Effect of Final Felling on Natural Regeneration III Rhizophora dominated Forests of Matang Mangrove Reserve

A study was undertaken to determine the effect of final felling an the natural regeneration of mangrove forests in matang Reserve. Two adjoining compartments (nos. 38 and 39) having typical Rhizophora forests and belonging to innundation classes III and IV 'were located from which three plots 'which were ready for felling and another three which had been felled during the past six months, were sampled. Although, four species were recorded bath at pre-felling and post-felling stages, the most common were Rhizophora apiculata and Bruguiera parviflora. The farmer 'was more abundant than the latter in most of the plats. All the plots were highly stacked particularly with Rhizophora seedlings. Both the species shOwed considerable variation in different height classes in between the plats bath at prefelling and post felling stages. Before felling the maximum number of seedlings of Rhizophora belonged to l' - 5' height class (720/0) those below l' and between 5 -10' accounted for 25 per cent and 3 per cent respectively. After felling, the pattern was the same but the proportion of the seedlings in l' - 5' group decreased to 54 per cent, Those below l' increased in number. A pronounced deleterious effect was not observed on the stocking of Rhizophora seedlings· in compartment 38 after lagging, The reverse was true in the overcrowded compartment 39, In the case of B, parviflora, the highest number of seedlings belonged to the HI (below 1') class (over 800/0 of the total) both before and after logging. An increase of about 16% was recorded in the number of this species in lagged-aver plat 6. However, mast of the plats in the present study were found to be adequately stocked with Rhizophora seedlings

Spectral decomposition of starbursts and AGNs in 5-8 micron Spitzer IRS spectra of local ULIRGs

We present an analysis of the 5-8 micron Spitzer-IRS spectra of a sample of 68 local Ultraluminous Infrared Galaxies (ULIRGs). Our diagnostic technique allows a clear separation of the active galactic nucleus (AGN) and starburst (SB) components in the observed mid-IR emission, and a simple analytic model provides a quantitative estimate of the AGN/starburst contribution to the bolometric luminosity. We show that AGNs are ~30 times brighter at 6 micron than starbursts with the same bolometric luminosity, so that even faint AGNs can be detected. Star formation events are confirmed as the dominant power source for extreme infrared activity, since ~85% of ULIRG luminosity arises from the SB component. Nonetheless an AGN is present in the majority (46/68) of our sources.Comment: 5 Pages, 3 figures. MNRAS Letters, Accepte

Efecto de la aplicación foliar de selenio y zinc para aumentar los rendimientos cuantitativos y cualitativos de colza en diferentes fechas de siembra

The sowing date is an important factor for expanding the cultivated area of rapeseed and affects seed yield, oil content, and fatty acid compounds. Micronutrient elements play an important role in improving the vegetative and reproductive growth of the plant, especially under conditions of biological and environmental stresses. A two-year experiment (2014-2016) was performed to study the response of rapeseed genotypes to foliar application of micronutrients on different sowing dates. The treatments were arranged as a factorial-split plot in a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Three sowing dates of 7 (well-timed sowing date), 17, and 27 (delayed sowing dates) October and two levels of foliar application with pure water (control), selenium (1.5%), zinc (1.5%), and selenium+zinc (1.5%) were factorial in the main plots and five genotypes of SW102, Ahmadi, GKH2624, GK-Gabriella, and Okapi were randomized in the subplots (a total of 30 treatments). Seed yield, oil yield and content, oleic acid, and linoleic acid were reduced when rapeseeds were cultivated on 17 and 27 October, while the contents in palmitic, linolenic, and erucic acids, and glucosinolate increased (p < 0.01). a selenium+zinc treatment improved seed yield, oil content and yield (p < 0.01). The oil quality increased due to increased contents of oleic and linoleic acids under the selenium+zinc treatment (p < 0.01). The GK-Gabriella and GKH2624 genotypes are recommended to be sown on well-timed (7 October) and delayed sowing dates (17 and 27 October) and treated with selenium+zinc due to the higher oil yield, linoleic and oleic acids.La fecha de siembra es un factor importante para expandir el área cultivada de colza que afecta el rendimiento de la semilla, el contenido de aceite y la composición en ácidos grasos. Los micronutrientes juegan un papel importante en la mejora del crecimiento vegetativo y reproductivo de la planta, especialmente en condiciones de estrés biológico y ambiental. Se realizó un experimento de dos años (2014-2016) para estudiar la respuesta de los genotipos de colza a la aplicación foliar de micronutrientes en diferentes fechas de siembra. Los tratamientos se organizaron como una parcela dividida factorial en un diseño de bloques completos al azar con tres repeticiones. Tres fechas de siembra del 7 (fecha de siembra en el momento oportuno), 17 y 27 (fechas de siembra retrasadas) de octubre y dos niveles de aplicación foliar con agua pura (control), selenio (1,5%), zinc (1,5%) y selenio + zinc (1.5%) fueron factoriales en las parcelas principales y cinco genotipos de SW102, Ahmadi, GKH2624, GK-Gabriella y Okapi fueron aleatorizados en las subparcelas (un total de 30 tratamientos). El rendimiento de semilla, el contenido y rendimiento de aceite, los ácidos grasos oleico y linoleico se redujeron cuando se cultivaron semillas de colza los días 17 y 27 de octubre, mientras que los contenidos de los ácidos grasos palmítico, linolénico y erúcico y glucosinolato aumentaron (p <0,01). El tratamiento con selenio + zinc mejoró el rendimiento de semillas, el contenido de aceite y el rendimiento (p <0,01). La calidad del aceite aumentó debido al mayor contenido de ácidos oleico y linoleico bajo tratamiento con selenio + zinc (p <0.01). Se recomiendan los genotipos GK-Gabriella y GKH2624 sembrados en fechas oportunas (7 de octubre) y tardía (17 y 27 de octubre) y tratados con selenio + zinc, respectivamente, debido al mayor rendimiento de aceite y contenido de los ácidos linoleico y oleico

Scaling relations of cluster elliptical galaxies at z~1.3. Distinguishing luminosity and structural evolution

[Abridged] We studied the size-surface brightness and the size-mass relations of a sample of 16 cluster elliptical galaxies in the mass range 10^{10}-2x10^{11} M_sun which were morphologically selected in the cluster RDCS J0848+4453 at z=1.27. Our aim is to assess whether they have completed their mass growth at their redshift or significant mass and/or size growth can or must take place until z=0 in order to understand whether elliptical galaxies of clusters follow the observed size evolution of passive galaxies. To compare our data with the local universe we considered the Kormendy relation derived from the early-type galaxies of a local Coma Cluster reference sample and the WINGS survey sample. The comparison with the local Kormendy relation shows that the luminosity evolution due to the aging of the stellar content already assembled at z=1.27 brings them on the local relation. Moreover, this stellar content places them on the size-mass relation of the local cluster ellipticals. These results imply that for a given mass, the stellar mass at z~1.3 is distributed within these ellipticals according to the same stellar mass profile of local ellipticals. We find that a pure size evolution, even mild, is ruled out for our galaxies since it would lead them away from both the Kormendy and the size-mass relation. If an evolution of the effective radius takes place, this must be compensated by an increase in the luminosity, hence of the stellar mass of the galaxies, to keep them on the local relations. We show that to follow the Kormendy relation, the stellar mass must increase as the effective radius. However, this mass growth is not sufficient to keep the galaxies on the size-mass relation for the same variation in effective radius. Thus, if we want to preserve the Kormendy relation, we fail to satisfy the size-mass relation and vice versa.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A, updated to match final journal versio

The role of gut microbiota in the high-risk construct of severe mental disorders: A mini review

Severe mental disorders (SMD) are highly prevalent psychiatric conditions exerting an enormous toll on society. Therefore, prevention of SMD has received enormous attention in the last two decades. Preventative approaches are based on the knowledge and detailed characterization of the developmental stages of SMD and on risk prediction. One relevant biological component, so far neglected in high risk research, is microbiota. The human microbiota consists in the ensemble of microbes, including viruses, bacteria, and eukaryotes, that inhabit several ecological niches of the organism. Due to its demonstrated role in modulating illness and health, as well in influencing behavior, much interest has focused on the characterization of the microbiota inhabiting the gut. Several studies in animal models have shown the early modifications in the gut microbiota might impact on neurodevelopment and the onset of deficits in social behavior corresponding to distinct neurosignaling alterations. However, despite this evidence, only one study investigated the effect of altered microbiome and risk of developing mental disorders in humans, showing that individuals at risk for SMD had significantly different global microbiome composition than healthy controls. We then offer a developmental perspective and provided mechanistic insights on how changes in the microbiota could influence the risk of SMD. We suggest that the analysis of microbiota should be included in the comprehensive assessment generally performed in populations at high risk for SMD as it can inform predictive models and ultimately preventative strategies

Providing surgical care in Somalia: A model of task shifting.

ABSTRACT

Ionising the Intergalactic Medium by Star Clusters: The first empirical evidence

We present a VLT/X-Shooter spectroscopy of the Lyman continuum (LyC) emitting galaxy 'Ion2' at z=3.2121 and compare it to that of the recently discovered strongly lensed LyC-emitter at z=2.37, known as the 'Sunburst' arc. Three main results emerge from the X-Shooter spectrum: (a) the Lya has three distinct peaks with the central one at the systemic redshift, indicating a ionised tunnel through which both Lya and LyC radiation escape; (b) the large O32 oxygen index ([OIII]4959-5007 / [OII]3727-3729) of 9.18(-1.32/+1.82) is compatible to those measured in local (z~0.4) LyC leakers; (c) there are narrow nebular high-ionisation metal lines with \sigma_v < 20 km/s, which confirms the presence of young hot, massive stars. The HeII1640 appears broad, consistent with a young stellar component including Wolf-Rayet stars. Similarly, the Sunburst LyC-emitter shows a triple-peaked Lya profile and from VLT/MUSE spectroscopy the presence of spectral features arising from young hot and massive stars. The strong lensing magnification, (\mu > 20), suggests that this exceptional object is a gravitationally-bound star cluster observed at a cosmological distance, with a stellar mass M <~ 10^7 Msun and an effective radius smaller than 20 pc. Intriguingly, sources like Sunburst but without lensing magnification might appear as Ion2-like galaxies, in which unresolved massive star clusters dominate the ultraviolet emission. This work supports the idea that dense young star clusters can contribute to the ionisation of the IGM through holes created by stellar feedback.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures and 1 table, MNRAS accepted. Some typos fixe

The 500 ks Chandra observation of the z = 6.31 QSO SDSS J1030+0524

We present the results from a $\sim500$ ks Chandra observation of the $z=6.31$ QSO SDSS J1030+0524. This is the deepest X-ray observation to date of a $z\sim6$ QSO. The QSO is detected with a total of 125 net counts in the full ($0.5-7$ keV) band and its spectrum can be modeled by a single power-law model with photon index of $\Gamma = 1.81 \pm 0.18$ and full band flux of $f=3.95\times 10^{-15}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$. When compared with the data obtained by XMM-Newton in 2003, our Chandra observation in 2017 shows a harder ($\Delta \Gamma \approx -0.6$) spectrum and a 2.5 times fainter flux. Such a variation, in a timespan of $\sim2$ yrs rest-frame, is unexpected for such a luminous QSO powered by a $> 10^9 \: M_{\odot}$ black hole. The observed source hardening and weakening could be related to an intrinsic variation in the accretion rate. However, the limited photon statistics does not allow us to discriminate between an intrinsic luminosity and spectral change, and an absorption event produced by an intervening gas cloud along the line of sight. We also report the discovery of diffuse X-ray emission that extends for 30"x20" southward the QSO with a signal-to-noise ratio of $\sim$6, hardness ratio of $HR=0.03_{-0.25}^{+0.20}$, and soft band flux of $f_{0.5-2 \: keV}= 1.1_{-0.3}^{+0.3} \times 10^{-15}$ erg s$^{-1}$ cm$^{-2}$, that is not associated to a group or cluster of galaxies. We discuss two possible explanations for the extended emission, which may be either associated with the radio lobe of a nearby, foreground radio galaxy (at $z \approx 1-2$), or ascribed to the feedback from the QSO itself acting on its surrounding environment, as proposed by simulations of early black hole formation.Comment: 13 pages, 9 figures, A&A accepte

High pressure phases in highly piezoelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3

Two novel room-temperature phase transitions are observed, via synchrotron x-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy, in the Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 alloy under hydrostatic pressures up to 16 GPa. A monoclinic (M)-to-rhombohedral (R1) phase transition takes place around 2-3 GPa, while this R1 phase transforms into another rhombohedral phase, R2, at about 6-7 GPa. First-principles calculations assign the R3m and R3c symmetry to R1 and R2, respectively, and reveal that R2 acts as a pressure-induced structural bridge between the polar R3m and a predicted antiferrodistortive R-3c phase.Comment: REVTeX, 4 pages with 3 figures embedded. Figs 1 and 3 in colo