Logging damage and injured tree mortality in tropical forest management

Using insights from the forest ecology literature, we analyze the effect of injured trees on stand composition and carbon stored in above‐ground biomass and the implications for forest management decisions. Results from a Faustmann model with data for a tropical forest on Kalimantan show that up to 50% of the basal area of the stand before harvest can consist of injured trees. Considering injured trees leads to an increase in the amount of carbon in above‐ground biomass of up to 165%. These effects are larger under reduced impact logging than under conventional logging. The effects on land expectation value and cutting cycle are relatively small. The results suggest that considering injured trees in models for tropical forest management is important for the correct assessment of the potential of financial programs to store carbon and conserve forest ecosystem services in managed tropical forests, such as reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation and payment for ecosystem services. Recommendations for Resource Managers

• Considering the role of injured trees is important for managing tropical forests
• These trees can cover up to 50% of basal area and contain more than 50% of the carbon stored in above‐ground biomass
• Reduced impact logging leads to a larger basal area of injured trees and more carbon stored in injured trees than conventional logging
• Injured trees play an important role when assessing the potential for carbon storage in the context of payment for forest ecosystem services.

     

QbD approached comparison of reaction mechanism in microwave synthesized gold nanoparticles and their superior catalytic role against hazardous nirto‐dye

Microwave irradiation (MI) process characteristically enables extremely rapid “in‐core” heating of dipoles and ions, in comparison to conventional thermal (conductance) process of heat transfer. During the process of nanoparticles synthesis, MI both modulates functionality behaviors as well as dynamic of reaction in favorable direction. So, MI providing a facile, favorable and alternative approach during nanoparticles synthesis nanoparticles with enhanced catalytic performances. Although, conventionally used reducing and capping reagents of synthetic origin, are usually environmentally hazardous and toxic for living organism. But, in absence of suitable capping agent; stability, shelf life and catalytic activity of metallic nanoparticles adversely affected. However, polymeric templates which emerged as suitable choice of agent for both reducing and capping purposes; bearing additional advantages in terms of catalyst free one step green synthesis process with high degree of biosafety and efficiency. Another aspect of current works was to understand role of process variables in growth mechanism and catalytic performances of microwave processed metallic nanoparticles, as well as comparison of these parameters with conventional heating method. However, due to poor prediction ability with previously published architect OFAT (One factor at a time) design with these nanoparticles as well as random selection of process variables with their different levels, such comparison couldn't be possible. Hence, using gum Ghatti (Anogeissus latifolia) as a model bio‐template and under simulated reaction conditions; architect of QbD design systems were integrated in microwave processed nanoparticles to establish mechanistic role these variables. Furthermore, in comparison to conventional heating; we reported well validated mathematical modeling of process variables on characteristic of nanoparticles as well as synthesized gold nanoparticles of desired and identical dimensions, in both thermal and microwave‐based processes. Interestingly, despite of identical dimension, MI processed gold nanoparticles bearing higher efficiency (kinetic rate) against remediation of hazardous nitro dye (4‐nitrophenol), into safer amino (4‐aminophenol) analogues.     

Power-of-two sampling in redundancy systems: The impact of assignment constraints

A classical sampling strategy for load balancing policies is power-of-two, where any server pair is sampled with equal probability. This does not cover practical settings with assignment constraints which force non-uniform sampling. While intuition suggests that non-uniform sampling adversely impacts performance, this was only supported through simulations, and rigorous statements have remained elusive. Building on product-form distributions for redundancy systems, we prove the stochastic dominance of uniform sampling for a four-server system as well as arbitrary-size systems in light traffic.     

Tutorial review on validation of liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry methods: Part II

This is the part II of a tutorial review intending to give an overview of the state of the art of method validation in liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) and discuss specific issues that arise with MS (and MS–MS) detection in LC (as opposed to the “conventional” detectors). The Part II starts with briefly introducing the main quantitation methods and then addresses the performance related to quantification: linearity of signal, sensitivity, precision, trueness, accuracy, stability and measurement uncertainty. The last section is devoted to practical considerations in validation. With every performance characteristic its essence and terminology are addressed, the current status of treating it is reviewed and recommendations are given, how to handle it, specifically in the case of LC–MS methods.     

Synthesis of a Nine-atom Germanium Cluster K_(0.5)[K(18-crown-6)]_(1.5)Ge_9·1.5en with Unprecedented “up” and “down” Chain Arrangement of Unit [-(Ge_9-K-Ge_9)~(3-)-]

A new complex K0.5[K(18-crown-6)]1.5Ge9·1.5en(1) which contains unprecedented "up" and "down" chain arrangement of unit [-(Ge-9-K-Ge9)3-] has been prepared by the reaction of K4Ge9 with HgS in ethylenediamine(en) in the presence of 18-crown-6(1,4,7,10,13,16-hexaoxacyclooctadecane), and characterized by X-ray structure analysis. The color of the title crystals(black), which is darker than that of the reported three compounds with chains of germanium clusters, may result from the naked K+ and their interactions with the chain. And the structure differences between 1 and the reported three compounds with chains of germanium have also been discussed.     

Analysis of survivorship life insurance portfolios with stochastic rates of return

A general portfolio of survivorship life insurance contracts is studied in a stochastic rate of return environment with a dependent mortality model. Two methods are used to derive the first two moments of the prospective loss random variable. The first one is based on the individual loss random variables while the second one studies annual stochastic cash flows. The distribution function of the present value of future losses at a given valuation time is derived. For illustrative purposes, an AR(1) process is used to model the stochastic rates of return, and the future lifetimes of a couple are assumed to follow a copula model. The effects of the mortality dependence, the portfolio size and the policy type, as well as the impact of investment strategies on the riskiness of portfolios of survivorship life insurance policies are analyzed by means of moments and probability distributions.     

Sturmian comparison theory for half‐linear and nonlinear differential equations via Picone identity

In this paper, Sturmian comparison theory is developed for the pair of second‐order differential equations; first of which is the nonlinear differential equations of the form (1) and the second is the half‐linear differential equations (2) where Φ_α (s ) = |s |^{α  ? 1}s and α ₁ > ? > α _m  > β  > α _{m  + 1} > ? > α _n  > 0. Under the assumption that the solution of  2 has two consecutive zeros, we obtain Sturm–Picone type and Leighton type comparison theorems for  1 by employing the new nonlinear version of Picone formula that we derive. Wirtinger type inequalities and several oscillation criteria are also attained for  1 . Examples are given to illustrate the relevance of the results. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Further study of alternating iterations for rectangular matrices

Theory of matrix splittings is a useful tool in the analysis of iterative methods for solving systems of linear equations. When two splittings are given, it is of interest to compare the spectral radii of the corresponding iteration matrices. This helps to arrive at the conclusion that which splitting should one choose so that one can reach the desired solution of accuracy or the exact solution in a faster way. In the case of many splittings are provided, the comparison of the spectral radii is time-consuming. Such a situation can be overcome by introducing another iteration scheme which converges to the same solution of interest in a much faster way. In this direction, the theory of alternating iterations for real rectangular matrices is recently proposed. In this note, some more results to the theory of alternating iterations are added. A comparison result of two different alternating iteration schemes is then presented which will help us to choose the iteration scheme that will guarantee the faster convergence of the alternating iteration scheme. In addition to these results, a comparison result for proper weak regular splittings is also obtained.