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Effective conservation programs should provide environmental benefits, but also promote local economic growth. Studies comparing environmental and economic impacts of conservation programs report mixed results. The potential trade-offs between environmental and economic impacts of conservation policies are examined by modeling a set of alternative policy specifications. The payment policies aim to encourage increased carbon storage by retaining forest on private lands. Policies that contrast in how narrowly they target places offering the greatest cost efficiency of carbon storage are considered. In addition, policies that restrict payments to rural or exurban communities are evaluated. We find environmental goals of the conservation programs can be achieved at little cost in terms of favorable economic impacts. Conservation payment schemes that target places offering higher carbon cost efficiency result in larger positive impacts on labor income, GDP, and total output. Restricting payments to rural areas would lead to better carbon efficiency but lower economic efficiency overall, while favoring exurban areas would have a greater economic stimulus effect. The findings suggest that beneficial environmental and economic outcomes of payment programs may be possible if policymakers can tailor the design of payment programs to the particular context they face.

There is ongoing debate regarding the optimal sequence of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy and neoadjuvant chemotherapy (CTX) for breast cancer. We report the accuracy of comprehensive pre-neoadjuvant CTX and post-neoadjuvant CTX axillary staging via ultrasound imaging, fine-needle aspiration (FNA) biopsy, and SLN biopsy. From 2001 to 2004, 91 neoadjuvant CTX patients at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center underwent axillary staging by ultrasonography, ultrasound-guided FNA biopsy, SLN biopsy, or a combination of these. Axillary staging was pathologically negative by pre-neoadjuvant CTX SLN biopsy in 53 cases (58%); these patients had no further axillary surgery. In 38 cases (42%), axillary metastases were confirmed at presentation by either ultrasound-guided FNA or SLN biopsy. These 38 patients underwent completion axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) after delivery of neoadjuvant CTX. Follow-up lymphatic mapping was attempted in 33 of these cases, and the SLN was identified in 32 (identification rate, 97%). One third of these cases were completely node negative on ALND. Residual metastatic disease was identified in 22 cases, and the SLN was falsely negative in 1 (4.5%). Patients receiving neoadjuvant CTX can have accurate axillary nodal staging by ultrasound-guided FNA or SLN biopsy. In cases of documented axillary metastasis at presentation, repeat axillary staging with SLN biopsy can document the post-neoadjuvant CTX nodal status. This strategy optimizes pre-neoadjuvant CTX and post-neoadjuvant CTX staging information by distinguishing the patients who are node negative at presentation from those who have been downstaged to node negativity and offers the potential for avoiding unnecessary ALNDs in both of these patient subsets.

Red Swamp Crayfish Procambarus clarkii (Girard, 1852) (RSC) are a highly invasive species established on five continents. Recent detections of RSC populations in several locations in Michigan, USA spurred action to develop trap-based early detection and response plans based on the best available science, however, few recommendations are available concerning important sampling logistics such as timing and density of deployed traps. We surveyed 231 waterbodies (mainly lentic systems with relatively few small lotic systems) for RSC in two invasion zones in southern Michigan. We used Bayesian hierarchical models to evaluate baited traps for detection of RSC invasions, and qualitatively evaluated feasibility of eDNA metabarcoding for enhancing trap-based detection strategies. While overall occupancy was low, predicted detection probabilities with baited traps ranged from 27 to 98% and depended on season, density of traps, and relative crayfish abundance. There was high agreement between trapping and eDNA detections (94%). However, an improved eDNA sampling design that increases the number of samples is needed. We conclude that trap-based detections of RSC in Michigan are most likely to occur mid-summer, trapping densities should be increased in the spring and fall to offset lower detection probabilities, and eDNA could feasibly supplement trapping in spring and fall.

Warming, ocean acidification, and deoxygenation are increasingly putting pressure on marine ecosystems. At the same time, thawing permafrost and decomposing hydrates in Arctic shelf seas may release large amounts of methane (CH4) into the water column, which could accelerate local ocean acidification and contribute to climate change. The key parameters to observing and understanding these complex processes and feedback mechanisms are vastly undersampled throughout the oceans. We developed carbon dioxide (CO2) and CH4 gliders, including standard operational procedures, with the goal that CO2 and CH4 measurements will become more common for glider operations. The Seagliders with integrated Contros HydroC CO2 or CH4 sensors also include conductivity, temperature, depth, oxygen, chlorophyll a, backscatter, and fluorescent dissolved organic matter sensors. Communication via satellite allows for near-real-time data transmission, sensor adjustments, and adaptive sampling. Several sea trials with the CO2 Seaglider in the Gulf of Alaska and data evaluation with discrete water and underway samples suggest nearly “weather-quality” CO2 data as defined by the Global Ocean Acidification Network. A winter mission in Resurrection Bay, Alaska, provided the first insights into the water column inorganic carbon dynamics during this otherwise undersampled season. The CH4 Seaglider passed its flight trials in Resurrection Bay but needs to be tested during a field mission in an area with CH4 concentrations beyond background noise. Both sensing systems are available to the science community through the industry partners (Advanced Offshore Operations and -4H-JENA engineering GmbH) of this project.

Climate change, rising CO2 concentration, and land use and land cover change (LULCC) are primary driving forces for terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP), but their impacts on the temporal changes in GPP are uncertain. In this study, the effects of the three main factors on the interannual variation (IAV) and seasonal cycle amplitude (SCA) of GPP in China were investigated using 12 terrestrial biosphere models from the Multi-scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project. The simulated ensemble mean value of China's GPP between 1981 and 2010, driven by common climate forcing, LULCC and CO2 data, was found to be 7.4±1.8 Pg C/yr. In general, climate was the dominant control factor of the annual trends, IAV and seasonality of China's GPP. The overall rising CO2 led to enhanced plant photosynthesis, thus increasing annual mean and IAV of China's total GPP, especially in northeastern and southern China, where vegetation is dense. LULCC decreased the IAV of China's total GPP by ∼7 %, whereas rising CO2 induced an increase of 8 %. Compared to climate change and elevated CO2, LULCC showed less contributions to GPP's temporal variation, and its impact acted locally, mainly in southwestern China. Furthermore, this study also examined subregional contributions to the temporal changes in China's total GPP. Southern and southeastern China showed higher contributions to China's annual GPP, whereas southwestern and central parts of China explained larger fractions of the IAV in China's GPP.

In this paper the main wave height characteristics in the Mediterranean Sea are studied from both observational and numerical perspectives. The numerical wave model WAM is employed on a high spatial resolution mode and in two different versions, one of which incorporates information for sea surface currents. Altimeter data obtained from all available satellite missions over the area are also utilized. The data sets are analyzed both by conventional statistical measures as well as by advanced techniques provided by a relatively new branch of mathematics, information geometry, in the framework of which the data under study and the distributions that they form are treated as elements of non Euclidean spaces. In this framework, novel ideas for the estimation of the deviations between the observed and modeled values are proposed.

Osteochondral tissue regeneration has remained a critical challenge in orthopaedic surgery, especially due to complications of arthritic degeneration arising out of mechanical dislocations of joints. The common gold standard of autografting has several limitations in presenting tissue engineering strategies to solve the unmet clinical need. However, due to the complexity of joint anatomy, and tissue heterogeneity at the interface, the conventional tissue engineering strategies have certain limitations. The advent of bioprinting has now provided new opportunities for osteochondral tissue engineering. Bioprinting can uniquely mimic the heterogeneous cellular composition and anisotropic extra-cellular matrix (ECM) organization, while allowing for targeted gene delivery to achieve heterotypic differentiation. In this perspective, we discuss the current advances made towards bioprinting of composite osteochondral tissues and present an account of challenges-in terms of tissue integration, long-term survival, and mechanical strength at the time of implantation-required to be addressed for effective clinical translation of bioprinted tissues. Finally, we highlight some of the future trends related to osteochondral bioprinting with the hope of in-clinical translation.

Climate change, rising CO2 concentration, and land use and land cover change (LULCC) are primary driving forces for terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP), but their impacts on the temporal changes in GPP are uncertain. In this study, the effects of the three main factors on the interannual variation (IAV) and seasonal cycle amplitude (SCA) of GPP in China were investigated using 12 terrestrial biosphere models from the Multi-scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project. The simulated ensemble mean value of China's GPP between 1981 and 2010, driven by common climate forcing, LULCC and CO2 data, was found to be 7.4±1.8 Pg C yr−1. In general, climate was the dominant control factor of the annual trends, IAV and seasonality of China's GPP. The overall rising CO2 led to enhanced plant photosynthesis, thus increasing annual mean and IAV of China's total GPP, especially in northeastern and southern China, where vegetation is dense. LULCC decreased the IAV of China's total GPP by ∼7 %, whereas rising CO2 induced an increase of 8 %. Compared to climate change and elevated CO2, LULCC showed less contributions to GPP's temporal variation, and its impact acted locally, mainly in southwestern China. Furthermore, this study also examined subregional contributions to the temporal changes in China's total GPP. Southern and southeastern China showed higher contributions to China's annual GPP, whereas southwestern and central parts of China explained larger fractions of the IAV in China's GPP.

Climate change, rising CO.sub.2 concentration, and land use and land cover change (LULCC) are primary driving forces for terrestrial gross primary productivity (GPP), but their impacts on the temporal changes in GPP are uncertain. In this study, the effects of the three main factors on the interannual variation (IAV) and seasonal cycle amplitude (SCA) of GPP in China were investigated using 12 terrestrial biosphere models from the Multi-scale Synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project. The simulated ensemble mean value of China's GPP between 1981 and 2010, driven by common climate forcing, LULCC and CO.sub.2 data, was found to be 7.4±1.8 Pg C yr.sup.-1 . In general, climate was the dominant control factor of the annual trends, IAV and seasonality of China's GPP. The overall rising CO.sub.2 led to enhanced plant photosynthesis, thus increasing annual mean and IAV of China's total GPP, especially in northeastern and southern China, where vegetation is dense. LULCC decreased the IAV of China's total GPP by â¼7 %, whereas rising CO.sub.2 induced an increase of 8 %. Compared to climate change and elevated CO.sub.2, LULCC showed less contributions to GPP's temporal variation, and its impact acted locally, mainly in southwestern China. Furthermore, this study also examined subregional contributions to the temporal changes in China's total GPP. Southern and southeastern China showed higher contributions to China's annual GPP, whereas southwestern and central parts of China explained larger fractions of the IAV in China's GPP.

Hayes discusses Sheffield, England's green street which is primarily a flood prevention scheme and had the dual benefit of regenerating an unloved part of the city. Pollen is held on the third Sunday of every month at Grey to Green's second phase, a thin strip of land adjacent to the River Don in the historic district of Castlegate. You'd never be able to telI just by looking at it but the strip used to be the city's inner ring road until it was bypassed by a new extension in 2007. One of the main driving forces behind the scheme was former city regeneration chief Simon Ogden. Now retired, he retains a strong interest in the project due to his trusteeship of two local river stewardship groups in the area.