Mathematical Wave Functions and 3D Finite Element Modelling of the Electron and Positron

The wave/particle duality of particles in Physics is well known. Particles have properties that uniquely characterize them from one another, such as mass, charge and spin. Charged particles have associated Electric and Magnetic fields. Also, every moving particle has a De Broglie wavelength determined by its mass and velocity. This paper shows that all of these properties of a particle can be derived from a single wave function equation for that particle. Wave functions for the Electron and the Positron are presented and principles are provided that can be used to calculate the wave functions of all the fundamental particles in Physics. Fundamental particles such as electrons and positrons are considered to be point particles in the Standard Model of Physics and are not considered to have a structure. This paper demonstrates that they do indeed have structure and that this structure extends into the space around the particle’s center (in fact, they have infinite extent), but with rapidly diminishing energy density with the distance from that center. The particles are formed from Electromagnetic standing waves, which are stable solutions to the Schrödinger and Classical wave equations. This stable structure therefore accounts for both the wave and particle nature of these particles. In fact, all of their properties such as mass, spin and electric charge, can be accounted for from this structure. These particle properties appear to originate from a single point at the center of the wave function structure, in the same sort of way that the Shell theorem of gravity causes the gravity of a body to appear to all originate from a central point. This paper represents the first two fully characterized fundamental particles, with a complete description of their structure and properties, built up from the underlying Electromagnetic waves that comprise these and all fundamental particles.

Tidal modeling based on satellite altimetry observations of TOPEX/ Poseidon, Jason1, Jason2, and Jason3 with high prediction capability: A case study of the Baltic Sea

This research aims to optimize the utilization of long-term sea level data from the TOPEX/Poseidon,Jason1,Jason2,and Jason3 altimetry missions for tidal modeling.We generate a time series of along-track observations and apply a developed method to produce tidal models with specific tidal constituents for each location.Our tidal modeling methodology follows an iterative process:partitioning sea surface height(SSH)observations into analysis/training and prediction/validation parts and ultimately identi-fying the set of tidal constituents that provide the best predictions at each time series location.The study focuses on developing 1256 time series along the altimetry tracks over the Baltic Sea,each with its own set of tidal constituents.Verification of the developed tidal models against the sSH observations within the prediction/validation part reveals mean absolute error(MAE)values ranging from 0.0334 m to 0.1349 m,with an average MAE of 0.089 m.The same validation process is conducted on the FES2014 and EOT20 global tidal models,demonstrating that our tidal model,referred to as BT23(short for Baltic Tide 2023),outperforms both models with an average MAE improvement of 0.0417 m and 0.0346 m,respectively.In addition to providing details on the development of the time series and the tidal modeling procedure,we offer the 1256 along-track time series and their associated tidal models as supplementary materials.We encourage the satellite altimetry community to utilize these resources for further research and applications.

Mathematical Modeling of Heat Flux Distribution in Raw Cotton Stored in Bunt

The scientific article examines the physical and mechanical properties of raw cotton stored in buntings in cotton palaces. Because during the storage of raw cotton in bunts, some of its properties deteriorate, some improvements. Therefore, the mathematical modeling of storage conditions of raw cotton in bunts and the physical and mechanical conditions that occur in it is of great importance. In the developed mathematical model, the main factor influencing the physical and mechanical properties of raw cotton is the change in temperature. Due to the temperature, kinetic and biological processes accumulated in the raw cotton in Bunt, it can spread over a large surface, first in a small-local state, over time with a nonlinear law. As a result, small changes in temperature lead to a qualitative change in physical properties. In determining the law of temperature distribution in the raw cotton in Bunt, Laplace’s differential equation of heat transfer was used. The differential equation of heat transfer in Laplace’s law was replaced by a system of ordinary differential equations by approximation. Conditions are solved in MAPLE-17 program by numerical method. As a result, graphs of temperature changes over time in raw cotton were obtained. In addition, the table shows the changes in density, pressure and mass of cotton, the height of the bun. As the density of the cotton raw material increases from the top layer of the bunt to the bottom layer, an increase in the temperature in it has been observed. This leads to overheating of the bottom layer of cotton and is the main reason for the deterioration of the quality of raw materials.

Application of Exponential Distribution in Modeling of State Holding Time in HIV/AIDS Transition Dynamics

Markov modeling of HIV/AIDS progression was done under the assumption that the state holding time (waiting time) had a constant hazard. This paper discusses the properties of the hazard function of the Exponential distributions and its modifications namely;Parameter proportion hazard (PH) and Accelerated failure time models (AFT) and their effectiveness in modeling the state holding time in Markov modeling of HIV/AIDS progression with and without risk factors. Patients were categorized by gender and age with female gender being the baseline. Data simulated using R software was fitted to each model, and the model parameters were estimated. The estimated P and Z values were then used to test the null hypothesis that the state waiting time data followed an Exponential distribution. Model identification criteria;Akaike information criteria (AIC), Bayesian information criteria (BIC), log-likelihood (LL), and R2 were used to evaluate the performance of the models. For the Survival Regression model, P and Z values supported the non-rejection of the null hypothesis for mixed gender without interaction and supported the rejection of the same for mixed gender with interaction term and males aged 50 - 60 years. Both Parameters supported the non-rejection of the null hypothesis in the rest of the age groups. For Gender male with interaction both P and Z values supported rejection in all the age groups except the age group 20 - 30 years. For Cox Proportional hazard and AFT models, both P and Z values supported the non-rejection of the null hypothesis across all age groups. The P-values for the three models supported different decisions for and against the Null hypothesis with AFT and Cox values supporting similar decisions in most of the age groups. Among the models considered, the regression assumption provided a superior fit based on (AIC), (BIC), (LL), and R2 Model identification criteria. This was particularly evident in age and gender subgroups where the data exhibited non-proportional hazards and violated the assumptions required for the Cox Proportional Hazard model. Moreover, the simplicity of the regression model, along with its ability to capture essential state transitions without over fitting, made it a more appropriate choice.

Information-Matter Bipolarity of the Human Organism and ItsFundamental Circuits: From Philosophy toPhysics/Neurosciences-Based Modeling

Starting from a philosophical perspective,which states that the living structures are actually a combination between matter and information,this article presents the results on an analysis of the bipolar information-matter structure of the human organism,distinguishing three fundamental circuits for its survival,which demonstrates and supports this statement,as a base for further development of the informational model of consciousness to a general informational model of the human organism.For this,it was examined the Informational System of the Human Body and its components from the perspective of the physics/information/neurosciences concepts,showing specific functions of each of them,highlighting the correspondence of these centers with brain support areas and with their projections in consciousness,which are:Center of Acquisition and Storing of Information(CASI)reflected in consciousness as memory,Center of Decision and Command(CDC)(decision),Info-Emotional Center(IES)(emotions),Maintenance Informational System(MIS)(personal status),Genetic Transmission System(GTS)(associativity/genetic transmission)and Info Genetic Generator(IGG)related by the body development and inherited behaviors.The Info Connection(IC),detected in consciousness as trust and confidence can explain the Near-Death Experiences(NDEs)and associated phenomena.This connection is antientropic and informational,because from the multitude of uncertain possibilities is selected a certain one,helping/supporting the survival and life.The human body appears therefore as a bipolar structure,connected to two poles:information and matter.It is argued that the survival,which is the main objective of the organism,is complied in three main ways,by means of:(i)the reactive operation for adaptation by attitude;(ii)the info-genetic integration of information by epigenetic processes and genetic transmission of information for species survival,both circuits(i)and(ii)being associated to the information pole;(iii)maintenance of the material body(defined as informed matter)and its functions,associated to the matter pole of the organism.It results therefore that the informational system of the human body is supported by seven informational circuits formed by the neuro-connections between the specific zones of the brain corresponding to the informational subsystems,the cognitive centers,the sensors,transducers and execution(motor/mobile)elements.The fundamental informational circuits assuring the survival are the reactive circuit,expressible by attitude,the epigenetic/genetic circuit,absorbing and codifying information to be transmitted to the next generations,and the metabolic circuit,connected to matter(matter pole).The presented analysis allows to extend the informational modeling of consciousness to an Informational Model of Consciousness and Organism,fully describing the composition/functions of the organism in terms of information/matter and neurosciences concepts.

Stochastic Modeling and Power Control of Time-Varying Wireless Communication Networks

Wireless networks are characterized by nodes mobility, which makes the propagation environment time-varying and subject to fading. As a consequence, the statistical characteristics of the received signal vary continuously, giving rise to a Doppler power spectral density (DPSD) that varies from one observation instant to the next. This paper is concerned with dynamical modeling of time-varying wireless fading channels, their estimation and parameter identification, and optimal power control from received signal measurement data. The wireless channel is characterized using a stochastic state-space form and derived by approximating the time-varying DPSD of the channel. The expected maximization and Kalman filter are employed to recursively identify and estimate the channel parameters and states, respectively, from online received signal strength measured data. Moreover, we investigate a centralized optimal power control algorithm based on predictable strategies and employing the estimated channel parameters and states. The proposed models together with the estimation and power control algorithms are tested using experimental measurement data and the results are presented.

Artificial intelligence-driven radiomics study in cancer:the role of feature engineering and modeling

Modern medicine is reliant on various medical imaging technologies for non-invasively observing patients’anatomy.However,the interpretation of medical images can be highly subjective and dependent on the expertise of clinicians.Moreover,some potentially useful quantitative information in medical images,especially that which is not visible to the naked eye,is often ignored during clinical practice.In contrast,radiomics performs high-throughput feature extraction from medical images,which enables quantitative analysis of medical images and prediction of various clinical endpoints.Studies have reported that radiomics exhibits promising performance in diagnosis and predicting treatment responses and prognosis,demonstrating its potential to be a non-invasive auxiliary tool for personalized medicine.However,radiomics remains in a developmental phase as numerous technical challenges have yet to be solved,especially in feature engineering and statistical modeling.In this review,we introduce the current utility of radiomics by summarizing research on its application in the diagnosis,prognosis,and prediction of treatment responses in patients with cancer.We focus on machine learning approaches,for feature extraction and selection during feature engineering and for imbalanced datasets and multi-modality fusion during statistical modeling.Furthermore,we introduce the stability,reproducibility,and interpretability of features,and the generalizability and interpretability of models.Finally,we offer possible solutions to current challenges in radiomics research.

Increasing the Safety of People Activity in Aggressive Potential Locations, Analyzed through the Probability Theory, Modeling/Simulation and Application in Underground Coal Mining

This paper deals with the increasing safety of working in aggressive potential locations, having SCADA system and WSN sensors, using a “probabilistic strategy” in comparison with a “deterministic” one, modeling/simulation and application in underground coal mining. In general, three conditions can be considered: 1) an unfriendly environment that facilitates the risk of accidents, 2) aggressive equipments that can compete to cause accidents and 3) the work security breaches that can cause accidents. These conditions define the triangle of accidents and are customized for an underground coal mining where the methane gas is released with the exploitation of the massive coal. In this case, the first two conditions create an explosive potential atmosphere. To allow people to work in a safe location it needs: first, a continuing monitoring through SCADA system of the explosive potential atmosphere and second, the use of antiexplosive equipment. This method, named “deterministic strategy”, increases the safety of working, but the explosions have not been completely eliminated. In order to increase the safety of working, the paper continues with the presentation of a new method based on hazard laws, named “probabilistic strategy”. This strategy was validated through modeling/simulation using CupCarbon software platform, and application of WSN networks implemented on Arduino equipments. At the end of the paper the interesting conclusions are emphases which are applicable to both strategies.

Utilizing Bayesian Modeling and MCMC for Accurate Characterization of Naturally Occurring Radionuclides Reference Background Levels in Mining Areas

Statistical biases may be introduced by imprecisely quantifying background radiation reference levels. It is, therefore, imperative to devise a simple, adaptable approach for precisely describing the reference background levels of naturally occurring radionuclides (NOR) in mining sites. As a substitute statistical method, we suggest using Bayesian modeling in this work to examine the spatial distribution of NOR. For naturally occurring gamma-induced radionuclides like 232Th, 40K, and 238U, statistical parameters are inferred using the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method. After obtaining an accurate subsample using bootstrapping, we exclude any possible outliers that fall outside of the Highest Density Interval (HDI). We use MCMC to build a Bayesian model with the resampled data and make predictions about the posterior distribution of radionuclides produced by gamma irradiation. This method offers a strong and dependable way to describe NOR reference background values, which is important for managing and evaluating radiation risks in mining contexts.

Analysis of Modeling the Influence of Electromagnetic Fields Radiated by Industrial Static Converters and Impacts on Operators Using Maxwell’s Equations

The study of Electromagnetic Compatibility is essential to ensure the harmonious operation of electronic equipment in a shared environment. The basic principles of Electromagnetic Compatibility focus on the ability of devices to withstand electromagnetic disturbances and not produce disturbances that could affect other systems. Imperceptible in most work situations, electromagnetic fields can, beyond certain thresholds, have effects on human health. The objective of the present article is focused on the modeling analysis of the influence of geometric parameters of industrial static converters radiated electromagnetic fields using Maxwell’s equations. To do this we used the analytical formalism for calculating the electromagnetic field emitted by a filiform conductor, to model the electromagnetic radiation of this device in the spatio-temporal domain. The interactions of electromagnetic waves with human bodies are complex and depend on several factors linked to the characteristics of the incident wave. To model these interactions, we implemented the physical laws of electromagnetic wave propagation based on Maxwell’s and bio-heat equations to obtain consistent results. These obtained models allowed us to evaluate the spatial profile of induced current and temperature of biological tissue during exposure to electromagnetic waves generated by this system. The simulation 2D results obtained from computer tools show that the temperature variation and current induced by the electromagnetic field can have a very significant influence on the life of biological tissue. The paper provides a comprehensive analysis using advanced mathematical models to evaluate the influence of electromagnetic fields. The findings have direct implications for workplace safety, potentially influencing standards and regulations concerning electromagnetic exposure in industrial settings.

A promising approach for quantifying focal stroke modeling and assessing stroke progression:optical resolution photoacoustic microscopy photothrombosis

To investigate the mechanisms underlying the onset and progression of ischemic stroke,some methods have been proposed that can simultaneously monitor and create embolisms in the animal cerebral cortex.However,these methods often require complex systems and the effect of age on cerebral embolism has not been adequately studied,although ischemic stroke is strongly age-related.In this study,we propose an optical-resolution photoacoustic microscopy-based visualized photothrombosis methodology to create and monitor ischemic stroke in mice simultaneously using a 532 nm pulsed laser.We observed the molding process in mice of different ages and presented age-dependent vascular embolism differentiation.Moreover,we integrated optical coherence tomography angiography to investigate age-associated trends in cerebrovascular variability following a stroke.Our imaging data and quantitative analyses underscore the differential cerebrovascular responses to stroke in mice of different ages,thereby highlighting the technique's potential for evaluating cerebrovascular health and unraveling age-related mechanisms involved in ischemic strokes.

Incorporating the Multinomial Logistic Regression in Vehicle Crash Severity Modeling: A Detailed Overview

Multinomial logistic regression (MNL) is an attractive statistical approach in modeling the vehicle crash severity as it does not require the assumption of normality, linearity, or homoscedasticity compared to other approaches, such as the discriminant analysis which requires these assumptions to be met. Moreover, it produces sound estimates by changing the probability range between 0.0 and 1.0 to log odds ranging from negative infinity to positive infinity, as it applies transformation of the dependent variable to a continuous variable. The estimates are asymptotically consistent with the requirements of the nonlinear regression process. The results of MNL can be interpreted by both the regression coefficient estimates and/or the odd ratios (the exponentiated coefficients) as well. In addition, the MNL can be used to improve the fitted model by comparing the full model that includes all predictors to a chosen restricted model by excluding the non-significant predictors. As such, this paper presents a detailed step by step overview of incorporating the MNL in crash severity modeling, using vehicle crash data of the Interstate I70 in the State of Missouri, USA for the years (2013-2015).

Importance of Generalized Logistic Distribution in Extreme Value Modeling

We consider a problem from stock market modeling, precisely, choice of adequate distribution of modeling extremal behavior of stock market data. Generalized extreme value (GEV) distribution and generalized Pareto (GP) distribution are the classical distributions for this problem. However, from 2004, [1] and many other researchers have been empirically showing that generalized logistic (GL) distribution is a better model than GEV and GP distributions in modeling extreme movement of stock market data. In this paper, we show that these results are not accidental. We prove the theoretical importance of GL distribution in extreme value modeling. For proving this, we introduce a general multivariate limit theorem and deduce some important multivariate theorems in probability as special cases. By using the theorem, we derive a limit theorem in extreme value theory, where GL distribution plays central role instead of GEV distribution. The proof of this result is parallel to the proof of classical extremal types theorem, in the sense that, it possess important characteristic in classical extreme value theory, for e.g. distributional property, stability, convergence and multivariate extension etc.

Predictive modeling for postoperative delirium in elderly patients with abdominal malignancies using synthetic minority oversampling technique

BACKGROUND Postoperative delirium,particularly prevalent in elderly patients after abdominal cancer surgery,presents significant challenges in clinical management.AIM To develop a synthetic minority oversampling technique(SMOTE)-based model for predicting postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal cancer patients.METHODS In this retrospective cohort study,we analyzed data from 611 elderly patients who underwent abdominal malignant tumor surgery at our hospital between September 2020 and October 2022.The incidence of postoperative delirium was recorded for 7 d post-surgery.Patients were divided into delirium and non-delirium groups based on the occurrence of postoperative delirium or not.A multivariate logistic regression model was used to identify risk factors and develop a predictive model for postoperative delirium.The SMOTE technique was applied to enhance the model by oversampling the delirium cases.The model’s predictive accuracy was then validated.RESULTS In our study involving 611 elderly patients with abdominal malignant tumors,multivariate logistic regression analysis identified significant risk factors for postoperative delirium.These included the Charlson comorbidity index,American Society of Anesthesiologists classification,history of cerebrovascular disease,surgical duration,perioperative blood transfusion,and postoperative pain score.The incidence rate of postoperative delirium in our study was 22.91%.The original predictive model(P1)exhibited an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.862.In comparison,the SMOTE-based logistic early warning model(P2),which utilized the SMOTE oversampling algorithm,showed a slightly lower but comparable area under the curve of 0.856,suggesting no significant difference in performance between the two predictive approaches.CONCLUSION This study confirms that the SMOTE-enhanced predictive model for postoperative delirium in elderly abdominal tumor patients shows performance equivalent to that of traditional methods,effectively addressing data imbalance.

A methodology for damage evaluation of underground tunnels subjected to static loading using numerical modeling

We have proposed a methodology to assess the robustness of underground tunnels against potential failure.This involves developing vulnerability functions for various qualities of rock mass and static loading intensities.To account for these variations,we utilized a Monte Carlo Simulation(MCS)technique coupled with the finite difference code FLAC^(3D),to conduct two thousand seven hundred numerical simulations of a horseshoe tunnel located within a rock mass with different geological strength index system(GSIs)and subjected to different states of static loading.To quantify the severity of damage within the rock mass,we selected one stress-based(brittle shear ratio(BSR))and one strain-based failure criterion(plastic damage index(PDI)).Based on these criteria,we then developed fragility curves.Additionally,we used mathematical approximation techniques to produce vulnerability functions that relate the probabilities of various damage states to loading intensities for different quality classes of blocky rock mass.The results indicated that the fragility curves we obtained could accurately depict the evolution of the inner and outer shell damage around the tunnel.Therefore,we have provided engineers with a tool that can predict levels of damages associated with different failure mechanisms based on variations in rock mass quality and in situ stress state.Our method is a numerically developed,multi-variate approach that can aid engineers in making informed decisions about the robustness of underground tunnels.

Discontinuity development patterns and the challenges for 3D discrete fracture network modeling on complicated exposed rock surfaces

Natural slopes usually display complicated exposed rock surfaces that are characterized by complex and substantial terrain undulation and ubiquitous undesirable phenomena such as vegetation cover and rockfalls.This study presents a systematic outcrop research of fracture pattern variations in a complicated rock slope,and the qualitative and quantitative study of the complex phenomena impact on threedimensional(3D)discrete fracture network(DFN)modeling.As the studies of the outcrop fracture pattern have been so far focused on local variations,thus,we put forward a statistical analysis of global variations.The entire outcrop is partitioned into several subzones,and the subzone-scale variability of fracture geometric properties is analyzed(including the orientation,the density,and the trace length).The results reveal significant variations in fracture characteristics(such as the concentrative degree,the average orientation,the density,and the trace length)among different subzones.Moreover,the density of fracture sets,which is approximately parallel to the slope surface,exhibits a notably higher value compared to other fracture sets across all subzones.To improve the accuracy of the DFN modeling,the effects of three common phenomena resulting from vegetation and rockfalls are qualitatively analyzed and the corresponding quantitative data processing solutions are proposed.Subsequently,the 3D fracture geometric parameters are determined for different areas of the high-steep rock slope in terms of the subzone dimensions.The results show significant variations in the same set of 3D fracture parameters across different regions with density differing by up to tenfold and mean trace length exhibiting differences of 3e4 times.The study results present precise geological structural information,improve modeling accuracy,and provide practical solutions for addressing complex outcrop issues.

Modularized and Parametric Modeling Technology for Finite Element Simulations of Underground Engineering under Complicated Geological Conditions

The surrounding geological conditions and supporting structures of underground engineering are often updated during construction,and these updates require repeated numerical modeling.To improve the numerical modeling efficiency of underground engineering,a modularized and parametric modeling cloud server is developed by using Python codes.The basic framework of the cloud server is as follows:input the modeling parameters into the web platform,implement Rhino software and FLAC3D software to model and run simulations in the cloud server,and return the simulation results to the web platform.The modeling program can automatically generate instructions that can run the modeling process in Rhino based on the input modeling parameters.The main modules of the modeling program include modeling the 3D geological structures,the underground engineering structures,and the supporting structures as well as meshing the geometric models.In particular,various cross-sections of underground caverns are crafted as parametricmodules in themodeling program.Themodularized and parametric modeling program is used for a finite element simulation of the underground powerhouse of the Shuangjiangkou Hydropower Station.This complicatedmodel is rapidly generated for the simulation,and the simulation results are reasonable.Thus,this modularized and parametric modeling program is applicable for three-dimensional finite element simulations and analyses.

Cyber Resilience through Real-Time Threat Analysis in Information Security

This paper examines how cybersecurity is developing and how it relates to more conventional information security. Although information security and cyber security are sometimes used synonymously, this study contends that they are not the same. The concept of cyber security is explored, which goes beyond protecting information resources to include a wider variety of assets, including people [1]. Protecting information assets is the main goal of traditional information security, with consideration to the human element and how people fit into the security process. On the other hand, cyber security adds a new level of complexity, as people might unintentionally contribute to or become targets of cyberattacks. This aspect presents moral questions since it is becoming more widely accepted that society has a duty to protect weaker members of society, including children [1]. The study emphasizes how important cyber security is on a larger scale, with many countries creating plans and laws to counteract cyberattacks. Nevertheless, a lot of these sources frequently neglect to define the differences or the relationship between information security and cyber security [1]. The paper focus on differentiating between cybersecurity and information security on a larger scale. The study also highlights other areas of cybersecurity which includes defending people, social norms, and vital infrastructure from threats that arise from online in addition to information and technology protection. It contends that ethical issues and the human factor are becoming more and more important in protecting assets in the digital age, and that cyber security is a paradigm shift in this regard [1].

Effects of Andrade and Burgers rheologies on glacial isostatic adjustment modeling in Antarctica

Variations in ice mass deform the Earth and modify its gravity field,a process known as Glacial Isostatic Adjustment(GIA).GIA in Antarctica remains poorly constrained due to the cumulative effect of past and present ice-mass changes,the unknown history of the past ice-mass change,and the uncertainties on the mechanical properties of the Earth.This paper investigates the effect of using Andrade and Burgers viscoelastic rheologies,rather than the commonly used Maxwell rheology,to model GIA-induced deformation in Antarctica.The Love number and Green's function formalism are used to compute the radial surface displacements and the gravity changes induced by the past and present ice-mass changes.We consider an Earth model whose elastic properties and radial structure are averaged from the Preliminary Reference Earth Model and two viscosity profiles to account for the recently published results on the present ice-mass changes.Using the three rheological laws affects the temporal response of the Earth differently,leading to smaller discrepancies than those induced by the two viscosity structures.The differences are the largest between Maxwell and Burgers rheologies during the 100-1000 years following the beginning of the surface-mass change.Results show that using the Andrade and Burgers rheologies allows the Earth to respond on decennial to centennial time scales,up to 10 m more than Maxwell.Considering only the recent ice-mass changes,the deformation rates derived from Burgers and Andrade rheologies are several times larger than those estimated by Maxwell rheology.

Litterfall production modeling based on climatic variables and nutrient return from stands of Eucalyptus grandis Hill ex Maiden and Pinus taeda L.

Native grasslands in the Pampas of South America are increasingly being replaced by Eucalyptus and Pinus stands.The short rotation regimes used for the stands require high nutrient levels,with litterfall being a major source of nutrient return.To model the litterfall production using climatic variables and assess the nutrient return in 14-year-old Eucalyptus grandis and Pinus taeda stands,we measured litter production over 2 years,using conical litter traps,and monitored climatic variables.Mean temperature,accumulated precipitation,and mean maximum vapor pres-sure deficit at the seasonal level influenced litterfall produc-tion by E.grandis;seasonal accumulated precipitation and mean maximum temperature affected litterfall by P.taeda.The regression tree modeling based on these climatic vari-ables had great accuracy and predictive power for E.grandis(N=33;MAE(mean absolute error)=0.65;RMSE(root mean square error)=0.91;R^(2)=0.71)and P.taeda(N=108;MAE=1.50;RMSE=1.59;R^(2)=0.72).The nutrient return followed a similar pattern to litterfall deposition,as well as the order of importance of macronutrients(E.grandis:Ca>N>K>Mg>P;P.taeda:N>Ca>K>Mg>P)and micronutrients(E.grandis and P.taeda:Mn>Fe>Zn>Cu)in both species.This study constitutes a first approximation of factors that affect litterfall and nutrient return in these systems.