Global increase of lianas in tropical forests.

Lianas profoundly affect tropical forests dynamics, reducing productivity and carbon storage, which underscores the importance of monitoring change in their abundance in projecting the future of the global terrestrial carbon store. While increasing liana populations are documented within the Neotropics, the global consistency of these patterns is questioned, and remains to be determined. To evaluate pantropical trends in liana abundance comprehensively and quantitatively, we conducted a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

A new Bayesian approach for managing bathing water quality at river bathing locations vulnerable to short-term pollution.

Short-term fecal pollution events are a major challenge for managing microbial safety at recreational waters. Long turn-over times of current laboratory methods for analyzing fecal indicator bacteria (FIB) delay water quality assessments. Data-driven models have been shown to be valuable approaches to enable fast water quality assessments.

Role of patent ductus arteriosus in preterms in long-term outcome.

Objective: This study aimed to determine long-term neurodevelopmental outcome and cerebral oxygenation in extremely preterm infants, comparing those with a hemodynamic significant patent ductus arteriosus (hsPDA) to those without.

Study Design: We included infants born before 28 weeks of gestation from 2008 to 2010 with routine echocardiography. Prior to echocardiography, regional cerebral oxygen saturation was measured.

Effect of Laser-Exposed Volume and Irradiation Position on Nonphotochemical Laser-Induced Nucleation of Potassium Chloride Solutions.

Herein, we study the influences of the laser-exposed volume and the irradiation position on the nonphotochemical laser-induced nucleation (NPLIN) of supersaturated potassium chloride solutions in water. The effect of the exposed volume on the NPLIN probability was studied by exposing distinct milliliter-scale volumes of aqueous potassium chloride solutions stored in vials at two different supersaturations (1.034 and 1.

Integrating defense and leaf economic spectrum traits in a tropical savanna plant.

Introduction: Allocation to plant defense traits likely depends on resource supply, herbivory, and other plant functional traits such as the leaf economic spectrum (LES) traits. Yet, attempts to integrate defense and resource acquisitive traits remain elusive.

Methods: We assessed intraspecific covariation between different defense and LES traits in a widely distributed tropical savanna herb, Solanum incanum, a unique model species for studying allocations to physical, chemical, and structural defenses to mammalian herbivory.