174,556 research outputs found
Mangrove root biomass and the uncertainty of belowground carbon estimations
Mangroves sequester large amounts of carbon (C) and they are increasingly recognized for their potential role in climate change mitigation programs. However, there is uncertainty in the C content of many mangrove forests because the amount of C stored in the roots is usually estimated from allometric equations and not from direct field measurements. There are only a handful of allometric equations in mangroves that are used worldwide to estimate root biomass, however, root biomass can vary from the allometric relationship if the environmental conditions are different from those where the equation was developed. In this study, we compiled recent information on how mangrove roots are affected by environmental conditions. Then, we explored the effect of sampling methodology on root biomass estimations. Finally, we compared published values of root biomass from field measurements against our estimations from allometric equations. The goal was to calculate the uncertainty associated with the estimation of root biomass and thus, the belowground C content of mangroves. The results showed that sampling methodology has a significant effect on root biomass estimations. The highest biomass estimations are reported where both live and dead roots are measured and when the roots are sampled by digging trenches. When comparing measured values against estimations from allometric equations, on average the general allometric equation provided root biomass values that were 40 ± 12% larger than those obtained from field measurements with cores. The result suggests that either: (a) sampling with cores largely underestimates root biomass, or (b) allometric equations overestimate root biomass when used outside the region where they were developed. The uncertainty in root biomass estimates from allometric equations corresponds to 4–15% of the ecosystem C stock (trees + soil), with higher uncertainties in forests with low tree density and low interstitial salinity. We provide a statistical model that includes salinity, forest density and root biomass to correct for this systematic bias. The estimated uncertainty is important to consider when quantifying C budgets at large spatial scales and to validate methodological approaches to C stock estimations.Full Tex
Characterization data (¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR, HPLC, and HRMS) for 3,3-disubstituted dihydrobenzofuran compounds
Characterization data for the 3,3-disubstituted dihydrobenzofuran compounds prepared via the intramolecular carbonylative Heck–Matsuda reaction, obtained using ¹H and ¹³C NMR, HPLC, and HRMS analyses
On the computational complexity of the virtual network embedding problem
Given a graph representing a substrate (or physical) network with node and edge capacities and a set of virtual networks with node capacity demands and node-to-node traffic demands, the Virtual Network Embedding problem (VNE) calls for an embedding of (a subset of) the virtual networks onto the substrate network which maximizes the total profit while respecting the physical node and edge capacities. In this work, we investigate the computational complexity of VNE. In particular, we present a polynomial-time reduction from the maximum stable set problem which implies strong NP-hardness for VNE even for very special subclasses of graphs and yields a strong inapproximability result for general graphs. We also consider the special cases obtained when fixing one of the dimensions of the problem to one. We show that VNE is still strongly NP-hard when a single virtual network request is present or when each virtual network request consists of a single virtual node and that it is weakly NP-hard for the case with a single physical node
Early results from the first full waveform LiDAR survey over a lowland ombrotrophic peatland, and synthesis with hyperspectral Eagle-Hawk data
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Analysis of lung surfactant phosphatidylcholine metabolism in transgenic mice using stable isotopes
Stable isotope labelling of lipid precursors coupled with mass spectrometry-based lipidomic analyses and determination of isotope enrichment in substrate, intermediate and product pools provide the parameters needed to determine absolute flux rates through lipid pathways in vivo. Here, as an illustration of the power of such analyses we investigated lung phosphatidylcholine (PC) synthesis in Surfactant Protein-D (SP-D) null mice. These animals develop emphysema, foamy alveolar macrophages and an alveolar lipoproteinosis with increasing age. We used the incorporation of methyl-9-[2H] choline chloride coupled with ESI-MS/MS to quantify absolute rates of lung surfactant PC synthesis and secretion in an SP-D-/? mouse model, together with an analysis of the molecular specificity of lung PC synthesis. PC synthetic rates were comparable in control (0.52 ?moles/lung/h) and SP-D-/? (0.69 ?moles/lung/h) mice, as were rates of surfactant PC secretion (29.8 and 30.6 nmoles/lung/h respectively). Increased lung PC in the SP-D-/? mouse was due to impaired catabolism, with a rate of accumulation of 0.057 ?moles/lung/h. The relatively low rates of surfactant PC secretion compared with total lung PC synthesis were compatible with a suggested ABCA1-mediated basolateral lipid efflux from alveolar type II epithelial cells. Finally, PC molecular species analysis suggested that a proportion of newly-synthesised PC is secreted rapidly into the lung air spaces in both control and SP-D-/? mice before significant PC acyl remodelling occurs<br/
Mitomycin C in highly myopic eyes - Author reply
Ophthalmology. 2005 Feb;112(2):208-18; discussion 219.
Mitomycin C modulation of corneal wound healing after photorefractive keratectomy in highly myopic eyes.
Gambato C, Ghirlando A, Moretto E, Busato F, Midena E.
SourceRefractive Surgery Service and Antimetabolite Therapy Research Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Abstract
PURPOSE: To evaluate the role of topical mitomycin C in corneal wound healing (CWH) after photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in highly myopic eyes.
DESIGN: Prospective, double-masked, randomized clinical trial.
PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-two eyes of 36 patients affected by high (>7 diopters) myopia.
METHODS: In each patient, one eye was randomly assigned to PRK with intraoperative topical 0.02% mitomycin C application, and the fellow eye was treated with a placebo. Postoperatively, mitomycin C-treated eyes received artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months), whereas the fellow eye was treated with fluorometholone sodium 2% and artificial tears (3 times daily, tapered in 3 months).
MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Uncorrected visual acuity (UCVA) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), contrast sensitivity, manifest refraction, and biomicroscopy. Contrast sensitivity was determined using the Pelli-Robson chart. Corneal confocal microscopy documented CWH.
RESULTS: Mean follow-up was 18 months (range, 12-36). No side effects or toxic effects were documented. At 12-month follow-up examination, UCVAs (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) were 0.4+/-0.48 and 0.5+/-0.53 (P = .03) in mitomycin C-treated eyes and corticosteroid-treated eyes, respectively. At 1 year, corneal haze developed in 20% of corticosteroid-treated eyes, versus 0% of mitomycin C-treated eyes. At 12, 24, and 36 months, corneal confocal microscopy showed activated keratocytes and extracellular matrix significantly more evident in untreated eyes (Ps = 0.004, 0.024, and 0.046, respectively).
CONCLUSION: Topical intraoperative application of 0.02% mitomycin C can reduce haze formation in highly myopic eyes undergoing PRK.
Comment in
Ophthalmology. 2006 Feb;113(2):357; author reply 357-8
AMČR - archeologický záznam C-9003268A
Stav: 3Lokalizace/okolnosti: Budeč-Zákolany. Náhodný nález koster a nádob.Souhrn/upřesnění: Telefonicky hlášen nález tří koster a keramických nádob. Další nálezové okolnosti nejsou známé
AMČR - dokument C-TX-200510574
Stav: 3Označení: TP200510574Popis: Pozůstatky slovanských koster z Týnce nad Sázavou
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