Macroalgae contribute to nested mosaics of pH variability in a subarctic fjord

The Arctic Ocean is considered the most vulnerable ecosystem to ocean acidification, and large-scale assessments of pH and the saturation state for aragonite (O_arag) have led to the notion that the Arctic Ocean is already close to a corrosive state. In high-latitude coastal waters the regulation of pH and O_arag is, however, far more complex than offshore because increased biological activity and input of glacial meltwater affect pH. Effects of ocean acidification on calcifiers and non-calcifying phototrophs occupying coastal habitats cannot be derived from extrapolation of current and forecasted offshore conditions, but they require an understanding of the regimes of pH and O_arag in their coastal habitats. To increase knowledge of the natural variability in pH in the Arctic coastal zone and specifically to test the influence of benthic vegetated habitats, we quantified pH variability in a Greenland fjord in a nested-scale approach. A sensor array logging pH, O₂, PAR, temperature and salinity was applied on spatial scales ranging from kilometre scale across the horizontal extension of the fjord; to 100 m scale vertically in the fjord, 10–100 m scale between subtidal habitats with and without kelp forests and between vegetated tidal pools and adjacent vegetated shores; and to centimetre to metre scale within kelp forests and millimetre scale across diffusive boundary layers of macrophyte tissue. In addition, we assessed the temporal variability in pH on diurnal and seasonal scales. Based on pH measurements combined with point samples of total alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon and relationships to salinity, we also estimated variability in O_arag. Results show variability in pH and O_arag of up to 0.2–0.3 units at several scales, i.e. along the horizontal and vertical extension of the fjord, between seasons and on a diel basis in benthic habitats and within 1 m³ of kelp forest. Vegetated intertidal pools exhibited extreme diel pH variability of > 1.5 units and macrophyte diffusive boundary layers a pH range of up to 0.8 units. Overall, pelagic and benthic metabolism was an important driver of pH and O_arag producing mosaics of variability from low levels in the dark to peak levels at high irradiance generally appearing favourable for calcification. We suggest that productive coastal environments may form niches of high pH in a future acidified Arctic Ocean

Financiering van bestaande natuur : praktijkcasus ‘Weerribben-Wieden’

Nature organisations possess a large amount of natural capital thanks to their nature sites. The value of this capital is extremely important for the organisations themselves and in particular for society as a whole. Natural capital provides numerous ecosystem services from which people benefit, such as water purification, carbon storage, pollination and biomass. The question in this instance is how nature organisations can generate more financial resources from their nature sites in order to maintain and protect their natural capital. After all, although these services are very valuable, most of these benefits are free and do not produce any income. A case study in De Weerribben-Wieden National Park in the north of the Netherlands clearly demonstrates how an area-oriented approach involving innovative revenue models is required if nature sites are to produce sufficient income. That said, without the commitment and a shared sense of urgency from stakeholders in the area, new finance mechanisms that are intended to conserve and the characteristic landscape have little chance of success. In light of this, the challenge for this region is to build a perspective that has the stakeholders’ confidence and that encourages them to cooperate in order to benefit from the opportunities that monetisation offers

Economische waarde van biodiversiteit en ecosystemen

Sinds het begrip ‘biodiversiteit’ in 1985 voor het eerst opdook, maakte het wereldwijd furore. Maar net als bij het begrip ‘duurzaamheid’ is er in korte tijd veel verwarring over ontstaan. De moderne opvatting over het behoud van biodiversiteit omvat meer dan alleen het behouden van zoveel mogelijk soorten op aarde. In dit cahier wordt ook uitdrukkelijk de vraag gesteld waarom biodiversiteit belangrijk is. Op enigszins prikkelende toon komen diverse argumenten aan bod die worden gebruikt om extra aandacht voor biodiversiteit te krijgen, en argumenten voor het verminderen van die aandacht. Daarbij spelen controversiële vragen, zoals: waarom de economische vooruitgang laten remmen door de aanwezigheid van planten en dieren die op het punt staan uit te sterven

Presenile Alzheimer dementia characterized by amyloid angiopathy and large amyloid core type senile plaques in the APP 692 Ala => Gly mutation

Mutations at codons 717 and 670/671 in the amyloid precursor protein (APP) are rare genetic causes of familial Alzheimer's disease (AD). A mutation at codon 693 of APP has also been described as the genetic defect in hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of the Dutch type (HCHWA-D). We have reported a APP692Ala-->Gly (Flemish) mutation as a cause of intracerebral hemorrhage and presenile dementia diagnosed as probable AD in a Dutch family. We now describe the post-mortem examination of two demented patients with the APP692 mutation. The neuropathological findings support the diagnosis of AD. Leptomeningial and parenchymal vessels showed extensive deposition of A

Bodemvocht uit satellietdata:wat kan de Nederlandse waterbeheerder ermee?

Het onderzoeksproject ‘Optimizing Water Availability with Sentinel-1 Satellites’ heeft als doel te onderzoeken hoe satellietdata gebruikt kan worden in het Nederlandse waterbeheer. Het onderzoek laat zien dat de satelliet Sentinel-1 buiten het groeiseizoen om al een vrij goed beeld geeft van het bodemvochtgehalte. Hiermee kan bijvoorbeeld de berijdbaarheid van landbouwpercelen in kaart gebracht kan worden. Ook is met Deltares en HKV een data-assimilatietool ontwikkeld die ingezet kan worden om simulaties met het Landelijk Hydrologisch Model te verbeteren

Prediction of the in vivo mechanical behavior of biointegrable acrylic macroporous scaffolds

[EN] This study examines a biocompatible scaffold series of random copolymer networks P(EA-HEA) made of Ethyl Acrylate, EA, and 2-Hydroxyl Ethyl Acrylate, HEA. The P(EA-HEA) scaffolds have been synthesized with varying crosslinking density and filled with a Poly(Vinyl Alcohol), PVA, to mimic the growing cartilaginous tissue during tissue repair. In cartilage regeneration the scaffold needs to have sufficient mechanical properties to sustain the compression in the joint and, at the same time, transmit mechanical signals to the cells for chondrogenic differentiation. Mechanical tests show that the elastic modulus increases with increasing crosslinking density of P(EA-HEA) scaffolds. The water plays an important role in the mechanical behavior of the scaffold, but highly depends on the crosslinking density of the proper polymer. Furthermore, when the scaffold with hydrogel is tested it can be seen that the modulus increases with increasing hydrogel density. Even so, the mechanical properties are inferior than those of the scaffolds with water filling the pores. The hydrogel inside the pores of the scaffolds facilitates the expulsion of water during compression and lowers the mechanical modulus of the scaffold. The P(EA-HEA) with PVA shows to be a good artificial cartilage model with mechanical properties close to native articular cartilage.This work was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the project MAT2013-46467-C4-1-R (including the FEDER financial support). CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program. CIBER actions are financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. The authors acknowledge the assistance and advice of Electron Microscopy Service of the UPV.Vikingsson, L.; Antolinos Turpín, CM.; Gómez-Tejedor, JA.; Gallego Ferrer, G.; Gómez Ribelles, JL. (2016). Prediction of the in vivo mechanical behavior of biointegrable acrylic macroporous scaffolds. Materials Science and Engineering: C. 61:651-658. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msec.2015.12.068S6516586

Measurement of the polarisation of W bosons produced with large transverse momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV with the ATLAS experiment

This paper describes an analysis of the angular distribution of W->enu and W->munu decays, using data from pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV recorded with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in 2010, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of about 35 pb^-1. Using the decay lepton transverse momentum and the missing transverse energy, the W decay angular distribution projected onto the transverse plane is obtained and analysed in terms of helicity fractions f0, fL and fR over two ranges of W transverse momentum (ptw): 35 < ptw < 50 GeV and ptw > 50 GeV. Good agreement is found with theoretical predictions. For ptw > 50 GeV, the values of f0 and fL-fR, averaged over charge and lepton flavour, are measured to be : f0 = 0.127 +/- 0.030 +/- 0.108 and fL-fR = 0.252 +/- 0.017 +/- 0.030, where the first uncertainties are statistical, and the second include all systematic effects.Comment: 19 pages plus author list (34 pages total), 9 figures, 11 tables, revised author list, matches European Journal of Physics C versio

Observation of a new chi_b state in radiative transitions to Upsilon(1S) and Upsilon(2S) at ATLAS

The chi_b(nP) quarkonium states are produced in proton-proton collisions at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV and recorded by the ATLAS detector. Using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 4.4 fb^-1, these states are reconstructed through their radiative decays to Upsilon(1S,2S) with Upsilon->mu+mu-. In addition to the mass peaks corresponding to the decay modes chi_b(1P,2P)->Upsilon(1S)gamma, a new structure centered at a mass of 10.530+/-0.005 (stat.)+/-0.009 (syst.) GeV is also observed, in both the Upsilon(1S)gamma and Upsilon(2S)gamma decay modes. This is interpreted as the chi_b(3P) system.Comment: 5 pages plus author list (18 pages total), 2 figures, 1 table, corrected author list, matches final version in Physical Review Letter