| 1. |
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| 2. |
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| 3. |
- Feroci, M., et al.
(författare)
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The large observatory for x-ray timing
- 2014
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Ingår i: Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. - : SPIE. - 9780819496126
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The Large Observatory For x-ray Timing (LOFT) was studied within ESA M3 Cosmic Vision framework and participated in the final downselection for a launch slot in 2022-2024. Thanks to the unprecedented combination of effective area and spectral resolution of its main instrument, LOFT will study the behaviour of matter under extreme conditions, such as the strong gravitational field in the innermost regions of accretion flows close to black holes and neutron stars, and the supranuclear densities in the interior of neutron stars. The science payload is based on a Large Area Detector (LAD, 10 m2 effective area, 2-30 keV, 240 eV spectral resolution, 1° collimated field of view) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM, 2-50 keV, 4 steradian field of view, 1 arcmin source location accuracy, 300 eV spectral resolution). The WFM is equipped with an on-board system for bright events (e.g. GRB) localization. The trigger time and position of these events are broadcast to the ground within 30 s from discovery. In this paper we present the status of the mission at the end of its Phase A study.
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| 4. |
- Feroci, M., et al.
(författare)
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LOFT - The large observatory for x-ray timing
- 2012
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Ingår i: Proceedings of SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering. - : SPIE - International Society for Optical Engineering. - 9780819491442 ; , s. 84432D-
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Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat)abstract
- The LOFT mission concept is one of four candidates selected by ESA for the M3 launch opportunity as Medium Size missions of the Cosmic Vision programme. The launch window is currently planned for between 2022 and 2024. LOFT is designed to exploit the diagnostics of rapid X-ray flux and spectral variability that directly probe the motion of matter down to distances very close to black holes and neutron stars, as well as the physical state of ultradense matter. These primary science goals will be addressed by a payload composed of a Large Area Detector (LAD) and a Wide Field Monitor (WFM). The LAD is a collimated (<1 degree field of view) experiment operating in the energy range 2-50 keV, with a 10 m2 peak effective area and an energy resolution of 260 eV at 6 keV. The WFM will operate in the same energy range as the LAD, enabling simultaneous monitoring of a few-steradian wide field of view, with an angular resolution of <5 arcmin. The LAD and WFM experiments will allow us to investigate variability from submillisecond QPO's to yearlong transient outbursts. In this paper we report the current status of the project.
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| 5. |
- Amati, L., et al.
(författare)
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The THESEUS space mission concept : science case, design and expected performances
- 2018
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Ingår i: Advances in Space Research. - : ELSEVIER SCI LTD. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 62:1, s. 191-244
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- THESEUS is a space mission concept aimed at exploiting Gamma-Ray Bursts for investigating the early Universe and at providing a substantial advancement of multi-messenger and time-domain astrophysics. These goals will be achieved through a unique combination of instruments allowing GRB and X-ray transient detection over a broad field of view (more than 1 sr) with 0.5-1 arcmin localization, an energy band extending from several MeV down to 0.3 keV and high sensitivity to transient sources in the soft X-ray domain, as well as on-board prompt (few minutes) follow-up with a 0.7 m class IR telescope with both imaging and spectroscopic capabilities. THESEUS will be perfectly suited for addressing the main open issues in cosmology such as, e.g., star formation rate and metallicity evolution of the inter-stellar and intra-galactic medium up to redshift similar to 10, signatures of Pop III stars, sources and physics of re-ionization, and the faint end of the galaxy luminosity function. In addition, it will provide unprecedented capability to monitor the X-ray variable sky, thus detecting, localizing, and identifying the electromagnetic counterparts to sources of gravitational radiation, which may be routinely detected in the late '20s/early '30s by next generation facilities like aLIGO/ aVirgo, eLISA, KAGRA, and Einstein Telescope. THESEUS will also provide powerful synergies with the next generation of multi-wavelength observatories (e.g., LSST, ELT, SKA, CTA, ATHENA).
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| 6. |
- Justice, A. E., et al.
(författare)
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Genome-wide meta-analysis of 241,258 adults accounting for smoking behaviour identifies novel loci for obesity traits
- 2017
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Ingår i: Nature Communications. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 2041-1723. ; 8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) account for environmental exposures, like smoking, potentially impacting the overall trait variance when investigating the genetic contribution to obesity-related traits. Here, we use GWAS data from 51,080 current smokers and 190,178 nonsmokers (87% European descent) to identify loci influencing BMI and central adiposity, measured as waist circumference and waist-to-hip ratio both adjusted for BMI. We identify 23 novel genetic loci, and 9 loci with convincing evidence of gene-smoking interaction (GxSMK) on obesity-related traits. We show consistent direction of effect for all identified loci and significance for 18 novel and for 5 interaction loci in an independent study sample. These loci highlight novel biological functions, including response to oxidative stress, addictive behaviour, and regulatory functions emphasizing the importance of accounting for environment in genetic analyses. Our results suggest that tobacco smoking may alter the genetic susceptibility to overall adiposity and body fat distribution.
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| 7. |
- Feroci, M., et al.
(författare)
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The Large Observatory for X-ray Timing (LOFT)
- 2012
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Ingår i: Experimental Astronomy. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 34:2, s. 415-444
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- High-time-resolution X-ray observations of compact objects provide direct access to strong-field gravity, to the equation of state of ultradense matter and to black hole masses and spins. A 10 m(2)-class instrument in combination with good spectral resolution is required to exploit the relevant diagnostics and answer two of the fundamental questions of the European Space Agency (ESA) Cosmic Vision Theme "Matter under extreme conditions", namely: does matter orbiting close to the event horizon follow the predictions of general relativity? What is the equation of state of matter in neutron stars? The Large Observatory For X-ray Timing (LOFT), selected by ESA as one of the four Cosmic Vision M3 candidate missions to undergo an assessment phase, will revolutionise the study of collapsed objects in our galaxy and of the brightest supermassive black holes in active galactic nuclei. Thanks to an innovative design and the development of large-area monolithic silicon drift detectors, the Large Area Detector (LAD) on board LOFT will achieve an effective area of similar to 12 m(2) (more than an order of magnitude larger than any spaceborne predecessor) in the 2-30 keV range (up to 50 keV in expanded mode), yet still fits a conventional platform and small/medium-class launcher. With this large area and a spectral resolution of < 260 eV, LOFT will yield unprecedented information on strongly curved spacetimes and matter under extreme conditions of pressure and magnetic field strength.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
- Householder, John Ethan, et al.
(författare)
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One sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is dependent on river floodplains
- 2024
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Ingår i: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. - 2397-334X.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amazonia's floodplain system is the largest and most biodiverse on Earth. Although forests are crucial to the ecological integrity of floodplains, our understanding of their species composition and how this may differ from surrounding forest types is still far too limited, particularly as changing inundation regimes begin to reshape floodplain tree communities and the critical ecosystem functions they underpin. Here we address this gap by taking a spatially explicit look at Amazonia-wide patterns of tree-species turnover and ecological specialization of the region's floodplain forests. We show that the majority of Amazonian tree species can inhabit floodplains, and about a sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is ecologically specialized on floodplains. The degree of specialization in floodplain communities is driven by regional flood patterns, with the most compositionally differentiated floodplain forests located centrally within the fluvial network and contingent on the most extraordinary flood magnitudes regionally. Our results provide a spatially explicit view of ecological specialization of floodplain forest communities and expose the need for whole-basin hydrological integrity to protect the Amazon's tree diversity and its function.
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| 10. |
- Luize, Bruno Garcia, et al.
(författare)
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Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities
- 2024
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY. - 0305-0270 .- 1365-2699.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and v & aacute;rzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igap & oacute; and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R-2 = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R-2 = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions.
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| 11. |
- ter Steege, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora
- 2023
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Ingår i: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. - 2399-3642. ; 6:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution. A study mapping the tree species richness in Amazonian forests shows that soil type exerts a strong effect on species richness, probably caused by the areas of these forest types. Cumulative water deficit, tree density and temperature seasonality affect species richness at a regional scale.
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| 12. |
- da Silva, R., et al.
(författare)
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Oxygen, sulfur, and iron radial abundance gradients of classical Cepheids across the Galactic thin disk
- 2023
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 678, s. A195-A195
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Classical Cepheids (CCs) are solid distance indicators and tracers of young stellar populations. Dating back to the beginning of the 20th century, they have been safely adopted to trace the rotation, kinematics, and chemical enrichment history of the Galactic thin disk.Aims. The main aim of this investigation is to provide iron, oxygen, and sulfur abundances for the largest and most homogeneous sample of Galactic CCs analyzed so far (1118 spectra of 356 objects). The current sample, containing 70 CCs for which spectroscopic metal abundances are provided for the first time, covers a wide range in galactocentric distances, pulsation modes, and pulsation periods.Methods. Optical high-resolution spectra with a high signal-to-noise ratio that were collected with different spectrographs were adopted to provide homogeneous estimates of the atmospheric parameters (effective temperature, surface gravity, and microturbulent velocity) that are required to determine the abundance. Individual distances were based either on trigonometric parallaxes by the Gaia Data Release 3 (Gaia DR3) or on distances based on near-infrared period-luminosity relations.Results. We found that iron and α-element radial gradients based on CCs display a well-defined change in the slope for galactocentric distances larger than ~12 kpc. We also found that logarithmic regressions account for the variation in [X/H] abundances from the inner to the outer disk. Radial gradients for the same elements, but based on open clusters covering a wide range in cluster ages, display similar trends. This means that the flattening in the outer disk is an intrinsic feature of the radial gradients because it is independent of age. Empirical evidence indicates that the S radial gradient is steeper than the Fe radial gradient. The difference in the slope is a factor of two in the linear fit (−0.081 vs. −0.041 dex kpc−1) and changes from −1.62 to −0.91 in the logarithmic distance. Moreover, we found that S (explosive nucleosynthesis) is underabundant on average when compared with O (hydrostatic nucleosynthesis). The difference becomes clearer in the metal-poor regime and for the [O/Fe] and [S/Fe] abundance ratios. We performed a detailed comparison with Galactic chemical evolution models and found that a constant star formation efficiency for galactocentric distances larger than 12 kpc accounts for the flattening observed in both iron and α-elements. To further constrain the impact of the predicted S yields for massive stars on radial gradients, we adopted a toy model and found that the flattening in the outermost regions requires a decrease of a factor of four in the current S predictions.Conclusions. CCs are solid beacons for tracing the recent chemical enrichment of young stellar populations. Sulfur photospheric abundances, when compared with other α-elements, have the key advantage of being a volatile element. Therefore, stellar S abundances can be directly compared with nebular sulfur abundances in external galaxies.
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| 13. |
- Gusev, A. N., et al.
(författare)
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Synthesis and photophysical properties of Zn(II) Schiff base complexes possessing strong solvent-dependent solid-state fluorescence
- 2018
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Ingår i: Polyhedron. - : Elsevier Ltd. - 0277-5387 .- 1873-3719. ; 155, s. 202-208
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The present article reports on the syntheses, crystal structures and luminescence properties of three solvate forms of a zinc(II) complex containing 4-{(E)-[(2-fluorophenyl)imino]methyl}-5-methyl-2-phenyl-2,4-dihydro-3H-pyrazol-3-one (HL). The reaction of zinc(II)acetate with the HL ligand in ethanol and acetonitrile led to the formation of two solvate analogues [Zn(L)2]·Solv (Solv – ethanol (1) and acetonitrile (2)). The properties of the [Zn(L)2]·Solv complexes were investigated by UV–Vis absorption and fluorescence emission spectroscopy, and the density functional theory calculations. Bader's topological analysis was performed to investigate the electronic peculiarities of Zn(II) polyhedra and non-covalent interactions within crystal packing of studied solvates.
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| 14. |
- Morgado, B. E., et al.
(författare)
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A stellar occultation by the transneptunian object (50000) Quaoar observed by CHEOPS
- 2022
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Ingår i: Astronomy and Astrophysics. - : EDP Sciences. - 0004-6361 .- 1432-0746. ; 664
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Context. Stellar occultation is a powerful technique that allows the determination of some physical parameters of the occulting object. The result depends on the photometric accuracy, the temporal resolution, and the number of chords obtained. Space telescopes can achieve high photometric accuracy as they are not affected by atmospheric scintillation. Aims. Using ESA's CHEOPS space telescope, we observed a stellar occultation by the transneptunian object (50000) Quaoar. We compare the obtained chord with previous occultations by this object and determine its astrometry with sub-milliarcsecond precision. Also, we determine upper limits to the presence of a global methane atmosphere on the occulting body. Methods. We predicted and observed a stellar occultation by Quaoar using the CHEOPS space telescope. We measured the occultation light curve from this dataset and determined the dis- and reappearance of the star behind the occulting body. Furthermore, a ground-based telescope in Australia was used to constrain Quaoar's limb. Combined with results from previous works, these measurements allowed us to obtain a precise position of Quaoar at the occultation time. Results. We present the results obtained from the first stellar occultation by a transneptunian object using a space telescope orbiting Earth; it was the occultation by Quaoar observed on 2020 June 11. We used the CHEOPS light curve to obtain a surface pressure upper limit of 85 nbar for the detection of a global methane atmosphere. Also, combining this observation with a ground-based observation, we fitted Quaoar's limb to determine its astrometric position with an uncertainty below 1.0 mas. Conclusions. This observation is the first of its kind, and it shall be considered as a proof of concept of stellar occultation observations of transneptunian objects with space telescopes orbiting Earth. Moreover, it shows significant prospects for the James Webb Space Telescope.
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| 15. |
- Allum, W., et al.
(författare)
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ECCO essential requirements for quality cancer care: Oesophageal and gastric cancer
- 2018
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Ingår i: Critical reviews in oncology/hematology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1040-8428. ; 122, s. 179-193
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: ECCO essential requirements for quality cancer care (ERQCC) are checklists and explanations of organisation and actions that are necessary to give high-quality care to patients who have a specific type of cancer. They are written by European experts representing all disciplines involved in cancer care. ERQCC papers give oncology teams, patients, policymakers and managers an overview of the elements needed in any healthcare system to provide high quality of care throughout the patient journey. References are made to clinical guidelines and other resources where appropriate, and the focus is on care in Europe. Oesophageal and gastric: essential requirements for quality care: • Oesophageal and gastric (OG) cancers are a challenging tumour group with a poor prognosis and wide variation in outcomes among European countries. Increasing numbers of older people are contracting the diseases, and treatments and care pathways are becoming more complex in both curative and palliative settings.• High-quality care can only be a carried out in specialised OG cancer units or centres which have both a core multidisciplinary team and an extended team of allied professionals, and which are subject to quality and audit procedures. Such units or centres are far from universal in all European countries.• It is essential that, to meet European aspirations for comprehensive cancer control, healthcare organisations implement the essential requirements in this paper, paying particular attention to multidisciplinarity and patient-centred pathways from diagnosis, to treatment, to survivorship. Conclusion: Taken together, the information presented in this paper provides a comprehensive description of the essential requirements for establishing a high-quality OG cancer service. The ERQCC expert group is aware that it is not possible to propose a ‘one size fits all’ system for all countries, but urges that access to multidisciplinary units or centres must be guaranteed for all those with OG cancer.
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| 16. |
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| 17. |
- Chittani, Martina, et al.
(författare)
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TET2 and CSMD1 genes affect SBP response to hydrochlorothiazide in never-treated essential hypertensives.
- 2015
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Ingår i: Journal of Hypertension. - 1473-5598. ; 33:6, s. 1301-1309
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Thiazide diuretics have been recommended as a first-line antihypertensive treatment, although the choice of 'the right drug in the individual essential hypertensive patient' remains still empirical. Essential hypertension is a complex, polygenic disease derived from the interaction of patient's genetic background with the environment. Pharmacogenomics could be a useful tool to pinpoint gene variants involved in antihypertensive drug response, thus optimizing therapeutic advantages and minimizing side effects.
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| 18. |
- Gusev, Alexey N., et al.
(författare)
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Novel Zinc Complex with an Ethylenediamine Schiff Base for High-Luminance Blue Fluorescent OLED Applications
- 2019
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Ingår i: The Journal of Physical Chemistry C. - : AMER CHEMICAL SOC. - 1932-7447 .- 1932-7455. ; 123:18, s. 11850-11859
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- To explore the photophysical properties of coordination compounds with bright blue fluorescence, an azomethin-zinc complex was synthesized and characterized by various techniques (elemental analysis, thermogravimetry, and IR-mass-spectroscopy). The crystal structure was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis. Through thermal characterization, this complex was proved to have good thermal stability. Photoluminescence spectra were recorded, both in solution and in the solid state, and the complexes showed noteworthy photoluminescence with a maximum in the blue region. The results of time-dependent density functional theory calculations indicated that the origin of luminescence for the title complex is a combination of monomer and excimer emissions. The light emission performance of the zinc complex in organic light emitting diodes was investigated, and the results indicated superior electroluminescence properties as a blue fluorescent light source (max. brightness 17 000 cd/m(2), max. EQE = 5%).
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| 19. |
- Peripato, Vinicius, et al.
(författare)
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More than 10,000 pre-Columbian earthworks are still hidden throughout Amazonia
- 2023
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Ingår i: Science (New York, N.Y.). - 1095-9203. ; 382:6666, s. 103-109
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Indigenous societies are known to have occupied the Amazon basin for more than 12,000 years, but the scale of their influence on Amazonian forests remains uncertain. We report the discovery, using LIDAR (light detection and ranging) information from across the basin, of 24 previously undetected pre-Columbian earthworks beneath the forest canopy. Modeled distribution and abundance of large-scale archaeological sites across Amazonia suggest that between 10,272 and 23,648 sites remain to be discovered and that most will be found in the southwest. We also identified 53 domesticated tree species significantly associated with earthwork occurrence probability, likely suggesting past management practices. Closed-canopy forests across Amazonia are likely to contain thousands of undiscovered archaeological sites around which pre-Columbian societies actively modified forests, a discovery that opens opportunities for better understanding the magnitude of ancient human influence on Amazonia and its current state.
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| 20. |
- Salvi, Erika, et al.
(författare)
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Genomewide Association Study Using a High-Density Single Nucleotide Polymorphism Array and Case-Control Design Identifies a Novel Essential Hypertension Susceptibility Locus in the Promoter Region of Endothelial NO Synthase.
- 2012
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Ingår i: Hypertension. - 1524-4563. ; 59:2, s. 248-248
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Essential hypertension is a multifactorial disorder and is the main risk factor for renal and cardiovascular complications. The research on the genetics of hypertension has been frustrated by the small predictive value of the discovered genetic variants. The HYPERGENES Project investigated associations between genetic variants and essential hypertension pursuing a 2-stage study by recruiting cases and controls from extensively characterized cohorts recruited over many years in different European regions. The discovery phase consisted of 1865 cases and 1750 controls genotyped with 1M Illumina array. Best hits were followed up in a validation panel of 1385 cases and 1246 controls that were genotyped with a custom array of 14 055 markers. We identified a new hypertension susceptibility locus (rs3918226) in the promoter region of the endothelial NO synthase gene (odds ratio: 1.54 [95% CI: 1.37-1.73]; combined P=2.58 · 10(-13)). A meta-analysis, using other in silico/de novo genotyping data for a total of 21 714 subjects, resulted in an overall odds ratio of 1.34 (95% CI: 1.25-1.44; P=1.032 · 10(-14)). The quantitative analysis on a population-based sample revealed an effect size of 1.91 (95% CI: 0.16-3.66) for systolic and 1.40 (95% CI: 0.25-2.55) for diastolic blood pressure. We identified in silico a potential binding site for ETS transcription factors directly next to rs3918226, suggesting a potential modulation of endothelial NO synthase expression. Biological evidence links endothelial NO synthase with hypertension, because it is a critical mediator of cardiovascular homeostasis and blood pressure control via vascular tone regulation. This finding supports the hypothesis that there may be a causal genetic variation at this locus.
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| 21. |
- Sparovek, Gerd, 1962, et al.
(författare)
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Sustainable bioproducts in Brazil: disputes and agreements on a common ground agenda for agriculture and nature protection
- 2016
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Ingår i: Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining. - : Wiley. - 1932-1031 .- 1932-104X. ; 10:3, s. 204-221
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A key question for food, biofuels, and bioproducts production is how agriculture affects the environment, and social and economic development. In Brazil, a large agricultural producer and among the biologically wealthiest of nations, this question is challenging and opinions often clash. The Brazilian parliament and several stakeholders have recently debated the revision of the Forest Act, the most important legal framework for conservation of natural vegetation on Brazilian private agricultural lands. Past decades have shown improvements in the agricultural sector with respect to productivity and efficiency, along with great reductions in deforestation and growth of environmentally certified production. However, the opposing sides in the debate have ignored this progress and instead continue to entrench their respective combative positions. A structured exchange involving nine experts associated with major producer interests (livestock, crops, planted forest, and charcoal) and environmental NGOs was moderated based on a framework that sorted viewpoints into four categories: (i) common ground - compatible interests considered to be high priority for Brazilian sustainable agricultural development; (ii) serving exclusive nature conservation interest; (iii) serving exclusive agricultural production interest; and (iv) mainly serving the purpose of sustaining dispute. We conclude that the majority of actions and expected future trends reflect achievements and ambitions to balance production and conservation, but much public opinion - and in turn decisions in the parliament and government for agriculture and conservation - is shaped by a perceived conflict between these objectives and a debate that has become, at least to some extent, an end in itself.
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| 22. |
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| 23. |
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| 24. |
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| 25. |
- Guimaraes, K. S. D., et al.
(författare)
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Lactiplantibacillus plantarum WJL administration during pregnancy and lactation improves lipid profile, insulin sensitivity and gut microbiota diversity in dyslipidemic dams and protects male offspring against cardiovascular dysfunction in later life
- 2020
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Ingår i: Food & Function. - : Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). - 2042-6496 .- 2042-650X. ; 11:10, s. 8939-8950
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and aim: Maternal dyslipidemia is recognized as a risk factor for the development of arterial hypertension (AH) and cardiovascular dysfunction in offspring. Here we evaluated the effects of probiotic administration of a specific strain of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum(WJL) during pregnancy and lactation on gut microbiota and metabolic profile in dams fed with a high-fat and high-cholesterol (HFHC) diet and its long-term effects on the cardiovascular function in male rat offspring.Methods and results: Pregnant Wistar rats were allocated into three groups: dams fed a control diet (CTL = 5), dams fed a HFHC diet (DLP = 5) and dams fed a HFHC diet and receivingL. plantarum WJL during pregnancy and lactation (DLP-Lp(WJL)).L. plantarum WJL (1 x 10(9)CFU) or vehicle (NaCl, 0.9%) was administered daily by oral gavage for 6 weeks, covering the pregnancy and lactation periods. After weaning, male offspring received a standard diet up to 90 days of life. Biochemical measurements and gut microbiota were evaluated in dams. In male offspring, blood pressure (BP), heart rate (HR) and vascular reactivity were evaluated at 90 days of age. Dams fed with a HFHC diet during pregnancy and lactation had increased lipid profile and insulin resistance and showed dysbiotic gut microbiota. Administration of L. plantarum WJL to dams having maternal dyslipidemia improved gut microbiota composition, lipid profile and insulin resistance in them. Blood pressure was augmented and vascular reactivity was impaired with a higher contractile response and a lower response to endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in DLP male offspring. In contrast, male offspring of DLP-Lp(WJL) dams had reduced blood pressure and recovered vascular function in later life.Conclusion: Administration ofL. plantarum WJL during pregnancy and lactation in dams improved gut microbiota diversity, reduced maternal dyslipidemia and prevented cardiovascular dysfunction in male rat offspring.
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| 26. |
- Gusev, Alexey N., et al.
(författare)
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Schiff Base Zinc(II) Complexes as Promising Emitters for Blue Organic Light-Emitting Diodes
- 2021
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Ingår i: ACS Applied Electronic Materials. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2637-6113. ; 3:8, s. 3436-3444
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Organometallic blue fluorescent Zn(II) Schiff base complexes are synthesized and explored computationally in order to use them in organic electroluminescent heterostructures. Characterization of these pyrazolone-based azomethine-zinc complexes was accomplished by various physicochemical techniques to get insight into their applicability as an active layer in light-emitting diodes. All the complexes demonstrate high thermal stability and remarkable photoluminescence both in solution and in the solid state with maximum in the blue region. Quantum chemical calculations of the first exited electronic state and vertical singlet-singlet electronic transitions by means of time-dependent density functional theory calculations and results show that the origin of the luminescence for the target complexes refers to the intraligand charge transfer within the Schiff bases. The constructed light-emitting diodes demonstrate low input voltage (3.2-4.0 V), brightness at a level of 4300-11,600 Cd m(-2), and external quantum efficiency of up to 3.2%, which is a good value for purely fluorescent organic light-emitting diodes.
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| 27. |
- Gusev, Alexey, et al.
(författare)
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Structure and excitation-dependent emission of novel zinc complexes with pyridyltriazoles
- 2019
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Ingår i: RSC Advances. - : Royal Society of Chemistry. - 2046-2069. ; 9:38, s. 22143-22152
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A series of Zn(ii) complexes with 5-(4-R-phenyl)-3-(pyridin-2-yl)-1,2,4-triazoles have been synthesized and subsequently characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction, H-1-NMR, FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analyses, ESI-MS, and PXRD. The X-ray diffraction analyses revealed that the complexes have a similar molecular structure and their supramolecular frameworks are constructed by hydrogen bonds and pi center dot center dot center dot pi interaction scaffolds. Upon irradiation with UV light, the studied complexes display deep blue emission at 396-436 nm in the solid state. The compounds show an unexpected excitation-dependent emission phenomenon which is detected by a change in the emission color (from blue to yellow) upon increase of the excitation wavelength. The conducted quantum-chemical calculations indicate that supramolecular differences in the single-crystal architecture of the synthesized complexes play a crucial role for this photophysical behaviour.
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- Saraiva, J. V., et al.
(författare)
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Energy Efficiency Maximization Under Minimum Rate Constraints in Multi-Cell MIMO Systems with Finite Buffers
- 2021
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Ingår i: IEEE Transactions on Green Communications and Networking. - : Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). - 2473-2400. ; 5:1, s. 174-189
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Having recognized the dramatic increase in the number of mobile devices and infrastructure nodes, standards organizations and regulatory bodies have adopted energy efficiency (EE) as a key performance metric for fifth-generation networks. Recent works on multiple input multiple output (MIMO) systems have suggested that it is important to use finite-buffer models, because they may lead to better transceiver designs and more accurate performance analyses than full-buffer traffic models. Therefore, this paper addresses the MIMO transceiver design problem for EE maximization in the downlink of finite-buffer multicell systems. Unlike previous works, our problem formulation takes into account per-user minimum rate requirements. We arrive at a nonconvex fractional optimization problem, which is hard to tackle. By exploiting the properties of fractional programming, and using Dinkelbach’s method, the resulting fractional form optimization problem is transformed to an equivalent optimization problem in subtractive form. Next, the nonconvexity of this problem is handled using successive convex approximation, leading to iterative centralized and decentralized resource allocation solutions. Finally, considering a realistic channel model with space, frequency and time correlations, numerical results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithms and indicate significant performance gains in terms of achieved EE over existing solutions for full and finite-buffer models. IEEE
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