Fine root dynamics in a Bornean rain forest

The role of fine root dynamics in the carbon and nutrient cycles of a primary, lowland dipterocarp rain forest in Sabah, Malaysia was investigated. A new method for estimating fine root production was developed which involved the combination of excavation and rhizotron techniques to separately quantify spatial and temporal variability in the root system. The aim was to produce a method that could quantify the simultaneous occurrence of fine root production, mortality and decomposition. The biomass of roots ^2, >2-5-^10, >10-^15 mm diameter in the top 1.2 m of the soil was 2830, 3544, 2310, 2157 kg ha ' respectively. Fine root (<2 mm diameter) production and disappearance were estimated as 4018 and 4843 kg ha' yr'. The concentration of acetic acid extractable phosphorus in the soil was very low (0.7 mg kg ' in the top 5 cm) and the C:N ratio high (21). The hypothesis that soil fertility, and in particular phosphorus availability, is the primary factor governing fine root biomass in lowland tropical rain forests was discussed. Fine root production and disappearance rates were expressed in terms of a nutrient flux into and out of fine root biomass. No evidence was found to support the hypotheses that nutrients were retranslocated out of fine roots during senescence or that nitrogen, phosphorus or potassium were potentially limiting to fine root growth. It was suggested that greater synchrony was recorded in rates of fine root growth than has previously been recorded in rates of above-ground litterfall. Fine roots were found to be less important than above-ground litterfall in supplying the soil with organic matter. A new method for quantifying the decomposition rate of fine roots involving the disappearance rate of fine roots on rhizotrons was developed. Fine root decay rates were found to be similar to previously reported rates of leaf decay in the same forest. Fine roots were decomposing on average for 70% of their Persistence

Modeling and investigative studies of Jovian low frequency emissions

Jovian decametric (DAM) and hectometric (HOM) emissions were first observed over the entire spectrum by the Voyager 1 and 2 flybys of the planet. They display unusual arc-like structures on frequency-versus-time spectrograms. Software for the modeling of the Jovian plasma and magnetic field environment was performed. In addition, an extensive library of programs was developed for the retrieval of Voyager Planetary Radio Astronomy (PRA) data in both the high and low frequency bands from new noise-free, recalibrated data tapes. This software allows the option of retrieving data sorted with respect to particular sub-Io longitudes. This has proven to be invaluable in the analyses of the data. Graphics routines were also developed to display the data on color spectrograms

Space physics analysis network node directory (The Yellow Pages): Fourth edition

The Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN) is a component of the global DECnet Internet, which has over 17,000 host computers. The growth of SPAN from its implementation in 1981 to its present size of well over 2,500 registered SPAN host computers, has created a need for users to acquire timely information about the network through a central source. The SPAN Network Information Center (SPAN-NIC) an online facility managed by the National Space Science Data Center (NSSDC) was developed to meet this need for SPAN-wide information. The remote node descriptive information in this document is not currently contained in the SPAN-NIC database, but will be incorporated in the near future. Access to this information is also available to non-DECnet users over a variety of networks such as Telenet, the NASA Packet Switched System (NPSS), and the TCP/IP Internet. This publication serves as the Yellow Pages for SPAN node information. The document also provides key information concerning other computer networks connected to SPAN, nodes associated with each SPAN routing center, science discipline nodes, contacts for primary SPAN nodes, and SPAN reference information. A section on DECnet Internetworking discusses SPAN connections with other wide-area DECnet networks (many with thousands of nodes each). Another section lists node names and their disciplines, countries, and institutions in the SPAN Network Information Center Online Data Base System. All remote sites connected to US-SPAN and European-SPAN (E-SPAN) are indexed. Also provided is information on the SPAN tail circuits, i.e., those remote nodes connected directly to a SPAN routing center, which is the local point of contact for resolving SPAN-related problems. Reference material is included for those who wish to know more about SPAN. Because of the rapid growth of SPAN, the SPAN Yellow Pages is reissued periodically

Yeast Features: Identifying Significant Features Shared Among Yeast Proteins for Functional Genomics

Background&#xd;&#xa;High throughput yeast functional genomics experiments are revealing associations among tens to hundreds of genes using numerous experimental conditions. To fully understand how the identified genes might be involved in the observed system, it is essential to consider the widest range of biological annotation possible. Biologists often start their search by collating the annotation provided for each protein within databases such as the Saccharomyces Genome Database, manually comparing them for similar features, and empirically assessing their significance. Such tasks can be automated, and more precise calculations of the significance can be determined using established probability measures. &#xd;&#xa;Results&#xd;&#xa;We developed Yeast Features, an intuitive online tool to help establish the significance of finding a diverse set of shared features among a collection of yeast proteins. A total of 18,786 features from the Saccharomyces Genome Database are considered, including annotation based on the Gene Ontology&#x2019;s molecular function, biological process and cellular compartment, as well as conserved domains, protein-protein and genetic interactions, complexes, metabolic pathways, phenotypes and publications. The significance of shared features is estimated using a hypergeometric probability, but novel options exist to improve the significance by adding background knowledge of the experimental system. For instance, increased statistical significance is achieved in gene deletion experiments because interactions with essential genes will never be observed. We further demonstrate the utility by suggesting the functional roles of the indirect targets of an aminoglycoside with a known mechanism of action, and also the targets of an herbal extract with a previously unknown mode of action. The identification of shared functional features may also be used to propose novel roles for proteins of unknown function, including a role in protein synthesis for YKL075C.&#xd;&#xa;Conclusions&#xd;&#xa;Yeast Features (YF) is an easy to use web-based application (http://software.dumontierlab.com/yeastfeatures/) which can identify and prioritize features that are shared among a set of yeast proteins. This approach is shown to be valuable in the analysis of complex data sets, in which the extracted associations revealed significant functional relationships among the gene products.&#xd;&#xa

Some new decomposable Specht modules

We present (with proof) a new family of decomposable Specht modules for the symmetric group in characteristic 2. These Specht modules are labelled by partitions of the form $(a,3,1^b)$, and are the first new examples found for thirty years. Our method of proof is to exhibit summands isomorphic to irreducible Specht modules, by constructing explicit homomorphisms between Specht modules.Comment: Incorrect proof of Proposition 5.2 replace

SPAN: Ocean science

The Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN) is a multi-mission, correlative data comparison network which links space and Earth science research and data analysis computers. It provides a common working environment for sharing computer resources, sharing computer peripherals, solving proprietary problems, and providing the potential for significant time and cost savings for correlative data analysis. This is one of a series of discipline-specific SPAN documents which are intended to complement the SPAN primer and SPAN Management documents. Their purpose is to provide the discipline scientists with a comprehensive set of documents to assist in the use of SPAN for discipline specific scientific research

Structural and Financial Characteristics of U.S. Farms: 2001 Family Farm Report

Family farms vary widely in size and other characteristics, ranging from very small retirement and residential farms to establishments with sales in the millions of dollars. The farm typology developed by the Economic Research Service (ERS) categorizes farms into groups based primarily on occupation of the operator and sales class of the farm. The typology groups reflect operators' expectations from farming, position in the life cycle, and dependence on agriculture. The groups differ in their importance to the farm sector, product specialization, program participation, and dependence on farm income. These (and other) differences are discussed in this report.Agricultural Resource Management Study (ARMS), family farms, farm businesses, farm financial situation, farm operator household income, farm operators, farm structure, farm typology, female farm operators, government payments, spouses of farm operators, taxes, Agricultural Finance, Farm Management,

Non-Perturbative Tachyon Potential from the Wilsonian Renormalization Group

The derivative expansion of the Wilsonian renormalization group generates additional terms in the effective beta-functions not present in the perturbative approach. Applied to the nonlinear sigma model, to lowest order the vanishing of the beta-function for the tachyon field generates an equation analogous to that found in open string field theory. Although the nonlinear term depends on the cut-off function, this arbitrariness can be removed by a rescaling of the tachyon field.Comment: 6 pages, further references adde