UAS-based high resolution mapping of evapotranspiration in a Mediterranean tree-grass ecosystem

Este artículo está sujeto a una licencia CC BY 4.0Understanding the impact of land use and land cover change on surface energy and water budgets is increasingly important in the context of climate change research. Eddy covariance (EC) methods are the gold standard for high temporal resolution measurements of water and energy fluxes, but cannot resolve spatial heterogeneity and are limited in scope to the tower footprint (few hundred meter range). Satellite remote sensing methods have excellent coverage, but lack spatial and temporal resolution. Long-range unmanned aerial systems (UAS) can complement these other methods with high spatial resolution over larger areas. Here we use UAS thermography and multispectral data as inputs to two variants of the Two Source Energy Balance Model to accurately map surface energy and water fluxes over a nutrient manipulation experiment in a managed semi-natural oak savanna from peak growing season to senescence. We use energy flux measurements from 6 EC stations to evaluate the performance of our method and achieve good accuracy (RMSD ≈ 60 W m− 2 for latent heat flux). We use the best performing latent heat estimates to produce very high-resolution evapotranspiration (ET) maps, and investigate the drivers of ET change over the transition to the senescence period. We find that nitrogen and nitrogen plus phosphorus treatments lead to significant increases in ET (P < 0.001) for both trees (4 and 6%, respectively) and grass (12 and 9%, respectively) compared to the control. These results highlight that the high sensitivity and spatial and temporal resolution of a UAS system allows the precise estimation of relative water and energy fluxes over heterogeneous vegetation cover.This research was supported by the DAAD/BMBF program Make Our Planet Great Again – German Research Initiative Project MONSOON (grant number 57429870).Peer reviewe

Syrian Hamster as an Animal Model for the Study on Infectious Diseases

Infectious diseases still remain one of the biggest challenges for human health. In order to gain a better understanding of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and develop effective diagnostic tools, therapeutic agents, and preventive vaccines, a suitable animal model which can represent the characteristics of infectious is required. The Syrian hamster immune responses to infectious pathogens are similar to humans and as such, this model is advantageous for studying pathogenesis of infection including post-bacterial, viral and parasitic pathogens, along with assessing the efficacy and interactions of medications and vaccines for those pathogens. This review summarizes the current status of Syrian hamster models and their use for understanding the underlying mechanisms of pathogen infection, in addition to their use as a drug discovery platform and provides a strong rationale for the selection of Syrian hamster as animal models in biomedical research. The challenges of using Syrian hamster as an alternative animal model for the research of infectious diseases are also addressed. Keywords: infectious diseases, Syrian hamster, drug discovery, infection mechanism, biomedical researc

A BELEZA DO SAGRADO COMO INTERFACE EVANGELIZADORA NO UNIVERSO TEEN.

O artigo apresenta como temática as inquietações acerca do corpo do adolescente e a dimensão corporal juvenil como revelação da beleza do sagrado. A adolescência é uma etapa que anuncia transformações e rupturas em todas as dimensões. Período de mudanças que vão desde o corpo, perpassam relações interpessoais, sexualidade, força, emoções, desejos, sentimentos, afetando também a capacidade de compreender e explicar o mundo e as coisas. Diante do exposto, como acompanhamos nossos adolescentes no processo de maturação, autonomia, escolhas e construção do projeto de vida? Ficamos extasiados perante a beleza deles? Quais são os valores que permeiam nossa relação com os adolescentes? Nesse sentido, a beleza desperta o amor e nos faz ver no outro um próximo a amar. Ela tem como proposta a gratuidade, exige tempo, contemplação, admiração... Sinaliza o Transcendente, conduz ao mistério. Portanto, a percepção do divino encarnado no corpo do adolescente adquire cidadania a partir da nossa abertura a esta novidade e aos desdobramentos diversos que ela provoca

La fabrication des fibules à timbale comme marqueur des contacts et des transferts technologiques au cours du Ha D-LT A1 : nouvelles données d’après les sites de Bourges, Lyon et Plombières-lès-Dijon

International audienceIn Bourges, Lyon or Plombières-lès-Dijon a series of cast copper alloy draft have been uncovered that relate to the manufacture of kettledrum and double drum fibulae. They are found as a spindle with a triangular cross-section completed by one or two small circular globes with a hemispherical or conical section which constitutes a reserve of metal for forming the drums. These little known artifacts appear (for the moment) in a fairly limited area of distribution and seem absent from southern or northern sites that could hold a production of copper alloy fibulae. These elements could indicate several types of traffic and exchanges: transfer of a particular technique of shaping fibulae from a prefabricated, artisanal circulation or half-product circulation. The presence of imported objects on these sites traditionally associated with princely residences raises the question of the status of artisans and the role of "elites" in handicraft production. Furthermore, these elements show the communication and exchange channels between these settlements of the 5th century BC

Parameter And System Identification For Fluid Flow In Underground Reservoirs

this article, work addressing the ill-posedness aspects of the inverse problems associated with fluid flow in underground reservoirs is discussed. In x2 a description of the general class of models under consideration is presented, and basic features of the porous media properties and estimation of those properties are discussed. General considerations of computational aspects of associated parameter estimation problems are summarized in x3. In the next section, the general approaches used to address the ill-posedness aspects are discussed. Examples of applications of some of these methods to industrial problems are presented

A high burden of respiratory syncytial virus associated pneumonia in children less than two years of age in a South East Asian refugee population

Background Pneumonia is a major cause of childhood mortality and morbidity approximately 1.6 million deaths and 150 million episodes occur annually in children &lt;5 years. Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) may be responsible for up to 25% of cases and 12% of deaths making it an important potential vaccine target, although data from South East Asia is scarce. Methods We followed a birth cohort of Burmese refugee children, born over a one year period, for two years. Pneumonia episodes were diagnosed using WHO criteria. A chest radiograph, nasopharyngeal aspirate and non-specific markers of infection were taken during each episode. Results The incidence of RSV-associated pneumonia was 0.24 (95% CI 0.22–0.26) episodes per child year. All children with pneumonia received antibiotic treatment, following WHO guidelines. The highest incidence was in the 2–12 month age group. The commonest diagnosis in a child with RSV-associated pneumonia was non-severe pneumonia (239/362∶66.0%), however the incidence of RSV-associated severe or very severe pneumonia was 0.08 (95% CI 0.01–0.10) episodes per child year. Birth in the wet season increased the risk of severe disease in children who had their first episode of RSV-associated pneumonia aged 2–11 months (OR 28.7, 95% CI 6.6–125.0, p&lt;0.001). RSV episodes were highly seasonal being responsible for 80.0% of all the pneumonia episodes occurring each October and November over the study period. Conclusions There was a high incidence of RSV associated pneumonia in this refugee population. Interventions to prevent RSV infection have the potential to reduce the incidence of clinically diagnosed pneumonia and hence unnecessary antibiotic usage in this population

Description of infants with a first episode of RSV associated pneumonia, by age group.

<p>Description of infants with a first episode of RSV associated pneumonia, by age group.</p