Planar laser induced fluorescence for temperature measurement of optical thermocavitation

Pulsed laser-induced cavitation, has been the subject of many studies describing bubble growth, collapse and ensuing shock waves. To a lesser extent, hydrodynamics of continuous wave (CW) cavitation or thermocavitation have also been reported. However, the temperature field around these bubbles has not been measured, partly because a sensor placed in the fluid would interfere with the bubble dynamics, but also because the short-lived bubble lifetimes (∼70–200 µs) demand high sampling rates which are costly to achieve via infrared (IR) imaging. Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) provides a non-intrusive alternative technique to costly IR imaging to measure the temperature around laser-induced cavitation bubbles. A 440 nm laser sheet excites rhodamine-B dye to fluoresce while thermocavitation is induced by a CW 810 nm laser. Post-calibration, the fluorescence intensity captured with a high-speed Phantom Miro camera is correlated to temperature field adjacent to the bubble. Using shadowgraphy and PLIF, a significant decrease in sensible heat is observed in the nucleation site– temperature decreases after bubble collapse and the initial heated volume of liquid shrinks. Based on irradiation time and temperature, the provided optical energy is estimated to be converted up to 50% into acoustic energy based on the bubble's size, with larger bubbles converting larger percentages

Dietary protein safety and resistance exercise: what do we really know?

Resistance trainers continue to receive mixed messages about the safety of purposely seeking ample dietary protein in their quest for stimulating protein synthesis, improving performance, or maintaining health. Despite protein's lay popularity and the routinely high intakes exhibited by strength athletes, liberal and purposeful protein consumption is often maligned by "experts". University textbooks, instructors, and various forms of literature from personal training groups and athletic organizations continue to use dissuasive language surrounding dietary protein. Due to the widely known health benefits of dietary protein and a growing body of evidence on its safety profile, this is unfortunate. In response, researchers have critiqued unfounded educational messages. As a recent summarizing example, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) Position Stand: Protein and Exercise reviewed general literature on renal and bone health. The concluding remark that "Concerns that protein intake within this range [1.4 – 2.0 g/kg body weight per day] is unhealthy are unfounded in healthy, exercising individuals." was based largely upon data from non-athletes due to "a lack of scientific evidence". Future studies were deemed necessary. This assessment is not unique in the scientific literature. Investigators continue to cite controversy, debate, and the lack of direct evidence that allows it. This review discusses the few existing safety studies done specific to athletes and calls for protein research specific to resistance trainers. Population-specific, long term data will be necessary for effective education in dietetics textbooks and from sports governing bodies

Global Spatial Risk Assessment of Sharks Under the Footprint of Fisheries

Effective ocean management and conservation of highly migratory species depends on resolving overlap between animal movements and distributions and fishing effort. Yet, this information is lacking at a global scale. Here we show, using a big-data approach combining satellite-tracked movements of pelagic sharks and global fishing fleets, that 24% of the mean monthly space used by sharks falls under the footprint of pelagic longline fisheries. Space use hotspots of commercially valuable sharks and of internationally protected species had the highest overlap with longlines (up to 76% and 64%, respectively) and were also associated with significant increases in fishing effort. We conclude that pelagic sharks have limited spatial refuge from current levels of high-seas fishing effort. Results demonstrate an urgent need for conservation and management measures at high-seas shark hotspots and highlight the potential of simultaneous satellite surveillance of megafauna and fishers as a tool for near-real time, dynamic management

Plant diversity patterns in neotropical dry forests and their conservation implications

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from American Association for the Advancement of Science via the DOI in this record.Seasonally dry tropical forests are distributed across Latin America and the Caribbean and are highly threatened, with less than 10% of their original extent remaining in many countries. Using 835 inventories covering 4660 species of woody plants, we show marked floristic turnover among inventories and regions, which may be higher than in other neotropical biomes, such as savanna. Such high floristic turnover indicates that numerous conservation areas across many countries will be needed to protect the full diversity of tropical dry forests. Our results provide a scientific framework within which national decision-makers can contextualize the floristic significance of their dry forest at a regional and continental scale.This paper is the result of the Latin American and Caribbean Seasonally Dry Tropical Forest Floristic Network (DRYFLOR), which has been supported at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh by a Leverhulme Trust International Network Grant (IN-074). This work was also supported by the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council grant NE/I028122/1; Colciencias Ph.D. scholarship 529; Synthesys Programme GBTAF-2824; the NSF (NSF 1118340 and 1118369); the Instituto Humboldt (IAvH)–Red colombiana de investigación y monitoreo en bosque seco; the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research (IAI; Tropi-Dry, CRN2-021, funded by NSF GEO 0452325); Universidad Nacional de Rosario (UNR); and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). The data reported in this paper are available at www.dryflor.info. R.T.P. conceived the study. M.P., A.O.-F., K.B.-R., R.T.P., and J.W. designed the DRYFLOR database system. K.B.-R. and K.G.D. carried out most analyses. K.B.-R. R.T.P., and K.G.D. wrote the manuscript with substantial input from A.D.-S., R.L.-P., A.O.-F., D.P., C.Q., and R.R. All the authors contributed data, discussed further analyses, and commented on various versions of the manuscript. K.B.-R. thanks G. Galeano who introduced her to dry forest research. We thank J. L. Marcelo, I. Huamantupa, C. Reynel, S. Palacios, and A. Daza for help with fieldwork and data entry in Peru

Fotografía UDBC035437

Fotografía del ejemplar Devia, B. 2, determinado como Pelargonium graveolens en el año 201

Fotografía UDBC036170

Fotografía del ejemplar Devia, B. 4, determinado como Fridericia florida en el año 201

Fotografía UDBC035446

Fotografía del ejemplar Devia, B. 9, determinado como Galium hypocarpium en el año 201

Fotografía UDBC036745

Fotografía del ejemplar Devia, B. 8, determinado como Picramnia sphaerocarpa en el año 202

Fotografía UDBC036744

Fotografía del ejemplar Devia, B. 4, determinado como Escallonia paniculata en el año 201

Fotografía UDBC036117

Fotografía del ejemplar Devia, B. 3, determinado como Lippia alba en el año 201