Digital Commons Network^™

Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Related To Heart Failure Risk And Cardiac Function: A Case-Control Study In Heart Failure Patients, Jalal Moludi, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., Soghra Alisgharzadeh, James R. Hébert Scd, Mohammad Alizadeh

Faculty Publications

Aims: Previous studies suggest that diet and inflammation are important risk factors for heart failure (HF); however, the associations remain unclear. The Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII®) was established to measure the inflammatory capacity of individuals' diet. This study aimed to explore the DII in HF subjects compared with controls. Methods and Results: We conducted a case–control (116 cases and 113 controls) study that recruited in the similar clinics. DII scores were calculated based on dietary intakes. N-Terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and ejection fraction (EF) were assessed in both groups. In order to analyze DII scores with HF as …

Extensive Decentralized Hydrogen Export From The Atlantis Massif, Susan Q. Lang, Marvin D. Lilley, Tamara Baumberger, Gretchen L. Früh-Green, Sharon L. Walker, William J. Brazelton, Debroah S. Kelley, Mitchell Elend, David A. Butterfield, Aaron J. Mau

Faculty Publications

Hydrogen is an important energy source for subsurface microbial communities, but its availability beyond the flow focused through hydrothermal chimneys is largely unknown. We report the widespread export of H₂ across the Atlantis Massif oceanic core complex (30°N, Mid-Atlantic Ridge; up to 44 nM), which is distinct from the circulation system feeding the Lost City Hydrothermal Field (LCHF) on the massif's southern wall. Methane (CH₄) abundances are generally low to undetectable (<3 nM) in fluids that are not derived from the LCHF. Reducing fluids exit the seafloor over a wide geographical area and depth …

Timing Of Term Elective Cesarean Section And Adverse Neonatal Outcomes: A Multi-Center Retrospective Cohort Study, Ayah Al Bizri, Nansi Boghossian, Anwar Nassar, Pascale Nakad, Dina Jaber, Rabih Chahine, Gaby Fallakha, Gjaotj Makhoul, Khalid Yunis

Faculty Publications

Background Rate of cesarean section (CS), including elective CS has globally increased. Studies have found that term elective CS before 39 weeks of gestation is associated with increased risk of adverse respiratory outcomes.

Objective To determine the rate of elective CS and examine the association between timing of elective term CS and adverse neonatal outcomes in a large population of Lebanese women.

Methods A Multi-Center Study was conducted using data from the National Collaborative Perinatal Neonatal Network database. Simple and multivariable logistic regression models were used to examine the association between timing of term elective CS and adverse neonatal outcomes. …

Monitoring Air Pollution Variability During Disasters, Earthea Nance

Faculty Publications

National environmental regulations lack short-term standards for variability in fine particulate matter (PM2.5); they depend solely on concentration-based standards. Twenty-five years of research has linked short-term PM2.5, that is, increases of at least 10 μg/m3 that can occur in-between regulatory readings, to increased mortality. Even as new technologies have emerged that could readily monitor short-term PM2.5, such as real-time monitoring and mobile monitoring, their primary application has been for research, not for air quality management. The Gulf oil spill offers a strategic setting in which regulatory monitoring, computer modeling, and stationary monitoring could be directly compared to mobile monitoring. Mobile …

Analysis Of Two-Color Photoelectron Spectroscopy For Attosecond Metrology At Seeded Free-Electron Lasers, P. K. Maroju, C. Grazioli, M. Di Fraia, M. Moioli, D. Ertel, H. Ahmadi, O. Plekan, P. Finetti, E. Allaria, L. Giannessi, G. De Ninno, S. Spampinati, A. A. Lutman, R. J. Squibb, R. Feifel, P. Carpeggiani, M. Reduzzi, T. Mazza, M. Meyer, S. Bengtsson, N. Ibrakovic, E. R. Simpson, J. Mauritsson, T. Csizmadia, M. Dumergue, S. Kühn, N. G. Harshitha, D. You, K. Ueda, M. Labeye, J. E. Bækhøj, K. J. Schafer, E. V. Gryzlova

Faculty Publications

The generation of attosecond pulse trains at free-electron lasers opens new opportunities in ultrafast science, as it gives access, for the first time, to reproducible, programmable, extreme ultraviolet (XUV) waveforms with high intensity. In this work, we present a detailed analysis of the theoretical model underlying the temporal characterization of the attosecond pulse trains recently generated at the free-electron laser FERMI. In particular, the validity of the approximations used for the correlated analysis of the photoelectron spectra generated in the two-color photoionization experiments are thoroughly discussed. The ranges of validity of the assumptions, in connection with the main experimental parameters, …

Measurements Of And + Charged-Current Cross-Sections Without Detected Pions Or Protons On Water And Hydrocarbon At A Mean Anti-Neutrino Energy Of 0.86 Gev, K. Abe, N. Akhlaq, R. Akutsu, A. Ali, C. Alt, C. Andreopoulos, L. Anthony, M. Antonova, S. Aoki, A. Ariga, T. Arihara, Y. Asada, Y. Ashida, E. T. Atkin, Y. Awataguchi, S. Ban, M. Barbi, G. J. Barker, G. Barr, D. Barrow, C. Barry, M. Batkiewicz-Kwasniak, A. Beloshapkin, F. Bench, V. Berardi, S. Berkman, L. Berns, S. Bhadra, S. Bienstock, A. Blanchet, A. Blondel, S. Bolognesi, T. Bonus, B. Bourguille, S. B. Boyd, D. Brailsford, A. Bravar, D. Bravo Berguño, C. Bronner, S. Bron, A. Bubak, M. Buizza Avanzini, J. Calcutt, T. Campbell, S. Cao, S. L. Cartwright, M. G. Catanesi, A. Cervera, A. Chappell, C. Checchia

Faculty Publications

We report measurements of the flux-integrated and + charged-current cross-sections on water and hydrocarbon targets using the T2K anti-neutrino beam with a mean beam energy of 0.86 GeV. The signal is defined as the (anti-)neutrino charged-current interaction with one induced and no detected charged pion or proton. These measurements are performed using a new WAGASCI module recently added to the T2K setup in combination with the INGRID Proton Module. The phase space of muons is restricted to the high-detection efficiency region, 400 and 30 , in the laboratory frame. An absence of pions and protons in the detectable phase spaces …

R Coronae Borealis Star Evolution: Simulating 3d Merger Events To 1d Stellar Evolution Including Large-Scale Nucleosynthesis, Bradley Munson, Emmanouil Chatzopoulos, Juhan Frank, Geoffrey Clayton, Courtney Crawford, Pavel A. Denissenkov, Falk Herwig

Faculty Publications

R Coronae Borealis (RCB) stars are rare hydrogen-deficient carbon-rich variable supergiants thought to be the result of dynamically unstable white dwarf mergers. We attempt to model RCB stars through all the relevant timescales by simulating a merger event in Octo-tiger, a 3D adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) hydrodynamics code, and mapping the post-merger object into MESA, a 1D stellar evolution code. We then post-process the nucleosynthesis on a much larger nuclear reaction network to study the enhancement of s-process elements. We present models that match observations or previous studies in most surface abundances, isotopic ratios, early evolution, and lifetimes. We also …

Reduced-Order Fast Converging Observers For Systems With Discrete Measurements And Measurement Error, Frédéric Mazenc, Michael Malisoff, Zhong Ping Jiang

Faculty Publications

We provide novel reduced-order observer designs for continuous-time nonlinear systems with measurement error. Our first result applies to systems with continuous output measurements, and provides observers that converge in a fixed finite time that is independent of the initial state when the measurement error is zero. Our second result applies under discrete measurements, and provides observers that converge asymptotically with a rate of convergence that is proportional to the negative of the logarithm of the size of a sampling interval. Our observers satisfy an enhanced input-to-state stability property with respect to the measurement error, in which an overshoot term only …

Bilateral Nirs Measurements Of Muscle Mitochondrial Capacity: Feasibility And Repeatability, Rewais Hanna, Jigar Gosalia, Alaina Demalis, Zachary Hobson, Kevin K. Mccully, Brian A. Irving, Swapan Mookerjee, Giampietro L. Vairo, David N. Proctor

Faculty Publications

Background: Non-invasive determination of mitochondrial capacity via near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) typically involves voluntary exercise of a single muscle group followed by as many as 26 brief ischemic cuff occlusions to determine a single recovery rate constant (k). Purpose: To determine the within- and between-visit repeatability of a shortened bilateral NIRS protocol, and to establish the feasibility of hamstring k measurements. Methods: Sixteen young (eight women, eight men; 22 ± 3 years) active adults underwent a bilateral electrical stimulation protocol in which multiple (n = 4) measurements of k for the vastus lateralis (VL) and medial hamstring (MH) muscles were …

Evaluation Of Eight Kinds Of Flavor Enhancer Of Umami Taste By An Electronic Tongue, Kai Wang, Haining Zhuang, Fangling Bing, Da Chen, Tao Feng, Zhimin Xu

Faculty Publications

The umami intensity of single flavor enhancer was detected by an electronic tongue and human sensory. The linear fit was performed to unravel the concentration–response values correlations of eight flavor enhancers. The electronic tongue response data were then analyzed using principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant factor analysis (DFA) method. It was found that the umami response value of the electronic tongue and the flavor enhancer concentration showed a semi-logarithmic function. Moreover, the PCA and DFA could successfully distinguish the variety and concentration of flavor enhancer. The umami intensities were also assessed by human sensory and showed consistency with those …

Global Well-Posedness For The Logarithmically Energy-Supercritical Nonlinear Wave Equation With Partial Symmetry, Aynur Bulut, Benjamin Dodson

Faculty Publications

We establish global well-posedness and scattering results for the logarithmically energy-supercritical nonlinear wave equation, under the assumption that the initial data satisfies a partial symmetry condition. These results generalize and extend work of Tao in the radially symmetric setting. The techniques involved include weighted versions of Morawetz and Strichartz estimates, with weights adapted to the partial symmetry assumptions. In an appendix, we establish a corresponding quantitative result for the energy-critical problem.

Envrtype: A Software To Interplay Enviromics And Quantitative Genomics In Agriculture, Germano Costa-Neto, Giovanni Galli, Humberto Fanelli Carvalho, Jose Crossa, Roberto Fritsche-Neto

Faculty Publications

Envirotyping is an essential technique used to unfold the nongenetic drivers associated with the phenotypic adaptation of living organisms. Here, we introduce the EnvRtype R package, a novel toolkit developed to interplay large-scale envirotyping data (enviromics) into quantitative genomics. To start a user-friendly envirotyping pipeline, this package offers: (1) remote sensing tools for collecting (get_weather and extract_GIS functions) and processing ecophysiological variables (processWTH function) from raw environmental data at single locations or worldwide; (2) environmental characterization by typing environments and profiling descriptors of environmental quality (env_typing function), in addition to gathering environmental covariables as quantitative descriptors for predictive purposes (W_matrix …

Hydrothermal Synthesis And Structural Investigation Of A Crystalline Uranyl Borosilicate, Kristen A. Pace, Vladislav V. Klepov, Mark D. Smith, Travis Williams, Gregory Morrison, Jochen A. Lauterbach, Scott T. Misture, Hans Conrad Zur Loye

Faculty Publications

The relevance of multidimensional and porous crystalline materials to nuclear waste reme-diation and storage applications has motivated exploratory research focused on materials discovery of compounds, such as actinide mixed-oxoanion phases, which exhibit rich structural chemistry. The novel phase K1.8 Na1.2 [(UO2)BSi4 O12 ] has been synthesized using hydrothermal methods, rep-resenting the first example of a uranyl borosilicate. The three-dimensional structure crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Cmce with lattice parameters a = 15.5471(19) Å, b = 14.3403(17) Å, c = 11.7315(15) Å, and V = 2615.5(6) Å3, and is composed of UO6 octahedra linked by [BSi4 O12 ]5− chains to …

What Is Refractory Organic Matter In The Ocean?, Federico Baltar, Xosé A. Alvarez-Salgado, Javier Arístegui, Ronald Benner, Dennis A. Hansell, Gerhard J. Herndl, Christian Lønborg

Faculty Publications

About 20% of the organic carbon produced in the sunlit surface ocean is transported into the ocean’s interior as dissolved, suspended and sinking particles to be mineralized and sequestered as dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), sedimentary particulate organic carbon (POC) or “refractory” dissolved organic carbon (rDOC). Recently, the physical and biological mechanisms associated with the particle pumps have been revisited, suggesting that accepted fluxes might be severely underestimated (Boyd et al., 2019; Buesseler et al., 2020). Perhaps even more poorly understood are the mechanisms driving rDOC production and its potential accumulation in the ocean. On the basis of …

Heterogeneous Co2And Ch4Content Of Glacial Meltwater From The Greenland Ice Sheet And Implications For Subglacial Carbon Processes, Andrea J. Pain, Jonathan B. Martin, Ellen E. Martin, Åsa K. Rennermalm, Shaily Rahman

Faculty Publications

Accelerated melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet has increased freshwater delivery to the Arctic Ocean and amplified the need to understand the impact of Greenland Ice Sheet meltwater on Arctic greenhouse gas budgets. We evaluate subglacial discharge from the Greenland Ice Sheet for carbon dioxide (CO₂) and methane (CH₄) concentrations and δ¹³C values and use geochemical models to evaluate subglacial CH₄ and CO₂ sources and sinks. We compare discharge from southwest (a sub-catchment of the Isunnguata Glacier, sub-Isunnguata, and the Russell Glacier) and southern Greenland (Kiattut Sermiat). Meltwater CH₄ concentrations vary …

Are Granulins Copper Sequestering Proteins?, Anukool A. Bhopatkar, Vijayaraghavan Rangachari

Faculty Publications

Granulins (GRN 1-7) are short (~6 kDa), cysteine-rich proteins that are generated upon the proteolytic processing of progranulin (PGRN). These peptides, along with their precursor, have been implicated in multiple pathophysiological roles, especially in neurodegenerative diseases. Previously we showed that GRN-3 and GRN-5 are fully disordered in the reduced form implicating redox sensitive attributes to the proteins. Redox-based modulations are often carried out by metalloproteins in mitigating oxidative stress and maintaining metal-homeostasis within cells. To probe whether GRNs play a role in metal sequestration, we tested the metal binding propensity of the reduced forms of GRNs −3 and − 5 …

Microstructure-Sensitive Estimation Of Fatigue Life Using Cyclic Thermodynamic Entropy As An Index For Metals, Arash P. Jirandehi, M. M. Khonsari

Faculty Publications

A technique for fatigue life prediction of metals is presented based on a microstructure-sensitive estimation of plastic strain energy per cycle. The approach enables rapid prediction of temperature evolution, estimation of cyclic plastic energy, and fracture fatigue entropy. Theoretical and experimental results are presented for low-carbon steel 1018 and aluminum 7075-T6 specimens. It is shown that the approach realistically predicts the fatigue life of metallic specimens.

Temperature Dependence Of Density And Viscosity Of Biobutanol-Gasoline Blends, Daniel Trost, Adam Polcar, Dorin Boldor, Divine Bup Nde, Artur Wolak, Vojtĕch Kumbár

Faculty Publications

Butanol seems to be an eligible fuel for compensating for the increasing fuel consumption. Biobutanol could be produced from local sources in the place of use. Its properties show similar results to gasoline, so biobutanol could be added as a biocomponent into fuels. Important properties, in the case of blending biobutanol into gasoline, are its fluid properties and their dependence on the temperature. Therefore, in this paper, the volumetric mass density and viscosity of the selected ratios between biobutanol and gasoline (0, 5, 10, 85, 100 vol.%) were tested over the temperature range from -10 °C up to 40 °C. …

Microwave-Assisted Lignin Liquefaction In Hydrazine And Ethylene Glycol: Reaction Pathways Via Response Surface Methodology, Divine B. Nde, Mohamad Barekati-Goudarzi, Pranjali D. Muley, Lavrent Khachatryan, Dorin Boldor

Faculty Publications

Microwave assisted liquefaction (MAL) of alkali lignin in ethylene glycol (EG) in the presence of hydrazine was carried out using response surface methodology. Dielectric properties of mixtures of lignin/EG at different hydrazine concentrations were determined to enhance the understanding of the MAL process. MAL parameters were hydrazine concentration (1–3%), temperature (100-180 °C), time (5-45 min) with the maximum microwave heating power limited to 750 W. Lignin/EG ratio was fixed at 1 g:10 ml. Dielectric properties were significantly influenced by hydrazine concentration and temperature. Major products from the liquefaction process (as % of peak areas) were grouped into guaiacol and derivatives …

The Dietary Inflammatory Index Is Associated With Low Muscle Mass And Low Muscle Function In Older Australians, Marlene Gojanovic, Kara L. Holloway-Kew, Natalie K. Hyde, Mohammadreza Mohebbi, Nitin Shivappa Mbbs, Mph, Ph.D., James R. Hébert Scd., Adrienne O'Neil, Julie A. Pasco

Faculty Publications

Age-associated chronic, low grade systemic inflammation has been recognised as an important contributing factor in the development of sarcopenia; importantly, diet may regulate this process. This cross-sectional study examined the association of diet-related inflammation with components of sarcopenia. Participants (n = 809) aged 60–95 years from the Geelong Osteoporosis Study were studied. Body composition was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. In this study, low appendicular lean mass (ALM/height2, kg/m2) was defined as T-score < −1 and low muscle function as Timed-Up-and-Go >10 s over 3 m (TUG > 10). Dietary inflammatory index (DII®) scores, based on specific foods and nutrients, were computed using dietary data collected from a …

Zn Acceptors In Β-Ga2O3 Crystals, Timothy D. Gustafson, J. Jesenovec, Christopher A. Lenyk, Nancy C. Giles, J. S. Mccloy, M. Mccluskey, Larry E. Halliburton

Faculty Publications

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is used to identify and characterize neutral zinc acceptors in Zn-doped β-Ga₂O₃ crystals. Two EPR spectra are observed at low temperatures, one from Zn ions at tetrahedral Ga(1) sites (the Zn⁰_Ga1 acceptor) and one from Zn ions at octahedral Ga(2) sites (the Zn⁰_Ga2 acceptor). These Zn acceptors are small polarons, with the unpaired spin localized in each case on a threefold coordinated oxygen O(I) ion adjacent to the Zn ion. Resolved hyperfine interactions with neighboring ⁶⁹Ga and ⁷¹Ga nuclei allow the EPR spectra from the two acceptors …

Twisted Spatiotemporal Optical Vortex Random Fields, Milo W. Hyde Iv

Faculty Publications

We present twisted spatiotemporal optical vortex (STOV) beams, which are partially coherent light sources that possess a coherent optical vortex and a random twist coupling their space and time dimensions. These beams have controllable partial coherence and transverse orbital angular momentum (OAM), which distinguishes them from the more common spatial vortex and twisted beams (known to carry longitudinal OAM) in the literature and should ultimately make them useful in applications such as optical communications and optical tweezing. We present the mathematical analysis of twisted STOV beams, deriving the mutual coherence function and linear and angular momentum densities. We simulate the …

Surface Freshwater Fluxes In The Arctic And Subarctic Seas During Contrasting Years Of High And Low Summer Sea Ice Extent, Sarah B. Hall, Bulusu Subrahmanyam, Ebenezer S. Nyadjro, Annette Samuelsen

Faculty Publications

Freshwater (FW) flux between the Arctic Ocean and adjacent waterways, predominantly driven by wind and oceanic currents, influences halocline stability and annual sea ice variability which further impacts global circulation and climate. The Arctic recently experienced anomalous years of high and low sea ice extent in the summers of 2013/2014 and 2012/2016, respectively. Here we investigate the interannual variability of oceanic surface FW flux in relation to spatial and temporal variability in sea ice concentration (SIC), sea surface salinity (SSS), and sea surface temperature (SST), focusing on years with summer sea–ice extremes. Our analysis between 2010–2018 illustrate high parameter variability, …

Neurodevelopment Correlates With Gut Microbiota In A Cross-Sectional Analysis Of Children At 3 Years Of Age In Rural China, Sarah E. Rothenberg, Qiurong Chen, Yanfen Nong, Hua Nong, Eva P. Trinh, Fred J. Biasini, Jihong Liu, Xiaoyun Zeng, Yunfeng Zou, Fengxiu Ouyang, Susan A. Korrick

Faculty Publications

We investigated cross-sectional associations between children’s neurodevelopment and their gut microbiota composition. Study children (36 months of age) lived in rural China (n = 46). Neurodevelopment was assessed using the Bayley Scales of Infant Development, 2nd Edition, yielding the Mental Developmental Index (MDI) and Psychomotor Developmental Index (PDI). Children's gut microbiota was assessed using 16S rRNA gene profiling. Microbial diversity was characterized using alpha diversity patterns. Additionally, 3 coabundance factors were determined for the 25 most abundant taxa. Multivariable linear regression models were constructed to examine the relationships between Bayley scores (MDI and PDI) and children's gut microbiota. In adjusted …

Gwtc-2: Compact Binary Coalescences Observed By Ligo And Virgo During The First Half Of The Third Observing Run, Ligo Scientific Collaboration, Virgo Collaboration, Tiffany Z. Summerscales

Faculty Publications

We report on gravitational-wave discoveries from compact binary coalescences detected by Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo in the first half of the third observing run (O3a) between 1 April 2019 15∶00 UTC and 1 October 2019 15∶00 UTC. By imposing a false-alarm-rate threshold of two per year in each of the four search pipelines that constitute our search, we present 39 candidate gravitational-wave events. At this threshold, we expect a contamination fraction of less than 10%. Of these, 26 candidate events were reported previously in near-real time through gamma-ray coordinates network notices and circulars; 13 are reported here for the …

Analyses Of Countermovement Jump Performance In Time And Frequency Domains, Zhanxin Sha, Zhaoxian Zhou, Boyi Dai

Faculty Publications

This study aimed to analyze counter-movement jump (CMJ) performance in time and frequency domains. Fortyfour Division I American football players participated in the study. Kinetic variables were collected from both dominant and non-dominant legs using two force plates. Normalized peak power, normalized net impulse, and normalized peak force significantly correlated with jump height (r =.960, r =.998, r =.725, respectively with p < .05). The mean frequency component was significantly correlated with CMJ performance (r =.355 with p < .05). The reliability of the frequency variables was higher than the time domain variables. Frequency domain variables showed weaker correlations with jump height compared with time domain variables. Frequency domain analysis provides frequency components, which represent the rate of energy transmission from the eccentric phase to the end of the push-off phase. Frequency component information may provide additional information for the analyses of CMJ performance for athletes.

Primordial Power Spectrum From A Matter-Ekpyrotic Bounce Scenario In Loop Quantum Cosmology, Bao-Fei Li, Sahil Saini, Parampreet Singh

Faculty Publications

A union of matter bounce and ekpyrotic scenarios is often studied in an attempt to combine the most promising features of these two models. Since nonperturbative quantum geometric effects in loop quantum cosmology (LQC) result in natural bouncing scenarios without any violation of energy conditions or fine tuning, an investigation of matter-ekpyrotic bounce scenario is interesting to explore in this quantum gravitational setting. In this work, we explore this unified phenomenological model for a spatially flat Friedmann-Lemaistre-Robertson-Walker (FLRW) universe in LQC filled with dust and a scalar field in an ekpyrotic scenario like negative potential. Background dynamics and the power …

“When They Say Weed Causes Depression, But It’S Your Fav Antidepressant”: Knowledge-Aware Attention Framework For Relationship Extraction, Shweta Yadav, Usha Lokala, Raminta Daniulaityte, Krishnaprasad Thirunarayan, Francois Lamy, Amit P. Sheth

Faculty Publications

With the increasing legalization of medical and recreational use of cannabis, more research is needed to understand the association between depression and consumer behavior related to cannabis consumption. Big social media data has potential to provide deeper insights about these associations to public health analysts. In this interdisciplinary study, we demonstrate the value of incorporating domain-specific knowledge in the learning process to identify the relationships between cannabis use and depression. We develop an end-to-end knowledge infused deep learning framework (Gated-K-BERT) that leverages the pre-trained BERT language representation model and domain-specific declarative knowledge source (Drug Abuse Ontology) to jointly extract entities …

Retaining Eucalyptus Harvest Residues Promotes Different Pathways For Particulate And Mineral-Associated Organic Matter, Gabriel W. D. Ferreira, Fernanda C. C. Oliveira, Emanuelle M. B. Soares, Jorg Schnecker, Ivo R. Silva, A. Stuart Grandy

Faculty Publications

Eucalyptus plantations have replaced other (agro)ecosystems over 5.6 Mha in Brazil. While these plantations rapidly accumulate carbon (C) in their biomass, the C storage in living forest biomass is transient, and thus, longer-term sustainability relies on sustaining soil organic matter (SOM) stocks. A significant amount of harvest residues (HR) is generated every rotation and can yield SOM if retained in the field. Yet, there is little information on how managing eucalyptus HR changes SOM dynamics. We used isotopic and molecular approaches in a 3-yr field decomposition experiment where a native grassland has been replaced by eucalyptus plantations to assess how …

Using Multiple Ecological Models To Inform Environmental Decision-Making, Kristy A. Lewis, Kenneth A. Rose, Kim De Mutsert, Shaye Sable, Cameron Ainsworth, Damian C. Brady, Howard Townsend

Faculty Publications

Coastal ecosystems are experiencing degradation from compound impacts of climate change and multiple anthropogenic disturbances. These pressures often act synergistically and complicate designing effective conservation measures; consequently, large-scale coastal restoration actions become a wicked problem. The purpose of this study was to use two different food web models in a coordinated manner to inform resource managers in their assessment of the ecological effects of a large-scale marsh restoration project. A team was formed that included the model developers and outside scientists, who were asked to use available model results of the calibrated simulations of an Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model …