Real-time tree-foliage surface estimation using a ground laser scanner

The optimization of most pesticide and fertilizer applications is based on overall grove conditions. In this work we measurements. Recently, Wei [9, 10] used a terrestrial propose a measurement system based on a ground laser scanner to LIDAR to measure tree height, width and volume developing estimate the volume of the trees and then extrapolate their foliage a set of experiments to evaluate the repeatability and surface in real-time. Tests with pear trees demonstrated that the accuracy of the measurements, obtaining a coefficient of relation between the volume and the foliage can be interpreted as variation of 5.4% and a relative error of 4.4% in the linear with a coefficient of correlation (R) of 0.81 and the foliar estimation of the volume but without real-time capabilities. surface can be estimated with an average error less than 5 %.

Comportamento de seis variedades de pomelo (Citrus paradisi Macfad.) cultivadas sob irrigação na região semi-árida de Pernambuco

O uso da irrigação nas regiões semi-áridas do Nordeste brasileiro tem viabilizado o cultivo comercial de inúmeras fruteiras, tais como a uva, a manga, a goiaba, o coco e a banana. Outras espécies, como o pomelo, ou grapefruit, vêm sendo ainda objeto de estudos e avaliações. Uma coleção formada de 06 variedades de pomelos (Citrus paradisi), de polpas com coloração rosa-avermelhada ('Marsh Foster', 'Star Ruby', 'Rio Red' e 'Red Blush') e amarelada ('Triumph' e 'Marsh Foster Nucelar'), foi implantada em 1993 na Estação Experimental de Ibimirim, localizada no município de Ibimirim, no Vale do Rio Moxotó - região semi-árida de Pernambuco. Contando com cinco plantas por parcela, a coleção foi conduzida sob irrigação localizada e as avaliações realizadas durante três anos (2000 a 2002). Os resultados demostraram alta variabilidade na produção de frutos, tendo a variedade 'Marsh Foster Nucelar' alcançado a produção média de 135,0 kg/planta, enquanto a 'Star Ruby' atingiu apenas 31,0 kg/planta. O peso médio dos frutos variou de 285,5g ('Red Blush') até um máximo de 401,6g na variedade 'Triumph'. O volume de suco extraído, os sólidos solúveis totais (SST), a acidez total titulável (ATT) e a relação SSS/ATT também apresentaram mudanças entre as variedades estudadas.

Estimation of age- and stage-specific Catalan breast cancer survival functions using US and Catalan survival data

Background: During the last part of the 1990s the chance of surviving breast cancer increased. Changes in survival functions reflect a mixture of effects. Both, the introduction of adjuvant treatments and early screening with mammography played a role in the decline in mortality. Evaluating the contribution of these interventions using mathematical models requires survival functions before and after their introduction. Furthermore, required survival functions may be different by age groups and are related to disease stage at diagnosis. Sometimes detailed information is not available, as was the case for the region of Catalonia (Spain). Then one may derive the functions using information from other geographical areas. This work presents the methodology used to estimate age- and stage-specific Catalan breast cancer survival functions from scarce Catalan survival data by adapting the age- and stage-specific US functions. Methods: Cubic splines were used to smooth data and obtain continuous hazard rate functions. After, we fitted a Poisson model to derive hazard ratios. The model included time as a covariate. Then the hazard ratios were applied to US survival functions detailed by age and stage to obtain Catalan estimations. Results: We started estimating the hazard ratios for Catalonia versus the USA before and after the introduction of screening. The hazard ratios were then multiplied by the age- and stage-specific breast cancer hazard rates from the USA to obtain the Catalan hazard rates. We also compared breast cancer survival in Catalonia and the USA in two time periods, before cancer control interventions (USA 1975–79, Catalonia 1980–89) and after (USA and Catalonia 1990–2001). Survival in Catalonia in the 1980–89 period was worse than in the USA during 1975–79, but the differences disappeared in 1990–2001. Conclusion: Our results suggest that access to better treatments and quality of care contributed to large improvements in survival in Catalonia. On the other hand, we obtained detailed breast cancer survival functions that will be used for modeling the effect of screening and adjuvant treatments in Catalonia.

El Semi-Semanario Ilerdense (1822)

En este artículo se pretende analizar la prensa de la ciudad de Lleida durante el Trienio Liberal. Para ello se ha iniciado el texto introduciendo un contexto histórico marcado por la contrarrevolución realista destinada a acabar con el gobierno liberal. Para a continuación esbozar una breve caracterización de la prensa en el Trienio Liberal. Finalmente se estudian de una manera pormenorizada los ocho números del Semi-Semanario Ilerdense (1822), el único periódico editado y publicado en Lleida a lo largo del período liberal, el cual se identificó por su carácter liberal exaltado.

Efeito do ácido indolbutírico e época de coleta no enraizamento de estacas semi-lenhosas do cacaueiro

O objetivo do trabalho foi verificar o efeito do ácido indolbutírico (AIB) no enraizamento de estacas do cacaueiro. O delineamento experimental foi o inteiramente casualizado, em esquema fatorial 3 x 5 x 2, envolvendo 3 clones (Cepec 2008, CCN 51 e TSH 1188), 5 concentrações de ácido indolbutírico AIB (0; 1.000; 3.000; 6.000 e 9.000 mg kg-1), duas épocas do ano (verão e inverno),, cinco repetições e 10 estacas por parcela. A avaliação do experimento foi realizada 120 dias após o plantio e analisadas as seguintes variáveis: percentagem de sobrevivência (SOB), número de brotações (NB), matéria seca das brotações (MSB), percentagem de estacas enraizadas (ENR), número de raízes (NR) e matéria seca de raízes (MSR). Os fatores época do ano e concentração de AIB apresentaram efeito significativo para as variáveis estudadas quando isolados e em interação com os clones. Os dados obtidos possibilitaram concluir que o valor médio da concentração ideal de AIB (CI) foi de 4.169 mg kg-1 e 3.985 mg kg-1 no verão e inverno, respectivamente. Verificou-se que os clones apresentam diferentes respostas em relação à CI de AIB e época do ano. De modo geral, as CIs no verão foram maiores que no inverno. Os resultados mostraram que a época de plantio e a concentração de AIB influenciaram de maneira mais expressiva na sobrevivência e enraizamento das estacas dos clones Cepec 2008 e CCN 51 e em menor intensidade no clone TSH 1188. Existe uma concentração ideal de AIB para cada um dos clones estudados.

Stable isotopes in arid and semi-arid forest systems

El empleo de isótopos estables en el ámbito de la ecología forestal ha ido creciendo progresivamente en las últimas dos décadas. Cabe esperar que esta tendencia se mantenga en el futuro, ya que éstos aportan una visión integradora de cómo las plantas, hoy y en el pasado, han interaccionado con el medio así como con otros organismos. Su implementación es particularmente relevante en climas secos debido a la fuerte limitación de recursos que en ellos acontece. Tras una breve introducción sobre las bases teóricas de los isótopos estables en fisiología vegetal, esta revisión destaca, sobre diferentes escalas espaciales y temporales, los últimos avances en ecología forestal empleando esta metodología y con un énfasis especial en los sistemas áridos y semiáridos.

Is there an age cutoff to apply adult formulas for GFR estimation in children?

BACKGROUND: Estimation of glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) using a common formula for both adult and pediatric populations is challenging. Using inulin clearances (iGFRs), this study aims to investigate the existence of a precise age cutoff beyond which the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD), the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI), or the Cockroft-Gault (CG) formulas, can be applied with acceptable precision. Performance of the new Schwartz formula according to age is also evaluated. METHOD: We compared 503 iGFRs for 503 children aged between 33 months and 18 years to eGFRs. To define the most precise age cutoff value for each formula, a circular binary segmentation method analyzing the formulas' bias values according to the children's ages was performed. Bias was defined by the difference between iGFRs and eGFRs. To validate the identified cutoff, 30% accuracy was calculated. RESULTS: For MDRD, CKD-EPI and CG, the best age cutoff was ≥14.3, ≥14.2 and ≤10.8 years, respectively. The lowest mean bias and highest accuracy were -17.11 and 64.7% for MDRD, 27.4 and 51% for CKD-EPI, and 8.31 and 77.2% for CG. The Schwartz formula showed the best performance below the age of 10.9 years. CONCLUSION: For the MDRD and CKD-EPI formulas, the mean bias values decreased with increasing child age and these formulas were more accurate beyond an age cutoff of 14.3 and 14.2 years, respectively. For the CG and Schwartz formulas, the lowest mean bias values and the best accuracies were below an age cutoff of 10.8 and 10.9 years, respectively. Nevertheless, the accuracies of the formulas were still below the National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative target to be validated in these age groups and, therefore, none of these formulas can be used to estimate GFR in children and adolescent populations.

A semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo simulation model for ion binding to ionizable surfaces: Proton binding of carboxylated latex particles as a case study

In this paper, we present a computer simulation study of the ion binding process at an ionizable surface using a semi-grand canonical Monte Carlo method that models the surface as a discrete distribution of charged and neutral functional groups in equilibrium with explicit ions modelled in the context of the primitive model. The parameters of the simulation model were tuned and checked by comparison with experimental titrations of carboxylated latex particles in the presence of different ionic strengths of monovalent ions. The titration of these particles was analysed by calculating the degree of dissociation of the latex functional groups vs. pH curves at different background salt concentrations. As the charge of the titrated surface changes during the simulation, a procedure to keep the electroneutrality of the system is required. Here, two approaches are used with the choice depending on the ion selected to maintain electroneutrality: counterion or coion procedures. We compare and discuss the difference between the procedures. The simulations also provided a microscopic description of the electrostatic double layer (EDL) structure as a function of pH and ionic strength. The results allow us to quantify the effect of the size of the background salt ions and of the surface functional groups on the degree of dissociation. The non-homogeneous structure of the EDL was revealed by plotting the counterion density profiles around charged and neutral surface functional groups. © 2011 American Institute of Physics.

Univariate Parametric Survival Analysis using GS-distributions

The GS-distribution is a family of distributions that provide an accurate representation of any unimodal univariate continuous distribution. In this contribution we explore the utility of this family as a general model in survival analysis. We show that the survival function based on the GS-distribution is able to provide a model for univariate survival data and that appropriate estimates can be obtained. We develop some hypotheses tests that can be used for checking the underlying survival model and for comparing the survival of different groups.

Effect Estimation of an Innovative Nursing Intervention to Improve Delirium among Home-Dwelling Older Adults: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

AIMS: Estimating the effect of a nursing intervention in home-dwelling older adults on the occurrence and course of delirium and concomitant cognitive and functional impairment. METHODS: A randomized clinical pilot trial using a before/after design was conducted with older patients discharged from hospital who had a medical prescription to receive home care. A total of 51 patients were randomized into the experimental group (EG) and 52 patients into the control group (CG). Besides usual home care, nursing interventions were offered by a geriatric nurse specialist to the EG at 48 h, 72 h, 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days after discharge. All patients were monitored for symptoms of delirium using the Confusion Assessment Method. Cognitive and functional statuses were measured with the Mini-Mental State Examination and the Katz and Lawton Index. RESULTS: No statistical differences with regard to symptoms of delirium (p = 0.085), cognitive impairment (p = 0.151), and functional status (p = 0.235) were found between the EG and CG at study entry and at 1 month. After adjustment, statistical differences were found in favor of the EG for symptoms of delirium (p = 0.046), cognitive impairment (p = 0.015), and functional status (p = 0.033). CONCLUSION: Nursing interventions to detect delirium at home are feasible and accepted. The nursing interventions produced a promising effect to improve delirium.