Cover Duration Research Articles

Additional doses of prophylactic antibiotics post-arthroplasty: Are there any benefits?

Guidelines for prophylactic antibiotic administration in total joint replacement vary considerably in terms of drug, dosage, route of administration and duration of cover. Despite the range of treatment options available, infection remains the most common reason for arthroplasty failure in the decades following a procedure, simultaneously increasing health care costs and lowering patient satisfaction considerably. This work aims to evaluate whether there are benefits to administering further doses of antibiotic post-arthroplasty, in addition to the recommendations of current protocols. We present a review of evidence surrounding infection rates in a variety of prophylactic regimens, and weigh this against further considerations such as cost to the patient and risks of nephrotoxicity. In summary, the available evidence does not suggest a benefit to administering additional doses post-arthroplasty in most cases. However, further doses may benefit those deemed at high risk of infection, or those in areas of high methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus prevalence.

Climate warming shortens ice durations and alters freeze and break-up patterns in Swedish water bodies

Abstract. Increasing air temperatures reduce the duration of ice cover on lakes and rivers, threatening to alter their water quality, ecology, biodiversity, and physical, economical and recreational function. Using a unique in situ record of freeze and break-up dates, including records dating back to the beginning of the 18th century, we analyze changes in ice duration (i.e., first freeze to last break-up), freeze and break-up patterns across Sweden. Results indicate a significant trend in shorter ice duration (62 %), later freeze (36 %) and earlier break-up (58 %) dates from 1913–2014. In the latter 3 decades (1985–2014), the mean observed ice durations have decreased by about 11 d in northern (above 60∘ N) and 28 d in southern Sweden relative to the earlier three decades. In the same period, the average freeze date occurred about 10 d later and break-up date about 17 d earlier in southern Sweden. The rate of change is roughly twice as large in southern Sweden as in the northern part. Sweden has experienced an increase in occurrence of years with an extremely short ice cover duration (i.e., less than 50 d), which occurred about 8 times more often in southern Sweden than previously observed. Our analysis indicates that even a 1 ∘C increase in air temperatures in southern (northern) Sweden results in a mean decrease of ice duration of 22.5 (±7.6) d. Given that warming is expected to continue across Sweden during the 21st century, we expect increasingly significant impacts on ice cover duration and hence, ecology, water quality, transportation, and recreational activities in the region.

Links Among Crop Diversification, Microbial Diversity, and Soil Organic Carbon: Mini Review and Case Studies.

Interactions between species above- and belowground are among the top factors that govern ecosystem functioning including soil organic carbon (SOC) storage. In agroecosystems, understanding how crop diversification affects soil biodiversity and SOC storage at the local scale remains a key challenge for addressing soil degradation and biodiversity loss that plague these systems. Yet, outcomes of crop diversification for soil microbial diversity and SOC storage, which are key indicators of soil health, are not always positive but rather they are highly idiosyncratic to agroecosystems. Using five case studies, we highlight the importance of selecting ideal crop functional types (as opposed to focusing on plant diversity) when considering diversification options for maximizing SOC accumulation. Some crop functional types and crop diversification approaches are better suited for enhancing SOC at particular sites, though SOC responses to crop diversification can vary annually and with duration of crop cover. We also highlight how SOC responses to crop diversification are more easily interpretable through changes in microbial community composition (as opposed to microbial diversity). We then develop suggestions for future crop diversification experiment standardization including (1) optimizing sampling effort and sequencing depth for soil microbial communities and (2) understanding the mechanisms guiding responses of SOC functional pools with varying stability to crop diversification. We expect that these suggestions will move knowledge forward about biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in agroecosystems, and ultimately be of use to producers for optimizing soil health in their croplands.

Growing cabbage (Brassica oleraceae var. capitata) under low cover Agronets prevents pest infestation and increases yields in Kenya

Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. capitata) is an important vegetable crop in Kenya both in production and income provision to smallholder farmers. Pests are serious hindrance to its production and most farmers rely on synthetic insecticides. Such reliance has negative effects on non-target organisms, environment, animal and human health. This study was carried out from May to October 2011 to determine impact of low cover nets of different mesh size and cover duration on reducing cabbage pest infestation and yields. The study was conducted at Kenya Agricultural Research Institute Kabete and Practical Training Centre Thika based on a randomized complete block design with five replicates. Treatments included Agronets of fine (0.4mm) and large (0.9mm) mesh covered over the crop permanently (season-long) or temporarily (opened three times a week from 9am to 3pm) and control where no Agronet was used. The results show that the number and damage by diamondback moth (DBM) was significantly lower on cabbages grown under the Agronets compared with control. Infestation by thrips was lower on cabbages grown under permanent cover compared with those under temporal cover and without cover. However, there was no significant difference of aphids infestation. The marketable yield was significantly higher on cabbages grown under the Agronets, recording about 17% yield loss compared with control that recorded about 90% yield loss. The study concludes that Agronets provide an important component of integrated pest management strategy for cabbage production in Kenya with high crop yields benefit and highly recommended for application by growers. Key words: Agronet, Aphids, Cabbage, Diamondback moth, Thrips

Assessing the Risk to Indoor Thermal Environments on Industrial Sites Offering AHU Capacity for Demand Response

Increasing participation in demand response within the industrial sector may be crucial to growing the levels of available flexible capacity required to reliably control national electricity grids as renewable generation increases to satisfy emission targets. This research aims to assist the uptake of demand response in the industrial sector by investigating risk to indoor thermal environments on industrial sites offering air handling unit capacity for demand response. This evaluation uses a systematic model-based approach, calibrated and validated with empirical data from a relevant case study industrial building to assess risk through a number of scenarios. The conditions investigated cover several relevant grid response times and durations, and national and international extreme external ambient temperatures in the past, present and future under a variety of temperature limits. The study demonstrated that there is very low risk to the case study site participating in demand response, with only 15 of 264 initial and 284 of 936 total scenarios triggering any risk. The major factors affecting risk levels identified were more stringent temperature limits and the influence of more extreme climates. The development and implementation of this concept has considerable potential to benefit industrial participants and the wider national electricity grids.

A day in the life of winter plankton: under-ice community dynamics during 24 h in a eutrophic lake

Abstract Although diel vertical migration (DVM) in aquatic systems may account for the largest daily migration of biomass globally, our understanding of this process under ice cover is limited, particularly in fresh water. The date of lake ice onset and duration of ice cover is declining globally, therefore determining the extent of plankton migrations under ice is imperative to inform our baseline understanding of seasonal differences in community structure and function, and how conditions may change over time. We investigated whether plankton exhibit DVM under ice and explored interactions between phytoplankton and zooplankton at highly resolved space–time scales across 24 h in a eutrophic system. Despite the dominance of motile taxa, phytoplankton remained vertically segregated based on morpho-functional groups throughout the sampling period. Daphnia mendotae exhibited size-structured DVM with an upward migration at sunset and sunrise, and midnight sinking, presumably to avoid the rise of predatory Chaoborus. We hypothesize that because overwintering daphnids require rich lipid stores, D. mendotae migrated to access small, lipid-rich phytoplankton that were limited to surface waters. Given our study took place during an unusually warm winter in a eutrophic system, our results may represent future under-ice dynamics under increasing eutrophication pressure and climate warming in shallow lakes.

Variations in mineralogy of dust in an ice core obtained from northwestern Greenland over the past 100 years

Abstract. Our study is the first to demonstrate a high-temporal-resolution record of mineral composition in a Greenland ice core over the past 100 years. To reconstruct past variations in the sources and transportation processes of mineral dust in northwestern Greenland, we analysed the morphology and mineralogical composition of dust in the SIGMA-D ice core from 1915 to 2013 using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The results revealed that the ice core dust consisted mainly of silicate minerals and that the composition varied substantially on multi-decadal and inter-decadal scales, suggesting that the ice core minerals originated from different geological sources in different periods during the past 100 years. The multi-decadal variation trend differed among mineral types. Kaolinite, which generally formed in warm and humid climatic zones, was abundant in colder periods (1950–2004), whereas mica, chlorite, feldspars, mafic minerals, and quartz, which formed in arid, high-latitude, and local areas, were abundant in warmer periods (1915–1949 and 2005–2013). Comparison to Greenland surface temperature records indicates that multi-decadal variation in the relative abundance of these minerals was likely affected by local temperature changes in Greenland. Trajectory analysis shows that the minerals were transported mainly from the western coast of Greenland in the two warming periods, which was likely due to an increase in dust sourced from local ice-free areas as a result of shorter snow/ice cover duration in the Greenland coastal region during the melt season caused by recent warming. Meanwhile, ancient deposits in northern Canada, which were formed in past warmer climates, seem to be the best candidate during the colder period (1950–2004). Our results suggest that SEM–EDS analysis can detect variations in ice core dust sources during recent periods of low dust concentration.

Investigating the Relationship Between Peak Snow‐Water Equivalent and Snow Timing Indices in the Western United States and Alaska

AbstractUnderstanding the distribution of snow‐water equivalent (SWE) is crucial for the prediction of water resources in the western United States. Backward running SWE reconstructions use satellite‐observed, binary snow presence imagery to reconstruct SWE mass estimates. This approach relies on the connection between snow timing and peak SWE, yet few studies have directly examined this relationship. Here, we investigate the strength and spatiotemporal variation in this relationship across the western United States and Alaska. Within the SNOTEL network (n = 611 sites), we find that most variance in peak SWE is explained (median R2 = 0.64, σ = 0.18) by, in order of explanatory skill, the timing of snow disappearance, onset, and cover duration, with variation in skill primarily related to climate conditions—like winter storm size and storm frequency—rather than topographical setting. We expand this analysis with a diagnostic model of peak SWE driven by remotely sensed snow timing indices applied to five hydrologically important regions in the western United States and Alaska. Uncertainties arising between blending point and 500 m grid‐scale observations were found to influence model SWE bias, but a robust correlation (median R = 0.88) with observations persisted across all tested thresholds. Overall, this supports the viability of snow timing information for quantifying spatial patterns of peak SWE (mean R2 = 0.76, percent bias = 3.6%) over the past two decades. These findings carry important implications for the development of SWE reanalysis products and for the evaluation of climate and hydrologic models.

Ground thermal regimes and implications for permafrost distribution on Kilimanjaro, Tanzania

ABSTRACT Tropical mountain permafrost has a unique thermal regime due to ground surface exposure to strong solar radiation. The intensity of the surface offset resulting from snow cover also strongly affects the absence or presence of permafrost. Latent heat transfer and reflected solar radiation (higher albedo) that occur during the snow-covered season contribute to a positive feedback that cools the ground. Eleven ground temperature monitoring sites were established on the mountain at 2,780 to 5,820 m.a.s.l. The geothermal heat flow is locally high in the caldera of this volcano, as shown by borehole temperature data. Permafrost is located near the only glacier entirely within the caldera (Furtwängler). These three-year continuous records of ground temperature data encompass years of high and low snow cover. Our results show that the current lower boundary of permafrost is slightly above summit altitude and relict permafrost is present due to the influence of saturated sand on latent heat transfer. Permafrost tends to be lost more rapidly during drought years. The remaining permafrost seems likely to disappear in the future. The presence of permafrost and its thermal resistance depends on the ice content of caldera sand and the duration of snow cover.

ОЦЕНКА ИЗМЕНЕНИЙ ХАРАКТЕРИСТИК ВОДНОГО, СНЕЖНОГО И ЛЕДОВОГО РЕЖИМОВ В БАССЕЙНЕ МАЛОЙ СЕВЕРНОЙ ДВИНЫ В СОВРЕМЕННЫХ УСЛОВИЯХ И ИХ ВОЗМОЖНЫЕ ИЗМЕНЕНИЯ В БУДУЩЕМ

The article presents an analysis of the impact of climate change on the main characteristics of ice phenomena, snow cover and the water regime in the Small Northern Dvina River basin occurring in recent decades. Recently, a significant climate warming has been observed in the basin. As a result, winters are getting warmer and shorter. There is also an increase in winter precipitation and the number of thaws. Climate warming directly affects the duration of snow cover, which decreases both due to the later formation and to the earlier destruction of snow. There is also a slight downward trend in the annual values of the maximum snow water equivalent, which may be the result of an increase in the number of thaws in winter, when a part of the snow cover melts contributing to the winter river runoff. The analysis of the main characteristics of the ice cover on the rivers of the studied basin shows that their changes are similarly to changes in the snow cover: there is a reduction in the freeze-up period due to its later formation and earlier complete destruction. The maximum ice thickness on the rivers of the basin also tends to decrease. There is an increase in winter and a decrease in spring runoff. Predictive estimates of changes in the observed trends in the future are presented in the fi nal part of the article based on the CMIP5 project data.

Phenology of alpine zooplankton populations and the importance of lake ice-out

AbstractThe prolonged ice cover inherent to alpine lakes incurs unique challenges for aquatic life, which are compounded by recent shifts in the timing and duration of ice cover. To understand the responses of alpine zooplankton, we analyzed a decade (2009–2019) of open-water samples of Daphnia pulicaria and Hesperodiaptomus shoshone for growth, reproduction and ultraviolet radiation tolerance. Due to reproductive differences between taxa, we expected clonal cladocerans to exhibit a more rapid response to ice-cover changes relative to copepods dependent on sexual reproduction. For D. pulicaria, biomass and melanization were lowest after ice clearance and increased through summer, whereas fecundity was highest shortly after ice-off. For H. shoshone, biomass and fecundity peaked later but were generally less variable through time. Among years, ice clearance date varied by 49 days; years with earlier ice-out and a longer growing season supported higher D. pulicaria biomass and clutch sizes along with greater H. shoshone fecundity. While these large-bodied, stress tolerant zooplankton taxa were relatively resilient to phenological shifts during the observation period, continued losses of ice cover may create unfavorably warm conditions and facilitate invasion by montane species, emphasizing the value of long-term data in assessing future changes to these sensitive ecosystems.

Variability of Sedimentation Processes in Northern Part of East Novaya Zemlya Trough in the Anthropocene

The lithological and mineralogical characteristics of sea surface sediments, composition of microfossils, contribution of organic matter, and element composition have been studied in a core from the northern part of East Novaya Zemlya Trough. Sedimentation rates were calculated based on the radioisotopes 210Pb and 137Cs. Lithological, biogeochemical, and geochemical studies showed a low variability of the sedimentation conditions over the last 250 years. However, even small changes in microfossils, as well as lithological and geochemical parameters, make it possible to trace some short-term climate changes in this area, probably controlled by atmospheric circulation. The core shows a clear binomial structure, reflecting changes in sedimentation at the end of the Little Ice Age (LIA) and afterward. For the northern part of the East Novaya Zemlya Trough, low sea surface temperatures and an increase in the duration of ice cover at the end of the LIA in the 1780s−1810s have been reconstructed. Since the 1810s, the hydrodynamic activity of water masses intensified sharply due to glacier melting (especially after the 1840s). In addition, an increase in sea surface temperatures can be assumed, except for the cooling of the 1910s. Later, circulation of water masses increased, contributing to the supply of terrigenous material to the deep parts of the trough.

Synchronization of a Removable Optical Element with an Eye Tracker: Test Case for Heterophoria Measurement.

PurposeHeterophoria describes the deviation of the optical axes in the absence of binocular fusion. Eye trackers (ET) can provide an objective assessment but are not broadly used clinically. We examined the feasibility of combining an infrared (IR) pass-filter, IR detector, and an off-the-shelf ET. The proposed setup was validated against the broadly used cover test (CT). Furthermore, the setup was used to examine whether testing conditions can affect the measurements.MethodsAn IR detector was attached to a handheld IR-pass filter that blocks visible light to provide occlusion while passing IR light for eye tracking. The detector senses the IR illumination of the eye tracker, creating a recordable signal of the occluder position synchronized with eye positions acquired by the SMI Red250 tracker. The mean of three measurements of each condition, three versus ten seconds occlusion, the occluded eye, and ET versus CT results were compared using the Wilcoxon test, correlation and Bland and Altman plots. Differences between measurements that were within 2Δ were considered clinically insignificant.ResultsThirty normally-sighted subjects (mean age 24.50 ± 2.20, range 20–28) with heterophoria ranging between 14Δ exophoria and 4Δ esophoria were recruited. There was no significant difference between the occluded eyes. However, there was a difference between 3 and 10 seconds’ cover duration. The CT data were more similar to the 10 seconds cover duration, although differences were less than the clinical resolution of 2Δ.ConclusionsAn inexpensive off-the-shelf ET can be used to measure heterophoria with controlled testing parameters.Translational RelevanceOur study demonstrated a robust technique for synchronization of an optical element such as an IR cover, with an off-the-shelf commercial eye tracker. The synchronization of optical elements with eye tracking, which has been described here for heterophoria, can be adapted for other clinical measurements.

Generation of Horizontal Global Irradiance using the Cloud Cover and Sunshine Duration According to the Solar Altitude

Generation of Horizontal Global Irradiance using the Cloud Cover and Sunshine Duration According to the Solar Altitude

Abstract 3511: Exploration of pre-clinical relationships between pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and tumor volume for the novel DNA-PK inhibitor AZD7648

Abstract AZD7648 is a potent and highly selective inhibitor of DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) that has been nominated for clinical development. DNA-PK is a nuclear serine/threonine protein kinase complex involved in DNA damage repair, and a key component of the non-homologous end joining repair mechanism of double strand breaks (DSBs). This work aimed to explore the relationships between pharmacokinetics (PK), pharmacodynamics (PD) and xenograft tumor volume from pre-clinical studies, in order to define PD requirements for pre-clinical efficacy, and to estimate a target clinical dose for AZD7648 in combination with DSB-inducing agents such as olaparib or pegylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD). A population-based modelling approach was used to explore the PK of AZD7648 in mice. The PK model was developed using data from full PK profiles (multiple longitudinal samples per mouse), and validated against terminal sample PK data. The potential influences of strain-dependence, time non-linearity, and interaction with olaparib on the pharmacokinetics of AZD7648 were investigated. Direct and indirect inhibition PD models were fitted to the responses of biomarkers describing target engagement (pDNA-PK) or proximal downstream effects (pRPA32 (S4/8) and γH2AX). A compartmental model accurately described AZD7648 PK in mice, with rapid absorption, dose-proportional PK across the range of doses tested, time-independent parameters and no effect of olaparib co-dosing on AZD7648 PK. The PD of proximal target engagement biomarkers were best described with an Imax model with very rapid turnover (<10 minutes), which showed there was negligible delay (due to tumor distribution or pharmacology) and effectively a direct relationship between systemic PK and xenograft biomarker inhibition. Across a number of FaDu ATM KO and BT474c xenograft tumor studies, the duration of cover over IC90 correlated with efficacy in combination with olaparib or PLD, demonstrating the importance of inhibiting DNA-PK for an extended duration in each dosing period. This result was applied to define a target level and duration of PD inhibition, and, when combined with predicted human PK behaviour, a target clinical dose for AZD7648 in combination with DSB-inducing agents to inform the clinical investigation of AZD7648. Citation Format: Michael Davies, Joost de Jongh, Emma Dean, Jacquelline H. Fok, Frederick W. Goldberg, Neil James, Ankur Karmokar, Antonio Ramos-Montoya, Anna Staniszewska, Andy Sykes, Tamara van Steeg, Elaine Cadogan. Exploration of pre-clinical relationships between pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and tumor volume for the novel DNA-PK inhibitor AZD7648 [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3511.

Typical hydrothermal conditions of the Right-bank Forest-step zone and their influence on corn productivity

Corn is a highly productive crop of universal purpose, which is grown for food – 20–25 %, forage – 60–65 and technical purposes – 15–20 %. Increasing its yield is possible due to the improvement of the elements of the technology of cultivation taking into account biological characteristics. The growth and development of corn, the production of high yields, as well as the improvement of the quality of the main products are determined by factors of anthropogenic origin and weather conditions. Hydrothermal conditions of Ukraine have already begun to change significantly during the last decades, which resulted in a shift in the climatic seasons, changes in the vegetation period duration (depending on the zone and the biological features of the crops it can either decrease or expand), the decrease in the duration of a stable snow cover, changes in water resources of local drainage. The period 2005–2016 was analyzed for the reliable estimation of the typicality of weather conditions and their influence on the corn productivity under the following basic cultivation methods: ploughing at the depth of 28–30 cm (control), flat-cut tilling at the depth of 28–30 сm, chisel ploughing at the depth of 43–45 cm and disking at the depth of 10–12 cm. The dynamics of precipitation in the northern part of the Right Bank Forest Steppe during the corn vegetation period for the last 2005–2016 testifies to the noticeable tendency of increasing the amount of precipitation in May-June and their sharp decrease in July-August. It was determined that the conditions for eight years – 2006–2008, 2011–2014 and 2016 were optimal for their hydrothermal indices for the production of corn yields at the level of 5.83–9.47 t/ha. The hydrothermal coefficient for vegetation was 1.13–1.76. Weather conditions were unfavorable in 2005, 2009–2010, and 2015 with the amount of precipitation for vegetation of 120–288 mm, which is below the long-term amount by 120 mm, or 36 %. The peculiarity of these years was 37–61 % lower precipitation level in June–July with the grain yield of 3.12–6.51 t/ha. The mathematical-statistical analysis allows to characterize features and typicality of weather conditions of 2005–2016 and to estimate the influence of hydrothermal years and separate months on corn crops productivity. It has been established that there is the following correlation between weather conditions in July and the yield of corn: high correlation for disk soil cultivation (r=0.75–0.86), the average – for ploughing and chyzel loosening (r=0.49–0.53). Thus, the formation of a deep layer of soil with the best water–physical characteristics and fertility in these cultivation modes reduced the dependence of the elements of yield formation from the adverse weather conditions and provided a higher yield of corn by 6.0–8.0 %. Key words: hydrothermal conditions, hydrothermal coefficient (HTC), vegetation period, corn yield.

Social organization of boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) in response to decreasing annual snow depth

Global climate warming is causing reductions in the depth and duration of snow cover across much of the distributional range of threatened boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Plasticity in group size and composition among gregarious ungulates likely reflects a response to a variety of proximate factors, including environmental conditions such as snow depth. Yet, longitudinal studies of social organization by ungulates in response to environmental conditions are limited. We used 11 years of aerial survey data to examine winter group size in a northern population of boreal woodland caribou in response to late-winter snow depth. We documented caribou social organization (size and types of groups) and annual variability in group size. We tested the hypothesis that group size increases with increasing snow depth. Most groups (61%; n = 456) were ≤ 5 animals; however, they only constituted 37% of the animals. Caribou were distributed among four types of groups, including solitary females, males only, females only, and mixed groups. Group sizes differed among group types. Mixed groups were both the most common and largest groups encountered in late winter. We found a positive relationship between snow depth and group size; however, there was no relationship between snow depth and the percentage of mixed groups. These caribou may form larger groups in winters with deep snow as a behavioral strategy to reduce energetic costs, predation risk, or both. Climate-induced decreases in late-winter snow depth will likely reduce group sizes in boreal woodland caribou. However, further work is required to understand if this change in social organization will affect the persistence of local boreal woodland caribou populations.

Dynamics of the ice regime of the Sea of Azov in the XX–XXI centuries

The ice regime of the Sea of Azov over the period of 20th and 21nd centuries was investigated using the author's GIS «The ice regime of the Southern Seas of the Russia». The long-term dynamics of the ice cover, duration of the ice stay as well as beginning and end of the ice period were considered. It has been found that for the period of 1950–2015 the average annual value of the Azov Sea ice cover area is 33%, while the average area of the fast ice is 6.3% of the total area of the sea. Value of duration of the ice cover stay on the sea surface has been refined, and this value is 115 days near the hydro-meteorological station (HMS) Taganrog and 63 days near the HMS Kerch. The typification of winters according to the degree of severity was performed on the basis of data from three coastal meteorological stations: Taganrog, Genichesk, and Kerch. Winters of moderate type were shown to be prevailing during the entire analyzed period. Totally, 15 severe, 70 moderate and 40 mild winters were isolated for the period 1883-2015, while for 1950–2015 the statistics was the following: 9 severe, 43 moderate, and 14 mild winters in Taganrog, and 10 severe, 40 moderate, and 16 mild winters in Kerch.

Смолопродуктивність соснових деревостанів в Україні

Досліджено смолопродуктивність кліматипів сосни звичайної, які ростуть у різних лісорослинних умовах України. Встановлено найвищу смолопродуктивність дерев сосни звичайної черкаського, малополіського та київськополіського кліматипів, що ростуть в умовах Південного Полісся та Лісостепу. Відмінності смолопродуктивності сосни різних кліматипів дають підставу диференціювати сосняки за смолопродуктивністю з урахуванням лісорослинних умов.
 Підвищена біологічна смолопродуктивність черкаського та київського кліматичних екотипів свідчить про перспективність масового відбору (виділення популяцій) для селекції сосни за смолопродуктивністю. До диференціації кліматипів сосни звичайної за смолопродуктивністю призводить комплекс таких чинників: середньорічна та максимальна температура повітря, сума активних температур, тривалість сонячного освітлення, а також середньорічна сума опадів та висота місцезростання над рівнем моря.
 Здійснені дослідження розподілу дерев за смолопродуктивністю в підсочуваних насадженнях Малого та Західного Полісся дають підставу стверджувати, що в деревостанах переважають дерева середньої категорії смолопродуктивності. Другою за величиною є категорія дерев із пониженою, третьою – із високою смолопродуктивністю.

Maize yield and profitability tradeoffs with social, human and environmental performance: Is sustainable intensification feasible?

Sustainable intensification (SI) has been regarded as the basis for environmentally sound and equitable agricultural development. Field based assessment of technologies needs to move beyond production and economic performance to include environment, social and human condition. In this study we systematically consider all five domains of SI based on participatory action research (PAR) initiated in 2012 at three Central Malawi sites that varied in agroecology from low to high potential. Fifteen SI indicators were assessed for four technologies: sole maize (Zea mays L.) with 0 and recommended fertilization (69kg Nha−1 and 9kgPha−1), pigeonpea (Cajanus Cajun (L.) Millsp.)-maize intercrop (half rate fertilizer), and doubled up legume rotation (DLR, a pigeonpea-groundnut intercrop) sequenced with maize at half rate fertilizer in that phase. Through radar charts SI performance and tradeoffs were visualized, and causal loop analysis allowed identification of research gaps. SI indicator assessments included crop performance from on-farm trials, profitability, modeled probability of food sufficiency, risk of crop failure and ratings of technologies by women farmers who were engaged in evaluation of technologies through participatory research. The PAR included six mother trials, 236 baby trial farmers and a survey that was carried out with 324 farmers (baby trial farmers plus control farmers) to document socio-economic factors and management practices on focal fields. Replicated mother trials further provided the basis for simulation modeling (APSIM) of weather-associated crop failure risk and slow processes such as soil carbon (C) accrual. Radar charts were used to visualize SI performance of the technologies. Environmental performance of the two pigeonpea-diversified technologies was variable, but generally high compared with sole maize systems, due to gains in vegetative biomass, duration of cover and biological nitrogen (N) fixation. Maize production and economic assessment varied by site, and with steeper tradeoffs for legume diversification in the mesic site, less so in the marginal site. The domains of social and human capacity building were superior for legume integration, notably in terms of diverse diet, food security and farmer preferences (notably, female farmers generally favored legume crops). Performance varied by site with legume systems most beneficial at the most marginal site, including less risk of crop failure than unfertilized maize. Causal loop analyses identified regulators of SI that require further attention, notably: crop-livestock conflicts and opportunities, male-female control of legume crop production, and residue management. Overall, the SI indicators framework provided a systematic means to consider tradeoffs and opportunities associated with novel crop combinations and management practices.