478 research outputs found
Disappearance of Residual Dry Matter on Annual Grassland in the Absence of Grazing
Residual dry matter (RDM) is a standard used by grassland managers for assessing the level of grazing use on annual grasslands and associated savannas and woodlands. Residual dry matter is the old plant material left standing or on the ground at the beginning of a new growing season. It indicates the combined effects of the previous season\u27s forage production and its consumption by grazing animals of all types. The standard assumes that the amount of RDM remaining in the fall, subject to site conditions and variations in weather, will influence subsequent species composition and forage production, in addition to providing soil protection and protect against nutrient losses (Bartolome, et al., 2002). While RDM is measured at the beginning of a new growing season, grazing does not always occur continuously up to this time. Managers do not have information to predict the disappearance of residual dry matter due to physical and chemical breakdown during a period of non-grazing. In this study the rate of RDM disappearance during the summer (non-growing) period on annual grasslands was investigated
Venous Admixture in COPD: Pathophysiology and Therapeutic Approaches
Chronic obstructive and interstitial lung diseases impair pulmonary gas exchange leading to wasted ventilation (alveolar dead space) and wasted perfusion (venous admixture). These two fundamental types of abnormality represent opposite ends of the spectrum of ventilation-perfusion mismatch with V˙/Q˙ ratios of infinity and zero. Treatment approaches that improve airway function, reduce air trapping and hyperinflation have received much attention and might be successful at ameliorating the problems associated with high V˙/Q˙. However, in patients with low V˙/Q˙ abnormality in whom venous admixture leads to hypoxemia, there are few therapeutic options. Indeed, some patients are refractory to treatment with supplemental oxygen particularly during exercise. Theoretically these patients could benefit from an intervention that increased mixed venous oxygen content thereby ameliorating the deleterious effects of venous admixture. In this perspective article we discuss the mechanisms whereby venous admixture contributes to hypoxemia and reduced oxygen delivery to tissues. We explore methods which could potentially increase mixed venous oxygen content thus ameliorating the deleterious effects of venous admixture. One such intervention that warrants further investigation is the therapeutic creation of an arterio-venous fistula. Such an approach would be novel, simple and minimally invasive. There is reason to believe that complications would be minor leading to a favorable risk-benefit analysis. This approach to treatment could have significant impact for patients with COPD but should also benefit any patient with chronic hypoxemia that impairs exercise performance
Microclimate–forage growth linkages across two strongly contrasting precipitation years in a Mediterranean catchment
Given the complex topography of California rangelands, contrasting microclimates affect forage growth at catchment scales. However, documentation of microclimate–forage growth associations is limited, especially in Mediterranean regions experiencing pronounced climate change impacts. To better understand microclimate–forage growth linkages, we monitored forage productivity and root-zone soil temperature and moisture (0–15 and 15–30 cm) in 16 topographic positions in a 10-ha annual grassland catchment in California's Central Coast Range. Data were collected through two strongly contrasting growing seasons, a wet year (2016–17) with 287-mm precipitation and a dry year (2017–18) with 123-mm precipitation. Plant-available soil water storage (0–30 cm) was more than half full for most of the wet year; mean peak standing forage was 2790 kg ha−1 (range: 1597–4570 kg ha−1). The dry year had restricted plant-available water and mean peak standing forage was reduced to 970 kg ha−1 (range: 462–1496 kg ha−1). In the wet year, forage growth appeared energy limited (light and temperature): warmer sites produced more forage across a 3–4°C soil temperature gradient but late season growth was associated with moister sites spanning this energy gradient. In the dry year, the warmest topographic positions produced limited forage across a 10°C soil temperature gradient until late season rainfall in March. Linear models accounting for interactions between soil moisture and temperature explained about half of rapid, springtime forage growth variance. These findings reveal dynamic but clear microclimate–forage growth linkages in complex terrain, and thus, have implications for rangeland drought monitoring and dryland ecosystems modeling under climate change
Determination of the Dalitz plot parameter alpha for the decay eta->3pi^0 with the Crystal Ball at MAMI-B
A precise measurement of the Dalitz plot parameter, alpha, for the eta->3pi^0
decay is presented. The experiment was performed with the Crystal Ball and TAPS
large acceptance photon detectors at the tagged photon beam facility of the
MAMI-B electron accelerator in Mainz. High statistics of 1.8*10^6 eta->3pi^0
events were obtained, giving the result alpha = -0.032 +/- 0.002(stat) +/-
0.002(syst).Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, published in the online-first section of EPJ A,
included changes referees asked for, added DO
Pathogenic VCP mutations induce mitochondrial uncoupling and reduced ATP levels.
Valosin-containing protein (VCP) is a highly expressed member of the type II AAA+ ATPase family. VCP mutations are the cause of inclusion body myopathy, Paget’s disease of the bone, and frontotemporal dementia (IBMPFD) and they account for 1%–2% of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Using fibroblasts from patients carrying three independent pathogenic mutations in the VCP gene, we show that VCP deficiency causes profound mitochondrial uncoupling leading to decreased mitochondrial membrane potential and increased mitochondrial oxygen consumption. This mitochondrial uncoupling results in a significant reduction of cellular ATP production. Decreased ATP levels in VCP-deficient cells lower their energy capacity, making them more vulnerable to high energy-demanding processes such as ischemia. Our findings propose a mechanism by which pathogenic VCP mutations lead to cell death
Measurements of double-polarized compton scattering asymmetries and extraction of the proton spin polarizabilities
The spin polarizabilities of the nucleon describe how the spin of the nucleon responds to an incident polarized photon. The most model-independent way to extract the nucleon spin polarizabilities is through polarized Compton scattering. Double-polarized Compton scattering asymmetries on the proton were measured in the Δ(1232) region using circularly polarized incident photons and a transversely polarized proton target at the Mainz Microtron. Fits to asymmetry data were performed using a dispersion model calculation and a baryon chiral perturbation theory calculation, and a separation of all four proton spin polarizabilities in the multipole basis was achieved. The analysis based on a dispersion model calculation yields γE1E1=−3.5±1.2, γM1M1=3.16±0.85, γE1M2=−0.7±1.2, and γM1E2=1.99±0.29, in units of 10−4 fm4
Photoproduction of -pairs off protons and off neutrons
Total cross sections, angular distributions, and invariant-mass distributions
have been measured for the photoproduction of pairs off free
protons and off nucleons bound in the deuteron. The experiments were performed
at the MAMI accelerator facility in Mainz using the Glasgow photon tagging
spectrometer and the Crystal Ball/TAPS detector. The accelerator delivered
electron beams of 1508 and 1557~MeV, which produced bremsstrahlung in thin
radiator foils. The tagged photon beam covered energies up to 1400~MeV. The
data from the free proton target are in good agreement with previous
measurements and were only used to test the analysis procedures. The results
for differential cross sections (angular distributions and invariant-mass
distributions) for free and quasi-free protons are almost identical in shape,
but differ in absolute magnitude up to 15\%. Thus, moderate final-state
interaction effects are present. The data for quasi-free neutrons are similar
to the proton data in the second resonance region (final state invariant masses
up to 1550~MeV), where both reactions are dominated by the
decay. At higher energies,
angular and invariant-mass distributions are different. A simple analysis of
the shapes of the invariant-mass distributions in the third resonance region is
consistent with strong contributions of an decay
for the proton, while the reaction is dominated by a sequential decay via a
intermediate state for the neutron. The data are compared to
predictions from the Two-Pion-MAID model and the Bonn-Gatchina coupled channel
analysis.Comment: accepted for publication in Eur. Phys. J.
Measurement of the beam-helicity asymmetry in the photoproduction of -pairs off protons and off neutrons
Beam-helicity asymmetries have been measured at the MAMI accelerator in Mainz
for the photoproduction of mixed-charge pion pairs in the reactions
off free protons and
and
off quasi-free nucleons bound
in the deuteron for incident photon energies up to 1.4 GeV. Circularly
polarized photons were produced from bremsstrahlung of longitudinally polarized
electrons and tagged with the Glasgow-Mainz magnetic spectrometer. The charged
pions, recoil protons, recoil neutrons, and decay photons from mesons
were detected in the 4 electromagnetic calorimeter composed of the Crystal
Ball and TAPS detectors. Using a complete kinematic reconstruction of the final
state, excellent agreement was found between the results for free and
quasi-free protons, suggesting that the quasi-free neutron results are also a
close approximation of the free-neutron asymmetries. A comparison of the
results to the predictions of the Two-Pion-MAID reaction model shows that the
reaction mechanisms are still not well understood, in particular at low
incident photon energies in the second nucleon-resonance region.Comment: accepted for publication in Eur. phys. J.
Photoproduction of pi0-mesons off neutrons in the nucleon resonance region
Precise angular distributions have been measured for the first time for the
photoproduction of -mesons off neutrons bound in the deuteron. The
effects from nuclear Fermi motion have been eliminated by a complete kinematic
reconstruction of the final state. The influence of final-state-interaction
effects has been estimated by a comparison of the reaction cross section for
quasi-free protons bound in the deuteron to the results for free protons and
then applied as a correction to the quasi-free neutron data. The experiment was
performed at the tagged photon facility of the Mainz Microtron MAMI with the
Crystal Ball and TAPS detector setup for incident photon energies between
~GeV and ~GeV. The results are compared to the predictions from
reaction models and partial-wave analyses based on data from other isospin
channels. The model predictions show large discrepancies among each other and
the present data will provide much tighter constraints. This is demonstrated by
the results of a new analysis in the framework of the Bonn-Gatchina
coupled-channel analysis which included the present data.Comment: accepted for publication in Phys; Rev. Let
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