Estimation of local forest attributes, utilizing two-phase sampling and auxiliary data

This thesis examines the feasibility of a forest inventory method based on two-phase sampling in estimating forest attributes at the stand or substand levels for forest management purposes. The method is based on multi-source forest inventory combining auxiliary data consisting of remote sensing imagery or other geographic information and field measurements. Auxiliary data are utilized as first-phase data for covering all inventory units. Various methods were examined for improving the accuracy of the forest estimates. Pre-processing of auxiliary data in the form of correcting the spectral properties of aerial imagery was examined (I), as was the selection of aerial image features for estimating forest attributes (II). Various spatial units were compared for extracting image features in a remote sensing aided forest inventory utilizing very high resolution imagery (III). A number of data sources were combined and different weighting procedures were tested in estimating forest attributes (IV, V). Correction of the spectral properties of aerial images proved to be a straightforward and advantageous method for improving the correlation between the image features and the measured forest attributes. Testing different image features that can be extracted from aerial photographs (and other very high resolution images) showed that the images contain a wealth of relevant information that can be extracted only by utilizing the spatial organization of the image pixel values. Furthermore, careful selection of image features for the inventory task generally gives better results than inputting all extractable features to the estimation procedure. When the spatial units for extracting very high resolution image features were examined, an approach based on image segmentation generally showed advantages compared with a traditional sample plot-based approach. Combining several data sources resulted in more accurate estimates than any of the individual data sources alone. The best combined estimate can be derived by weighting the estimates produced by the individual data sources by the inverse values of their mean square errors. Despite the fact that the plot-level estimation accuracy in two-phase sampling inventory can be improved in many ways, the accuracy of forest estimates based mainly on single-view satellite and aerial imagery is a relatively poor basis for making stand-level management decisions.

Synthesis, Structure, and Transformation Studies in a Family of Inorganic-Organic Hybrid Framework Structures Based on Indium

Eight new open-framework inorganic-organic hybrid compounds based on indium have been synthesized employing hydrothermal methods. All of the compounds have InO6, C2O4, and HPO3/HPO4/SO4 units connected to form structures of different dimensionality Thus, the compounds have zero- (I), two- (II, III, IV, V, VII, and VIII), and three-dimensionally (VI) extended networks. The formation of the first zero-dimensional hybrid compound is noteworthy In addition, concomitant polymorphic structures have been observed in the present study. The molecular compound, I, was found to be reactive, and the transformation studies in the presence of a base (pyridine) give rise to the polymorphic structures of II and III, while the addition of an acid (H3PO3) gives rise to a new indium phosphite with a pillared layer structure (T1). Preliminary density functional theory calculations suggest that the stabilities of the polymorphs are different, with one of the forms (II) being preferred over the other, which is consistent with the observed experimental behavior. The oxalate units perform more than one role in the present structures. Thus, the oxalate units connect two In centers to satisfy the coordination requirements as well as to achieve charge balance in compounds II, IV, and VI. The terminal oxalate units observed in compounds I, IV, and V suggest the possibility of intermediate structures. Both in-plane and out-of-plane connectivity of the oxalate units were observed in compound VI. The 31 compounds have been characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and P-31 NMR studies.

Postoperative Volume Therapy in Cardiac Surgery : Effects on Hemostatic and Circulatory Variables

Background: Patients may need massive volume-replacement therapy after cardiac surgery because of large fluid transfer perioperatively, and the use of cardiopulmonary bypass. Hemodynamic stability is better maintained with colloids than crystalloids but colloids have more adverse effects such as coagulation disturbances and impairment of renal function than do crystalloids. The present study examined the effects of modern hydroxyethyl starch (HES) and gelatin solutions on blood coagulation and hemodynamics. The mechanism by which colloids disturb blood coagulation was investigated by thromboelastometry (TEM) after cardiac surgery and in vitro by use of experimental hemodilution. Materials and methods: Ninety patients scheduled for elective primary cardiac surgery (Studies I, II, IV, V), and twelve healthy volunteers (Study III) were included in this study. After admission to the cardiac surgical intensive care unit (ICU), patients were randomized to receive different doses of HES 130/0.4, HES 200/0.5, or 4% albumin solutions. Ringer’s acetate or albumin solutions served as controls. Coagulation was assessed by TEM, and hemodynamic measurements were based on thermodilutionally measured cardiac index (CI). Results: HES and gelatin solutions impaired whole blood coagulation similarly as measured by TEM even at a small dose of 7 mL/kg. These solutions reduced clot strength and prolonged clot formation time. These effects were more pronounced with increasing doses of colloids. Neither albumin nor Ringer’s acetate solution disturbed blood coagulation significantly. Coagulation disturbances after infusion of HES or gelatin solutions were clinically slight, and postoperative blood loss was comparable with that of Ringer’s acetate or albumin solutions. Both single and multiple doses of all the colloids increased CI postoperatively, and this effect was dose-dependent. Ringer’s acetate had no effect on CI. At a small dose (7 mL/kg), the effect of gelatin on CI was comparable with that of Ringer’s acetate and significantly less than that of HES 130/0.4 (Study V). However, when the dose was increased to 14 and 21 mL/kg, the hemodynamic effect of gelatin rose and became comparable with that of HES 130/0.4. Conclusions: After cardiac surgery, HES and gelatin solutions impaired clot strength in a dose-dependent manner. The potential mechanisms were interaction with fibrinogen and fibrin formation, resulting in decreased clot strength, and hemodilution. Although the use of HES and gelatin inhibited coagulation, postoperative bleeding on the first postoperative morning in all the study groups was similar. A single dose of HES solutions improved CI postoperatively more than did gelatin, albumin, or Ringer’s acetate. However, when administered in a repeated fashion, (cumulative dose of 14 mL/kg or more), no differences were evident between HES 130/0.4 and gelatin.

Current Care Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation : Implementation, skills and attitudes

Background: The national resuscitation guidelines were published in Finland in 2002 and are based on international guidelines published in 2000. The main goal of the national guidelines, available on the Internet free of charge, is early defibrillation by nurses in an institutional setting. Aim: To study possible changes in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) practices, especially concerning early defibrillation, nurses and students attitudes of guideline implementation and nurses and students ability to implement the guideline recommendations in clinical practices after publication of the Current Care (CC) guidelines for CPR 2002. Material and methods: CPR practices in Finnish health centres; especially concerning rapid defibrillation programmes, as well as the implementation of CC guidelines for CPR was studied in a mail survey to chief physicians of every health centre in Finland (Study I). The CPR skills using an automated external defibrillator (AED) were compared in a study including Objective stuctured clinical examination (OSCE) of resuscitation skills of nurses and nursing students in Finnish and Swedish hospital and institution (Studies II, III). Attitudes towards CPR-D and CPR guidelines among medical and nursing students and secondary hospital nurses were studied in surveys (Studies IV, V). The nurses receiving different CPR training were compared in a randomized trial including OSCE of CPR skills of nurses in Finnish Hospital (Study VI). Results: Two years after the publication, 40.7% of Finnish health centres used national resuscitation guidelines. The proportion of health centres having at least one AED (66%) and principle of nurse-performed defibrillation without the presence of a physician (42%) had increased. The CPR-D training was estimated to be insufficient regarding basic life support and advanced life support in the majority of health centres (Study I). CPR-D skills of nurses and nursing students in two specific Swedish and Finnish hospitals and institutions (Study II and III) were generally inadequate. The nurses performed better than the students and the Swedish nurses surpassed the Finnish ones. Geriatric nurses receiving traditional CPR-D training performed better than those receiving an Internet-based course but both groups failed to defibrillate within 60 s. Thus, the performance was not satisfactory even two weeks after traditional training (Study VI). Unlike the medical students, the nursing students did not feel competent to perform procedures recommended in the cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines including the defibrillation. However, the majority of nursing students felt confident about their ability to perform basic life support. The perceived ability to defibrillate correlated significantly with a positive attitude towards nurse-performed defibrillation and negatively with fear of damaging the patient s heart by defibrillation (Study IV). After the educational intervention, the nurses found their level of CPR-D capability more sufficient than before and felt more confident about their ability to perform defibrillation themselves. A negative attitude toward defibrillation correlated with perceived negative organisational attitudes toward cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines. After CPR-D education in the hospital, the majority (64%) of nurses hesitated to perform defibrillation because of anxiety and 27 % hesitated because of fear of injuring the patient. Also a negative personal attitude towards guidelines increased markedly after education (Study V). Conclusions: Although a significant change had occurred in resuscitation practices in primary health care after publication of national cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines the participants CPR-D skills were not adequate according to the CPR guidelines. The current way of teaching is unlikely to result in participants being able to perform adequate and rapid CPR-D. More information and more frequent training are needed to diminish anxiety concerning defibrillation. Negative beliefs and attitudes toward defibrillation affect the nursing students and nurses attitudes toward cardiopulmonary resuscitation guidelines. CPR-D education increased the participants self-confidence concerning CPR-D skills but it did not reduce their anxiety. AEDs have replaced the manual defibrillators in most institutions, but in spite of the modern devices the anxiety still exists. Basic education does not provide nursing students with adequate CPR-D skills. Thus, frequent training in the workplace has vital importance. This multi-professional program supported by the administration might provide better CPR-D skills. Distance learning alone cannot substitute for traditional small-group learning, tutored hands-on training is needed to learn practical CPR-D skills. Standardized testing would probably help controlling the quality of learning. Training of group-working skills might improve CPR performance.

A New Pathway for the Degradation of a Sesquiterpene Alcohol, Nerolidol by Alcaligenes eutrophus

An oxidative pathway hitherto unknown for tile degradation of a sesquiterpene alcohol, nerolidol (I) by Alcaligenes eutrophus is presented. Fermentation of nerolidol (I) by this organism in a mineral salts medium resulted in the formation of geranylacetone (II) and an optically active alcohol (S)-(+)-geranylacetol (III), as major metabolites. Nerolidol (I) induced cells readily transformed 1,2-epoxynerolidol (IV) and 1,2-dihydroxynerolidol (V) into geranylacetone (II). These cells also exhibited their ability to carry out stereospecific reduction of II into (S)-(+)-geranylacetol (III). Oxygen uptake studies clearly indicated that nerolidol induced cells oxidized compounds II, III, IV, V and ethyleneglycol. Based on these observations a new oxidative pathway for the degradation of I is suggested which envisages the epoxidation of the terminal double bond, opening of the epoxide and cleavage between C-2 and C-3 in a manner similar to the periodate oxidation of diol.

Synthesis of Novel Oxide Pyrochlores, A2BB?O7 (A = La, Nd; BB? = Pb, Sn, Bi), by Alkali Melt Route

Oxide pyrochlores of the formula A2BB? O7 (A = La, Nd; BB? = Pb, Sn, Bi) have been synthesized by a low-temperature ambient-pressure route employing KOH melts. All the compositions, including La2Bi2O7 and its strontium-substituted derivatives, La2-xSrxBi2O7-?, are deeply colored insulators, confirming that a metallic ground state is not achieved for Pb(IV) and Bi(IV/V) oxides with the pyrochlore structure.

Liquid-Liquid Interphase (Biphasic) as the Reaction Medium in the Assembly of a Hierarchy of Structures of 4,4 `-Azodibenzoic Acid with Zinc and Cadmium

The compounds Zn(C12H8N2)](2)C12N2H8(COO)(2)](2)center dot(C6H12O)center dot(H2O), I, Zn(C12H8N2)]C12N2H8(COO)(2)], II, Cd(C12H8N2)(H2O)]C12N2H8(COO)(2)]center dot(H2O), III, Zn(C10N2H8)]C12N2H8(COO)(2)]center dot 0.5(C10N2H8), IV, Cd(C12N2H8(COO)(2)center dot H2O], V, and Zn-3(mu(2)-O)(mu(3)-O)(3)]C12N2H8(COO)(2)], VI, have been synthesized by using a biphasic approach (I, III, V, VI) or regular hydrothermal method (II, IV). The compounds exhibit one (I and II), two (In), and three dimensionally (IV, V, VI) extended structures. The flexible azodibenzoate ligand gives rise to a 3-fold interpenetration (IV) when the synthesis was carried out using normal hydrothermal methods. The biphasic approach forms structures without any interpenetrations, especially in the three-dimensional structures of V and VI. Formation of Cd2O2 dimers in V and extended M-O(H)-M two-dimensional layers in VI suggests the subtle structural control achieved by the biphasic method. Transformation studies indicate that it is possible to transform I to II. Lewis acid catalytic studies have been performed to evaluate the role of the coordination environment in such reactions. All the compounds have been characterized by a variety of techniques that includes powder X-ray diffraction, infrared, thermogravitric analysis, UV-vis, photoluminescence studies.

Fundamentos de economía agraria

Este texto representa un esfuerzo por tratar de simplificar la asignatura de economía agraria. Desde luego que este material representa un primer nivel para estudiantes de la carrera de Economía Agraria y carreras afines. Para las carreras técnicas relacionadas con el sector agropecuario como Ingeniería Agrónoma, Forestal y otras, este material se considera suficiente. La lógica del material es ubicar al proceso productivo con sus principales factores, analizando la fase del proceso productivo propiamente dicho y la fase post-productiva. En la fase productiva se analizan los factores productivos: tierra, capital, ecursos laborales e intensificación de la producción como un proceso complejo y multifactorial. La fase post-productiva es una introducción al análisis de factores más complejos, como la administración de la oferta-demanda y la planificación como un proceso clave para el desarrollo de las unidades productivas y por ende del sector agropecuario. Siguiendo la secuencia anterior, el texto se ha divido en once capítulos: El Capítulo I "Evolución de pensamiento económico", pretende ubicar al lector en una dimensión de que los fenómenos económicos y sus particularidades han venido evolucionando en el tiempo, pero en los países pobres y subdesarrollados implementamos y adoptamos concepciones obsoletas y equivocadas. El Capítulo II "La economia agraria como ciencia", explica diferentes conceptos, objeto y métodos de la economía agrícola como ciencia y algunas particularidades de la economía agropecuaria como sector. El Capítulo III "Desarrollo económico-social y Sistema de la agricultura nicaragüense", brinda un panorama general del sector agrope- cuario del país. Los capítulos IV, V, VI,Vll Y VIII analizan las condiciones naturales (localización) tierra, capital recursos laborales e intensificación de la producción como factores de producción y sus respectivos indicadores que caracterizan el nivel de uso y racionalidad de los mismos. Los capítulos IX. X y XI analizan factores más complejos, como costo, comercialización y planificación, los cuales requieren de un alto nivel de conocimiento de los productores y especialistas para darle un manejo racional. En conclusión este texto pretende inducir al lector a que la esencia del concepto ECONOMLA. es la permanente búsqueda de reservas productivas. Si los productores y especialistas agropecuarios hiciéramos el análisis de la estructura de los recursos productivos, lo cuales un análisis elemental, nos brindaría importante información para buscar alternativas de racionalidad sin necesidad de recurrir a análisis más complejos, lo cual sería una segunda parte de este trabajo. Consideramos que este texto será una importante herramienta no sólo para los estudiantes de Ingeniería y Economía agrarias, sino también para todos aquellos profesionales que se encuentran vinvulados de una forma u otra con las actividades agrosocio-económicas en nuestro país.

胜利油区化学驱油技术面临的矛盾及对策

在化学驱技术水平现状分析、化学驱资源评价和实施效果跟踪的基础上,深入分析了制约胜利油区化学驱发展的主要矛盾。在长期室内试验研究和矿场实践中总结出“P+N”聚合物驱加合增效理论,针对制约化学驱发展的主要矛盾,开展了耐温抗盐聚合物、有机复合交联体系、强化泡沫驱、二元驱等研究工作,为胜利油区化学驱油技术的发展提供了有力的技术支撑,拓宽了化学驱油技术的应用领域。

Decadas da Asia, que tratam dos mares, que descobriram, armadas, que desbaratarão, exercitos, que vencerão, e das acçoens heroicas, e façanhas bellicas, que obrarão os portuguezes nas conquistas do oriente : escritas por Diogo do Couto, cronista e guarda mor da Torre do Tombo do Estado da India

Diogo do Couto nasceu em Lisboa em 1542 e morreu em Goa em 1616. Historiador e guarda-mor do Tombo de Goa. Continuou por ordem de Filipe II as Décadas de João de Barros, escrevendo da quarta à décima segunda. Segundo Inocêncio, as ‘Décadas’ IV, V, Vl, VII e VIII foram todas reimpressas, saindo juntamente com a IX, ou o seu epilogo, que, pela primeira vez então se estampou com o titulo ‘Decadas da Asia, que tratam dos mares’. A edição de 1736 não contém os cinco livros da ‘Década XII’, apesar de já terem sido publicados naquela época

Catches of Humpback Whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, by the Soviet Union and Other Nations in the Southern Ocean, 1947–1973

From 1947 to 1973, the U.S.S.R. conducted a huge campaign of illegal whaling worldwide. We review Soviet catches of humpback whales, Megaptera novaeangliae, in the Southern Ocean during this period, with an emphasis on the International Whaling Commission’s Antarctic Management Areas IV, V, and VI (the principal regions of illegal Soviet whaling on this species, south of Australia and western Oceania). Where possible, we summarize legal and illegal Soviet catches by year, Management Area, and factory fleet, and also include information on takes by other nations. Soviet humpback catches between 1947 and 1973 totaled 48,702 and break down as follows: 649 (Area I), 1,412 (Area II), 921 (Area III), 8,779 (Area IV), 22,569 (Area V), and 7,195 (Area VI), with 7,177 catches not currently assignable to area. In all, at least 72,542 humpback whales were killed by all operations (Soviet plus other nations) after World War II in Areas IV (27,201), V (38,146), and VI (7,195). More than one-third of these (25,474 whales, of which 25,192 came from Areas V and VI) were taken in just two seasons, 1959–60 and 1960–61. The impact of these takes, and of those from Area IV in the late 1950’s, is evident in the sometimes dramatic declines in catches at shore stations in Australia, New Zealand, and at Norfolk Island. When compared to recent estimates of abundance and initial population size, the large removals from Areas IV and V indicate that the populations in these regions remain well below pre-exploitation levels despite reported strong growth rates off eastern and western Australia. Populations in many areas of Oceania continue to be small, indicating that the catches from Area VI and eastern Area V had long-term impacts on recovery.

狗脊(Woodwardia japonica(L. f.)Sm)化学成分研究

从狗脊(Woodwardia japonica (L. f.) Sm.)中分离得到六个化合物，经解析，分别鉴定为：山柰素-3-O-α-L-(4-O-乙酰基)鼠李糖基-7-O-α-L-鼠李糖甙(I)、山柰素-3-O-α-L-鼠李糖基-7-O-α-L-鼠李糖甙(II)、狗脊蕨酸 (III)、β-谷甾醇 (IV)、胡萝卜甙 (V)，β-谷甾醇-3-O-α-L-(6-O-正十六酰基)葡萄糖甙(VI)。MS-MS检测并鉴定化合物一个：β-谷甾醇-3-O-α-L-(6-O-正十五酰基)葡萄糖甙(VII)。以上化合物均系首次从该植物中获得，化合物VI、VII为新化合物。另有六个化合物，未能分离得到化合物单体，经解析，可以确定其中五个化合物的结构物，分别为：山柰素-7-O-α-L-鼠李糖甙(VIII-I)、山柰素-3-O-α-L-(3,4-O-2乙酰基)鼠李糖甙(VIII-II)、山柰素-3-O-α-L-鼠李糖甙(VIII-IV)、山柰素-3-O-α-L-(3-O-乙酰基)鼠李糖甙(VIII-V)、山柰素-3-O-α-L-(4-O-乙酰基)鼠李糖甙(VIII-VI)。