Selective burning of forest vegetation in Canton Ticino (southern Switzerland)

Abstract

Detailed knowledge of factors controlling fire regime is a prerequisite for efficient fire management. We analyzed the fire selectivity of given forest vegetation classes both in terms of fire frequency and fire size for the present fire regime (1982–2005) in Canton Ticino (southern Switzerland). To this end, we investigated the dataset in four categories (all fires, anthropogenic winter fires, anthropogenic summer fires, and natural summer fires) and performed 1000 random Monte Carlo simulations on frequency and size. Anthropogenic winter and summer fires have a similar selectivity, occurring mostly at low elevations in chestnut stands, broadleaved forests, and in the first 50 m from the forest edge. In winter half of the fires in chestnut stands are significantly larger than 1.0 ha and the average burnt area in some coniferous forests tends to be high. Lightning fires seem to occur more frequently in spruce stands and less often in the summer‐humid chestnut and beech stands and the 50–100 m buffer area. In beech forests, in mixed forests, and in the spruce stands affected by natural fire in summer, the fires tend to be small in size. The selectivity observed, especially the selectivity of anthropogenic fires in terms of fire frequency, seems to be also related to geographical parameters such as altitude and aspect, and to anthropogenic characteristics such as closeness to roads or buildings.     

Contribuzione alla flora algologica del mare Adriatico

The specific species-rich high-altitude vegetation of the class Carici rupestris-Kobresietea bellardii Ohba 1974 (CK), with the occurrence of many arctic-alpine and endemic species, was chosen for a case study. The analyses were based on a dataset of 37,204 phytosociological relevés from the Slovak Vegetation Database. The traditional classification of the class CK, based on cluster analyses, was reproduced satisfactorily by means of formalised classification, based on the formal definitions created by the Cocktail method together with the frequency-positive fidelity index affiliation. Unequivocal assignment criteria for all eight associations of both alliances [Oxytropido-Elynion Br.-Bl. (1948) 1949 and Festucion versicoloris Krajina 1933] of the class CK were formulated. The formal delimitations followed the traditional ones very well. It was demonstrated that the results of applying the formal definitions created on the basis of a large, geographically stratified dataset capturing the occurrence of all vegetation types in Slovakia were highly similar in comparison with the traditional classification based on the results of cluster analysis. The reliability and the pros and cons of the expert system are also discussed.     

On‐target ultrasonic digestion of proteins

In the present work, we report a novel on‐target protein cleavage method. The method utilizes ultrasonic energy and allows up to 20 samples to be cleaved in 5 min for protein identification and one sample in 30 s for on‐tissue digestion. The standard proteins were spotted on a conductive glass slide in a volume of 0.5 μL followed by 5 min of ultrasonication after trypsin addition. Controls (5 min, 37°C no ultrasonication) were also assayed. After trypsin addition, digestion of the tissues was enhanced by 30 s of ultrasonication. The samples were analyzed and compared to those obtained by using conventional 3 h heating proteolysis. The low sample volume needed for the digestion and reduction in sample‐handling steps and time are the features that make this method appealing to the many laboratories working with high‐throughput sample treatment.     

围产儿出生缺陷分析及干预措施

摘要目的：掌握围产儿出生缺陷的发生情况,探讨引起围产儿出生缺陷的相关因素,为制订及完善出生缺陷预防对策及干预措施提供科学依据。方法：按照全国出生缺陷监测中心制定的监测方案,对2010年10月1日～2011年9月30日在湘潭市县级及以上医疗保健机构住院分娩的围生儿出生缺陷监测资料进行分析。结果：5年出生缺陷的平均发生率为93．30／万,出生缺陷的发生率无明显趋势（x2=0．114,P=0．736）乡村的出生缺陷发生率明显高于城镇（X2=24．638,P〈O．001）,男性围产儿的出生缺陷发生率显著高于女性（XZ=6．693,P=0．010）,出生缺陷的发生率与季节无关（x2=3．852,P=0．278）,出生缺陷的围产儿死亡率大大高于非出生缺陷）L（X2=2904．583,P〈0．001）,先天性心脏病、肢体畸形（并指／趾、多指／趾、肢体短缩、马蹄内翻足）、唇裂及唇腭裂是高发的出生缺陷。结论：减少出生缺陷的发生是一项长期工程,需要采取综合措施,从各个环节入手,以预防为主,加强优生优育健康教育,落实婚前及围产期保健,推行新生儿疾病筛查,可有效降低出生缺陷的发病率,提高出生人口素质。     

榆耳不同极性提取物的体外抑菌活性

采用圆滤纸片法,以金黄色葡萄球菌O41ermc、S19NMA1、ATCC25923和大肠杆菌ERcat、EΠ￡R、ATCC25923为受试菌种,对榆耳石油醚、氯仿、乙酸乙酯、丙酮、甲醇和水不同极性提取物进行抑菌活性研究。结果表明:榆耳不同极性提取物对不同的菌种均有不同程度的抑制作用。     

Computational model for autophagic vesicle dynamics in single cells

Macroautophagy (autophagy) is a cellular recycling program essential for homeostasis and survival during cytotoxic stress. This process, which has an emerging role in disease etiology and treatment, is executed in four stages through the coordinated action of more than 30 proteins. An effective strategy for studying complicated cellular processes, such as autophagy, involves the construction and analysis of mathematical or computational models. When developed and refined from experimental knowledge, these models can be used to interrogate signaling pathways, formulate novel hypotheses about systems, and make predictions about cell signaling changes induced by specific interventions. Here, we present the development of a computational model describing autophagic vesicle dynamics in a mammalian system. We used time-resolved, live-cell microscopy to measure the synthesis and turnover of autophagic vesicles in single cells. The stochastically simulated model was consistent with data acquired during conditions of both basal and chemically-induced autophagy. The model was tested by genetic modulation of autophagic machinery and found to accurately predict vesicle dynamics observed experimentally. Furthermore, the model generated an unforeseen prediction about vesicle size that is consistent with both published findings and our experimental observations. Taken together, this model is accurate and useful and can serve as the foundation for future efforts aimed at quantitative characterization of autophagy.     

Phylogenetic diversity of endolithic bacteria in Bole granite rock in Xinjiang

The endolithic environment is a ubiquitous microbial habitat for microorganisms, such as lichens, Cyanobacteria and fungi, and it provides mineral nutrients and growth surfaces. In extremely environments, such as hot and cold desert, endolithic communities are often the main form of life. More recently, endolithic microbial communities have been observed inhabiting a variety of rock types ranging from hard granite to porous rocks such as basalt, dolomite, limestone, sandstone and granites. Regardless of geographic location and rock type, each of these habitats is characterized by a subsurface microclimate that prevents endolithic microorganisms growth. Photosynthesis-based endolithic microbial communities commonly inhabit the outer millimeters to centimeters of rocks exposed to the surface. The ability to fix carbon dioxide and in some cases atmospheric dinitrogen, gives the Cyanobacteria a clear competitive advantage over heterotrophic bacteria, so it is been called the main primary producer. Light quality and intensity appear to be the main determinant of the maximum depth to which growth occurs in endolithic phototrophic communities. Valleys of Fantastic Rocks in Bole is close to Alashankou Port of Xinjiang which belongs to extreme continental climate. In order to investigate the structure, composition and diversity of endolithic bacterial community in exposed granitic porphyry in the Valleys of Fantastic Rocks, environmental DNA was directly extracted from granite rock, the 16S rRNA genes were amplified from the total DNA by PCR with bacterial-specific primers, and an endolithic bacterial clone library was constructed. Positive clones were randomly selected from the library and identified by Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP). The unique rRNA types clones were sequenced, analysised and then constructed phylogenetic tree. In total, 129 positive clones were screened and grouped into 46 operational taxonomic unites (OTUs). The clone coverage C value was 89.15%, indicating that most of the estimated endolithic bacterial diversity was sampled. BLAST analysis indicated that 46 OTUs were divided into seven phyla (Acidobacteria, Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, Planctomycetes, Proteobacteria) and five unknown groups. Cyanobacteria (43%), especially the Gp I, form the functional basis for an endolithic bacteria community which contain a wide spectrum species of chemotrophic bacteria (33%) with mainly Actinobacteria, α-Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria. Additionally, most clones that derived from the endolithic bacteria clone library showed high similarity to the sequence deposited in GenBank database with 97%–99%. Besides, 35% of the clones showed less than 97% of sequence similarity, of which 12% sequences were affiliated to genus Rubrobacter. The results suggested that endolithic bacteria in Valleys of Fantastic Rocks in Xinjiang were highly diverse in species richness, and maybe have a diversity of potential novel species and lineages.     

The Pneumatron: An automated pneumatic apparatus for estimating xylem vulnerability to embolism at high temporal resolution

Xylem vulnerability to embolism represents an important trait to determine species distribution patterns and drought resistance. However, estimating embolism resistance frequently requires time-consuming and ambiguous hydraulic lab measurements. Based on a recently developed pneumatic method, we present and test the “Pneumatron”, a device that generates high time-resolution and fully automated vulnerability curves. Embolism resistance is estimated by applying a partial vacuum to extract air from an excised xylem sample, while monitoring the pressure change over time. Although the amount of gas extracted is strongly correlated with the percentage loss of xylem conductivity, validation of the Pneumatron was performed by comparison with the optical method for Eucalyptus camaldulensis leaves. The Pneumatron improved the precision of the pneumatic method considerably, facilitating the detection of small differences in the (percentage of air discharged [PAD] < 0.47%). Hence, the Pneumatron can directly measure the 50% PAD without any fitting of vulnerability curves. PAD and embolism frequency based on the optical method were strongly correlated (r² = 0.93) for E. camaldulensis. By providing an open source platform, the Pneumatron represents an easy, low-cost, and powerful tool for field measurements, which can significantly improve our understanding of plant–water relations and the mechanisms behind embolism.     

SIMEX for correction of dietary exposure effects with Box-Cox transformed data

Modelling dietary data, and especially 24-hr dietary recall (24HDR) data, is a challenge. Ignoring the inherent measurement error (ME) leads to biased effect estimates when the association between an exposure and an outcome is investigated. We propose an adapted simulation extrapolation (SIMEX) algorithm for modelling dietary exposures. For this purpose, we exploit the ME model of the NCI method where we assume the assumption of normally distributed errors of the reported intake on the Box-Cox transformed scale and of unbiased recalls on the original scale. According to the SIMEX algorithm, remeasurements of the observed data with additional ME are generated in order to estimate the association between the level of ME and the resulting effect estimate. Subsequently, this association is extrapolated to the case of zero ME to obtain the corrected estimate. We show that the proposed method fulfils the key property of the SIMEX approach, that is, that the MSE of the generated data will converge to zero if the ME variance converges to zero. Furthermore, the method is applied to real 24HDR data of the I.Family study to correct the effects of salt and alcohol intake on blood pressure. In a simulation study, the method is compared with the NCI method resulting in effect estimates with either smaller MSE or smaller bias in certain situations. In addition, we found our method to be more informative and easier to implement. Therefore, we conclude that the proposed method is useful to promote the dissemination of ME correction methods in nutritional epidemiology.