Remote sensing of species mixtures in conifer plantations using LiDAR height and intensity data

In even-aged, single species conifer plantations LiDAR height data can be modelled to provide accurate estimates of tree height and volume. However, it is apparent that growth models developed for single species stands are not directly transferable to a more general situation of mixed species plantations. This paper evaluates the ability of small footprint, dual-return, pulsed airborne LiDAR data to estimate the proportion of the productive species when mixed with a nurse crop in closed canopy plantations. A study area located in Galloway Forest District in Scotland is used as an example of Lodgepole pine and Sitka spruce mixed plantation; this area contains good examples of a wide range of pure and mixed species plantation types. Three species groups are studied: areas of pure Sitka spruce, areas of pure Lodgepole pine and areas where the two species have been planted together. Two approaches are assessed for detection of plantation mixtures: the first uses LiDAR intensity data to separate spruce and pine species and the second uses LiDAR-derived canopy density measures, coefficient of variation, skewness, percent of ground returns (which provides a measure of canopy openness) and the mean canopy height, which enables areas with height variations to be identified. From analysis of LiDAR data extracted from 54 study plots using logistic regression, the coefficient of variation and LiDAR intensity data provide the most useful predictors of the proportion of spruce in a pine/spruce mixture with coefficients of determination (R²) of 0.914 and 0.930 respectively. The method could be developed as a mapping tool, which in combination with existing inventory data should help to improve timber volume forecasting for mixed species even-aged plantations.     

Advanced modulation formats for more robust optical transmission systems

Interest in advanced modulation formats for optical communication systems has so far experienced two major waves. The first one was motivated by the potential to enhance receiver sensitivity of thermal noise-limited systems using coherent detection in combination with phase shift keying. It ended with the advent of optical amplification, enabling high sensitivities together with polarization insensitive, simple and stable direct detection. The second wave is still rolling, fueled by the potential of advanced modulation formats to increase robustness of optical transmission systems against signal distortions. Due to performance limitations given by direct detection and nonlinear effects in the transmission fiber, it is not decided yet, whether there will be widespread application in carrier networks.     

Width-restricted layering of acyclic digraphs with consideration of dummy nodes

This paper deals with the problem of finding graph layerings restricted to a given maximal width. However, other than previous approaches for width-restricted layering, we take into account the space for dummy nodes, which are introduced by edges crossing a layer. The main result is that the problem of finding a width-restricted layering under consideration of dummy nodes is NP-complete even when all regular nodes have the same constant width and all dummy nodes have the same constant width.     

A Multiagent System for the Reliable Execution of Automatically Composed Ad-hoc Processes

This article presents an architecture to automatically create ad-hoc processes for complex value-added services and to execute them in a reliable way. The uniqueness of ad-hoc processes is to support users not only in standardized situations like traditional workflows do, but also in unique non-recurring situations. Based on user requirements, a service composition engine generates such ad-hoc processes, which integrate individual services in order to provide the desired functionality. Our infrastructure executes ad-hoc processes by transactional agents in a peer-to-peer style. The process execution is thereby performed under transactional guarantees. Moreover, the service composition engine is used to re-plan in the case of execution failures. The work presented in this article was supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation as part of the project MAGIC (FNRS-68155), as well as by the Swiss National Funding Agency OFES as part of the European projects KnowledgeWeb (FP6-507482) and DIP (FP6-507483). Authors in alphabetic order     

Proteine des Bienenhonigs

Zusammenfassung Die Isolierung der Saccharase (E.C. 3.2.1.20) aus den Proteinkonzentraten von Raps-, Tannen- und Zuckerfütterungshonig wird beschrieben. Die Abtrennung von anderen Enzymen, insbesondere von saurer Phosphatase gelingt durch hydrophobe Wechselwirkungschromatographie, von inerten Proteinen durch Gelfiltration. Im Zusammenhang damit wird das Verhalten des Enzyms bei der Chromatographie an Anionenaustauschern, an Hydroxylapatit und an immobilisiertem Weizenkeimlectin untersucht. Dabei ergab sich am Lectin-Gel eine Trennung in zwei multiple Formen.Die Saccharase aus allen drei Honigsorten verhielt sich einheitlich, woraus zu schließen ist, daß sie ausschließlich von der Biene stammt. Ihre Molekül masse wurde gelchromatographisch zu 57000 ermittelt.

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The proteins of honeyVIII. Honey sucrase, isolation, chromatographic behaviour and properties

Summary The isolation of the honey sucrase (E.C. 3.2.1.20) from rape- and fir-honey as well as from honey obtained after sugar feeding is described. The separation from other honey enzymes especially from acid phosphatase succeded by reversed phase chromatography. Separation of other, non-active proteins was accomplished by gel permeation chromatography. The behaviour of the honey sucrase upon chromatography on anion exchangers, on hydroxylapatite and wheat germ lectin was investigated. No differences were found between the sucrases of the three honeys.The molecular weight was determined at 57 000. By affinity chromatography with wheat germ lectin the enzyme could be separated into two multiple forms.