Is there a need for a forest restoration certification scheme?

We propose the development of a certification scheme for forest ecosystem restoration that aims for the adoption of protocols and guidelines to ensure the sustained ecological and social value of restored ecosystems. Despite an accumulation of experience on ecosystem restoration over the past decades, it is still common to measure the success of restoration mainly in terms of number of seedlings planted or their survival in the short term. A strong focus on planting targets may divert attention from the actual objectives: establish self-sustaining forested ecosystems that provide livelihood or other ecosystem service benefits to local people. Two important determinants of short and long term success, which often do not receive sufficient attention, are matching the right seed source to the planting site conditions and ensuring that restored populations of trees have sufficient genetic variability to be self-sustaining. Because of the enormous scale of land degradation and the funds being pledged to tackle it, standardized measures of success are of increasing importance. Restoration success needs to be evaluated in a holistic way by restoration practitioners, government institutions, civil society organizations, private sector and, importantly, funding agencies. Much is known about how to restore ecosystems in different regions and under different conditions, however currently there is no consensus on what success looks like or what the minimum criteria should be for monitoring and documenting success. Success can be achieved by following well defined practices and protocols (eg by ensuring high diversity both at species and genes levels, number of mother trees for the collection of reproductive material, provenance, etc) during the various phases of the restoration process. We make a case for the development of a certification system to support long term value of restored populations for global application

Multiphase diffusion in the systems Fe-Sn and Si-Sn

We have investigated phase relations and diffusion phenomena in the Fe-Sn and Ni-Sn systems in the temperature ranges 300 to 600 C and 580 to 800 C, respectively. The homogeneity regions and stability ranges ofthe phases found by the diffusion couple technique were confirmed by the analysis of equilibrated alloys. In order to determine the mobility of each element in the various phases, marker experiments have been carried out. The intermetallic compounds formed by diffusion reveal a fibre texture with the fibre axis parallel to the diffusion direction

Stick-slip motion in spite of a slippery contact: Do we get what we see in atomic friction?

Quantum Matter and Optic

Photodissociation of the OD radical at 226 and 243 nm

The photodissociation dynamics of state selected OD radicals has been examined at 243 and 226 nm using velocity map imaging to probe the angle–speed distributions of theD(2S) and O(3P2) products. Both experiment and complementary first principle calculations demonstrate that photodissociation occurs by promotion of OD from high vibrational levels of the ground X 2Π state to the repulsive 1 2Σ− state

THE INTERACTION BETWEEN SiC AND Ni OR Fe AND THEIR ALLOYS

No abstract

The Value of IgM Memory B-Cells in the Assessment of Splenic Function in Childhood Cancer Survivors at Risk for Splenic Dysfunction:A DCCSS-LATER Study

Background: Childhood cancer survivors (CCS) who received radiotherapy involving the spleen or total body irradiation (TBI) might be at risk for splenic dysfunction. A comprehensive screening test for examining splenic dysfunction is lacking. Objective: We investigated whether IgM memory B-cells could be used to assess splenic dysfunction in CCS who received a splenectomy, radiotherapy involving the spleen, or TBI. Methods: All CCS were enrolled from the DCCSS-LATER cohort. We analyzed differences in IgM memory B-cells and Howell-Jolly bodies (HJB) in CCS who had a splenectomy (n = 9), received radiotherapy involving the spleen (n = 36), or TBI (n = 15). IgM memory B-cells &lt; 9 cells/µL was defined as abnormal. Results: We observed a higher median number of IgM memory B-cells in CCS who received radiotherapy involving the spleen (31 cells/µL, p=0.06) or TBI (55 cells/µL, p = 0.03) compared to CCS who received splenectomy (20 cells/µL). However, only two CCS had IgM memory B-cells below the lower limit of normal. No difference in IgM memory B-cells was observed between CCS with HJB present and absent (35 cells/µL vs. 44 cells/µL). Conclusion: Although the number of IgM memory B-cells differed between splenectomized CCS and CCS who received radiotherapy involving the spleen or TBI, only two CCS showed abnormal values. Therefore, this assessment cannot be used to screen for splenic dysfunction.</p

Strategies for Controlled Placement of Nanoscale Building Blocks

The capability of placing individual nanoscale building blocks on exact substrate locations in a controlled manner is one of the key requirements to realize future electronic, optical, and magnetic devices and sensors that are composed of such blocks. This article reviews some important advances in the strategies for controlled placement of nanoscale building blocks. In particular, we will overview template assisted placement that utilizes physical, molecular, or electrostatic templates, DNA-programmed assembly, placement using dielectrophoresis, approaches for non-close-packed assembly of spherical particles, and recent development of focused placement schemes including electrostatic funneling, focused placement via molecular gradient patterns, electrodynamic focusing of charged aerosols, and others