Soil seed bank in a patchy vegetation of coastal sandy plains in southeastern Brazil

Large seed banks have been found in tropical dry forests and also in habitats with high seasonality in rainfall. However, patchily structured vegetation could induce great spatial variation in the seed bank. We characterized the seed bank in a patchy vegetation of restinga, a common type of coastal vegetation found in the Atlantic forest biome. We also evaluated whether there is any spatial variation between the litter and soil layer, bare sand, and the edge and center of vegetation patches with distinct species dominance. We found 104 seeds/m² in the seed bank using a 5‐cm‐depth sampling. Seven out of 16 species found in the restinga seed bank germinated; two of these were found in the early stages of vegetation patches. We found a higher number of seeds at the edge than in the center of vegetation patches. However, there were no significant differences in the number of seeds in the seed bank between the litter and soil layer, and between vegetation patches with distinct species dominance. Bare sandy soils had lower seed bank densities than vegetation patches. A small seed bank size might be explained by the low proportion of seeds from herbaceous and woody species, which are pioneers in the Atlantic forest. However, seed bank might play an important role in the early stages of the successional process, due to the occurrence of the few species that are able to colonize new young vegetation patches.     

The Economics of Dementia-Care Mapping in Nursing Homes: A Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial

Background

Dementia-care mapping (DCM) is a cyclic intervention aiming at reducing neuropsychiatric symptoms in people with dementia in nursing homes. Alongside an 18-month cluster-randomized controlled trial in which we studied the effectiveness of DCM on residents and staff outcomes, we investigated differences in costs of care between DCM and usual care in nursing homes.

Methods

Dementia special care units were randomly assigned to DCM or usual care. Nurses from the intervention care homes received DCM training, a DCM organizational briefing day and conducted the 4-months DCM-intervention twice during the study. A single DCM cycle consists of observation, feedback to the staff, and action plans for the residents. We measured costs related to health care consumption, falls and psychotropic drug use at the resident level and absenteeism at the staff level. Data were extracted from resident files and the nursing home records. Prizes were determined using the Dutch manual of health care cost and the cost prices delivered by a pharmacy and a nursing home. Total costs were evaluated by means of linear mixed-effect models for longitudinal data, with the unit as a random effect to correct for dependencies within units.

Results

34 units from 11 nursing homes, including 318 residents and 376 nursing staff members participated in the cost analyses. Analyses showed no difference in total costs. However certain changes within costs could be noticed. The intervention group showed lower costs associated with outpatient hospital appointments over time (p = 0^.05) than the control group. In both groups, the number of falls, costs associated with the elderly-care physician and nurse practitioner increased equally during the study (p<0^.02).

Conclusions

DCM is a cost-neutral intervention. It effectively reduces outpatient hospital appointments compared to usual care. Other considerations than costs, such as nursing homes’ preferences, may determine whether they adopt the DCM method.

Trial Registration

Dutch Trials Registry NTR2314     

Structure–function relationships of the peptide Paulistine: A novel toxin from the venom of the social wasp Polybia paulista

Background

The peptide Paulistine was isolated from the venom of wasp Polybia paulista. This peptide exists under a natural equilibrium between the forms: oxidised — with an intra-molecular disulphide bridge; and reduced — in which the thiol groups of the cysteine residues do not form the disulphide bridge. The biological activities of both forms of the peptide are unknown up to now.

Methods

Both forms of Paulistine were synthesised and the thiol groups of the reduced form were protected with the acetamidemethyl group [Acm-Paulistine] to prevent re-oxidation. The structure/activity relationships of the two forms were investigated, taking into account the importance of the disulphide bridge.

Results

Paulistine has a more compact structure, while Acm-Paulistine has a more expanded conformation. Bioassays reported that Paulistine caused hyperalgesia by interacting with the receptors of lipid mediators involved in the cyclooxygenase type II pathway, while Acm-Paullistine also caused hyperalgesia, but mediated by receptors involved in the participation of prostanoids in the cyclooxygenase type II pathway.

Conclusion

The acetamidemethylation of the thiol groups of cysteine residues caused small structural changes, which in turn may have affected some physicochemical properties of the Paulistine. Thus, the dissociation of the hyperalgesy from the edematogenic effect when the actions of Paulistine and Acm-Paulistine are compared to each other may be resulting from the influence of the introduction of Acm-group in the structure of Paulistine.

General significance

The peptides Paulistine and Acm-Paulistine may be used as interesting tools to investigate the mechanisms of pain and inflammation in future studies.     

Co‐benefits,trade‐offs,barriers and policies for greenhouse gas mitigation in the agriculture,forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector

The agriculture, forestry and other land use (AFOLU) sector is responsible for approximately 25% of anthropogenic GHG emissions mainly from deforestation and agricultural emissions from livestock, soil and nutrient management. Mitigation from the sector is thus extremely important in meeting emission reduction targets. The sector offers a variety of cost‐competitive mitigation options with most analyses indicating a decline in emissions largely due to decreasing deforestation rates. Sustainability criteria are needed to guide development and implementation of AFOLU mitigation measures with particular focus on multifunctional systems that allow the delivery of multiple services from land. It is striking that almost all of the positive and negative impacts, opportunities and barriers are context specific, precluding generic statements about which AFOLU mitigation measures have the greatest promise at a global scale. This finding underlines the importance of considering each mitigation strategy on a case‐by‐case basis, systemic effects when implementing mitigation options on the national scale, and suggests that policies need to be flexible enough to allow such assessments. National and international agricultural and forest (climate) policies have the potential to alter the opportunity costs of specific land uses in ways that increase opportunities or barriers for attaining climate change mitigation goals. Policies governing practices in agriculture and in forest conservation and management need to account for both effective mitigation and adaptation and can help to orient practices in agriculture and in forestry towards global sharing of innovative technologies for the efficient use of land resources. Different policy instruments, especially economic incentives and regulatory approaches, are currently being applied however, for its successful implementation it is critical to understand how land‐use decisions are made and how new social, political and economic forces in the future will influence this process.     

Reduced susceptibility to vancomycin and biofilm formation in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from blood cultures

This study aimed to correlate the presence of ica genes, biofilm formation and antimicrobial resistance in 107 strains of Staphylococcus epidermidis isolated from blood cultures. The isolates were analysed to determine their methicillin resistance, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec) type, ica genes and biofilm formation and the vancomycin minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was measured for isolates and subpopulations growing on vancomycin screen agar. The mecA gene was detected in 81.3% of the S. epidermidis isolated and 48.2% carried SCCmec type III. The complete icaADBC operon was observed in 38.3% of the isolates; of these, 58.5% produced a biofilm. Furthermore, 47.7% of the isolates grew on vancomycin screen agar, with an increase in the MIC in 75.9% of the isolates. Determination of the MIC of subpopulations revealed that 64.7% had an MIC ≥ 4 μg mL^-1, including 15.7% with an MIC of 8 μg mL^-1 and 2% with an MIC of 16 μg mL^-1. The presence of the icaADBC operon, biofilm production and reduced susceptibility to vancomycin were associated with methicillin resistance. This study reveals a high level of methicillin resistance, biofilm formation and reduced susceptibility to vancomycin in subpopulations of S. epidermidis. These findings may explain the selection of multidrug-resistant isolates in hospital settings and the consequent failure of antimicrobial treatment.     

The chronostratigraphic position of the Camping Francas section(Neogene of Tarragona,Spain)

The presence of Cirsotrema (s.s.) pumiceum (BROCCHI) and Chlamys (Manupecten) pesfelis (LINNE) in the section of Camping Francás (Province of Tarragona, Spain) suggests that the age of the deposits be changed from the upper Miocene (Tortonian) to the Pliocene. The change is of particular significance as the site is one of the classic localities of Pectinidae of the Neogene in North East Spain, and is type locality of Pecten (Flabellipecten) constisulcatus ALMERA & BOFILL.     

The PiGMaP consortium linkage map of the pig (Sus scrofa)

A linkage map of the porcine genome has been developed by segregation analysis of 239 genetic markers. Eighty-one of these markers correspond to known genes. Linkage groups have been assigned to all 18 autosomes plus the X Chromosome (Chr). As 69 of the markers on the linkage map have also been mapped physically (by others), there is significant integration of linkage and physical map data. Six informative markers failed to show linkage to these maps. As in other species, the genetic map of the heterogametic sex (male) was significantly shorter (16.5 Morgans) than the genetic map of the homogametic sex (female) (21.5 Morgans). The sex-averaged genetic map of the pig was estimated to be 18 Morgans in length. Mapping information for 61 Type I loci (genes) enhances the contribution of the pig gene map to comparative gene mapping. Because the linkage map incorporates both highly polymorphic Type II loci, predominantly microsatellites, and Type I loci, it will be useful both for large experiments to map quantitative trait loci and for the subsequent isolation of trait genes following a comparative and candidate gene approach.     

Density functional theory study of interactions between carbon monoxide and iron tetraaza macrocyclic complexes,FeTXTAA (X = −Cl, −OH, −OCH<Subscript>3</Subscript>, −NH<Subscript>2</Subscript>, and –NO<Subscript>2</Subscript>)

This work describes a DFT level theoretical quantum study using the B3LYP functional with the Lanl2TZ(f)/6-31G* basis set to calculate parameters including the bond distances and angles, electronic configurations, interaction energies, and vibrational frequencies of FeTClTAA (iron-tetrachloro-tetraaza[14]annulene), FeTOHTAA (iron-tetrahydroxy-tetraaza[14]annulene), FeTOCH₃TAA (iron- tetramethoxy-tetraaza[14]annulene), FeTNH₂TAA (iron-tetraamino-tetraaza[14]annulene), and FeTNO₂TAA (iron-tetranitro-tetraaza[14]annulene) complexes, as well as their different spin multiplicities. The calculations showed that the complexes were most stable in the triplet spin state (S?=?1), while, after interaction with carbon monoxide, the singlet state was most stable. The reactivity of the complexes was evaluated using HOMO–LUMO gap calculations. Parameter correlations were performed in order to identify the best complex for back bonding (3d _xzFe?→?2p _xC and 3d _yzFe?→?2p _zC) with carbon monoxide, and the degree of back bonding increased in the order: FeTNO₂TAA?<?FeTClTAA?<?FeTOHTAA?<?FeTOCH₃TAA?<?FeTNH₂TAA.     

Adenine nucleotide contents and energy charge of Azotobacter vinelandii grown at low phosphate concentration

The effect of a low phosphate concentration on intracellular adenine nucleotide content, oxygen consumption and poly--hydroxybutyrate deposition was investigated with N-free and NH ₄ ⁺ batch cultures of Azotobacter vinelandii. When the microorganisms were cultured under low-phosphate concentrations the cells contained much larger amounts of poly--hydroxybutyrate, but displayed lower oxygen consumption activities and energy charge values than did control cells. Also, the ratio ATP to ADP was much higher in control cells and the intracellular levels of ATP were lower in low-phosphate cells.     

Loss of Multi-Epitope Specificity in Memory CD4+ T Cell Responses to B. Pertussis with Age

Pertussis is still occurring in highly vaccinated populations, affecting individuals of all ages. Long-lived Th1 CD4⁺ T cells are essential for protective immunity against pertussis. For better understanding of the limited immunological memory to Bordetella pertussis, we used a panel of Pertactin and Pertussis toxin specific peptides to interrogate CD4⁺ T cell responses at the epitope level in a unique cohort of symptomatic pertussis patients of different ages, at various time intervals after infection. Our study showed that pertussis epitope-specific T cell responses contained Th1 and Th2 components irrespective of the epitope studied, time after infection, or age. In contrast, the breadth of the pertussis-directed CD4⁺ T cell response seemed dependent on age and closeness to infection. Multi-epitope specificity long-term after infection was lost in older age groups. Detailed knowledge on pertussis specific immune mechanisms and their insufficiencies is important for understanding resurgence of pertussis in highly vaccinated populations.