356 research outputs found
Selectively Logging Old Growth Rain Forest Twice Changes Canopy Ant Species Composition, While Conversion to Oil Palm Changes Composition and Reduces Species Richness and Diversity
Tropical forests around the world, and particularly in Southeast Asia, are being affected by anthropogenic habitat conversion and degradation. Ants, an ecologically important group in the rainforest canopy, have previously been demonstrated to be robust to a single round of selective logging, but are strongly affected by conversion to oil palm. However, the impacts of multiple rounds of selective logging on canopy ants remain unexplored. We studied the ant assemblages across a habitat gradient comprising old growth forest, twice-logged forest and oil palm plantation in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. Canopy ants were collected using insecticide fogging across 36 sampling sites. Old growth forest and twice-logged forest had similar species richness and Shannon species diversity. These two forest habitats were significantly higher in species richness and Shannon diversity than oil palm plantation. Abundance of canopy ants was similar across all three habitats. There was a significant difference in species composition between all pairs of habitats. Leaf litter depth on the ground was positively related to ant species richness, while canopy cover was positively related to ant abundance. Hence, multiple rounds of logging cause shifts in ant species composition, while forest conversion to oil palm additionally causes reductions in ant diversity. This is of concern, since forests in Sabah and elsewhere are becoming increasingly degraded. Our results indicate that both old growth and twice-logged rain forests can be useful for conservation of canopy ants
The Spitzer c2d Survey of Nearby Dense Cores. IX. Discovery of a Very Low Luminosity Object Driving a Molecular Outflow in the Dense Core L673-7
We present new infrared, submillimeter, and millimeter observations of the
dense core L673-7 and report the discovery of a low-luminosity, embedded Class
0 protostar driving a molecular outflow. L673-7 is seen in absorption against
the mid-infrared background in 5.8, 8, and 24 micron Spitzer images, allowing
for a derivation of the column density profile and total enclosed mass of
L673-7, independent of dust temperature assumptions. Estimates of the core mass
from these absorption profiles range from 0.2-4.5 solar masses. Millimeter
continuum emission indicates a mass of about 2 solar masses, both from a direct
calculation assuming isothermal dust and from dust radiative transfer models
constrained by the millimeter observations. We use dust radiative transfer
models to constrain the internal luminosity of L673-7, defined to be the
luminosity of the central source and excluding the luminosity from external
heating, to be 0.01-0.045 solar luminosities, with 0.04 solar luminosities the
most likely value. L673-7 is thus classified as a very low luminosity object
(VeLLO), and is among the lowest luminosity VeLLOs yet studied. We calculate
the kinematic and dynamic properties of the molecular outflow in the standard
manner, and we show that the expected accretion luminosity based on these
outflow properties is greater than or equal to 0.36 solar luminosities. The
discrepancy between this expected accretion luminosity and the internal
luminosity derived from dust radiative transfer models indicates that the
current accretion rate is much lower than the average rate over the lifetime of
the outflow. Although the protostar embedded within L673-7 is consistent with
currently being substellar, it is unlikely to remain as such given the
substantial mass reservoir remaining in the core.Comment: 19 pages, 14 figures. Accepted by Ap
Effects of dissolved gases on partial anodic passivation phenomena at copper microelectrodes immersed in aqueous NaCl
Anodic passivation for copper exposed to aqueous NaCl (model seawater) is rate limited by diffusion of a poorly soluble Cu(I) chloro species. As a result, a protective layer of CuCl forms on copper metal (with approx. 1 ÎŒm thickness) that is then put under strain at more positive applied potentials with explosive events causing current spikes and particulate product expulsion. In this report, the mechanism for this explosive film rupture and particle expulsion process is shown to occur (i) in the absence of underlying anodic gas evolution, and (ii) linked to the presence/nature of gaseous solutes. The film rupture event is proposed to be fundamentally dependent on gas bubble nucleation (triggered by the release of interfacial stress) with surface tension effects by dissolved gases affecting the current spike pattern. Oxygen O2, hydrogen H2, and helium He suppress current spikes and behave differently to argon Ar, nitrogen N2, and carbon dioxide CO2, which considerably enhance current spikes. Vacuum-degassing the electrolyte solution results in behaviour very similar to that observed in the presence of helium. The overall corrosion rate for copper microelectrodes is compared and parameters linked to passivation and corrosion processes are discussed.</p
Effects of dissolved gases on partial anodic passivation phenomena at copper microelectrodes immersed in aqueous NaCl
Ionic liquid gating of SrTiO lamellas fabricated with a focused ion beam
In this work, we combine two previously-incompatible techniques for defining
electronic devices: shaping three-dimensional crystals by focused ion beam
(FIB), and two-dimensional electrostatic accumulation of charge carriers. The
principal challenge for this integration is nanometer-scale surface damage
inherent to any FIB-based fabrication. We address this by using a sacrificial
protective layer to preserve a selected pristine surface. The test case
presented here is accumulation of 2D carriers by ionic liquid gating at the
surface of a micron-scale SrTiO lamella. Preservation of surface quality is
reflected in superconductivity of the accumulated carriers. This technique
opens new avenues for realizing electrostatic charge tuning in materials that
are not available as large or exfoliatable single crystals, and for patterning
the geometry of the accumulated carriers
The Herschel Orion Protostar Survey: Luminosity and Envelope Evolution
The Herschel Orion Protostar Survey obtained well-sampled 1.2â870 ÎŒm spectral energy distributions (SEDs) of over 300 protostars in the Orion molecular clouds, home to most of the young stellar objects (YSOs) in the nearest 500 pc. We plot the bolometric luminosities and temperatures for 330 Orion YSOs, 315 of which have bolometric temperatures characteristic of protostars. The histogram of the bolometric temperature is roughly flat; 29% of the protostars are in Class 0. The median luminosity decreases by a factor of four with increasing bolometric temperature; consequently, the Class 0 protostars are systematically brighter than the Class I protostars, with a median luminosity of 2.3 L_â as opposed to 0.87 L_â. At a given bolometric temperature, the scatter in luminosities is three orders of magnitude. Using fits to the SEDs, we analyze how the luminosities corrected for inclination and foreground reddening relate to the mass in the inner 2500 au of the best-fit model envelopes. The histogram of the envelope mass is roughly flat, while the median-corrected luminosity peaks at 15 L_â for young envelopes and falls to 1.7 L_â for late-stage protostars with remnant envelopes. The spread in luminosity at each envelope mass is three orders of magnitude. Envelope masses that decline exponentially with time explain the flat mass histogram and the decrease in luminosity, while the formation of a range of stellar masses explains the dispersion in luminosity
Resonant torsion magnetometry in anisotropic quantum materials
Unusual behavior of quantum materials commonly arises from their effective
low-dimensional physics, which reflects the underlying anisotropy in the spin
and charge degrees of freedom. Torque magnetometry is a highly sensitive
technique to directly quantify the anisotropy in quantum materials, such as the
layered high-T superconductors, anisotropic quantum spin-liquids, and the
surface states of topological insulators. Here we introduce the magnetotropic
coefficient , the second derivative of the
free energy F with respect to the angle between the sample and the
applied magnetic field, and report a simple and effective method to
experimentally detect it. A sub-g crystallite is placed at the tip of a
commercially available atomic force microscopy cantilever, and we show that
can be quantitatively inferred from a shift in the resonant frequency under
magnetic field. While related to the magnetic torque , takes the role of torque susceptibility, and thus provides
distinct insights into anisotropic materials akin to the difference between
magnetization and magnetic susceptibility. The thermodynamic coefficient is
discontinuous at second-order phase transitions and subject to Ehrenfest
relations with the specific heat and magnetic susceptibility. We apply this
simple yet quantitative method on the exemplary cases of the Weyl-semimetal NbP
and the spin-liquid candidate RuCl, yet it is broadly applicable in quantum
materials research.Comment: 7 pages including 6 figures and methods sectio
Combined exome and whole-genome sequencing identifies mutations in ARMC4 as a cause of primary ciliary dyskinesia with defects in the outer dynein arm
Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare, genetically heterogeneous ciliopathy disorder affecting cilia and sperm motility. A range of ultrastructural defects of the axoneme underlie the disease, which is characterised by chronic respiratory symptoms and obstructive lung disease, infertility and body axis laterality defects. We applied a next-generation sequencing approach to identify the gene responsible for this phenotype in two consanguineous families
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Dynamic meta-analysis: a method of using global evidence for local decision making
Background
Meta-analysis is often used to make generalisations across all available evidence at the global scale. But how can these global generalisations be used for evidence-based decision making at the local scale, if the global evidence is not perceived to be relevant to local decisions? We show how an interactive method of meta-analysisâdynamic meta-analysisâcan be used to assess the local relevance of global evidence.
Results
We developed Metadataset (www.metadataset.com) as a proof-of-concept for dynamic meta-analysis. Using Metadataset, we show how evidence can be filtered and weighted, and results can be recalculated, using dynamic methods of subgroup analysis, meta-regression, and recalibration. With an example from agroecology, we show how dynamic meta-analysis could lead to different conclusions for different subsets of the global evidence. Dynamic meta-analysis could also lead to a rebalancing of power and responsibility in evidence synthesis, since evidence users would be able to make decisions that are typically made by systematic reviewersâdecisions about which studies to include (e.g. critical appraisal) and how to handle missing or poorly reported data (e.g. sensitivity analysis).
Conclusions
In this study, we show how dynamic meta-analysis can meet an important challenge in evidence-based decision makingâthe challenge of using global evidence for local decisions. We suggest that dynamic meta-analysis can be used for subject-wide evidence synthesis in several scientific disciplines, including agroecology and conservation biology. Future studies should develop standardised classification systems for the metadata that are used to filter and weight the evidence. Future studies should also develop standardised software packages, so that researchers can efficiently publish dynamic versions of their meta-analyses and keep them up-to-date as living systematic reviews. Metadataset is a proof-of-concept for this type of software, and it is open source. Future studies should improve the user experience, scale the software architecture, agree on standards for data and metadata storage and processing, and develop protocols for responsible evidence use
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A systematic map of cassava farming practices and their agricultural and environmental impacts using new ontologies: Agriâontologies 1.0
Cassava is consumed by 800 million people and is a staple crop in Africa. Its production may increase under climate change due to its high drought tolerance. We produced a systematic map of scientific studies about cassava farming practices, with the aim of identifying knowledge gaps and clusters. Our secondary aim was to develop a classification system for [1] farming interventions and [2] agricultural, economic and environmental outcomes. Standardised classification systems facilitate data reuse, including for evidence synthesis, and promote research efficiency.
Following our published protocol, we searched eight publication databases using the search string âcassava OR mandioca OR manihot OR manioc OR yucaâ in December 2017. We screened 36,580 records and included publications that measured the impact of cassava farming practices on agricultural, economic or environmental outcomes, including yield, soil, water, wildlife and labour. We classified the resultant 1599 publications by interventions, outcomes, location, study year and study design. We assessed coding consistency using Kappa scores.
We found regional knowledge clusters (Nigeria, Columbia and Brazil accounted for 45.5% of country occurrences) and gaps (e.g. the Democratic Republic of Congo). There were knowledge clusters for interventions testing cultivar type, fertiliser use and diversifying crop rotations and outcomes related to crop production (e.g. yield/biomass). We found knowledge gaps for environmental interventions and outcomes (e.g. 5% of studies measured pollutants or wildlife). In terms of study design, reporting standards were poor (e.g. 24% of studies did not report start dates), average study duration was 2âyears, and average publication delays were 4âyears. The Kappa scores indicated that we successfully developed consistent ontologies (named Agri-ontologies 1.0). The map and ontologies are available online: https://www.metadataset.com/.
This systematic map of cassava farming practices can direct researchers and funders to knowledge gaps that need addressing, and reviewers to knowledge clusters for synthesis. Better research practices should be promoted within cassava research, as poor reporting standards, short study durations and long publication delays result in an ineffective research environment. This systematic map provides an evidence base for cassava production and the ontologies (Agri-ontologies 1.0) can be applied to other systems to facilitate more efficient and effective synthesis
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