Methodological Comparisons of Absorptive and Transport Fine Root Production, Mortality and Decomposition in A Loblolly Pine Plantation Forest

Background and aims Fine roots can be functionally classified into an absorptive fine root pool (AFR) and a transport fine root pool (TFR) and their production, mortality and decomposition play a critical role in forest soil carbon (C) cycling. Different methods give significant estimates. However, how methodological difference affects AFT and TFR production, mortality, and decomposition estimates remains unclear, impeding us to accurately construct soil C budgets. Methods We used dynamic-flow model, a model combining measurements of litterbags and soil cores, and balanced-hybrid model, a model combining measurements of minirhizotrons and soil cores, to quantify these fine root estimates in a managed loblolly pine forest. Results Temporal changes in production, mortality or decomposition estimates using both models were not different for both AFRs and TFRs. Annual production, mortality, and decomposition were comparable between AFRs and TFRs when measured using the dynamic-flow model but significantly higher for AFRs than for TFRs when measured using the balanced-hybrid model. Annual production, mortality and decomposition estimates using the balanced-hybrid model were 75%, 71% and 69% higher than those using the dynamic-flow model (P < 0.05 for all), respectively, for AFRs, but 12%, 6% and 5% higher than those using the dynamic-flow model (P > 0.05 for all), respectively, for TFRs. Model test showed that the balanced-hybrid model had greater estimation accuracy than the dynamic-flow model. Lower AFR estimates using the dynamic-flow model appeared to result from the underestimated AFR mass loss rate induced by the litterbag method. Conclusions Methodological difference had a more significant impact on AFR estimates than on TFR estimates. These results have important implications for better quantifying the most dynamic fraction of fine root system and understanding soil C cycling.

Heidegger o la metódica "destrucción" dentro de la fenomenología husserliana

Es dentro del marco de la fenomenología de Husserl donde Heidegger lleva a cabo su propuesta filosófica, que implica una “destrucción” o “desmontaje” de los conceptos de la tradición, comenzando por los de la fenomenología de su maestro, y una construcción de su propio proyecto filosófico, basado en una analítica de la existencia.La “destrucción” es prácticamente elevada por Heidegger al rango de método filosófico, en paralelo pero en sentido contrario a la epoché, el método fenomenológico de Husserl. Esta diferencia de método, respecto a una común consideración de la intencionalidad de la conciencia, separa los proyectos fenomenológicos del Husserl de Ideen I y del Heidegger de Sein und Zeit: eidético u ontológico. A partir de su método destructivo Heidegger radicalizará las nociones de la fenomenología de Husserl.Within the framework of the phenomenology of Husserl, Heidegger carries out a double philosophical proposal: the “destruction” or “dismantling” of the concepts from the tradition, beginning with those ones of the phenomenology of his teacher, and the construction of his own philosophical project, based on an analysis of the existence.The “destruction” is practically considered by Heidegger as a philosophical method, which is developed in parallel but in a contrary direction to the phenomenological method of Husserl: the epoché. This methodological difference, applied to the intentionality of the consciousness, that the two philosophers consider, separates the phenomenological projects of Husserl in Ideen I and Heidegger in Sein und Zeit: eidetic or ontological. So and from his destructive method Heidegger is going to radicalize the main notions of the phenomenology of Husserl.

The iconic performativity of Chinese mantic diagrams

The article traces and discusses the philosophically significant consequences of the rootedness of the ancient Chinese thought in the original iconicity of Chinese hieroglyphic writing. The phenomenon of performativity is investigated on the Chinese material. In the course of the study, a fundamental methodological difference between performative statements and performative declarations is introduced. In light of the proposed difference, a pronounced performative declarativeness of the famous Confucian concept of zhengming (“correcting of names”) is revealed. This rarely studied aspect of the “correcting of names” should not be confused with the currently well-known performative naming implied by the setting to zhengming. The main result of the proposed methodological distinctions and exegetical analysis is the identification of the non-verbal prototype of the concept of zhengming (the hexagram “Family”). The paradigmatic nature of the prototype of the hexagram graphics in relation to the verbal formulation, which endows the performative status of the original visual image with the verbal explication of this image, allows the author to generalize this particular observation to the fundamental final hypothesis according to which the performative effectiveness of the word is secondary in comparison with the initial performativity of the mantic diagrammatism.

The Controversy about Sloterdijk’s "Rules for the Human Zoo"

The so-called Menschenpark-debate on genetic engineering—originating in 1999—turned out to be one of the most controversial and contentious debates in German philosophy. It is also regarded as the first manifestation of the struggle between Sloterdijk and Habermas. While Sloterdijk’s ideas had a significant impact on Habermas’s theory, Sloterdijk’s philosophy has been consistently ignored and dismissed until today due to two reasons. First, he was accused of advocating for fascist ideology. Second, philosophers from the same academic circles claimed that his method does not meet academic standards. The debate therefore signifies a larger problem that concerns the methodological difference between analytic-Continental philosophies that work on a formal level and Continental philosophies that work with a tropological account experimenting with different non-formal philosophical expressions. I will carve out this distinction with respect to the Menschenpark-debate to argue that Sloterdijk is an integral part of our philosophical historical moment.

Elaborations on Mössbauer rotor experiments with synchrotron radiation and with usual resonant sources

A comparative analysis of Mössbauer experiments in a rotating system between a recent application using synchrotron radiation [Friedman et al. (2016). Eur. Phys. Lett. 114, 50010; Friedman et al. (2017). J. Synchrotron Rad. 24, 661–666] and usual sources of resonant radiation is carried out. The principal methodological difference between these experiments can be related to the fact that in the former set of experiments the source of the resonant radiation rests in a laboratory frame whereas for the latter set of experiments the source is attached to a rotating system. It is concluded that the utilization of ordinary Mössbauer sources remains the most promising path for further research appertaining to the Mössbauer effect in rotating systems.

Research Features the Artificial Environment of Human Vital Activity

Questions about the methodological difference in engineering and humanitarian approaches to the architecture study are mentioned. Attention is focused on the relevance of studying the patterns of the structure of objects in an artificial environment. Unresolved problematic issues of investigating the invariants of the architectural systems structure are considered. The inherited qualities of architectural shaping are analyzed. It is noted that ways to improve the efficiency of the system, in particular architectural, rely on the use of a system approach in research.

Tax Elasticities and the Macroeconomic Effects of Fiscal Policy in Greece

In this paper I explore the effects of fiscal policy, in particular of both spending and taxes, on the Greek GDP, in the form of multipliers of GDP to a shock on the relevant fiscal instrument. A novel feature of this paper is that I try to estimate the effects of particular spending and tax components on GDP. I use Structural Vector Autoregression models and contemporaneous restrictions to identify fiscal shocks. A methodological difference with traditional SVARs is that I try to estimate the elasticities of the different taxes to GDP using the transitory components of the relevant time series. The results indicate that the macroeconomic effects of different fiscal instruments vary a lot, but spending on average has a higher multiplier than taxes, while personal income tax and fuel tax have the worst impact on the economy. JEL classifications: C32, E62, H2 Keywords: Fiscal Policy, Government Spending, Taxes, Macroeconomics, Structural Vector Autoregressions

Climate wars and fat wars: A new role for law

Public trust in science is eroding because of a number of conflicts. In the sphere of climate science and of nutrition science, a basic methodological difference between scientists has escalated into what can be called wars. These wars are the result of influences such as personalities of leading scientists and powerful commercial and political interests. The wars have escalated to such an extent that leading scientists are being threatened with legal action and disciplinary procedures for advocating divergent views. These legal processes are not primarily about the procedural aspects of their actions, but are couched as being ‘about the science’. This means that legal processes are being used to ‘settle’ the science – something that the law has never been required to do. This new role for law has implications for legal education and requires that lawyers become more capable to understand empirical research.