scholarly journals Tree Growth and Wood Quality in Pure Vs. Mixed-Species Stands of European Beech and Calabrian Pine in Mediterranean Mountain Forests

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Diego Russo ◽  
Pasquale A. Marziliano ◽  
Giorgio Macrì ◽  
Giuseppe Zimbalatti ◽  
Roberto Tognetti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Mixture Effect ◽  
Calabrian Pine

Mixed-species forests may deliver more forest functions and services than monocultures, as being considered more resistant to disturbances than pure stands. However, information on wood quality in mixed-species vs. corresponding pure forests is poor. In this study, nine plots grouped into three triplets of pure and mixed-species stands of European beech and Calabrian pine (three dominated by European beech, three dominated by Calabrian pine, and three mixed-species plots) were analysed. We evaluated tree growth and wood quality through dendrochronological approaches and non-destructive technologies (acoustic detection), respectively, hypothesizing that the mixture might improve the fitness of each species and its wood quality. A linear mixed model was applied to test the effects of exogenous influences on the basal area index (BAI) and the dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOEd). The recruitment period (Rp) was studied to verify whether wood quality was independent from stem radial growth patterns. Results showed that the mixture effect influenced both wood quality and BAI. In the mixed-species plots, for each species, MOEd values were significantly higher than in the corresponding pure stands. The mixture effect aligned MOEd values, making wood quality uniform across the different diameter classes. In the mixed-species plots, a significant positive relationship between MOEd and Rp, but also significantly higher BAI values than in the pure plots, were found for European beech, but not for Calabrian pine. The results suggest the promotion of mixing of European beech and Calabrian pine in this harsh environment to potentially improve both tree growth and wood quality.

scholarly journals Growth in Infants, Children and Adolescents with Unilateral and Bilateral Cerebral Palsy

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria de las Mercedes Ruiz Brunner ◽  
Eduardo Cuestas ◽  
Florian Heinen ◽  
Andreas Sebastian Schroeder
Keyword(s):  
Cerebral Palsy ◽  
Gestational Age ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Motor Impairment ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Childhood And Adolescence ◽  
Gross Motor ◽  
Severe Impairment ◽  
Z Scores

Abstract PURPOSE: To compare growth patterns during infancy, childhood and adolescence in children with unilateral and bilateral cerebral palsy (CP) phenotype and to assess the association with gross motor impairment, dysphagia and gestational age. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 389 children with CP from a single center population in Munich, Germany. 1536 measurements of height and weight were tabulated and z-scored from 6 to 180 months of age. Generalized linear mixed model were used to examine the association between growth, GMFCS, dysphagia and gestational age by CP phenotype. RESULTS: Children with unilateral CP tend to grow similarly to their typically developed peers. In the main effect model, bilateral CP phenotype was significantly associated with decreased mean z-scores for height (β[95% CI] = -0.953 [-1.145, -0.761], p < 0.001), weight (−0.999 [−1.176, −0.807], p < 0.001) and BMI (β[95% CI] = −0.437 [−0.799, −0.075]), compared with unilateral CP phenotype.This association remained significant in the interaction models. The height-for-age z-scores, weight-for-age decreased z-scores and BMI-for-age z-scores of children with bilateral CP and GMFCS III–V or dysphagia decreased more significantly than those of children with unilateral CP. Preterm birth was not significantly associated with decreased growth in height, weight and BMI.CONCLUSION: Reduced growth in children with bilateral CP was strongly associated with moderate to severe impairment in gross motor function (GMFCS III–V) and dysphagia.

scholarly journals European beech stem diameter grows better in mixed than in mono-specific stands at the edge of its distribution in mountain forests

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hans Pretzsch ◽  
Torben Hilmers ◽  
Enno Uhl ◽  
Kamil Bielak ◽  
Michal Bosela ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Interactions ◽  
European Beech ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Silver Fir ◽  
Mountain Forests ◽  
Mixed Species ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
European Mountain ◽  
Vegetation Belt ◽  
Old Trees

Abstract Recent studies show that several tree species are spreading to higher latitudes and elevations due to climate change. European beech, presently dominating from the colline to the subalpine vegetation belt, is already present in upper montane subalpine forests and has a high potential to further advance to higher elevations in European mountain forests, where the temperature is predicted to further increase in the near future. Although essential for adaptive silviculture, it remains unknown whether the upward shift of beech could be assisted when it is mixed with Norway spruce or silver fir compared with mono-specific stands, as the species interactions under such conditions are hardly known. In this study, we posed the general hypotheses that the growth depending on age of European beech in mountain forests was similar in mono-specific and mixed-species stands and remained stable over time and space in the last two centuries. The scrutiny of these hypotheses was based on increment coring of 1240 dominant beech trees in 45 plots in mono-specific stands of beech and in 46 mixed mountain forests. We found that (i) on average, mean tree diameter increased linearly with age. The age trend was linear in both forest types, but the slope of the age–growth relationship was higher in mono-specific than in mixed mountain forests. (ii) Beech growth in mono-specific stands was stronger reduced with increasing elevation than that in mixed-species stands. (iii) Beech growth in mono-specific stands was on average higher than beech growth in mixed stands. However, at elevations > 1200 m, growth of beech in mixed stands was higher than that in mono-specific stands. Differences in the growth patterns among elevation zones are less pronounced now than in the past, in both mono-specific and mixed stands. As the higher and longer persisting growth rates extend the flexibility of suitable ages or size for tree harvest and removal, the longer-lasting growth may be of special relevance for multi-aged silviculture concepts. On top of their function for structure and habitat improvement, the remaining old trees may grow more in mass and value than assumed so far.

Growth rate of coeliac children is compromised before the onset of the disease

2020 ◽  
Vol 105 (10) ◽  
pp. 964-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Renata Auricchio ◽  
Pio Stellato ◽  
Dario Bruzzese ◽  
Donatella Cielo ◽  
Alfredo Chiurazzi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Growth Failure ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
First Year ◽  
Z Score ◽  
Lower Growth ◽  
Z Scores ◽  
Lower Growth Rate

IntroductionGrowth impairment has often been described in children who develop coeliac disease (CD). Based on data from the multicentre, longitudinal PreventCD study, we analysed the growth patterns of infants at genetic risk of CD, comparing those who developed CD by 6 years of age (CD ‘cases’, 113 infants) versus those who did not develop CD by 6 years (no CD ‘controls’, 831 infants).MethodsWeight and length/height were measured using a longitudinal protocol. Raw measurements were standardised, computing z-scores for length/height and weight; a linear mixed model was fitted to the data in order to compare the rate of growth in the two cohorts.ResultsNeither cases nor controls had significant growth failure. However, when the mean z-scores for weight and height were analysed, there was a difference between the two groups starting at fourth month of life. When the growth pattern in the first year was analysed longitudinally using mixed models, it emerged that children who develop CD had a significantly lower growth rate in weight z-score (−0.028/month; 95% CI −0.038 to −0.017; p<0.001) and in length/height z-score (−0.018/month; 95% CI −0.031 to −0.005; p=0.008) than those who do not develop CD. When the whole follow-up period was analysed (0–6 years), differences between groups in both weight and length/height z-scores were confirmed.ConclusionThe growth of children at risk of CD rarely fell below ‘clinical standards’. However, growth rate was significantly lower in cases than in controls. Our data suggest that peculiar pathways of growth are present in children who develop CD, long before any clinical or serological signs of the disease appear.

Accessing the natural variation of the abundances of major lignans in the heartwood of Taiwania cryptomerioides by 1H-NMR and LC-MS profiling

Holzforschung ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 73 (5) ◽  
pp. 423-434
Author(s):  
Nai-Wen Tsao ◽  
Shin-Hung Pan ◽  
Jeng-Der Chung ◽  
Yueh-Hsiung Kuo ◽  
Sheng-Yang Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ◽  
Liquid Chromatography Mass Spectrometry ◽  
H Nmr ◽  
Genetic Components ◽  
Metabolite Profiles ◽  
Taiwania Cryptomerioides

Abstract Lignans are major bioactive secondary metabolites, which are also formed in the heartwood (hW) of Taiwania (Taiwania cryptomerioides). Their biosynthesis pathways are complex and involve many enzymes and intermediates. To evaluate the extent of the genetic components leading to the variety of lignans in Taiwania hW, 35 Taiwania genotypes of four provenances were surveyed using the proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analyses. The metabolite profiles were statistically evaluated by principal component analysis (PCA) and the general linear model (GLM). The broad-sense heritability (H2) was further evaluated by linear mixed model (LMM) analysis. It was demonstrated that the genetic factor is the major contributor to the abundance of lignans, though the environmental factor also has some effect on it. Among the metabolites detected by 1H-NMR, lignans were the major compounds that exhibited high a H2 (0.52–0.82), which was further verified by LC-MS. The conclusion is that 1H-NMR spectroscopy is suitable for quick screenings, predictions and semi-quantitation of lignans. The high H2 is also indicative of the lignan abundances as traits that can be genetically modified to achieve a significant wood quality improvement.

Analyzing discontinuities in longitudinal count data: A multilevel generalized linear mixed model.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
James L. Peugh ◽  
Sarah J. Beal ◽  
Meghan E. McGrady ◽  
Michael D. Toland ◽  
Constance Mara
Keyword(s):  
Count Data ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Generalized Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Longitudinal Count Data

Predicting bycatch hotspots based on suitable habitat derived from fishery-independent data

2020 ◽  
Vol 641 ◽  
pp. 159-175
Author(s):  
J Runnebaum ◽  
KR Tanaka ◽  
L Guan ◽  
J Cao ◽  
L O’Brien ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Gulf Of Maine ◽  
Homarus Americanus ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
American Lobster ◽  
Suitable Habitat ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Suitability Index

Bycatch remains a global problem in managing sustainable fisheries. A critical aspect of management is understanding the timing and spatial extent of bycatch. Fisheries management often relies on observed bycatch data, which are not always available due to a lack of reporting or observer coverage. Alternatively, analyzing the overlap in suitable habitat for the target and non-target species can provide a spatial management tool to understand where bycatch interactions are likely to occur. Potential bycatch hotspots based on suitable habitat were predicted for cusk Brosme brosme incidentally caught in the Gulf of Maine American lobster Homarus americanus fishery. Data from multiple fisheries-independent surveys were combined in a delta-generalized linear mixed model to generate spatially explicit density estimates for use in an independent habitat suitability index. The habitat suitability indices for American lobster and cusk were then compared to predict potential bycatch hotspot locations. Suitable habitat for American lobster has increased between 1980 and 2013 while suitable habitat for cusk decreased throughout most of the Gulf of Maine, except for Georges Basin and the Great South Channel. The proportion of overlap in suitable habitat varied interannually but decreased slightly in the spring and remained relatively stable in the fall over the time series. As Gulf of Maine temperatures continue to increase, the interactions between American lobster and cusk are predicted to decline as cusk habitat continues to constrict. This framework can contribute to fisheries managers’ understanding of changes in habitat overlap as climate conditions continue to change and alter where bycatch interactions could occur.

Long-term seizure outcomes after pediatric temporal lobectomy: does brain MRI lesion matter?

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 200-208
Author(s):  
Ravindra Arya ◽  
Francesco T. Mangano ◽  
Paul S. Horn ◽  
Sabrina K. Kaul ◽  
Serena K. Kaul ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Linear Mixed Model ◽  
Hippocampal Sclerosis ◽  
Brain Mri ◽  
Temporal Lobectomy ◽  
Seizure Freedom ◽  
Seizure Onset

OBJECTIVEThere is emerging data that adults with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) without a discrete lesion on brain MRI have surgical outcomes comparable to those with hippocampal sclerosis (HS). However, pediatric TLE is different from its adult counterpart. In this study, the authors investigated if the presence of a potentially epileptogenic lesion on presurgical brain MRI influences the long-term seizure outcomes after pediatric temporal lobectomy.METHODSChildren who underwent temporal lobectomy between 2007 and 2015 and had at least 1 year of seizure outcomes data were identified. These were classified into lesional and MRI-negative groups based on whether an epilepsy-protocol brain MRI showed a lesion sufficiently specific to guide surgical decisions. These patients were also categorized into pure TLE and temporal plus epilepsies based on the neurophysiological localization of the seizure-onset zone. Seizure outcomes at each follow-up visit were incorporated into a repeated-measures generalized linear mixed model (GLMM) with MRI status as a grouping variable. Clinical variables were incorporated into GLMM as covariates.RESULTSOne hundred nine patients (44 females) were included, aged 5 to 21 years, and were classified as lesional (73%), MRI negative (27%), pure TLE (56%), and temporal plus (44%). After a mean follow-up of 3.2 years (range 1.2–8.8 years), 66% of the patients were seizure free for ≥ 1 year at last follow-up. GLMM analysis revealed that lesional patients were more likely to be seizure free over the long term compared to MRI-negative patients for the overall cohort (OR 2.58, p < 0.0001) and for temporal plus epilepsies (OR 1.85, p = 0.0052). The effect of MRI lesion was not significant for pure TLE (OR 2.64, p = 0.0635). Concordance of ictal electroencephalography (OR 3.46, p < 0.0001), magnetoencephalography (OR 4.26, p < 0.0001), and later age of seizure onset (OR 1.05, p = 0.0091) were associated with a higher likelihood of seizure freedom. The most common histological findings included cortical dysplasia types 1B and 2A, HS (40% with dual pathology), and tuberous sclerosis.CONCLUSIONSA lesion on presurgical brain MRI is an important determinant of long-term seizure freedom after pediatric temporal lobectomy. Pediatric TLE is heterogeneous regarding etiologies and organization of seizure-onset zones with many patients qualifying for temporal plus nosology. The presence of an MRI lesion determined seizure outcomes in patients with temporal plus epilepsies. However, pure TLE had comparable surgical seizure outcomes for lesional and MRI-negative groups.

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