Describes how to use SYCOOR, an interactive Macintosh program written in BASIC for computing and adjusting synecological coordinates. Site synecological coordinates are indices of moisture, nutrients, heat, and light computed from lists of plant species present at the site. Graphs of a species` distribution in moisture-nutrient and heat-light space are also displayed...

Energy and Nutrient Intake Monitoring

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Luckey, T. D.; Venugopal, B.; Hutcheson, D. P.

1975-01-01

A passive system to determine the in-flight intake of nutrients is developed. Nonabsorbed markers placed in all foods in proportion to the nutrients selected for study are analyzed by neutron activation analysis. Fecal analysis for each market indicates how much of the nutrients were eaten and apparent digestibility. Results of feasibility tests in rats, mice, and monkeys indicate the diurnal variation of several markers, the transit time for markers in the alimentary tract, the recovery of several markers, and satisfactory use of selected markers to provide indirect measurement of apparent digestibility. Recommendations are provided for human feasibility studies.

Analysis of Water-Quality Trends for Selected Streams in the Water Chemistry Monitoring Program, Michigan, 1998-2005

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hoard, C.J.; Fuller, Lori M.; Fogarty, Lisa R.

2009-01-01

In 1998, the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and the U.S. Geological Survey began a long-term monitoring program to evaluate the water quality of most watersheds in Michigan. Major goals of this Water-Chemistry Monitoring Program were to identify streams exceeding or not meeting State or Federal water-quality standards and to assess if constituent concentrations reflecting water quality in these streams were increasing or decreasing over time. As part of this program, water-quality data collected from 1998 to 2005 were analyzed to identify potential trends. Sixteen water-quality constituents were analyzed at 31 sites across Michigan, 28 of which had sufficient data to analyze for trends. Trend analysis on the various water-quality data was done using the uncensored Seasonal Kendall test within the computer program ESTREND. The most prevalent trend detected throughout the state was for chloride. Chloride trends were detected at 8 of the 28 sites; trends at 7 sites were increasing and the trend at 1 site was decreasing. Although no trends were detected for various nitrogen species or phosphorus, these constituents were detected at levels greater than the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recommendations for nutrients in water. The results of the trend analysis will help to establish a baseline to evaluate future changes in water quality in Michigan streams.

The interaction of social networks and child obesity prevention program effects: the pathways trial.

PubMed

Shin, Hee-Sung; Valente, Thomas W; Riggs, Nathaniel R; Huh, Jimi; Spruijt-Metz, Donna; Chou, Chih-Ping; Ann Pentz, Mary

2014-06-01

Social network analysis was used to examine whether peer influence from one's social networks moderates obesity prevention program effects on obesity-related behaviors: healthful and unhealthful. Participants included 557 children residing in Southern California. The survey assessed health-promoting behaviors (i.e., physical activity at school, physical activity outside of school, and fruit and vegetable intake), as well as unhealthful behaviors (high-calorie, low-nutrient intake and sedentary activity), and peer exposure calculated from social network nominations as indicators of peer influence. Multilevel models were conducted separately on outcomes predicted by program participation, peer exposure, and program participation by peer exposure. Results indicated that peer exposure was positively associated with one's own healthful and unhealthful behaviors. Program participation effects were moderated by peer influence, but only when unhealthful peer influence was present. Results suggest that peer influence can diminish or amplify prevention programs Future interventions should consider peer-led components to promote healthful influence of peers on healthful and unhealthful behaviors, and programs should be mindful that their effects are moderated by social networks. Copyright © 2014 The Obesity Society.

Soil an-d nutrient loss following site preparation burning

Treesearch

E.A. Carter; J.P. Field; K.W. Farrish

2000-01-01

Sediment loss and nutrient cpncentrations in runoff were evaluated to determine the effects of site preparation burning on a recently harvested loblolly pine (Pinur taeda L.) site in east Texas. Sediment and nutrient losses prior to treatment were approximately the same from control plots and pretreatment burn plots. Nutrient analysis of runoff samples indicated that...

Activation of CO2-reducing methanogens in oil reservoir after addition of nutrient.

PubMed

Yang, Guang-Chao; Zhou, Lei; Mbadinga, Serge Maurice; You, Jing; Yang, Hua-Zhen; Liu, Jin-Feng; Yang, Shi-Zhong; Gu, Ji-Dong; Mu, Bo-Zhong

2016-12-01

Nutrient addition as part of microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) operations have important implications for more energy recovery from oil reservoirs, but very little is known about the in situ response of microorganisms after intervention. An analysis of two genes as biomarkers, mcrA encoding the key enzyme in methanogenesis and fthfs encoding the key enzyme in acetogenesis, was conducted during nutrient addition in oil reservoir. Clone library data showed that dominant mcrA sequences changed from acetoclastic (Methanosaetaceae) to CO 2 -reducing methanogens (Methanomicrobiales and Methanobacteriales), and the authentic acetogens affiliated to Firmicutes decreased after the intervention. Principal coordinates analysis (PCoA) and Jackknife environment clusters revealed evidence on the shift of the microbial community structure among the samples. Quantitative analysis of methanogens via qPCR showed that Methanobacteriales and Methanomicrobiales increased after nutrient addition, while acetoclastic methanogens (Methanosaetaceae) changed slightly. Nutrient treatment activated native CO 2 -reducing methanogens in oil reservoir. The high frequency of Methanobacteriales and Methanomicrobiales (CO 2 -reducers) after nutrient addition in this petroleum system suggested that CO 2 -reducing methanogenesis was involved in methane production. The nutrient addition could promote the methane production. The results will likely improve strategies of utilizing microorganisms in subsurface environments. Copyright © 2016 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Family medicine residents' knowledge and attitudes about drug-nutrient interactions.

PubMed

Lasswell, A B; DeForge, B R; Sobal, J; Muncie, H L; Michocki, R

1995-04-01

The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) requires that health professionals recognize the importance of drug-nutrient interactions and educate patients to prevent adverse effects. Drug-nutrient interactions are an important issue in medical practice, but it is not clear how or if physicians are trained in this issue. This investigation was a needs assessment that examined attitudes and knowledge about drug-nutrient interactions that was examined in a national sample of 834 family medicine residents in 56 residency programs. Most reported they had little or no formal training in drug-nutrient interactions in medical school (83%) or residency (80%). However, 79% believed it was the physician's responsibility to inform patients about drug-nutrient interactions, although many thought pharmacists (75%) and dietitians (66%) share this responsibility. Overall, residents correctly answered 61% +/- 19 of fourteen drug-nutrient interaction knowledge items. There was a slight increase in drug-nutrient knowledge as year of residency increased. Physicians' knowledge of drug-nutrient interactions may be improved by including nutrition education in the topics taught by physicians, nutritionists, and pharmacists using several educational strategies. Nutrition educators in particular can play a role in curriculum development about drug-nutrient interactions by developing, refining, and evaluating materials and educational tools. Nutrition educators need to provide this information in academic settings for the training of all health professionals as well as in patient education settings such as hospitals and public health clinics.

Nutrient Tracking Tool - A user-friendly tool for evaluating the water and air quality and quantity as affected by various agricultural management practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saleh, A.; Niraula, R.; Gallego, O.; Osei, E.; Kannan, N.

2017-12-01

The Nutrient Tracking Tool (NTT) is a user-friendly web-based computer program that estimate nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus) and sediment losses from fields managed under a variety of cropping patterns and management practices. The NTT includes a user-friendly web-based interface and is linked to the Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model. It also accesses USDA-NRCS's Web Soil Survey to obtain field, weather, and soil information. NTT provides producers, government officials, and other users with a fast and efficient method of estimating the nutrient, sediment, and atmosphoric gases (N2o, Co2, and NH4) losses, and crop production under different conservation practices regims at the farm-level. The information obtained from NTT can help producers to determine the most cost-effective conservation practice(s) to reduce the nutrient and sediment losses while optimizing the crop production. Also, the recent version of NTT (NTTg3) has been developed for those coutries without access to national databasis, such as soils and wether. The NTTg3 also has been designed as easy to use APEX interface. NTT is currently being evaluated for trading and other programs at Cheaseapea Bay regions and numerous states in US. During this presentation the new capabilities of NTTg3 will be described and demonstrated.

Growth of Myxococcus xanthus in continuous-flow-cell bioreactors as a method for studying development.

PubMed

Smaldone, Gregory T; Jin, Yujie; Whitfield, Damion L; Mu, Andrew Y; Wong, Edward C; Wuertz, Stefan; Singer, Mitchell

2014-04-01

Nutrient sensors and developmental timers are two classes of genes vital to the establishment of early development in the social soil bacterium Myxococcus xanthus. The products of these genes trigger and regulate the earliest events that drive the colony from a vegetative state to aggregates, which ultimately leads to the formation of fruiting bodies and the cellular differentiation of the individual cells. In order to more accurately identify the genes and pathways involved in the initiation of this multicellular developmental program in M. xanthus, we adapted a method of growing vegetative populations within a constant controllable environment by using flow cell bioreactors, or flow cells. By establishing an M. xanthus community within a flow cell, we are able to test developmental responses to changes in the environment with fewer concerns for effects due to nutrient depletion or bacterial waste production. This approach allows for greater sensitivity in investigating communal environmental responses, such as nutrient sensing. To demonstrate the versatility of our growth environment, we carried out time-lapse confocal laser scanning microscopy to visualize M. xanthus biofilm growth and fruiting body development, as well as fluorescence staining of exopolysaccharides deposited by biofilms. We also employed the flow cells in a nutrient titration to determine the minimum concentration required to sustain vegetative growth. Our data show that by using a flow cell, M. xanthus can be held in a vegetative growth state at low nutrient concentrations for long periods, and then, by slightly decreasing the nutrient concentration, cells can be allowed to initiate the developmental program.

The effects of bird use on nutrient removal in a constructed wastewater-treatment wetland

USGS Publications Warehouse

Andersen, D.C.; Sartoris, J.J.; Thullen, J.S.; Reusch, P.G.

2003-01-01

A 9.9-ha constructed wetland designed to reduce nitrogen in municipal wastewater following conventional secondary treatment began operating in southern California's San Jacinto Valley in September 1994. The wetland incorporated zones of bulrush (Schoenoplectus acutus and S. californicus) for effluent treatment, plus areas of 1.8-m deep open water and other features to benefit wintering waterfowl. A one-year long program to monitor bird use and evaluate their contribution to loadings of nitrogen and phosphorus was initiated seven months later and a second, four-month long period of monitoring was initiated after a 20-month hiatus. Daily bird use peaked at nearly 12,000 individuals during the second period. Estimates of maximum daily nitrogen and phosphorus input by birds were 139 g N ha−1 day−1 and 56 g P ha−1 day−1. Following a reconfiguration of the wetland that increased the area of open water, a third year-long period of monitoring was initiated in September 2000. Estimated maximum daily loading attributable to birds during this period reached 312 g N ha−1 day−1 and 124 g P ha−1 day−1. These levels represent only 2.6% and 7.0%, respectively, of the mean daily loads of N and P in inflow water from the wastewater-treatment plant. Wintering waterfowl contributed the most to nutrient loading, but the numerically dominant species was the colonial Red-winged Blackbird (Agelaius phoeniceus). The wetland's nutrient-removal efficiency was negatively correlated to bird loading. However, the greatest bird loading occurred during November to March, when winter conditions would reduce microbial nutrient-removal processes and plant uptake in the wetland. Multiple regression analysis indicated that variation in nutrient removal efficiency over a one-year period was best explained by wetland water temperature (R2 = 0.21) and that little additional insight was gained by adding bird loading and inflow nutrient load data (R2 = 0.22). This case study supports the concept that a constructed wetland can be designed both to reduce nutrients in municipal wastewater and to provide habitat for wetland birds.

Effectiveness of a CD-ROM Nutrient Analysis Program on Self-Monitoring Behavior of Active Duty Military Personnel Receiving Nutrition Counseling for Weight Loss.

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

classified as "obese" with resulting elevated risk for co- morbid conditions (2). However, only one study is published regarding use of computer...described as one of the single most important predictors of successful weight loss in multiple studies (4,5,6,7,8); however, it consistently remains a...Considering this study as well as previously published studies , the authors propose a target of self-monitoring all foods eaten on at least 75% of

Functional Analysis of the Beclin-1 Tumor Suppressor Interaction With hVps34 (Type-III P13-Kinase) in Breast Cancer Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

1219-1232 (2006). 9. N. Furuya, J. Yu, M. Byfield, S. Pattingre, B. Levine, Autophagy 1, 46-52 (2005). 10. F. Scarlatti et al., J.Biol.Chem. 279...subjected the cells to two established pro-autophagic stimuli: treatment with C2-ceramide ( Scarlatti et al., 2004) and nutrient deprivation (Klionsky...requirement for Beclin for the accumulation of autophagosomes in the initial stages of type II programmed cell death ( Scarlatti et al., 2004; Yu et al., 2004

Algae Production from Wastewater Resources: An Engineering and Cost Analysis

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Schoenung, Susan; Efroymson, Rebecca Ann

Co-locating algae cultivation ponds near municipal wastewater (MWW) facilities provides the opportunity to make use of the nitrogen and phosphorus compounds in the wastewater as nutrient sources for the algae. This use benefits MWW facilities, the algae biomass and biofuel or bioproduct industry, and the users of streams where treated or untreated waste would be discharged. Nutrient compounds can lead to eutrophication, hypoxia, and adverse effects to some organisms if released downstream. This analysis presents an estimate of the cost savings made possible to cultivation facilities by using the nutrients from wastewater for algae growth rather than purchase of themore » nutrients. The analysis takes into consideration the cost of pipe transport from the wastewater facility to the algae ponds, a cost factor that has not been publicly documented in the past. The results show that the savings in nutrient costs can support a wastewater transport distance up to 10 miles for a 1000-acre-pond facility, with potential adjustments for different operating assumptions.« less

The growth and anatomical features of nutrient-deficient seedlings

Treesearch

Fred M. Lamb; Wayne K. Murphey

1968-01-01

As the tree improvement and genetic programs supply better planting stock, a more suitable environment must be provided if their full potential is to be realized. This will require much more information than we now have on how nutrient deficiencies affect the growth and anatomy of forest trees. The importance of anatomical studies has been shown by Church (1949) and...

Lodgepole pine site index in relation to synoptic measures of climate, soil moisture and soil nutrients.

Treesearch

G. Geoff Wang; Shongming Huang; Robert A. Monserud; Ryan J. Klos

2004-01-01

Lodgepole pine site index was examined in relation to synoptic measures of topography, soil moisture, and soil nutrients in Alberta. Data came from 214 lodgepole pine-dominated stands sampled as a part of the provincial permanent sample plot program. Spatial location (elevation, latitude, and longitude) and natural subregions (NSRs) were topographic variables that...

Nutrient and Sediment Reductions from Algal Flow-Way Technologies: Recommendations to the Chesapeake Bay Program's Water Quality Goal Implementation Team from the Algal Flow-Way Technologies BMP Expert Panel

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Chesapeake Stormwater Network hosted a workshop on July, 2012 to discuss the potential nutrient reductions from emerging stormwater technologies including algal flow-way technologies (AFTs). Workshop participants recommended the Chesapeake Bay Program’s Water Quality Goal Implementation Team(WQ...

Optimising the selection of food items for FFQs using Mixed Integer Linear Programming.

PubMed

Gerdessen, Johanna C; Souverein, Olga W; van 't Veer, Pieter; de Vries, Jeanne Hm

2015-01-01

To support the selection of food items for FFQs in such a way that the amount of information on all relevant nutrients is maximised while the food list is as short as possible. Selection of the most informative food items to be included in FFQs was modelled as a Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) model. The methodology was demonstrated for an FFQ with interest in energy, total protein, total fat, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, total carbohydrates, mono- and disaccharides, dietary fibre and potassium. The food lists generated by the MILP model have good performance in terms of length, coverage and R 2 (explained variance) of all nutrients. MILP-generated food lists were 32-40 % shorter than a benchmark food list, whereas their quality in terms of R 2 was similar to that of the benchmark. The results suggest that the MILP model makes the selection process faster, more standardised and transparent, and is especially helpful in coping with multiple nutrients. The complexity of the method does not increase with increasing number of nutrients. The generated food lists appear either shorter or provide more information than a food list generated without the MILP model.

Identification of spatiotemporal nutrient patterns in a coastal bay via an integrated k-means clustering and gravity model.

PubMed

Chang, Ni-Bin; Wimberly, Brent; Xuan, Zhemin

2012-03-01

This study presents an integrated k-means clustering and gravity model (IKCGM) for investigating the spatiotemporal patterns of nutrient and associated dissolved oxygen levels in Tampa Bay, Florida. By using a k-means clustering analysis to first partition the nutrient data into a user-specified number of subsets, it is possible to discover the spatiotemporal patterns of nutrient distribution in the bay and capture the inherent linkages of hydrodynamic and biogeochemical features. Such patterns may then be combined with a gravity model to link the nutrient source contribution from each coastal watershed to the generated clusters in the bay to aid in the source proportion analysis for environmental management. The clustering analysis was carried out based on 1 year (2008) water quality data composed of 55 sample stations throughout Tampa Bay collected by the Environmental Protection Commission of Hillsborough County. In addition, hydrological and river water quality data of the same year were acquired from the United States Geological Survey's National Water Information System to support the gravity modeling analysis. The results show that the k-means model with 8 clusters is the optimal choice, in which cluster 2 at Lower Tampa Bay had the minimum values of total nitrogen (TN) concentrations, chlorophyll a (Chl-a) concentrations, and ocean color values in every season as well as the minimum concentration of total phosphorus (TP) in three consecutive seasons in 2008. The datasets indicate that Lower Tampa Bay is an area with limited nutrient input throughout the year. Cluster 5, located in Middle Tampa Bay, displayed elevated TN concentrations, ocean color values, and Chl-a concentrations, suggesting that high values of colored dissolved organic matter are linked with some nutrient sources. The data presented by the gravity modeling analysis indicate that the Alafia River Basin is the major contributor of nutrients in terms of both TP and TN values in all seasons. With this new integration, improvements for environmental monitoring and assessment were achieved to advance our understanding of sea-land interactions and nutrient cycling in a critical coastal bay, the Gulf of Mexico. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

A Comparison of Traditional Worksheet and Linear Programming Methods for Teaching Manure Application Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmitt, M. A.; And Others

1994-01-01

Compares traditional manure application planning techniques calculated to meet agronomic nutrient needs on a field-by-field basis with plans developed using computer-assisted linear programming optimization methods. Linear programming provided the most economical and environmentally sound manure application strategy. (Contains 15 references.) (MDH)

Menu variations for diabetes mellitus patients using Goal Programming model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dhoruri, Atmini; Lestari, Dwi; Ratnasari, Eminugroho

2017-08-01

Diabetes mellitus (DM) was a chronic metabolic disease characterized by higher than normal blood glucose level (normal blood glucose level = = 80 -120 mg/dl). In this study, type 2 DM which mostly caused by unhealthy eating habits would be investigated. Related to eating habit, DM patients needed dietary menu planning with an extracare regarding their nutrients intake (energy, protein, fat and carbohydrate). Therefore, the measures taken were by organizing nutritious dietary menu for diabetes mellitus patients. Dietary menu with appropriate amount of nutrients was organized by considering the amount of calories, proteins, fats and carbohydrates. In this study, Goal Programming model was employed to determine optimal dietary menu variations for diabetes mellitus patients by paying attention to optimal expenses. According to the data obtained from hospitals in Yogyakarta, optimal menu variations would be analyzed by using Goal Programming model and would be completed by using LINGO computer program.

Field guide for collecting and processing stream-water samples for the National Water-Quality Assessment Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shelton, Larry R.

1994-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey's National Water-Quality Assessment program includes extensive data- collection efforts to assess the quality of the Nations's streams. These studies require analyses of stream samples for major ions, nutrients, sediments, and organic contaminants. For the information to be comparable among studies in different parts of the Nation, consistent procedures specifically designed to produce uncontaminated samples for trace analysis in the laboratory are critical. This field guide describes the standard procedures for collecting and processing samples for major ions, nutrients, organic contaminants, sediment, and field analyses of conductivity, pH, alkalinity, and dissolved oxygen. Samples are collected and processed using modified and newly designed equipment made of Teflon to avoid contamination, including nonmetallic samplers (D-77 and DH-81) and a Teflon sample splitter. Field solid-phase extraction procedures developed to process samples for organic constituent analyses produce an extracted sample with stabilized compounds for more accurate results. Improvements to standard operational procedures include the use of processing chambers and capsule filtering systems. A modified collecting and processing procedure for organic carbon is designed to avoid contamination from equipment cleaned with methanol. Quality assurance is maintained by strict collecting and processing procedures, replicate sampling, equipment blank samples, and a rigid cleaning procedure using detergent, hydrochloric acid, and methanol.

Choking Lake Winnipeg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrne, J. M.; Little, L. J.; Dodgson, K. A.; MacDonald, R. J.; Graham, J.

2009-12-01

The problems of waterway eutrophication and coastal zone hypoxia are reaching epidemic proportions. Fresh water and coastal marine environments around the world are suffering unprecedented pollution loadings. We are developing an education program to address the dramatic need for public, community and K-12 education about the harsh impacts of elevated nutrient loads on fresh and marine water environments. The Lake Winnipeg watershed is adopted as the poster child of fresh water eutrophication in western North America. The watershed, one of the largest on the continent, is in rapid decline due to pollution, population pressures and water diversion. A concerted education program is needed to change personal and society actions that negatively impact the Winnipeg watershed; and the confluence of the watershed - Lake Winnipeg. But the education program goes beyond Lake Winnipeg. Negative impacts of nutrient loads are adversely affecting environments right to the oceans. Major dead zones that are expanding on our continental shelves due to nutrient overloading threaten to coalesce into extensive regions of marine life die-off. This presentation outlines the documentary education production process under development. We are building a series of Public Service Announcements (PSAs) for national television networks. The PSAs will direct educators, stakeholders and citizens to an associated website with educational video clips detailing the issues of eutrophication and hypoxia. The video clips or webisodes, present interviews with leading scientists. The discussions address the causes of the problems, and presents workable solutions to nutrient overloads from a variety of sources. The webisodes are accompanied by notes and advice to teachers on ways and means to use the webisodes in classrooms. The project is fully funed by a group of Canadian Community Foundations, with the understanding the work wil be available free to educators anywhere in the world. Our education program will enhance public awareness, beg scrutiny of the issues and promote informed discussion about possible solutions. This education program will enlighten all parties and facilitate personal and societal actions to reverse and control pollution of our rivers, lakes and oceans.

Estimated loads and yields of suspended soils and water-quality constituents in Kentucky streams

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crain, Angela S.

2001-01-01

Loads and yields of suspended solids, nutrients, major ions, trace elements, organic carbon, fecal coliform, dissolved oxygen, and alkalinity were estimated for 22 streams in 11 major river basins in Kentucky. Mean daily discharge was estimated at ungaged stations or stations with incomplete discharge records using drainage-area ratio, regression analysis, or a combination of the two techniques. Streamflow was partitioned into total and base flow and used to estimate loads and yields for suspended solids and water-quality constituents by use of the ESTIMATOR and FLUX computer programs. The relative magnitude of constituent transport to streams from groundand surface-water sources was determined for the 22 stations. Nutrient and suspended solids yields for drainage basins with relatively homogenous land use were used to estimate the total-flow and base-flow yields of nutrient and suspended solids for forested, agricultural, and urban land. Yields of nutrients?nitrite plus nitrate, ammonia plus organic nitrogen, and total phosphorus?in forested drainage basins were generally less than 1 ton per square mile per year ((ton/mi2)/yr) and were generally less than 2 (ton/mi2)/yr in agricultural drainage basins. The smallest total-flow yields for nitrogen (nitrite plus nitrate) was estimated at Levisa Fork at Paintsville in which 95 percent of the land is forested. This site also had one of the smallest total-flow yields for ammonia plus organic nitrogen. In general, nutrient yields from forested lands were lower than those from urban and agricultural land. Some of the largest estimated total-flow yields of nutrients among agricultural basins were for streams in the Licking River Basin, the North Fork Licking River near Milford, and the South Fork Licking River at Cynthiana. Agricultural land constitutes greater than 75 percent of the drainage area in these two basins. Possible sources of nutrients discharging into the Licking River are farm and residential fertilizers. Estimated base-flow yields of suspended solids and nutrients at several basins in the larger Green River and Lower Cumberland River Basins were about half of their estimated total-flow yields. The karst terrain in these basins makes the ground water highly susceptible to contamination, especially if a confining unit is thin or absent.

Temporal proteomic analysis reveals defects in small-intestinal development of porcine fetuses with intrauterine growth restriction.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoqiu; Lin, Gang; Liu, Chuang; Feng, Cuiping; Zhou, Huaijun; Wang, Taiji; Li, Defa; Wu, Guoyao; Wang, Junjun

2014-07-01

The fetus/neonate with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) has a high perinatal mortality and morbidity rate, as well as reduced efficiency for nutrients utilization. Our previous studies showed alterations of intestinal proteome in IUGR piglets both at birth and during the nursing period. Considering the potential long-term impacts of fetal programming and substantial increases in amounts of amniotic fluid nutrients from mid-gestation in pigs, the present study involved IUGR porcine fetuses from days 60 to 110 of gestation (mid to late gestation). We identified 59 differentially expressed proteins in the fetal small intestine that are related to intestinal growth, development and reprogramming. Our results further indicated increased abundances of proteins and enzymes associated with oxidative stress, apoptosis and protein degradation, as well as decreased abundances of proteins that are required for maintenance of cell structure and motility, absorption and transport of nutrients, energy metabolism, and protein synthesis in the fetal gut. Moreover, IUGR from middle to late gestation was associated with reduced expression of intestinal proteins that participate in regulation of gene expression and signal transduction. Collectively, these findings provide the first evidence for altered proteomes in the small intestine of IUGR fetuses, thereby predisposing the gut to metabolic defects during gestation and neonatal periods. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A qualitative study of diverse experts' views about barriers and strategies to improve the diets and health of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) beneficiaries.

PubMed

Leung, Cindy W; Hoffnagle, Elena E; Lindsay, Ana C; Lofink, Hayley E; Hoffman, Vanessa A; Turrell, Sophie; Willett, Walter C; Blumenthal, Susan J

2013-01-01

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the largest federal food assistance program, currently serves 44.7 million Americans with a budget of $75 billion in 2011. This study engaged leading experts for in-depth, semi-structured interviews to explore their opinions concerning the existing challenges and barriers to eating nutritiously in SNAP. Experts also proposed strategies for improving nutritional status among SNAP recipients. Twenty-seven individuals were interviewed from advocacy, government, industry, and research organizations. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for thematic content. The high cost of nutrient-rich foods, inadequate SNAP benefits, limited access to purchasing healthy foods, and environmental factors associated with poverty were identified as barriers that influence nutrition among low-income households in the United States. Six themes emerged among respondents from diverse sectors about how to address these challenges, including providing SNAP participants with incentives to purchase nutrient-rich food consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, restricting the purchase of nutrient-poor foods and beverages with program benefits, modifying the frequency of SNAP benefit distribution, enhancing nutrition education, improving the SNAP retailer environment, and increasing state and federal level coordination and consistency of program implementation. Given the recent dramatic increase in SNAP enrollment, policymakers must address existing barriers as well as consider new strategies to improve nutrition policies in SNAP so that the program can continue to address food insecurity needs as well as provide a healthful diet for SNAP beneficiaries. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Qualitative Study of Diverse Experts’ Views About Barriers and Strategies to Improve the Diets and Health of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Beneficiaries

PubMed Central

Leung, Cindy W.; Hoffnagle, Elena E.; Lindsay, Ana C.; Lofink, Hayley E.; Hoffman, Vanessa A.; Turrell, Sophie; Willett, Walter C.; Blumenthal, Susan J.

2012-01-01

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the largest federal food assistance program, currently serves 44.7 million Americans with a budget of $75 billion in 2011. This study engaged leading experts for in-depth, semi-structured interviews to explore their opinions concerning the existing challenges and barriers to eating nutritiously in SNAP. Experts also proposed strategies for improving nutritional status among SNAP recipients. Twenty-seven individuals were interviewed from advocacy, government, industry, and research organizations. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, coded and analyzed for thematic content. The high cost of nutrient-rich foods, inadequate SNAP benefits, limited access to purchasing healthy foods, and environmental factors associated with poverty were identified as barriers that influence nutrition among low-income households in the United States. Six themes emerged among respondents from diverse sectors about how to address these challenges including: 1) providing SNAP participants with incentives to purchase nutrient-rich food consistent with the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans; 2) restricting the purchase of nutrient-poor foods and beverages with program benefits; 3) modifying the frequency of SNAP benefit distribution; 4) enhancing nutrition education; 5) improving the SNAP retailer environment and 6) increasing state and federal level coordination and consistency of program implementation. Given the recent dramatic increase in SNAP enrollment, policymakers must address existing barriers as well as consider new strategies to improve nutrition policies in SNAP so that the program can continue to address food insecurity needs as well as provide a healthful diet for SNAP beneficiaries. PMID:23260725

Testing consumer perception of nutrient content claims using conjoint analysis.

PubMed

Drewnowski, Adam; Moskowitz, Howard; Reisner, Michele; Krieger, Bert

2010-05-01

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposes to establish standardized and mandatory criteria upon which front-of-pack (FOP) nutrition labelling must be based. The present study aimed to estimate the relative contribution of declared amounts of different nutrients to the perception of the overall 'healthfulness' of foods by the consumer. Protein, fibre, vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium and iron were nutrients to encourage. Total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, total and added sugar, and sodium were the nutrients to limit. Two content claims per nutrient used the FDA-approved language. An online consumer panel (n 320) exposed to multiple messages (n 48) rated the healthfulness of each hypothetical food product. Utility functions were constructed using conjoint analysis, based on multiple logistic regression and maximum likelihood estimation. Consumer perception of healthfulness was most strongly driven by the declared presence of protein, fibre, calcium and vitamin C and by the declared total absence of saturated fat and sodium. For this adult panel, total and added sugar had lower utilities and contributed less to the perception of healthfulness. There were major differences between women and men. Conjoint analysis can lead to a better understanding of how consumers process information about the full nutrition profile of a product, and is a powerful tool for the testing of nutrient content claims. Such studies can help the FDA develop science-based criteria for nutrient profiling that underlies FOP and shelf labelling.

Nutrient Limitation Dynamics of a Coastal Cape Cod Pond: Seasonal Trends in Alkaline Phosphatase Activity

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-11-13

Collection and Nutrient Analyses Ashumet Pond water column profiles and samples were taken by the School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST) at the...Collection & Analysis ........................................ .......... 77 4.3.1 SMAST Water Sampling Plan/Collection and Nutrient Analyses...suited as an indicator of phosphate limitation in natural waters . In this study alkaline phosphatase is used to understand the nutrient limitation

Regulation and functional diversification of root hairs.

PubMed

Cui, Songkui; Suzaki, Takuya; Tominaga-Wada, Rumi; Yoshida, Satoko

2017-10-13

Root hairs result from the polar outgrowth of root epidermis cells in vascular plants. Root hair development processes are regulated by intrinsic genetic programs, which are flexibly modulated by environmental conditions, such as nutrient availability. Basic programs for root hair development were present in early land plants. Subsequently, some plants developed the ability to utilize root hairs for specific functions, in particular, for interactions with other organisms, such as legume-rhizobia and host plants-parasites interactions. In this review, we summarize the molecular regulation of root hair development and the modulation of root hairs under limited nutrient supply and during interactions with other organisms. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Programming Power of the Placenta

PubMed Central

Sferruzzi-Perri, Amanda N.; Camm, Emily J.

2016-01-01

Size at birth is a critical determinant of life expectancy, and is dependent primarily on the placental supply of nutrients. However, the placenta is not just a passive organ for the materno-fetal transfer of nutrients and oxygen. Studies show that the placenta can adapt morphologically and functionally to optimize substrate supply, and thus fetal growth, under adverse intrauterine conditions. These adaptations help meet the fetal drive for growth, and their effectiveness will determine the amount and relative proportions of specific metabolic substrates supplied to the fetus at different stages of development. This flow of nutrients will ultimately program physiological systems at the gene, cell, tissue, organ, and system levels, and inadequacies can cause permanent structural and functional changes that lead to overt disease, particularly with increasing age. This review examines the environmental regulation of the placental phenotype with particular emphasis on the impact of maternal nutritional challenges and oxygen scarcity in mice, rats and guinea pigs. It also focuses on the effects of such conditions on fetal growth and the developmental programming of disease postnatally. A challenge for future research is to link placental structure and function with clinical phenotypes in the offspring. PMID:27014074

The Role of Placental Nutrient Sensing in Maternal-Fetal Resource Allocation1

PubMed Central

Díaz, Paula; Powell, Theresa L.; Jansson, Thomas

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT The placenta mediates maternal-fetal exchange and has historically been regarded as a passive conduit for nutrients. However, emerging evidence suggests that the placenta actively responds to nutritional and metabolic signals from the mother and the fetus. We propose that the placenta integrates a multitude of maternal and fetal nutritional cues with information from intrinsic nutrient-sensing signaling pathways to match fetal demand with maternal supply by regulating maternal physiology, placental growth, and nutrient transport. This process, which we have called placental nutrient sensing, ensures optimal allocation of resources between the mother and the fetus to maximize the chances for propagation of parental genes without jeopardizing maternal health. We suggest that these mechanisms have evolved because of the evolutionary pressures of maternal undernutrition, which result in decreased placental growth and down-regulation of nutrient transporters, thereby limiting fetal growth to ensure maternal survival. These regulatory loops may also function in response to maternal overnutrition, leading to increased placental growth and nutrient transport in cases of maternal obesity or gestational diabetes. Thus, placental nutrient sensing modulates maternal-fetal resource allocation to increase the likelihood of reproductive success. This model implies that the placenta plays a critical role in mediating fetal programming and determining lifelong health. PMID:25122064

Nutrient Status and Criteria Development for the Saint John River, Canada, Using a Weight of Evidence Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Culp, J. M.; Luiker, E. A.; Noel, L.; Curry, A. R.; Hryn, D.; Heard, K.

2005-05-01

The Saint John River is the largest in Maine/New Brunswick (673 km in length, draining 55,000 km2) with a history of natural resource use and nutrient effluent release to the watershed since the late 17th century. Our objective was to obtain a basic understanding of the contemporary nutrient conditions of the non-tidal portion of the river in relation to historical conditions, and to consider how the contemporary river is affected by point and non-point source nutrient loadings. The study included review of historical provincial and federal water quality databases dating back to the 1960s. Current water quality monitoring programs have focused on nitrogen (nitrite, nitrate, ammonia, TKN), phosphorus (total, dissolved, and soluble reactive phosphorus), DIC/DOC, and biomass of periphyton and phytoplankton. To determine nutrient limitation, nutrient diffusing substrate studies were conducted in river reaches of known nutrient enrichment. Oxygen stable isotopes were also used to provide information on the photosynthesis to respiration ratio. A weight of evidence approach combining the results of these studies was used to determine trophic status of river reaches and to highlight areas of eutrophication. From this information nutrient criteria for the Saint John River will be proposed.

Nutrient Density and the Cost of Vegetables from Elementary School Lunches.

PubMed

Ishdorj, Ariun; Capps, Oral; Murano, Peter S

2016-01-01

Vegetables are the major source of the dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A and C that are crucial in the diets of children. This study assessed the nutrient content of vegetables offered through the National School Lunch Program and examined the relation between the overall nutrient density of vegetable subgroups and the costs of nutrients offered and wasted before and after the changes in school meal standards. Using data collected from 3 elementary schools before and after the changes in school meal standards, we found that vegetable plate waste increased from 52% to 58%. Plate waste for starchy vegetables, exclusive of potatoes, was relatively high compared with other subgroups; however, plate waste for white potatoes was the lowest among any type of vegetable. Energy density; cost per 100 g, per serving, and per 100 kcal; and percentage daily value were calculated and used to estimate nutrient density value and nutrient density per dollar. Cost per 100 kcal was highest for red/orange vegetables followed by dark green vegetables; however, nutrient density for red/orange vegetables was the highest in the group and provided the most nutrients per dollar compared with other subgroups. Given that many vegetables are less energy dense, measuring vegetable costs per 100 g and per serving by accounting for nutrient density perhaps is a better way of calculating the cost of vegetables in school meals. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

Nutrient Density and the Cost of Vegetables from Elementary School Lunches123

PubMed Central

Ishdorj, Ariun; Capps, Oral; Murano, Peter S

2016-01-01

Vegetables are the major source of the dietary fiber, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins A and C that are crucial in the diets of children. This study assessed the nutrient content of vegetables offered through the National School Lunch Program and examined the relation between the overall nutrient density of vegetable subgroups and the costs of nutrients offered and wasted before and after the changes in school meal standards. Using data collected from 3 elementary schools before and after the changes in school meal standards, we found that vegetable plate waste increased from 52% to 58%. Plate waste for starchy vegetables, exclusive of potatoes, was relatively high compared with other subgroups; however, plate waste for white potatoes was the lowest among any type of vegetable. Energy density; cost per 100 g, per serving, and per 100 kcal; and percentage daily value were calculated and used to estimate nutrient density value and nutrient density per dollar. Cost per 100 kcal was highest for red/orange vegetables followed by dark green vegetables; however, nutrient density for red/orange vegetables was the highest in the group and provided the most nutrients per dollar compared with other subgroups. Given that many vegetables are less energy dense, measuring vegetable costs per 100 g and per serving by accounting for nutrient density perhaps is a better way of calculating the cost of vegetables in school meals. PMID:26773034

Research on the degradation of tropical arable land soil: Part II. The distribution of soil nutrients in eastern part of Hainan Island

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dengfeng; Wei, Zhiyuan; Qi, Zhiping

Research on the temporal and spatial distribution of soil nutrients in tropical arable land is very important to promote the tropical sustainable agriculture development. Take the Eastern part of Hainan as research area, applying GIS spatial analysis technique, analyzing the temporal and spatial variation of soil N, P and K contents in arable land. The results indicate that the contents of soil N, P and K were 0.28%, 0.20% and 1.75% respectively in 2005. The concentrations of total N and P in arable land soil increased significantly from 1980s to 2005. The variances in contents of soil nutrients were closely related to the application of chemical fertilizers in recent years, and the uneven distribution of soil nutrient contents was a reflection of fertilizer application in research area. Fertilization can be planned based on the distribution of soil nutrients and the spatial analysis techniques, so as to sustain balance of soil nutrients contents.

Designing optimal food intake patterns to achieve nutritional goals for Japanese adults through the use of linear programming optimization models.

PubMed

Okubo, Hitomi; Sasaki, Satoshi; Murakami, Kentaro; Yokoyama, Tetsuji; Hirota, Naoko; Notsu, Akiko; Fukui, Mitsuru; Date, Chigusa

2015-06-06

Simultaneous dietary achievement of a full set of nutritional recommendations is difficult. Diet optimization model using linear programming is a useful mathematical means of translating nutrient-based recommendations into realistic nutritionally-optimal food combinations incorporating local and culture-specific foods. We used this approach to explore optimal food intake patterns that meet the nutrient recommendations of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) while incorporating typical Japanese food selections. As observed intake values, we used the food and nutrient intake data of 92 women aged 31-69 years and 82 men aged 32-69 years living in three regions of Japan. Dietary data were collected with semi-weighed dietary record on four non-consecutive days in each season of the year (16 days total). The linear programming models were constructed to minimize the differences between observed and optimized food intake patterns while also meeting the DRIs for a set of 28 nutrients, setting energy equal to estimated requirements, and not exceeding typical quantities of each food consumed by each age (30-49 or 50-69 years) and gender group. We successfully developed mathematically optimized food intake patterns that met the DRIs for all 28 nutrients studied in each sex and age group. Achieving nutritional goals required minor modifications of existing diets in older groups, particularly women, while major modifications were required to increase intake of fruit and vegetables in younger groups of both sexes. Across all sex and age groups, optimized food intake patterns demanded greatly increased intake of whole grains and reduced-fat dairy products in place of intake of refined grains and full-fat dairy products. Salt intake goals were the most difficult to achieve, requiring marked reduction of salt-containing seasoning (65-80%) in all sex and age groups. Using a linear programming model, we identified optimal food intake patterns providing practical food choices and meeting nutritional recommendations for Japanese populations. Dietary modifications from current eating habits required to fulfil nutritional goals differed by age: more marked increases in food volume were required in younger groups.

Evaluation of a Leaf Collection and Street Cleaning Program as a Way to Reduce Nutrients and Organic Carbon in Urban Runoff

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selbig, W.

2016-12-01

Organic detritus can be major sources of nutrients and organic carbon in urban stormwater, especially in areas with dense overhead tree canopy. In order to meet impending regulation to reduce nutrient loads, many cities will require information on structural and non-structural stormwater control measures that target organic detritus. Most cities already conduct some level of leaf collection and existing street cleaning programs; however, few studies have quantified their water-quality benefits. The U.S Geological Survey measured the water-quality benefits of a municipal leaf collection program coupled with street cleaning in Madison, WI, USA during the months of October through November of 2014 and 2015. The calibration phase of the study (2014) characterized nutrient and organic carbon concentrations and loads in runoff from two paired basins without leaf collection or street cleaning. During the treatment phase (2015), leaf collection and street cleaning was done in the test basin by city personnel on a weekly basis. Additionally, prior to each precipitation event, USGS personnel removed as much organic debris from the street surface as reasonably possible. The control remained without street cleaning or leaf collection for the entire monitoring period. During the fall, leaf collection and street cleaning was able to remove the increased amount of organic debris from the curb and street surface which resulted in statistically significant (p<0.05) reductions in loads of phosphorus, nitrogen and organic carbon. Total and dissolved phosphorus loads were reduced by 84 and 83 percent, respectively. Similarly, total and dissolved organic carbon was reduced by 81 and 86 percent, and total and dissolved nitrogen was reduced by 74 and 71 percent, respectively. In the control basin, 60 percent of the annual phosphorus load occurred in fall (winter excluded), the majority of which was dissolved as orthophosphorus, compared to only 16 percent in the test basin. While the leaf collection practices adopted during this study may surpass those used by most municipal programs, results from this study suggest a significant reduction of nutrient and organic carbon loads in urban stormwater is feasible when leaves and other organic detritus are removed from streets prior to precipitation events.

Effects of detention on water quality of two stormwater detention ponds receiving highway surface runoff in Jacksonville, Florida

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hampson, P.S.

1986-01-01

Water and sediment samples were analyzed for major chemical constituents, nutrients, and heavy metals following ten storm events at two stormwater detention ponds that receive highway surface runoff in the Jacksonville, Florida, metropolitan area. The purpose of the sampling program was to detect changes in constituent concentration with time of detention within the pond system. Statistical inference of a relation with total rainfall was found in the initial concentrations of 11 constituents and with antecedent dry period for the initial concentrations of 3 constituents. Based on graphical examination and factor analysis , constituent behavior with time could be grouped into five relatively independent processes for one of the ponds. The processes were (1) interaction with shallow groundwater systems, (2) solubilization of bottom materials, (3) nutrient uptake, (4) seasonal changes in precipitation, and (5) sedimentation. Most of the observed water-quality changes in the ponds were virtually complete within 3 days following the storm event. (Author 's abstract)

Genomic analysis reveals the major driving forces of bacterial life in the rhizosphere

PubMed Central

Matilla, Miguel A; Espinosa-Urgel, Manuel; Rodríguez-Herva, José J; Ramos, Juan L; Ramos-González, María Isabel

2007-01-01

Background Mutualistic interactions less well known than those between rhizobia and legumes are commonly found between plants and bacteria, frequently pseudomonads, which colonize roots and adjacent soil areas (the rhizosphere). Results A global analysis of Pseudomonas putida genes expressed during their interaction with maize roots revealed how a bacterial population adjusts its genetic program to this lifestyle. Differentially expressed genes were identified by comparing rhizosphere-colonizing populations with three distinct controls covering a variety of nutrients, growth phases and life styles (planktonic and sessile). Ninety rhizosphere up-regulated (rup) genes, which were induced relative to all three controls, were identified, whereas there was no repressed gene in common between the experiments. Genes involved in amino acid uptake and metabolism of aromatic compounds were preferentially expressed in the rhizosphere, which reflects the availability of particular nutrients in root exudates. The induction of efflux pumps and enzymes for glutathione metabolism indicates that adaptation to adverse conditions and stress (oxidative) response are crucial for bacterial life in this environment. The finding of a GGDEF/EAL domain response regulator among the induced genes suggests a role for the turnover of the secondary messenger c-diGMP in root colonization. Several mutants in rup genes showed reduced fitness in competitive root colonization. Conclusion Our results show the importance of two selective forces of different nature to colonize the rhizosphere: stress adaptation and availability of particular nutrients. We also identify new traits conferring bacterial survival in this niche and open a way to the characterization of specific signalling and regulatory processes governing the plant-Pseudomonas association. PMID:17784941

The Plant Ionome Revisited by the Nutrient Balance Concept

PubMed Central

Parent, Serge-Étienne; Parent, Léon Etienne; Egozcue, Juan José; Rozane, Danilo-Eduardo; Hernandes, Amanda; Lapointe, Line; Hébert-Gentile, Valérie; Naess, Kristine; Marchand, Sébastien; Lafond, Jean; Mattos, Dirceu; Barlow, Philip; Natale, William

2013-01-01

Tissue analysis is commonly used in ecology and agronomy to portray plant nutrient signatures. Nutrient concentration data, or ionomes, belong to the compositional data class, i.e., multivariate data that are proportions of some whole, hence carrying important numerical properties. Statistics computed across raw or ordinary log-transformed nutrient data are intrinsically biased, hence possibly leading to wrong inferences. Our objective was to present a sound and robust approach based on a novel nutrient balance concept to classify plant ionomes. We analyzed leaf N, P, K, Ca, and Mg of two wild and six domesticated fruit species from Canada, Brazil, and New Zealand sampled during reproductive stages. Nutrient concentrations were (1) analyzed without transformation, (2) ordinary log-transformed as commonly but incorrectly applied in practice, (3) additive log-ratio (alr) transformed as surrogate to stoichiometric rules, and (4) converted to isometric log-ratios (ilr) arranged as sound nutrient balance variables. Raw concentration and ordinary log transformation both led to biased multivariate analysis due to redundancy between interacting nutrients. The alr- and ilr-transformed data provided unbiased discriminant analyses of plant ionomes, where wild and domesticated species formed distinct groups and the ionomes of species and cultivars were differentiated without numerical bias. The ilr nutrient balance concept is preferable to alr, because the ilr technique projects the most important interactions between nutrients into a convenient Euclidean space. This novel numerical approach allows rectifying historical biases and supervising phenotypic plasticity in plant nutrition studies. PMID:23526060

Using high-frequency sensors to identify hydroclimatological controls on storm-event variability in catchment nutrient fluxes and source zone activation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaen, Phillip; Khamis, Kieran; Lloyd, Charlotte; Krause, Stefan

2017-04-01

At the river catchment scale, storm events can drive highly variable behaviour in nutrient and water fluxes, yet short-term dynamics are frequently missed by low resolution sampling regimes. In addition, nutrient source contributions can vary significantly within and between storm events. Our inability to identify and characterise time dynamic source zone contributions severely hampers the adequate design of land use management practices in order to control nutrient exports from agricultural landscapes. Here, we utilise an 8-month high-frequency (hourly) time series of streamflow, nitrate concentration (NO3) and fluorescent dissolved organic matter concentration (FDOM) derived from optical in-situ sensors located in a headwater agricultural catchment. We characterised variability in flow and nutrient dynamics across 29 storm events. Storm events represented 31% of the time series and contributed disproportionately to nutrient loads (43% of NO3 and 36% of CDOM) relative to their duration. Principal components analysis of potential hydroclimatological controls on nutrient fluxes demonstrated that a small number of components, representing >90% of variance in the dataset, were highly significant model predictors of inter-event variability in catchment nutrient export. Hysteresis analysis of nutrient concentration-discharge relationships suggested spatially discrete source zones existed for NO3 and FDOM, and that activation of these zones varied on an event-specific basis. Our results highlight the benefits of high-frequency in-situ monitoring for characterising complex short-term nutrient dynamics and unravelling connections between hydroclimatological variability and river nutrient export and source zone activation under extreme flow conditions. These new process-based insights are fundamental to underpinning the development of targeted management measures to reduce nutrient loading of surface waters.

Low Impact Development for Industrial Areas

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-07-01

Stormwater program managers are faced with increasingly stringent stormwater discharge limits for heavy metals such as copper, zinc , nutrients, total...limits for heavy metals such as copper, zinc , nutrients, total suspended solids (TSS), oil and grease. These limits are required to reduce...U.S. EPA), state agencies, and local agencies set permit limits as part of the total mass daily loading regulatory framework. Copper, zinc , lead

Nutrient-gene interactions in early pregnancy: a vascular hypothesis.

PubMed

Steegers-Theunissen, R P M; Steegers, E A P

2003-02-10

It is hypothesized that the following periconceptional and early pregnancy nutrient-gene interactions link vascular-related reproductive complications and cardiovascular diseases in adulthood: (1) Maternal and paternal genetically controlled nutrient status affects the quality of gametes and fertilization capacity; (2) The embryonic genetic constitution, derived from both parents, and the maternal genetically controlled nutrient environment determine embryogenesis and fetal growth; (3) Trophoblast invasion of decidua and spiral arteries is driven by genes derived from both parents as well as by maternal nutritional factors; (4) Angiogenesis, vasculogenesis and vascular function are dependent on the genetic constitution of the embryo, derived from both parents, and the maternal genetically controlled nutritional environment.Early intra-uterine programming of vessels may concern the same (in)dependent determinants of vascular-related complications during pregnancy and cardiovascular diseases in later life.

Intake of total and added sugars and nutrient dilution in Australian children and adolescents.

PubMed

Louie, Jimmy Chun Yu; Tapsell, Linda C

2015-12-14

This analysis aimed to examine the association between intake of sugars (total or added) and nutrient intake with data from a recent Australian national nutrition survey, the 2007 Australian National Children's Nutrition and Physical Activity Survey (2007ANCNPAS). Data from participants (n 4140; 51 % male) who provided 2×plausible 24-h recalls were included in the analysis. The values on added sugars for foods were estimated using a previously published ten-step systematic methodology. Reported intakes of nutrients and foods defined in the 2007ANCNPAS were analysed by age- and sex-specific quintiles of %energy from added sugars (%EAS) or %energy from total sugars (%ETS) using ANCOVA. Linear trends across the quintiles were examined using multiple linear regression. Logistic regression analysis was used to calculate the OR of not meeting a specified nutrient reference values for Australia and New Zealand per unit in %EAS or %ETS. Analyses were adjusted for age, sex, BMI z-score and total energy intake. Small but significant negative associations were seen between %EAS and the intakes of most nutrient intakes (all P<0·001). For %ETS the associations with nutrient intakes were inconsistent; even then they were smaller than that for %EAS. In general, higher intakes of added sugars were associated with lower intakes of most nutrient-rich, 'core' food groups and higher intakes of energy-dense, nutrient-poor 'extra' foods. In conclusion, assessing intakes of added sugars may be a better approach for addressing issues of diet quality compared with intakes of total sugars.

Rapid Characterization of Molecular Chemistry, Nutrient Make-Up and Microlocation of Internal Seed Tissue

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yu,P.; Block, H.; Niu, Z.

2007-01-01

Wheat differs from corn in biodegradation kinetics and fermentation characteristics. Wheat exhibits a relatively high rate (23% h{sup 01}) and extent (78% DM) of biodegradation, which can lead to metabolic problems such as acidosis and bloat in ruminants. The objective of this study was to rapidly characterize the molecular chemistry of the internal structure of wheat (cv. AC Barrie) and reveal both its structural chemical make-up and nutrient component matrix by analyzing the intensity and spatial distribution of molecular functional groups within the intact seed using advanced synchrotron-powered Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy. The experiment was performed at the U2Bmore » station of the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory, New York, USA. The wheat tissue was imaged systematically from the pericarp, seed coat, aleurone layer and endosperm under the peaks at {approx}1732 (carbonyl C{double_bond}O ester), 1515 (aromatic compound of lignin), 1650 (amide I), 1025 (non-structural CHO), 1550 (amide II), 1246 (cellulosic material), 1160, 1150, 1080, 930, 860 (all CHO), 3350 (OH and NH stretching), 2928 (CH{sub 2} stretching band) and 2885 cm{sup -1} (CH{sub 3} stretching band). Hierarchical cluster analysis and principal component analysis were applied to analyze the molecular FTIR spectra obtained from the different inherent structures within the intact wheat tissues. The results showed that, with synchrotron-powered FTIR microspectroscopy, images of the molecular chemistry of wheat could be generated at an ultra-spatial resolution. The features of aromatic lignin, structural and non-structural carbohydrates, as well as nutrient make-up and interactions in the seeds, could be revealed. Both principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis methods are conclusive in showing that they can discriminate and classify the different inherent structures within the seed tissue. The wheat exhibited distinguishable differences in the structural and nutrient make-up among the pericarp, seed coat, aleurone layer and endosperm. Such information on the molecular chemistry can be used for grain-breeding programs for selecting a superior variety of wheat targeted for food and feed purposes and for predicting wheat quality and nutritive value in humans and animals. Thus advanced synchrotron-powered FTIR technology can provide a greater understanding of the plant-animal interface.« less

Nutrient and Food Group Analysis in the 2016 ASA24® System

Cancer.gov

Researchers, clinicians, and educators can use the ASA24 system to analyze 65 nutrients and 37 food groups (U.S. and Canadian versions) from food recall or record data. Analyses for ASA24-Australia-2016 provide 41 nutrients and no food groups.

Socioeconomic Indicators Are Independently Associated with Nutrient Intake in French Adults: A DEDIPAC Study

PubMed Central

Si Hassen, Wendy; Castetbon, Katia; Cardon, Philippe; Enaux, Christophe; Nicolaou, Mary; Lien, Nanna; Terragni, Laura; Holdsworth, Michelle; Stronks, Karien; Hercberg, Serge; Méjean, Caroline

2016-01-01

Studies have suggested differential associations of specific indicators of socioeconomic position (SEP) with nutrient intake and a cumulative effect of these indicators on diet. We investigated the independent association of SEP indicators (education, income, occupation) with nutrient intake and their effect modification. This cross-sectional analysis included 91,900 French adults from the NutriNet-Santé cohort. Nutrient intake was estimated using three 24-h records. We investigated associations between the three SEP factors and nutrient intake using sex-stratified analysis of covariance, adjusted for age and energy intake, and associations between income and nutrient intake stratified by education and occupation. Low educated participants had higher protein and cholesterol intakes and lower fibre, vitamin C and beta-carotene intakes. Low income individuals had higher complex carbohydrate intakes, and lower magnesium, potassium, folate and vitamin C intakes. Intakes of vitamin D and alcohol were lower in low occupation individuals. Higher income was associated with higher intakes of fibre, protein, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene, and folate among low educated persons only, highlighting effect modification. Lower SEP, particularly low education, was associated with lower intakes of nutrients required for a healthy diet. Each SEP indicator was associated with specific differences in nutrient intake suggesting that they underpin different social processes. PMID:26978393

Biomass and nutrient allocation strategies in a desert ecosystem in the Hexi Corridor, northwest China.

PubMed

Zhang, Ke; Su, YongZhong; Yang, Rong

2017-07-01

The allocation of biomass and nutrients in plants is a crucial factor in understanding the process of plant structures and dynamics to different environmental conditions. In this study, we present a comprehensive scaling analysis of data from a desert ecosystem to determine biomass and nutrient (carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P)) allocation strategies of desert plants from 40 sites in the Hexi Corridor. We found that the biomass and levels of C, N, and P storage were higher in shoots than in roots. Roots biomass and nutrient storage were concentrated at a soil depth of 0-30 cm. Scaling relationships of biomass, C storage, and P storage between shoots and roots were isometric, but that of N storage was allometric. Results of a redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that soil nutrient densities were the primary factors influencing biomass and nutrient allocation, accounting for 94.5% of the explained proportion. However, mean annual precipitation was the primary factor influencing the roots biomass/shoots biomass (R/S) ratio. Furthermore, Pearson's correlations and regression analyses demonstrated that although the biomass and nutrients that associated with functional traits primarily depended on soil conditions, mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature had greater effects on roots biomass and nutrient storage.

Socioeconomic Indicators Are Independently Associated with Nutrient Intake in French Adults: A DEDIPAC Study.

PubMed

Si Hassen, Wendy; Castetbon, Katia; Cardon, Philippe; Enaux, Christophe; Nicolaou, Mary; Lien, Nanna; Terragni, Laura; Holdsworth, Michelle; Stronks, Karien; Hercberg, Serge; Méjean, Caroline

2016-03-10

Studies have suggested differential associations of specific indicators of socioeconomic position (SEP) with nutrient intake and a cumulative effect of these indicators on diet. We investigated the independent association of SEP indicators (education, income, occupation) with nutrient intake and their effect modification. This cross-sectional analysis included 91,900 French adults from the NutriNet-Santé cohort. Nutrient intake was estimated using three 24-h records. We investigated associations between the three SEP factors and nutrient intake using sex-stratified analysis of covariance, adjusted for age and energy intake, and associations between income and nutrient intake stratified by education and occupation. Low educated participants had higher protein and cholesterol intakes and lower fibre, vitamin C and beta-carotene intakes. Low income individuals had higher complex carbohydrate intakes, and lower magnesium, potassium, folate and vitamin C intakes. Intakes of vitamin D and alcohol were lower in low occupation individuals. Higher income was associated with higher intakes of fibre, protein, magnesium, potassium, beta-carotene, and folate among low educated persons only, highlighting effect modification. Lower SEP, particularly low education, was associated with lower intakes of nutrients required for a healthy diet. Each SEP indicator was associated with specific differences in nutrient intake suggesting that they underpin different social processes.

Plants may alter competition by modifying nutrient bioavailability in rhizosphere: a modeling approach.

PubMed

Raynaud, Xavier; Jaillard, Benoît; Leadley, Paul W

2008-01-01

Plants modify nutrient availability by releasing chemicals in the rhizosphere. This change in availability induced by roots (bioavailability) is known to improve nutrient uptake by individual plants releasing such compounds. Can this bioavailability alter plant competition for nutrients and under what conditions? To address these questions, we have developed a model of nutrient competition between plant species based on mechanistic descriptions of nutrient diffusion, plant exudation, and plant uptake. The model was parameterized using data of the effects of root citrate exudation on phosphorus availability. We performed a sensitivity analysis for key parameters to test the generality of these effects. Our simulations suggest the following. (1) Nutrient uptake depends on the number of roots when nutrients and exudates diffuse little, because individual roots are nearly independent in terms of nutrient supply. In this case, bioavailability profits only species with exudates. (2) Competition for nutrients depends on the spatial arrangement of roots when nutrients diffuse little but exudates diffuse widely. (3) Competition for nutrients depends on the nutrient uptake capacity of roots when nutrients and exudates diffuse widely. In this case, bioavailability profits all species. Mechanisms controlling competition for bioavailable nutrients appear to be diverse and strongly depend on soil, nutrient, and plant properties.

Feeding Problems and Nutrient Intake in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A Meta-Analysis and Comprehensive Review of the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharp, William G.; Berry, Rashelle C.; McCracken, Courtney; Nuhu, Nadrat N.; Marvel, Elizabeth; Saulnier, Celine A.; Klin, Ami; Jones, Warren; Jaquess, David L.

2013-01-01

We conducted a comprehensive review and meta-analysis of research regarding feeding problems and nutrient status among children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). The systematic search yielded 17 prospective studies involving a comparison group. Using rigorous meta-analysis techniques, we calculated the standardized mean difference (SMD) with…

Variation in nitrogen use efficiencies on Dutch dairy farms.

PubMed

Daatselaar, Co Hg; Reijs, Joan R; Oenema, Jouke; Doornewaard, Gerben J; Aarts, H Frans M

2015-12-01

On dairy farms, the input of nutrients including nitrogen is higher than the output in products such as milk and meat. This causes losses of nitrogen to the environment. One of the indicators for the losses of nitrogen is the nitrogen use efficiency. In the Dutch Minerals Policy Monitoring Program (LMM), many data on nutrients of a few hundred farms are collected which can be processed by the instrument Annual Nutrient Cycle Assessment (ANCA, in Dutch: Kringloopwijzer) in order to provide nitrogen use efficiencies. After dividing the dairy farms (available in the LMM program) according to soil type and in different classes for milk production ha(-1) , it is shown that considerable differences in nitrogen use efficiency exist between farms on the same soil type and with the same level of milk production ha(-1) . This offers opportunities for improvement of the nitrogen use efficiency on many dairy farms. Benchmarking will be a useful first step in this process. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry.

Establishing safe and potentially efficacious fortification contents for folic acid and vitamin B12.

PubMed

Dary, Omar

2008-06-01

Determining the micronutrient contents infortified foods depends not only on the health goal (additional intake to complement the diet), but also on ensuring that fortification does not raise micronutrient intakes beyond the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), i.e., the safe limit. Technological incompatibility and cost may also restrict the fortification contents. For folic acid, the limiting factor is safety, while for vitamin B12, it is cost. However, adequate fortification contents that are both safe and efficacious can be estimated for both nutrients. In order to obtain the maximum benefit from the fortification programs, three different formulas responding to three categories of consumption, as specified by the median and 95th percentile of consumption, are proposed. The model presented is based on the estimation of a Feasible Fortification Level (FFL), which then is used to determine the average, minimum, and maximum contents of the nutrients during production, taking into consideration the acceptable variation of the fortification process. Finally, the regulatory parameters, which support standards and enforcement, are calculated by reducing the proportion of the nutrient that is degraded during the usual marketing process of the fortified food. It is expected that this model will establish a common standard for food fortification, and improve the reliability and enforcement procedures of these programs. The model was applied to flours as vehicles for folic acid in the United States, Guatemala, and Chile. Analysis of the data revealed that, with the exception of Chile, where wheat flour consumption is very high and probably within a narrow range, supplementation with folic acid is still needed to cover individuals at the low end of consumption. This is especially true when the difference in flour consumption is too wide, as in the case of Guatemala, where the proportional difference between consumption at the 95th percentile of the nonpoor group is as high as 100 times the consumption at the 5th percentile of the extremely poor group. Adoption of fortification content for staple foods near the safe limit brings together the need of restricting the voluntary addition of the specific nutrient to other foods and to dietary supplements.

An exploratory analysis of Indiana and Illinois biotic assemblage data in support of state nutrient criteria development

EPA Science Inventory

EPA recognizes the importance of nutrient criteria in protecting designated uses from eutrophication effects associated with elevated phosphorus and nitrogen in streams and has worked with states over the past 12 years to assist them in developing nutrient criteria. Towards that ...

WETLAND MORPHOLOGIC AND BIOGEOGRAPHIC INFLUENCES ON ALGAL RESPONSES TO NUTRIENT LOADING IN GREAT LAKES COASTAL WETLANDS

EPA Science Inventory

We are testing the influence of wetland morphology (protected vs. riverine) and biogeography (upper vs. lower Great Lakes) on algal responses to nutrients in Great Lakes Coastal wetlands. Principal components analysis using nutrient-specific GIS data was used to select sites wit...

Building beef cow nutritional programs with the 1996 NRC beef cattle requirements model.

PubMed

Lardy, G P; Adams, D C; Klopfenstein, T J; Patterson, H H

2004-01-01

Designing a sound cow-calf nutritional program requires knowledge of nutrient requirements, diet quality, and intake. Effectively using the NRC (1996) beef cattle requirements model (1996NRC) also requires knowledge of dietary degradable intake protein (DIP) and microbial efficiency. Objectives of this paper are to 1) describe a framework in which 1996NRC-applicable data can be generated, 2) describe seasonal changes in nutrients on native range, 3) use the 1996NRC to predict nutrient balance for cattle grazing these forages, and 4) make recommendations for using the 1996NRC for forage-fed cattle. Extrusa samples were collected over 2 yr on native upland range and subirrigated meadow in the Nebraska Sandhills. Samples were analyzed for CP, in vitro OM digestibility (IVOMD), and DIP. Regression equations to predict nutrients were developed from these data. The 1996NRC was used to predict nutrient balances based on the dietary nutrient analyses. Recommendations for model users were also developed. On subirrigated meadow, CP and IVOMD increased rapidly during March and April. On native range, CP and IVOMD increased from April through June but decreased rapidly from August through September. Degradable intake protein (DM basis) followed trends similar to CP for both native range and subirrigated meadow. Predicted nutrient balances for spring- and summer-calving cows agreed with reported values in the literature, provided that IVOMD values were converted to DE before use in the model (1.07 x IVOMD - 8.13). When the IVOMD-to-DE conversion was not used, the model gave unrealistically high NE(m) balances. To effectively use the 1996NRC to estimate protein requirements, users should focus on three key estimates: DIP, microbial efficiency, and TDN intake. Consequently, efforts should be focused on adequately describing seasonal changes in forage nutrient content. In order to increase use of the 1996NRC, research is needed in the following areas: 1) cost-effective and accurate commercial laboratory procedures to estimate DIP, 2) reliable estimates or indicators of microbial efficiency for various forage types and qualities, 3) improved estimates of dietary TDN for forage-based diets, 4) validation work to improve estimates of DIP and MP requirements, and 5) incorporation of nitrogen recycling estimates.

An introduction to high-frequency nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta, northern California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kraus, Tamara E.C.; Bergamaschi, Brian A.; Downing, Bryan D.

2017-07-11

Executive SummaryThis report is the first in a series of three reports that provide information about high-frequency (HF) nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring in the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta of northern California (Delta). This first report provides an introduction to the reasons for and fundamental concepts behind collecting HF measurements, and describes the benefits associated with a real-time, continuous, HF, multi-parameter water quality monitoring station network that is co-located with flow stations. It then provides examples of how HF nutrient measurements have improved our understating of nutrient sources and cycling in aquatic systems worldwide, followed by specific examples from the Delta. These examples describe the ways in which HF instrumentation may be used for both fixed-station and spatial assessments. The overall intent of this document is to describe how HF measurements currently (2017) are being used in the Delta to examine the relationship between nutrient concentrations, nutrient cycling, and aquatic habitat conditions.The second report in the series (Downing and others, 2017) summarizes information about HF nutrient and associated biogeochemical monitoring in the northern Delta. The report synthesizes data available from the nutrient and water quality monitoring network currently operated by the U.S. Geological Survey in this ecologically important region of the Delta. In the report, we present and discuss the available data at various timescales—first, at the monthly, seasonal, and inter-annual timescales; and, second, for comparison, at the tidal and event (for example, storms, reservoir releases, phytoplankton blooms) timescales. As expected, we determined that there is substantial variability in nitrate concentrations at short timescales within hours, but also significant variability at longer timescales such as months or years. This multi-scale, high variability affects calculation of fluxes and loads, indicating that HF monitoring is necessary for understanding and assessing flux-based processes and outcomes in tidal environments, such as the Delta.The third report in the series (Bergamaschi and others, 2017) provides information about how to design HF nutrient and biogeochemical monitoring for assessment of nutrient inputs and dynamics in the Delta. The report provides background, principles, and considerations for designing an HF nutrient-monitoring network for the Sacramento–San Joaquin Delta to address high-priority, nutrient-management questions. The report starts with high-priority management questions to be addressed, continues with questions and considerations that place demands and constraints on network design, discusses the principles applicable to network design, and concludes with the presentation of three example nutrient‑monitoring network designs for the Delta. For the three example networks, we assess how they would address high-priority questions identified by the Delta Regional Monitoring Program (Delta Regional Monitoring Program Technical Advisory Committee, 2015).

Detection of wine grape nutrient levels using visible and near infrared 1nm spectral resolution remote sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Grant; van Aardt, Jan; Bajorski, Peter; Vanden Heuvel, Justine

2016-05-01

The grape industry relies on regular crop assessment to aid in the day-to-day and seasonal management of their crop. More specifically, there are six key nutrients of interest to viticulturists in the growing of wine grapes, namely nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous, magnesium, zinc and boron. Traditional methods of determining the levels of these nutrients are through collection and chemical analysis of petiole samples from the grape vines themselves. We collected ground-level observations of the spectra of the grape vines, using a hyperspectral spectrometer (0.4-2.5um), at the same time that petioles samples were harvested. We then interpolated the data into a consistent 1 nm spectral resolution before comparing it to the nutrient data collected. This nutrient data came from both the industry standard petiole analysis, as well as an additional leaf-level analysis. The data were collected for two different grape cultivars, both during bloom and veraison periods to provide variability, while also considering the impact of temporal/seasonal change. A narrow-band NDI (Normalized Difference Index) approach, as well as a simple ratio index, was used to determine the correlation of the reflectance data to the nutrient data. This analysis was limited to the silicon photodiode range to increase the utility of our approach for wavelength-specific cameras (via spectral filters) in a low cost drone platform. The NDI generated correlation coefficients were as high as 0.80 and 0.88 for bloom and veraison, respectively. The ratio index produced correlation coefficient results that are the same at two decimal places with 0.80 and 0.88. These results bode well for eventual non-destructive, accurate and precise assessment of vineyard nutrient status.

[FEATURES OF MASS-SPECTROMETRIC PROTEIN PROFILES OF STRAINS OF BRUCELLOSIS CAUSATIVE AGENT DURING PREPARATION OF CULTURE ON VARIOUS NUTRIENT MEDIA].

PubMed

Ulshina, D V; Kovalev, D A; Zhirov, A M; Zharinova, N V; Khudoleev, A A; Kogotkova, O I; Efremenko, V I; Evchenko, N I; Kulichenko, A N

2016-01-01

Carry out comparative analysis using time-of-flight mass-spectrometry with matrix laser desorption/ionization (MALDI-TOF MS) of protein profiles of brucellosis causative agents (Brucella melitensis Rev-1 and Brucella abortus 19BA), cultivated in various nutrient media: Albimi agar, brucellagar and erythrit-agar. Vaccine,strains: Brucella melitensis Rev-1 and Brucella abortus 19BA. Protein profiling in linear mode on Microflex "Bruker Daltonics" MALDI-TOF mass-spectrometer. A number of characteristic features of brucella mass-spectra was detected: in particular, preservation of the total qualitative composition of protein profiles of cultures and significant differences in the intensity of separate peaks depending on the nutrient medium used. Based on the analysis of the data obtained, use of Albimi agar as the nutrient medium for preparation of brucella culture samples for mass-spectrometric analysis was shown to be optimal.

Comparison of the costs of compliance with nutrition education messages to improve the diets of Bangladeshi breastfeeding mothers and weaning-age children.

PubMed

Brown, L V; Rogers, B L; Zeitlin, M F; Gershoff, S N; Huq, N; Peterson, K E

1993-01-01

Local market prices in rural Bangladesh were used to compute the costs of filling the nutrient gaps between actual intakes and safe nutrient requirements, and the costs of compliance with nutrition messages, for 78 lactating mothers and 61 weaning-age breastfed children. (The gap is the difference between the requirement and the amount of nutrient consumed.) To fill the mother's energy gap of approximately 1050 kcal (4393 kJ) would cost an additional 21% of the daily wage, or almost double the value of food she was presently eating. Given social reality, these costs would probably be much greater, as the mother would also need to increase the allocation of food to other household members. The weaning-age children's energy gap could theoretically be closed for less than one-third of the cost of improving the mothers' diets, or about 8% of the daily wage. The increase in food intake equivalent to 2% of the daily wage actually achieved through nutrition education resulted in a significant improvement in child weight gain, though not ideal. These findings suggest that, in the absence of programs which reduce economic barriers, it is economically feasible for families to close the nutrient gaps for weaning-age breastfed children in Bangladesh, but not for lactating women. Thus, education to improve women's diets should be incorporated into programs that make these improvements affordable, whereas education to improve weaning-age children's diets can be implemented with or without other program supports.

Spatial variability assessment of soil nutrients in an intense agricultural area, a case study of Rugao County in Yangtze River Delta Region, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Yongcun; Xu, Xianghua; Darilek, Jeremy Landon; Huang, Biao; Sun, Weixia; Shi, Xuezheng

2009-05-01

Topsoil samples (0-20 cm) ( n = 237) were collected from Rugao County, China. Geostatistical variogram analysis, sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS), and principal component (PC) analysis were applied to assess spatial variability of soil nutrients, identify the possible areas of nutrient deficiency, and explore spatial scale of variability of soil nutrients in the county. High variability of soil nutrient such as soil organic matter (SOM), total nitrogen (TN), available P, K, Fe, Mn, Cu, Zn, and B concentrations were observed. Soil nutrient properties displayed significant differences in their spatial structures, with available Cu having strong spatial dependence, SOM and available P having weak spatial dependence, and other nutrient properties having moderate spatial dependence. The soil nutrient deficiency, defined here as measured nutrient concentrations which do not meet the advisory threshold values specific to the county for dominant crops, namely rice, wheat, and rape seeds, was observed in available K and Zn, and the deficient areas covered 38 and 11%, respectively. The first three PCs of the nine soil nutrient properties explained 62.40% of the total variance. TN and SOM with higher loadings on PC1 are closely related to soil texture derived from different parent materials. The PC2 combined intermediate response variables such as available Zn and P that are likely to be controlled by land use and soil pH. Available B has the highest loading on PC3 and its variability of concentrations may be primarily ascribed to localized anthropogenic influence. The amelioration of soil physical properties (i.e. soil texture) and soil pH may improve the availability of soil nutrients and the sustainability of the agricultural system of Rugao County.

Readiness of food composition databases and food component analysis systems for nutrigenomics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The study objective was to discuss the international implications of using nutrigenomics as the basis for individualized health promotion and chronic disease prevention and the challenges it presents to existing nutrient databases and nutrient analysis systems. Definitions and research methods of nu...

Measuring Nitrification: A Laboratory Approach to Nutrient Cycling.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, David J.

1990-01-01

Presented is an approach to the study of nutrient cycling in the school laboratory. Discussed are obtaining, processing, and incubating samples; extraction of ions from soil; procedures for nitrate and ammonium analysis; data analysis; an example of results; and other aspects of the nitrogen cycle. (CW)

New Opportunities: A Status Report on the Summer Food Service Program for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Food Research and Action Center, Washington, DC.

During the school year, the School Lunch Program provides one-third to one-half of the nutrients low-income children consume every day. However, the rate of participation by eligible children in the Summer Food Service Program is only 15.5 percent of the target population. Created by Congress in 1968, the Summer Food Service Program is designed to…

Effectiveness in improving knowledge, practices, and intakes of "key problem nutrients" of a complementary feeding intervention developed by using linear programming: experience in Lombok, Indonesia.

PubMed

Fahmida, Umi; Kolopaking, Risatianti; Santika, Otte; Sriani, Sriani; Umar, Jahja; Htet, Min Kyaw; Ferguson, Elaine

2015-03-01

Complementary feeding recommendations (CFRs) with the use of locally available foods can be developed by using linear programming (LP). Although its potential has been shown for planning phases of food-based interventions, the effectiveness in the community setting has not been tested to our knowledge. We aimed to assess effectiveness of promoting optimized CFRs for improving maternal knowledge, feeding practices, and child intakes of key problem nutrients (calcium, iron, niacin, and zinc). A community-intervention trial with a quasi-experimental design was conducted in East Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara Province, Indonesia, on children aged 9-16 mo at baseline. A CFR group (n = 240) was compared with a non-CFR group (n = 215). The CFRs, which were developed using LP, were promoted in an intervention that included monthly cooking sessions and weekly home visits. The mother's nutrition knowledge and her child's feeding practices and the child's nutrient intakes were measured before and after the 6-mo intervention by using a structured interview, 24-h recall, and 1-wk food-frequency questionnaire. The CFR intervention improved mothers' knowledge and children's feeding practices and improved children's intakes of calcium, iron, and zinc. At the end line, median (IQR) nutrient densities were significantly higher in the CFR group than in the non-CFR group for iron [i.e., 0.6 mg/100 kcal (0.4-0.8 mg/100 kcal) compared with 0.5 mg/100 kcal (0.4-0.7 mg/100 kcal)] and niacin [i.e., 0.8 mg/100 kcal (0.5-1.0 mg/100 kcal) compared with 0.6 mg/100 kcal (0.4-0.8 mg/100 kcal)]. However, median nutrient densities for calcium, iron, niacin, and zinc in the CFR group (23, 0.6, 0.7, and 0.5 mg/100 kcal, respectively) were still below desired densities (63, 1.0, 0.9, and 0.6 mg/100 kcal, respectively). The CFRs significantly increased intakes of calcium, iron, niacin, and zinc, but nutrient densities were still below desired nutrient densities. When the adoption of optimized CFRs is constrained by economic access for or acceptability of nutrient-dense foods, other strategies need to be incorporated into interventions to ensure adequate intakes of these nutrients. © 2015 American Society for Nutrition.

Nitrogen Eutrophication on the Colorado Plateau: Using Biological Indicators to Detect Nutrient Enrichment in the Grand Canyon Region

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenkel, J. A.; Johnson, N.; Hultine, K. R.; Sesnie, S.; Sisk, T.

2012-12-01

Human activities have more than doubled the availability of biologically reactive forms of nitrogen (N) since the industrial and agricultural revolutions. Though N is an important plant nutrient, increased deposition initiates a cascade of deleterious effects including ecosystem acidification, biodiversity loss, and increased smog and haze. Atmospheric pollution continues to threaten the air quality of the 16 Class 1 Wilderness areas on the Colorado Plateau, including Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP). However, the ecological impacts of N deposition in these historically N-limited, nutrient sensitive arid regions, are little- known. Here, we report baseline atmospheric and terrestrial responses to anthropogenic N deposition derived from vehicular exhaust in GCNP and long-range deposition from a local coal-fired power plant, the Navajo Generating Station (NGS). We used passive air samplers, natural abundance δ15N stable isotope analysis, and nutrient analysis to observe N patterns in air, soils, and pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) foliage. In GCNP, samples were collected from ten sites over an eight-month period in areas of projected low to high vehicular N deposition (i.e. distance from primary roadways). On the Paria Plateau, northeast of GCNP and in close proximity to the NGS, samples were collected along a distance gradient from the NGS, across the Plateau. In both study areas, atmospheric deposition, as well as soil and pine- needle nutrient concentrations show significant negative relationships with increased distance from N-source (p<0.05). In heavily trafficked sites of GCNP, atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NOx) were 65% lower at 30m compared to the roadside. Likewise, on the Paria, NOx were 54% lower at 50km compared to 25km from NGS (p<0.01; R2 =0.87, for GCNP and the Paria, respectively). In GCNP, soil δ15N, and pinyon needle δ15N decrease significantly 30m from the roadside (18%, F= 4.07, p<0.05; 40%, F=4.34, p<0.05). On the Paria Plateau, soil δ15N, C:N ratios, and pinyon specific needle area (cm2/g) correlate with decreasing N deposition with distance from NGS (R2 = 0.15; 0.33; 0.17, respectively). Nutrient metrics from selected bioindicators suggest that studied ecosystems closer to N-source display early signs of N saturation. These results will inform programs to develop regulations that target specific sources and depositional loads of N deposition, and support efforts to protect biodiversity and air quality standards for the southwestern U.S.

Stressor-Response Models Relating Nutrient Enrichment to Algal Communities in Pacific Northwest Streams and Rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobota, D. J.; Hubler, S.; Paul, M. J.; Labiosa, R.

2015-12-01

Excessive algal growth in streams and rivers from nutrient enrichment can cause costly human health and environmental problems. As part of the US Environmental Protection Agency's Nutrient Scientific Technical Exchange Partnership and Support (N-STEPS) program, we have been developing stressor-response (S-R) models relating nutrients to attached algal (periphyton) communities to help prioritize monitoring for water quality impairments in Oregon (Pacific Northwest, USA) streams and rivers. Existing data from the state and neighboring states were compiled and standardized from the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, US Environmental Protection Agency, and the US Geological Survey. To develop S-R models, algal community and biomass metrics were compared with nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) concentration data, including total, dissolved, and inorganic forms of these nutrients. In total, 928 paired algal-nutrient samples were compiled from the 8 Level-III Ecoregions occurring in Oregon. Relationships between algal biomass metrics and nutrient concentrations were weak, with only ash-free dry mass and standing stock of chlorophyll a showing slight positive relationships across gradients of total N and soluble reactive P concentrations, respectively. In contrast, metrics describing algal community composition, including percent diatoms and abundance of nutrient-sensitive species, showed very strong nonlinear relationships with total N or P concentrations. This suggests that data describing algal community composition can help identify specific nutrient stressors across environmentally-diverse streams and rivers in the Pacific Northwest. Future analyses will examine if nutrient-algal S-R models vary across different hydrological, physiographical, and ecological settings in the region.

Identifying external nutrient reduction requirements and potential in the hypereutrophic Lake Taihu Basin, China.

PubMed

Peng, Jiao-Ting; Zhu, Xiao-Dong; Sun, Xiang; Song, Xiao-Wei

2018-04-01

Reducing external nutrient loads is the first step for controlling eutrophication. Here, we identified external nutrient reduction requirements and potential of strategies for achieving reductions to remediate a eutrophic water body, Lake Taihu, China. A mass balance approach based on the entire lake was used to identify nutrient reduction requirements; an empirical export coefficient approach was introduced to estimate the nutrient reduction potential of the overall program on integrated regulation of Taihu Lake Basin (hereafter referred to as the "Guideline"). Reduction requirements included external total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) loads, which should be reduced by 41-55 and 25-50%, respectively, to prevent nutrient accumulation in Lake Taihu and to meet the planned water quality targets. In 2010, which is the most seriously polluted calendar year during the 2008-2014 period, the nutrient reduction requirements were estimated to be 36,819 tons of N and 2442 tons of P, and the potential nutrient reduction strategies would reduce approximately 25,821 tons of N and 3024 tons of P. Since there is a net N remaining in the reduction requirements, it should be the focus and deserves more attention in identifying external nutrient reduction strategies. Moreover, abatement measures outlined in the Guideline with high P reduction potential required large monetary investments. Achieving TP reduction requirement using the cost-effective strategy costs about 80.24 million USD. The design of nutrient reduction strategies should be enacted according to regional and sectoral differences and the cost-effectiveness of abatement measures.

A voluntary nutrition labeling program in restaurants: Consumer awareness, use of nutrition information, and food selection.

PubMed

White, Christine M; Lillico, Heather G; Vanderlee, Lana; Hammond, David

2016-12-01

Health Check (HC) was a voluntary nutrition labeling program developed by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada as a guide to help consumers choose healthy foods. Items meeting nutrient criteria were identified with a HC symbol. This study examined the impact of the program on differences in consumer awareness and use of nutritional information in restaurants. Exit surveys were conducted with 1126 patrons outside four HC and four comparison restaurants in Ontario, Canada (2013). Surveys assessed participant noticing of nutrition information, influence of nutrition information on menu selection, and nutrient intake. Significantly more patrons at HC restaurants noticed nutrition information than at comparison restaurants (34.2% vs. 28.1%; OR = 1.39; p = 0.019); however, only 5% of HC restaurant patrons recalled seeing the HC symbol. HC restaurant patrons were more likely to say that their order was influenced by nutrition information (10.9% vs. 4.5%; OR = 2.96, p < 0.001); and consumed less saturated fat and carbohydrates, and more protein and fibre (p < 0.05). Approximately 15% of HC restaurant patrons ordered HC approved items; however, only 1% ordered a HC item and mentioned seeing the symbol in the restaurant in an unprompted recall task, and only 4% ordered a HC item and reported seeing the symbol on the item when asked directly. The HC program was associated with greater levels of noticing and influence of nutrition information, and more favourable nutrient intake; however, awareness of the HC program was very low and differences most likely reflect the type of restaurants that "self-selected" into the program.

The Impact of a Two-Year School Breakfast Program for Preschool-Aged Children on Their Nutrient Intake and Pre-Academic Performance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Worobey, John; Worobey, Harriet S.

1999-01-01

Two studies examined nutritional differences between home breakfasts and breakfasts served at preschool following School Breakfast Program guidelines and evaluated nutritional impact of program participation on 4-year olds' preacademic performance. Results indicated that breakfast intake was altered under school breakfast conditions. Performance…

School Meal Program Participation and Its Association with Dietary Patterns and Childhood Obesity. Final Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gleason, Philip; Briefel, Ronette; Wilson, Ander; Dodd, Allison Hedley

2009-01-01

We used data from the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment III Study to examine the dietary patterns of school meal program participants and nonparticipants and the relationship between school meal participation and children's BMI and risk of overweight or obesity. School Breakfast Program (SBP) participants consumed more low nutrient energy dense…

Calculating the refractive index for pediatric parenteral nutrient solutions.

PubMed

Nelson, Scott; Barrows, Jason; Haftmann, Richard; Helm, Michael; MacKay, Mark

2013-02-15

The utility of refractometric analysis for calculating the refractive index (RI) of compounded parenteral nutrient solutions for pediatric patients was examined. An equation for calculating the RI of parenteral nutrient solutions was developed by chemical and linear regression analysis of 154 pediatric parenteral nutrient solutions. This equation was then validated by analyzing 1057 pediatric parenteral nutrition samples. The RI for the parenteral nutrient solutions could be calculated by summing the RI contribution for each ingredient and then adding the RI of water. The RI contribution for each ingredient was determined by multiplying the RI of the manufacturer's concentrate by the volume of the manufacturer's concentrate mixed into the parenteral nutrient solution divided by the total volume of the parenteral nutrient solution. The calculated RI was highly correlated with the measured RI (R(2) = 0.94, p < 0.0001). Using a range of two standard deviations (±0.0045), 99.8% of the samples fell into the comparative range. RIs of electrolytes, vitamins, and trace elements in the concentrations used did not affect the RI, similar to the findings of other studies. There was no statistical difference between the calculated RI and the measured RI in the final product of a pediatric parenteral nutrient solution. This method of quality control can be used by personnel compounding parenteral nutrient solutions to confirm the compounding accuracy of dextrose and amino acid concentrations in the final product, and a sample can be sent to the hospital laboratory for electrolyte verification.

Nutrient analysis of the Beef Alternative Merchandising cuts.

PubMed

Desimone, T L; Acheson, R A; Woerner, D R; Engle, T E; Douglass, L W; Belk, K E

2013-03-01

The objective of this study was to generate raw and cooked nutrient composition data to identify Quality Grade differences in proximate values for eight Beef Alternative Merchandising (BAM) cuts. The data generated will be used to update the nutrient data in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). Beef Rib, Oven-Prepared, Beef Loin, Strip Loin, and Beef Loin, Top Sirloin Butt subprimals were collected from a total of 24 carcasses from four packing plants. The carcasses were a combination of USDA Yield Grades 2 (n=12) and 3 (n=12), USDA Quality Grades upper two-thirds Choice (n=8), low Choice (n=8), and Select (n=8), and two genders, steer (n=16) and heifer (n=8). After aging, subprimals were fabricated into the BAM cuts, dissected, and nutrient analysis was performed. Sample homogenates from each animal were homogenized and composited for analysis of the following: proximate analysis, long chain and trans-fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid, total cholesterol, vitamin B-12, and selenium. This study identified seven BAM cuts from all three Quality Grades that qualify for USDA Lean; seven Select cuts that qualify for USDA Extra Lean; and three Select cuts that qualify for the American Heart Association's Heart Healthy Check. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relationships among net primary productivity, nutrients and climate in tropical rain forest: A pan-tropical analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cleveland, Cory C.; Townsend, Alan R.; Taylor, Philip; Alvarez-Clare, Silvia; Bustamante, Mercedes M.C.; Chuyong, George; Dobrowski, Solomon Z.; Grierson, Pauline; Harms, Kyle E.; Houlton, Benjamin Z.; Marklein, Alison; Parton, William; Porder, Stephen; Reed, Sasha C.; Sierra, Carlos A.; Silver, Whendee L.; Tanner, Edmund V.J.; Wieder, William R.

2011-01-01

Tropical rain forests play a dominant role in global biosphere-atmosphere CO2 exchange. Although climate and nutrient availability regulate net primary production (NPP) and decomposition in all terrestrial ecosystems, the nature and extent of such controls in tropical forests remain poorly resolved. We conducted a meta-analysis of carbon-nutrient-climate relationships in 113 sites across the tropical forest biome. Our analyses showed that mean annual temperature was the strongest predictor of aboveground NPP (ANPP) across all tropical forests, but this relationship was driven by distinct temperature differences between upland and lowland forests. Within lowland forests (< 1000 m), a regression tree analysis revealed that foliar and soil-based measurements of phosphorus (P) were the only variables that explained a significant proportion of the variation in ANPP, although the relationships were weak. However, foliar P, foliar nitrogen (N), litter decomposition rate (k), soil N and soil respiration were all directly related with total surface (0–10 cm) soil P concentrations. Our analysis provides some evidence that P availability regulates NPP and other ecosystem processes in lowland tropical forests, but more importantly, underscores the need for a series of large-scale nutrient manipulations – especially in lowland forests – to elucidate the most important nutrient interactions and controls.

Trend analysis of stressors and ecological responses, particularly nutrients, in the Narragansett Bay Watershed.

EPA Science Inventory

Current and historic impacts of nitrogen on water quality were evaluated and relationships between nutrients and ecosystem structure and function were developed for Narragansett Bay, RI. Land use land cover change analysis from 1985 thru 2005 resulted in a 7% increase in urban la...

DRIS Analysis Identifies a Common Potassium Imbalance in Sweetgum Plantations

Treesearch

Mark D. Coleman; S.X. Chang; D.J. Robison

2003-01-01

DRIS (Diagnosis and Recommendation Integrated System) analysis was applied to fast-growing sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) plantations in the southeast United States as a tool for nutrient diagnosis and fertilizer recommendations. First, standard foliar nutrient ratios for nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and...

Measuring Effects of an Affective-Based Nutrition Education Intervention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosander, Karin; Sims, Laura S.

1981-01-01

Describes an affective-based nutrition education program that promotes improvement of attitudes about nutrition and health as a means of improving dietary behavior. Content emphasizes nutrients of particular concern for women during childbearing years. Stability of instruments used in the program was demonstrated. (CS)

32 CFR 199.23 - Special Supplemental Food Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... health care during critical times of growth and development, in order to prevent the occurrence of health..., integrated health care network. (26) Supplemental foods. Foods containing nutrients determined by nutritional... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS CIVILIAN HEALTH AND MEDICAL PROGRAM OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES (CHAMPUS) § 199.23...

32 CFR 199.23 - Special Supplemental Food Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... health care during critical times of growth and development, in order to prevent the occurrence of health..., integrated health care network. (26) Supplemental foods. Foods containing nutrients determined by nutritional... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS CIVILIAN HEALTH AND MEDICAL PROGRAM OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES (CHAMPUS) § 199.23...

32 CFR 199.23 - Special Supplemental Food Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... health care during critical times of growth and development, in order to prevent the occurrence of health..., integrated health care network. (26) Supplemental foods. Foods containing nutrients determined by nutritional... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS CIVILIAN HEALTH AND MEDICAL PROGRAM OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES (CHAMPUS) § 199.23...

32 CFR 199.23 - Special Supplemental Food Program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... health care during critical times of growth and development, in order to prevent the occurrence of health..., integrated health care network. (26) Supplemental foods. Foods containing nutrients determined by nutritional... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS CIVILIAN HEALTH AND MEDICAL PROGRAM OF THE UNIFORMED SERVICES (CHAMPUS) § 199.23...

Optimization Tool For Allocation Of Watershed Management Practices For Sediment And Nutrient Control

EPA Science Inventory

Implementation of conservation programs are perceived as being crucial for restoring and protecting waters and watersheds from nonpoint source pollution. Success of these programs depends to a great extent on planning tools that can assist the watershed management process. Herein...

Making Our Nonpoint Source Pollution Education Programs Effective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shepard, Robin

1999-01-01

The rate of adoption of nutrient management by farmers in Wisconsin watersheds was compared for a program using diffuse communication strategies and one using one-to-one information transfer. Information transfer increased adoption of specific practices and decreased application of excessive nitrogen and phosphorus. (SK)

Aging and Nutrition Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bazzarre, Terry L.

1978-01-01

Reviews nutrition education programs in relation to aging. A summary of nutritional information that constitutes different components of nutrition education programs for the elderly is discussed. A brief review of physiological changes affecting nutrient utilization and food selection and changes in dietary intake and requirements are presented.…

Molecular basis of structural make-up of feeds in relation to nutrient absorption in ruminants, revealed with advanced molecular spectroscopy: A review on techniques and models

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rahman, Md. Mostafizar; Yu, Peiqiang

Progress in ruminant feed research is no more feasible only based on wet chemical analysis, which is merely able to provide information on chemical composition of feeds regardless of their digestive features and nutritive value in ruminants. Studying internal structural make-up of functional groups/feed nutrients is often vital for understanding the digestive behaviors and nutritive values of feeds in ruminant because the intrinsic structure of feed nutrients is more related to its overall absorption. In this article, the detail information on the recent developments in molecular spectroscopic techniques to reveal microstructural information of feed nutrients and the use of nutritionmore » models in regards to ruminant feed research was reviewed. The emphasis of this review was on (1) the technological progress in the use of molecular spectroscopic techniques in ruminant feed research; (2) revealing spectral analysis of functional groups of biomolecules/feed nutrients; (3) the use of advanced nutrition models for better prediction of nutrient availability in ruminant systems; and (4) the application of these molecular techniques and combination of nutrient models in cereals, co-products and pulse crop research. The information described in this article will promote better insight in the progress of research on molecular structural make-up of feed nutrients in ruminants.« less

Impacts of urban wastewater discharge on seagrass meadows ( Zostera noltii)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cabaço, Susana; Machás, Raquel; Vieira, Vasco; Santos, Rui

2008-06-01

The abiotic disturbance of urban wastewater discharge and its effects in the population structure, plant morphology, leaf nutrient content, epiphyte load and macroalgae abundance of Zostera noltii meadows were investigated in Ria Formosa coastal lagoon, southern Portugal using both univariate and multivariate analysis. Four sites were assessed, on a seasonal basis, along a gradient from a major Waste Water Treatment Works (WWTW) discharge to a main navigation channel. The wastewater discharge caused an evident environmental disturbance through the nutrient enrichment of the water and sediment, particularly of ammonium. Zostera noltii of the sites closest to the nutrient source showed higher leaf N content, clearly reflecting the nitrogen load. The anthropogenic nutrient enrichment resulted in higher biomass, and higher leaf and internode length, except for the meadow closest to the wastewater discharge (270 m). The high ammonium concentration (158-663 μM) in the water at this site resulted in the decrease of biomass, and both the leaf and internode length, suggesting a toxic effect on Z. noltii. The higher abundance of macroalgae and epiphytes found in the meadow closest to the nutrient source may also affect the species negatively. Shoot density was higher at the nutrient-undisturbed site. Two of the three abiotic processes revealed by Principal Component Analysis were clearly related to the WWTW discharge, a contrast between water column salinity and nutrient concentration and a sediment contrast between both porewater nutrients and temperature and redox potential. A multiple regression analysis showed that these abiotic processes had a significant effect on the biomass-density dynamics of meadows and on the overall size of Z. noltii plants, respectively. Results show that the wastewater discharge is an important source of environmental disturbance and nutrients availability in Ria Formosa lagoon affecting the population structure, morphology and N content of Z. noltii. This impact is spatially restricted to areas up to 600 m distant from the WWTW discharge, probably due to the high water renewal of the lagoon.

The 'fine structure' of nutrient dynamics in rivers: ten years of study using high-frequency monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jordan, Phil; Melland, Alice; Shore, Mairead; Mellander, Per-Erik; Shortle, Ger; Ryan, David; Crockford, Lucy; Macintosh, Katrina; Campbell, Julie; Arnscheidt, Joerg; Cassidy, Rachel

2014-05-01

A complete appraisal of material fluxes in flowing waters is really only possibly with high time resolution data synchronous with measurements of discharge. Defined by Kirchner et al. (2004; Hydrological Processes, 18/7) as the high-frequency wave of the future and with regard to disentangling signal noise from process pattern, this challenge has been met in terms of nutrient flux monitoring by automated bankside analysis. In Ireland over a ten-year period, time-series nutrient data collected on a sub-hourly basis in rivers have been used to distinguish fluxes from different catchment sources and pathways and to provide more certain temporal pictures of flux for the comparative definition of catchment nutrient dynamics. In catchments where nutrient fluxes are particularly high and exhibit a mix of extreme diffuse and point source influences, high time resolution data analysis indicates that there are no satisfactory statistical proxies for seasonal or annual flux predictions that use coarse datasets. Or at least exposes the limits of statistical approaches to catchment scale and hydrological response. This has profound implications for catchment monitoring programmes that rely on modelled relationships. However, using high resolution monitoring for long term assessments of catchment mitigation measures comes with further challenges. Sustaining continuous wet chemistry analysis at river stations is resource intensive in terms of capital, maintenance and quality assurance. Furthermore, big data capture requires investment in data management systems and analysis. These two institutional challenges are magnified when considering the extended time period required to identify the influences of land-based nutrient control measures on water based systems. Separating the 'climate signal' from the 'source signal' in river nutrient flux data is a major analysis challenge; more so when tackled with anything but higher resolution data. Nevertheless, there is scope to lower costs in bankside analysis through technology development, and the scientific advantages of these data are clear and exciting. When integrating its use with policy appraisal, it must be made clear that the advances in river process understanding from high resolution monitoring data capture come as a package with the ability to make more informed decisions through an investment in better information.

Aquatic Plant Control Research Program. Effects of Organic Amendments to Sediment on Freshwater Macrophyte Growth.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-10-01

Wiley and Sons, New York. Anderson, L. W. 1978. Abscisic acid induces formation of floating leaves in the heterophyllous aquatic angiosperm Potamogeton...the total sediment were determined following digestion in red-fuming nitric acid . Nutrients in sediment amendments and in macrophyte biomass were deter...inorganic matter. Organic matter content was 10% of dry sedi- ment mass. •* Sediment nutrient concentrations were determined following strong acidic

Sweet potato in a vegetarian menu plan for NASA's Advanced Life Support Program.

PubMed

Wilson, C D; Pace, R D; Bromfield, E; Jones, G; Lu, J Y

1998-01-01

Sweet potato has been selected as one of the crops for NASA's Advanced Life Support Program. Sweet potato primarily provides carbohydrate--an important energy source, beta-carotene, and ascorbic acid to a space diet. This study focuses on menus incorporating two sets of sweet potato recipes developed at Tuskegee University. One set includes recipes for 10 vegetarian products containing fom 6% to 20% sweet potato on a dry weight basis (pancakes, waffles, tortillas, bread, pie, pound cake, pasta, vegetable patties, doughnuts, and pretzels) that have been formulated, subjected to sensory evaluation, and determined to be acceptable. These recipes and the other set of recipes, not tested organoleptically, were substituted in a 10-day vegetarian menu plan developed by the American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS) Kennedy Space Center Biomass Processing Technical Panel. At least one recipe containing sweet potato was included in each meal. An analysis of the nutritional quality of this menu compared to the original AIBS menu found improved beta-carotene content (p<0.05). All other nutrients, except vitamin B6, and calories were equal and in some instances greater than those listed for NASA's Controlled Ecological Life Support Systems RDA. These results suggest that sweet potato products can be used successfully in menus developed for space with the added benefit of increased nutrient value and dietary variety.

Determinants of nutrient adequacy for lactating and pregnant mothers in a rural area of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Chaudhury, R H

1984-12-01

This study used data from a rural area of Bangladesh to examine the nutrient adequacy of the diets of pregnant and lactating women. Of the 106 women 15-45 years of age in the survey population, 30 were lactating and 25 were pregnant. Average caloric requirements and safe levels of protein intake were estimated for each member of the households studied to determine whether a person cunsumed more, less, or equal to his or her average requirement. Women who were neither pregnant nor lactating were significantly more likely to be meeting their calorie and protein requirements than those who were pregnant or lactating. That is, pregnancy and/or lactation status exerts a depressing effect on the nutrient adequacy ratio of an adult woman. The nutrient adequacy ratios were lowest for pregnant or lactating women, followed by those for women who were both pregnant and lactating. In addition, the observed to expected consumption of calories and protein was significantly lower among lactating and/or pregnant women than among other women. Economic position, measured in terms of per capita expenditure on food/day, was the most important factor affecting the nutritional status of pregnant and lactating women. These findings have serious implications for child health in Bangladesh since the lactation performance of poorly nourished women is likely to be inadequate. There is a need for income-generating programs for the rural poor to enable them to increase their expenditures on food. Also needed are educational programs to raise the awareness of rural people concerning the higher nutrient needs of pregnant and lactating women.

A Web-Based Decision Support System for Assessing Regional Water-Quality Conditions and Management Actions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Booth, N. L.; Everman, E.; Kuo, I.; Sprague, L.; Murphy, L.

2011-12-01

A new web-based decision support system has been developed as part of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Quality Assessment Program's (NAWQA) effort to provide ready access to Spatially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) results of stream water-quality conditions and to offer sophisticated scenario testing capabilities for research and water-quality planning via an intuitive graphical user interface with a map-based display. The SPARROW Decision Support System (DSS) is delivered through a web browser over an Internet connection, making it widely accessible to the public in a format that allows users to easily display water-quality conditions, distribution of nutrient sources, nutrient delivery to downstream waterbodies, and simulations of altered nutrient inputs including atmospheric and agricultural sources. The DSS offers other features for analysis including various background map layers, model output exports, and the ability to save and share prediction scenarios. SPARROW models currently supported by the DSS are based on the modified digital versions of the 1:500,000-scale River Reach File (RF1) and 1:100,000-scale National Hydrography Dataset (medium-resolution, NHDPlus) stream networks. The underlying modeling framework and server infrastructure illustrate innovations in the information technology and geosciences fields for delivering SPARROW model predictions over the web by performing intensive model computations and map visualizations of the predicted conditions within the stream network.

Transport pathways of nitrogen and phosphorus in tile-drained cranberry farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kennedy, C. D.; Alversion, N.; Jeranyama, P.; DeMoranville, C.; Sandler, H.; Caruso, F.

2013-12-01

Rapid, controlled drainage of cranberry farms is critical to optimizing production in Massachusetts, where approximately 1/3 of the industry's crop is produced. Relatively new to cranberry farming, tile drainage has been billed as a low-cost drainage management option for reducing crop disease and weed infestations. Despite its well documented agronomic benefits, tile drainage may exacerbate nutrient loss and promote eutrophication in nearby ponds receiving cranberry drainage waters. In this study, a monitoring program was established on a Massachusetts cranberry bed to quantify (1) mass loss of nitrogen and phosphorous via tile drainage to a perimeter ditch surrounding the cranberry bed, (2) the attenuation of N and P in the ditch prior to discharge from the cranberry bed, and (3) and the component contributions of preferential vs. matrix transport of N and P in tile drainage. A combination of compound weirs, acoustic-velocity meters, propeller-driven flow meters, and rain gauges were installed to quantify drainage management characteristics of the cranberry bed. Automatic samplers were also installed to collect water samples at each monitoring site (i.e., four tile drains, an irrigation pond, and a flume used to control ditch height) for analysis of N and P concentrations and hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios to estimate nutrient loss and transport pathways. These data will be used to develop a mechanistic synthesis of nutrient cycling in tile-drained cranberry beds.

Results of the U. S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in April 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodworth, M.T.; Connor, B.F.

2001-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for six standard reference samples -- T-165 (trace constituents), M-158 (major constituents), N-69 (nutrient constituents), N-70 (nutrient constituents), P-36 (low ionic-strength constituents), and Hg-32 (mercury) -- that were distributed in April 2001 to laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data received from 73 laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Results of the U. S. Geological Survey's Analytical Evaluation Program for Standard Reference Samples Distributed in March 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodworth, M.T.; Conner, B.F.

2002-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for six standard reference samples -- T- 169 (trace constituents), M- 162 (major constituents), N-73 (nutrient constituents), N-74 (nutrient constituents), P-38 (low ionic-strength constituents), and Hg-34 (mercury) -- that were distributed in March 2002 to laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored intedaboratory testing program. Analytical data received from 93 laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in September 2002

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodworth, Mark T.; Connor, Brooke F.

2003-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for six standard reference samples -- T-171 (trace constituents), M-164 (major constituents), N-75 (nutrient constituents), N-76 (nutrient constituents), P-39 (low ionic-strength constituents), and Hg-35 (mercury) -- that were distributed in September 2002 to laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data received from 102 laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in September 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodworth, Mark T.; Connor, Brooke F.

2002-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for six standard reference samples -- T-167 (trace constituents), M-160 (major constituents), N-71 (nutrient constituents), N-72 (nutrient constituents), P-37 (low ionic-strength constituents), and Hg-33 (mercury) -- that were distributed in September 2001 to laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data received from 98 laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Results of the U.S. Geological Survey's Analytical Evaluation Program for Standard Reference Samples Distributed in March 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farrar, Jerry W.; Copen, Ashley M.

2000-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for six standard reference samples -- T-161 (trace constituents), M-154 (major constituents), N-65 (nutrient constituents), N-66 nutrient constituents), P-34 (low ionic strength constituents), and Hg-30 (mercury) -- that were distributed in March 2000 to 144 laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 132 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in October 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farrar, T.W.

2000-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for six standard reference samples -- T-159 (trace constituents), M-152 (major constituents), N-63 (nutrient constituents), N-64 (nutrient constituents), P-33 (low ionic strength constituents), and Hg-29 (mercury) -- that were distributed in October 1999 to 149 laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 131 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in March 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Woodworth, Mark T.; Connor, Brooke F.

2003-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for six standard reference samples -- T-173 (trace constituents), M-166 (major constituents), N-77 (nutrient constituents), N-78 (nutrient constituents), P-40 (low ionic-strength constituents), and Hg-36 (mercury) -- that were distributed in March 2003 to laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data received from 110 laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Results of the U. S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in October 2000

USGS Publications Warehouse

Connor, B.F.; Currier, J.P.; Woodworth, M.T.

2001-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for six standard reference samples -- T-163 (trace constituents), M-156 (major constituents), N-67 (nutrient constituents), N-68 (nutrient constituents), P-35 (low ionic strength constituents), and Hg-31 (mercury) -- that were distributed in October 2000 to 126 laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 122 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Dietary, Nutrient Patterns and Blood Essential Elements in Chinese Children with ADHD.

PubMed

Zhou, Fankun; Wu, Fengyun; Zou, Shipu; Chen, Ying; Feng, Chang; Fan, Guangqin

2016-06-08

Dietary or nutrient patterns represent the combined effects of foods or nutrients, and elucidate efficaciously the impact of diet on diseases. Because the pharmacotherapy on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was reported be associated with certain side effects, and the etiology of ADHD is multifactorial, this study investigated the association of dietary and nutrient patterns with the risk of ADHD. We conducted a case-control study with 592 Chinese children including ADHD (n = 296) and non-ADHD (n = 296) aged 6-14 years old, matched by age and sex. Dietary and nutrient patterns were identified using factor analysis and a food frequency questionnaire. Blood essential elements levels were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry. A fish-white meat dietary pattern rich in shellfish, deep water fish, white meat, freshwater fish, organ meat and fungi and algae was inversely associated with ADHD (p = 0.006). Further analysis found that a mineral-protein nutrient pattern rich in zinc, protein, phosphorus, selenium, calcium and riboflavin was inversely associated with ADHD (p = 0.014). Additionally, the blood zinc was also negatively related to ADHD (p = 0.003). In conclusion, the fish-white meat dietary pattern and mineral-protein nutrient pattern may have beneficial effects on ADHD in Chinese children, and blood zinc may be helpful in distinguishing ADHD in Chinese children.

Dietary, Nutrient Patterns and Blood Essential Elements in Chinese Children with ADHD

PubMed Central

Zhou, Fankun; Wu, Fengyun; Zou, Shipu; Chen, Ying; Feng, Chang; Fan, Guangqin

2016-01-01

Dietary or nutrient patterns represent the combined effects of foods or nutrients, and elucidate efficaciously the impact of diet on diseases. Because the pharmacotherapy on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was reported be associated with certain side effects, and the etiology of ADHD is multifactorial, this study investigated the association of dietary and nutrient patterns with the risk of ADHD. We conducted a case-control study with 592 Chinese children including ADHD (n = 296) and non-ADHD (n = 296) aged 6–14 years old, matched by age and sex. Dietary and nutrient patterns were identified using factor analysis and a food frequency questionnaire. Blood essential elements levels were measured using atomic absorption spectrometry. A fish-white meat dietary pattern rich in shellfish, deep water fish, white meat, freshwater fish, organ meat and fungi and algae was inversely associated with ADHD (p = 0.006). Further analysis found that a mineral-protein nutrient pattern rich in zinc, protein, phosphorus, selenium, calcium and riboflavin was inversely associated with ADHD (p = 0.014). Additionally, the blood zinc was also negatively related to ADHD (p = 0.003). In conclusion, the fish-white meat dietary pattern and mineral-protein nutrient pattern may have beneficial effects on ADHD in Chinese children, and blood zinc may be helpful in distinguishing ADHD in Chinese children. PMID:27338457

An exploratory analysis of Indiana and Illinois biotic ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA recognizes the importance of nutrient criteria in protecting designated uses from eutrophication effects associated with elevated phosphorus and nitrogen in streams and has worked with states over the past 12 years to assist them in developing nutrient criteria. Towards that end, EPA has provided states and tribes with technical guidance to assess nutrient impacts and to develop criteria. EPA published recommendations in 2000 on scientifically defensible empirical approaches for setting numeric criteria. EPA also published eco-regional criteria recommendations in 2000-2001 based on a frequency distribution approach meant to approximate reference condition concentrations. In 2010, EPA elaborated on one of these empirical approaches (i.e., stressor-response relationships) for developing nutrient criteria. The purpose of this report was to conduct exploratory analyses of state datasets from Illinois and Indiana to determine threshold values for nutrients and chlorophyll a that could guide Indiana and Illinois criteria development. Box and whisker plots were used to compare nutrient and chlorophyll a concentrations between Illinois and Indiana. Stressor response analyses, using piece-wise linear regression and change-point analysis (Illinois only) were conducted to determine thresholds of change in relationships between nutrients and biotic assemblages. Impact stmt: The purpose of this report was to conduct exploratory analyses of state datasets from Illinois

Spatial and temporal variability in the water column nutrients and pesticides of Jobos Bay

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) is a national, multi-agency effort to quantify the environmental benefits of best management practices used by agricultural producers participating in selected U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) conservation programs, including programs such as t...

ENCOURAGING THE USE OF WETLANDS IN WATER QUALITY TRADING PROGRAMS

EPA Science Inventory

The interest in water quality trading (WQT) has grown in recent years because of its potential to meet nutrient reduction goals at lower costs. However, one problem identified by researchers in most WQT programs has been few actual trades, usually associated with low numbers of ...

Expected frontiers: Incorporating weather uncertainty into a policy analysis using an integrated bi-level multi-objective optimization framework

EPA Science Inventory

Weather is the main driver in both plant use of nutrients and fate and transport of nutrients in the environment. In previous work, we evaluated a green tax for control of agricultural nutrients in a bi-level optimization framework that linked deterministic models. In this study,...

Plant Nutrient Testing and Analysis in Forest and Conservation Nurseries

Treesearch

Thomas D. Landis; Diane L. Haase; R. Kasten Dumroese

2005-01-01

Supplying mineral nutrients at the proper rate and in the proper balance has a major effect on seedling growth rate but, more importantly, on seedling quality. In addition, mounting concerns about fertilizer pollution are increasing awareness of the benefits of precision fertilization. Because they reflect actual mineral nutrient uptake, plant tissue tests are the best...

A 1-D Simulation Analysis of the Development and Maintenance of the 2001 Red Tide of the Ichthyotoxic Dinoflagellate Karenia brevis on the West Florida Shelf

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-04-26

subsequent fish kills supplied additional organic nutrients for utilization by these opportunistic toxic algae. Both nutrient vectors represented organic non...ichthyotoxic levels, rapid decay of subsequent fish kills supplied additional organic nutrients for utilization by these opportunistic toxic algae. Both...HABSIM model (Fig. 2) a positive feedback of the recycled organic nutrients (DON and DOP) from decaying fish , killed by K. brevis. Note that dissolved

The Genome-Wide Interaction Network of Nutrient Stress Genes in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Côté, Jean-Philippe; French, Shawn; Gehrke, Sebastian S; MacNair, Craig R; Mangat, Chand S; Bharat, Amrita; Brown, Eric D

2016-11-22

Conventional efforts to describe essential genes in bacteria have typically emphasized nutrient-rich growth conditions. Of note, however, are the set of genes that become essential when bacteria are grown under nutrient stress. For example, more than 100 genes become indispensable when the model bacterium Escherichia coli is grown on nutrient-limited media, and many of these nutrient stress genes have also been shown to be important for the growth of various bacterial pathogens in vivo To better understand the genetic network that underpins nutrient stress in E. coli, we performed a genome-scale cross of strains harboring deletions in some 82 nutrient stress genes with the entire E. coli gene deletion collection (Keio) to create 315,400 double deletion mutants. An analysis of the growth of the resulting strains on rich microbiological media revealed an average of 23 synthetic sick or lethal genetic interactions for each nutrient stress gene, suggesting that the network defining nutrient stress is surprisingly complex. A vast majority of these interactions involved genes of unknown function or genes of unrelated pathways. The most profound synthetic lethal interactions were between nutrient acquisition and biosynthesis. Further, the interaction map reveals remarkable metabolic robustness in E. coli through pathway redundancies. In all, the genetic interaction network provides a powerful tool to mine and identify missing links in nutrient synthesis and to further characterize genes of unknown function in E. coli Moreover, understanding of bacterial growth under nutrient stress could aid in the development of novel antibiotic discovery platforms. With the rise of antibiotic drug resistance, there is an urgent need for new antibacterial drugs. Here, we studied a group of genes that are essential for the growth of Escherichia coli under nutrient limitation, culture conditions that arguably better represent nutrient availability during an infection than rich microbiological media. Indeed, many such nutrient stress genes are essential for infection in a variety of pathogens. Thus, the respective proteins represent a pool of potential new targets for antibacterial drugs that have been largely unexplored. We have created all possible double deletion mutants through a genetic cross of nutrient stress genes and the E. coli deletion collection. An analysis of the growth of the resulting clones on rich media revealed a robust, dense, and complex network for nutrient acquisition and biosynthesis. Importantly, our data reveal new genetic connections to guide innovative approaches for the development of new antibacterial compounds targeting bacteria under nutrient stress. Copyright © 2016 Côté et al.

Diversity of macro- and micronutrients in the seeds of lentil landraces.

PubMed

Karaköy, Tolga; Erdem, Halil; Baloch, Faheem S; Toklu, Faruk; Eker, Selim; Kilian, Benjamin; Özkan, Hakan

2012-01-01

Increasing the amount of bioavailable mineral elements in plant foods would help to improve the nutritional status of populations in developing countries. Legume seeds have the potential to provide many essential nutrients. It is important to have information on genetic variations among different lentil populations so that plant breeding programs can use new varieties in cross-breeding programs. The main objective of this study was to characterize the micro- and macronutrient concentrations of lentil landraces seeds collected from South-Eastern Turkey. We found impressive variation in the micro- and macroelement concentrations in 39 lentil landraces and 7 cultivars. We investigated the relationships of traits by correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA). The concentrations of several minerals, particularly Zn, were positively correlated with other minerals, suggesting that similar pathways or transporters control the uptake and transport of these minerals. Some genotypes had high mineral and protein content and potential to improve the nutritional value of cultivated lentil. Cross-breeding of numerous lentil landraces from Turkey with currently cultivated varieties could improve the levels of micro- and macronutrients of lentil and may contribute to the worldwide lentil quality breeding program.

Detection of Anomalies in Citrus Leaves Using Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS).

PubMed

Sankaran, Sindhuja; Ehsani, Reza; Morgan, Kelly T

2015-08-01

Nutrient assessment and management are important to maintain productivity in citrus orchards. In this study, laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) was applied for rapid and real-time detection of citrus anomalies. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy spectra were collected from citrus leaves with anomalies such as diseases (Huanglongbing, citrus canker) and nutrient deficiencies (iron, manganese, magnesium, zinc), and compared with those of healthy leaves. Baseline correction, wavelet multivariate denoising, and normalization techniques were applied to the LIBS spectra before analysis. After spectral pre-processing, features were extracted using principal component analysis and classified using two models, quadratic discriminant analysis and support vector machine (SVM). The SVM resulted in a high average classification accuracy of 97.5%, with high average canker classification accuracy (96.5%). LIBS peak analysis indicated that high intensities at 229.7, 247.9, 280.3, 393.5, 397.0, and 769.8 nm were observed of 11 peaks found in all the samples. Future studies using controlled experiments with variable nutrient applications are required for quantification of foliar nutrients by using LIBS-based sensing.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nair, Shyam; Hartley, Damon S; Hays, Ross D

LEAF Version 2.0 is a framework comprising of three models RUSLE2, WEPS, and AGNPS. The framework can predict row crop, crop residue, and energy crop yields at a sub-field resolutions for various combinations of soil, climate and crop management and residue harvesting practices. It estimates the loss of soil, carbon, and nutrients to the atmosphere, to the groundwater, and to runoff. It also models the overland flow of water and washed-off sediments, nutrients and other chemicals to provide estimates of sediment, nutrient, and chemical loadings to water bodies within a watershed. AGNPS model and wash-off calculations are the new additionsmore » to this version of LEAF. Development of LEAF software is supported by DOE's BETO program.« less

Establishment of stream nutrient criteria by comparing reference conditions with ecological thresholds in a typical eutrophic lake basin.

PubMed

Cao, Xiaofeng; Wang, Jie; Jiang, Dalin; Sun, Jinhua; Huang, Yi; Luan, Shengji

2017-12-13

The establishment of numeric nutrient criteria is essential to aid the control of nutrient pollution and for protecting and restoring healthy ecological conditions. However, it's necessary to determine whether regional nutrient criteria can be defined in stream ecosystems with a poor ecological status. A database of periphytic diatom samples was collected in July and August 2011 and 2012. In total 172 samples were included in the database with matching environmental variables. Here, percentile estimates, nonparametric change-point analysis (nCPA) and Threshold Indicator Taxa ANalysis (TITAN) were conducted to detect the reference conditions and ecological thresholds along a total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) gradient and ammonia nitrogen (NH 3 -N) for the development of nutrient criteria in the streams of the Lake Dianchi basin. The results highlighted the possibility of establishing regional criteria for nutrient concentrations, which we recommended to be no more than 1.39 mg L -1 for TN, 0.04 mg L -1 for TP and 0.17 mg L -1 for NH 3 -N to prevent nuisance growths of tolerant taxa, and 0.38 mg L -1 for TN, 0.02 mg L -1 for TP and 0.02 mg L -1 for NH 3 -N to maintain high quality waters in streams. Additionally, the influence of excessive background nutrient enrichment on the threshold response, and the ecological interaction with other stressors (HQI, etc.) in the nutrient dynamic process need to be considered to establish the eventual nutrient criteria, regardless of which technique is applied.

Yield Gap, Indigenous Nutrient Supply and Nutrient Use Efficiency for Maize in China.

PubMed

Xu, Xinpeng; Liu, Xiaoyan; He, Ping; Johnston, Adrian M; Zhao, Shicheng; Qiu, Shaojun; Zhou, Wei

2015-01-01

Great achievements have been attained in agricultural production of China, while there are still many difficulties and challenges ahead that call for put more efforts to overcome to guarantee food security and protect environment simultaneously. Analyzing yield gap and nutrient use efficiency will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies to increase grain yield. On-farm datasets from 2001 to 2012 with 1,971 field experiments for maize (Zea mays L.) were collected in four maize agro-ecological regions of China, and the optimal management (OPT), farmers' practice (FP), a series of nutrient omission treatments were used to analyze yield gap, nutrient use efficiency and indigenous nutrient supply by adopting meta-analysis and ANOVA analysis. Across all sites, the average yield gap between OPT and FP was 0.7 t ha-1, the yield response to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were 1.8, 1.0, and 1.2 t ha-1, respectively. The soil indigenous nutrient supply of N, P, and K averaged 139.9, 33.7, and 127.5 kg ha-1, respectively. As compared to FP, the average recovery efficiency (RE) of N, P, and K with OPT increased by percentage point of 12.2, 5.5, and 6.5, respectively. This study indicated that there would be considerable potential to further improve yield and nutrient use efficiency in China, and will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies, while some management measures such as soil, plant and nutrient are necessary and integrate with advanced knowledge and technologies.

Yield Gap, Indigenous Nutrient Supply and Nutrient Use Efficiency for Maize in China

PubMed Central

Xu, Xinpeng; Liu, Xiaoyan; He, Ping; Johnston, Adrian M.; Zhao, Shicheng; Qiu, Shaojun; Zhou, Wei

2015-01-01

Great achievements have been attained in agricultural production of China, while there are still many difficulties and challenges ahead that call for put more efforts to overcome to guarantee food security and protect environment simultaneously. Analyzing yield gap and nutrient use efficiency will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies to increase grain yield. On-farm datasets from 2001 to 2012 with 1,971 field experiments for maize (Zea mays L.) were collected in four maize agro-ecological regions of China, and the optimal management (OPT), farmers’ practice (FP), a series of nutrient omission treatments were used to analyze yield gap, nutrient use efficiency and indigenous nutrient supply by adopting meta-analysis and ANOVA analysis. Across all sites, the average yield gap between OPT and FP was 0.7 t ha-1, the yield response to nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) were 1.8, 1.0, and 1.2 t ha-1, respectively. The soil indigenous nutrient supply of N, P, and K averaged 139.9, 33.7, and 127.5 kg ha-1, respectively. As compared to FP, the average recovery efficiency (RE) of N, P, and K with OPT increased by percentage point of 12.2, 5.5, and 6.5, respectively. This study indicated that there would be considerable potential to further improve yield and nutrient use efficiency in China, and will help develop and inform agricultural policies and strategies, while some management measures such as soil, plant and nutrient are necessary and integrate with advanced knowledge and technologies. PMID:26484543

New studies initiated by the U.S. Geological Survey - Effects of nutrient enrichment on stream ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Munn, Mark D.; Hamilton, Pixie A.

2003-01-01

In 2001, the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program began an intensive study of nutrient enrichment elevated concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus in streams in five agricultural basins across the Nation (see map, p. 2). This study is providing nationally consistent and comparable data and analyses of nutrient conditions, including how these conditions vary as a result of natural and human-related factors, and how nutrient conditions affect algae and other biological communities. This information will benefit stakeholders, including the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and its partners, who are developing nutrient criteria to protect the aquatic health of streams in different geographic regions.Nutrient enrichment is one of five national priority topics addressed by NAWQA in its second decade of studies, which began in 2001. During its first round of assessments in 51 major river basins (referred to as “Study Units”), NAWQA scientists collected data on water chemistry, stream hydrology and habitat, and biological communities; currently, NAWQA is revisiting selected basins and focusing on (1) trends, (2) factors that affect water quality and aquatic health, and (3) national priority water issues related to, for example, the development of nutrient criteria, source-water protection strategies, and stream restoration plans.The nutrient enrichment study has four major objectives that address nutrient conditions, dissolved oxygen, aquatic communities, and geographic and landscape features in agricultural basins (see inset). The focus on agricultural streams is a starting point. As the study progresses, streams draining other land uses, such as those in residential and urban areas, will likely be added.

Children and adolescents' choices of foods and beverages high in added sugars are associated with intakes of key nutrients and food groups.

PubMed

Frary, Carol D; Johnson, Rachel K; Wang, Min Qi

2004-01-01

To determine associations between intakes of the primary food and beverage sources of added sugars and intakes of key nutrients and food pyramid groups among U.S. children aged 6-17 years. The 1994-96 and 1998 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) were used to examine the diets of U.S. children aged 6-17 years, who provided 2 full days of dietary data. The nationally representative sample (n = 3038) included children age 6-11 (n = 1913) and adolescents age 12-17 (n = 1125). Food codes for sweetened foods and beverages were selected from the USDA Food Coding Scheme and categorized into five food and beverage categories. The Statistical Analysis System software program was used to recode and format the data for statistical analysis and the Survey Data Analysis System was used to apply sample weights and generate statistical procedures. The consumption of sweetened dairy products was positively associated with calcium intakes for children and adolescents. Consumption of presweetened cereals increased the likelihood of the children and adolescents meeting recommendations for the essential shortfall micronutrients calcium, folate, and iron, whereas the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, sugars and sweets, and sweetened grains decreased the likelihood of meeting the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRI) for these nutrients. Only children who were nonconsumers of sugar-sweetened beverages had a mean calcium intake that met the adequate intakes (AI). Consumption of sweetened dairy products and presweetened cereals was positively associated with the number of dairy servings consumed per day for both age groups. On average, consumption of sweetened dairy foods and beverages and presweetened cereals had a positive impact on children and adolescents' diet quality, whereas sugar-sweetened beverages, sugars and sweets, and sweetened grains had a negative impact on their diet quality.

Cost-Effectiveness Analysis of Surface Flow Constructed Wetlands (SFCW) for Nutrient Reduction in Drainage Discharge from Agricultural Fields in Denmark.

PubMed

Gachango, F G; Pedersen, S M; Kjaergaard, C

2015-12-01

Constructed wetlands have been proposed as cost-effective and more targeted technologies in the reduction of nitrogen and phosphorous water pollution in drainage losses from agricultural fields in Denmark. Using two pig farms and one dairy farm situated in a pumped lowland catchment as case studies, this paper explores the feasibility of implementing surface flow constructed wetlands (SFCW) based on their cost effectiveness. Sensitivity analysis is conducted by varying the cost elements of the wetlands in order to establish the most cost-effective scenario and a comparison with the existing nutrients reduction measures carried out. The analyses show that the cost effectiveness of the SFCW is higher in the drainage catchments with higher nutrient loads. The range of the cost effectiveness ratio on nitrogen reduction differs distinctively with that of catch crop measure. The study concludes that SFCW could be a better optimal nutrients reduction measure in drainage catchments characterized with higher nutrient loads.

Optimal dietary patterns designed from local foods to achieve maternal nutritional goals.

PubMed

Raymond, Jofrey; Kassim, Neema; Rose, Jerman W; Agaba, Morris

2018-04-04

Achieving nutritional requirements for pregnant and lactating mothers in rural households while maintaining the intake of local and culture-specific foods can be a difficult task. Deploying a linear goal programming approach can effectively generate optimal dietary patterns that incorporate local and culturally acceptable diets. The primary objective of this study was to determine whether a realistic and affordable diet that achieves nutritional goals for rural pregnant and lactating women can be formulated from locally available foods in Tanzania. A cross sectional study was conducted to assess dietary intakes of 150 pregnant and lactating women using a weighed dietary record (WDR), 24 h dietary recalls and a 7-days food record. A market survey was also carried out to estimate the cost per 100 g of edible portion of foods that are frequently consumed in the study population. Dietary survey and market data were then used to define linear programming (LP) model parameters for diet optimisation. All LP analyses were done using linear program solver to generate optimal dietary patterns. Our findings showed that optimal dietary patterns designed from locally available foods would improve dietary adequacy for 15 and 19 selected nutrients in pregnant and lactating women, respectively, but inadequacies remained for iron, zinc, folate, pantothenic acid, and vitamin E, indicating that these are problem nutrients (nutrients that did not achieve 100% of their RNIs in optimised diets) in the study population. These findings suggest that optimal use of local foods can improve dietary adequacy for rural pregnant and lactating women aged 19-50 years. However, additional cost-effective interventions are needed to ensure adequate intakes for the identified problem nutrients.

Effect of a vitamin and mineral supplementation on glycemic status: Results from a community-based program.

PubMed

Kimball, Samantha M; Emery, J C Herbert; Lewanczuk, Richard Z

2017-12-01

Diet is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus. As cofactors necessary for enzyme function of all metabolic pathways, vitamins and minerals have the potential to improve glucose metabolism. We investigated the effects of a nutrient intervention program on glycemic status. We used a form of natural experiment to compare Pure North program participants (n = 1018) that received vitamin D alone (Vital 1) or vitamin D in combination with other nutrients (Vital 2) during two different time periods. Changes in 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], high-sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and glycemic status were characterized over one and two years. Serum 25(OH)D concentrations increased significantly in both Vital 1 (to 111  ±  49 nmol/L) and Vital 2 (to 119  ±  52 nmol/L) over one year. HbA1c and hs-CRP were significantly reduced over time in Vital 2. Higher 25(OH)D levels after one year were associated with larger decreases in HbA1c and hs-CRP in Vital 2. At one year, 8% of Vital 2 and 16% of Vital 1 participants progressed from normoglycemia to prediabetes/diabetes, whereas 44% of Vital 2 and 8% of Vital prediabetes/diabetes subjects regressed to normoglycemia. Vitamin D combined with other nutrients was associated with a reduced risk of progression to diabetes and with an increased rate of reversion to normoglycemia in high risk participants. The results suggest that nutrient supplementation regimes may provide a safe, economical and effective means for lowering diabetes risk. Further examination of this potential via randomized controlled trials is warranted.

Using reference nutrient density goals with food balance sheet data to identify likely micronutrient deficits for fortification planning in countries in the Western Pacific region.

PubMed

Gibson, Rosalind S; Cavalli-Sforza, Tommaso

2012-09-01

Collection of nationwide food consumption data at the individual level is the preferred option for planning fortification programs. However, such data are seldom collected in low-income countries. In contrast, Food Balance Sheets (FBS), published annually for approximately 180 countries, may provide a source of national data for program planning. To explore the use of micronutrient densities from FBS data to identify likely deficits for eight micronutrients in national diets. Micronutrient densities in the daily available food supply per capita were calculated from the micronutrient contents of 95 food commodities in 17 Western Pacific Region countries. Densities were compared with reference nutrient density goals developed to ensure that at least 95% of individuals, irrespective of life-stage group, are likely to have adequate intakes. Of the eight micronutrients, Cambodia and Korea D.P.R. had likely deficits for six; China, Fiji, Kiribati, Korea Republic, Lao P.D.R., Philippines, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and Viet Nam had likely deficits for five; Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea had likely deficits for four; and New Caledonia had likely deficits for three. The most frequent deficits were for iron, zinc, and calcium (all countries), followed by vitamin B2 and vitamin A (n = 13), vitamin B1 (n = 2), and vitamin B12 (n = 1). The nutrient density approach could be applied to FBS data for ranking countries according to likely micronutrient deficits, but it provides no information on distribution of nutrient supply for fortification program planning. The approach described here could be applied to data from Household Consumption and Expenditures Surveys (HCES) to characterize households at greatest risk.

Dietary supplement use among infants, children, and adolescents in the United States, 1999-2002.

PubMed

Picciano, Mary Frances; Dwyer, Johanna T; Radimer, Kathy L; Wilson, David H; Fisher, Kenneth D; Thomas, Paul R; Yetley, Elizabeth A; Moshfegh, Alanna J; Levy, Paul S; Nielsen, Samara Joy; Marriott, Bernadette M

2007-10-01

To describe dietary supplement use among US children. Analysis of nationally representative data from the 1999-2002 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Home interviews and a mobile examination center. Children from birth through 18 years who participated in NHANES (N=10,136). Frequency of use of any dietary supplement product. Prevalence of use and intake of key nutrients from supplements among children. In 1999-2002, 31.8% of children used dietary supplements, with the lowest use reported among infants younger than 1 year (11.9%) and teenagers 14 to 18 years old (25.7%) and highest use among 4- to 8-year-old children (48.5%). Use was highest among non-Hispanic white (38.1%) and Mexican American (22.4%) participants, lowest among non-Hispanic black participants (18.8%), and was not found to differ by sex. The type of supplement most commonly used was multivitamins and multiminerals (18.3%). Ascorbic acid (28.6%), retinol (25.8%), vitamin D (25.6%), calcium (21.1%), and iron (19.3%) were the primary supplemental nutrients consumed. Supplement use was associated with families with higher incomes; a smoke-free environment; not being certified by the US Department of Agriculture Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children in the last 12 months; lower child body mass index; and less daily recreational screen time (television, video games, computers, etc) (P<.005). The highest prevalence of supplement use (P<.005) was in children who were underweight or at risk for underweight (P<.005). More than 30% of children in the United States take dietary supplements regularly, most often multivitamins and multiminerals. Given such extensive use, nutrient intakes from dietary supplements must be included to obtain accurate estimates of overall nutrient intake in children.

Ion Chromatography as an Alternative to Standard Methods for Analysis of Macro-nutrients in Mehlich 1 Extracts of Unfertilized Forest Soils

Treesearch

Joseph B. Fischer; James H. Miller

2004-01-01

This study evaluates ion chromatography (IC) as an alternative to atomic absorption (AA) and inductively-coupled plasma spectromctry (ICP) for analysis of potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), and calcium (Ca), and and as an alternative to antimonylmolybdate colorimetry and ICP for analysis of phosphorus (P) macro-nutrients in Mehlich 1 extracts. Soils typical of pine forests...

Clinical assessment of nutritional status and feeding programs in horses.

PubMed

Becvarova, Iveta; Pleasant, R Scott; Thatcher, Craig D

2009-04-01

Veterinarians are a primary source of nutritional information and advice for horse owners. This article reviews methods for clinical assessment of nutritional status and feeding programs that can be applied to an individual horse or group of horses. Physical examination, including measurement of body weight and evaluation of body condition score, estimation of nutrient requirements and the nutrient content of the horse's diet, and evaluation of the feeding method are important components of the assessment. Ongoing clinical assessment of health and body condition will gauge the need for reassessment of the feeding plan. Obvious indications for prompt reevaluation of diet and feeding include changes in health status (eg, body condition), life stage or physiologic state (eg, pregnancy), or performance status.

Compatibility and Infectivity of a Cercospora rodmanii Formulation with Enhancing Agents.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-06-01

575-588. 1975. "Germination of Botrytis cinerea conidia in vitro in Relation to Nutrient Conditions on Leaf Surfaces," Transactions of the British...and Botrytis cinerea conidia in vitro in Relation to Nutrient Conditions on Leaf Surfaces," Canadian Journal of Botany, Vol 29, pp 854-861. 19 19 Table...63- L’A AQUATIC PLANT CONTROL RESEARCH PROGRAM * jb~1 MISCELLANFOUS PAPER A-83-6 COMPATIBILITY AND INFECTIVITY OF A CERCOSPORA RODMAN/I FORMULATION

Water-Resources Investigations in Tennessee: Programs and Activities of the U.S. Geological Survey, 1988-89

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-01-01

quality of farmstead wells in Tennessee 11 Sediment chemistry at Reelfoot Lake evaluated for U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 12 Investigation of...pesticides and nutrients from storm runoff into Reelfoot Lake , West Tennessee 28 Reconnaissance of the impact of agricultural chemicals on ground... Reelfoot area in support of a project to determine suspended-sediment and nutrients loads to the lake . Sediment is considered perhaps the “most important

Use of nonlinear programming to optimize performance response to energy density in broiler feed formulation.

PubMed

Guevara, V R

2004-02-01

A nonlinear programming optimization model was developed to maximize margin over feed cost in broiler feed formulation and is described in this paper. The model identifies the optimal feed mix that maximizes profit margin. Optimum metabolizable energy level and performance were found by using Excel Solver nonlinear programming. Data from an energy density study with broilers were fitted to quadratic equations to express weight gain, feed consumption, and the objective function income over feed cost in terms of energy density. Nutrient:energy ratio constraints were transformed into equivalent linear constraints. National Research Council nutrient requirements and feeding program were used for examining changes in variables. The nonlinear programming feed formulation method was used to illustrate the effects of changes in different variables on the optimum energy density, performance, and profitability and was compared with conventional linear programming. To demonstrate the capabilities of the model, I determined the impact of variation in prices. Prices for broiler, corn, fish meal, and soybean meal were increased and decreased by 25%. Formulations were identical in all other respects. Energy density, margin, and diet cost changed compared with conventional linear programming formulation. This study suggests that nonlinear programming can be more useful than conventional linear programming to optimize performance response to energy density in broiler feed formulation because an energy level does not need to be set.

Effect of a Nutrient Rich Foods consumer education program: results from the nutrition advice study.

PubMed

Glanz, Karen; Hersey, James; Cates, Sheryl; Muth, Mary; Creel, Darryl; Nicholls, Jill; Fulgoni, Victor; Zaripheh, Susan

2012-01-01

The Nutrient Rich Foods (NRF) approach to eating uses the NRF Index, a nutrient profiling metric to help consumers choose foods that contain more vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients per kilocalorie. Research is needed to test the efficacy of dietary guidance using nutrient profiling systems to rank foods. To examine whether nutrition education and supporting materials would increase understanding of the NRF approach and improve food shopping, meal planning, consumption of nutrient-rich foods, and diet quality. Unbalanced randomized controlled trial conducted in February to May 2009 with participants assigned to NRF education group (n=128) or control group receiving standard nutrition education (n=61). Adult primary food shoppers and preparers with at least one child in the household aged 3 to 17 years. Group education session and support tools (pocket guide, shopping list, refrigerator magnet, weekly e-mail messages, and biweekly mailings). Surveys of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors and two 24-hour telephone dietary recalls at baseline and after an 8-week intervention period. Examined time-by-treatment interactions in outcome measures. Compared to controls, NRF participants increased meal planning (+24.2% vs ?4.9%; P<0.01), ability to identify nutrient-rich foods (+60.2% vs +24.6%; P<0.001), and use of shopping lists (+14.1% vs +3.3%; nonsignificant trend), and consumed more vegetables and fruits (P<0.05). NRF participants improved overall diet quality as shown by their scores on the Healthy Eating Index (P=0.04) and NRF scale scores (nonsignificant trend). Significant improvements were observed in Healthy Eating Index component scores for total fruit; whole fruit; whole grains; saturated fat; and energy from solid fats, alcohol, and added sugars. Findings of this study showed that a consumer education program increased participants' use of the NRF approach and improved diet quality. Larger and longer-term studies are needed to confirm the findings and better understand processes of change. Copyright © 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Validity of electronic diet recording nutrient estimates compared to dietitian analysis of diet records: A randomized controlled trial

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Background: Dietary intake assessment with diet records (DR) is a standard research and practice tool in nutrition. Manual entry and analysis of DR is time-consuming and expensive. New electronic tools for diet entry by clients and research participants may reduce the cost and effort of nutrient int...

Estimated Nutrient Concentrations and Continuous Water-Quality Monitoring in the Eucha-Spavinaw Basin, Northwestern Arkansas and Northeastern Oklahoma, 2004-2007

USGS Publications Warehouse

Christensen, Victoria G.; Esralew, Rachel A.; Allen, Monica L.

2008-01-01

The Eucha-Spavinaw basin is the source of water for Lake Eucha and Spavinaw Lake, which are part of the water supply for the City of Tulsa. The City of Tulsa has received complaints of taste and odor in the finished drinking water because of deteriorating water quality. The deterioration is largely because of algal growth from the input of nutrients from the Eucha-Spavinaw basin. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the City of Tulsa, implemented a continuous, real-time water-quality monitoring program in the Eucha-Spavinaw basin to better understand the source of the nutrient loading. This program included the manual collection of samples analyzed for nutrients and the collection of continuous, in-stream data from water-quality monitors. Continuous water-quality monitors were installed at two existing continuous streamflow-gaging stations - Spavinaw Creek near Colcord, Oklahoma, and Beaty Creek near Jay, Oklahoma, from October 2004 through September 2007. Total nitrogen concentrations for manually collected water samples ranged from 2.08 to 9.66 milligrams per liter for the water samples collected from Spavinaw Creek near Colcord, Oklahoma, and from 0.67 to 5.12 milligrams per liter for manually collected water samples from Beaty Creek near Jay, Oklahoma. Total phosphorus concentrations ranged from 0.04 to 1.5 milligrams per liter for the water samples collected from Spavinaw Creek near Colcord and from 0.028 to 1.0 milligram per liter for the water samples collected from Beaty Creek near Jay. Data from water samples and in-stream monitors at Spavinaw and Beaty Creeks (specific conductance and turbidity) were used to develop linear regression equations relating in-stream water properties to total nitrogen and total phosphorus concentrations. The equations developed for the Spavinaw and Beaty sites are site specific and only valid for the concentration ranges of the explanatory variables used in the analysis. The range in estimated and measured phosphorus is not representative for the range of historic streamflow at the Beaty site and that regression equation would benefit from more high flow and high turbidity samples. In addition, all three study years had below average annual precipitation for the area, and streamflow was especially low in Water Year 2006. Average nutrient concentrations from October 2004 through September 2007, which were drier than others, may not be a good indication of conditions in future wetter years. The equations for the Spavinaw and Beaty sites may be used to estimate instantaneous nutrient concentrations, which can be used to compute loads and yields in real time in order to better characterize the effect of land-management practices in these watersheds on the transport of nutrients to Lake Eucha and Spavinaw Lake. The methods used in this study show promise for monitoring future effectiveness of implemented best management practices, development and monitoring of total maximum daily loads, early detection of taste-and-odor occurrences, and to anticipate treatment needs for water suppliers.

Hydrology and the effects of selected agricultural best-management practices in the Bald Eagle Creek Watershed, York County, Pennsylvania, prior to and during nutrient management : Water-Quality Study for the Chesapeake Bay Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Langland, Michael J.; Fishel, David K.

1995-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Susquehanna River Basin Commission and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Resources, conducted a study as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program to determine the effects of nutrient management of surface-water quality by reducing animal units in a 0.43-square-mile agricultural watershed in York County. The study was conducted primarily from October 1985 through September 1990 prior to and during the implementation of nutrient-management practices designed to reduce nutrient and sediment discharges. Intermittent sampling continued until August 1991. The Bald Eagle Creek Basin is underlain by schist and quartzite. About 87 percent of the watershed is cropland and pasture. Nearly 33 percent of the cropland was planted in corn prior to nutrient management, whereas 22 percent of the cropland was planted in corn during the nutrient-management phase. The animal population was reduced by 49 percent during nutrient management. Average annual applications of nitrogen and phosphorus from manure to cropland were reduced by 3,940 pounds (39 percent) and 910 pounds (46 percent), respectively, during nutrient management. A total of 94,560 pounds of nitrogen (538 pounds per acre) and 26,400 pounds of phosphorus (150 pounds per acre) were applied to the cropland as commercial fertilizer and manure during the 5-year study. Core samples from the top 4 feet of soil were collected prior to and during nutrient management and analyzed from concentrations of nitrogen and phosphorus. The average amount of nitrate nitrogen in the soil ranged from 36 to 135 pounds per acre, and soluble phosphorus ranged from 0.39 to 2.5 pounds per acre, prior to nutrient management. During nutrient management, nitrate nitrogen in the soil ranged from 21 to 291 pounds per acre and soluble phosphorus ranged from 0.73 to 1.7 pounds per acre. Precipitation was about 18 percent below normal and streamflow was about 35 percent below normal prior to nutrient management, whereas precipitation was 4 percent above normal and streamflow was 3 percent below normal during the first 2 years of nutrient management. Eighty-four percent of the 20.44 inches of streamflow was base flow prior to nutrient management and 54 percent of the 31.14 inches of streamflow was base flow during the first 2 years of the nutrient-management phase. About 31 percent of the measured precipitation during the first 4 years of the study was discharged as surface water; the remaining 69 percent was removed as evapotranspiration or remained in ground-water storage. Median concentrations of total nitrogen and dissolved nitrate plus nitrite in base flow increased from 4.9 and 4.1 milligrams per liter as nitrogen, respectively, prior to nutrient management to 5.8 and 5.0 milligrams per liter, respectively, during nutrient management. Median concentrations of ammonia nitrogen and organic nitrogen did not change significantly in base flow. Median concentrations of total and dissolved phosphorus in base flow did not change significantly and were 0.05 and 0.03 milligrams per liter as phosphorus, respectively, prior to the management phase, and 0.05 and 0.04 milligrams per liter, respectively, during the management phase. Concentrations and loads of dissolved nitrite plus nitrate in base flow increased following wet periods after crops were harvested and manure was applied. During the growing season, concentrations and loads decreased as nutrient utilization and evapotranspiration by corn increased. About 4,550 pounds of suspended sediment 5,300 pounds of nitrogen, and 70.4 pounds of phosphorous discharged in base flow in the 2 years prior to nutrient management. During the first 2 years of nutrient management about 2,860 pounds of suspended sediment, 5,700 pounds of nitrogen, and 46.6 pounds of phosphorus discharged in base flow. Prior to nutrient management, about 260,000 pounds of suspende

Effects of feeding milk replacer at 2 rates with pelleted, low-starch or texturized, high-starch starters on calf performance and digestion.

PubMed

Quigley, J D; Hill, T M; Dennis, T S; Suarez-Mena, F X; Schlotterbeck, R L

2018-04-11

Milk replacer (MR) feeding programs have traditionally fed at less than ad libitum amounts to promote calf starter (CS) intake and allow early weaning. More recently, increased amounts of MR preweaning have been shown to increase preweaning ADG, although postweaning growth may be reduced. Several studies suggest that limited postweaning digestion of nutrients in CS may contribute to postweaning growth impairment. It is not clear whether CS formulation might also contribute to differences in postweaning nutrient digestion when calves are fed different MR programs. A 56-d feeding and digestion trial was conducted to compare growth and digestion in 2- to 3-d-old male Holstein calves (n = 48; initially 41.9 kg of body weight) fed a moderate (MRM) or high (MRH) MR program and either a pelleted CS containing 9.9% starch or a texturized CS containing 41.3% starch. Programs were 0.66 kg of dry matter (DM)/d of MR to d 46, then 0.33 kg/d to d 49 (MRM) and 0.85 kg of DM/d to d 5, then 1.07 kg/d to d 42, then 0.53 kg/d to d 49 (MRH). The MR contained 25% crude protein and 18.6% fat and was reconstituted to 13 (MRM) or 15% (MRH) solids. Calves were also assigned randomly to receive a pelleted CS (9.9% starch, 36.9% NDF) or a textured CS (41.3% starch, 13.3% NDF) and water for ad libitum intake for 56 d. During d 31 to 35 and 52 to 56, fecal samples were collected from 5 calves per treatment for estimates of digestibility. Selected nutrients and chromic oxide (d 31-35) or acid-insoluble ash (d 52-56) were analyzed in feed and feces to estimate digestibility. Data were analyzed as a completely randomized design. Repeated measures analysis was performed when data were measured by week. Calves fed MRH gained more body weight (but not hip width) and were more efficient to weaning compared with calves fed MRM, although fecal scores and days treated with medications were greater. We found no effect of CS on animal performance, although calves fed textured CS had higher fecal scores. Digestibilities of nutrients were affected by treatment and time of sampling (5 or 8 wk). At 5 wk, digestion of DM, organic matter, crude protein, and fat were lower and digestion of acid detergent fiber, neutral detergent fiber, and starch were higher in calves fed MRM and reflected greater CS intake. Also, digestion of DM, organic matter, acid detergent fiber, starch, crude protein, and fat were greater in calves fed textured CS at 5 wk. By 8 wk, when CS was the only source of nutrients, digestion of DM, organic matter, acid detergent fiber, and neutral detergent fiber were greater in calves fed MRM and digestion of DM and organic matter were greater, and acid detergent fiber and neutral detergent fiber digestion were lower in calves fed textured CS. Formulation of CS as well as amount of MR offered to young calves influenced animal performance and digestion in this study. Copyright © 2018 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Selected nutrients and pesticides in streams of the eastern Iowa basins, 1970-95

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schnoebelen, Douglas J.; Becher, Kent D.; Bobier, Matthew W.; Wilton, Thomas

1999-01-01

 The statistical analysis of the nutrient data typically indicated a strong positive correlation of nitrate with streamflow. Total phosphorus concentrations with streamflow showed greater variability than nitrate, perhaps reflecting the greater potential of transport of phosphorus on sediment rather than in the dissolved phase as with nitrate. Ammonia and ammonia plus organic nitrogen showed no correlation with streamflow or a weak positive correlation. Seasonal variations and the relations of nutrients and pesticides to streamflow generally corresponded with nonpoint‑source loadings, although possible point sources for nutrients were indicated by the data at selected monitoring sites. Statistical trend tests for concentrations and loads were computed for nitrate, ammonia, and total phosphorus. Trend analysis indicated decreases for ammonia and total phosphorus concentrations at several sites and increases for nitrate concentrations at other sites in the study unit.

Dissolved Organic Carbon Degradation in Response to Nutrient Amendments in Southwest Greenland Lakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burpee, B. T.; Northington, R.; Simon, K. S.; Saros, J. E.

2014-12-01

Aquatic ecosystems across the Arctic are currently experiencing rapid shifts in biotic, chemical, and physical factors in response to climate change. Preliminary data from multiple lakes in southwestern Greenland indicate decreasing dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations over the past decade. Though several factors may be contributing to this phenomenon, this study attempts to elucidate the potential of heterotrophic bacteria to degrade DOC in the presence of increasing nutrient concentrations. In certain Arctic regions, nutrient subsidies have been released into lakes due to permafrost thaw. If this is occurring in southwestern Greenland, we hypothesized that increased nutrient concentrations will relieve nutrient limitation, thereby allowing heterotrophic bacteria to utilize DOC as an energy source. This prediction was tested using experimental DOC degradation assays from four sample lakes. Four nutrient amendment treatments (control, N, P, and N + P) were used to simulate in situ subsidies. Five time points were sampled during the incubation: days 0, 3, 6, 14, and 60. Total organic carbon (TOC) and parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis were used to monitor the relative concentrations of different DOC fractions over time. In addition, samples for extracellular enzyme activity (EEA) analysis were collected at every time point. Early analysis of fulvic and humic pools of DOC do not indicate any significant change from days 0 to 14. This could be due to the fact that these DOC fractions are relatively recalcitrant. This study will be important in determining whether bacterial degradation could be a contributing factor to DOC decline in arctic lakes.

Assessment of temporal and spatial water quality in international Gomishan Lagoon, Iran, using multivariate analysis.

PubMed

Basatnia, Nabee; Hossein, Seyed Abbas; Rodrigo-Comino, Jesús; Khaledian, Yones; Brevik, Eric C; Aitkenhead-Peterson, Jacqueline; Natesan, Usha

2018-04-29

Coastal lagoon ecosystems are vulnerable to eutrophication, which leads to the accumulation of nutrients from the surrounding watershed over the long term. However, there is a lack of information about methods that could accurate quantify this problem in rapidly developed countries. Therefore, various statistical methods such as cluster analysis (CA), principal component analysis (PCA), partial least square (PLS), principal component regression (PCR), and ordinary least squares regression (OLS) were used in this study to estimate total organic matter content in sediments (TOM) using other parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen (DO), pH, electrical conductivity (EC), nitrite (NO 2 ), nitrate (NO 3 ), biological oxygen demand (BOD), phosphate (PO 4 ), total phosphorus (TP), salinity, and water depth along a 3-km transect in the Gomishan Lagoon (Iran). Results indicated that nutrient concentration and the dissolved oxygen gradient were the most significant parameters in the lagoon water quality heterogeneity. Additionally, anoxia at the bottom of the lagoon in sediments and re-suspension of the sediments were the main factors affecting internal nutrient loading. To validate the models, R 2 , RMSECV, and RPDCV were used. The PLS model was stronger than the other models. Also, classification analysis of the Gomishan Lagoon identified two hydrological zones: (i) a North Zone characterized by higher water exchange, higher dissolved oxygen and lower salinity and nutrients, and (ii) a Central and South Zone with high residence time, higher nutrient concentrations, lower dissolved oxygen, and higher salinity. A recommendation for the management of coastal lagoons, specifically the Gomishan Lagoon, to decrease or eliminate nutrient loadings is discussed and should be transferred to policy makers, the scientific community, and local inhabitants.

A novel approach to selecting and weighting nutrients for nutrient profiling of foods and diets.

PubMed

Arsenault, Joanne E; Fulgoni, Victor L; Hersey, James C; Muth, Mary K

2012-12-01

Nutrient profiling of foods is the science of ranking or classifying foods based on their nutrient composition. Most profiling systems use similar weighting factors across nutrients due to lack of scientific evidence to assign levels of importance to nutrients. Our aim was to use a statistical approach to determine the nutrients that best explain variation in Healthy Eating Index (HEI) scores and to obtain β-coefficients for the nutrients for use as weighting factors for a nutrient-profiling algorithm. We used a cross-sectional analysis of nutrient intakes and HEI scores. Our subjects included 16,587 individuals from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2005-2008 who were 2 years of age or older and not pregnant. Our main outcome measure was variation (R(2)) in HEI scores. Linear regression analyses were conducted with HEI scores as the dependent variable and all possible combinations of 16 nutrients of interest as independent variables, with covariates age, sex, and ethnicity. The analyses identified the best 1-nutrient variable model (with the highest R(2)), the best 2-nutrient variable model, and up to the best 16-nutrient variable model. The model with 8 nutrients explained 65% of the variance in HEI scores, similar to the models with 9 to 16 nutrients, but substantially higher than previous algorithms reported in the literature. The model contained five nutrients with positive β-coefficients (ie, protein, fiber, calcium, unsaturated fat, and vitamin C) and three nutrients with negative coefficients (ie, saturated fat, sodium, and added sugar). β-coefficients from the model were used as weighting factors to create an algorithm that generated a weighted nutrient density score representing the overall nutritional quality of a food. The weighted nutrient density score can be easily calculated and is useful for describing the overall nutrient quality of both foods and diets. Copyright © 2012 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Long-term soil nutrient dynamics comparison under smallholding land and farmland policy in northeast of China.

PubMed

Ouyang, Wei; Wei, Xinfeng; Hao, Fanghua

2013-04-15

There are two kinds of land policies, the smallholding land policy (SLP) and the farmland policy (FLP) in China. The farmland nutrient dynamics under the two land policies were analysed with the soil system budget method. The averaged nitrogen (N) input of the SLP and the FLP over sixteen years increased about 23.9% and 33.3%, respectively and the phosphorus (P) input climbed about 39.1% and 42.3%, respectively. The statistical analysis showed that the land policies had significant impacts on N and P input from fertilizer and manure, but did not obviously affect the N input from seeds and biological N fixation. The efficiency percentage of N of the SLP and the FLP climbed about 54.5% and 59.4%, respectively, and the P efficiency improved by 52.7% and 82.6%, respectively. About the nutrient output, the F-test analysis indicated that the land polices had remarkable impacts on N output by crop uptake, ammonia volatilisation, denitrification, leaching and runoff, and P output by uptake, runoff, and leach. The balance showed that the absolute loss of N from land deceased about 43.6% and 46.0%, respectively, in the SLP and the FLP, and P discharge reduced about 34.2% and 75.2%, respectively. The F-test analysis of N and P efficiency and balance of between two polices both indicated that the FLP had significant impact on nutrient dynamic. With the Mitscherlich model, the correlations between nutrient input and crop uptake, usage efficiency and loss were analysed and showed that was a threshold value for the optimal nutrient input with the highest efficiency rate. For the optimal nutrient efficiency, the space for extra P addition was bigger than the N input. The FLP have more advantage than the SLP on the crop yield, nutrient efficiency and environmental discharge. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary Divergences in Root Exudate Composition among Ecologically-Contrasting Helianthus Species

PubMed Central

Bowsher, Alan W.; Ali, Rifhat; Harding, Scott A.; Tsai, Chung-Jui; Donovan, Lisa A.

2016-01-01

Plant roots exude numerous metabolites into the soil that influence nutrient availability. Although root exudate composition is hypothesized to be under selection in low fertility soils, few studies have tested this hypothesis in a phylogenetic framework. In this study, we examined root exudates of three pairs of Helianthus species chosen as phylogenetically-independent contrasts with respect to native soil nutrient availability. Under controlled environmental conditions, seedlings were grown to the three-leaf-pair stage, then transferred to either high or low nutrient treatments. After five days of nutrient treatments, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for analysis of root exudates, and detected 37 metabolites across species. When compared in the high nutrient treatment, species native to low nutrient soils exhibited overall higher exudation than their sister species native to high nutrient soils in all three species pairs, providing support for repeated evolutionary shifts in response to native soil fertility. Species native to low nutrient soils and those native to high nutrient soils responded similarly to low nutrient treatments with increased exudation of organic acids (fumaric, citric, malic acids) and glucose, potentially as a mechanism to enhance nutrition acquisition. However, species native to low nutrient soils also responded to low nutrient treatments with a larger decrease in exudation of amino acids than species native to high nutrient soils in all three species pairs. This indicates that species native to low nutrient soils have evolved a unique sensitivity to changes in nutrient availability for some, but not all, root exudates. Overall, these repeated evolutionary divergences between species native to low nutrient soils and those native to high nutrient soils provide evidence for the adaptive value of root exudation, and its plasticity, in contrasting soil environments. PMID:26824236

Evolutionary Divergences in Root Exudate Composition among Ecologically-Contrasting Helianthus Species.

PubMed

Bowsher, Alan W; Ali, Rifhat; Harding, Scott A; Tsai, Chung-Jui; Donovan, Lisa A

2016-01-01

Plant roots exude numerous metabolites into the soil that influence nutrient availability. Although root exudate composition is hypothesized to be under selection in low fertility soils, few studies have tested this hypothesis in a phylogenetic framework. In this study, we examined root exudates of three pairs of Helianthus species chosen as phylogenetically-independent contrasts with respect to native soil nutrient availability. Under controlled environmental conditions, seedlings were grown to the three-leaf-pair stage, then transferred to either high or low nutrient treatments. After five days of nutrient treatments, we used gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for analysis of root exudates, and detected 37 metabolites across species. When compared in the high nutrient treatment, species native to low nutrient soils exhibited overall higher exudation than their sister species native to high nutrient soils in all three species pairs, providing support for repeated evolutionary shifts in response to native soil fertility. Species native to low nutrient soils and those native to high nutrient soils responded similarly to low nutrient treatments with increased exudation of organic acids (fumaric, citric, malic acids) and glucose, potentially as a mechanism to enhance nutrition acquisition. However, species native to low nutrient soils also responded to low nutrient treatments with a larger decrease in exudation of amino acids than species native to high nutrient soils in all three species pairs. This indicates that species native to low nutrient soils have evolved a unique sensitivity to changes in nutrient availability for some, but not all, root exudates. Overall, these repeated evolutionary divergences between species native to low nutrient soils and those native to high nutrient soils provide evidence for the adaptive value of root exudation, and its plasticity, in contrasting soil environments.

Comprehensive Performance Evaluation for Hydrological and Nutrients Simulation Using the Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran in a Mesoscale Monsoon Watershed, China.

PubMed

Li, Zhaofu; Luo, Chuan; Jiang, Kaixia; Wan, Rongrong; Li, Hengpeng

2017-12-19

The Hydrological Simulation Program-Fortran (HSPF) is a hydrological and water quality computer model that was developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Comprehensive performance evaluations were carried out for hydrological and nutrient simulation using the HSPF model in the Xitiaoxi watershed in China. Streamflow simulation was calibrated from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2007 and then validated from 1 January 2008 to 31 December 2010 using daily observed data, and nutrient simulation was calibrated and validated using monthly observed data during the period from July 2009 to July 2010. These results of model performance evaluation showed that the streamflows were well simulated over the study period. The determination coefficient ( R ²) was 0.87, 0.77 and 0.63, and the Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient of efficiency (Ens) was 0.82, 0.76 and 0.65 for the streamflow simulation in annual, monthly and daily time-steps, respectively. Although limited to monthly observed data, satisfactory performance was still achieved during the quantitative evaluation for nutrients. The R ² was 0.73, 0.82 and 0.92, and the Ens was 0.67, 0.74 and 0.86 for nitrate, ammonium and orthophosphate simulation, respectively. Some issues may affect the application of HSPF were also discussed, such as input data quality, parameter values, etc. Overall, the HSPF model can be successfully used to describe streamflow and nutrients transport in the mesoscale watershed located in the East Asian monsoon climate area. This study is expected to serve as a comprehensive and systematic documentation of understanding the HSPF model for wide application and avoiding possible misuses.

Addressing information gaps in wild-caught foods in the US: Brook trout nutritional analysis for inclusion into the USDA national nutrient database for standard reference

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Many species of wild game and fish that are legal to hunt or catch do not have nutrition information in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). Among those species that lack nutrition information are brook trout. The research team worked with the Nutrient Data Laboratory wit...

Determining Nutrient Requirements For Intensively Managed Loblolly Pine Stands Using the SSAND (Soil Supply and Nutrient Demand) Model

Treesearch

Hector G. Adegbidi; Nicholas B. Comerford; Hua Li; Eric J. Jokela; Nairam F. Barros

2002-01-01

Nutrient management represents a central component of intensive silvicultural systems that are designed to increase forest productivity in southern pine stands. Forest soils throughout the South are generally infertile, and fertilizers may be applied one or more times over the course of a rotation. Diagnostic techniques, such as foliar analysis and soil testing are...

Development of complementary feeding recommendations for 12-23-month-old children from low and middle socio-economic status in West Java, Indonesia: contribution of fortified foods towards meeting the nutrient requirement.

PubMed

Fahmida, Umi; Santika, Otte

2016-07-01

Inadequate nutrient intake as part of a complementary feeding diet is attributable to poor feeding practices and poor access to nutritious foods. Household socio-economic situation (SES) has an influence on food expenditure and access to locally available, nutrient-dense foods and fortified foods. This study aimed to develop and compare complementary feeding recommendations (CFR) for 12-23-month-old children in different SES and evaluate the contribution of fortified foods in meeting nutrient requirements. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in low and medium SES households (n 114/group) in urban Bandung district, West Java province, Indonesia. Food pattern, portion size and affordability were assessed, and CFR were developed for the low SES (LSES) and middle SES (MSES) using a linear programming (LP) approach; two models - with and without fortified foods - were run using LP, and the contribution of fortified foods in the final CFR was identified. Milk products, fortified biscuits and manufactured infant cereals were the most locally available and consumed fortified foods in the market. With the inclusion of fortified foods, problem nutrients were thiamin in LSES and folate and thiamin in MSES groups. Without fortified foods, more problem nutrients were identified in LSES, that is, Ca, Fe, Zn, niacin and thiamin. As MSES consumed more fortified foods, removing fortified foods was not possible, because most of the micronutrient-dense foods were removed from their food basket. There were comparable nutrient adequacy and problem nutrients between LSES and MSES when fortified foods were included. Exclusion of fortified foods in LSES was associated with more problem nutrients in the complementary feeding diet.

Automated Liquid-Level Control of a Nutrient Reservoir for a Hydroponic System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, Boris; Asumadu, Johnson A.; Dogan, Numan S.

1997-01-01

A microprocessor-based system for control of the liquid level of a nutrient reservoir for a plant hydroponic growing system has been developed. The system uses an ultrasonic transducer to sense the liquid level or height. A National Instruments' Multifunction Analog and Digital Input/Output PC Kit includes NI-DAQ DOS/Windows driver software for an IBM 486 personal computer. A Labview Full Development system for Windows is the graphical programming system being used. The system allows liquid level control to within 0.1 cm for all levels tried between 8 and 36 cm in the hydroponic system application. The detailed algorithms have been developed and a fully automated microprocessor based nutrient replenishment system has been described for this hydroponic system.

Exploring the nutrient inputs and cycles in Tampa Bay and coastal watersheds using MODIS images and data mining

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ni-Bin; Xuan, Zhemin

2011-09-01

Excessive nutrients, which may be represented as Total Nitrogen (TN) and Total Phosphorus (TP) levels, in natural water systems have proven to cause high levels of algae production. The process of phytoplankton growth which consumes the excess TN and TP in a water body can also be related to the changing water quality levels, such as Dissolved Oxygen (DO), chlorophyll-a, and turbidity, associated with their changes in absorbance of natural radiation. This paper explores spatiotemporal nutrient patterns in Tampa Bay, Florida with the aid of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS images and Genetic Programming (GP) models that are deigned to link those relevant water quality parameters in aquatic environments.

NAWQA, National Water-Quality Assessment Program; Allegheny-Monongahela River Basin

USGS Publications Warehouse

McAuley, Steven D.; Brown, Juliane B.; Sams, James I.

1997-01-01

Surface-water and ground-water quality and aquatic life can be significantly affected by the following principal issues identified in the Allegheny-Monongahela River Basin:Contaminants common to surface and under-ground coal mine discharge such as acidity, iron, aluminum, manganese, and sulfate.Volatile organic compounds (VOC’s), pesti-cides, and nutrients from increased urbanization.Runoff and loading of nutrients and pesticides to streams from nonpoint and point sources such as agricultural land uses.Radon in ground water.

Compilation of 1989 Annual Reports of the Navy ELF Communications System Ecological Monitoring Program. Volume 1. Tabs A, B

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-08-01

data collected in the course of forest vegetation studies. Knowledge of litter biomass production and nutrient content conversely provide one I link...system influences on such factors as solar radiation in the understory or soil nutrient status that may be affected by overstory biomass . The...amounts of red pine biomass in the plantation. Table 1.5 shows the increasing trends of average height and basal diameter of red pine at the three sites

Compilation of 1988 Annual Reports of the Navy ELF (Extremely Low Frequency) Communications System Ecological Monitoring Program. Volume 1

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-08-01

studies. Knowledge of litter biomass production and nutrient content conversely provide one link between the overstory and forest floor components of...system influences on such factors as solar radiation in the understory or soil nutrient status that may be affected by overstory biomass . The...should be sensitive to possible ELF related changes in the canopy of the hardwood stand. I Reduction of foliage biomass or changes in the timing of leaf

The School Nutrition Dietary Assessment Study: Summary of Findings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burghardt, John; Devaney, Barbara

This publication, which is based on the School Nutrition Dietary Assessment study, describes the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP), presents findings on the nutrients and foods provided in school meals, and describes the dietary intakes of the nation's students on a typical school day. Data were derived…

Grab a Byte. Courseware Evaluation for Vocational and Technical Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenfeld, Vila M.; And Others

This courseware evaluation rates the "Grab a Byte" program developed by tne National Dairy Council. (The program--not included in this document--is divided into three sections: Grab-a-Grape uses a quiz-show format to examine students' knowledge of food groups; Nutrition Sleuth reinforces students' nutrient knowledge; and Have-a-Byte…

The Midwest Stream Quality Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2012-01-01

In 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment Program (NAWQA) and USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC) will be collaborating with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA) to assess stream quality across the Midwestern United States. The sites selected for this study are a subset of the larger NRSA, implemented by the EPA, States and Tribes to sample flowing waters across the United States (http://water.epa.gov/type/rsl/monitoring/riverssurvey/index.cfm). The goals are to characterize water-quality stressors—contaminants, nutrients, and sediment—and ecological conditions in streams throughout the Midwest and to determine the relative effects of these stressors on aquatic organisms in the streams. Findings will contribute useful information for communities and policymakers by identifying which human and environmental factors are the most critical in controlling stream quality. This collaborative study enhances information provided to the public and policymakers and minimizes costs by leveraging and sharing data gathered under existing programs. In the spring and early summer, NAWQA will sample streams weekly for contaminants, nutrients, and sediment. During the same time period, CERC will test sediment and water samples for toxicity, deploy time-integrating samplers, and measure reproductive effects and biomarkers of contaminant exposure in fish or amphibians. NRSA will sample sites once during the summer to assess ecological and habitat conditions in the streams by collecting data on algal, macroinvertebrate, and fish communities and collecting detailed physical-habitat measurements. Study-team members from all three programs will work in collaboration with USGS Water Science Centers and State agencies on study design, execution of sampling and analysis, and reporting.

Use of Principal Components Analysis to Explain Controls on Nutrient Fluxes to the Chesapeake Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rice, K. C.; Mills, A. L.

2017-12-01

The Chesapeake Bay watershed, on the east coast of the United States, encompasses about 166,000-square kilometers (km2) of diverse land use, which includes a mixture of forested, agricultural, and developed land. The watershed is now managed under a Total Daily Maximum Load (TMDL), which requires implementation of management actions by 2025 that are sufficient to reduce nitrogen, phosphorus, and suspended-sediment fluxes to the Chesapeake Bay and restore the bay's water quality. We analyzed nutrient and sediment data along with land-use and climatic variables in nine sub watersheds to better understand the drivers of flux within the watershed and to provide relevant management implications. The nine sub watersheds range in area from 300 to 30,000 km2, and the analysis period was 1985-2014. The 31 variables specific to each sub watershed were highly statistically significantly correlated, so Principal Components Analysis was used to reduce the dimensionality of the dataset. The analysis revealed that about 80% of the variability in the whole dataset can be explained by discharge, flux, and concentration of nutrients and sediment. The first two principal components (PCs) explained about 68% of the total variance. PC1 loaded strongly on discharge and flux, and PC2 loaded on concentration. The PC scores of both PC1 and PC2 varied by season. Subsequent analysis of PC1 scores versus PC2 scores, broken out by sub watershed, revealed management implications. Some of the largest sub watersheds are largely driven by discharge, and consequently large fluxes. In contrast, some of the smaller sub watersheds are more variable in nutrient concentrations than discharge and flux. Our results suggest that, given no change in discharge, a reduction in nutrient flux to the streams in the smaller watersheds could result in a proportionately larger decrease in fluxes of nutrients down the river to the bay, than in the larger watersheds.

Carbohydrate and lipid spectroscopic molecular structures of different alfalfa hay and their relationship with nutrient availability in ruminants

PubMed Central

Yari, Mojtaba; Valizadeh, Reza; Nnaserian, Abbas Ali; Jonker, Arjan; Yu, Peiqiang

2017-01-01

Objective This study was conducted to determine molecular structures related to carbohydrates and lipid in alfalfa hay cut at early bud, late bud and early flower and in the afternoon and next morning using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT/IR) and to determine their relationship with alfalfa hay nutrient profile and availability in ruminants. Methods Chemical composition analysis, carbohydrate fractionation, in situ ruminal degradability, and DVE/OEB model were used to measure nutrient profile and availability of alfalfa hay. Univariate analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis (CLA) and principal components analysis (PCA) were conducted to identify FT/IR spectra differences. Results The FT/IR non-structural carbohydrate (NSCHO) to total carbohydrates and NSCHO to structural carbohydrate ratios decreased (p<0.05), while lignin to NSCHO and lipid CH3 symmetric to CH2 symmetric ratios increased with advancing maturity (p<0.05). The FT/IR spectra related to structural carbohydrates, lignin and lipids were distinguished for alfalfa hay at three maturities by PCA and CLA, while FT/IR molecular structures related to carbohydrates and lipids were similar between alfalfa hay cut in the morning and afternoon when analyzed by PCA and CLA analysis. Positive correlations were found for FT/IR NSCHO to total carbohydrate and NSCHO to structural carbohydrate ratios with non-fiber carbohydrate (by wet chemistry), ruminal fast and intermediately degradable carbohydrate fractions and total ruminal degradability of carbohydrates and predicted intestinal nutrient availability in dairy cows (r≥0.60; p<0.05) whereas FT/IR lignin to NSCHO and CH3 to CH2 symmetric stretching ratio had negative correlation with predicted ruminal and intestinal nutrient availability of alfalfa hay in dairy cows (r≥−0.60; p<0.05). Conclusion FT/IR carbohydrate and lipid molecular structures in alfalfa hay changed with advancing maturity from early bud to early flower, but not during the day, and these molecular structures correlated with predicted nutrient supply of alfalfa hay in ruminants. PMID:28335093

Nutrition Education in the Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenhauer, John E.; Bell, Paul E.

1976-01-01

The involvement of seven elementary teachers in a summer nutrition workshop expanded into a complete nutrition education program on nutrients, caloric balance, junk foods, food selection, preparation, and storage. (MB)

Relations of principal components analysis site scores to algal-biomass, habitat, basin-characteristics, nutrient, and biological-community data in the Upper Wabash River Basin, Indiana, 2003

USGS Publications Warehouse

Leer, Donald R.; Caskey, Brian J.; Frey, Jeffrey W.; Lowe, B. Scott

2007-01-01

The values for nutrients (nitrate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) and chlorophyll a (periphyton and seston) were compared to published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) values for Aggregate Nutrient Ecoregions VI and VII and USEPA Level III Ecoregions 55 and 56. Several nutrient values were greater than the 25th percentile of the published USEPA values. Chlorophyll a (periphyton and seston) values either were greater than the 25th percentile of published USEPA values or extended data ranges in the Aggregate Nutrient and Level III Ecoregions. If the proposed values for the 25th percentile were adopted as nutrient water-quality criteria, many samples in the Upper Wabash River Basin would have exceeded the criteria.

The Effect of Nutrient-Based Standards on Competitive Foods in 3 Schools: Potential Savings in Kilocalories and Grams of Fat

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snelling, Anastasia M.; Yezek, Jennifer

2012-01-01

Background: The study investigated how nutrient standards affected the number of kilocalories and grams of fat and saturated fat in competitive foods offered and sold in 3 high schools. Methods: The study is a quasi-experimental design with 3 schools serving as the units of assignment and analysis. The effect of the nutrient standards was measured…

National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) N/P Values for Streams - Wadeable Streams Assessment

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The National Aquatic Resource Survey (NARS) findings for nutrients in streams and lakes highlight that nutrient pollution is widespread across the United States and impacts biological communities. The NARS analysis examined the range of values for nutrients in least-disturbed sites in a WSA region [WSA regions are modified Level III ecoregions from Omernik (1987)] and used this distribution for nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) to separate sites into those having high, medium, or low concentrations of nutrients. Sites identified as high were worse (i.e., had higher nutrient concentrations) than 95% of the sites used to define least-disturbed condition. Similarly, the 75th percentile of the least-disturbed distribution was used to distinguish between sites in medium and low condition. This means that sites reported as being as low were as good as or better than 75% of the sites used to define least-disturbed condition. A relative risk analysis of the data from this survey found that nationally streams and lakes have more than two times greater risk of having degraded biological communities when nutrient concentrations are high than when they are low. For more information, please consult the National Wadeable Streams Assessment (WSA) Report available online at: https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/nrsa:

Web-based decision support and visualization tools for water quality management in the Chesapeake Bay watershed

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mullinix, C.; Hearn, P.; Zhang, H.; Aguinaldo, J.

2009-01-01

Federal, State, and local water quality managers charged with restoring the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem require tools to maximize the impact of their limited resources. To address this need, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Environmental Protection Agency's Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) are developing a suite of Web-based tools called the Chesapeake Online Assessment Support Toolkit (COAST). The goal of COAST is to help CBP partners identify geographic areas where restoration activities would have the greatest effect, select the appropriate management strategies, and improve coordination and prioritization among partners. As part of the COAST suite of tools focused on environmental restoration, a water quality management visualization component called the Nutrient Yields Mapper (NYM) tool is being developed by USGS. The NYM tool is a web application that uses watershed yield estimates from USGS SPAtially Referenced Regressions On Watershed (SPARROW) attributes model (Schwarz et al., 2006) [6] to allow water quality managers to identify important sources of nitrogen and phosphorous within the Chesapeake Bay watershed. The NYM tool utilizes new open source technologies that have become popular in geospatial web development, including components such as OpenLayers and GeoServer. This paper presents examples of water quality data analysis based on nutrient type, source, yield, and area of interest using the NYM tool for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. In addition, we describe examples of map-based techniques for identifying high and low nutrient yield areas; web map engines; and data visualization and data management techniques.

The Importance of Animal Source Foods for Nutrient Sufficiency in the Developing World: The Zambia Scenario.

PubMed

Zhang, Zhiying; Goldsmith, Peter D; Winter-Nelson, Alex

2016-05-05

There have been successful interventions fortifying staple foods to mobilize micronutrients as well as agricultural efforts to raise yields of staple foods to increase food availability. Zambia serves as an interesting case study because since 1961 there has been a notable decline in the availability of animal source foods (ASFs) and pulses and a significant increase in the supply of cassava and vegetable oils. The shift in food availability was partly attributed to the agricultural success in high-yielding and drought-resistant varieties that made cassava and oil crops more affordable and readily available. In this research, we explore another policy strategy that involves ASF as a mechanism to help remedy micronutrient inadequacies in a population. A scenario modeling analysis compares the changes in the nutrient profile of the Zambian diet through adding either staple plant source foods (PSFs) or ASFs. The scenarios under study involve the addition of (1) 18 fl oz of whole cow's milk; (2) 60 g of beef, 30 g of chicken, and 5 g of beef liver; (3) milk plus meat; or (4) 83 g of maize flour, 123 g of cassava, and other staple PSF, that is, isocaloric to the "milk + meat" group. The findings alert program planners and policy makers to the value of increasing the availability, accessibility, and utilization of ASF to simultaneously address multiple nutrient deficiencies, as well as the nutrition challenges that remain when expanding the availability of plant-based staples. © The Author(s) 2016.

Phosphate Availability Alters Architecture and Causes Changes in Hormone Sensitivity in the Arabidopsis Root System1

PubMed Central

López-Bucio, José; Hernández-Abreu, Esmeralda; Sánchez-Calderón, Lenin; Nieto-Jacobo, María Fernanda; Simpson, June; Herrera-Estrella, Luis

2002-01-01

The postembryonic developmental program of the plant root system is plastic and allows changes in root architecture to adapt to environmental conditions such as water and nutrient availability. Among essential nutrients, phosphorus (P) often limits plant productivity because of its low mobility in soil. Therefore, the architecture of the root system may determine the capacity of the plant to acquire this nutrient. We studied the effect of P availability on the development of the root system in Arabidopsis. We found that at P-limiting conditions (<50 μm), the Arabidopsis root system undergoes major architectural changes in terms of lateral root number, lateral root density, and primary root length. Treatment with auxins and auxin antagonists indicate that these changes are related to an increase in auxin sensitivity in the roots of P-deprived Arabidopsis seedlings. It was also found that the axr1-3, axr2-1, and axr4-1 Arabidopsis mutants have normal responses to low P availability conditions, whereas the iaa28-1 mutant shows resistance to the stimulatory effects of low P on root hair and lateral root formation. Analysis of ethylene signaling mutants and treatments with 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid showed that ethylene does not promote lateral root formation under P deprivation. These results suggest that in Arabidopsis, auxin sensitivity may play a fundamental role in the modifications of root architecture by P availability. PMID:12011355

Development of methods for establishing nutrient criteria in lakes and reservoirs: A review.

PubMed

Huo, Shouliang; Ma, Chunzi; Xi, Beidou; Zhang, Yali; Wu, Fengchang; Liu, Hongliang

2018-05-01

Nutrient criteria provide a scientific foundation for the comprehensive evaluation, prevention, control and management of water eutrophication. In this review, the literature was examined to systematically evaluate the benefits, drawbacks, and applications of statistical analysis, paleolimnological reconstruction, stressor-response model, and model inference approaches for nutrient criteria determination. The developments and challenges in the determination of nutrient criteria in lakes and reservoirs are presented. Reference lakes can reflect the original states of lakes, but reference sites are often unavailable. Using the paleolimnological reconstruction method, it is often difficult to reconstruct the historical nutrient conditions of shallow lakes in which the sediments are easily disturbed. The model inference approach requires sufficient data to identify the appropriate equations and characterize a waterbody or group of waterbodies, thereby increasing the difficulty of establishing nutrient criteria. The stressor-response model is a potential development direction for nutrient criteria determination, and the mechanisms of stressor-response models should be studied further. Based on studies of the relationships among water ecological criteria, eutrophication, nutrient criteria and plankton, methods for determining nutrient criteria should be closely integrated with water management requirements. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Water Quality Protection from Nutrient Pollution: Case ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Water bodies and coastal areas around the world are threatened by increases in upstream sediment and nutrient loads, which influence drinking water sources, aquatic species, and other ecologic functions and services of streams, lakes, and coastal water bodies. For example, increased nutrient fluxes from the Mississippi River Basin have been linked to increased occurrences of seasonal hypoxia in northern Gulf of Mexico. Lake Erie is another example where in the summer of 2014 nutrients, nutrients, particularly phosphorus, washed from fertilized farms, cattle feedlots, and leaky septic systems; caused a severe algae bloom, much of it poisonous; and resulted in the loss of drinking water for a half-million residents. Our current management strategies for point and non-point source nutrient loadings need to be improved to protect and meet the expected increased future demands of water for consumption, recreation, and ecological integrity. This presentation introduces management practices being implemented and their effectiveness in reducing nutrient loss from agricultural fields, a case analysis of nutrient pollution of the Grand Lake St. Marys and possible remedies, and ongoing work on watershed modeling to improve our understanding on nutrient loss and water quality. Presented at the 3rd International Conference on Water Resource and Environment.

When microbes and consumers determine the limiting nutrient of autotrophs: a theoretical analysis

PubMed Central

Cherif, Mehdi; Loreau, Michel

2008-01-01

Ecological stoichiometry postulates that differential nutrient recycling of elements such as nitrogen and phosphorus by consumers can shift the element that limits plant growth. However, this hypothesis has so far considered the effect of consumers, mostly herbivores, out of their food-web context. Microbial decomposers are important components of food webs, and might prove as important as consumers in changing the availability of elements for plants. In this theoretical study, we investigate how decomposers determine the nutrient that limits plants, both by feeding on nutrients and organic carbon released by plants and consumers, and by being fed upon by omnivorous consumers. We show that decomposers can greatly alter the relative availability of nutrients for plants. The type of limiting nutrient promoted by decomposers depends on their own elemental composition and, when applicable, on their ingestion by consumers. Our results highlight the limitations of previous stoichiometric theories of plant nutrient limitation control, which often ignored trophic levels other than plants and herbivores. They also suggest that detrital chains play an important role in determining plant nutrient limitation in many ecosystems. PMID:18854301

Report on the U.S. Geological Survey's evaluation program for standard reference samples distributed in April 1994; T-129 (trace constituents), M-130 (major constituents), N-42 (nutrients), P-22 (low ionic strength), and Hg-18 (mercury)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Long, H. Keith; Farrar, Jerry W.

1994-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for five standard reference samples--T-129 (trace constituents), M-130 (major constituents), N-42 (nutrients), P-22 (low ionic strength), Hg-18(mercury),--that were distributed in April 1994 to 157 laboratories registered in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 133 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to: overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the five reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the five standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Results of the U.S. Geological Survey's Analytical Evaluation Program for standard reference samples distributed in March 1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Farrar, Jerry W.; Chleboun, Kimberly M.

1999-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for 8 standard reference samples -- T-157 (trace constituents), M-150 (major constituents), N-61 (nutrient constituents), N-62 (nutrient constituents), P-32 (low ionic strength constituents), GWT-5 (ground-water trace constituents), GWM- 4 (ground-water major constituents),and Hg-28 (mercury) -- that were distributed in March 1999 to 120 laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 111 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the seven reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the 8 standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Fate of Nitrogen on California Dairies as Measured by Regulatory Reporting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parsons, T.; Lee, E.; Harter, T.

2016-12-01

California is the largest dairy producer in the Unites States, generating over 20% of U.S. milk and cheese. Many California dairy herds live in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) in the Central Valley. Surrounding these CAFOs, dairies also manage a significant amount of forage land where animal waste is recycled. Through expansion and more efficient production, the milk and manure output of the Central Valley dairies increased nearly exponentially for five decades, until animal numbers levelled off in the 2000s. Due to this expansion, specifically in the Central Valley, the dairy industry poses significant concerns in regard to nitrate contamination and salinization of groundwater. In 2007, new regulations were placed upon the California dairy industry, pertaining to nonpoint source emissions to groundwater. We have digitized and are currently analyzing these annual dairy reports submitted by individual operators to the regulatory agency (Regional Water Boards) to assess the fate of nutrients on dairies in the Central Valley. We are able to assess data completeness and consistency, annual trends over the first eight years of the program, and evaluate the reporting program. Our analysis can be used to determine potential groundwater nitrate impacts based on field nitrogen mass balance. Preliminary results indicate that increased regulation and efforts made by dairy operations have decreased the presence of excess nutrients on dairy lands, although improvements need to be made to the reporting process in order to further this progress.

Scaling of physical constraints at the root-soil interface to macroscopic patterns of nutrient retention in ecosystems.

PubMed

Gerber, Stefan; Brookshire, E N Jack

2014-03-01

Nutrient limitation in terrestrial ecosystems is often accompanied with maintaining a nearly closed vegetation-soil nutrient cycle. The ability to retain nutrients in an ecosystem requires the capacity of the plant-soil system to draw down nutrient levels in soils effectually such that export concentrations in soil solutions remain low. Here we address the physical constraints of plant nutrient uptake that may be limited by the diffusive movement of nutrients in soils, by the uptake at the root/mycorrhizal surface, and from interactions with soil water flow. We derive an analytical framework of soil nutrient transport and uptake and predict levels of plant available nutrient concentration and residence time. Our results, which we evaluate for nitrogen, show that the physical environment permits plants to lower soil solute concentration substantially. Our analysis confirms that plant uptake capacities in soils are considerable, such that water movement in soils is generally too small to significantly erode dissolved plant-available nitrogen. Inorganic nitrogen concentrations in headwater streams are congruent with the prediction of our theoretical framework. Our framework offers a physical-based parameterization of nutrient uptake in ecosystem models and has the potential to serve as an important tool toward scaling biogeochemical cycles from individual roots to landscapes.

The response of epiphytic bacteria on Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara (Hydrocharitaceae) to increasing nutrient loadings.

PubMed

Cai, Xianlei; Yao, Ling; Gao, Guang; Xie, Yinfeng; Zhang, Yingying; Tang, Xiangming

2016-06-01

To investigate the effects of water column nutrient loading on epiphytic bacteria, we determined the abundance and community composition of epiphytic bacteria on the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria natans (Lour.) Hara during the growth season (June-October) under four different nutrient concentrations (nitrogen (N)-phosphorus (P) in mg L(-1) : 0.5-0.05, 1.0-0.1, 5.0-0.5, 10.0-1.0; hereafter NP-1, NP-2, NP-3, NP-4, respectively), using epifluorescence microscopy method and terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis, respectively. Relative to low nutrient conditions (NP-1), there was no significant effect on the epiphytic bacterial community, and even a decrease in the number of epiphytic bacteria, which linked to the well growth status of host macrophytes at moderate nutrient conditions (NP-2). However, further nutrient enrichment induced significant increase in the abundance of epiphytic bacteria, and marked changes in the community structures of epiphytic bacteria. Furthermore, at high nutrient conditions, epiphytic bacterial communities varied widely temporally, and were not stable compared with those at the lower nutrient conditions. These results indicated that the effects of nutrient enrichment on epiphytic bacteria were nonlinear and dependent on the nutrient concentrations in the water. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

[Association between hematopoietic nutrient intake and the origin of nutritional anemia in women of childbearing age in Colombia].

PubMed

Manjarrés, Luz Mariela; Díaz, Abel; Carriquiry, Alicia

2012-01-01

Compare the nutritional origin of anemia by sociodemographic variables and analyze its association with deficient hematopoietic nutrient intake. The database of Colombia's 2005 National Survey of Nutritional Status was used. The data were obtained through complex representative sampling of the population and processed using SPSS v.15. Anemic women of childbearing age were selected and divided into two groups according to serum ferritin levels. Their customary hematopoietic nutrient intake and risk of deficiency were determined. The proportions of anemia types were compared by sociodemographic variables using the F-distribution, the Rao-Scott second order correction (P < 0.05). The association between the origin of the anemia and classification of the nutrient was analyzed using the odds ratio (OR). 595 women. Non-hypoferric anemia (67.2%) predominated, with no statistical difference by sociodemographic variable, except in the Pacific region (hypoferric anemia, 52.1%). The prevalence of deficiency in the customary intake of hematopoietic nutrients was high. There was no significant association between the deficit in consumption and the origin of the anemia. Non-hypoferric anemia was most common, with no difference by sociodemographic indicators except in the Pacific region. All the women were at high risk of deficiency in their customary hematopoietic nutrient intake, but a statistically significant association between the deficiency and the origin of the nutritional anemia was not observed. Programs to improve nutrient intake and a continued search for causes of nutritional anemia other than iron deficiency are justified.

Advancing Analysis of Spatio-Temporal Variations of Soil Nutrients in the Water Level Fluctuation Zone of China’s Three Gorges Reservoir Using Self-Organizing Map

PubMed Central

Ye, Chen; Li, Siyue; Yang, Yuyi; Shu, Xiao; Zhang, Jiaquan; Zhang, Quanfa

2015-01-01

The ~350 km2 water level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) of China, situated at the intersection of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, experiences a great hydrological change with prolonged winter inundation. Soil samples were collected in 12 sites pre- (September 2008) and post submergence (June 2009) in the WLFZ and analyzed for soil nutrients. Self-organizing map (SOM) and statistical analysis including multi-way ANOVA, paired-T test, and stepwise least squares multiple regression were employed to determine the spatio-temporal variations of soil nutrients in relation to submergence, and their correlations with soil physical characteristics. Results showed significant spatial variability in nutrients along ~600 km long shoreline of the TGR before and after submergence. There were higher contents of organic matter, total nitrogen (TN), and nitrate (NO3-) in the lower reach and total phosphorus (TP) in the upper reach that were primarily due to the spatial variations in soil particle size composition and anthropogenic activities. Submergence enhanced soil available potassium (K), while significantly decreased soil N, possibly due to the alterations of soil particle size composition and increase in soil pH. In addition, SOM analysis determined important roles of soil pH value, bulk density, soil particle size (i.e., silt and sand) and nutrients (TP, TK, and AK) on the spatial and temporal variations in soil quality. Our results suggest that urban sewage and agricultural runoffs are primary pollutants that affect soil nutrients in the WLFZ of TGR. PMID:25789612

Profiling contents of water-soluble metabolites and mineral nutrients to evaluate the effects of pesticides and organic and chemical fertilizers on tomato fruit quality.

PubMed

Watanabe, Masami; Ohta, Yuko; Licang, Sun; Motoyama, Naoki; Kikuchi, Jun

2015-02-15

In this study, the contents of water-soluble metabolites and mineral nutrients were measured in tomatoes cultured using organic and chemical fertilizers, with or without pesticides. Mineral nutrients and water-soluble metabolites were determined by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry, respectively, and results were analysed by principal components analysis (PCA). The mineral nutrient and water-soluble metabolite profiles differed between organic and chemical fertilizer applications, which accounted for 88.0% and 55.4%, respectively, of the variation. (1)H-(13)C-hetero-nuclear single quantum coherence experiments identified aliphatic protons that contributed to the discrimination of PCA. Pesticide application had little effect on mineral nutrient content (except Fe and P), but affected the correlation between mineral nutrients and metabolites. Differences in the content of mineral nutrients and water-soluble metabolites resulting from different fertilizer and pesticide applications probably affect tomato quality. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Organic coating on biochar explains its nutrient retention and stimulation of soil fertility.

PubMed

Hagemann, Nikolas; Joseph, Stephen; Schmidt, Hans-Peter; Kammann, Claudia I; Harter, Johannes; Borch, Thomas; Young, Robert B; Varga, Krisztina; Taherymoosavi, Sarasadat; Elliott, K Wade; McKenna, Amy; Albu, Mihaela; Mayrhofer, Claudia; Obst, Martin; Conte, Pellegrino; Dieguez-Alonso, Alba; Orsetti, Silvia; Subdiaga, Edisson; Behrens, Sebastian; Kappler, Andreas

2017-10-20

Amending soil with biochar (pyrolized biomass) is suggested as a globally applicable approach to address climate change and soil degradation by carbon sequestration, reducing soil-borne greenhouse-gas emissions and increasing soil nutrient retention. Biochar was shown to promote plant growth, especially when combined with nutrient-rich organic matter, e.g., co-composted biochar. Plant growth promotion was explained by slow release of nutrients, although a mechanistic understanding of nutrient storage in biochar is missing. Here we identify a complex, nutrient-rich organic coating on co-composted biochar that covers the outer and inner (pore) surfaces of biochar particles using high-resolution spectro(micro)scopy and mass spectrometry. Fast field cycling nuclear magnetic resonance, electrochemical analysis and gas adsorption demonstrated that this coating adds hydrophilicity, redox-active moieties, and additional mesoporosity, which strengthens biochar-water interactions and thus enhances nutrient retention. This implies that the functioning of biochar in soil is determined by the formation of an organic coating, rather than biochar surface oxidation, as previously suggested.

Premature Brain Aging in Baboons Resulting from Moderate Fetal Undernutrition.

PubMed

Franke, Katja; Clarke, Geoffrey D; Dahnke, Robert; Gaser, Christian; Kuo, Anderson H; Li, Cun; Schwab, Matthias; Nathanielsz, Peter W

2017-01-01

Contrary to the known benefits from a moderate dietary reduction during adulthood on life span and health, maternal nutrient reduction during pregnancy is supposed to affect the developing brain, probably resulting in impaired brain structure and function throughout life. Decreased fetal nutrition delivery is widespread in both developing and developed countries, caused by poverty and natural disasters, but also due to maternal dieting, teenage pregnancy, pregnancy in women over 35 years of age, placental insufficiency, or multiples. Compromised development of fetal cerebral structures was already shown in our baboon model of moderate maternal nutrient reduction. The present study was designed to follow-up and evaluate the effects of moderate maternal nutrient reduction on individual brain aging in the baboon during young adulthood (4-7 years; human equivalent 14-24 years), applying a novel, non-invasive neuroimaging aging biomarker. The study reveals premature brain aging of +2.7 years ( p < 0.01) in the female baboon exposed to fetal undernutrition. The effects of moderate maternal nutrient reduction on individual brain aging occurred in the absence of fetal growth restriction or marked maternal weight reduction at birth, which stresses the significance of early nutritional conditions in life-long developmental programming. This non-invasive MRI biomarker allows further longitudinal in vivo tracking of individual brain aging trajectories to assess the life-long effects of developmental and environmental influences in programming paradigms, aiding preventive and curative treatments on cerebral atrophy in experimental animal models and humans.

Premature Brain Aging in Baboons Resulting from Moderate Fetal Undernutrition

PubMed Central

Franke, Katja; Clarke, Geoffrey D.; Dahnke, Robert; Gaser, Christian; Kuo, Anderson H.; Li, Cun; Schwab, Matthias; Nathanielsz, Peter W.

2017-01-01

Contrary to the known benefits from a moderate dietary reduction during adulthood on life span and health, maternal nutrient reduction during pregnancy is supposed to affect the developing brain, probably resulting in impaired brain structure and function throughout life. Decreased fetal nutrition delivery is widespread in both developing and developed countries, caused by poverty and natural disasters, but also due to maternal dieting, teenage pregnancy, pregnancy in women over 35 years of age, placental insufficiency, or multiples. Compromised development of fetal cerebral structures was already shown in our baboon model of moderate maternal nutrient reduction. The present study was designed to follow-up and evaluate the effects of moderate maternal nutrient reduction on individual brain aging in the baboon during young adulthood (4–7 years; human equivalent 14–24 years), applying a novel, non-invasive neuroimaging aging biomarker. The study reveals premature brain aging of +2.7 years (p < 0.01) in the female baboon exposed to fetal undernutrition. The effects of moderate maternal nutrient reduction on individual brain aging occurred in the absence of fetal growth restriction or marked maternal weight reduction at birth, which stresses the significance of early nutritional conditions in life-long developmental programming. This non-invasive MRI biomarker allows further longitudinal in vivo tracking of individual brain aging trajectories to assess the life-long effects of developmental and environmental influences in programming paradigms, aiding preventive and curative treatments on cerebral atrophy in experimental animal models and humans. PMID:28443017

Impact of Climate Variability and Landscape Patterns on Water Budget and Nutrient Loads in a Peri-urban Watershed: A Coupled Analysis Using Process-based Hydrological Model and Landscape Indices.

PubMed

Li, Chongwei; Zhang, Yajuan; Kharel, Gehendra; Zou, Chris B

2018-06-01

Nutrient discharge into peri-urban streams and reservoirs constitutes a significant pressure on environmental management, but quantitative assessment of non-point source pollution under climate variability in fast changing peri-urban watersheds is challenging. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate water budget and nutrient loads for landscape patterns representing a 30-year progression of urbanization in a peri-urban watershed near Tianjin metropolis, China. A suite of landscape pattern indices was related to nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) loads under dry and wet climate using CANOCO redundancy analysis. The calibrated SWAT model was adequate to simulate runoff and nutrient loads for this peri-urban watershed, with Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (NSE) and coefficient of determination (R 2 ) > 0.70 and percentage bias (PBIAS) between -7 and +18 for calibration and validation periods. With the progression of urbanization, forest remained the main "sink" landscape while cultivated and urban lands remained the main "source" landscapes with the role of orchard and grassland being uncertain and changing with time. Compared to 1984, the landscape use pattern in 2013 increased nutrient discharge by 10%. Nutrient loads modelled under wet climate were 3-4 times higher than that under dry climate for the same landscape pattern. Results indicate that climate change could impose a far greater impact on runoff and nutrient discharge in a peri-urban watershed than landscape pattern change.

Impact of Climate Variability and Landscape Patterns on Water Budget and Nutrient Loads in a Peri-urban Watershed: A Coupled Analysis Using Process-based Hydrological Model and Landscape Indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Chongwei; Zhang, Yajuan; Kharel, Gehendra; Zou, Chris B.

2018-06-01

Nutrient discharge into peri-urban streams and reservoirs constitutes a significant pressure on environmental management, but quantitative assessment of non-point source pollution under climate variability in fast changing peri-urban watersheds is challenging. Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was used to simulate water budget and nutrient loads for landscape patterns representing a 30-year progression of urbanization in a peri-urban watershed near Tianjin metropolis, China. A suite of landscape pattern indices was related to nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) loads under dry and wet climate using CANOCO redundancy analysis. The calibrated SWAT model was adequate to simulate runoff and nutrient loads for this peri-urban watershed, with Nash-Sutcliffe coefficient (NSE) and coefficient of determination ( R 2) > 0.70 and percentage bias (PBIAS) between -7 and +18 for calibration and validation periods. With the progression of urbanization, forest remained the main "sink" landscape while cultivated and urban lands remained the main "source" landscapes with the role of orchard and grassland being uncertain and changing with time. Compared to 1984, the landscape use pattern in 2013 increased nutrient discharge by 10%. Nutrient loads modelled under wet climate were 3-4 times higher than that under dry climate for the same landscape pattern. Results indicate that climate change could impose a far greater impact on runoff and nutrient discharge in a peri-urban watershed than landscape pattern change.

Nutrition labels in bar graph format deemed most useful for consumer purchase decisions using adaptive conjoint analysis.

PubMed

Geiger, C J; Wyse, B W; Parent, C R; Hansen, R G

1991-07-01

This study estimated the effects of changing multiple levels and combinations of nutrition information format, load, expression, and order on consumers' perceptions of label usefulness in purchase decisions using adaptive conjoint analysis. A shopping mall intercept survey, which was administered by a marketing research firm, assessed consumer preferences for 12 label alternatives produced on Campbell's soup cans to portray nutrition information realistically; 252 of 258 respondents completed the computer interactive interview. Consumers significantly preferred the bar graph format to the bar graph/nutrient density and traditional label formats. Consumers considered the bar graph/nutrient density format to be as useful as the traditional label format. There was a highly significant difference among the three levels of information load; the most information load was preferred regardless of nutrient importance. Consumers significantly preferred nutrition information stated in absolute numbers and percentages vs in absolute numbers only in traditional, or in percentages only expressions. There was a significant difference between consumer preferences for the two types of information order. The findings indicate that consumers clearly preferred the nutrition label that displayed all nutrient values using a bar graph format, offered the most information load, and expressed nutrient values using both absolute numbers and percentages. Consumers also preferred nutrition information rearranged in an order that grouped nutrients that should be consumed in adequate amounts on the top, calories in the middle, and nutrients that should be consumed in lesser amounts on the bottom of the label.

ANALYSIS OF PARTICULATE BOUND NUTRIENTS IN URBAN STORMWATER

EPA Science Inventory

Nutrients are important players in the degradation of waterbodies because they are often the elements that limit primary productivity and, hence, are the key factors controlling eutrophication. Eutrophication causes unsightly algal blooms leading to oxygen depletion, stress on o...

Selected achievements, science directions, and new opportunities for the WEBB Small Watershed Research Program

Treesearch

Pierre D. Glynn; Matthew C. Larsen; Earl A. Greene; Heather L. Buss; David W. Clow; Randall J. Hunt; M. Alisa Mast; Sheila F. Murphy; Norman E. Peters; Stephen D. Sebestyen; James B. Shanley; John F. Walker

2009-01-01

Over nearly two decades, the Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) small watershed research program of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has documented how water and solute fluxes, nutrient, carbon, and mercury dynamics, and weathering and sediment transport respond to natural and humancaused drivers, including climate, climate change, and atmospheric...

Consensus statement understanding health and malnutrition through a systems approach: the ENOUGH program for early life.

PubMed

Kaput, Jim; van Ommen, Ben; Kremer, Bas; Priami, Corrado; Monteiro, Jacqueline Pontes; Morine, Melissa; Pepping, Fre; Diaz, Zoey; Fenech, Michael; He, Yiwu; Albers, Ruud; Drevon, Christian A; Evelo, Chris T; Hancock, Robert E W; Ijsselmuiden, Carel; Lumey, L H; Minihane, Anne-Marie; Muller, Michael; Murgia, Chiara; Radonjic, Marijana; Sobral, Bruno; West, Keith P

2014-01-01

Nutrition research, like most biomedical disciplines, adopted and often uses experimental approaches based on Beadle and Tatum's one gene-one polypeptide hypothesis, thereby reducing biological processes to single reactions or pathways. Systems thinking is needed to understand the complexity of health and disease processes requiring measurements of physiological processes, as well as environmental and social factors, which may alter the expression of genetic information. Analysis of physiological processes with omics technologies to assess systems' responses has only become available over the past decade and remains costly. Studies of environmental and social conditions known to alter health are often not connected to biomedical research. While these facts are widely accepted, developing and conducting comprehensive research programs for health are often beyond financial and human resources of single research groups. We propose a new research program on essential nutrients for optimal underpinning of growth and health (ENOUGH) that will use systems approaches with more comprehensive measurements and biostatistical analysis of the many biological and environmental factors that influence undernutrition. Creating a knowledge base for nutrition and health is a necessary first step toward developing solutions targeted to different populations in diverse social and physical environments for the two billion undernourished people in developed and developing economies.

Relative importance of P and N in macrophyte and epilithic algae biomass in a wastewater-impacted oligotrophic river.

PubMed

Taube, Nadine; He, Jianxun; Ryan, M Cathryn; Valeo, Caterina

2016-08-01

The role of nutrient loading on biomass growth in wastewater-impacted rivers is important in order to effectively optimize wastewater treatment to avoid excessive biomass growth in the receiving water body. This paper directly relates wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluent nutrients (including ammonia (NH3-N), nitrate (NO3-N) and total phosphorus (TP)) to the temporal and spatial distribution of epilithic algae and macrophyte biomass in an oligotrophic river. Annual macrophyte biomass, epilithic algae data and WWTP effluent nutrient data from 1980 to 2012 were statistically analysed. Because discharge can affect aquatic biomass growth, locally weighted scatterplot smoothing (LOWESS) was used to remove the influence of river discharge from the aquatic biomass (macrophytes and algae) data before further analysis was conducted. The results from LOWESS indicated that aquatic biomass did not increase beyond site-specific threshold discharge values in the river. The LOWESS-estimated biomass residuals showed a variable response to different nutrients. Macrophyte biomass residuals showed a decreasing trend concurrent with enhanced nutrient removal at the WWTP and decreased effluent P loading, whereas epilithic algae biomass residuals showed greater response to enhanced N removal. Correlation analysis between effluent nutrient concentrations and the biomass residuals (both epilithic algae and macrophytes) suggested that aquatic biomass is nitrogen limited, especially by NH3-N, at most sampling sites. The response of aquatic biomass residuals to effluent nutrient concentrations did not change with increasing distance to the WWTP but was different for P and N, allowing for additional conclusions about nutrient limitation in specific river reaches. The data further showed that the mixing process between the effluent and the river has an influence on the spatial distribution of biomass growth.

Effects of pulsed nutrient inputs on phytoplankton assemblage structure and blooms in an enclosed coastal area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spatharis, Sofie; Tsirtsis, George; Danielidis, Daniel B.; Chi, Thang Do; Mouillot, David

2007-07-01

The response of phytoplankton assemblage structure to terrestrial nutrient inputs was examined for the Gulf of Kalloni in the Northern Aegean Sea, a productive semi-enclosed coastal marine ecosystem. The study was focused on a typical annual cycle, and emphasis was placed on the comparative analysis between blooms developing after significant nutrient inputs from the watershed, and naturally occurring blooms. Baseline information was collected on a monthly basis from a network of stations located in the oligotrophic open sea and the interior and more productive part of the embayment. Intensive sampling was also carried out along a gradient in the vicinity of a river which was the most important source of freshwater and nutrient input for the Gulf. Phytoplankton assemblage structure was analyzed from 188 samples using diversity indices (Shannon and Average Taxonomic Distinctness), multivariate plotting methods (NMDS), multivariate statistics (PERMANOVA), and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA). Three characteristic assemblages were recognized: (1) an autumn assemblage developed under nutrient depleted conditions, having low diversity due to the dominance of two small diatoms, (2) a winter bloom of the potentially toxic species Pseudo-nitzschia calliantha occurring immediately after a nutrient peak and characterized by very low diversity, and (3) a naturally occurring early summer bloom of centric diatoms with relatively high diversity. The results of the study support the view that moderate nutrient inputs may have a beneficial effect on the functioning of coastal ecosystems, stimulating the taxonomic diversity through the growth of different taxonomic groups and taxa. On the other hand, a sudden pulse of high nutrient concentrations may greatly affect the natural succession of organisms, have a negative effect on the diversity through the dominance of a single species, and can increase the possibility of a harmful algal bloom development.

Intakes and adequacy of potentially important nutrients for cognitive development among 5-year-old children in the Seychelles Child Development and Nutrition Study.

PubMed

McAfee, Alison J; Mulhern, Maria S; McSorley, Emeir M; Wallace, Julie M W; Bonham, Maxine P; Faure, Jude; Romain, Sarah; Esther, Christina; Shamlaye, Conrad F; Watson, Gene E; Myers, Gary J; Clarkson, Thomas W; Davidson, Philip W; Strain, J J

2012-09-01

To assess the nutritional adequacy of Seychellois children in relation to nutrients reported to be important for cognitive development. Dietary intakes were assessed by 4 d weighed food diaries and analysed using dietary analysis software (WISP version 3·0; Tinuviel Software, UK). Individual nutrient intakes were adjusted to usual intakes and, in order to investigate adequacy, were compared with the UK Estimated Average Requirements for children aged 4-6 years. Children 5 years old were followed up as part of the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study (SCDNS), located in the high-fish-consuming population of Mahé, Republic of Seychelles. Analysis was carried out on a sample of 229 children (118 boys, 111 girls). Children consumed a diet of which fortified cereal and milk products contributed the most to nutrient intakes. The majority (≥80 %) of children met requirements for several nutrients important for child development including Fe, folate and Se. Adjusted dietary intakes of Cu, Zn, iodine, niacin and vitamin A were below the Estimated Average Requirement or Recommended Nutrient Intake. Mean adjusted energy intakes (boys 4769 kJ/d (1139·84 kcal/d), girls 4759 kJ/d (1137·43 kcal/d)) were lower than the estimated energy requirement (boys 5104 kJ/d (1220 kcal/d), girls 5042 kJ/d (1205 kcal/d)) for 88 % of boys and 86 % of girls. Nutrition was adequate for most children within the SCDNS cohort. Low intakes of some nutrients (including Zn, niacin and vitamin A) could reflect nutritional database inaccuracies, but may require further investigation. The study provides valuable information on the adequacy of intakes of nutrients which could affect the growth and development of Seychellois children.

Analysis of Gene Expression in Escherichia coli in Response to Changes of Growth-Limiting Nutrient in Chemostat Cultures

PubMed Central

Hua, Qiang; Yang, Chen; Oshima, Taku; Mori, Hirotada; Shimizu, Kazuyuki

2004-01-01

Studies of steady-state metabolic fluxes in Escherichia coli grown in nutrient-limited chemostat cultures suggest remarkable flux alterations in response to changes of growth-limiting nutrient in the medium (Hua et al., J. Bacteriol. 185:7053-7067, 2003). To elucidate the physiological adaptation of cells to the nutrient condition through the flux change and understand the molecular mechanisms underlying the change in the flux, information on gene expression is of great importance. DNA microarray analysis was performed to investigate the global transcriptional responses of steady-state cells grown in chemostat cultures with limited glucose or ammonia while other environmental conditions and the growth rate were kept constant. In slow-growing cells (specific growth rate of 0.10 h−1), 9.8% of a total of 4,071 genes investigated, especially those involved in amino acid metabolism, central carbon and energy metabolism, transport system and cell envelope, were observed to be differentially expressed between the two nutrient-limited cultures. One important characteristic of E. coli grown under nutrient limitation was its capacity to scavenge carbon or nitrogen from the medium through elevating the expression of the corresponding transport and assimilation genes. The number of differentially expressed genes in faster-growing cells (specific growth rate of 0.55 h−1), however, decreased to below half of that in slow-growing cells, which could be explained by diverse transcriptional responses to the growth rate under different nutrient limitations. Independent of the growth rate, 92 genes were identified as being differentially expressed. Genes tightly related to the culture conditions were highlighted, some of which may be used to characterize nutrient-limited growth. PMID:15066832

How the National Estuary Programs Address Environmental Issues

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Estuaries face many challenges including, alteration of natural hydrologic flows, aquatic nuisance species, climate change, declines in fish and wildlife populations, habitat loss and degradation, nutrient loads, pathogens, stormwater and toxics.

Water Quality Protection from Nutrient Pollution: Case Analysis

EPA Science Inventory

Water bodies and coastal areas around the world are threatened by increases in upstream sediment and nutrient loads, which influence drinking water sources, aquatic species, and other ecologic functions and services of streams, lakes, and coastal water bodies. For example, incre...

Data-driven nutrient analysis and reality check: Human inputs, catchment delivery and management effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Destouni, G.

2017-12-01

Measures for mitigating nutrient loads to aquatic ecosystems should have observable effects, e.g, in the Baltic region after joint first periods of nutrient management actions under the Baltic Sea Action Plan (BASP; since 2007) and the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD; since 2009). Looking for such observable effects, all openly available water and nutrient monitoring data since 2003 are compiled and analyzed for Sweden as a case study. Results show that hydro-climatically driven water discharge dominates the determination of waterborne loads of both phosphorus and nitrogen. Furthermore, the nutrient loads and water discharge are all similarly well correlated with the ecosystem status classification of Swedish water bodies according to the WFD. Nutrient concentrations, which are hydro-climatically correlated and should thus reflect human effects better than loads, have changed only slightly over the study period (2003-2013) and even increased in moderate-to-bad status waters, where the WFD and BSAP jointly target nutrient decreases. These results indicate insufficient distinction and mitigation of human-driven nutrient components by the internationally harmonized applications of both the WFD and the BSAP. Aiming for better general identification of such components, nutrient data for the large transboundary catchments of the Baltic Sea and the Sava River are compared. The comparison shows cross-regional consistency in nutrient relationships to driving hydro-climatic conditions (water discharge) for nutrient loads, and socio-economic conditions (population density and farmland share) for nutrient concentrations. A data-driven screening methodology is further developed for estimating nutrient input and retention-delivery in catchments. Its first application to nested Sava River catchments identifies characteristic regional values of nutrient input per area and relative delivery, and hotspots of much larger inputs, related to urban high-population areas.

Nutrient fluxes at the landscape level and the R* rule

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ju, Shu; DeAngelis, Donald L.

2010-01-01

Nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems involves not only the vertical recycling of nutrients at specific locations in space, but also biologically driven horizontal fluxes between different areas of the landscape. This latter process can result in net accumulation of nutrients in some places and net losses in others. We examined the effects of such nutrient-concentrating fluxes on the R* rule, which predicts that the species that can survive in steady state at the lowest level of limiting resource, R*, can exclude all competing species. To study the R* rule in this context, we used a literature model of plant growth and nutrient cycling in which both nutrients and light may limit growth, with plants allocating carbon and nutrients between foliage and roots according to different strategies. We incorporated the assumption that biological processes may concentrate nutrients in some parts of the landscape. We assumed further that these processes draw nutrients from outside the zone of local recycling at a rate proportional to the local biomass density. Analysis showed that at sites where there is a sufficient biomass-dependent accumulation of nutrients, the plant species with the highest biomass production rates (roughly corresponding to the best competitors) do not reduce locally available nutrients to a minimum concentration level (that is, minimum R*), as expected from the R* rule, but instead maximize local nutrient concentration. These new results require broadening of our understanding of the relationships between nutrients and vegetation competition on the landscape level. The R* rule is replaced by a more complex criterion that varies across a landscape and reduces to the R* rule only under certain limiting conditions.

Quality of nutrient data from streams and ground water sampled during water years 1992-2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, David K.; Titus, Cindy J.

2005-01-01

Proper interpretation of water-quality data requires consideration of the effects that bias and variability might have on measured constituent concentrations. In this report, methods are described to estimate the bias due to contamination of samples in the field or laboratory and the variability due to sample collection, processing, shipment, and analysis. Contamination can adversely affect interpretation of measured concentrations in comparison to standards or criteria. Variability can affect interpretation of small differences between individual measurements or mean concentrations. Contamination and variability are determined for nutrient data from quality-control samples (field blanks and replicates) collected as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program during water years 1992-2001. Statistical methods are used to estimate the likelihood of contamination and variability in all samples. Results are presented for five nutrient analytes from stream samples and four nutrient analytes from ground-water samples. Ammonia contamination can add at least 0.04 milligram per liter in up to 5 percent of all samples. This could account for more than 22 percent of measured concentrations at the low range of aquatic-life criteria (0.18 milligram per liter). Orthophosphate contamination, at least 0.019 milligram per liter in up to 5 percent of all samples, could account for more than 38 percent of measured concentrations at the limit to avoid eutrophication (0.05 milligram per liter). Nitrite-plus-nitrate and Kjeldahl nitrogen contamination is less than 0.4 milligram per liter in 99 percent of all samples; thus there is no significant effect on measured concentrations of environmental significance. Sampling variability has little or no effect on reported concentrations of ammonia, nitrite-plus-nitrate, orthophosphate, or total phosphorus sampled after 1998. The potential errors due to sampling variability are greater for the Kjeldahl nitrogen analytes and for total phosphorus sampled before 1999. The uncertainty in a mean of 10 concentrations caused by sampling variability is within a small range (1 to 7 percent) for all nutrients. These results can be applied to interpretation of environmental data collected during water years 1992-2001 in 52 NAWQA study units.

Using mushroom farm and anaerobic digestion wastewaters as supplemental fertilizer sources for growing container nursery stock in a closed system.

PubMed

Chong, C; Purvis, P; Lumis, G; Holbein, B E; Voroney, R P; Zhou, H; Liu, H-W; Alam, M Z

2008-04-01

Wastewaters from farm and composting operations are often rich in select nutrients that potentially can be reutilized in crop production. Liners of silverleaf dogwood (Cornus alba L. 'Argenteo-marginata'), common ninebark [Physocarpus opulifolius (L.) Maxim.], and Anthony Waterer spirea (Spiraeaxbumalda Burvénich 'Anthony Waterer') were grown in 6L containers filled with a bark-based commercial mix. Plants were fertigated daily via a computer-controlled multi-fertilizer injector with three recirculated fertilizer treatments: (1) a stock (control) solution with complete macro- and micro-nutrients, electrical conductivity (EC) 2.2 dS m(-1); (2) wastewater from a mushroom farm; and (3) process wastewater from anaerobic digestion of municipal solid waste. The wastewaters used in both treatments 2 and 3 were diluted with tap water, and the computer was programmed to amend, dispense and recirculate nutrients based on the same target EC as in treatment 1. For comparison, there was a traditional controlled-release fertilizer treatment [Nutryon 17-5-12 (17N-2P-10K) plus micro-nutrients topdressed at a rate of 39 g/plant, nutrients not recirculated]. All three species responded similarly to the three recirculated fertilizer treatments. Growth with the recirculated treatments was similar and significantly higher than that obtained with controlled-release fertilizer. Throughout the study, the EC measured in wastewater-derived nutrient solutions, and also in the container substrate, were similar or close to those of the control treatment, although there were small to large differences among individual major nutrients. There was no sign of nutrient deficiency or toxicity symptoms to the plants. Small to moderate excesses in concentrations of SO(4), Na, and/or Cl were physiologically tolerable to the species.

Spectral Quantitation Of Hydroponic Nutrients

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlager, Kenneth J.; Kahle, Scott J.; Wilson, Monica A.; Boehlen, Michelle

1996-01-01

Instrument continuously monitors hydroponic solution by use of absorption and emission spectrometry to determine concentrations of principal nutrients, including nitrate, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and others. Does not depend on extraction and processing of samples, use of such surrograte parameters as pH or electrical conductivity for control, or addition of analytical reagents to solution. Solution not chemically altered by analysis and can be returned to hydroponic process stream after analysis.

Water-quality assessment of the Connecticut, Housatonic, and Thames river basins study unit; analysis of available data on nutrients, suspended sediments, and pesticides, 1972-92

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zimmerman, Marc James; Grady, S.J.; Trench, E.C.; Flanagan, S.M.; Nielsen, M.G.

1996-01-01

This retrospective report examines available nutrient, suspended sediment, and pesticide data in surface and ground water in the Connecticut, Housatonic and Thames Rivers Study Unit of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. The purpose of this study is to improve the under- standing of natural and anthropogenic factors affecting water quality in the study unit. Water-quality data were acquired from various sources, primarily, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The report examines data for water years 1972-92, focusing on 1980-92, although it also includes additional data from as early as 1905. The study unit lies within the New England Physiographic Province and altitudes range from sea level in coastal Connecticut to 6,288 feet above sea level at Mount Washington, New Hampshire. Two major aquifer types underlie the study unit--unconsolidated glacial deposits and fractured bedrock. The climate generally is temperate and humid, with four distinct seasons. Average annual precipitation ranges from 34 to 65 inches. The study unit has a population of about 4.5 million, which is most highly concentrated in southwestern Connecticut and along the south-central region of the Connecticut River Valley. Surface-water-quality data were screened to provide information about sites with adequate numbers of analyses (50) over sufficiently long periods (1980-90) to enable valid statistical analyses. In order to compare effects of different types of land use on surface-water quality, examination of data required application of several statistical and graphical techniques, including mapping, histograms, boxplots, concentration-discharge plots, trend analysis, and load estimation. Spatial and temporal analysis of surface-water-quality data indicated that, with a single exception, only/stations in the Connecticut water-quality network had sufficient data collected over adequately long time periods to use in detailed analyses. Ground-water nutrient and pesticide data were compiled from several Federal and State agencies, primarily the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and Connecticut Department of Health Services. Nutrient data were available for several thousand wells; nitrite plus nitrate as nitrogen was the most commonly reported constituent. Most wells with nutrient data are in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Relative to nutrient data in ground and surface water, pesticide data are less common. Pesticide data were available for slightly more than 200 surface-water sites and less than 500 wells; about 95 percent of the wells are completed in stratified-drift or till aquifers. Data for 81 pesticide compounds were available in various data bases. 2,4-D and silvex were the most commonly detected herbicides in surface water and dieldrin and diazinon were the most commonly detected insecticides. Most surface-water pesticide samples and detections are from bed sediment, but much of the data are not recent. Ethylene dibromide (EDB), a soil fumigant used in tobacco farming was detected in 268 well in a 50 square-mile area of north-central Connecticut; EDB contamination also was detected in wells in Massachusetts. Atrazine, an herbicide commonly used in corn farming, commonly was detected in wells installed in tilled agricultural fields. Corn herbicides were commonly detected in the northern par( of the study unit, although the sampling has been less frequent than in the southern part of the study unit. Pesticides were seldom detected in public-supply wells in Connecticut. Urban sites with relatively high population densities and high concentrations of dischargers were characterized by having the highest nutrient concentrations and loads when adjusted for differences in drainage area or population. Particularly, the Pequabuck, Naugatuck, and Quinnipiac River Basins were characterized by high nutrient concentrations--median total nitrogen concentrations ranged from 3.3 to 4.2 mg

Intake of fish oil, oleic acid, folic acid, and vitamins B-6 and E for 1 year decreases plasma C-reactive protein and reduces coronary heart disease risk factors in male patients in a cardiac rehabilitation program.

PubMed

Carrero, Juan Jesús; Fonollá, Juristo; Marti, José Luis; Jiménez, Jesús; Boza, Julio J; López-Huertas, Eduardo

2007-02-01

Certain nutrients have been shown to be effective in preventing coronary heart disease. We hypothesized that a daily intake of low amounts of a number of these nutrients would exert beneficial effects on risk factors and clinical variables in patients that suffered from myocardial infarction (MI) and were following a cardiac rehabilitation program. Forty male MI patients were randomly allocated into 2 groups. The supplemented group consumed 500 mL/d of a fortified dairy product containing eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, oleic acid, folic acid, and vitamins A, B-6, D, and E. The control group consumed 500 mL/d of semi-skimmed milk with added vitamins A and D. The patients received supervised exercise training, lifestyle and dietary recommendations, and they were instructed to consume the products in addition to their regular diet. Blood extractions and clinical examinations were performed after 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 mo. Plasma concentrations of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, oleic acid, folic acid, vitamin B-6, and vitamin E increased after supplementation (P<0.05). Plasma total and LDL-cholesterol, apolipoprotein B, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein concentrations decreased in the supplemented group (P<0.05), and plasma total homocysteine decreased in both groups. There were no changes in heart rate, blood pressure, or cardiac electrocardiographic parameters in either group. Therapeutic lifestyle changes, effected through a CR program comprising regular exercise and the intake of a combination of dietary nutrients, reduced a variety of risk factors in MI patients, which supports the rationale for nutritional programs in the secondary prevention of coronary heart disease.

Manganese recycling in the United States in 1998

USGS Publications Warehouse

Jones, Thomas S.

2003-01-01

This report presents the results of the U.S. Geological Survey's analytical evaluation program for six standard reference samples -- T-163 (trace constituents), M-156 (major constituents), N-67 (nutrient constituents), N-68 (nutrient constituents), P-35 (low ionic strength constituents), and Hg-31 (mercury) -- that were distributed in October 2000 to 126 laboratories enrolled in the U.S. Geological Survey sponsored interlaboratory testing program. Analytical data that were received from 122 of the laboratories were evaluated with respect to overall laboratory performance and relative laboratory performance for each analyte in the six reference samples. Results of these evaluations are presented in tabular form. Also presented are tables and graphs summarizing the analytical data provided by each laboratory for each analyte in the six standard reference samples. The most probable value for each analyte was determined using nonparametric statistics.

Nutrition systems for pressure suits.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huber, C. S.; Heidelbaugh, N. D.; Rapp, R. M.; Smith, M. C., Jr.

1973-01-01

Nutrition systems were successfully developed in the Apollo Program for astronauts wearing pressure suits during emergency decompression situations and during lunar surface explorations. These nutrition systems consisted of unique dispensers, water, flavored beverages, nutrient-fortified beverages, and intermediate moisture food bars. The emergency decompression system dispensed the nutrition from outside the pressure suit by interfacing with a suit helmet penetration port. The lunar exploration system utilized dispensers stowed within the interior layers of the pressure suit. These systems could be adapted for provision of nutrients in other situations requiring the use of pressure suits.

Pawcatuck River and Narragansett Bay Drainage Basins Water and Related Land Resources Study. Big River Reservoir Project. Volume II. Appendix A-G.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

01002 Director Mr. Frank Basile Mr. Paul Stang National Ocean Survey Bureau of Land Management Program Development & Policy U.S. Dept. of C6mmerce 6 World...construction. COMMENT: 2 There is no discussion on herbicides, pesticides , and fertilizers with fecal matter and nutrients that may have been used on...There is no discussion on herbicides, pesticides , and ferti- lizers with fecal matter and nutrients that may have been used on agricultural lands and

Water quality assessment of the San Joaquin--Tulare basins, California; analysis of available data on nutrients and suspended sediment in surface water, 1972-1990

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kratzer, Charles R.; Shelton, Jennifer L.

1998-01-01

Nutrients and suspended sediment in surface water of the San Joaquin-Tulare basins in California were assessed using 1972-1990 data from the U.S. Geological Survey's National Water Information System and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's STOrage and RETrieval database. Loads of nutrients and suspended sediment were calculated at several sites and the contributions from point and nonpoint sources were estimated. Trends in nutrient and suspended-sediment concentrations were evaluated at several sites, especially at the basin outlet on the San Joaquin River. Comparisons of nutrient and suspended sediment concentrations were made among three environmental settings: the San Joaquin Valley--west side, the San Joaquin Valley--east side, and the Sierra Nevada.

Water quality conditions and food web structure in Chequamegon Bay

EPA Science Inventory

Abstract: Stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen are powerful tools for tracing human- and watershed-derived nutrients and energy in coastal ecosystems. We used carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis to identify externally- and internally-produced nutrients and energy suppor...

Diffuse nutrient losses and the impact factors determining their regional differences in four catchments from North to South China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yongyong; Zhou, Yujian; Shao, Quanxi; Liu, Hongbin; Lei, Qiuliang; Zhai, Xiaoyan; Wang, Xuelei

2016-12-01

Diffuse nutrient loss mechanism is complicated and shows remarkably regional differences due to spatial heterogeneities of underlying surface conditions, climate and agricultural practices. Moreover, current available observations are still hard to support the identification of impact factors due to different time or space steps. In this study, an integrated water system model (HEQM) was adopted to obtain the simulated loads of diffuse components (carriers: runoff and sediment; nutrient: total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorous (TP)) with synchronous scales. Multivariable statistical analysis approaches (Analysis of Similarity and redundancy analysis) were used to assess the regional differences, and to identify impact factors as well as their contributions. Four catchments were selected as our study areas, i.e., Xiahui and Zhangjiafen Catchments of Miyun Basin in North China, Yuliang and Tunxi Catchments of Xin'anjiang Basin in South China. Results showed that the model performances of monthly processes were very good for runoff and good for sediment, TN and TP. The annual average coefficients of all the diffuse components in Xin'anjiang Basin were much greater than those in Miyun Basin, and showed significantly regional differences. All the selected impact factors interpreted 72.87-82.16% of the regional differences of carriers, and 62.72-71.62% of those of nutrient coefficients, respectively. For individual impact factor categories, the critical category was geography, followed by land-use/cover, carriers, climate, as well as soil and agricultural practices in Miyun Basin, or agricultural practices and soil in Xin'anjiang Basin. For individual factors, the critical factors were locations for the carrier regional differences, and carriers or chemical fertilizer for the nutrient regional differences. This study is expected to promote further applications of integrated water system model and multivariable statistical analysis in the diffuse nutrient studies, and provide a scientific support for the diffuse pollution control and management in China.

Impact of 100% Fruit Juice Consumption on Diet and Weight Status of Children: An Evidence-based Review.

PubMed

Crowe-White, Kristi; O'Neil, Carol E; Parrott, J Scott; Benson-Davies, Sue; Droke, Elizabeth; Gutschall, Melissa; Stote, Kim S; Wolfram, Taylor; Ziegler, Paula

2016-01-01

Consumption of 100% fruit juice remains controversial for its potential adverse impact on weight and displacement of essential foods in the diets of children. A systematic review of the literature published from 1995-2013 was conducted using the PubMed database to evaluate associations between intake of 100% fruit juice and weight/adiposity and nutrient intake/adequacy among children of 1 to 18 years of age. Weight status outcome measures included body mass index (BMI), BMI z-score, ponderal index, obesity, weight gain, adiposity measures, and body composition. Nutrient outcome measures included intake and adequacy of shortfall nutrients. Data extraction and analysis was conducted according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Evidence Analysis Process. Twenty-two studies on weight status provided evidence that did not support an association between 100% fruit juice consumption and weight/adiposity in children after controlling for energy intake. Limited evidence from eight studies suggests that children consuming 100% fruit juice have higher intake and adequacy of dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium. Differences in methodology and study designs preclude causal determination of 100% fruit juice as sole influencer of weight status or nutrient intake/adequacy of shortfall nutrients. In context of a healthy dietary pattern, evidence suggests that consumption of 100% fruit juice may provide beneficial nutrients without contributing to pediatric obesity.

Maternal Dietary Nutrient Intake and Its Association  with Preterm Birth: A Case-control Study in Beijing,  China.

PubMed

Zhang, Yan; Zhou, Hong; Perkins, Anthony; Wang, Yan; Sun, Jing

2017-03-01

This study aimed to evaluate dietary nutrient intake among Chinese pregnant women by comparison with Chinese Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) and to explore the association between dietary nutrients and preterm birth. A case-control design was conducted in Beijing with 130 preterm delivery mothers in case group and 381 term delivery mothers in control group. Information on mothers' diet was collected using a food frequency questionnaire, and nutrients and energy intakes were subsequently calculated based on DRIs. Multivariate analysis of variance was used to compare the differences between term and preterm groups in relation to dietary nutrients. Dietary nutrient intakes were imbalanced in both groups compared with Chinese DRIs. Preterm delivery mothers had a lower level of fat and vitamin E intake than term delivery mothers (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed lower vitamin E intake in preterm delivery mothers with a prepregnancy BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (p < 0.05) and higher carbohydrate intake in preterm delivery mothers with prepregnancy BMI ≥ 24 kg/m2 (p < 0.05). An imbalanced diet in both groups and low level of dietary intakes of fat and vitamin E in preterm group suggest health education measures should be taken to improve the dietary quality of pregnant women, especially for those with an abnormal prepregnancy BMI.

Plant ecosystem responses to rising atmospheric CO2: applying a "two-timing" approach to assess alternative hypotheses for mechanisms of nutrient limitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medlyn, B.; Jiang, M.; Zaehle, S.

2017-12-01

There is now ample experimental evidence that the response of terrestrial vegetation to rising atmospheric CO2 concentration is modified by soil nutrient availability. How to represent nutrient cycling processes is thus a key consideration for vegetation models. We have previously used model intercomparison to demonstrate that models incorporating different assumptions predict very different responses at Free-Air CO2 Enrichment experiments. Careful examination of model outputs has provided some insight into the reasons for the different model outcomes, but it is difficult to attribute outcomes to specific assumptions. Here we investigate the impact of individual assumptions in a generic plant carbon-nutrient cycling model. The G'DAY (Generic Decomposition And Yield) model is modified to incorporate alternative hypotheses for nutrient cycling. We analyse the impact of these assumptions in the model using a simple analytical approach known as "two-timing". This analysis identifies the quasi-equilibrium behaviour of the model at the time scales of the component pools. The analysis provides a useful mathematical framework for probing model behaviour and identifying the most critical assumptions for experimental study.

Achieving global perfect homeostasis through transporter regulation

PubMed Central

Springer, Michael

2017-01-01

Nutrient homeostasis—the maintenance of relatively constant internal nutrient concentrations in fluctuating external environments—is essential to the survival of most organisms. Transcriptional regulation of plasma membrane transporters by internal nutrient concentrations is typically assumed to be the main mechanism by which homeostasis is achieved. While this mechanism is homeostatic we show that it does not achieve global perfect homeostasis—a condition where internal nutrient concentrations are completely independent of external nutrient concentrations for all external nutrient concentrations. We show that the criterion for global perfect homeostasis is that transporter levels must be inversely proportional to net nutrient flux into the cell and that downregulation of active transporters (activity-dependent regulation) is a simple and biologically plausible mechanism that meets this criterion. Activity-dependent transporter regulation creates a trade-off between robustness and efficiency, i.e., the system's ability to withstand perturbation in external nutrients and the transporter production rate needed to maintain homeostasis. Additionally, we show that a system that utilizes both activity-dependent transporter downregulation and regulation of transporter synthesis by internal nutrient levels can create a system that mitigates the shortcomings of each of the individual mechanisms. This analysis highlights the utility of activity-dependent regulation in achieving homeostasis and calls for a re-examination of the mechanisms of regulation of other homeostatic systems. PMID:28414718

Nitrogen Flux in Watersheds: The Role of Soil Distributions and Climate in Nitrogen Flux to the Coastal Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Showers, W. J.; Reyes, M. M.; Genna, B. J.

2009-12-01

Quantifying the flux of nitrate from different landscape sources in watersheds is important to understand the increased flux of nitrogen to coastal ecosystems. Recent technological advances in chemical sensor networks has demonstrated that chemical variability in aquatic environments are chronically under-sampled, and that many nutrient monitoring programs with monthly or daily sampling rates are inadequate to characterize the dominate seasonal, daily or semi-diurnal fluxes in watersheds. The RiverNet program has measured the nitrate flux in the Neuse River Basin, NC on a 15 minute interval over the past eight years. Significant diurnal variation has been observed in nitrate concentrations during high and low flow periods associated with waste water treatment plants in urban watersheds that are not present in agricultural watersheds. Discharge and N flux in the basin also has significant inter-annual variations associated with El Nino oscillations modified by the North Atlantic oscillation. Positive JMA and NAO indexes are associated with increased groundwater levels, nutrient fluxes, and estuary fish kills. To understand how climate oscillation affect discharge and nutrient fluxes, we have monitored runoff/drainages and groundwater inputs adjacent to a large waste application field over the past 4 years, and used the nitrate inputs as a tracer. Surface water run off is well correlated to precipitation patterns and is the largest nutrient flux into the river. Groundwater inputs are variable spatially and temporally, and are controlled by geology and groundwater levels. Hydric soil spatial distributions are an excellent predictor of nutrient transport across landscapes, and is related to the distribution of biogeochemical “hotspots” The isotopic composition of oxygen and nitrogen in dissolved nitrate indicate that sources change with discharge state, and that atmospherically deposited nitrogen is only important to river fluxes in forested and urban watersheds. These results also indicate that the contribution of wastewater treatment plants from urban watersheds has been greatly under-estimated in current models. Prediction of future changes in discharge and nutrient flux by the modeling of climate oscillations has important implications for water resources policy and drought management for public policy and utility managers.

Context-dependent effects of nutrient loading on the coral-algal mutualism.

PubMed

Shantz, Andrew A; Burkepile, Deron E

2014-07-01

Human-mediated increases in nutrient availability alter patterns of primary production, impact species diversity, and threaten ecosystem function. Nutrients can also alter community structure by disrupting the relationships between nutrient-sharing mutualists that form the foundation of communities. Given their oligotrophic nature and the dependence of reef-building corals on symbiotic relationships, coral reefs may be particularly vulnerable to excess nutrients. However, individual studies suggest complex, even contradictory, relationships among nutrient availability, coral physiology, and coral growth. Here, we used meta-analysis to establish general patterns of the impact of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) on coral growth and photobiology. Overall, we found that over a wide range of concentrations, N reduced coral calcification 11%, on average, but enhanced metrics of coral photobiology, such as photosynthetic rate. In contrast, P enrichment increased average calcification rates by 9%, likely through direct impacts on the calcification process, but minimally impacted coral photobiology. There were few synergistic impacts of combined N and P on corals, as the nutrients impact corals via different pathways. Additionally, the response of corals to increasing nutrient availability was context dependent, varying with coral taxa and morphology, enrichment source, and nutrient identity. For example, naturally occurring enrichment from fish excretion increased coral growth, while human-mediated enrichment tended to decrease coral growth. Understanding the nuances of the relationship between nutrients and corals may allow for more targeted remediation strategies and suggest how other global change drivers such as overfishing and climate change will shape how nutrient availability impacts corals.

Discordant signaling and autophagy response to fasting in hearts of obese mice: Implications for ischemia tolerance

PubMed Central

Kooren, Joel A.; Parker, Sarah J.; Tucker, Kyle C.; Ravindran, Nandini; Ito, Bruce R.; Huang, Chengqun; Venkatraman, Vidya; Van Eyk, Jennifer E.; Gottlieb, Roberta A.; Mentzer, Robert M.

2016-01-01

Autophagy is regulated by nutrient and energy status and plays an adaptive role during nutrient deprivation and ischemic stress. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a hypernutritive state characterized by obesity, dyslipidemia, elevated fasting blood glucose levels, and insulin resistance. It has also been associated with impaired autophagic flux and larger-sized infarcts. We hypothesized that diet-induced obesity (DIO) affects nutrient sensing, explaining the observed cardiac impaired autophagy. We subjected male friend virus B NIH (FVBN) mice to a high-fat diet, which resulted in increased weight gain, fat deposition, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and larger infarcts after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. Autophagic flux was impaired after 4 wk on a high-fat diet. To interrogate nutrient-sensing pathways, DIO mice were subjected to overnight fasting, and hearts were processed for biochemical and proteomic analysis. Obese mice failed to upregulate LC3-II or to clear p62/SQSTM1 after fasting, although mRNA for LC3B and p62/SQSTM1 were appropriately upregulated in both groups, demonstrating an intact transcriptional response to fasting. Energy- and nutrient-sensing signal transduction pathways [AMPK and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)] also responded appropriately to fasting, although mTOR was more profoundly suppressed in obese mice. Proteomic quantitative analysis of the hearts under fed and fasted conditions revealed broad changes in protein networks involved in oxidative phosphorylation, autophagy, oxidative stress, protein homeostasis, and contractile machinery. In many instances, the fasting response was quite discordant between lean and DIO mice. Network analysis implicated the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and mTOR regulatory nodes. Hearts of obese mice exhibited impaired autophagy, altered proteome, and discordant response to nutrient deprivation. PMID:27199111

Discordant signaling and autophagy response to fasting in hearts of obese mice: Implications for ischemia tolerance.

PubMed

Andres, Allen M; Kooren, Joel A; Parker, Sarah J; Tucker, Kyle C; Ravindran, Nandini; Ito, Bruce R; Huang, Chengqun; Venkatraman, Vidya; Van Eyk, Jennifer E; Gottlieb, Roberta A; Mentzer, Robert M

2016-07-01

Autophagy is regulated by nutrient and energy status and plays an adaptive role during nutrient deprivation and ischemic stress. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a hypernutritive state characterized by obesity, dyslipidemia, elevated fasting blood glucose levels, and insulin resistance. It has also been associated with impaired autophagic flux and larger-sized infarcts. We hypothesized that diet-induced obesity (DIO) affects nutrient sensing, explaining the observed cardiac impaired autophagy. We subjected male friend virus B NIH (FVBN) mice to a high-fat diet, which resulted in increased weight gain, fat deposition, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and larger infarcts after myocardial ischemia-reperfusion. Autophagic flux was impaired after 4 wk on a high-fat diet. To interrogate nutrient-sensing pathways, DIO mice were subjected to overnight fasting, and hearts were processed for biochemical and proteomic analysis. Obese mice failed to upregulate LC3-II or to clear p62/SQSTM1 after fasting, although mRNA for LC3B and p62/SQSTM1 were appropriately upregulated in both groups, demonstrating an intact transcriptional response to fasting. Energy- and nutrient-sensing signal transduction pathways [AMPK and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)] also responded appropriately to fasting, although mTOR was more profoundly suppressed in obese mice. Proteomic quantitative analysis of the hearts under fed and fasted conditions revealed broad changes in protein networks involved in oxidative phosphorylation, autophagy, oxidative stress, protein homeostasis, and contractile machinery. In many instances, the fasting response was quite discordant between lean and DIO mice. Network analysis implicated the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor and mTOR regulatory nodes. Hearts of obese mice exhibited impaired autophagy, altered proteome, and discordant response to nutrient deprivation. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Low intakes of carotene, vitamin B2 , pantothenate and calcium predict cognitive decline among elderly patients with diabetes mellitus: The Japanese Elderly Diabetes Intervention Trial.

PubMed

Araki, Atsushi; Yoshimura, Yukio; Sakurai, Takashi; Umegaki, Hiroyuki; Kamada, Chiemi; Iimuro, Satoshi; Ohashi, Yasuo; Ito, Hideki

2017-08-01

The present study aimed to examine whether nutrient intakes predicted cognitive decline among elderly patients with diabetes mellitus. This study evaluated data from a 6-year prospective follow up of 237 elderly patients (aged ≥65 years) with diabetes mellitus, and the associations of baseline nutrient intakes with cognitive decline. Cognitive decline was defined as a ≥2-point decrease in the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Intakes of food and nutrients were assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire, and were compared between patients with cognitive decline and intact cognition. Analysis of covariance and logistic regression analysis were used to compare the changes in the MMSE score during the follow up among intake tertile groups for each nutrient. Compared with men with intact cognition, the men with cognitive decline had lower baseline intakes of calcium, vitamin A, vitamin B 2 , pantothenate, soluble fiber, green vegetables and milk. However, no significant associations between cognitive decline and nutrient intakes were observed among women. After adjusting for age, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin levels, history of severe hypoglycemia, previous stroke and baseline MMSE score, we found that cognitive decline was significantly associated with low intakes of carotene, vitamin B 2 , pantothenate, calcium and green vegetables. Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that intakes of nutrients and green vegetables predicted cognitive decline after adjusting for age, body mass index, glycated hemoglobin levels, baseline MMSE score, and incident stroke during the follow up. These findings suggest that sufficient intakes of carotene, vitamin B 2 , pantothenate, calcium and vegetables could help prevent cognitive decline among elderly men with diabetes mellitus. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2017; 17: 1168-1175. © 2016 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Controls of event-based nutrient transport within nested headwater agricultural watersheds of the western Lake Erie basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Mark R.; Livingston, Stanley J.; Penn, Chad J.; Smith, Douglas R.; King, Kevin W.; Huang, Chi-hua

2018-04-01

Understanding the processes controlling nutrient delivery in headwater agricultural watersheds is essential for predicting and mitigating eutrophication and harmful algal blooms in receiving surface waters. The objective of this study was to elucidate nutrient transport pathways and examine key components driving nutrient delivery processes during storm events in four nested agricultural watersheds (298-19,341 ha) in the western Lake Erie basin with poorly drained soils and an extensive artificial drainage network typical of the Midwestern U.S. Concentration-discharge hysteresis patterns of nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), dissolved reactive phosphorus (DRP), and particulate phosphorus (PP) occurring during 47 storm events over a 6 year period (2004-2009) were evaluated. An assessment of the factors producing nutrient hysteresis was completed following a factor analysis on a suite of measured environmental variables representing the fluvial and wider watershed conditions prior to, and during the monitored storm events. Results showed the artificial drainage network (i.e., surface tile inlets and subsurface tile drains) in these watersheds was the primary flow pathway for nutrient delivery to streams, but nutrient behavior and export during storm events was regulated by the flow paths to and the intensity of the drainage network, the availability of nutrients, and the relative contributions of upland and in-stream nutrient sources. Potential sources and flow pathways for transport varied among NO3-N, PP, and DRP with results underscoring the challenge of mitigating nutrient loss in these watersheds. Conservation practices addressing both nutrient management and hydrologic connectivity will likely be required to decrease nutrient loss in artificially drained landscapes.

Content Analysis of Food Advertising in Iranian Children's Television Programs.

PubMed

Amini, Maryam; Omidvar, Nasrin; Yeatman, Heather; Shariat-Jafari, Shadab; Eslami-Amirabadi, Maryam; Zahedirad, Malihe

2014-10-01

Advertisements can influence children's health related behaviors. Television advertisements are the main avenues directing commercials at children in Iran. This study aimed to explore the content of food advertisement during children's television programs in 2007-8 and to compare it with those reported in 2000. All advertisements broadcasted before, during, and after children's programs aired on two major Iran national television networks were videotaped for a period of 4 weeks during 2007-8. For each advertisement, type of product(s) and mode of presentation (s) were coded. A total of 229 television advertisements were broadcasted. Food commercials were the most frequent group (31%) across the two channels. Among the food products advertised, calorie dense foods, including chocolate, soft drinks, extruded cereals, ice cream, cookies and candies were the most frequent. The appeal mainly used in television food advertisements was "stimulation of hunger/thirst" (38.5%). The advertisements were mostly presented as animations (54%) and the messages used were mainly directed to good taste. Although the total number of food advertisements during children's television programs has decreased but the consumption of high fat, high sugar, low nutrient dense foods continues to be promoted. Policies to address the issue should be scrutinized.

Cost analysis of aquatic biomass systems

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Not Available

1978-07-25

A cost analysis of aquatic biomass systems was conducted to provide the U.S. Department of Energy with engineering cost information on which to base decisions in the area of planning and executing research and development programs dealing with aquatic biomass as an alternative energy resource. Calculations show that several hundred 100 square mile aquatic biomass farms, the size selected by DOE staff for this analysis, would be needed to provide meaningful supplies of energy. With this background, specific engineering analyses were conducted on two original design concepts for 100 square mile aquatic biomass energy farms. These systems were an open-oceanmore » system and a land-based system; outstanding experts in all aspects of this project were called upon to participate and provide information in projecting the costs for harvested aquatic biomass for these systems. It was found that the projections of costs for harvested open-ocean biomass, utilizing optimistic assumptions of scientific and engineering design parameters, appear to be above any practical costs to be considered for energy. One of the major limitations is due to the need to provide upwelled sub-surface water containing needed nutrients, for which pumping energy is required. It is concluded from this analysis that large scale land-based aquatic biomass farms may merit development, but perhaps within a much narrower range than heretofore investigated. Aquatic plants which appear to have potential for development as an energy resource are the so-called emersed plants, or angiosperms, including many types of freshwater weeds such as duckweed, Hydrilla, and water hyacinths. It is recommended that substantially greater basic and applied knowledge on these aquatic biomass are needed, especially on growth rates and nutrient requirements.« less

Integrative analysis of the Lake Simcoe watershed (Ontario, Canada) as a socio-ecological system.

PubMed

Neumann, Alex; Kim, Dong-Kyun; Perhar, Gurbir; Arhonditsis, George B

2017-03-01

Striving for long-term sustainability in catchments dominated by human activities requires development of interdisciplinary research methods to account for the interplay between environmental concerns and socio-economic pressures. In this study, we present an integrative analysis of the Lake Simcoe watershed, Ontario, Canada, as viewed from the perspective of a socio-ecological system. Key features of our analysis are (i) the equally weighted consideration of environmental attributes with socioeconomic priorities and (ii) the identification of the minimal number of key socio-hydrological variables that should be included in a parsimonious watershed management framework, aiming to establish linkages between urbanization trends and nutrient export. Drawing parallels with the concept of Hydrological Response Units, we used Self-Organizing Mapping to delineate spatial organizations with similar socio-economic and environmental attributes, also referred to as Socio-Environmental Management Units (SEMUs). Our analysis provides evidence of two SEMUs with contrasting features, the "undisturbed" and "anthropogenically-influenced", within the Lake Simcoe watershed. The "undisturbed" cluster occupies approximately half of the Lake Simcoe catchment (45%) and is characterized by low landscape diversity and low average population density <0.4 humans ha -1 . By contrast, the socio-environmental functional properties of the "anthropogenically-influenced" cluster highlight the likelihood of a stability loss in the long-run, as inferred from the distinct signature of urbanization activities on the tributary nutrient export, and the loss of subwatershed sensitivity to natural mechanisms that may ameliorate the degradation patterns. Our study also examines how the SEMU concept can augment the contemporary integrated watershed management practices and provides directions in order to promote environmental programs for lake conservation and to increase public awareness and engagement in stewardship initiatives. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Nutrition Services and Foods and Beverages Available at School: Results from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Toole, Terrence P.; Anderson, Susan; Miller, Clare; Guthrie, Joanne

2007-01-01

Background: Schools are in a unique position to promote healthy dietary behaviors and help ensure appropriate nutrient intake. This article describes the characteristics of both school nutrition services and the foods and beverages sold outside of the school meals program in the United States, including state- and district-level policies and…

SITEQUAL v2.0—a Fortran program to determine bottomland hardwood site quality

Treesearch

Don C. Bragg

2017-01-01

SITEQUAL is a computerized expert system that uses a number of easily determined soil conditions associated with physical structure, available moisture, available nutrients, and aeration to estimate site index for 14 southern hardwood species. The original program was written in the Basic language by Harrington and Casson (1986) based on the field methods for site...

Dietary patterns of rural older adults are associated with weight and nutritional status.

PubMed

Ledikwe, Jenny H; Smiciklas-Wright, Helen; Mitchell, Diane C; Miller, Carla K; Jensen, Gordon L

2004-04-01

To characterize dietary patterns of rural older adults and relate patterns to weight and nutritional status. Cross-sectional. Rural Pennsylvania. One hundred seventy-nine community-dwelling adults aged 66 to 87 years. A home visit was conducted to collect demographic, health behavior, and anthropometric data and a blood sample. Five 24-hour dietary recall were administered. Cluster analysis classified participants into dietary patterns using food subgroup servings. Chi-square, analysis of covariance, and logistic regression were used to assess differences across clusters. A low-nutrient-dense cluster (n=107), with higher intake of breads, sweet breads/desserts, dairy desserts, processed meats, eggs, and fats/oils, and a high-nutrient-dense cluster (n=72) with higher intake of cereals, dark green/yellow vegetables, other vegetables, citrus/melons/berries, fruit juices, other fruits, milks, poultry, fish, and beans, were identified. Those in the high-nutrient-dense cluster had lower energy intake; higher energy-adjusted intake of fiber, iron, zinc, folate, and vitamins B(6), B(12), and D; higher Healthy Eating Index scores; higher plasma vitamin B(12) levels; and a lower waist circumference. Those with a low-nutrient-dense dietary pattern were twice as likely to be obese, twice as likely to have low plasma vitamin B(12) levels, and three to 17 times more likely to have low nutrient intake. This study provides support for recommending a high-nutrient-dense dietary pattern for older adults. Behavioral interventions encouraging diets characterized by high-nutrient-dense foods may improve weight and nutritional status of older adults.

Quality of water and bottom sediments, and nutrient and dissolved-solids loads in the Apopka-Beauclair Canal, Lake County, Florida, 1986-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schiffer, D.M.

1994-01-01

Nutrient-rich water enters Lake Beauclair and other lakes downstream from Lake Apopka in the Ocklawaha River chain of lakes in central Florida. Two sources of the nutrient-rich water are Lake Apopka outflow and drainage from farming operations adjacent to the Apopka-Beauclair Canal. Two flow and water- quality monitoring sites were established to measure nutrient and dissolved-solids loads at the outflow from lake Apopka and at a control structure on the Apopka-Beauclair Canal downstream from farming activities. Samples were collected biweekly for analysis of nutrients and monthly for analysis of major ions for 4 years. Most of the nutrient load transported through the lock and dam on the Apopka-Beauclair Canal was transported during periods of high discharge. In April 1987, when discharges were as high as 589 cubic feet per second, loads transported through the lock and dam accounted for 59 percent of the ammonia-plus- organic nitrogen load, 61 percent of the total nitrogen load, and 59 percent of the phosphorus load transported during the 1987 water year. Constituent concentrations in annual bottom sediment samples from the canal indicated that most of the constituent load is not being transported down- stream. An alternative approach was derived for determining the relative constituent load from farm input along the canal: Load computations using this approach indicated that, with the exception of phosphorus, nutrient and dissolved-solids loads due to farm activity along the canal account for 10 percent or less of the total load at the Apopka-Beauclair canal lock and dam. (USGS)

Nutrient sensing modulates malaria parasite virulence.

PubMed

Mancio-Silva, Liliana; Slavic, Ksenija; Grilo Ruivo, Margarida T; Grosso, Ana Rita; Modrzynska, Katarzyna K; Vera, Iset Medina; Sales-Dias, Joana; Gomes, Ana Rita; MacPherson, Cameron Ross; Crozet, Pierre; Adamo, Mattia; Baena-Gonzalez, Elena; Tewari, Rita; Llinás, Manuel; Billker, Oliver; Mota, Maria M

2017-07-13

The lifestyle of intracellular pathogens, such as malaria parasites, is intimately connected to that of their host, primarily for nutrient supply. Nutrients act not only as primary sources of energy but also as regulators of gene expression, metabolism and growth, through various signalling networks that enable cells to sense and adapt to varying environmental conditions. Canonical nutrient-sensing pathways are presumed to be absent from the causative agent of malaria, Plasmodium, thus raising the question of whether these parasites can sense and cope with fluctuations in host nutrient levels. Here we show that Plasmodium blood-stage parasites actively respond to host dietary calorie alterations through rearrangement of their transcriptome accompanied by substantial adjustment of their multiplication rate. A kinome analysis combined with chemical and genetic approaches identified KIN as a critical regulator that mediates sensing of nutrients and controls a transcriptional response to the host nutritional status. KIN shares homology with SNF1/AMPKα, and yeast complementation studies suggest that it is part of a functionally conserved cellular energy-sensing pathway. Overall, these findings reveal a key parasite nutrient-sensing mechanism that is critical for modulating parasite replication and virulence.

Nutrient database improvement project: Separable components and proximate composition of raw and cooked retail cuts from the beef loin and round.

PubMed

Acheson, R J; Woerner, D R; Martin, J N; Belk, K E; Engle, T E; Brown, T R; Brooks, J C; Luna, A M; Thompson, L D; Grimes, H L; Arnold, A N; Savell, J W; Gehring, K B; Douglass, L W; Howe, J C; Patterson, K Y; Roseland, J M; Williams, J R; Cifelli, A; Leheska, J M; McNeill, S H

2015-12-01

Beef nutrition research has become increasingly important domestically and internationally for the beef industry and its consumers. The objective of this study was to analyze the nutrient composition of ten beef loin and round cuts to update the nutrient data in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Seventy-two carcasses representing a national composite of Yield Grade, Quality Grade, sex classification, and genetic type were identified from six regions across the U.S. Beef short loins, strip loins, tenderloins, inside rounds, and eye of rounds (NAMP # 173, 175, 190A, 169A, and 171C) were collected from the selected carcasses and shipped to three university meat laboratories for storage, retail fabrication, and raw/cooked analysis of nutrients. Sample homogenates from each animal were analyzed for proximate composition. These data provide updated information regarding the nutrient status of beef, in addition, to determining the influence of Quality Grade, Yield Grade, and sex classification on nutrient composition. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

21 CFR 106.30 - Finished product evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION INFANT FORMULA QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES (Eff. until 7-10-14) Quality Control... the maintenance of nutrient content throughout the shelf life of the product. (c) The manufacturer... nutrients, and the biological quality of the protein. A protein biological quality analysis is not necessary...

Sensor-based precision fertilization for field crops

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

From the development of the first viable variable-rate fertilizer systems in the upper Midwest USA, precision agriculture is now approaching three decades old. Early precision fertilization practice relied on laboratory analysis of soil samples collected on a spatial pattern to define the nutrient-s...

The effects of human milk fortification on nutrients and milk properties.

PubMed

Donovan, R; Kelly, S G; Prazad, P; Talaty, P N; Lefaiver, C; Hastings, M L; Everly, D N

2017-01-01

To investigate the effects of fortification and storage on nutrients and properties of various human milk (HM) types. Mother's own milk (MOM) and pasteurized donor human milk (DHM; n=118) were analyzed pre- and post fortification with Enfamil and Similac human milk fortifier (EHMF and SHMF) before and after 24 h of refrigerated storage. Milk fortified with SHMF had significantly greater osmolality, pH and lipase activity than EHMF. Changes in protein, pH and osmolality following refrigerated storage differed between fortifiers. When milk type was factored into the analysis, protein and lipase activity changes in fresh MOM differed significantly from DHM and frozen MOM. Analysis of UNF HM found higher protein levels in preterm vs term samples and in MOM vs DHM. Nutrient composition of HM varies significantly by milk type. Although fortifiers enhance select nutrients, each has the potential to affect HM properties in a unique way and these affects may vary by milk type.

Modelling the effects and economics of managed realignment on the cycling and storage of nutrients, carbon and sediments in the Blackwater estuary UK

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepherd, D.; Burgess, D.; Jickells, T.; Andrews, J.; Cave, R.; Turner, R. K.; Aldridge, J.; Parker, E. R.; Young, E.

2007-07-01

A hydrodynamic model is developed for the Blackwater estuary (UK) and used to estimate nitrate removal by denitrification. Using the model, sediment analysis and estimates of sedimentation rates, we estimate changes in estuarine denitrification and intertidal carbon and nutrient storage and associated value of habitat created under a scenario of extensive managed realignment. We then use this information, together with engineering and land costs, to conduct a cost benefit analysis of the managed realignment. This demonstrates that over a 50-100 year timescale the value of the habitat created and carbon buried is sufficient to make the large scale managed realignment cost effective. The analysis reveals that carbon and nutrient storage plus habitat creation represent major and quantifiable benefits of realignment. The methodology described here can be readily transferred to other coastal systems.

A Potential Waste to be Selected as Media for Metal and Nutrient Removal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zayadi, N.; Othman, N.; Hamdan, R.

2016-07-01

This study describes the potential of application of cassava peel, banana peel, coconut shell, and coconut coir to be selected as metal removal while limestone and steel slag for nutrient removal. The media were characterized by X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF), Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR), Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy-Energy Dispersive X-Ray (FESEM-EDX), and X-Ray Powder Diffraction (XRD). The results of XRF analysis medias show the present of calcium oxide, CaO which confirm the high efficiency in adsorbing metal ions and nutrient which is in agreement with the result of XRD. The characteristics of medias by FTIR analysis also confirmed the involvement of alcohol, carboxylic, alkanes, amines and ethers which play important role to reduce ions while FESEM-EDX indicates the porous structures of study medias. The characterization analysis highlight that cassava peel and steel slag were selected as a potential media in this study.

USA Nutrient managment forecasting via the "Fertilizer Forecaster": linking surface runnof, nutrient application and ecohydrology.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drohan, Patrick; Buda, Anthony; Kleinman, Peter; Miller, Douglas; Lin, Henry; Beegle, Douglas; Knight, Paul

2017-04-01

USA and state nutrient management planning offers strategic guidance that strives to educate farmers and those involved in nutrient management to make wise management decisions. A goal of such programs is to manage hotspots of water quality degradation that threaten human and ecosystem health, water and food security. The guidance provided by nutrient management plans does not provide the day-to-day support necessary to make operational decisions, particularly when and where to apply nutrients over the short term. These short-term decisions on when and where to apply nutrients often make the difference between whether the nutrients impact water quality or are efficiently utilized by crops. Infiltrating rainfall events occurring shortly after broadcast nutrient applications are beneficial, given they will wash soluble nutrients into the soil where they are used by crops. Rainfall events that generate runoff shortly after nutrients are broadcast may wash off applied nutrients, and produce substantial nutrient losses from that site. We are developing a model and data based support tool for nutrient management, the Fertilizer Forecaster, which identifies the relative probability of runoff or infiltrating events in Pennsylvania (PA) landscapes in order to improve water quality. This tool will support field specific decisions by farmers and land managers on when and where to apply fertilizers and manures over 24, 48 and 72 hour periods. Our objectives are to: (1) monitor agricultural hillslopes in watersheds representing four of the five Physiographic Provinces of the Chesapeake Bay basin; (2) validate a high resolution mapping model that identifies soils prone to runoff; (3) develop an empirically based approach to relate state-of-the-art weather forecast variables to site-specific rainfall infiltration or runoff occurrence; (4) test the empirical forecasting model against alternative approaches to forecasting runoff occurrence; and (5) recruit farmers from the four watersheds to use web-based forecast maps in daily manure and fertilizer application decisions. Data from on-farm trials is being used to assess farmer fertilizer, manure, and tillage management decisions before and after use of the Fertilizer Forecaster. This data will help us understand not only the effectiveness of the tool, but also characteristics of farmers with the greatest potential to benefit from such a tool. Feedback from on-farm trials will be used to refine a final tool for field deployment. We hope that the Fertilizer Forecaster will serve as the basis for state (USA-PA), regional (Chesapeake Bay), and national changes in nutrient management planning. This Fertilizer Forecaster is an innovative management practice that is designed to enhance the services of aquatic ecosystems by improving water quality and enhance the services of terrestrial ecosystems by increasing the efficiency of nutrient use by targeted crops.

Fermentation based carbon nanotube multifunctional bionic composites

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentini, Luca; Bon, Silvia Bittolo; Signetti, Stefano; Tripathi, Manoj; Iacob, Erica; Pugno, Nicola M.

2016-06-01

The exploitation of the processes used by microorganisms to digest nutrients for their growth can be a viable method for the formation of a wide range of so called biogenic materials that have unique properties that are not produced by abiotic processes. Here we produced living hybrid materials by giving to unicellular organisms the nutrient to grow. Based on bread fermentation, a bionic composite made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and a single-cell fungi, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast extract, was prepared by fermentation of such microorganisms at room temperature. Scanning electron microscopy analysis suggests that the CNTs were internalized by the cell after fermentation bridging the cells. Tensile tests on dried composite films have been rationalized in terms of a CNT cell bridging mechanism where the strongly enhanced strength of the composite is governed by the adhesion energy between the bridging carbon nanotubes and the matrix. The addition of CNTs also significantly improved the electrical conductivity along with a higher photoconductive activity. The proposed process could lead to the development of more complex and interactive structures programmed to self-assemble into specific patterns, such as those on strain or light sensors that could sense damage or convert light stimulus in an electrical signal.

Fermentation based carbon nanotube multifunctional bionic composites

PubMed Central

Valentini, Luca; Bon, Silvia Bittolo; Signetti, Stefano; Tripathi, Manoj; Iacob, Erica; Pugno, Nicola M.

2016-01-01

The exploitation of the processes used by microorganisms to digest nutrients for their growth can be a viable method for the formation of a wide range of so called biogenic materials that have unique properties that are not produced by abiotic processes. Here we produced living hybrid materials by giving to unicellular organisms the nutrient to grow. Based on bread fermentation, a bionic composite made of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and a single-cell fungi, the Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast extract, was prepared by fermentation of such microorganisms at room temperature. Scanning electron microscopy analysis suggests that the CNTs were internalized by the cell after fermentation bridging the cells. Tensile tests on dried composite films have been rationalized in terms of a CNT cell bridging mechanism where the strongly enhanced strength of the composite is governed by the adhesion energy between the bridging carbon nanotubes and the matrix. The addition of CNTs also significantly improved the electrical conductivity along with a higher photoconductive activity. The proposed process could lead to the development of more complex and interactive structures programmed to self-assemble into specific patterns, such as those on strain or light sensors that could sense damage or convert light stimulus in an electrical signal. PMID:27279425

Mathematical analysis of a nutrient-plankton system with delay.

PubMed

Rehim, Mehbuba; Zhang, Zhenzhen; Muhammadhaji, Ahmadjan

2016-01-01

A mathematical model describing the interaction of nutrient-plankton is investigated in this paper. In order to account for the time needed by the phytoplankton to mature after which they can release toxins, a discrete time delay is incorporated into the system. Moreover, it is also taken into account discrete time delays which indicates the partially recycled nutrient decomposed by bacteria after the death of biomass. In the first part of our analysis the sufficient conditions ensuring local and global asymptotic stability of the model are obtained. Next, the existence of the Hopf bifurcation as time delay crosses a threshold value is established and, meanwhile, the phenomenon of stability switches is found under certain conditions. Numerical simulations are presented to illustrate the analytical results.

The influence of soil pH and humus content on received by Mehlich 3 method nutrients analysis results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tonutare, Tonu; Krebstein, Kadri; Rodima, Ako; Kõlli, Raimo; Künnapas, Allan; Rebane, Jaanus; Penu, Priit; Vennik, Kersti; Soobik, Liina

2015-04-01

Soils provide vital ecosystem functions, playing an important role in our economy and in healthy living environment. However, soils are increasingly degrading in Europe and at the global level. Knowledge about the content of major plant available nutrients, i.e. calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphorus, plays an important role in the sustainable soil management. Mobility of nutrients depends directly on the environmental conditions, two of the most important factors are the pH and organic matter content. Therefore it is essential to have correct information about the content and behaviour of the above named elements in soil, both from the environmental and agronomical viewpoint. During the last decades several extracting solutions which are suitable for the evaluation of nutrient status of soils have been developed for this purpose. One of them is called Mehlich 3 which is widely used in USA, Canada and some European countries (e.g. Estonia, Czech Republic) because of its suitability to extract several major plant nutrients from the soil simultaneously. There are several different instrumental methods used for the analysis of nutrient elements in the soil extract. Potassium, magnesium and calcium are widely analysed by the AAS (atomic absorption spectroscopic) method or by the ICP (inductively coupled plasma) spectroscopic methods. Molecular spectroscopy and ICP spectroscopy were used for the phosphorus determination. In 2011 a new multielemental instrumental method MP-AES (microwave plasma atomic emission spectroscopy) was added to them. Due to its lower detection limits and multielemental character, compared with AAS, and lower exploitation costs, compared with ICP, the MP-AES has a good potential to achieve a leading position in soil nutrient analysis in the future. The objective of this study was to investigate: (i) the impact of soil pH and humus content and (ii) applicability of MP-AES instrumental method for the determination of soil nutrients extracted according to Mehlich 3. For the experiment 100 soil samples with different content of organic matter and pH were used. The determination of Ca, Mg, K and P was analysed by MP and ICP methods and additionally P was analysed molecular spectroscopically. Within the framework of the study the regressions between MP and ICP methods were created for all the analysed elements, i.e. Ca, Mg, K and P. According to MP and ICP, the relationships between the analysed soil major nutrient contents at different soil humus levels and at different pH ranges were determined for the evaluation of their impact. The optimal instrumental settings for calcium, magnesium and potassium analysis, according to Mehlich 3 using MP-AES method, are reported.

Food safety and nutritional quality for the prevention of non communicable diseases: the Nutrient, hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point process (NACCP).

PubMed

Di Renzo, Laura; Colica, Carmen; Carraro, Alberto; Cenci Goga, Beniamino; Marsella, Luigi Tonino; Botta, Roberto; Colombo, Maria Laura; Gratteri, Santo; Chang, Ting Fa Margherita; Droli, Maurizio; Sarlo, Francesca; De Lorenzo, Antonino

2015-04-23

The important role of food and nutrition in public health is being increasingly recognized as crucial for its potential impact on health-related quality of life and the economy, both at the societal and individual levels. The prevalence of non-communicable diseases calls for a reformulation of our view of food. The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system, first implemented in the EU with the Directive 43/93/CEE, later replaced by Regulation CE 178/2002 and Regulation CE 852/2004, is the internationally agreed approach for food safety control. Our aim is to develop a new procedure for the assessment of the Nutrient, hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (NACCP) process, for total quality management (TMQ), and optimize nutritional levels. NACCP was based on four general principles: i) guarantee of health maintenance; ii) evaluate and assure the nutritional quality of food and TMQ; iii) give correct information to the consumers; iv) ensure an ethical profit. There are three stages for the application of the NACCP process: 1) application of NACCP for quality principles; 2) application of NACCP for health principals; 3) implementation of the NACCP process. The actions are: 1) identification of nutritional markers, which must remain intact throughout the food supply chain; 2) identification of critical control points which must monitored in order to minimize the likelihood of a reduction in quality; 3) establishment of critical limits to maintain adequate levels of nutrient; 4) establishment, and implementation of effective monitoring procedures of critical control points; 5) establishment of corrective actions; 6) identification of metabolic biomarkers; 7) evaluation of the effects of food intake, through the application of specific clinical trials; 8) establishment of procedures for consumer information; 9) implementation of the Health claim Regulation EU 1924/2006; 10) starting a training program. We calculate the risk assessment as follows: Risk (R) = probability (P) × damage (D). The NACCP process considers the entire food supply chain "from farm to consumer"; in each point of the chain it is necessary implement a tight monitoring in order to guarantee optimal nutritional quality.

Resveratrol Prevents the Development of Hypertension Programmed by Maternal Plus Post-Weaning High-Fructose Consumption Through Modulation of Oxidative Stress, Nutrient-Sensing Signals, and Gut Microbiota.

PubMed

Tain, You-Lin; Lee, Wei-Chia; Wu, Kay L H; Leu, Steve; Chan, Julie Y H

2018-04-30

High-fructose (HF) intake, oxidative stress, nutrient-sensing signals, and gut microbiota dysbiosis are closely related to the development of hypertension. We investigated whether resveratrol can prevent hypertension induced by maternal plus post-weaning HF diets in adult offspring via the above-mentioned mechanisms. Female Sprague-Dawley rats received either a normal (ND) or 60% high-fructose (HF) diet during gestation and lactation. Male offspring were assigned to five groups (maternal diet/post-weaning diet; n = 8/group): ND/ND, ND/HF, HF/ND, HF/HF, and HF/HF+ Resveratrol. Resveratrol (50 mg/L) was administered in drinking water from weaning to three months of age. We found that HF/HF induced hypertension in adult offspring. Maternal HF diet altered gut microbiota composition in adult offspring, including decreasing the abundance of genera Bacteroides, Dysgonomonas, and Turicibacter, while increasing phylum Verrucomicrobia and Akkermansia muciniphila. Additionally, HF/HF diets increased oxidative stress and decreased renal mRNA expression of Prkaa2, Prkag2, Ppara, Pparb, Ppargc1a, and Sirt4. Resveratrol reduced renal oxidative stress, activated nutrient-sensing signals, modulated gut microbiota, and prevented associated HF/HF-induced programmed hypertension. Targeting oxidative stress, nutrient-sensing signals, and gut microbiota by resveratrol might be a useful therapeutic strategy for treatment of hypertension induced by excessive consumption of fructose in the adult rat offspring. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

A System for Managing Replenishment of a Nutrient Solution Using an Electrical Conductivity Controller

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Davis, D.; Dogan, N.; Aglan, H.; Mortley, D.; Loretan, P.

1998-01-01

Control of nutrient solution parameters is very important for the growth and development of plants grown hydroponically. Protocols involving different nutrient solution replenishment times (e.g. one-week, two-week, or two-day replenishment) provide manual periodic control of the nutrient solution's electrical conductivity (EC). Since plants take-up nutrients as they grow, manual control has a drawback in that EC is not held constant between replenishments. In an effort to correct this problem the Center for Food and Environmental Systems for Human Exploration of Space at Tuskegee University has developed a system for managing and controlling levels of EC over a plant's entire growing cycle. A prototype system is being tested on sweetpotato production using the nutrient film technique (NFT), and it is being compared to a system in which sweetpotatoes are grown using NFT with manual control. NASA has played an important role in the development of environmental control systems. They have become a forerunner in growing plants hydroponically with some control systems through the use of networked data acquisition and control using environmental growth chambers. Data acquisition systems which involve the use of real-time, calibration, set points, user panel, and graphical representation programming provide a good method of controlling nutrient solution parameters such as EC and pH [Bledsoe, 19931]. In NASA's Biomass Production Chamber (BPC) at Kennedy Space Center, control is provided by a programmable logic controller (PLC). This is an industrial controller which combines ladder computer logic which has the ability to handle various levels of electrical power. The controller controls temperature, light and other parameters that affect the plant's environment, in the BPC, the Nutrient Delivery System (NIX), a sub-system of the PLC, controls nutrient solution parameters such as EC, pH, and solution levels. When the nutrient EC measurement goes outside a preset range (120-130 mS/m) a set amount of a stock solution of nutrients is automatically added by a metering pump to bring the EC back into operating range [Fortson, 1992]. This paper describes a system developed at Tuskegee University for controlling the EC of a nutrient solution used for growing sweetpotatoes with an EC controller and a computer with LabView data acquisition and instrumentation software. It also describes the preliminary data obtained from the growth of sweetpotatoes using this prototype control system.

County-level estimates of nitrogen and phosphorus from commercial fertilizer for the Conterminous United States, 1987–2006

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gronberg, Jo Ann M.; Spahr, Norman E.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey’s National Water-Quality Assessment program requires nutrient input for analysis of the national and regional assessment of water quality. Detailed information on nutrient inputs to the environment are needed to understand and address the many serious problems that arise from excess nutrients in the streams and groundwater of the Nation. This report updates estimated county-level farm and nonfarm nitrogen and phosphorus input from commercial fertilizer sales for the conterminous United States for 1987 through 2006. Estimates were calculated from the Association of American Plant Food Control Officials fertilizer sales data, Census of Agriculture fertilizer expenditures, and U.S. Census Bureau county population. A previous national approach for deriving farm and nonfarm fertilizer nutrient estimates was evaluated, and a revised method for selecting representative states to calculate national farm and nonfarm proportions was developed. A national approach was used to estimate farm and nonfarm fertilizer inputs because not all states distinguish between farm and nonfarm use, and the quality of fertilizer reporting varies from year to year. For states that distinguish between farm and nonfarm use, the spatial distribution of the ratios of nonfarm-to-total fertilizer estimates for nitrogen and phosphorus calculated using the national-based farm and nonfarm proportions were similar to the spatial distribution of the ratios generated using state-based farm and nonfarm proportions. In addition, the relative highs and lows in the temporal distribution of farm and nonfarm nitrogen and phosphorus input at the state level were maintained—the periods of high and low usage coincide between national- and state-based values. With a few exceptions, nonfarm nitrogen estimates were found to be reasonable when compared to the amounts that would result if the lawn application rates recommended by state and university agricultural agencies were used. Also, states with higher nonfarm-to-total fertilizer ratios for nitrogen and phosphorus tended to have higher urban land-use percentages.

Monitoring Stream Nutrient Concentration Trends in a Mixed-Land-Use Watershed

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeiger, S. J.; Hubbart, J. A.

2014-12-01

Mixed-land use watersheds are often a complex patchwork of forested, agricultural, and urban land-uses where differential land-use mediated non-point source pollution can significantly impact water quality. Stream nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations serve as important variables for quantifying land use effects on non-point source pollution in receiving waters and relative impacts on aquatic biota. The Hinkson Creek Watershed (HCW) is a representative mixed land use urbanizing catchment (231 km2) located in central Missouri, USA. A nested-scale experimental watershed study including five permanent hydroclimate stations was established in 2009 to provide quantitative understanding of multiple land use impacts on nutrient loading. Spectrophotometric analysis was used to quantify total inorganic nitrogen (TIN) and total phosphorus (TP as PO4) regimes. Results (2010 - 2013) indicate average nitrate (NO3-) concentration (mg/l) range of 0.28 to 0.46 mg/l, nitrite (NO2-) range of 0.02 to 0.03 mg/l, ammonia (NH3) ranged from 0.04 to 0.08 mg/l, and TP range of 0.26 to 0.39 mg/l. With n=858, NO3-, NO2-, NH3, and TP concentrations were significantly (CI=95%, p=0.00) higher in the subbasin with the greatest percent cumulative agricultural land use (57%). NH3 and TP concentrations were significantly (CI=95%, p=0.00) higher (with the exception of the agricultural subbasin) in the subbasin with the greatest percent cumulative urban land use (26%). Results from multiple regression analyses showed percent cumulative agricultural and urban land uses accounted for 85% and 96% of the explained variance in TIN loading (CI=95%, p=0.08) and TP loading (CI=95%, p=0.02), respectively, between gauging sites. These results improve understanding of agricultural and urban land use impacts on nutrient concentrations in mixed use watersheds of the Midwest and have implications for nutrient reduction programs in the Mississippi River Basin and hypoxia reductions in the Gulf of Mexico, USA.

Spatially explicit modeling of particulate nutrient flux in Large global rivers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cohen, S.; Kettner, A.; Mayorga, E.; Harrison, J. A.

2017-12-01

Water, sediment, nutrient and carbon fluxes along river networks have undergone considerable alterations in response to anthropogenic and climatic changes, with significant consequences to infrastructure, agriculture, water security, ecology and geomorphology worldwide. However, in a global setting, these changes in fluvial fluxes and their spatial and temporal characteristics are poorly constrained, due to the limited availability of continuous and long-term observations. We present results from a new global-scale particulate modeling framework (WBMsedNEWS) that combines the Global NEWS watershed nutrient export model with the spatially distributed WBMsed water and sediment model. We compare the model predictions against multiple observational datasets. The results indicate that the model is able to accurately predict particulate nutrient (Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Organic Carbon) fluxes on an annual time scale. Analysis of intra-basin nutrient dynamics and fluxes to global oceans is presented.

Nutrient Intake Is Insufficient among Senegalese Urban School Children and Adolescents: Results from Two 24 h Recalls in State Primary Schools in Dakar

PubMed Central

Fiorentino, Marion; Landais, Edwige; Bastard, Guillaume; Carriquiry, Alicia; Wieringa, Frank T.; Berger, Jacques

2016-01-01

Due to rapid urbanization and high food prices and in the absence of nutrition programs, school children from urban areas in West Africa often have insufficient and inadequate diet leading to nutrient deficiencies that affect their health and schooling performance. Acute malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in children from primary state schools of Dakar (Senegal). The objectives of the present study were to assess the overall diet of these children, to report insufficient/excessive energy and nutrient intakes and to investigate association between insufficient nutrient intake and micronutrient deficiencies. Children attending urban state primary schools in the Dakar area were selected through a two-stage random cluster sampling (30 schools × 20 children). Dietary intake data were obtained from two 24 h recalls and blood samples were collected from 545 children (aged 5–17 years, 45% < 10 years, 53% girls) and adjusted for intra-individual variability to estimate nutrient usual intakes. Energy intake was insufficient and unbalanced with insufficient contribution of protein and excessive contribution of fat to global energy intake in one third of the children. Proportions of children with insufficient intake were: 100% for calcium, 100% for folic acid, 79% for vitamin A, 69% for zinc, 53% for vitamin C and 46% for iron. Insufficient iron and protein intake were risk factors for iron deficiency (odds ratio, OR 1.5, 2.2). Insufficient zinc intake and energy intake from protein were risk factors for zinc deficiency (OR 1.8, 3.0, 1.7, 2.9). Insufficient iron and vitamin C intake, and insufficient energy intake from protein were risk factors for marginal vitamin A status (OR 1.8, 1.8, 3.3). To address nutritional deficiencies associated with a diet deficient in energy, protein and micronutrients, nutrition education or school feeding programs are needed in urban primary schools of Senegal. PMID:27775598

Optimal formulations of local foods to achieve nutritional adequacy for 6–23-month-old rural Tanzanian children

PubMed Central

Raymond, Jofrey; Kassim, Neema; Rose, Jerman W.; Agaba, Morris

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: Achieving nutritional goals of infants and young children while maintaining the intake of local and culture-specific foods can be a daunting task. Diet optimisation using linear goal programming (LP) can effectively generate optimal formulations incorporating local and culturally acceptable foods. Objective: The primary objective of this study was to determine whether a realistic and affordable diet that achieves dietary recommended intakes (DRIs) for 22 selected nutrients can be formulated for rural 6–23-month-old children in Tanzania. Design: Dietary intakes of 400 children aged 6–23 months were assessed using a weighed dietary record (WDR), 24-hour dietary recalls and a 7-days food record. A market survey was also carried out to estimate the cost per 100 g of edible portion of foods that are commonly consumed in the study area. Dietary and market survey data were then used to define LP model parameters for diet optimisation. All LP analyses were done using linear program solver (LiPS) version 1.9.4 to generate optimal food formulations. Results: Optimal formulations that achieved DRIs for 20 nutrients for children aged 6–11 months and all selected nutrients for children aged 12–23 months were successfully developed at a twofold cost of the observed food purchase across age groups. Optimal formulations contained a mixture of ingredients such as wholegrain cereals, Irish potatoes, pulses and seeds, fish and poultry meat as well as fruits and vegetables that can be sourced locally. Conclusions: Our findings revealed that given the available food choices, it is possible to develop optimal formulations that can improve dietary adequacy for rural 6–23-month-old children if food budget for the child’s diets is doubled. These findings suggest the need for setting alternative interventions which can help households increase access to nutrient-dense foods that can fill the identified nutrient gaps. PMID:28814951

Alpharma Beef Cattle Nutrition Symposium: implications of nutritional management for beef cow-calf systems.

PubMed

Funston, R N; Summers, A F; Roberts, A J

2012-07-01

The beef cattle industry relies on the use of high-forage diets to develop replacement females, maintain the cow herd, and sustain stocker operations Forage quantity and quality fluctuate with season and environmental conditions Depending on class and physiological state of the animal, a forage diet may not always meet nutritional requirements, resulting in reduced ADG or BW loss if supplemental nutrients are not provided It is important to understand the consequences of such BW loss and the economics of providing supplementation to the beef production system Periods of limited or insufficient nutrient availability can be followed by periods of compensatory BW gain once dietary conditions improve This may have less impact on breeding animals, provided reproductive efficiency is not compromised, where actual BW is not as important as it is in animals destined for the feedlot A rapidly evolving body of literature is also demonstrating that nutritional status of cows during pregnancy can affect subsequent offspring development and production characteristics later in life The concept of fetal programming is that maternal stimuli during critical periods of fetal development have long-term implications for offspring Depending on timing, magnitude, and duration of nutrient limitation or supplementation, it is possible that early measures in life, such as calf birth BW, may be unaffected, whereas measures later in life, such as weaning BW, carcass characteristics, and reproductive traits, may be influenced This body of research provides compelling evidence of a fetal programming response to maternal nutrition in beef cattle Future competitiveness of the US beef industry will continue to be dependent on the use of high-forage diets to meet the majority of nutrient requirements Consequences of nutrient restriction or supplementation must be considered not only on individual animal performance but also the developing fetus and its subsequent performance throughout life.

Nutrient Intake Is Insufficient among Senegalese Urban School Children and Adolescents: Results from Two 24 h Recalls in State Primary Schools in Dakar.

PubMed

Fiorentino, Marion; Landais, Edwige; Bastard, Guillaume; Carriquiry, Alicia; Wieringa, Frank T; Berger, Jacques

2016-10-20

Due to rapid urbanization and high food prices and in the absence of nutrition programs, school children from urban areas in West Africa often have insufficient and inadequate diet leading to nutrient deficiencies that affect their health and schooling performance. Acute malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies are prevalent in children from primary state schools of Dakar (Senegal). The objectives of the present study were to assess the overall diet of these children, to report insufficient/excessive energy and nutrient intakes and to investigate association between insufficient nutrient intake and micronutrient deficiencies. Children attending urban state primary schools in the Dakar area were selected through a two-stage random cluster sampling (30 schools × 20 children). Dietary intake data were obtained from two 24 h recalls and blood samples were collected from 545 children (aged 5-17 years, 45% < 10 years, 53% girls) and adjusted for intra-individual variability to estimate nutrient usual intakes. Energy intake was insufficient and unbalanced with insufficient contribution of protein and excessive contribution of fat to global energy intake in one third of the children. Proportions of children with insufficient intake were: 100% for calcium, 100% for folic acid, 79% for vitamin A, 69% for zinc, 53% for vitamin C and 46% for iron. Insufficient iron and protein intake were risk factors for iron deficiency (odds ratio, OR 1.5, 2.2). Insufficient zinc intake and energy intake from protein were risk factors for zinc deficiency (OR 1.8, 3.0, 1.7, 2.9). Insufficient iron and vitamin C intake, and insufficient energy intake from protein were risk factors for marginal vitamin A status (OR 1.8, 1.8, 3.3). To address nutritional deficiencies associated with a diet deficient in energy, protein and micronutrients, nutrition education or school feeding programs are needed in urban primary schools of Senegal.

The child health exposure analysis resource as a vehicle to measure environment in the environmental influences on child health outcomes program.

PubMed

Wright, Robert O; Teitelbaum, Susan; Thompson, Claudia; Balshaw, David

2018-04-01

Demonstrate the role of environment as a predictor of child health. The children's health exposure analysis resource (CHEAR) assists the Environmental influences on child health outcomes (ECHO) program in understanding the time sensitive and dynamic nature of perinatal and childhood environment on developmental trajectories by providing a central infrastructure for the analysis of biological samples from the ECHO cohort awards. CHEAR will assist ECHO cohorts in defining the critical or sensitive period for effects associated with environmental exposures. Effective incorporation of these principles into multiple existing cohorts requires extensive multidisciplinary expertise, creativity, and flexibility. The pursuit of life course - informed research within the CHEAR/ECHO structure represents a shift in focus from single exposure inquiries to one that addresses multiple environmental risk factors linked through shared vulnerabilities. CHEAR provides ECHO both targeted analyses of inorganic and organic toxicants, nutrients, and social-stress markers and untargeted analyses to assess the exposome and discovery of exposure-outcome relationships. Utilization of CHEAR as a single site for characterization of environmental exposures within the ECHO cohorts will not only support the investigation of the influence of environment on children's health but also support the harmonization of data across the disparate cohorts that comprise ECHO.

Economic and Environmental Analysis for Advancing Sustainable Management of Livestock Waste: A Wisconsin Case Study

EPA Science Inventory

Livestock waste may cause air quality degradation from ammonia and methane emissions, soil quality detriment from the in-excess nutrients and acidification, and water pollution issues from nutrient and pathogens runoff to the water bodies, leading to eutrophication, algal blooms,...

21 CFR 106.20 - Ingredient control.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... CONSUMPTION INFANT FORMULA QUALITY CONTROL PROCEDURES Quality Control Procedures for Assuring Nutrient Content of Infant Formulas § 106.20 Ingredient control. (a) Except as provided in § 106.20(b), no analysis... prepared by the infant formula manufacturer shall be sampled and analyzed for each relied-upon nutrient...

Development of an epiphyte indicator of nutrient enrichment: Threshold values for seagrass epiphyte load

EPA Science Inventory

Metrics of epiphyte load on macrophytes were evaluated for use as quantitative biological indicators for nutrient impacts in estuarine waters, based on review and analysis of the literature on epiphytes and macrophytes, primarily seagrasses, but including some brackish and freshw...

Persistence of rock-derived nutrients in the wet tropical forests of La Selva, Costa Rica.

PubMed

Porder, Stephen; Clark, Deborah A; Vitousek, Peter M

2006-03-01

We used strontium isotopes and analysis of foliar and soil nutrients to test whether erosion can rejuvenate the supply of rock-derived nutrients in the lowland tropical rain forest of La Selva, Costa Rica. We expected that these nutrients would be depleted from soils on stable surfaces, a result of over one million years of weathering in situ. In fact, trees and palms in all landscape positions derive a relatively high percentage (> or =40%) of their strontium from bedrock, rather than atmospheric, sources. The fraction that is rock-derived increases on slopes, but with no detectable effect on plant macronutrient concentrations. These results differ from those in a similar ecosystem on Kauai, Hawaii, where plants on uneroded surfaces derive almost all of their foliar Sr from atmospheric, rather than bedrock, sources. The results from La Selva challenge the assumption that tropical Oxisols in general have low nutrient inputs from bedrock, and support the hypothesis that erosion can increase the supply of these nutrients in lower landscape positions.

Logging residue removal after thinning in boreal forests: long-term impact on the nutrient status of Norway spruce and Scots pine needles.

PubMed

Luiro, Jukka; Kukkola, Mikko; Saarsalmi, Anna; Tamminen, Pekka; Helmisaari, Heljä-Sisko

2010-01-01

The aim of this study was to compare how conventional stem harvesting (CH) and whole-tree harvesting (WTH) in the first, and in some cases also in the second, thinning affect the needle nutrient status of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands in Finland. A series of 12 long-term field experiments was studied. The experiments were established during 1978-86. The effects of logging residue removal after thinnings on the needle nutrient concentrations were generally minor and without any overall trends, but there were differences between experiments. Trees tend to maintain their current needle nutrient concentrations at the same level by re-utilizing the nutrients stored in the older tissues and by changing C allocation in the whole tree. Thus, needle analysis should be combined with stem growth data in order to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of the effects of WTH on the nutrient status of trees.

Species richness alters spatial nutrient heterogeneity effects on above-ground plant biomass.

PubMed

Xi, Nianxun; Zhang, Chunhui; Bloor, Juliette M G

2017-12-01

Previous studies have suggested that spatial nutrient heterogeneity promotes plant nutrient capture and growth. However, little is known about how spatial nutrient heterogeneity interacts with key community attributes to affect plant community production. We conducted a meta-analysis to investigate how nitrogen heterogeneity effects vary with species richness and plant density. Effect size was calculated using the natural log of the ratio in plant biomass between heterogeneous and homogeneous conditions. Effect sizes were significantly above zero, reflecting positive effects of spatial nutrient heterogeneity on community production. However, species richness decreased the magnitude of heterogeneity effects on above-ground biomass. The magnitude of heterogeneity effects on below-ground biomass did not vary with species richness. Moreover, we detected no modification in heterogeneity effects with plant density. Our results highlight the importance of species richness for ecosystem function. Asynchrony between above- and below-ground responses to spatial nutrient heterogeneity and species richness could have significant implications for biotic interactions and biogeochemical cycling in the long term. © 2017 The Author(s).

Experimental and observational studies find contrasting responses of soil nutrients to climate change.

PubMed

Yuan, Z Y; Jiao, F; Shi, X R; Sardans, Jordi; Maestre, Fernando T; Delgado-Baquerizo, Manuel; Reich, Peter B; Peñuelas, Josep

2017-06-01

Manipulative experiments and observations along environmental gradients, the two most common approaches to evaluate the impacts of climate change on nutrient cycling, are generally assumed to produce similar results, but this assumption has rarely been tested. We did so by conducting a meta-analysis and found that soil nutrients responded differentially to drivers of climate change depending on the approach considered. Soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus concentrations generally decreased with water addition in manipulative experiments but increased with annual precipitation along environmental gradients. Different patterns were also observed between warming experiments and temperature gradients. Our findings provide evidence of inconsistent results and suggest that manipulative experiments may be better predictors of the causal impacts of short-term (months to years) climate change on soil nutrients but environmental gradients may provide better information for long-term correlations (centuries to millennia) between these nutrients and climatic features. Ecosystem models should consequently incorporate both experimental and observational data to properly assess the impacts of climate change on nutrient cycling.

Nutrient removal by root zone treatment systems: a review.

PubMed

Sonavane, P G; Munavalli, G R; Ranade, S V

2008-07-01

The Root Zone Treatment System (RZTS) has been used widely for nutrient removal in European countries. In spite of having its more adaptability in tropical region like India its use to address nutrient induced issues in the country is very less. The lack of widely accepted data, non consensus of scientists over nutrient removal mechanism and inability to apply performance standards observed in other countries directly might have hampered the acceptance of this technology in India. A few technology assessment programs are being conducted in collaboration with other countries to engineer this technology but nutrient removal aspects are not essentially focused. In this context, there is need to direct lab scale research to identify potential wetland plants, bed media and comparative study of their combination specific performance under similar conditions. The field application of the data will help to understand variability in performance and disparities in the mechanism. The systems would be amended based on these studies to establish combination specific performance standards for typical Indian conditions. Maintenance strategy and optimization of design will help to foster the technology. The development strategy should give due consideration to the contributions of other countries so as to avoid repetition of work which will save time, money and efforts, and help for the real acceptance of RZTS in Indian conditions.

Loads of nitrate, phosphorus, and total suspended solids from Indiana watersheds

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bunch, Aubrey R.

2016-01-01

Transport of excess nutrients and total suspended solids (TSS) such as sediment by freshwater systems has led to degradation of aquatic ecosystems around the world. Nutrient and TSS loads from Midwestern states to the Mississippi River are a major contributor to the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxic Zone, an area of very low dissolved oxygen concentration in the Gulf of Mexico. To better understand Indiana’s contribution of nutrients and TSS to the Mississippi River, annual loads of nitrate plus nitrite as nitrogen, total phosphorus, and TSS were calculated for nine selected watersheds in Indiana using the load estimation model, S-LOADEST. Discrete water-quality samples collected monthly by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s Fixed Stations Monitoring Program from 2000–2010 and concurrent discharge data from the U. S. Geological Survey streamflow gages were used to create load models. Annual nutrient and TSS loads varied across Indiana by watershed and hydrologic condition. Understanding the loads from large river sites in Indiana is important for assessing contributions of nutrients and TSS to the Mississippi River Basin and in determining the effectiveness of best management practices in the state. Additionally, evaluation of loads from smaller upstream watersheds is important to characterize improvements at the local level and to identify priorities for reduction.

Challenges with effective nutrient supplementation for amphibians: A review of cricket studies.

PubMed

Livingston, Shannon; Lavin, Shana R; Sullivan, Kathleen; Attard, Lydia; Valdes, Eduardo V

2014-01-01

Over the last 25 years, numerous studies have investigated the impact of insect supplementation on insect nutrient content. In light of recent nutrition related challenges with regards to zoo amphibians fed an insect based diet, this review attempts to comprehensively compile both anecdotal and published data in the context of practical application on this topic. Insects, primarily crickets, used for amphibian diets historically demonstrate low concentrations of key nutrients including calcium and vitamin A. Commonly used practices for supplementation involving powder dusting or gut loading have been shown to improve delivery of calcium and vitamin A, though often not reaching desired nutrient concentrations. The large variety of factors influencing insect nutrient content are difficult to control, making study design, and results often inconsistent. Formulation and availability of more effective gut loading diets, combined with a standardized protocol for insect husbandry and dietary management may be the most effective way to supplement insects for use in amphibian feeding programs. Ideally, the nutritional improvement of feeder insects would begin at the breeder level; however, until this becomes a viable choice, we confirm that supplementation of crickets through both gut-loading and dusting appear necessary to support the nutritional health of amphibians and other insectivores in managed collections. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Mitochondrial Dynamics Mediated by Mitofusin 1 Is Required for POMC Neuron Glucose-Sensing and Insulin Release Control.

PubMed

Ramírez, Sara; Gómez-Valadés, Alicia G; Schneeberger, Marc; Varela, Luis; Haddad-Tóvolli, Roberta; Altirriba, Jordi; Noguera, Eduard; Drougard, Anne; Flores-Martínez, Álvaro; Imbernón, Mónica; Chivite, Iñigo; Pozo, Macarena; Vidal-Itriago, Andrés; Garcia, Ainhoa; Cervantes, Sara; Gasa, Rosa; Nogueiras, Ruben; Gama-Pérez, Pau; Garcia-Roves, Pablo M; Cano, David A; Knauf, Claude; Servitja, Joan-Marc; Horvath, Tamas L; Gomis, Ramon; Zorzano, Antonio; Claret, Marc

2017-06-06

Proopiomelanocortin (POMC) neurons are critical sensors of nutrient availability implicated in energy balance and glucose metabolism control. However, the precise mechanisms underlying nutrient sensing in POMC neurons remain incompletely understood. We show that mitochondrial dynamics mediated by Mitofusin 1 (MFN1) in POMC neurons couple nutrient sensing with systemic glucose metabolism. Mice lacking MFN1 in POMC neurons exhibited defective mitochondrial architecture remodeling and attenuated hypothalamic gene expression programs during the fast-to-fed transition. This loss of mitochondrial flexibility in POMC neurons bidirectionally altered glucose sensing, causing abnormal glucose homeostasis due to defective insulin secretion by pancreatic β cells. Fed mice lacking MFN1 in POMC neurons displayed enhanced hypothalamic mitochondrial oxygen flux and reactive oxygen species generation. Central delivery of antioxidants was able to normalize the phenotype. Collectively, our data posit MFN1-mediated mitochondrial dynamics in POMC neurons as an intrinsic nutrient-sensing mechanism and unveil an unrecognized link between this subset of neurons and insulin release. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

7 CFR 1466.23 - Payment rates.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...) Residue management; (B) Nutrient management; (C) Air quality management; (D) Invasive species management; (E) Pollinator habitat development or improvement; (F) Animal carcass management technology; or (G... AGRICULTURE LOANS, PURCHASES, AND OTHER OPERATIONS ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVES PROGRAM Contracts and...

Wastewater Out Front in Bay Restoration

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Clean Water Act programs administered by EPA and the delegated states have played a central role in the success of the wastewater sector in effectively meeting nutrient limits in the Chesapeake Bay “pollution diet” a decade early.

Nutrient Patterns and Their Association with Socio-Demographic, Lifestyle Factors and Obesity Risk in Rural South African Adolescents

PubMed Central

Pisa, Pedro T.; Pedro, Titilola M.; Kahn, Kathleen; Tollman, Stephen M.; Pettifor, John M.; Norris, Shane A.

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to identify and describe the diversity of nutrient patterns and how they associate with socio-demographic and lifestyle factors including body mass index in rural black South African adolescents. Nutrient patterns were identified from quantified food frequency questionnaires (QFFQ) in 388 rural South African adolescents between the ages of 11–15 years from the Agincourt Health and Socio-demographic Surveillance System (AHDSS). Principle Component Analysis (PCA) was applied to 25 nutrients derived from QFFQs. Multiple linear regression and partial R2 models were fitted and computed respectively for each of the retained principal component (PC) scores on socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics including body mass index (BMI) for age Z scores. Four nutrient patterns explaining 79% of the total variance were identified: PCI (26%) was characterized by animal derived nutrients; PC2 (21%) by vitamins, fibre and vegetable oil nutrients; PC3 (19%) by both animal and plant derived nutrients (mixed diet driven nutrients); and PC4 (13%) by starch and folate. A positive and significant association was observed with BMI for age Z scores per 1 standard deviation (SD) increase in PC1 (0.13 (0.02; 0.24); p = 0.02) and PC4 (0.10 (−0.01; 0.21); p = 0.05) scores only. We confirmed variability in nutrient patterns that were significantly associated with various lifestyle factors including obesity. PMID:25984738

Insights into an adipocyte whitening program

PubMed Central

Hill, Bradford G

2015-01-01

White adipose tissue plays a critical role in regulating systemic metabolism and can remodel rapidly in response to changes in nutrient availability. Nevertheless, little is known regarding the metabolic changes occurring in adipocytes during obesity. Our laboratory recently addressed this issue in a commonly used, high-fat-diet mouse model of obesity. We found remarkable changes in adipocyte metabolism that occur prior to infiltration of macrophages in expanding adipose tissue. Results of metabolomic analyses, adipose tissue respirometry, electron microscopy, and expression analyses of key genes and proteins revealed dysregulation of several metabolic pathways, loss of mitochondrial biogenetic capacity, and apparent activation of mitochondrial autophagy which were followed in time by downregulation of numerous mitochondrial proteins important for maintaining oxidative capacity. These findings demonstrate the presence of an adipocyte whitening program that may be critical for regulating adipose tissue remodeling under conditions of chronic nutrient excess. PMID:26167407

QADATA user's manual; an interactive computer program for the retrieval and analysis of the results from the external blind sample quality- assurance project of the U.S. Geological Survey

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lucey, K.J.

1990-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey conducts an external blind sample quality assurance project for its National Water Quality Laboratory in Denver, Colorado, based on the analysis of reference water samples. Reference samples containing selected inorganic and nutrient constituents are disguised as environmental samples at the Survey 's office in Ocala, Florida, and are sent periodically through other Survey offices to the laboratory. The results of this blind sample project indicate the quality of analytical data produced by the laboratory. This report provides instructions on the use of QADATA, an interactive, menu-driven program that allows users to retrieve the results of the blind sample quality- assurance project. The QADATA program, which is available on the U.S. Geological Survey 's national computer network, accesses a blind sample data base that contains more than 50,000 determinations from the last five water years for approximately 40 constituents at various concentrations. The data can be retrieved from the database for any user- defined time period and for any or all available constituents. After the user defines the retrieval, the program prepares statistical tables, control charts, and precision plots and generates a report which can be transferred to the user 's office through the computer network. A discussion of the interpretation of the program output is also included. This quality assurance information will permit users to document the quality of the analytical results received from the laboratory. The blind sample data is entered into the database within weeks after being produced by the laboratory and can be retrieved to meet the needs of specific projects or programs. (USGS)

Vertical nutrient fluxes, turbulence and the distribution of chlorophyll a in the north-eastern North Sea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bendtsen, Jørgen; Richardson, Katherine

2017-04-01

During summer the northern North Sea is characterized by nutrient rich bottom water masses and nutrient poor surface layers. This explains the distribution of chlorophyll a in the water column where a subsurface maximum, referred to as the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), often is present during the growth season. Vertical transport of nutrients between bottom water masses and the well lit surface layer stimulates phytoplankton growth and this generally explains the location of the DCM. However, a more specific understanding of the interplay between vertical transports, nutrient fluxes and phytoplankton abundance is required for identifying the nature of the vertical transport processes, e.g the role of advection versus vertical turbulent diffusion or the role of localized mixing associated with mesoscale eddies. We present results from the VERMIX study in the north-eastern North Sea where nutrients, chlorophyll a and turbulence profiles were measured along five north-south directed transects in July 2016. A high-resolution sampling program, with horizontal distances of 1-10 km between CTD-stations, resolved the horizontal gradients of chlorophyll a across the steep bottom slope from the relatively shallow central North Sea ( 50-80 m) towards the deep Norwegian Trench (>700 m). Low oxygen concentrations in the bottom water masses above the slope indicated enhanced biological production where vertical mixing would stimulate phytoplankton growth around the DCM. Measurements of variable fluorescence (Fv/Fm) showed elevated values in the DCM which demonstrates a higher potential for electron transport in the Photosystem II in the phytoplankton cells, i.e. an indication of nutrient-rich conditions favorable for phytoplankton production. Profiles of the vertical shear and microstructure of temperature and salinity were measured by a VMP-250 turbulence profiler and the vertical diffusion of nutrients was calculated from the estimated vertical turbulent diffusivity and the distributions of nutrients. Results from the five transects and two time-series stations, where vertical profiles were made at hourly intervals, showed that vertical mixing processes above the slope increased the vertical transport of nutrients significantly and mixing above the slope can explain the hydrographic features and the distribution of the DCM in the area.

Nutrient intake disparities in the US: modeling the effect of food substitutions.

PubMed

Conrad, Zach; Johnson, LuAnn K; Roemmich, James N; Juan, WenYen; Jahns, Lisa

2018-05-17

Diet quality among federal food assistance program participants remains low, and little research has assessed the diet quality of food insecure non-participants. Further research is needed to assess the extent to which food substitutions can improve the nutritional status of these vulnerable populations. Substituting egg dishes for other commonly consumed dishes at certain eating occasions may be an effective strategy for improving the daily nutrient intake among these groups. Eggs are rich in many important nutrients, and are low-cost and part of a wide range of cultural food menus, which are important considerations for low-income and ethnically diverse populations. To help guide the focus of targeted nutrition interventions and education campaigns for vulnerable populations, the present work begins by 1) estimating the prevalence of nutrient inadequacy among these groups, and then models the effect of consuming egg dishes instead of commonly consumed dishes at each eating occasion on 2) the prevalence of nutrient inadequacy, and 3) the mean intake of nutrients. Dietary data from 34,741 adults ≥ 20 y were acquired from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2001-2014. Diet pattern modeling was used to substitute commonly consumed egg dishes for commonly consumed main dishes at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. National Cancer Institute usual intake methods were used to estimate the prevalence of inadequate intake of 31 nutrients pre- and post-substitution, and a novel index was used to estimate change in intake of all nutrients collectively. Substituting eggs for commonly consumed main dishes at lunch or dinner did not change total daily nutrient intake for each group (P > 0.05), but decreased the prevalence of vitamin D inadequacy by 1-4 percentage points (P < 0.01). Substituting eggs for commonly consumed foods at breakfast increased the prevalence of folate inadequacy by 8-12 percentage points among each group (P < 0.01). When making food substitutions to increase nutrient intake, eating occasion should be an important consideration. Further research is needed to better understand how food substitutions affect diet costs, which may be an important driver of food purchasing decisions among low income individuals with limited food budgets.

Changes in Nutrients and Primary Production in Barrow Tundra Ponds Over the Past 40 Years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lougheed, V.; Andresen, C.; Hernandez, C.; Miller, N.; Reyes, F.

2012-12-01

The Arctic tundra ponds at the International Biological Program (IBP) site in Barrow, Alaska were studied extensively in the 1970's; however, very little research has occurred there since that time. Due to the sensitivity of this region to climate warming, understanding any changes in the ponds' structure and function over the past 40 years can help identify any potential climate-related impacts. The goal of this study was to determine if the structure and function of primary producers had changed through time, and the association between these changes, urban encroachment and nutrient limitation. Nutrient levels, as well as the biomass of aquatic graminoids (Carex aquatilis and Arctophila fulva), phytoplankton and periphyton were determined in the IBP tundra ponds in both 1971-3 and 2010-12, and in 2010-11 from nearby ponds along an anthropogenic disturbance gradient. Uptake of 14C was also used to measure algal primary production in both time periods and nutrient addition experiments were performed to identify the nutrients limiting algal growth. Similar methods were utilized in the past and present studies. Overall, biomass of graminoids, phytoplankton and periphyton was greater in 2010-12 than that observed in the 1970s. This increased biomass was coincident with warmer water temperatures, increased water column nutrients and deeper active layer depth. Biomass of plants and algae was highest in the ponds closest to the village of Barrow, but no effect of urban encroachment was observed at the IBP ponds. Laboratory incubations indicated that nutrient release from thawing permafrost can explain part of these increases in nutrients and has likely contributed to changes in the primary limiting nutrient. Further studies are necessary to better understand the implications of these trends in primary production to nutrient budgets in the Arctic. The Barrow IBP tundra ponds represent one of the very few locations in the Arctic where long-term data are available on freshwater ecosystem structure and function. Continued monitoring and protection of these invaluable sites is required to help understand the implications of climate change on Arctic freshwater ecosystems.

Nutrient utilisation and particulate organic matter changes during summer in the upper mixed layer (Ross Sea, Antarctica)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Catalano, G.; Povero, P.; Fabiano, M.; Benedetti, F.; Goffart, A.

1997-01-01

The relationships among vertical stability, estimated nutrient utilisation and particulate organic matter in the Ross Sea are analysed from data collected during two cruises in the summers of 1987-1988 and 1989-1990. In the upper mixed layer (UML), identified through the vertical stability E( Z(UML)), nutrient consumption is calculated as the difference between the "diluted" nutrient value and the mean calculated from the integrated value in the UML. The nutrient utilisation ratio and E( Z(UML)) are linearly related for E( Z(UML))≤25, whereas for values > 25, the distribution pattern is more scattered and independent of E( Z(UML)). For E( Z(UML))≥25, utilisation values were ≥4, 0.4 and 10 mmol m -3 for nitrate, phosphate and silicate, respectively. Significant relationships between nutrient depletion and both particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate protein/particulate carbohydrate ratios (PPRT/PCHO) are found. The analysis of particulate matter distribution vs nutrient utilisation shows that the stations could be divided into two groups having different characteristics. The first group includes coastal stations, where high nutrient utilisation, POC and PPRT/PCHO are typical of areas with high production. In the second group (pelagic stations), nutrient utilisation, POC and PPRT/PCHO are lower. The vertical stability can be used to discriminate among the factors that influence primary production.

Nutrient intake and nutrient patterns and risk of lung cancer among heavy smokers: results from the COSMOS screening study with annual low-dose CT.

PubMed

Gnagnarella, Patrizia; Maisonneuve, Patrick; Bellomi, Massimo; Rampinelli, Cristiano; Bertolotti, Raffaella; Spaggiari, Lorenzo; Palli, Domenico; Veronesi, Giulia

2013-06-01

The role of nutrients in lung cancer aetiology remains controversial and has never been evaluated in the context of screening. Our aim was to investigate the role of single nutrients and nutrient patterns in the aetiology of lung cancer in heavy smokers. Asymptomatic heavy smokers (≥20 pack-years) were invited to undergo annual low-dose computed tomography. We assessed diet using a self-administered food frequency questionnaire and collected information on multivitamin supplement use. We performed principal component analysis identifying four nutrient patterns and used Cox proportional Hazards regression to assess the association between nutrients and nutrients patterns and lung cancer risk. During a mean follow-up of 5.7 years, 178 of 4,336 participants were diagnosed with lung cancer by screening. We found a significant risk reduction of lung cancer with increasing vegetable fat consumption (HR for highest vs. lowest quartile = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.31-0.80; P-trend = 0.02). Participants classified in the high "vitamins and fiber" pattern score had a significant risk reduction of lung cancer (HR = 0.57; 95% CI = 0.36-0.90, P-trend = 0.01). Among heavy smokers enrolled in a screening trial, high vegetable fat intake and adherence to the "vitamin and fiber" nutrient pattern were associated with reduced lung cancer incidence.

Nutrient patterns and their food sources in an International Study Setting: report from the EPIC study.

PubMed

Moskal, Aurelie; Pisa, Pedro T; Ferrari, Pietro; Byrnes, Graham; Freisling, Heinz; Boutron-Ruault, Marie-Christine; Cadeau, Claire; Nailler, Laura; Wendt, Andrea; Kühn, Tilman; Boeing, Heiner; Buijsse, Brian; Tjønneland, Anne; Halkjær, Jytte; Dahm, Christina C; Chiuve, Stephanie E; Quirós, Jose R; Buckland, Genevieve; Molina-Montes, Esther; Amiano, Pilar; Huerta Castaño, José M; Gurrea, Aurelio Barricarte; Khaw, Kay-Tee; Lentjes, Marleen A; Key, Timothy J; Romaguera, Dora; Vergnaud, Anne-Claire; Trichopoulou, Antonia; Bamia, Christina; Orfanos, Philippos; Palli, Domenico; Pala, Valeria; Tumino, Rosario; Sacerdote, Carlotta; de Magistris, Maria Santucci; Bueno-de-Mesquita, H Bas; Ocké, Marga C; Beulens, Joline W J; Ericson, Ulrika; Drake, Isabel; Nilsson, Lena M; Winkvist, Anna; Weiderpass, Elisabete; Hjartåker, Anette; Riboli, Elio; Slimani, Nadia

2014-01-01

Compared to food patterns, nutrient patterns have been rarely used particularly at international level. We studied, in the context of a multi-center study with heterogeneous data, the methodological challenges regarding pattern analyses. We identified nutrient patterns from food frequency questionnaires (FFQ) in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study and used 24-hour dietary recall (24-HDR) data to validate and describe the nutrient patterns and their related food sources. Associations between lifestyle factors and the nutrient patterns were also examined. Principal component analysis (PCA) was applied on 23 nutrients derived from country-specific FFQ combining data from all EPIC centers (N = 477,312). Harmonized 24-HDRs available for a representative sample of the EPIC populations (N = 34,436) provided accurate mean group estimates of nutrients and foods by quintiles of pattern scores, presented graphically. An overall PCA combining all data captured a good proportion of the variance explained in each EPIC center. Four nutrient patterns were identified explaining 67% of the total variance: Principle component (PC) 1 was characterized by a high contribution of nutrients from plant food sources and a low contribution of nutrients from animal food sources; PC2 by a high contribution of micro-nutrients and proteins; PC3 was characterized by polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin D; PC4 was characterized by calcium, proteins, riboflavin, and phosphorus. The nutrients with high loadings on a particular pattern as derived from country-specific FFQ also showed high deviations in their mean EPIC intakes by quintiles of pattern scores when estimated from 24-HDR. Center and energy intake explained most of the variability in pattern scores. The use of 24-HDR enabled internal validation and facilitated the interpretation of the nutrient patterns derived from FFQs in term of food sources. These outcomes open research opportunities and perspectives of using nutrient patterns in future studies particularly at international level.

A Study of an Intensive Educational Program Conducted in Six Georgia Counties by the Georgia Cooperative Extension Service.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sell, William Horace

Based on surveys in 1957 and 1960 in six Georgia counties, this study evaluated an intensive educational program by the University of Georgia, and investigated attitudes and other factors related to farmers' use of fertilizers. Respondents were ranked by amounts of plant nutrients applied per acre in 1957 and by fertility per farm. Findings…

The Effectiveness of Distance Education, Using Blended Method of Delivery for Limited-Resource Audiences in the Nutrition Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Casey; Koszewski, Wanda M.; Behrends, Donnia

2013-01-01

The study reported here sought to determine if the use of distance education lessons for teaching limited resource participants in a nutrition education program (NEP) is as effective as face-to-face methodology. One hundred and six participants were in the experimental group. Data was gathered at entry and examined behavior change, nutrient intake…

Linear programming: an alternative approach for developing formulations for emergency food products.

PubMed

Sheibani, Ershad; Dabbagh Moghaddam, Arasb; Sharifan, Anousheh; Afshari, Zahra

2018-03-01

To minimize the mortality rates of individuals affected by disasters, providing high-quality food relief during the initial stages of an emergency is crucial. The goal of this study was to develop a formulation for a high-energy, nutrient-dense prototype using linear programming (LP) model as a novel method for developing formulations for food products. The model consisted of the objective function and the decision variables, which were the formulation costs and weights of the selected commodities, respectively. The LP constraints were the Institute of Medicine and the World Health Organization specifications of the content of nutrients in the product. Other constraints related to the product's sensory properties were also introduced to the model. Nonlinear constraints for energy ratios of nutrients were linearized to allow their use in the LP. Three focus group studies were conducted to evaluate the palatability and other aspects of the optimized formulation. New constraints were introduced to the LP model based on the focus group evaluations to improve the formulation. LP is an appropriate tool for designing formulations of food products to meet a set of nutritional requirements. This method is an excellent alternative to the traditional 'trial and error' method in designing formulations. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2017 Society of Chemical Industry.

Evaluating the Economic and Social Benefits of Nutrient ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

New England’s coastal social-ecological systems are subject to chronic environmental problems, including water quality degradation. Researchers at EPA’s Office of Research and Development (ORD) Atlantic Ecology Division (AED) are piloting an effort to further understand how reduced water quality due to nutrient enrichment is affecting and may affect the economic prosperity, social capacity, and ecological integrity of coastal New England communities. This research is part of task 4.61 of ORD’s Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research Program (Integrated Solutions for Sustainable Communities: Social-Ecological Systems for Resilience and Adaptive Management in Communities - A Cape Cod Case Study). Concurrent with this effort, AED researchers are participating in EPA’s three-office effort (Office of Research and Development, Office of Policy, and Office of Water) to quantify and monetize the benefits of water quality improvements across the Nation. AED’s effort is a case study of changes in recreation demand and values due to changes in nutrients in Northeastern estuaries and freshwater ponds. This work is part of task 3.04A of the Safe and Sustainable Waters Research Program (National Water Quality Benefits: Economic Case Studies of Water Quality Benefits). Because of the complementarity between the two projects, this Supporting Statement describes and requests hours for focus groups and interviews for both of these research efforts. Our initial

Vegetable cost metrics show that potatoes and beans provide most nutrients per penny.

PubMed

Drewnowski, Adam; Rehm, Colin D

2013-01-01

Vegetables are important sources of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals in the diets of children. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch Program has new requirements for weekly servings of vegetable subgroups as well as beans and peas. This study estimated the cost impact of meeting the USDA requirements using 2008 national prices for 98 vegetables, fresh, frozen, and canned. Food costs were calculated per 100 grams, per 100 calories, and per edible cup. Rank 6 score, a nutrient density measure was based on six nutrients: dietary fiber; potassium; magnesium; and vitamins A, C, and K. Individual nutrient costs were measured as the monetary cost of 10% daily value of each nutrient per cup equivalent. ANOVAs with post hoc tests showed that beans and starchy vegetables, including white potatoes, were cheaper per 100 calories than were dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables. Fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables had similar nutrient profiles and provided comparable nutritional value. However, less than half (n = 46) of the 98 vegetables listed by the USDA were were consumed >5 times by children and adolescents in the 2003-4 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. For the more frequently consumed vegetables, potatoes and beans were the lowest-cost sources of potassium and fiber. These new metrics of affordable nutrition can help food service and health professionals identify those vegetable subgroups in the school lunch that provide the best nutritional value per penny.

Nutrition marketing on processed food packages in Canada: 2010 Food Label Information Program.

PubMed

Schermel, Alyssa; Emrich, Teri E; Arcand, JoAnne; Wong, Christina L; L'Abbé, Mary R

2013-06-01

The current study describes the frequency of use of different forms of nutrition marketing in Canada and the nutrients and conditions that are the focus of nutrition marketing messages. Prepackaged foods with a Nutrition Facts table (N = 10,487) were collected between March 2010 and April 2011 from outlets of the 3 largest grocery chains in Canada and 1 major western Canadian grocery retailer. The nutrition marketing information collected included nutrient content claims, disease risk reduction claims, and front-of-pack nutrition rating systems (FOPS). We found that nutrition marketing was present on 48.1% of Canadian food packages, with nutrient content claims being the most common information (45.5%), followed by FOPS on 18.9% of packages. Disease risk reduction claims were made least frequently (1.7%). The marketing messages used most often related to total fat and trans fat (15.6% and 15.5% of nutrient content claims, respectively). Limiting total and trans fats is a current public health priority, as recommended by Health Canada and the World Health Organization. However, other nutrients that are also recommended to be limited, including saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars, were not nearly as prominent on food labels. Thus, greater emphasis should be placed by the food industry on these other important nutrients. Repeated data collection in the coming years will allow us to track longitudinal changes in nutrition marketing messages over time as food marketing, public health, and consumer priorities evolve.

Relating management practices and nutrient export in agricultural watersheds of the United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sprague, Lori A.; Gronberg, Jo Ann M.

2012-01-01

Relations between riverine export (load) of total nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) from 133 large agricultural watersheds in the United States and factors affecting nutrient transport were evaluated using empirical regression models. After controlling for anthropogenic inputs and other landscape factors affecting nutrient transport-such as runoff, precipitation, slope, number of reservoirs, irrigated area, and area with subsurface tile drains-the relations between export and the area in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) (N) and conservation tillage (P) were positive. Additional interaction terms indicated that the relations between export and the area in conservation tillage (N) and the CRP (P) progressed from being clearly positive when soil erodibility was low or moderate, to being close to zero when soil erodibility was higher, to possibly being slightly negative only at the 90th to 95th percentile of soil erodibility values. Possible explanations for the increase in nutrient export with increased area in management practices include greater transport of soluble nutrients from areas in conservation tillage; lagged response of stream quality to implementation of management practices because of nitrogen transport in groundwater, time for vegetative cover to mature, and/or prior accumulation of P in soils; or limitations in the management practice and stream monitoring data sets. If lags are occurring, current nutrient export from agricultural watersheds may still be reflecting the influence of agricultural land-use practices that were in place before the implementation of these management practices.

Adaptation of New Colombian Food-based Complementary Feeding Recommendations Using Linear Programming.

PubMed

Tharrey, Marion; Olaya, Gilma A; Fewtrell, Mary; Ferguson, Elaine

2017-12-01

The aim of the study was to use linear programming (LP) analyses to adapt New Complementary Feeding Guidelines (NCFg) designed for infants aged 6 to 12 months living in poor socioeconomic circumstances in Bogota to ensure dietary adequacy for young children aged 12 to 23 months. A secondary data analysis was performed using dietary and anthropometric data collected from 12-month-old infants (n = 72) participating in a randomized controlled trial. LP analyses were performed to identify nutrients whose requirements were difficult to achieve using local foods as consumed; and to test and compare the NCFg and alternative food-based recommendations (FBRs) on the basis of dietary adequacy, for 11 micronutrients, at the population level. Thiamine recommended nutrient intakes for these young children could not be achieved given local foods as consumed. NCFg focusing only on meat, fruits, vegetables, and breast milk ensured dietary adequacy at the population level for only 4 micronutrients, increasing to 8 of 11 modelled micronutrients when the FBRs promoted legumes, dairy, vitamin A-rich vegetables, and chicken giblets. None of the FBRs tested ensured population-level dietary adequacy for thiamine, niacin, and iron unless a fortified infant food was recommended. The present study demonstrated the value of using LP to adapt NCFg for a different age group than the one for which they were designed. Our analyses suggest that to ensure dietary adequacy for 12- to 23-month olds these adaptations should include legumes, dairy products, vitamin A-rich vegetables, organ meat, and a fortified food.

N and P as ultimate and proximate limiting nutrients in the northern Gulf of Mexico: implications for hypoxia reduction strategies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fennel, Katja; Laurent, Arnaud

2018-05-01

The occurrence of hypoxia in coastal oceans is a long-standing and growing problem worldwide and is clearly linked to anthropogenic nutrient inputs. While the need for reducing anthropogenic nutrient loads is generally accepted, it is costly and thus requires scientifically sound nutrient-reduction strategies. Issues under debate include the relative importance of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) as well as the magnitude of the reduction requirements. The largest anthropogenically induced hypoxic area in North American coastal waters (of 15 000 ± 5000 km2) forms every summer in the northern Gulf of Mexico where the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers deliver large amounts of freshwater and nutrients to the shelf. A 2001 plan for reducing this hypoxic area by nutrient management in the watershed called for a reduction of N loads. Since then evidence of P limitation during the time of hypoxia formation has arisen, and a dual nutrient-reduction strategy for this system has been endorsed. Here we report the first systematic analysis of the effects of single and dual nutrient load reductions from a spatially explicit physical-biogeochemical model for the northern Gulf of Mexico. The model has been shown previously to skillfully represent the processes important for hypoxic formation. Our analysis of an ensemble of simulations with stepwise reductions in N, P, and N and P loads provides insight into the effects of both nutrients on primary production and hypoxia, and it allows us to estimate what nutrient reductions would be required for single and dual nutrient-reduction strategies to reach the hypoxia target. Our results show that, despite temporary P limitation, N is the ultimate limiting nutrient for primary production in this system. Nevertheless, a reduction in P load would reduce hypoxia because primary production is P limited in the region where density stratification is conducive to hypoxia development, but reductions in N load have a bigger effect. Our simulations show that, at present loads, the system is almost saturated with N, in the sense that the sensitivity of primary production and hypoxia to N load is much lower than it would be at lower N loads. We estimate that reductions of 63±18 % in total N load or 48±21 % in total N and P load are necessary to reach a hypoxic area of 5000 km2, which is consistent with previous estimates from statistical regression models and highly simplified mechanistic models.

Fluorescence spectroscopic analysis of organic matter fractions: the current status and a tutorial case study

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Incorporation of animal manures into soils is a key nutrient management strategy for sustainable agricultural systems by supplying plant nutrients and maintaining soil quality. Dissolved organic matter (DOM) released from manures affects many soil chemical processes due to its reactivity with soil ...

Quantifying uncertainty in forest nutrient budgets

Treesearch

Ruth D. Yanai; Carrie R. Levine; Mark B. Green; John L. Campbell

2012-01-01

Nutrient budgets for forested ecosystems have rarely included error analysis, in spite of the importance of uncertainty to interpretation and extrapolation of the results. Uncertainty derives from natural spatial and temporal variation and also from knowledge uncertainty in measurement and models. For example, when estimating forest biomass, researchers commonly report...

Comparing intake estimations based on food composition data with chemical analysis in Malian women.

PubMed

Koréissi-Dembélé, Yara; Doets, Esmee L; Fanou-Fogny, Nadia; Hulshof, Paul Jm; Moretti, Diego; Brouwer, Inge D

2017-06-01

Food composition databases are essential for estimating nutrient intakes in food consumption surveys. The present study aimed to evaluate the Mali food composition database (TACAM) for assessing intakes of energy and selected nutrients at population level. Weighed food records and duplicate portions of all foods consumed during one day were collected. Intakes of energy, protein, fat, available carbohydrates, dietary fibre, Ca, Fe, Zn and vitamin A were assessed by: (i) estimating the nutrient intake from weighed food records based on an adjusted TACAM (a-TACAM); and (ii) chemical analysis of the duplicate portions. Agreement between the two methods was determined using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and Bland-Altman plots. Bamako, Mali. Apparently healthy non-pregnant, non-lactating women (n 36) aged 15-36 years. Correlation coefficients between estimated and analysed values ranged from 0·38 to 0·61. At population level, mean estimated and analysed nutrient intakes differed significantly for carbohydrates (203·0 v. 243·5 g/d), Fe (9·9 v. 22·8 mg/d) and vitamin A (356 v. 246 µg retinol activity equivalents). At individual level, all estimated and analysed nutrient intakes differed significantly; the differences tended to increase with higher intakes. The a-TACAM is sufficiently acceptable for measuring average intakes of macronutrients, Ca and Zn at population level in low-intake populations, but not for carbohydrate, vitamin A and Fe intakes, and nutrient densities.

Taste-nutrient relationships in commonly consumed foods.

PubMed

van Dongen, Mirre Viskaal; van den Berg, Marjolijn C; Vink, Nicole; Kok, Frans J; de Graaf, Cees

2012-07-14

Taste is expected to represent a food's nutrient content. The objective was to investigate whether taste acts as nutrient-sensor, within the context of the current diet, which is high in processed foods. Intensities of the five basic tastes of fifty commonly consumed foods were rated by nineteen subjects (aged 21·0 (SD 1·7) years, BMI 21·5 (SD 2·0) kg/m(2)). Linear regression was used to test associations between taste and nutrient contents. Food groups based on taste were identified using cluster analysis; nutrient content was compared between food groups, using ANOVA. Sweetness was associated with mono- and disaccharides (R(2) 0·45, P < 0·01). Saltiness and savouriness were correlated, with r 0·92 (P < 0·01) and both were associated with Na (both: R(2) 0·33, P < 0·01) and protein (R(2) 0·27, P < 0·01 and R(2) 0·33, P < 0·01, respectively). Cluster analysis indicated four food groups: neutral, salty and savoury, sweet-sour and sweet foods. Mono- and disaccharide content was highest in sweet foods (P < 0·01). In salty and savoury foods, protein content (P = 0·01 with sweet-sour foods, not significant with neutral or sweet foods) and Na content (P < 0·05) were the highest. Associations were more pronounced in raw and moderately processed foods, than in highly processed foods. The findings suggest that sweetness, saltiness and savouriness signal nutrient content, particularly for simple sugars, protein and Na. In highly processed foods, however, the ability to sense nutrient content based on taste seems limited.

Identification of Appropriate Reference Genes for Normalization of miRNA Expression in Grafted Watermelon Plants under Different Nutrient Stresses

PubMed Central

Wu, Weifang; Deng, Qin; Shi, Pibiao; Yang, Jinghua; Hu, Zhongyuan; Zhang, Mingfang

2016-01-01

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a globally important crop belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. The grafting technique is commonly used to improve its tolerance to stress, as well as to enhance its nutrient uptake and utilization. It is believed that miRNA is most likely involved in its nutrient-starvation response as a graft-transportable signal. The quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction is the preferred method for miRNA functional analysis, in which reliable reference genes for normalization are crucial to ensure the accuracy. The purpose of this study was to select appropriate reference genes in scion (watermelon) and rootstocks (squash and bottle gourd) of grafted watermelon plants under normal growth conditions and nutrient stresses (nitrogen and phosphorus starvation). Under nutrient starvation, geNorm identified miR167c and miR167f as two most stable genes in both watermelon leaves and squash roots. miR166b was recommended by both geNorm and NormFinder as the best reference in bottle gourd roots under nutrient limitation. Expression of a new Cucurbitaceae miRNA, miR85, was used to validate the reliability of candidate reference genes under nutrient starvation. Moreover, by comparing several target genes expression in qRT-PCR analysis with those in RNA-seq data, miR166b and miR167c were proved to be the most suitable reference genes to normalize miRNA expression under normal growth condition in scion and rootstock tissues, respectively. This study represents the first comprehensive survey of the stability of miRNA reference genes in Cucurbitaceae and provides valuable information for investigating more accurate miRNA expression involving grafted watermelon plants. PMID:27749935

Identification of Appropriate Reference Genes for Normalization of miRNA Expression in Grafted Watermelon Plants under Different Nutrient Stresses.

PubMed

Wu, Weifang; Deng, Qin; Shi, Pibiao; Yang, Jinghua; Hu, Zhongyuan; Zhang, Mingfang

2016-01-01

Watermelon (Citrullus lanatus) is a globally important crop belonging to the family Cucurbitaceae. The grafting technique is commonly used to improve its tolerance to stress, as well as to enhance its nutrient uptake and utilization. It is believed that miRNA is most likely involved in its nutrient-starvation response as a graft-transportable signal. The quantitative real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction is the preferred method for miRNA functional analysis, in which reliable reference genes for normalization are crucial to ensure the accuracy. The purpose of this study was to select appropriate reference genes in scion (watermelon) and rootstocks (squash and bottle gourd) of grafted watermelon plants under normal growth conditions and nutrient stresses (nitrogen and phosphorus starvation). Under nutrient starvation, geNorm identified miR167c and miR167f as two most stable genes in both watermelon leaves and squash roots. miR166b was recommended by both geNorm and NormFinder as the best reference in bottle gourd roots under nutrient limitation. Expression of a new Cucurbitaceae miRNA, miR85, was used to validate the reliability of candidate reference genes under nutrient starvation. Moreover, by comparing several target genes expression in qRT-PCR analysis with those in RNA-seq data, miR166b and miR167c were proved to be the most suitable reference genes to normalize miRNA expression under normal growth condition in scion and rootstock tissues, respectively. This study represents the first comprehensive survey of the stability of miRNA reference genes in Cucurbitaceae and provides valuable information for investigating more accurate miRNA expression involving grafted watermelon plants.

Validation of a food frequency questionnaire for Japanese pregnant women with and without nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy.

PubMed

Ogawa, Kohei; Jwa, Seung-Chik; Kobayashi, Minatsu; Morisaki, Naho; Sago, Haruhiko; Fujiwara, Takeo

2017-05-01

No previous study has shown the validity of a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in early pregnancy with consideration of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy (NVP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the validity of a FFQ in early pregnancy for Japanese pregnant women. We included 188 women before 15 weeks of gestation and compared estimated nutrient intake and food group intake based on a modified FFQ with that based on 3-day dietary records (DRs). Spearman's rank correlation coefficients, adjusting energy intake and attenuating within-person error, were calculated. Subgroup analysis for those with and without NVP was conducted. We also examined the degree of appropriate classification across categories between FFQ and DRs through division of consumption of nutrients and food groups into quintiles. Crude Spearman's correlation coefficients of nutrients ranged from 0.098 (sodium) to 0.401 (vitamin C), and all of the 36 nutrients were statistically significant. In 27 food groups, correlation coefficients ranged from -0.015 (alcohol) to 0.572 (yogurt), and 81% were statistically significant. In subgroup analysis, correlation coefficients in 89% of nutrients and 70% of food groups in women with NVP and 97% of nutrients and 74% of food groups in women without NVP were statistically significant. On average, 63.7% of nutrients and 60.4% of food groups were classified into same or adjacent quintiles according to the FFQ and DRs. The FFQ is a useful instrument, regardless of NVP, for assessing the diet of women in early pregnancy in Japan. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nutrient profiles of vegetarian and nonvegetarian dietary patterns.

PubMed

Rizzo, Nico S; Jaceldo-Siegl, Karen; Sabate, Joan; Fraser, Gary E

2013-12-01

Differences in nutrient profiles between vegetarian and nonvegetarian dietary patterns reflect nutritional differences that can contribute to the development of disease. Our aim was to compare nutrient intakes between dietary patterns characterized by consumption or exclusion of meat and dairy products. We conducted a cross-sectional study of 71,751 subjects (mean age=59 years) from the Adventist Health Study 2. Data were collected between 2002 and 2007. Participants completed a 204-item validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns compared were nonvegetarian, semi-vegetarian, pesco vegetarian, lacto-ovo vegetarian, and strict vegetarian. Analysis of covariance was used to analyze differences in nutrient intakes by dietary patterns and was adjusted for age, sex, and race. Body mass index and other relevant demographic data were reported and compared by dietary pattern using χ(2) tests and analysis of variance. Many nutrient intakes varied significantly between dietary patterns. Nonvegetarians had the lowest intakes of plant proteins, fiber, beta carotene, and magnesium compared with those following vegetarian dietary patterns, and the highest intakes of saturated, trans, arachidonic, and docosahexaenoic fatty acids. The lower tails of some nutrient distributions in strict vegetarians suggested inadequate intakes by a portion of the subjects. Energy intake was similar among dietary patterns at close to 2,000 kcal/day, with the exception of semi-vegetarians, who had an intake of 1,707 kcal/day. Mean body mass index was highest in nonvegetarians (mean=28.7 [standard deviation=6.4]) and lowest in strict vegetarians (mean=24.0 [standard deviation=4.8]). Nutrient profiles varied markedly among dietary patterns that were defined by meat and dairy intakes. These differences are of interest in the etiology of obesity and chronic diseases. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Variable primary producer responses to nutrient and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Mesocosm experiments have been used to evaluate the impacts of nutrient loading on estuarine plant communities in order to develop nutrient response relationships. Mesocosm eutrophication studies tend to focus on long residence time systems. In the Pacific Northwest, many estuaries have high nutrient loads, short water residence times, seasonal macroalgal blooms, while intertidal seagrass meadows persist under what appear to be largely naturally-derived eutrophic conditions. Using experimental mesocosms, we examined how primary producer communities in rapidly flushed systems respond to a range of temperature (10 and 20 °C) and nutrient loads (ambient, 1.5, 3 and 6 x ambient). Thermal and nutrient loading regimes were maintained for three sets of 3 week-duration experiments during the summer of 2013. Statistical analysis was performed using an information criterion approach to evaluate the best fit model. Green macroalgal (GMA) growth and tissue N increased in response to nutrient loading. Irrespective of nutrient load, GMA at 10 °C remained intercalated among seagrass shoots, but at 20 °C formed floating mats that overtopped seagrass. Outgassing of O2 in combination with photosynthetic O2 production likely induced floating mat formation. No phytoplankton blooms were observed. Zostera japonica leaf biomass and C:N responded to temperature while other metrics exhibited no statistically significant difference. Z. marina growth, wasting disease, and morphological

Changes in hyperspectral reflectance signatures of lettuce leaves in response to macronutrient deficiencies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pacumbaba, R. O.; Beyl, C. A.

2011-07-01

The adaptation of specific remote sensing and hyperspectral analysis techniques for the determination of incipient nutrient stress in plants could allow early detection and precision supplementation for remediation, important considerations for minimizing mass of advanced life support systems on space station and long term missions. This experiment was conducted to determine if hyperspectral reflectance could be used to detect nutrient stress in Lactuca sativa L. cv. Black Seeded Simpson. Lettuce seedlings were grown for 90 days in a greenhouse or growth chamber in vermiculite containing modified Hoagland's nutrient solution with key macronutrient elements removed in order to induce a range of nutrient stresses, including nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Leaf tissue nutrient concentrations were compared with corresponding spectral reflectances taken at the end of 90 days. Spectral reflectances varied with growing location, position on the leaf, and nutrient deficiency treatment. Spectral responses of lettuce leaves under macronutrient deficiency conditions showed an increase in reflectance in the red, near red, and infrared wavelength ranges. The data obtained suggest that spectral reflectance shows the potential as a diagnostic tool in predicting nutrient deficiencies in general. Overlapping of spectral signatures makes the use of wavelengths of narrow bandwidths or individual bands for the discrimination of specific nutrient stresses difficult without further data processing.

Nutrients in ground water and surface water of the United States; an analysis of data through 1992

USGS Publications Warehouse

Mueller, D.K.; Hamilton, P.A.; Helsel, D.R.; Hitt, K.J.; Ruddy, B.C.

1995-01-01

Historical data on nutrient (nitrogen and phosphorus species) concentrations in ground-and surface-water samples were compiled from 20 study units of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program and 5 supplemental study areas. The resultant national retrospective data sets contained analyses of about 12,000 Found-water and more than 22,000 surface-water samples. These data were interpreted on regional and national scales by relating the distributions of nutrient concentrations to ancillary data, such as land use, soil characteristics, and hydrogeology, provided by local study-unit personnel. The information provided in this report on environmental factors that affect nutrient concentrations in ground and surface water can be used to identify areas of the Nation where the vulnerability to nutrient contamination is greatest. Nitrate was the nutrient of greatest concern in the historical ground-water data. It is the only nutrient that is regulated by a national drinking-water standard. Nitrate concentrations were significantly different in ground water affected by various land uses. Concentrations in about 16 percent of the samples collected in agricultural areas exceeded the drinking-water standard. However, the standard was exceeded in only about 1 percent of samples collected from public-supply wells. A variety of ancillary factors had significant relations to nitrate concentrations in ground water beneath agricultural areas. Concentrations generally were highest within 100 feet of the land surface. They were also higher in areas where soil and geologic characteristics promoted rapid movement of water to the aquifer. Elevated concentrations commonly occurred in areas underlain by permeable materials, such as carbonate bedrock or unconsolidated sand and gravel, and where soils are generally well drained. In areas where water movement is impeded, denitrification might lead to low concentrations of nitrate in the ground water. Low concentrations were also related to interspersion of pasture and woodland with cropland in agricultural areas. Elevated nitrate concentrations in areas of more homogeneous cropland probably were a result of intensive nitrogen fertilizer application on large tracts of land. Certain regions of the United States seemed more vulnerable to nitrate contamination of ground water in agricultural areas. Regions of greater vulnerability included parts of the Northeast, Midwest, and West Coast. The well-drained soils, typical in these regions, have little capacity to hold water and nutrients; therefore, these soils receive some of the largest applications of fertilizer and irrigation in the Nation. The agricultural land is intensively cultivated for row crops, with little interspersion of pasture and woodland. Nutrient concentrations in surface water also were generally related to land use. Nitrate concentrations were highest in samples from sites downstream from agricultural or urban areas. However, concentrations were not as high as in ground water and rarely exceeded the drinking-water standard. Elevated concentrations of nitrate in surface water of the Northeastern United States might be related to large amounts of atmospheric deposition (acid rain). High concentrations in parts of the Midwest might be related to tile drainage of agricultural fields. Ammonia and phosphorus concentrations were highest downstream from urban areas. These concentrations generally were high enough to warrant concerns about toxicity to fish and accelerated eutrophication. Recent improvements in wastewater treatment have decreased ammonia concentrations downstream from some urban areas, but the result has been an increase in nitrate concentrations. Information on environmental factors that affect water quality is useful to identify drainage basins throughout the Nation with the greatest vulnerability for nutrient contamination and to delineate areas where ground-water or surface-water contamination is most likely to oc

Nutrient Retention in Restored Streams and Floodplains: A ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Abstract: Excess nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from human activities have contributed to degradation of coastal waters globally. A growing body of work suggests that hydrologically restoring streams and floodplains in agricultural and urban watersheds has potential to increase nitrogen and phosphorus retention, but rates and mechanisms have not yet been synthesized and compared across studies. We conducted a review of nutrient retention within hydrologically reconnected streams and floodplains including 79 studies. Overall, 62% of results were positive, 26% were neutral, and 12% were negative. The studies we reviewed used a variety of methods to analyze nutrients cycling. We did a further intensive meta-analysis on nutrient spiraling studies because this method was the most consistent and comparable between studies. A meta-analysis of 240 experimental additions of ammonium (NH4+), nitrate (NO3-), and soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) was synthesized from 15 nutrient spiraling studies. Overall, we found that rates of uptake were variable along stream reaches over space and time. Our results indicate that the size of the stream restoration (total surface area) and hydrologic residence time can be key drivers in influencing N and P uptake at broader watershed scales or along the urban watershed continuum. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from human activities contributes to the degradation of water quality in streams and coastal areas nationally and globally.

Cash and in-kind transfers in poor rural communities in Mexico increase household fruit, vegetable, and micronutrient consumption but also lead to excess energy consumption.

PubMed

Leroy, Jef L; Gadsden, Paola; Rodríguez-Ramírez, Sonia; de Cossío, Teresa González

2010-03-01

Conditional transfer programs are increasingly popular, but the impact on household nutrient consumption has not been studied. We evaluated the impact of the Programa de Apoyo Alimentario (PAL), a cash and in-kind transfer program, on the energy and nutrient consumption of poor rural households in Mexico. The program has been shown to reduce poverty. Beneficiary households received either a food basket (including micronutrient-fortified milk) or cash. A random sample of 206 rural communities in Southern Mexico was randomly assigned to 1 of 4 groups: a monthly food basket with or without health and nutrition education, a cash transfer with a cost to the government equivalent to the food basket (14 USD/mo) with education, or control. The impact after 14 mo of exposure was estimated in a panel of 5823 households using a double difference regression model with household fixed effects. PAL was associated with increases (P < 0.01) in the consumption of total energy (5-9%), energy from fruits and vegetables (24-28%), and energy from animal source foods (24-39%). It also affected iron, zinc, and vitamin A and C consumption (P < 0.05). The consumption of energy and all nutrients was greater in the food basket group (P < 0.05). Cash and in-kind transfers in populations that are not energy-deficient should be carefully redesigned to ensure that pulling poor families out of poverty leads to improved micronutrient intake but not to increased energy consumption.

Intakes and adequacy of potentially important nutrients for cognitive development among 5-year-old children in the Seychelles Child Development and Nutrition Study

PubMed Central

McAfee, Alison J; Mulhern, Maria S; McSorley, Emeir M; Wallace, Julie MW; Bonham, Maxine P; Faure, Jude; Romain, Sarah; Esther, Christina; Shamlaye, Conrad F; Watson, Gene E; Myers, Gary J; Clarkson, Thomas W; Davidson, Philip W; Strain, JJ

2013-01-01

Objective To assess the nutritional adequacy of Seychellois children in relation to nutrients reported to be important for cognitive development. Design Dietary intakes were assessed by 4 d weighed food diaries and analysed using dietary analysis software (WISP version 3·0; Tinuviel Software, UK). Individual nutrient intakes were adjusted to usual intakes and, in order to investigate adequacy, were compared with the UK Estimated Average Requirements for children aged 4–6 years. Setting Children 5 years old were followed up as part of the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study (SCDNS), located in the high-fish-consuming population of Mahé, Republic of Seychelles. Subjects Analysis was carried out on a sample of 229 children (118 boys, 111 girls). Results Children consumed a diet of which fortified cereal and milk products contributed the most to nutrient intakes. The majority (≥80 %) of children met requirements for several nutrients important for child development including Fe, folate and Se. Adjusted dietary intakes of Cu, Zn, iodine, niacin and vitamin A were below the Estimated Average Requirement or Recommended Nutrient Intake. Mean adjusted energy intakes (boys 4769 kJ/d (1139·84 kcal/d), girls 4759 kJ/d (1137·43 kcal/d)) were lower than the estimated energy requirement (boys 5104 kJ/d (1220 kcal/d), girls 5042 kJ/d (1205 kcal/d)) for 88% of boys and 86% of girls. Conclusions Nutrition was adequate for most children within the SCDNS cohort. Low intakes of some nutrients (including Zn, niacin and vitamin A) could reflect nutritional database inaccuracies, but may require further investigation. The study provides valuable information on the adequacy of intakes of nutrients which could affect the growth and development of Seychellois children. PMID:22321870

Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of spinach by single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified through genotyping-by-sequencing.

PubMed

Shi, Ainong; Qin, Jun; Mou, Beiquan; Correll, James; Weng, Yuejin; Brenner, David; Feng, Chunda; Motes, Dennis; Yang, Wei; Dong, Lingdi; Bhattarai, Gehendra; Ravelombola, Waltram

2017-01-01

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L., 2n = 2x = 12) is an economically important vegetable crop worldwide and one of the healthiest vegetables due to its high concentrations of nutrients and minerals. The objective of this research was to conduct genetic diversity and population structure analysis of a collection of world-wide spinach genotypes using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) was used to discover SNPs in spinach genotypes. Three sets of spinach genotypes were used: 1) 268 USDA GRIN spinach germplasm accessions originally collected from 30 countries; 2) 45 commercial spinach F1 hybrids from three countries; and 3) 30 US Arkansas spinach cultivars/breeding lines. The results from this study indicated that there was genetic diversity among the 343 spinach genotypes tested. Furthermore, the genetic background in improved commercial F1 hybrids and in Arkansas cultivars/lines had a different structured populations from the USDA germplasm. In addition, the genetic diversity and population structures were associated with geographic origin and germplasm from the US Arkansas breeding program had a unique genetic background. These data could provide genetic diversity information and the molecular markers for selecting parents in spinach breeding programs.

Genetic diversity and population structure analysis of spinach by single-nucleotide polymorphisms identified through genotyping-by-sequencing

PubMed Central

Qin, Jun; Mou, Beiquan; Correll, James; Weng, Yuejin; Brenner, David; Feng, Chunda; Motes, Dennis; Yang, Wei; Dong, Lingdi; Bhattarai, Gehendra; Ravelombola, Waltram

2017-01-01

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L., 2n = 2x = 12) is an economically important vegetable crop worldwide and one of the healthiest vegetables due to its high concentrations of nutrients and minerals. The objective of this research was to conduct genetic diversity and population structure analysis of a collection of world-wide spinach genotypes using single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) markers. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) was used to discover SNPs in spinach genotypes. Three sets of spinach genotypes were used: 1) 268 USDA GRIN spinach germplasm accessions originally collected from 30 countries; 2) 45 commercial spinach F1 hybrids from three countries; and 3) 30 US Arkansas spinach cultivars/breeding lines. The results from this study indicated that there was genetic diversity among the 343 spinach genotypes tested. Furthermore, the genetic background in improved commercial F1 hybrids and in Arkansas cultivars/lines had a different structured populations from the USDA germplasm. In addition, the genetic diversity and population structures were associated with geographic origin and germplasm from the US Arkansas breeding program had a unique genetic background. These data could provide genetic diversity information and the molecular markers for selecting parents in spinach breeding programs. PMID:29190770

Effect of crop rotation on soil nutrient balance and weediness in soddy podzolic organic farming fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarina, Livija; Zarina, Liga

2017-04-01

The nutrient balance in different crop rotations under organic cropping system has been investigated in Latvia at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Economics since 2006. Latvia is located in a humid and moderate climatic region where the rainfall exceeds evaporation (soil moisture coefficient > 1) and the soil moisture regime is characteristic with percolation. The average annual precipitation is 670-850 mm. The average temperature varies from -6.7° C in January to 16.5 °C in July. The growing season is 175 - 185 days. The most widespread are podzolic soils and mainly they are present in agricultural fields in all regions of Latvia. In a wider sense the goal of the soil management in organic farming is a creation of the biologically active flora and fauna in the soil by maintaining a high level of soil organic matter which is good for crops nutrient balance. Crop rotation is a central component of organic farming systems and has many benefits, including growth of soil microbial activity, which may increase nutrient availability. The aim of the present study was to calculate nutrient balance for each crop in the rotations and average in each rotation. Taking into account that crop rotations can limit build-up of weeds, additionally within the ERA-net CORE Organic Plus transnational programs supported project PRODIVA the information required for a better utilization of crop diversification for weed management in North European organic arable cropping systems was summarized. It was found that the nutrient balance was influenced by nutrients uptake by biomass of growing crops in crop rotation. The number of weeds in the organic farming fields with crop rotation is dependent on the cultivated crops and the succession of crops in the crop rotation.

Effect of Supplementation with Zinc and Other Micronutrients on Malaria in Tanzanian Children: A Randomised Trial

PubMed Central

Veenemans, Jacobien; Milligan, Paul; Prentice, Andrew M.; Schouten, Laura R. A.; Inja, Nienke; van der Heijden, Aafke C.; de Boer, Linsey C. C.; Jansen, Esther J. S.; Koopmans, Anna E.; Enthoven, Wendy T. M.; Kraaijenhagen, Rob J.; Demir, Ayse Y.; Uges, Donald R. A.; Mbugi, Erasto V.; Savelkoul, Huub F. J.; Verhoef, Hans

2011-01-01

Background It is uncertain to what extent oral supplementation with zinc can reduce episodes of malaria in endemic areas. Protection may depend on other nutrients. We measured the effect of supplementation with zinc and other nutrients on malaria rates. Methods and Findings In a 2×2 factorial trial, 612 rural Tanzanian children aged 6–60 months in an area with intense malaria transmission and with height-for-age z-score≤−1.5 SD were randomized to receive daily oral supplementation with either zinc alone (10 mg), multi-nutrients without zinc, multi-nutrients with zinc, or placebo. Intervention group was indicated by colour code, but neither participants, researchers, nor field staff knew who received what intervention. Those with Plasmodium infection at baseline were treated with artemether-lumefantrine. The primary outcome, an episode of malaria, was assessed among children reported sick at a primary care clinic, and pre-defined as current Plasmodium infection with an inflammatory response, shown by axillary temperature ≥37.5°C or whole blood C-reactive protein concentration ≥8 mg/L. Nutritional indicators were assessed at baseline and at 251 days (median; 95% reference range: 191–296 days). In the primary intention-to-treat analysis, we adjusted for pre-specified baseline factors, using Cox regression models that accounted for multiple episodes per child. 592 children completed the study. The primary analysis included 1,572 malaria episodes during 526 child-years of observation (median follow-up: 331 days). Malaria incidence in groups receiving zinc, multi-nutrients without zinc, multi-nutrients with zinc and placebo was 2.89/child-year, 2.95/child-year, 3.26/child-year, and 2.87/child-year, respectively. There was no evidence that multi-nutrients influenced the effect of zinc (or vice versa). Neither zinc nor multi-nutrients influenced malaria rates (marginal analysis; adjusted HR, 95% CI: 1.04, 0.93–1.18 and 1.10, 0.97–1.24 respectively). The prevalence of zinc deficiency (plasma zinc concentration <9.9 µmol/L) was high at baseline (67% overall; 60% in those without inflammation) and strongly reduced by zinc supplementation. Conclusions We found no evidence from this trial that zinc supplementation protected against malaria. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00623857 Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary. PMID:22131908

Breeding crops for improved mineral nutrition under climate change conditions.

PubMed

Pilbeam, David J

2015-06-01

Improvements in understanding how climate change may influence chemical and physical processes in soils, how this may affect nutrient availability, and how plants may respond to changed availability of nutrients will influence crop breeding programmes. The effects of increased atmospheric CO2 and warmer temperatures, both individually and combined, on soil microbial activity, including mycorrhizas and N-fixing organisms, are evaluated, together with their implications for nutrient availability. Potential changes to plant growth, and the combined effects of soil and plant changes on nutrient uptake, are discussed. The organization of research on the efficient use of macro- and micronutrients by crops under climate change conditions is outlined, including analysis of QTLs for nutrient efficiency. Suggestions for how the information gained can be used in plant breeding programmes are given. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Experimental Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A model of phytoplankton blooms.

PubMed

Huppert, Amit; Blasius, Bernd; Stone, Lewi

2002-02-01

A simple model that describes the dynamics of nutrient-driven phytoplankton blooms is presented. Apart from complicated simulation studies, very few models reported in the literature have taken this "bottom-up" approach. Yet, as discussed and justified from a theoretical standpoint, many blooms are strongly controlled by nutrients rather than by higher trophic levels. The analysis identifies an important threshold effect: a bloom will only be triggered when nutrients exceed a certain defined level. This threshold effect should be generic to both natural blooms and most simulation models. Furthermore, predictions are given as to how the peak of the bloom Pmax is determined by initial conditions. A number of counterintuitive results are found. In particular, it is shown that increasing initial nutrient or phytoplankton levels can act to decrease Pmax. Correct predictions require an understanding of such factors as the timing of the bloom and the period of nutrient buildup before the bloom.

Seafloor studies of Mamala Bay, Honolulu, Hawaii

USGS Publications Warehouse

Torresan, Michael E.

No comprehensive study of the effects of disposal of dredge spoils has been conducted to determine if the environment has suffered. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has regularly dredged the shipping channels of Honolulu Harbor and Pearl Harbor for commercial and military purposes. The 5-year frequency for new dredging activity has led to the formation of extensive offshore wide deposits of relatively coarse sediments being created in a sedimentary environment that naturally collects much finer-grained materials. At the same time, the rapid growth of Honolulu and its suburban region over the past 3 decades has added nutrient-enriched sewage outfall to the artificially-heavy sediment load. The combined effects of dredge-spoil disposal and contaminant loads are not well-documented, and are poorly understood. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) began a comprehensive study to characterize the seafloor of Mamala Bay.In 1993, the USGS initiated a program sponsored by the USACE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that produced a detailed map of the seafloor, especially of the distribution of dredge spoils, and a preliminary analysis of the environmental effects of dredge-spoils disposal and the chemical effects of the introduction of nutrient-rich outfall. Part of the work would involve sediment sampling, biological testing, and evaluation. Of particular interest is tissue sampling and analysis of endemic shrimp to determine the rates of absorption of toxic elements, such as heavy metals, that are easily brought into the food chain.

DEVELOPMENT OF NITROGEN LOAD-REPONSE RELATIONSHIPS FOR ESTUARIES

EPA Science Inventory

A research program is currently underway to meet the United States Environmental Protection Agency's need to develop nutrient criteria for estuarine and coastal marine waters. This research is intended to develop nitrogen load-response relationships for submerged aquatic vegetati...

Design of a Decision Support Tool for Nutrient Credit Exchange Feasibility in Stormwater Regulatory Compliance

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

Virginia Stormwater Management Program (VSMP) regulations require transportation projects to account for stormwater runoff impacts from increased impervious surfaces in order to prevent water quality reduction, erosion, and flooding.1 Organizations l...

Nutrient control of eukaryote cell growth: a systems biology study in yeast.

PubMed

Gutteridge, Alex; Pir, Pinar; Castrillo, Juan I; Charles, Philip D; Lilley, Kathryn S; Oliver, Stephen G

2010-05-24

To elucidate the biological processes affected by changes in growth rate and nutrient availability, we have performed a comprehensive analysis of the transcriptome, proteome and metabolome responses of chemostat cultures of the yeast, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, growing at a range of growth rates and in four different nutrient-limiting conditions. We find significant changes in expression for many genes in each of the four nutrient-limited conditions tested. We also observe several processes that respond differently to changes in growth rate and are specific to each nutrient-limiting condition. These include carbohydrate storage, mitochondrial function, ribosome synthesis, and phosphate transport. Integrating transcriptome data with proteome measurements allows us to identify previously unrecognized examples of post-transcriptional regulation in response to both nutrient and growth-rate signals. Our results emphasize the unique properties of carbon metabolism and the carbon substrate, the limitation of which induces significant changes in gene regulation at the transcriptional and post-transcriptional level, as well as altering how many genes respond to growth rate. By comparison, the responses to growth limitation by other nutrients involve a smaller set of genes that participate in specific pathways. See associated commentary http://www.biomedcentral.com/1741-7007/8/62.

Nutrient sensing modulates malaria parasite virulence

PubMed Central

Mancio-Silva, Liliana; Slavic, Ksenija; Grilo Ruivo, Margarida T.; Grosso, Ana Rita; Modrzynska, Katarzyna K.; Vera, Iset Medina; Sales-Dias, Joana; Gomes, Ana Rita; MacPherson, Cameron Ross; Crozet, Pierre; Adamo, Mattia; Baena-Gonzalez, Elena; Tewari, Rita; Llinás, Manuel; Billker, Oliver; Mota, Maria M.

2017-01-01

The lifestyle of intracellular pathogens, such as malaria parasites, is intimately connected to that of their host(s), primarily for nutrient supply. Nutrients act not only as primary sources of energy but also as regulators of gene expression, metabolism and growth, through various signaling networks that confer to cells the ability to sense and adapt to varying environmental conditions1,2. Canonical nutrient-sensing pathways are presumably absent in the causing agent of malaria Plasmodium3–5, thus raising the question of whether these parasites possess the capacity to sense and cope with host nutrient fluctuations. Here, we show that Plasmodium blood-stage parasites actively respond to host dietary calorie alterations through a rearrangement of their transcriptome accompanied by a significant adjustment of their multiplication rate. A kinome analysis combined with chemical and genetic approaches identified KIN as a critical regulator that mediates sensing of nutrients and controls a transcriptional response to the host nutritional status. KIN shares homology to SNF1/AMPKα and yeast complementation studies suggest functional conservation of an ancient cellular energy sensing pathway. Overall, these findings reveal a key parasite nutrient-sensing mechanism that is critical to modulate parasite replication and virulence. PMID:28678779

[Ecological adaptability evaluation of peanut cultivars based on biomass and nutrient accumulation].

PubMed

Wang, Xue; Cui, Shao-xiong; Sun, Zhi-mei; Mu, Guo-jun; Cui, Shun-li; Wang, Peng-chao; Liu, Li-feng

2015-07-01

To identify the good peanut cultivars with the properties of high yield, high nutrient use efficiency and wide adaptability, 19 selected peanut cultivars were planted in the low champaign area and piedmont plain area of Hebei Province. By using principal component analysis, the adaptability of these 19 cultivars was evaluated for different ecological regions through comparing their 16 main traits including biomass and nutrient parameters. According to the critical value of principal component (>1.0), the 16 biomass and nutrient characteristics were integrated into 4 principal components which accounted for 85% of the original information. The results indicated that there were obvious differences in yield and nutrient use efficiency for the peanut cultivars in different ecological regions. The 19 peanut cultivars were classified into 2 groups according to their ecological adaptability, and the cultivars from the group with wide adaptability could further be divided into 3 categories according to their yield and nutrient use efficiency. Among these cultivars, Yuhua 9719, Jihua 0212-4, Weihua 10, Yuhua 15, Puhua 28 and Jihua 10 were selected as the better peanut cultivars with the properties of high yield, high nutrient use efficiency and wide adaptability.

Nutrition in space: lessons from the past applied to the future.

PubMed

Lane, H W; Smith, S M; Rice, B L; Bourland, C T

1994-11-01

From the basic impact of nutrient intake on health maintenance to the psychosocial benefits of mealtime, the role of nutrition in space is evident. In this discussion, dietary intake data from three space programs, Apollo, Space Shuttle, and Skylab, are presented. Data examination reveals that energy and fluid intakes are almost always lower than predicted. Nutrition in space has many areas of impact, including provision of required nutrients and maintenance of endocrine, immune, and musculoskeletal systems. Long-duration missions will require quantitation of nutrient requirements for maintenance of health and protection against the effects of microgravity. Psychosocial aspects of nutrition will also be important for more productive missions and crew morale. Realization of the full role of nutrition during spaceflight is critical for the success of extended-duration missions. Research conducted to determine the impact of spaceflight on human physiology and subsequent nutritional requirements will also have direct and indirect applications in Earth-based nutrition research.

Surface-water-quality assessment of the upper Illinois River Basin in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin; data on agricultural organic compounds, nutrients, and sediment in water, 1988-90

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sullivan, D.J.; Terrio, P.J.

1994-01-01

This report describes the sampling design and methods and presents data collected to determine the distribution of agricultural organic compounds, nutrients, and sediment in selected areas of the upper Illinois River Basin as part of the National Water-Quality Assessment program. Four stations in small watersheds (two urban, two agricultural) were sampled in 1988 and 1989. Seventeen stations in an agricultural subbasin were sampled in 1990. Samples were collected before, during, and after runoff events from late spring to midsummer to determine concentrations of agricultural organic compounds in surface waters resulting from storm runoff, as well as background concentrations. Over 200 water samples were analyzed for agricultural organic compound, nutrient, and suspended-sediment concentrations. The agricultural organic compounds included triazine and chlorophenoxy-acid herbicides, and organo-phosphorus insecticides.

Relations of Principal Components Analysis Site Scores to Algal-Biomass, Habitat, Basin-Characteristics, Nutrient, and Biological-Community Data in the West Fork White River Basin, Indiana, 2001

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frey, Jeffrey W.; Caskey, Brian J.; Lowe, B. Scott

2007-01-01

Data were gathered from July through September 2001 at 34 randomly selected sites in the West Fork White River Basin, Indiana for algal biomass, habitat, nutrients, and biological communities (fish and invertebrates). Basin characteristics (drainage area and land use) and biological-community attributes and metric scores were determined for the basin of each sampling site. Yearly Principal Components Analysis site scores were calculated for algal biomass (periphyton and seston). The yearly Principal Components Analysis site scores for the first axis (PC1) were related, using Spearman's rho, to the seasonal algal-biomass, basin-characteristics, habitat, seasonal nutrient, biological-community attribute and metric score data. The periphyton PC1 site score, which was most influenced by ash-free dry mass, was negatively related to one (percent closed canopy) of nine habitat variables examined. Of the 43 fish-community attributes and metric scores examined, the periphyton PC1 was positively related to one fish-community attribute (percent tolerant). Of the 21 invertebrate-community attributes and metric scores examined, the periphyton PC1 was positively related to one attribute (Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) index) and one metric score (EPT index metric score). The periphyton PC1 was not related to the five basin-characteristic or 12 nutrient variables examined. The seston PC1 site score, which was most influenced by particulate organic carbon, was negatively related to two of the 12 nutrient variables examined: total Kjeldahl nitrogen (July) and total phosphorus (July). Of the 43 fish-community attributes and metric scores examined, the seston PC1 was negatively related to one attribute (large-river percent). Of the 21 invertebrate-community attributes and metric scores examined, the seston PC1 was negatively related to one attribute (EPT-to-total ratio). The seston PC1 was not related to the five basin-characteristics or nine habitat variables examined. To understand how the choice of sampling sites might have affected the results, an analysis of the drainage area and land use was done. The 34 randomly selected sites in the West Fork White River Basin in 2001 were skewed to small streams. The dominant mean land use of the sites sampled was agriculture, followed by forest, and urban. The values for nutrients (nitrate, total Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, and total phosphorus) and chlorophyll a (periphyton and seston) were compared to published U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) values for Aggregate Nutrient Ecoregions VI and IX and Level III Ecoregions 55 and 72. Several nutrient values were greater than the 25th percentile of the published USEPA values. Chlorophyll a (periphyton and seston) values were either greater than the 25th percentile of published USEPA values or extended data ranges in the Aggregate Nutrient Ecoregions and Level III Ecoregions. If the proposed values for the 25th percentile were adopted as nutrient water-quality criteria, many samples in the West Fork White River Basin would have exceeded the criteria.

Discrepancy between the composition of some commercial cat foods and their package labelling and suitability for meeting nutritional requirements.

PubMed

Gosper, E C; Raubenheimer, D; Machovsky-Capuska, G E; Chaves, A V

2016-01-01

To investigate if the label information and nutrient composition of commercial cat foods are accurate and compliant with the Australian Standard (AS 5812-2011) and if they meet the nutritional requirements of an adult cat. A chemical analysis of 10 wet and 10 dry commercial cat foods labelled as 'nutritionally complete' for the adult cat was performed. The results were compared with the package composition values, the Australian Standard and the unique dietary requirements of the cat. In addition, the results of the chemical analysis were compared with the nutrient requirements published by the Association of the American Feed Control Officials and the National Research Council. When compared with the Australian Standard, 9 of the 20 cat foods did not adhere to their 'guaranteed analysis' and 8 did not adhere to the standards for nutrient composition. Also, various deficiencies and excesses of crude protein, crude fat, fatty acid and amino acid were observed in the majority of the cat foods. The results of this study highlight a need for an improved method of ensuring that label information and nutrient composition are accurate and comply with the Australian Standard (AS 5812-2011) to ensure the adult cat's unique dietary requirements are being met by commercial adult cat food. © 2016 Australian Veterinary Association.

Quantitative and qualitative analysis of breakfast nutritional composition in French schoolchildren aged 9-11 years.

PubMed

Lepicard, E M; Maillot, M; Vieux, F; Viltard, M; Bonnet, F

2017-04-01

The present study aimed to analyse the nutritional quality of childrens' breakfasts using data collected during a cross-sectional observational study on the prevalence of urinary osmolality in 529 French children aged 9-11 years. Total nutrient intake, mean adequacy ratio (MAR), energy density and solid energy density were calculated from breakfast food and fluid nutritional composition. To identify the main qualitative breakfast patterns, each breakfast item was categorised into 15 solid and liquid food categories and a principal component analysis followed by a cluster analysis was performed. Only 9.8% included skipped breakfast. Breakfast provided, on average, 22.9% of the recommended daily energy intake and 24.7% of the mean adequacy ratio of 23 key nutrients. Four breakfast patterns were identified: 'Sweets breakfast' (40.0% of children), 'Traditional French breakfast' (27.2%), 'Ready-to-eat cereal (RTEC) + milk' (18.1%) and 'Dairy and juice breakfast' (9.5%). Nutritionally, the 'RTEC + milk' pattern was the most advantageous. Flavoured milk was the most frequently consumed food (50.5%) and the major component of the 'Traditional French breakfast'. Although breakfast provided a substantial contribution to a range of nutrients, opportunity for improvement, particularly to less nutrient breakfast patterns, should not be overlooked. © 2016 The British Dietetic Association Ltd.

Modeling long-term changes in tundra carbon balance following wildfire, climate change, and potential nutrient addition.

PubMed

Jiang, Yueyang; Rastetter, Edward B; Shaver, Gaius R; Rocha, Adrian V; Zhuang, Qianlai; Kwiatkowski, Bonnie L

2017-01-01

To investigate the underlying mechanisms that control long-term recovery of tundra carbon (C) and nutrients after fire, we employed the Multiple Element Limitation (MEL) model to simulate 200-yr post-fire changes in the biogeochemistry of three sites along a burn severity gradient in response to increases in air temperature, CO 2 concentration, nitrogen (N) deposition, and phosphorus (P) weathering rates. The simulations were conducted for severely burned, moderately burned, and unburned arctic tundra. Our simulations indicated that recovery of C balance after fire was mainly determined by the internal redistribution of nutrients among ecosystem components (controlled by air temperature), rather than the supply of nutrients from external sources (e.g., nitrogen deposition and fixation, phosphorus weathering). Increases in air temperature and atmospheric CO 2 concentration resulted in (1) a net transfer of nutrient from soil organic matter to vegetation and (2) higher C : nutrient ratios in vegetation and soil organic matter. These changes led to gains in vegetation biomass C but net losses in soil organic C stocks. Under a warming climate, nutrients lost in wildfire were difficult to recover because the warming-induced acceleration in nutrient cycles caused further net nutrient loss from the system through leaching. In both burned and unburned tundra, the warming-caused acceleration in nutrient cycles and increases in ecosystem C stocks were eventually constrained by increases in soil C : nutrient ratios, which increased microbial retention of plant-available nutrients in the soil. Accelerated nutrient turnover, loss of C, and increasing soil temperatures will likely result in vegetation changes, which further regulate the long-term biogeochemical succession. Our analysis should help in the assessment of tundra C budgets and of the recovery of biogeochemical function following fire, which is in turn necessary for the maintenance of wildlife habitat and tundra vegetation. © 2016 by the Ecological Society of America.

Analysis of the Physiological and Molecular Responses of Dunaliella salina to Macronutrient Deprivation

PubMed Central

Lv, Hexin; Cui, Xianggan; Wahid, Fazli; Xia, Feng; Zhong, Cheng; Jia, Shiru

2016-01-01

The halotolerant chlorophyte Dunaliella salina can accumulate up to 10% of its dry weight as β-carotene in chloroplasts when subjected to adverse conditions, including nutrient deprivation. However, the mechanisms of carotenoid biosynthesis are poorly understood. Here, the physiological and molecular responses to the deprivation of nitrogen (-N), sulfur (-S), phosphorus (-P) and different combinations of those nutrients (-N-P, -N-S, -P-S and -N-P-S) were compared to gain insights into the underlying regulatory mechanisms of carotenoid biosynthesis. The results showed that both the growth and photosynthetic rates of cells were decreased during nutrient deprivation, accompanied by lipid globule accumulation and reduced chlorophyll levels. The SOD and CAT activities of the cells were altered during nutrient deprivation, but their responses were different. The total carotenoid contents of cells subjected to multiple nutrient deprivation were higher than those of cells subjected to single nutrient deprivation and non-stressed cells. The β-carotene contents of cells subjected to -N-P, -N-S and -N-P-S were higher than those of cells subjected to single nutrient deprivation. Cells subjected to sulfur deprivation accumulated more lutein than cells subjected to nitrogen and phosphorous deprivation. In contrast, no cumulative effects of nutrient deprivation on the transcription of genes in the carotenogenic pathway were observed because MEP and carotenogenic pathway genes were up-regulated during single nutrient deprivation but were downregulated during multiple nutrient deprivation. Therefore, we proposed that the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway of D. salina is regulated at both the transcriptional and posttranscriptional levels and that a complex crosstalk occurs at the physiological and molecular levels in response to the deprivation of different nutrients. PMID:27023397

Real-time nutrient monitoring in rivers: adaptive sampling strategies, technological challenges and future directions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blaen, Phillip; Khamis, Kieran; Lloyd, Charlotte; Bradley, Chris

2016-04-01

Excessive nutrient concentrations in river waters threaten aquatic ecosystem functioning and can pose substantial risks to human health. Robust monitoring strategies are therefore required to generate reliable estimates of river nutrient loads and to improve understanding of the catchment processes that drive spatiotemporal patterns in nutrient fluxes. Furthermore, these data are vital for prediction of future trends under changing environmental conditions and thus the development of appropriate mitigation measures. In recent years, technological developments have led to an increase in the use of continuous in-situ nutrient analysers, which enable measurements at far higher temporal resolutions than can be achieved with discrete sampling and subsequent laboratory analysis. However, such instruments can be costly to run and difficult to maintain (e.g. due to high power consumption and memory requirements), leading to trade-offs between temporal and spatial monitoring resolutions. Here, we highlight how adaptive monitoring strategies, comprising a mixture of temporal sample frequencies controlled by one or more 'trigger variables' (e.g. river stage, turbidity, or nutrient concentration), can advance our understanding of catchment nutrient dynamics while simultaneously overcoming many of the practical and economic challenges encountered in typical in-situ river nutrient monitoring applications. We present examples of short-term variability in river nutrient dynamics, driven by complex catchment behaviour, which support our case for the development of monitoring systems that can adapt in real-time to rapid environmental changes. In addition, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of current nutrient monitoring techniques, and suggest new research directions based on emerging technologies and highlight how these might improve: 1) monitoring strategies, and 2) understanding of linkages between catchment processes and river nutrient fluxes.

Effect of prenatal programming on heifer development.

PubMed

Funston, Richard N; Summers, Adam F

2013-11-01

In beef cattle, the main factors influencing nutrient partitioning between the dam and fetus include age of the dam, number of fetuses, production demand, and environmental stress. These factors play a critical role in programming the fetus for its future environment and available resources. Fetal programming reportedly affects neonatal mortality and morbidity, postnatal growth rate, body composition, health, and reproduction. Two main mechanisms responsible for fetal programming include DNA methylation and histone modifications. Alterations in the genome can be passed through multiple generations. Maternal environment (nutrition, age, physiologic status) can program progeny heifer growth and reproductive performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Nutritional programming of disease: unravelling the mechanism

PubMed Central

Langley-Evans, Simon C

2009-01-01

Nutritional programming is the process through which variation in the quality or quantity of nutrients consumed during pregnancy exerts permanent effects upon the developing fetus. Programming of fetal development is considered to be an important risk factor for non-communicable diseases of adulthood, including coronary heart disease and other disorders related to insulin resistance. The study of programming in relation to disease processes has been advanced by development of animal models, which have utilized restriction or over-feeding of specific nutrients in either rodents or sheep. These consistently demonstrate the biological plausibility of the nutritional programming hypothesis and, importantly, provide tools with which to examine the mechanisms through which programming may occur. Studies of animals subject to undernutrition in utero generally exhibit changes in the structure of key organs such as the kidney, heart and brain. These appear consistent with remodelling of development, associated with disruption of cellular proliferation and differentiation. Whilst the causal pathways which extend from this tissue remodelling to disease can be easily understood, the processes which lead to this disordered organ development are poorly defined. Even minor variation in maternal nutritional status is capable of producing important shifts in the fetal environment. It is suggested that these environmental changes are associated with altered expression of key genes, which are responsible for driving the tissue remodelling response and future disease risk. Nutrition-related factors may drive these processes by disturbing placental function, including control of materno-fetal endocrine exchanges, or the epigenetic regulation of gene expression. PMID:19175805

A statistical summary of data from the U.S. Geological Survey's national water quality networks

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, R.A.; Alexander, R.B.

1983-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey Operates two nationwide networks to monitor water quality, the National Hydrologic Bench-Mark Network and the National Stream Quality Accounting Network (NASQAN). The Bench-Mark network is composed of 51 stations in small drainage basins which are as close as possible to their natural state, with no human influence and little likelihood of future development. Stations in the NASQAN program are located to monitor flow from accounting units (subregional drainage basins) which collectively encompass the entire land surface of the nation. Data collected at both networks include streamflow, concentrations of major inorganic constituents, nutrients, and trace metals. The goals of the two water quality sampling programs include the determination of mean constituent concentrations and transport rates as well as the analysis of long-term trends in those variables. This report presents a station-by-station statistical summary of data from the two networks for the period 1974 through 1981. (Author 's abstract)

Precipitation-runoff relations and water-quality characteristics at edge-of-field stations, Discovery Farms and Pioneer Farm, Wisconsin, 2003-8

USGS Publications Warehouse

Stuntebeck, Todd D.; Komiskey, Matthew J.; Peppler, Marie C.; Owens, David W.; Frame, Dennis R.

2011-01-01

A cooperative study between the U.S. Geological Survey, the University of Wisconsin (UW)-Madison Discovery Farms program (Discovery Farms), and the UW-Platteville Pioneer Farm program (Pioneer Farm) was developed to identify typical ranges and magnitudes, temporal distributions, and principal factors affecting concentrations and yields of sediment, nutrients, and other selected constituents in runoff from agricultural fields. Hydrologic and water-quality data were collected year-round at 23 edge-of-field monitoring stations on 5 privately owned Discovery Farms and on Pioneer Farm during water years 2003-8. The studied farms represented landscapes, soils, and farming systems typical of livestock farms throughout southern Wisconsin. Each farm employed a variety of soil, nutrient, and water-conservation practices to help minimize sediment and nutrient losses from fields and to improve crop productivity. This report summarizes the precipitation-runoff relations and water-quality characteristics measured in edge-of-field runoff for 26 "farm years" (aggregate years of averaged station data from all 6 farms for varying monitoring periods). A relatively wide range of constituents typically found in agricultural runoff were measured: suspended sediment, phosphorus (total, particulate, dissolved reactive, and total dissolved), and nitrogen (total, nitrate plus nitrite, organic, ammonium, total Kjeldahl and total Kjeldahl-dissolved), chloride, total solids, total suspended solids, total volatile suspended solids, and total dissolved solids. Mean annual precipitation was 32.8 inches for the study period, about 3 percent less than the 30-year mean. Overall mean annual runoff was 2.55 inches per year (about 8 percent of precipitation) and the distribution was nearly equal between periods of frozen ground (54 percent) and unfrozen ground (46 percent). Mean monthly runoff was highest during two periods: February to March and May to June. Ninety percent of annual runoff occurred between January and the end of June. Event mean concentrations of suspended sediment in runoff during unfrozen-ground periods were significantly higher (p2= 0.92), indicating that the sources of nitrogen and phosphorus in runoff were likely similar. Analysis of runoff, concentration, and yield data on annual, monthly, and seasonal time scales, when combined with precipitation, soil moisture, soil temperature, and on-farm field-activity information, revealed conditions in which runoff was most likely. The analysis also revealed the effects that field conditions and the timing of field-management activities-most notably, manure applications and tillage-had on the quantity and quality of surface runoff from agricultural fields.

Spatial distribution and assessment of nutrient pollution in Lake Toba using 2D-multi layers hydrodynamic model and DPSIR framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sunaryani, A.; Harsono, E.; Rustini, H. A.; Nomosatryo, S.

2018-02-01

Lake Toba is the largest lake in Indonesia utilized as a source of life-support for drinking and clean water, energy sources, aquaculture and tourism. Nowadays the water quality in Lake Toba has decreased due to the presence of excessive nutrient (nitrogen: N and phosphorus: P). This study aims to describe the spatial distribution of nutrient pollution and to develop a decision support tool for the identification and evaluation of nutrient pollution control in Lake Toba. Spatial distribution method was conducted by 2D-multi layers hydrodynamic model, while DPSIR Framework is used as a tool for the assessment. The results showed that the concentration of nutrient was low and tended to increase along the water depth, but nutrient concentration in aquaculture zones was very high and the trophic state index has reached eutrophic state. The principal anthropogenic driving forces were population growth and the development of aquaculture, livestock, agriculture, and tourism. The main environmental pressures showed that aquaculture and livestock waste are the most important nutrient sources (93% of N and 87% of P loads). State analysis showed that high nutrient concentration and increased algal growth lead to oxygen depletion. The impacts of these conditions were massive fish kills, loss of amenities and tourism value, also decreased usability of clean water supply. This study can be a useful information for decision-makers to evaluate nutrient pollution control. Nutrient pollution issue in Lake Toba requires the attention of local government and public society to maintain its sustainability.

Comprehensive Analysis of the Effects of Ordinary Nutrients on Hepatitis C Virus RNA Replication in Cell Culture▿

PubMed Central

Yano, Masahiko; Ikeda, Masanori; Abe, Ken-ichi; Dansako, Hiromichi; Ohkoshi, Shogo; Aoyagi, Yutaka; Kato, Nobuyuki

2007-01-01

To date, only a limited number of studies have reported finding an influence of ordinary nutrients on hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA replication. However, the effects of other nutrients on HCV RNA replication remain largely unknown. We recently developed a reporter assay system for genome-length HCV RNA replication in hepatoma-derived HuH-7 cells (OR6). Here, using this OR6 assay system, we comprehensively examined 46 nutrients from four nutrient groups: vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, and salts. We found that three nutrients—β-carotene, vitamin D2, and linoleic acid—inhibited HCV RNA replication and that their combination caused additive and/or synergistic effects on HCV RNA replication. In addition, combined treatment with each of the three nutrients and interferon alpha or beta or fluvastatin inhibited HCV RNA replication in an additive manner, while combined treatment with cyclosporine synergistically inhibited HCV RNA replication. In contrast, we found that vitamin E enhanced HCV RNA replication and negated the effects of the three anti-HCV nutrients and cyclosporine but not those of interferon or fluvastatin. These results will provide useful information for the treatment of chronic hepatitis C patients who also take anti-HCV nutrients as an adjunctive therapy in combination with interferon. In conclusion, among the ordinary nutrients tested, β-carotene, vitamin D2, and linoleic acid possessed anti-HCV activity in a cell culture system, and these nutrients are therefore considered to be potential candidates for enhancing the effects of interferon therapy. PMID:17420205

Comparative analysis of long-term chlorophyll data with generalized additive model - San Francisco Bay and St. Lucie Estuary

EPA Science Inventory

The health of estuarine ecosystems is often influenced by hydraulic and nutrient loading from upstream watersheds. We examined four decades of monitoring data of nutrient export into the Indian River Lagoon and San Francisco Bay, both of which have received considerable attentio...

Silage storage runoff characterization: Annual nutrient loading rate and first flush analysis of bunder silos

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Silage runoff produced during the preservation and storage of dairy forage in horizontal bunkers is a source of nutrient loss from the farmstead and a threat to surface water quality. This research evaluated the runoff characteristics from six dairy bunker facilities to determine runoff water qualit...

Identification of nutrient and physical seed trait QTLs in the model legume, Lotus japonicus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Legume seeds have the potential to provide a significant portion of essential micronutrients to the human diet. To identify the genetic basis for seed nutrient density, quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was conducted with the Gifu B-129 x Miyakojima MG-20 recombinant inbred population from th...

Meta-analysis constrained by data: Recommendations to improve relevance of nutrient management research

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Five research teams received funding through the North American 4R Research Fund to conduct meta-analyses of the air and water quality impacts of on-farm 4R nutrient management practices. In compiling or expanding databases for these analyses on environmental and crop production effects, researchers...

Nutrient uptake, biomass yield and quantitative analysis of aliphatic aldehydes in cilantro plants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The objective of this study was to evaluate the nutrient uptake, biomass production and yield of the major compounds in the essential oil of five genotypes of Coriandrum sativum L. The treatments were four accessions donated by the National Genetic Resources Advisory Council (NGRAC), U.S. Department...