Specific leaf area and leaf area index in developing stands of Fagus sylvatica L. and Picea abies Karst

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies Karst.) are two of the most ecologically and economically important forest tree species in Europe. These two species co-occur in many locations in Europe, leading to direct competition for canopy space. Foliage characteristics of two naturally regenerated pure stands of beech and spruce with fully closed canopies were contrasted to assess the dynamic relationship between foliage adaptability to shading, stand LAI and tree growth. We found that individual leaf size is far more conservative in spruce than in beech. Individual leaf and needle area was larger at the top than at the bottom of the canopy in both species. Inverse relationship was found for specific leaf area (SLA), highest SLA values were found at lowest light availability under the canopy. There was no difference in leaf area index (LAI) between the two stands, however LAI increased from 10.8 to 14.6 m2m-2 between 2009 and 2011. Dominant trees of both species were more efficient in converting foliage mass or area to produce stem biomass, although this relationship changed with age and was species-specific. Overall, we found larger foliage plasticity in beech than in spruce in relation to light conditions, indicating larger capacity to exploit niche openings

Decadal forest mensuration cycle significantly underestimates net primary production in dense young beech stands

The early development of naturally regenerated forest stands is highly dynamic and includes rapid shifts in productivity and mortality. To characterise the growth dynamics in the initial decades, we assessed aboveground biomass stocks (Sab), aboveground biomass productivity (DPab), and aboveground biomass mortality (DMab) in five naturally regenerated European beech stands located in the Inner Western Carpathians. We developed allometric models for aboveground biomass compartments based on a sample of 262 trees. We also established five circular sampling plots within each stand and, for 15 years, carried out annual measurements of stem diameter at the base and height for all trees within the sampling plots. We then utilised the allometric models to calculate annual biomass accumulation in aboveground biomass compartments on an area basis. Our findings show that, despite the declining contribution of foliage to the total aboveground stock, about a quarter of annual net primary production in young beech stands enters the dead biomass pool due to leaf fall and tree mortality. The growth dynamics and biomass allocation patterns of young beech forests necessitate the development of specific allometric models to describe their growth and carbon capture processes

Exact Analytical H-BER for Ad Hoc XOR H-Map Detector for Two Differentially Modulated BPSK Sources in H-MAC Channel

In the article, we present an ad hoc (AH) detector for two differentially encoded BPSK sources in the Hierarchical MAC (H-MAC), i.e., for the case when the receiver sees the superposition of non-orthogonal signals from individual sources. (Prefix “H-” means Hierarchical, it emphasizes that the entity is related to the many-to-one principle.) The AH detector decodes the XOR H-map of the two BPSK streams—in other words, it decides whether the transmitted symbols from the two sources are the same or opposite. The BER of the detection in H-MAC is denoted as H-BER. The H-BER is compared with the other two differential detectors, with the coherent (Coh) detector, and with an approximate coherent (ApC) detector. The exact analytical H-BER formula is derived for the ad hoc and coherent detectors. The proposed ad hoc detector is very simple for evaluation, does not require the estimation of subchannel phases, does not depend on noise variance, and it is uniformly only roughly 3.5 dB worse than the coherent one

Exact Analytical H-BER for Ad Hoc XOR H-Map Detector for Two Differentially Modulated BPSK Sources in H-MAC Channel

In the article, we present an ad hoc (AH) detector for two differentially encoded BPSK sources in the Hierarchical MAC (H-MAC), i.e., for the case when the receiver sees the superposition of non-orthogonal signals from individual sources. (Prefix “H-” means Hierarchical, it emphasizes that the entity is related to the many-to-one principle.) The AH detector decodes the XOR H-map of the two BPSK streams—in other words, it decides whether the transmitted symbols from the two sources are the same or opposite. The BER of the detection in H-MAC is denoted as H-BER. The H-BER is compared with the other two differential detectors, with the coherent (Coh) detector, and with an approximate coherent (ApC) detector. The exact analytical H-BER formula is derived for the ad hoc and coherent detectors. The proposed ad hoc detector is very simple for evaluation, does not require the estimation of subchannel phases, does not depend on noise variance, and it is uniformly only roughly 3.5 dB worse than the coherent one

MCP-1 A/G Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Slovak Patients with Systemic Sclerosis

Recent study in a group of German patients with SSc has implicated the SNP in the MCP-1 gene (−2518 A to G) as a factor of susceptibility to SSc. Reflecting the need for replication of genetic association studies, we investigated if this SNP is associated with SSc in another Caucasian population. MCP-1 −2518 A/G genotypes were determined using PCR-SSP in 46 SSc patients and in 449 healthy subjects, all unrelated and of Slovak (Slavonic) origin. The distribution of MCP-1 −2518 A/G genotypes complied with the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium both in patient and healthy control groups. There was no difference in MCP-1 −2518∗G allele frequency between SSc patients and healthy subjects (patients: 0.23; controls: 0.24; P>.05). Furthermore, MCP-1 −2518 GG homozygotes were similarly represented among SSc patients and healthy subjects (P>.05). The association of MCP-1 −2518 A/G SNP with SSc observed originally in German population was not replicated in the Slovak population