Global maps of soil temperature

Research in global change ecology relies heavily on global climatic grids derived from estimates of air temperature in open areas at around 2 m above the ground. These climatic grids do not reflect conditions below vegetation canopies and near the ground surface, where critical ecosystem functions occur and most terrestrial species reside. Here, we provide global maps of soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at a 1-km2 resolution for 0–5 and 5–15 cm soil depth. These maps were created by calculating the difference (i.e. offset) between in situ soil temperature measurements, based on time series from over 1200 1-km2 pixels (summarized from 8519 unique temperature sensors) across all the world\u27s major terrestrial biomes, and coarse-grained air temperature estimates from ERA5-Land (an atmospheric reanalysis by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). We show that mean annual soil temperature differs markedly from the corresponding gridded air temperature, by up to 10°C (mean = 3.0 ± 2.1°C), with substantial variation across biomes and seasons. Over the year, soils in cold and/or dry biomes are substantially warmer (+3.6 ± 2.3°C) than gridded air temperature, whereas soils in warm and humid environments are on average slightly cooler (−0.7 ± 2.3°C). The observed substantial and biome-specific offsets emphasize that the projected impacts of climate and climate change on near-surface biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are inaccurately assessed when air rather than soil temperature is used, especially in cold environments. The global soil-related bioclimatic variables provided here are an important step forward for any application in ecology and related disciplines. Nevertheless, we highlight the need to fill remaining geographic gaps by collecting more in situ measurements of microclimate conditions to further enhance the spatiotemporal resolution of global soil temperature products for ecological applications

Global maps of soil temperature

Research in global change ecology relies heavily on global climatic grids derived from estimates of air temperature in open areas at around 2 m above the ground. These climatic grids do not reflect conditions below vegetation canopies and near the ground surface, where critical ecosystem functions occur and most terrestrial species reside. Here, we provide global maps of soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at a 1-km² resolution for 0–5 and 5–15 cm soil depth. These maps were created by calculating the difference (i.e., offset) between in-situ soil temperature measurements, based on time series from over 1200 1-km² pixels (summarized from 8500 unique temperature sensors) across all the world’s major terrestrial biomes, and coarse-grained air temperature estimates from ERA5-Land (an atmospheric reanalysis by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). We show that mean annual soil temperature differs markedly from the corresponding gridded air temperature, by up to 10°C (mean = 3.0 ± 2.1°C), with substantial variation across biomes and seasons. Over the year, soils in cold and/or dry biomes are substantially warmer (+3.6 ± 2.3°C) than gridded air temperature, whereas soils in warm and humid environments are on average slightly cooler (-0.7 ± 2.3°C). The observed substantial and biome-specific offsets emphasize that the projected impacts of climate and climate change on near-surface biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are inaccurately assessed when air rather than soil temperature is used, especially in cold environments. The global soil-related bioclimatic variables provided here are an important step forward for any application in ecology and related disciplines. Nevertheless, we highlight the need to fill remaining geographic gaps by collecting more in-situ measurements of microclimate conditions to further enhance the spatiotemporal resolution of global soil temperature products for ecological applications

Global maps of soil temperature.

Research in global change ecology relies heavily on global climatic grids derived from estimates of air temperature in open areas at around 2 m above the ground. These climatic grids do not reflect conditions below vegetation canopies and near the ground surface, where critical ecosystem functions occur and most terrestrial species reside. Here, we provide global maps of soil temperature and bioclimatic variables at a 1-km2 resolution for 0-5 and 5-15 cm soil depth. These maps were created by calculating the difference (i.e. offset) between in situ soil temperature measurements, based on time series from over 1200 1-km2 pixels (summarized from 8519 unique temperature sensors) across all the world's major terrestrial biomes, and coarse-grained air temperature estimates from ERA5-Land (an atmospheric reanalysis by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts). We show that mean annual soil temperature differs markedly from the corresponding gridded air temperature, by up to 10°C (mean = 3.0 ± 2.1°C), with substantial variation across biomes and seasons. Over the year, soils in cold and/or dry biomes are substantially warmer (+3.6 ± 2.3°C) than gridded air temperature, whereas soils in warm and humid environments are on average slightly cooler (-0.7 ± 2.3°C). The observed substantial and biome-specific offsets emphasize that the projected impacts of climate and climate change on near-surface biodiversity and ecosystem functioning are inaccurately assessed when air rather than soil temperature is used, especially in cold environments. The global soil-related bioclimatic variables provided here are an important step forward for any application in ecology and related disciplines. Nevertheless, we highlight the need to fill remaining geographic gaps by collecting more in situ measurements of microclimate conditions to further enhance the spatiotemporal resolution of global soil temperature products for ecological applications

Pleural Effusion in Meigs' Syndrome-Transudate or Exudate?: Systematic Review of the Literature.

Although Meigs' syndrome is regarded as a well-defined entity, contradictory data on pleural fluid characteristics have been presented, with some papers classifying it as a transudate, whereas others stating that it is an exudate.The aims of the study were: (1) to evaluate pleural fluid characteristics in patients with Meigs' syndrome and (2) to analyze the prevalence of transudative and exudative pleural effusion in relation to the applied definition of the syndrome.We performed a search through medical databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and GOOGLE SCHOLAR) to identify papers on Meigs' syndrome published between 1940 and 2013. Two authors independently reviewed each paper searching for prespecified data: (1) signs and symptoms, (2) tumor characteristics, (3) clinical and laboratory data on ascites, (4) clinical, radiological, and laboratory data on pleural fluid, (5) clinical course after tumor removal. All case reports were reclassified according to a new unequivocal classification of Meigs' syndrome-related entities.A total of 653 papers were initially identified, and 454 articles reporting 541 patients were included in the final analysis. After reclassification according to our case definitions, there were 196, 113, and 108 patients defined as classic Meigs' syndrome, nonclassic Meigs' syndrome, and pseudo-Meigs' syndrome, respectively. Significantly more patients presented with right-sided than left-sided and bilateral pleural effusions (P < 0.001). Median volume of withdrawn pleural fluid was 2950 (1500-6000) mL. The classification of pleural effusion with the use of Light's criteria was possible in only 7 patients. In 6 of these patients pleural effusion met the criteria for an exudate. When the protein concentration > 3.0 g/dL was applied as a criterion of pleural exudate, 88.8% (80/90) of effusions were classified as exudates. Increasing the cut-off level to 3.5 g/dL resulted in only a modest decrease in the percentage of exudative effusions (81%, 73/90).Surprisingly few reports on Meigs' syndrome present data reliably defining the character of pleural effusion. The available data indicate, however, that the majority of pleural effusions in patients with this entity are exudates. This finding may be a prerequisite for the verification of some earlier presented concepts

Patterns of pleural pressure amplitude and respiratory rate changes during therapeutic thoracentesis

Abstract Background Although the impact of therapeutic thoracentesis on lung function and blood gases has been evaluated in several studies, some physiological aspects of pleural fluid withdrawal remain unknown. The aim of the study was to assess the changes in pleural pressure amplitude (Pplampl) during the respiratory cycle and respiratory rate (RR) in patients undergoing pleural fluid withdrawal. Methods The study included 23 patients with symptomatic pleural effusion. Baseline pleural pressure curves were registered with a digital electronic manometer. Then, the registrations were repeated after the withdrawal of consecutive portions of pleural fluid (200 ml up to 1000 ml and 100 ml above 1000 ml). In all patients the pleural pressure curves were analyzed in five points, at 0, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% of the relative volume of pleural effusion withdrawn in particular patients. Results There were 11 and 12 patients with right sided and left sided pleural effusion, respectively (14 M, 9F, median age 68, range 46–85 years). The most common cause of pleural effusion were malignancies (20 pts., 87%). The median total volume of withdrawn pleural fluid was 1800 (IQR 1500–2400) ml. After termination of pleural fluid withdrawal Pplampl increased in 22/23 patients compared to baseline. The median Pplampl increased from 3.4 (2.4–5.9) cmH2O to 10.7 (8.1–15.6) cmH2O (p < 0.0001). Three patterns of Pplampl changes were identified. Although the patterns of RR changes were more diversified, a significant increase between RR at baseline and the last measurement point was found (p = 0.0097). Conclusions In conclusion, therapeutic thoracentesis is associated with significant changes in Pplampl during the respiratory cycle. In the vast majority of patients Pplampl increased steadily during pleural fluid withdrawal. There was also an increase in RR. The significance of these changes should be elucidated in further studies. Trial registration ClinicalTrial.gov, registration number: NCT02192138, registration date: July 1st, 2014

Preliminary In Vitro Study of Fluoride Release from Selected Ormocer Materials

The purpose of the in vitro study presented in this paper was to determine the long-term release of fluoride ions from selected ormocer materials (Admira (A), Admira Flow (AF), Admira Seal (AS)). The release of fluoride ions from these materials into a saline solution (0.9% NaCl) and deionized water was tested for 14 weeks. In a long-term study the measurements were taken after 1 and 3 h, then 1, 2, and 3 days and then at weekly intervals for 14 weeks. In a short-term study the measurements were made after 3, 24, 48, 72, 69, 168 h, i.e., within 7 days. All materials used in the test showed a constant level of fluoride release. The highest level of cumulative release of fluoride ions into deionized water was found in the AS material (23.95 ± 4.30 μg/mm2), slightly lower in the A material (23.26 ± 4.16 μg/mm2) and the lowest in the AF material (16.79 ± 2.26 μg/mm2). The highest level of cumulative release into saline solution was found in AF (8.08 ± 1.30 μg/mm2), slightly lower in AS (7.36 ± 0.30 μg/mm2) and the lowest in A (6.73 ± 1.10 μg /mm2). After 1 h of immersion of the samples in the saline solution, the highest level of fluoride was released by AF (0.57 ± 0.06 μg/mm2) followed by A (0.20 ± 0.03 μg/mm2) and AS (0.19 ± 0.02 µg/mm2). Moreover, in the 14-week study, the total amount of fluoride release into the saline, which imitates the environment of the oral cavity, was observed as the highest in the AF sample

Enhancing Particle Swarm Optimization with Socio-cognitive Inspirations

Following recently published socio-cognitively inspired ACO concept for global optimization, we try to verify the proposed idea by adapting the PSO in a similar way. The swarm is divided into species and the particles get inspired not only by the global and local optima, but share the knowledge about the optima with neighbourhood agents belonging to other species. After presenting the concept and motivation, the experimental results gathered for common benchmark functions tackled in 100 dimensions are shown and the efficacy of the proposed algorithm is discussed

MR Imaging of Pulmonary Nodules: Detection Rate and Accuracy of Size Estimation in Comparison to Computed Tomography

<div><p>Objective</p><p>The aims of this study were to assess the sensitivity of various magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences for the diagnosis of pulmonary nodules and to estimate the accuracy of MRI for the measurement of lesion size, as compared to computed tomography (CT).</p><p>Methods</p><p>Fifty patients with 113 pulmonary nodules diagnosed by CT underwent lung MRI and CT. MRI studies were performed on 1.5T scanner using the following sequences: T2-TSE, T2-SPIR, T2-STIR, T2-HASTE, T1-VIBE, and T1-out-of-phase. CT and MRI data were analyzed independently by two radiologists.</p><p>Results</p><p>The overall sensitivity of MRI for the detection of pulmonary nodules was 80.5% and according to nodule size: 57.1% for nodules ≤4mm, 75% for nodules >4-6mm, 87.5% for nodules >6-8mm and 100% for nodules >8mm. MRI sequences yielded following sensitivities: 69% (T1-VIBE), 54.9% (T2-SPIR), 48.7% (T2-TSE), 48.7% (T1-out-of-phase), 45.1% (T2-STIR), 25.7% (T2-HASTE), respectively. There was very strong agreement between the maximum diameter of pulmonary nodules measured by CT and MRI (mean difference -0.02 mm; 95% CI –1.6–1.57 mm; Bland-Altman analysis).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>MRI yielded high sensitivity for the detection of pulmonary nodules and enabled accurate assessment of their diameter. Therefore it may be considered an alternative to CT for follow-up of some lung lesions. However, due to significant number of false positive diagnoses, it is not ready to replace CT as a tool for lung nodule detection.</p></div

Questionnaire B (before bronchoscopy).

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