Estimating above ground net biomass change in tropical and subtropical forests: refinement of IPCC default values using forest plot data

As countries advance in greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting for climate change mitigation, consistent estimates of above ground biomass (AGB) net change are needed for the tropics and subtropics. Countries with limited forest monitoring capabilities rely on 2006 IPCC default AGB net change values, which are averages per ecological zone, per continent. These previous defaults come from single studies, provide no uncertainty indications, and aggregate old secondary forests and old-growth forests. In this study, we update these default values using forest plot data. In comparison with previous estimates, new values include data published from 2006 onwards, are derived from multiple sites per global ecological zone, provide measures of variation, and divide forests >20 years old into older secondary forests and old-growth forests. We compiled 176 AGB chronosequences in secondary forests and AGB net change rates from 536 permanent plots in old-growth and managed or logged forests. In this dataset, across all continents and ecozones, AGB net change rates in younger secondary forests (go years) are higher than rates in older secondary (>20 years and ≤100 years) forests and managed or logged forests, which in turn are higher than rates in old-growth forests (> 100 years). Data availability is highest for North and South America, followed by Asia then Africa. We provide a rigorous and traceable refinement of the IPCC 2006 AGB net change default rates, identify which areas in the tropics and subtropics require more research on AGB change, and reflect on possibilities for improvement as more data becomes available

The European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (EMBARC):experiences from a successful ERS Clinical Research Collaboration

In contrast to airway diseases like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or asthma, and rare diseases such as cystic fibrosis, there has been little research and few clinical trials in bronchiectasis. Guidelines are primarily based on expert opinion and treatment is challenging because of the heterogeneous nature of the disease. In an effort to address decades of underinvestment in bronchiectasis research, education and clinical care, the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (EMBARC) was established in 2012 as a collaborative pan-European network to bring together bronchiectasis researchers. The European Respiratory Society officially funded EMBARC in 2013 as a Clinical Research Collaboration, providing support and infrastructure to allow the project to grow. EMBARC has now established an international bronchiectasis registry that is active in more than 30 countries both within and outside Europe. Beyond the registry, the network participates in designing and facilitating clinical trials, has set international research priorities, promotes education and has participated in producing the first international bronchiectasis guidelines. This manuscript article the development, structure and achievements of EMBARC from 2012 to 2017. EDUCATIONAL AIMS: To understand the role of Clinical Research Collaborations as the major way in which the European Respiratory Society can stimulate clinical research in different disease areasTo understand some of the key features of successful disease registriesTo review key epidemiological, clinical and translational studies of bronchiectasis contributed by the European Multicentre Bronchiectasis Audit and Research Collaboration (EMBARC) project in the past 5 yearsTo understand the key research priorities identified by EMBARC for the next 5 years

Clindamycin-induced maculopapular exanthema with preferential involvement of striae distensae: a Koebner phenomenon?

No abstract availabl

La educación ambiental en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la Matemática en el preuniversitario. (Original)

This research presents the incorporation of environmental education in the teaching and learning process of mathematics in the tenth grade at “Camilo Cienfuegos” Military School in Villa Clara where there are potentialities such as interest and recognition of the importance of the subject and shortcomings: ignorance of the environmental problem. A proposal of problems dedicated to the incorporation of environmental education in the solution of descriptive statistics problems is elaborated; which is satisfactorily evaluated by specialists: who declared its relevance and applicability. The application shows satisfactory results when incorporating environmental education in the teaching and learning process of mathematics of the aforementioned educational institution. This research is part of the project entitled: “Methodological Alternatives for working with Text Books in the Mathematics of Senior High School” of the Secondary Teacher Education Faculty at Central University “Martha Abreu” of Las Villas, of which the researches are members.El trabajo presenta la incorporación de la educación ambiental en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la Matemática en el décimo grado de la “Escuela Militar Camilo Cienfuegos” de Villa Clara, donde existen potencialidades como el interés y reconocimiento de la importancia del tema y carencias: desconocimiento de la problemática ambiental. Se elabora una propuesta de problemas dedicados a la incorporación de la educación ambiental en la solución de problemas de estadística descriptiva, la cual es valorada por especialistas satisfactoriamente: declaran su pertinencia y aplicabilidad. El estudio muestra resultados satisfactorios al incorporar la educación ambiental en el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de la Matemática de la citada institución educativa. Esta investigación es parte del proyecto “Alternativas metodológicas para el trabajo con los libros de texto en la Matemática de la Educación Media”, de la Facultad de Ecuación Media, en la Universidad Central “Marta Abreu” de Las Villas, del cual los investigadores son miembros

New therapies for the prevention and treatment of exacerbations of bronchiectasis

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Exacerbations of bronchiectasis have a major impact on quality of life, healthcare costs, and long-term risk of complications. Preventing exacerbations is one of the major goals of treatment. Bronchiectasis is increasingly recognized and the impact of bronchiectasis exacerbations on daily clinical practice is also increasing.RECENT FINDINGS: Preventing bronchiectasis exacerbations are dependent on appropriate risk assessment, identifying the patients at highest risk to rationally target preventive therapies. Inhaled and oral antibiotic treatments can target chronic bacterial infection which is one of the major risk factors for exacerbation. Although the data is weak, airway clearance is an important part of long-term management including in patients with frequent exacerbations. Anti-inflammatory therapies such as inhaled corticosteroids do not currently have a major role outside comorbid chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, but further studies are required.SUMMARY: Treatment of acute exacerbations involves prompt administration of antibiotic therapy with usually 14 days of oral, or for severe exacerbations, intravenous antibiotics. The role of corticosteroids is not established and there is little data on the optimal management approach for acute exacerbations. Home intravenous therapy can reduce healthcare costs and improve patient satisfaction with care. A number of large randomized controlled trials are currently enrolling or have recently completed raising the possibility that the treatment paradigm may change in the near future.</p

Procedimiento para la evaluación de la habilidad trabajo en equipo en su desarrollo en la docencia universitaria de Cultura Física (Original)

The need to establish the dimensions, indicators and indices of the skill and become an instrument to assess their level of development mediated by an elaborate procedure that allows to reveal advances in the personal and group of teachers. The instrument, according to the criteria of experts, evaluates what it was created for and its implementation in the context of the University of Physical Culture and Sports Sciences UCCFD "Manuel Fajardo" Course by meeting, curriculum E, school year 2016-2017, confirm its viability and relevance.La&nbsp; necesidad establecer las dimensiones, indicadores e índices de la habilidad y convertirse en un instrumento para evaluar su nivel de desarrollo mediatizado por un procedimiento elaborado que posibilita revelar avances en lo personal y lo grupal de los docentes. El instrumento, según el criterio de expertos, evalúa aquello para lo que fue creado y, su implementación en el contexto la Universidad de Ciencias de la Cultura Física y el Deporte UCCFD “Manuel Fajardo” Curso por encuentro, plan de estudio E, curso escolar 2016-2017, confirman su viabilidad y pertinencia

Aboveground forest biomass varies across continents, ecological zones and successional stages: refined IPCC default values for tropical and subtropical forests

For monitoring and reporting forest carbon stocks and fluxes, many countries in the tropics and subtropics rely on default values of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories. Default IPCC forest AGB values originated from 2006, and are relatively crude estimates of average values per continent and ecological zone. The 2006 default values were based on limited plot data available at the time, methods for their derivation were not fully clear, and no distinction between successional stages was made. As part of the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for GHG Inventories, we updated the default AGB values for tropical and subtropical forests based on AGB data from >25 000 plots in natural forests and a global AGB map where no plot data were available. We calculated refined AGB default values per continent, ecological zone, and successional stage, and provided a measure of uncertainty. AGB in tropical and subtropical forests varies by an order of magnitude across continents, ecological zones, and successional stage. Our refined default values generally reflect the climatic gradients in the tropics, with more AGB in wetter areas. AGB is generally higher in old-growth than in secondary forests, and higher in older secondary (regrowth >20 years old and degraded/logged forests) than in young secondary forests (20 years old). While refined default values for tropical old-growth forest are largely similar to the previous 2006 default values, the new default values are 4.0-7.7-fold lower for young secondary forests. Thus, the refined values will strongly alter estimated carbon stocks and fluxes, and emphasize the critical importance of old-growth forest conservation. We provide a reproducible approach to facilitate future refinements and encourage targeted efforts to establish permanent plots in areas with data gaps

Aboveground forest biomass varies across continents, ecological zones and successional stages: Refined IPCC default values for tropical and subtropical forests

For monitoring and reporting forest carbon stocks and fluxes, many countries in the tropics and subtropics rely on default values of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Inventories. Default IPCC forest AGB values originated from 2006, and are relatively crude estimates of average values per continent and ecological zone. The 2006 default values were based on limited plot data available at the time, methods for their derivation were not fully clear, and no distinction between successional stages was made. As part of the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for GHG Inventories, we updated the default AGB values for tropical and subtropical forests based on AGB data from &gt;25 000 plots in natural forests and a global AGB map where no plot data were available. We calculated refined AGB default values per continent, ecological zone, and successional stage, and provided a measure of uncertainty. AGB in tropical and subtropical forests varies by an order of magnitude across continents, ecological zones, and successional stage. Our refined default values generally reflect the climatic gradients in the tropics, with more AGB in wetter areas. AGB is generally higher in old-growth than in secondary forests, and higher in older secondary (regrowth &gt;20 years old and degraded/logged forests) than in young secondary forests (20 years old). While refined default values for tropical old-growth forest are largely similar to the previous 2006 default values, the new default values are 4.0-7.7-fold lower for young secondary forests. Thus, the refined values will strongly alter estimated carbon stocks and fluxes, and emphasize the critical importance of old-growth forest conservation. We provide a reproducible approach to facilitate future refinements and encourage targeted efforts to establish permanent plots in areas with data gaps

Estimating aboveground net biomass change for tropical and subtropical forests: Refinement of IPCC default rates using forest plot data

© 2019 The Authors. Global Change Biology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd As countries advance in greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting for climate change mitigation, consistent estimates of aboveground net biomass change (∆AGB) are needed. Countries with limited forest monitoring capabilities in the tropics and subtropics rely on IPCC 2006 default ∆AGB rates, which are values per ecological zone, per continent. Similarly, research into forest biomass change at a large scale also makes use of these rates. IPCC 2006 default rates come from a handful of studies, provide no uncertainty indications and do not distinguish between older secondary forests and old-growth forests. As part of the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, we incorporate ∆AGB data available from 2006 onwards, comprising 176 chronosequences in secondary forests and 536 permanent plots in old-growth and managed/logged forests located in 42 countries in Africa, North and South America and Asia. We generated ∆AGB rate estimates for younger secondary forests (≤20 years), older secondary forests (>20 years and up to 100 years) and old-growth forests, and accounted for uncertainties in our estimates. In tropical rainforests, for which data availability was the highest, our ∆AGB rate estimates ranged from 3.4 (Asia) to 7.6 (Africa) Mg ha−1 year−1 in younger secondary forests, from 2.3 (North and South America) to 3.5 (Africa) Mg ha−1 year−1 in older secondary forests, and 0.7 (Asia) to 1.3 (Africa) Mg ha−1 year−1 in old-growth forests. We provide a rigorous and traceable refinement of the IPCC 2006 default rates in tropical and subtropical ecological zones, and identify which areas require more research on ∆AGB. In this respect, this study should be considered as an important step towards quantifying the role of tropical and subtropical forests as carbon sinks with higher accuracy; our new rates can be used for large-scale GHG accounting by governmental bodies, nongovernmental organizations and in scientific research