Predicting site index from climate and soil variables for cork oak (Quercus suber L.) stands in Portugal

Site productivity, assessed through site index, was modelled using partial least squares regression as a function of soil and climatic variables. Two alternative models were developed: a full model, considering all available explanatory variables, and a reduced model, considering only variables that can be obtained without digging a soil pit. The reduced model was used for mapping the site index distribution in Portugal, on the basis of existing digital cartography available for the whole country. The developed models indicate the importance of water availability and soil water holding capacity for site index value distribution. Site index was related to climate, namely evaporation and frost, and soil characteristics such as lithology, soil texture, soil depth, thickness of the A horizon and soil classification. The variability of the estimated values within the map (9.5–16.8 m with an average value of 13.4 m) reflects the impact of soil characteristics on the site productivity estimation. These variables should be taken into consideration during the establishment of new plantations of cork oak, and management of existing plantations. Results confirm the potential distribution of cork oak in coastal regions. They also suggest the existence of a considerable area, located both North and South of the Tagus river, where site indices values of medium (]13;15]) to high (]15;17]) productivity classes may be expected. The species is then expected to be able to have good productivity along the northern coastal areas of Portugal, where presently it is not a common species but where, according to historical records, it occurred until the middle of the sixteenth century. The present research focused on tree growth. Cork growth and cork quality distribution needs to be further researched through the establishment of long term experimental sites along the distribution area of cork oak, namely in the central and northern coastal areas of the countryinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The LMC geometry and outer stellar populations from early DES data

The Dark Energy Camera has captured a large set of images as part of Science Verification (SV) for the Dark Energy Survey. The SV footprint covers a lar ge portion of the outer Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), providing photometry 1.5 magnitudes fainter than the main sequence turn-off of the oldest LMC stel lar population. We derive geometrical and structural parameters for various stellar populations in the LMC disk. For the distribution of all LMC stars, we find an inclination of i=-38.14^{____circ}____pm0.08^{____circ} (near side in the North) and a position angle for the line of nodes of ____theta_0=129.51^{____circ}____pm0.17^{____circ}. We find that stars younger than ____sim 4 Gyr are more centrally concentrated than older stars. Fitting a projected exponential disk shows that the scale radius of the old populations is R_{>4 Gyr}=1.41____pm0.01 kpc, while the younger population has R_{<4 Gyr}=0.72____pm0.01 kpc. Howe ver, the spatial distribution of the younger population deviates significantly from the projected exponential disk model. The distribution of old stars suggests a large truncation radius of R_{t}=13.5____pm0.8 kpc. If this truncation is dominated by the tidal field of the Galaxy, we find that the LMC is ____simeq 24^{+9}_{-6} times less massive than the encircled Galactic mass. By measuring the Red Clump peak magnitude and comparing with the best-fit LM C disk model, we find that the LMC disk is warped and thicker in the outer regions north of the LMC centre. Our findings may either be interpreted as a warped and flared disk in the LMC outskirts, or as evidence of a spheroidal halo componen

Manifestações extra-intestinais em doença de Crohn e retocolite ulcerativa: prevalência e correlação com o diagnóstico, extensão, atividade, tempo de evolução da doença Extra-intestinal manifestations Crohn disease and ulcerative rectocolitis: prevalence na correlation with diagnosis, extension, activity, disease evolution time

INTRODUÇÃO: Existe uma grande prevalência de manifestações extra-intestinais(MEI) em portadores de doença de Crohn(DC) e de retocolite ulcerativa(RCU), variando de 24 a 65%. OBJETIVO: Determinar a prevalência de MEI em RCU e DC, correlacionando com diagnóstico do tipo de doença inflamatória intestinal, extensão, tempo de evolução e atividade da doença. MÉTODOS: Mil pacientes foram avaliados no Hospital das Clínicas da FMUSP no período de 1984 a 2004. Foram estudadas manifestações articulares, dermatológicas, oftalmológicas, urológicas, hepáticas, pulmonares e vasculares. RESULTADOS: Foram estudados 468 pacientes com DC(46,8%) e 532 com RCU(53,2%). Encontrados 627 pacientes (59,2% com RCU e 66,7% com DC) com pelo menos uma forma de MEI. A média de tempo de doença dos pacientes com MEI foi de 10 anos. As MEI foram mais freqüentes após o início dos sintomas intestinais. CONCLUSÕES: Tanto na RCU quanto na DC,quanto maior a extensão da doença no cólon, maior a incidência de MEI. As manifestações urológicas foram mais freqüentes na DC. As manifestações articulares e dermatológicas foram mais prevalentes no sexo feminino nos dois grupos. Manifestações hepáticas foram mais prevalentes na DC. As manifestações articulares, dermatológicas e vasculares tiveram correlação com a atividade da doença intestinal em ambos os grupos.<br>INTRODUCTION: There is great prevalence of extra-intestinal manifestations (EIM) in Crohn's disease(CD) and ulcerative rectocolitis (UR), varying from 24 to 65%. AIM: To determine the prevalence of EIM in UR and CD, establishing a correlation with the diagnosis of the kind of intestinal inflammatory disease, extension, evolution time and disease activity. METHODS: One thousand patients were evaluated at the Hospital das Clínicas da FMUSP, along the 1984 to 2004 period. Articular, dermatological, ophthalmologic, urologic, hepatic, pulmonary and vascular manifestations were studied. RESULTS: 468 patients were studied with CD (46.8%) were studied and 532 with UR (53.2%). 627 patients found (59.2% with UR and 66.7% with CD) with at least one form of EIM. The average disease time of the EIM patients was of 10 years. EIM were more frequent after the beginning of the intestinal symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Both in UR as in CD, the greater the extension of the disease in the colon, the greater is the EIM incidence. Urologic manifestations were more frequent in CD. Articular and dermatological manifestations were more prevalent in the feminine sex in both groups. Hepatic manifestations were more prevalent in CD. Articular, dermatological and vascular manifestations were related with the activity of the intestinal disease in both groups