Organic material decomposition and nutrient dynamics in a mulch system enriched with leguminous trees in the Amazon

The new techniques proposed for agriculture in the Amazon region include rotational fallow systems enriched with leguminous trees and the replacement of biomass burning by mulching. Decomposition and nutrient release from mulch were studied using fine-mesh litterbags with five different leguminous species and the natural fallow vegetation as control. Samples from each treatment were analyzed for total C, N, P, K, Ca, Mg, lignin, cellulose content and soluble polyphenol at different sampling times over the course of one year. The decomposition rate constant varied with species and time. Weight loss from the decomposed litter bag material after 96 days was 30.1 % for Acacia angustissima, 32.7 % for Sclerolobium paniculatum, 33.9 % for Iinga edulis and the Fallow vegetation, 45.2 % for Acacia mangium and 63.6 % for Clitoria racemosa. Immobilization of N and P was observed in all studied treatments. Nitrogen mineralization was negatively correlated with phenol, C-to-N ratio, lignin + phenol/N ratio, and phenol/phosphorus ratios and with N content in the litterbag material. After 362 days of field incubation, an average (of all treatments), 3.3 % K, 32.2 % Ca and 22.4 % Mg remained in the mulch. Results confirm that low quality and high amount of organic C as mulch application are limiting for the quantity of energy available for microorganisms and increase the nutrient immobilization for biomass decomposition, which results in competition for nutrients with the crop plants.

Surrogate decision making for patients with end-stage dementia.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to explore how health surrogates of patients with dementia proceed in decision making, which considerations are decisive, and whether family surrogates and professional guardians decide differently. METHODS: We conducted an experimental vignette study using think aloud protocol analysis. Thirty-two family surrogates and professional guardians were asked to decide on two hypothetical case vignettes, concerning a feeding tube placement and a cardiac pacemaker implantation in patients with end-stage dementia. They had to verbalize their thoughts while deciding. Verbalizations were audio-recorded, transcribed, and analyzed according to content analysis. By experimentally changing variables in the vignettes, the impact of these variables on the outcome of decision making was calculated. RESULTS: Although only 25% and 31% of the relatives gave their consent to the feeding tube and pacemaker placement, respectively, 56% and 81% of the professional guardians consented to these life-sustaining measures. Relatives decided intuitively, referred to their own preferences, and focused on the patient's age, state of wellbeing, and suffering. Professional guardians showed a deliberative approach, relied on medical and legal authorities, and emphasized patient autonomy. Situational variables such as the patient's current behavior and the views of health care professionals and family members had higher impacts on decisions than the patient's prior statements or life attitudes. CONCLUSIONS: Both the process and outcome of surrogate decision making depend heavily on whether the surrogate is a relative or not. These findings have implications for the physician-surrogate relationship and legal frameworks regarding surrogacy. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Record of Decision, Council Bluffs Interstate System(I-29, I-80 and I-480) Improvements Project, October 15, 2005

The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approves the selection of the Reconstruction of All or Part of the Interstate (Construction Alternative) as the Preferred Alternative to provide improvements to the interstate system in the Omaha/Council Bluffs metropolitan area, extending across the Missouri River on Interstate 80 to east of the Interstate 480 interchange in Omaha, Nebraska. The study considered long-term, broad-based transportation improvements along Interstate I-29 (I-29), I-80, and I-480, including approximately 18 mainline miles of interstate and 14 interchanges (3 system, 11 service), that would add capacity and correct functional issues along the mainline and interchanges and upgrade the I-80 Missouri River Crossing.

Induced aggregation operators in decision making with the Dempster-Shafer belief structure

We study the induced aggregation operators. The analysis begins with a revision of some basic concepts such as the induced ordered weighted averaging (IOWA) operator and the induced ordered weighted geometric (IOWG) operator. We then analyze the problem of decision making with Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence. We suggest the use of induced aggregation operators in decision making with Dempster-Shafer theory. We focus on the aggregation step and examine some of its main properties, including the distinction between descending and ascending orders and different families of induced operators. Finally, we present an illustrative example in which the results obtained using different types of aggregation operators can be seen.

The induced 2-tuple linguistic generalized OWA operator and its application in linguistic decision making

[spa] Se presenta el operador de media ponderada ordenada generalizada lingüística de 2 tuplas inducida (2-TILGOWA). Es un nuevo operador de agregación que extiende los anteriores modelos a través de utilizar medias generalizadas, variables de ordenación inducidas e información lingüística representada mediante el modelo de las 2 tuplas lingüísticas. Su principal ventaja se encuentra en la posibilidad de incluir a un gran número de operadores de agregación lingüísticos como casos particulares. Por eso, el análisis puede ser visto desde diferentes perspectivas de forma que se obtiene una visión más completa del problema considerado y seleccionar la alternativa que parece estar en mayor concordancia con nuestros intereses o creencias. A continuación se desarrolla una generalización mayor a través de utilizar medias cuasi-aritméticas, obteniéndose el operador Quasi-2-TILOWA. El trabajo finaliza analizando la aplicabilidad del nuevo modelo en un problema de toma de decisiones sobre gestión de la producción.

The generalized index of maximum and minimum level and its application in decision making

[spa] El índice del máximo y el mínimo nivel es una técnica muy útil, especialmente para toma de decisiones, que usa la distancia de Hamming y el coeficiente de adecuación en el mismo problema. En este trabajo, se propone una generalización a través de utilizar medias generalizadas y cuasi aritméticas. A estos operadores de agregación, se les denominará el índice del máximo y el mínimo nivel medio ponderado ordenado generalizado (GOWAIMAM) y cuasi aritmético (Quasi-OWAIMAM). Estos nuevos operadores generalizan una amplia gama de casos particulares como el índice del máximo y el mínimo nivel generalizado (GIMAM), el OWAIMAM, y otros. También se desarrolla una aplicación en la toma de decisiones sobre selección de productos.

Induced aggregation operators in decision making with the Dempster-Shafer belief structure

We study the induced aggregation operators. The analysis begins with a revision of some basic concepts such as the induced ordered weighted averaging (IOWA) operator and the induced ordered weighted geometric (IOWG) operator. We then analyze the problem of decision making with Dempster-Shafer theory of evidence. We suggest the use of induced aggregation operators in decision making with Dempster-Shafer theory. We focus on the aggregation step and examine some of its main properties, including the distinction between descending and ascending orders and different families of induced operators. Finally, we present an illustrative example in which the results obtained using different types of aggregation operators can be seen.

The induced 2-tuple linguistic generalized OWA operator and its application in linguistic decision making

[spa] Se presenta el operador de media ponderada ordenada generalizada lingüística de 2 tuplas inducida (2-TILGOWA). Es un nuevo operador de agregación que extiende los anteriores modelos a través de utilizar medias generalizadas, variables de ordenación inducidas e información lingüística representada mediante el modelo de las 2 tuplas lingüísticas. Su principal ventaja se encuentra en la posibilidad de incluir a un gran número de operadores de agregación lingüísticos como casos particulares. Por eso, el análisis puede ser visto desde diferentes perspectivas de forma que se obtiene una visión más completa del problema considerado y seleccionar la alternativa que parece estar en mayor concordancia con nuestros intereses o creencias. A continuación se desarrolla una generalización mayor a través de utilizar medias cuasi-aritméticas, obteniéndose el operador Quasi-2-TILOWA. El trabajo finaliza analizando la aplicabilidad del nuevo modelo en un problema de toma de decisiones sobre gestión de la producción.

The generalized index of maximum and minimum level and its application in decision making

[spa] El índice del máximo y el mínimo nivel es una técnica muy útil, especialmente para toma de decisiones, que usa la distancia de Hamming y el coeficiente de adecuación en el mismo problema. En este trabajo, se propone una generalización a través de utilizar medias generalizadas y cuasi aritméticas. A estos operadores de agregación, se les denominará el índice del máximo y el mínimo nivel medio ponderado ordenado generalizado (GOWAIMAM) y cuasi aritmético (Quasi-OWAIMAM). Estos nuevos operadores generalizan una amplia gama de casos particulares como el índice del máximo y el mínimo nivel generalizado (GIMAM), el OWAIMAM, y otros. También se desarrolla una aplicación en la toma de decisiones sobre selección de productos.

Properties of top soil and the relationship between soil and trees in a boreal Scots pine stand

Summary

What trees tell us: dendrochronological and statistical analysis of the data

Trees are a great bank of data, named sometimes for this reason as the "silentwitnesses" of the past. Due to annual formation of rings, which is normally influenced directly by of climate parameters (generally changes in temperature and moisture or precipitation) and other environmental factors; these changes, occurred in the past, are"written" in the tree "archives" and can be "decoded" in order to interpret what hadhappened before, mainly applied for the past climate reconstruction.Using dendrochronological methods for obtaining samples of Pinus nigra fromthe Catalonian PrePirineous region, the cores of 15 trees with total time spine of about 100 - 250 years were analyzed for the tree ring width (TRW) patterns and had quite high correlation between them (0.71 ¿ 0.84), corresponding to a common behaviour for the environmental changes in their annual growth.After different trials with raw TRW data for standardization in order to take outthe negative exponential growth curve dependency, the best method of doubledetrending (power transformation and smoothing line of 32 years) were selected for obtaining the indexes for further analysis.Analyzing the cross-correlations between obtained tree ring width indexes andclimate data, significant correlations (p<0.05) were observed in some lags, as forexample, annual precipitation in lag -1 (previous year) had negative correlation with TRW growth in the Pallars region. Significant correlation coefficients are between 0.27- 0.51 (with positive or negative signs) for many cases; as for recent (but very short period) climate data of Seu d¿Urgell meteorological station, some significant correlation coefficients were observed, of the order of 0.9.These results confirm the hypothesis of using dendrochronological data as aclimate signal for further analysis, such as reconstruction of climate in the past orprediction in the future for the same locality.