Global processes of urban growth lead to severe environmental impacts such as temperature increase with an intensification of the urban heat island effect, and hydrological changes with far reaching ...consequences for plant growth and human health and well-being. Urban trees can help to mitigate the negative effects of climate change by providing ecosystem services such as carbon storage, shading, cooling by transpiration or reduction of rainwater runoff. The extent of each ecosystem service is closely linked with the tree species as well as with a tree's age, size, structure and vitality. To evaluate the ecosystem services of urban trees, the process-based growth model CityTree was developed which is able to estimate not only tree growth but also the species-specific ecosystem services including carbon storage, transpiration and runoff, shading, and cooling by transpiration. The model was parametrized for the species small-leaved lime (Tilia cordata), robinia (Robinia pseudoacacia), plane (Platanus×acerifolia) and horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum). The model validation for tree growth (stem diameter increment, coefficient of correlation=0.76) as well as for the water balance (transpiration, coefficient of correlation=0.92) seems plausible and realistic. Tree growth and ecosystem services were simulated and analyzed for Central European cities both under current climate conditions and for the future climate scenarios. The simulations revealed that urban trees can significantly improve the urban climate and mitigate climate change effects. The quantity of the improvements depends on tree species and tree size as well as on the specific site conditions. Such simulation scenarios can be a proper basis for planning options to mitigate urban climate changes in individual cities.
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•Climate change and increasing urbanization will clearly affect the urban climate.•Ecosystem services of urban trees can mitigate urban climate changes.•An urban tree growth model is introduced which is able to simulate these services.•Growth is calculated process based in dependence on environmental conditions.•Ecosystem services strongly depend on species, tree age and tree size.
Key message
A model for sustainable planning of urban tree stocks is proposed, incorporating growth, mortality, replacement rates and ecosystem service provision, providing a basis for planning of ...urban tree stocks.
Many recent studies have improved the knowledge about urban trees, their structures, functions, and ecosystem services. We introduce a concept and model for the sustainable management of urban trees, analogous to the concept of sustainable forestry developed by Carl von Carlowitz and others. The main drivers of the model are species-specific tree diameter growth functions and mortality rates. Based on the initial tree stock and options for the annual replanting, the shift of the distribution of the number of trees per age class can be predicted with progressing time. Structural characteristics such as biomass and leaf area are derived from tree dimensions that can be related to functions such as carbon sequestration or cooling. To demonstrate the potential of the dynamic model, we first show how different initial stocks of trees can be quantitatively assessed by sustainability indicators compared to a target stock. Second, we derive proxy variables for ecosystem services (e.g. biomass for carbon sequestration, leaf area for deposition and shading) from a given distribution of the number of trees per age class. Third, we show by scenario analyses how selected ecosystem services and functions may be improved by combining complementary tree species. We exercise one aspect (cooling) of one ecosystem service (temperature mitigation) as an example. The approach integrates mosaic pieces of knowledge about urban trees, their structures, functions, and resulting ecosystem services. The presented model makes this knowledge available for a sustainable management of urban tree stocks. We discuss the potential and relevance of the developed concept and model for ecologically and economically sustainable planning and management, in view of progressing urbanization and environmental changes.
•Social-comparative feedback produced a valent (emotional) response.•Type of feedback did not lead to any differential changes in balance performance.•Despite the valent response, feedback did not ...alter corticospinal excitability.
Social-comparative feedback informs an individual that their performance was better or worse than the group. Previous studies have found that compared to knowledge of results alone, social-comparative feedback produces a valence response that results in larger improvements in balance performance. However, the neural processes contributing to these motor improvements have not yet been examined.
Does social-comparative feedback alter corticospinal excitability and consequently, balance performance?
Thirty-six healthy young adults stood and maintained their balance on a stabiliometer for eight trials. After three of the trials, the neutral (i.e., only knowledge of results) group received their performance feedback (i.e., time on balance) while the other two groups also received positive (i.e., performed better than the group) or negative (i.e., performed worse than the group) social-comparative feedback. To measure corticospinal excitability, soleus motor-evoked potentials were elicited using transcranial magnetic stimulation at the beginning of the experiment, after the presentation of feedback, and at the end of the experiment. Pre- and post- ratings of confidence, perceived skill, motivation, and anxiety were also collected.
The negative feedback group reported decreases in perceived skill (43 ± 29%) and balance confidence (26 ± 28%), while the positive group reported a 13 ± 17% increase in perceived skill. Despite these group differences in feedback perception, all three groups improved their balance performance by ≈35% (p < 0.001) by the eighth trial. However, this improvement in balance performance was not matched by any changes in corticospinal excitability over time (19.2 ± 55.9% change; p = 0.340) or between groups (p = 0.734).
Our findings suggest that social-comparative feedback, as presented in this study, does not affect corticospinal excitability and balance performance differently than knowledge of results (neutral feedback) alone. More arousing and more frequent forms of social-comparative feedback may be necessary for observing larger changes in the functional or neural control of balance.
We present the first determination of the energy-dependent amplitudes of N⁎ resonances extracted from their decay in KΛ pairs in p+p→pK+Λ reactions. A combined Partial Wave Analysis of seven data ...samples with exclusively reconstructed p+p→pK+Λ events measured by the COSY-TOF, DISTO, FOPI and HADES Collaborations in fixed target experiments at kinetic energies between 2.14 to 3.5 GeV is used to determine the amplitude of the resonant and non-resonant contributions into the associated strangeness final state. The contribution of seven N⁎ resonances with masses between 1650 MeV/c2 and 1900 MeV/c2 for an excess energy between 0 and 600 MeV has been considered. The Σ–p cusp and final state interactions for the p–Λ channel are also included as coherent contributions in the PWA. The N⁎ contribution is found to be dominant with respect to the phase space emission of the pKΛ+ final state at all energies demonstrating the important role played by both N⁎ and interference effects in hadron–hadron collisions.
Background
Respiratory infections are the main causes for hospitalization in children and a common reason for the initiation of antibiotic treatment. Rapid antigen detection tests and point-of-care ...mPCR-based assays provide a fast detection of viral pathogens. Nonetheless, the prescription rate of antibiotics for respiratory infections is exceedingly high. In particular, human metapneumovirus (hMPV) infections frequently cause antibiotic treatment.
Methods
Children hospitalized in our clinic with an acute respiratory infection between January 2008 and January 2013 were included in the present study. Data of 3799 children were analyzed retrospectively for clinical symptoms, laboratory findings, and antibiotic and inhalation treatment. We performed an in-house m-RT-PCR-ELISA method for pathogen detection.
Results
Pathogen detection was possible in 2464 patients. In 6.3%, hMPV and, in 24.0%, RSV were detected. Patients positively tested for hMPV received inhalation therapy in 62.9%; patients positive for RSV in 73.8%. Patients positive for hMPV were treated with antibiotics in 62.3%. Patients with RSV infection received antibiotic treatment in 44.4%; all others in 43.5%. Notably, a positive result in RSV-RADT was associated with reduced number of antibiotic treatment.
Conclusion
hMPV infections inherit a two times higher probability of antibiotic treatment. There was no significant difference in laboratory findings or body temperature between hMPV infection and infections caused by other pathogens. Clinical symptoms seem not to differ from those in RSV illness. Nonetheless, RSV infections triggered significantly lower antibiotic prescription rates. A considerate application of a POC-mPCR for patients with RSV-like symptoms and age of 1 year and older with a negative RSV-RADT might lead to higher detection rates of hMPV and a reduction in prescription of antibiotics.
Single-spin asymmetries have been measured for semi-inclusive electroproduction of π+, π−, π0 and K+ mesons in deep-inelastic scattering off a longitudinally polarised deuterium target. The ...asymmetries appear in the distribution of the hadrons in the azimuthal angle φ around the virtual photon direction, relative to the lepton scattering plane. The corresponding analysing powers in the sinφ moment of the cross section are 0.012±0.002(stat.)±0.002(syst.) for π+, 0.006±0.003(stat.)±0.002(syst.) for π−, 0.021±0.005(stat.)±0.003(syst.) for π0 and 0.013±0.006(stat.)±0.003(syst.) for K+. The sin2φ moments are compatible with zero for all particles.
•R. pseudoacacia is more water use efficient than T. cordata.•This is particularly true under drought conditions.•R. pseudoacacia limits its microclimatic cooling effect more than T. cordata.•T. ...cordata is more prone to growth limitations due to drought conditions.
Urban trees are supposed to have an important regulating function for the urban microclimate, carbon sequestration and a number of other ecosystem services. Vice versa, urban trees suffer from droughts that are typically enhanced within the urban heat island. In the present study, we examined how ecosystem services cooling and carbon sequestration by urban trees were impaired due to the extreme Central European drought periods in the years 2018 and 2019. The analysis was based on continuous measurements of tree growth, sap flow and meteorological characteristics along a transect of five sites of Tilia cordata and three sites of Robinia pseudoacacia spread over the urban area of Würzburg, Germany. The biomass increment of both tree species was reduced up to 50 % with respect to normal weather conditions, especially in the extreme drought year 2018. The studied tree species revealed contrasting growth strategies with T. cordata being more prone to droughts than R. pseudoacacia. Under drought conditions R. pseudoacacia showed twice as much carbon sequestration as T. cordata, which means that R. pseudoacacia is much more water use efficient than T. cordata. In drought years the water use efficiency increases up to 4.4 kg (kg H2O)−1 for R. pseudoacacia, while it remains at 0.83–0.86 kg (kg H2O)−1 for T. cordata. Whereas both species have shown substantially reduced transpiration rates in both years, T. cordata had a higher transpiration activity than R. pseudoacacia, Hence, T. cordata made a larger contribution to microclimatic cooling in drought and normal years. These findings are systematically depending on the specific sites within the urban area.
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Abstract Background Pulsed field ablation (PFA) is an emerging method for catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF). Data comparing efficacy and safety of PFA compared to thermal ablation is ...still scarce. In this study, we compared a cohort of patients who underwent PFA with those who received very high power short duration (vHPSD) radiofrequency catheter ablation at the University Hospital Graz. Methods We analysed baseline data from both cohorts (PFA: n=231; RF: n=243). Both procedures were performed under deep sedation, using propofol and fentanyl. The PFA procedure involved 2x2x2 pulses, with additional pulses as required. RF procedures were performed using the QDOT Micro catheter to deliver 90 watts of energy over 4 seconds. Statistical analysis was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 29. The Kruskal-Wallis test was used for quantitative non-parametric data in the baseline analysis, and the Man-Whitney-U test was used for quantitative non-parametric procedural data. For qualitative variables the Chi-squared test was used. A p-value of less than 0,05 was considered significant. Results Both groups were similar, apart from chronic heart failure, which was more prevalent in the RF group (p=0.003). Mean age for both groups was 62±10 years and mean body mass index did not differ as well. CHADS-VASc score was 2±2 in the RF and 2±1 in the PFA group (p=0.7). The types of AF were distributed as follows: (RF vs.PFA): PAF: 64%/61%; persAF: 34/36%; long standing persAF: 2%/3%. As to this date performing a CTI line with PFA is off-label, a significantly higher number of patients with additional flutter were ablated in the RF group. In the RF-group, 91 patients underwent additional cavotricuspid isthmus ablation, compared to only 14 patients in the PFA group (p<0.001). Procedural time (RF:PFA 122±min:57±26min; p<0.001), fluoroscopy time (RF:PFA 15±9min:19±9min; p<0.001) and fluoroscopy dose (RF:PFA 17±40Gycm2:15±15Gycm2, p=0.026) showed significant differences, with procedural time and fluoroscopy dose presenting lower values in the PFA group. First pass isolation was achieved more frequently in the PFA group (85% vs. 57%; p<0,001). There was significant difference in recurrence rates between the vHPSD and PFA groups (RF: 56/242 (28%), PFA: 38/231 (17%); p=0.005). Additionally, time to recurrence in the RF group was 138±117 days, compared to 166±84min in the PFA group. We exclude operator dependence as the same operators performed both procedures. Conclusion Based on our findings, PFA could potentially become the standard procedure for many patients. However, randomized trials are needed to confirm these findings.
SiΛvio: A trigger for Λ-hyperons Münzer, Robert; Berger, Martin; Fabbietti, Laura ...
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
05/2014, Letnik:
745
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
As online trigger for events containing Λ hyperons in p+p collisions at 3.1GeV a silicon-based device has been designed and built. This system has been integrated close to the target region within ...the FOPI spectrometer at GSI and was also employed as a tracking device to improve the vertex reconstruction of secondary decays. The design of the detector components, read-out, the trigger capability as well as the tracking performance are presented. An enrichment factor of about 14 was achieved for events containing a Λ-hyperon candidate.
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