Oxygen isotope ratios of waters and respired CO2 in Amazonian forest and pasture ecosystems

Journal ArticleThe oxygen isotope ratio (d18O, SMOW) of atmospheric CO2 is a powerful indicator of large-scale CO2 exchange on land. Oxygen isotopic exchange between CO2 and water in leaves and soils controls the d18O of atmospheric CO2. Currently there is little empirical information on the spatial and temporal variation in the d18O of leaf and stem water in tropical ecosystems. We measured the seasonal dynamics of d18O in atmospheric CO2 and water in different ecosystem compartments in both primary forest and pasture ecosystems in three different regions of the Amazonian Basin of Brazil (Ji-Paraná, Manaus, and Santarém)

Mapeamento de potenciais de impactos ambientais da queima de cana-de-açúcar no Brasil.

O artigo apresenta a distribuição espacial de alguns potenciais de impactos das emissões de monóxido de carbono (CO), metano (CH4), óxidos de nitrogênio (NOx) e óxido nitroso (N2O) causadas pela queimada de cana-de-açúcar no Brasil utilizando o SIG ArcGIS. As categorias de potenciais de impactos ambientais avaliados são: aquecimento global, formação de ozônio troposférico, acidificação e toxicidade humana

Spatiotemporal summation of perimetric stimuli in healthy observers

Spatial summation of perimetric stimuli has been used to derive conclusions about the spatial extent of retinal-cortical convergence, mostly from the size of the critical area of summation (Ricco's area, RA) and critical number of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). However, spatial summation is known to change dynamically with stimulus duration. Conversely, temporal summation and critical duration also vary with stimulus size. Such an important and often neglected spatiotemporal interaction has important implications for modeling perimetric sensitivity in healthy observers and for formulating hypotheses for changes measured in disease. In this work, we performed experiments on visually heathy observers confirming the interaction of stimulus size and duration in determining summation responses in photopic conditions. We then propose a simplified computational model that captures these aspects of perimetric sensitivity by modelling the total retinal input, the combined effect of stimulus size, duration, and retinal cones-to-RGC ratio. We additionally show that, in the macula, the enlargement of RA with eccentricity might not correspond to a constant critical number of RGCs, as often reported, but to a constant critical total retinal input. We finally compare our results with previous literature and show possible implications for modeling disease, especially glaucoma

Ciclagem interna de nitrogênio em solo cultivado com capim Tifton-85 e irrigado com esgoto tratado.

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar o efeito da irrigação com água, efluente secundário de nitrogenada na produção vegetal, na quantidade de liteira depositada e nos conteúdos de matéria orgânica particulada em uma pastagem de capim-Bermuda tifton 85. O delineamento experimental foi composto de quatro blocos ao acaso e seis tratamentos: SI (controle, sem fertilização e sem irrigação); W100, irrigação com água e 100% da dose de fertilizante nitrogenado recomendado; E0, E33, E66 e E100, irrigado com esgoto tratado e adição de 0, 33; 66 e 100% da dose recomendada, respectivamente. Amostras de efluente/água, solo, produção vegetal e liteira foram coletadas no período de abril a outubro de 2007. A maior oferta de N nos tratamentos E66, E100 e A100, através da fertilização, irrigação e ciclagem interna pela Bermuda Tifton 85 em período pós chuvas (abril?junho de 2007). No sistema avaliado, a deposição de liteira foi mais diferentes tratamentos. Maiores conteúdos médios de MOP foram observados no solo dos tratamentos irrigados e fertilizados.1 CD-ROM

Spatiotemporal summation of perimetric stimuli in healthy observers

Spatial summation of perimetric stimuli has been used to derive conclusions about the spatial extent of retinal-cortical convergence, mostly from the size of the critical area of summation (Ricco's area, RA) and critical number of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). However, spatial summation is known to change dynamically with stimulus duration. Conversely, temporal summation and critical duration also vary with stimulus size. Such an important and often neglected spatiotemporal interaction has important implications for modeling perimetric sensitivity in healthy observers and for formulating hypotheses for changes measured in disease. In this work, we performed experiments on visually heathy observers confirming the interaction of stimulus size and duration in determining summation responses in photopic conditions. We then propose a simplified computational model that captures these aspects of perimetric sensitivity by modelling the total retinal input, the combined effect of stimulus size, duration, and retinal cones-to-RGC ratio. We additionally show that, in the macula, the enlargement of RA with eccentricity might not correspond to a constant critical number of RGCs, as often reported, but to a constant critical total retinal input. We finally compare our results with previous literature and show possible implications for modeling disease, especially glaucoma

Climate change-related risks and adaptation potential in Central and South America during the 21st century

Climate-related risks in Central and South America have received increased attention and concern in science and policy, but an up-to-date comprehensive review and synthesis of risks and adaptation potential is currently missing. For this paper we evaluated over 200 peer-reviewed articles and grey literature documents published since 2012. We found that climate change in Central and South America during the 21st century may increase the risk to severe levels for the following topical risk clusters: (a) Food insecurity; (b) Floods and landslides; (c) Water scarcity; (d) Epidemics of vector-borne diseases; (e) Amazon Forest biome shift; (f). Coral bleaching; (g) Coastal risks of sea level rise, storm surges and erosion; (h) Systemic failure due to cascading impacts of hazards and epidemics. Our synthesis also identified feasible adaptation measures for each risk. The impacts of the risks will be heterogeneous throughout the region, with rural communities, Indigenous peoples, Afro-Latin Americans, women, disabled people, and migrants identified as being the most severely affected. We refer to a number of adaptation options for each risk. However, unabated climate change together with low adaptive capacity will strictly limit adaptation options. Immediate strengthening of policies for building adaptive capacity and increase of research on the risk-adaptation nexus in Central and South America are paramount. Our findings might contribute to guide the adjustment and emphasis of adaptation policies and climate risk management strategies from local to national level

Objective quantification of vitreous haze on optical coherence tomography scans: no evidence for relationship between uveitis and inflammation in multiple sclerosis

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The occurrence of intermediate uveitis, which is characterized by the presence of vitreous haze (VH), in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) may be a sign of coexistent inflammatory central nervous system (CNS) disease activity. Using an automated algorithm to quantify VH on optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans, the aim was to investigate whether VH in MS patients is associated with signs of inflammatory CNS disease activity. METHODS: Vitreous haze was quantified on OCT macular volume scans of 290 MS patients and 85 healthy controls (HCs). The relationship between VH and clinical, retinal OCT and magnetic resonance imaging parameters of inflammatory disease activity was investigated using generalized estimating equations. RESULTS: Mean VH scores did not differ between patients and HCs (P = 0.629). Six patients (2.1%) showed values higher than the highest of the controls by HCs. VH scores did not differ between the different disease types or between eyes with and without a history of optic neuritis (P = 0.132). VH was not associated with inner nuclear layer volume on OCT (P = 0.233), cerebral T2 lesion load on magnetic resonance imaging (P = 0.416) or the development of new relapses (P = 0.205). CONCLUSION: In this study, OCT-based automated VH estimation did not detect increased vitreous inflammation in MS patients compared to HCs and did not find an association with CNS inflammatory burden