Is forest certification targeting areas of high biodiversity in cork oak savannas?

Over the last four decades the world has been losing biodiversity at an alarming rate despite the increasing number of protected areas (PAs). Certified forest management may complement the role of PAs in protecting biodiversity. Forest certification aims to promote sustainable forest management and to maintain or enhance the conservation value of certified forests. The area of forest under certified forest management has grown quickly over the past decade. Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certification, for example, currently covers 148 million hectares, i.e., 3.7 % of the world’s forests. In spite of such increase there is, however, a dearth of information on how forest certification is related to biodiversity. In this study we assessed if FSC certification is being applied in high biodiversity areas in cork oak savannas in Portugal by comparing biodiversity values of certified and non-certified areas for birds, reptiles and amphibians. We calculated the relative species richness and irreplaceability value for each group of species in certified and non-certified areas and compared them using randomization tests. The biodiversity value of certified areas was not significantly greater than that of non-certified areas. Since FSC certification is expanding quickly in cork oak savannas it is important to consider the biodiversity value of these areas during this process. Prioritizing areas of high biodiversity value would enhance the conservation value of forest certification and facilitate integrating certification with other conservation initiatives.     

Plasma tPA-Activity and Progression of Cerebral White Matter Hyperintensities in Lacunar Stroke Patients

Introduction

Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)-activity and plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 (PAI-1) antigen are considered to be haemostasis-related markers of endothelial activation and relate to presence of cerebral white matter hyperintensities (WMH) as was earlier shown in a cross-sectional study. We investigated whether tPA-activity and PAI-1 levels are associated with WMH progression in a longitudinal study.

Methods

In 127 first-ever lacunar stroke patients in whom baseline brain MRI and plasma levels of tPA-activity and PAI-1-antigen were available, we obtained a 2-year follow-up MRI. We assessed WMH progression by a visual WMH change scale. We determined the relationship between levels of tPA-activity and PAI-1 and WMH progression, by logistic regression analysis.

Results

Plasma tPA-activity was associated with periventricular WMH progression (OR 2.36, 95% CI 1.01–5.49, with correction for age and sex and baseline presence of WMH), but not with deep or any (periventricular and/or deep) WMH progression. PAI-1 levels were lower in patients with WMH progression, but these results were not significant.

Conclusion

We found a relationship between plasma tPA-activity and progression of periventricular WMH. More research is needed to determine whether there is a (direct) role of tPA in the development and progression of WMH.     

Antimicrobial Combinations against Pan-Resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Isolates with Different Resistance Mechanisms

The study investigated the effect of antibiotic combinations against 20 clinical isolates of A. baumannii (seven colistin-resistant and 13 colistin-susceptible) with different resistance mechanisms. Clinical data, treatment, and patient mortality were evaluated. The following methods were used: MIC, PCRs, and outer membrane protein (OMP) analysis. Synergy was investigated using the checkerboard and time-kill methods. Clonality was evaluated by PFGE. Based on clonality, the whole genome sequence of six A. baumannii isolates was analyzed. All isolates were resistant to meropenem, rifampicin, and fosfomycin. OXA-23 and OXA-143 were the most frequent carbapenemases found. Four isolates showed loss of a 43kDa OMP_. The colistin-susceptible isolates belonged to different clones and showed the highest synergistic effect with fosfomycin-amikacin. Among colistin-resistant isolates, the highest synergistic effect was observed with the combinations of colistin-rifampicin followed by colistin-vancomycin. All colistin-resistant isolates harbored bla_OXA-23-like and belonged to CC113. Clinical and demographic data were available for 18 of 20 patients. Fourteen received treatment and eight patients died during treatment. The most frequent site of infection was the blood in 13 of 14 patients. Seven patients received vancomycin plus an active drug against A. baumannii; however, mortality did not differ in this group. The synergistic effect was similar for colistin-susceptible isolates of distinct clonal origin presenting with the same resistance mechanism. Overall mortality and death during treatment was high, and despite the high synergism in vitro with vancomycin, death did not differ comparing the use or not of vancomycin plus an active drug against A. baumannii.     

The Burden of Provider-Initiated Preterm Birth and Associated Factors: Evidence from the Brazilian Multicenter Study on Preterm Birth (EMIP)

Background

About 15 million children are born under 37 weeks of gestation worldwide. Prematurity is the leading cause of neonatal deaths and short/long term morbidities, entailing consequences not only for the individual, but also their family, health agencies, facilities and all community. The provider-initiated preterm birth is currently one of the most important obstetric conditions related to preterm births, particularly in middle and high income countries, thus decreasing the need for therapeutic preterm birth is essential to reduce global prematurity. Therefore detailed knowledge on the factors associated with provider-initiated preterm birth is essential for the efforts to reduce preterm birth rates and its consequences. In this current analysis we aimed to assess the proportion of provider-initiated (pi-PTB) among preterm births in Brazil and identify associated factors.

Methods and Findings

This is an analysis of a multicenter cross-sectional study with a nested case-control component called Brazilian Multicenter Study on Preterm Birth (EMIP). EMIP was conducted in 20 referral obstetric hospitals located in the three most populated of the five Brazilian regions. We analysed data of women with pi-PTB, defined as childbirth occurring at less than 37 weeks, medically indicated for maternal/fetal compromise or both; and women with term birth, childbirth at or after 37 weeks. Maternal, sociodemographic, obstetric, prenatal care, delivery, and postnatal characteristics were assessed as possible factors associated with pi-PTB, compared to term births. The overall prevalence of preterm births was 12.3%. Of these, approximately one-third of cases were initiated by the provider. Hypertensive disorders, placental abruption, and diabetes were the main maternal conditions leading to pi-PTB. Caesarean section was the most common mode of delivery. Chronic hypertension (OR 7.47; 95%CI 4.02–13.88), preeclampsia/eclampsia/HELLP syndrome (OR 15.35; 6.57–35.88), multiple pregnancy (OR 12.49; 4.86–32.05), and chronic diabetes (OR 5.24; 2.68–10.25) were the most significant factors independently associated with pi-PTB.

Conclusions

pi-PTB is responsible for about one-third of all preterm births, requiring special attention. The decision-making process relative to the choice of provider-initiated birth is complex, and many factors should be elucidated to improve strategies for its prevention, including evidence-based guidelines on proper management of the corresponding clinical conditions.     

Dynamics of Cattle Production in Brazil

Movement of livestock production within a country or region has implications for genetics, adaptation, well-being, nutrition, and production logistics, particularly in continental-sized countries, such as Brazil. Cattle production in Brazil from 1977 to 2011 was spatialized, and the annual midpoint of production was calculated. Changes in the relative production and acceleration of production were calculated and spatialized using ARCGIS®. Cluster and canonical discriminant analyses were performed to further highlight differences between regions in terms of cattle production. The mean production point has moved from the Center of Minas Gerais State (in the southeast region) to the North of Goiás State (in the Midwest region). This reflects changes in environmental factors, such as pasture type, temperature and humidity. Acceleration in production in the northern region of Brazil has remained strong over the years. More recently, “traditional” cattle-rearing regions, such as the south and southeast, showed a reduction in growth rates as well as a reduction in herd size or internal migration over the period studied. These maps showed that this movement tends to be gradual, with few regions showing high acceleration or deceleration rates.     

Early habituation of maize (Zea mays) suspension‐cultured cells to 2,6‐dichlorobenzonitrile is associated with the enhancement of antioxidant status

The cellulose biosynthesis inhibitor 2,6‐dichlorobenzonitrile (DCB) has been widely used to gain insights into cell wall composition and architecture. Studies of changes during early habituation to DCB can provide information on mechanisms that allow tolerance/habituation to DCB. In this context, maize‐cultured cells with a reduced amount of cellulose (～20%) were obtained by stepwise habituation to low DCB concentrations. The results reported here attempt to elucidate the putative role of an antioxidant strategy during incipient habituation. The short‐term exposure to DCB of non‐habituated maize‐cultured cells induced a substantial increase in oxidative damage. Concomitantly, short‐term treated cells presented an increase in class III peroxidase and glutathione S‐transferase activities and total glutathione content. Maize cells habituated to 0.3–1 µM DCB (incipient habituation) were characterized by a reduction in the relative cell growth rate, an enhancement of ascorbate peroxidase and class III peroxidase activities, and a net increment in total glutathione content. Moreover, these cell lines showed increased levels of glutathione S‐transferase activity. Changes in antioxidant/conjugation status enabled 0.3 and 0.5 µM DCB‐habituated cells to control lipid peroxidation levels, but this was not the case of maize cells habituated to 1 μM DCB, which despite showing an increased antioxidant capacity were not capable of reducing the oxidative damage to control levels. The results reported here confirm that exposure and incipient habituation of maize cells to DCB are associated with an enhancement in antioxidant/conjugation activities which could play a role in incipient DCB habituation of maize‐cultured cells.     

The Influence of Spatial Attributes on Fragment Occupancy and Population Structure in the Mexican Mantled Howler (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alouatta palliata mexicana</Emphasis>)

It is essential to document habitat occupancy patterns and population structure to facilitate the survival of primates in areas of anthropogenic disturbance. The overlapping of the Nearctic and Neotropical regions in the Olmec region of Mexico make this area particularly important as part of a natural biological corridor that harbors a high number of endemic species and connects the Atlantic and Pacific coastal plains. We surveyed Alouatta palliata mexicana (Mexican mantled howlers) in a 300-km² area to determine if fragment occupation and subpopulation structure were related to the spatial attributes of the fragments. We measured the fragment size and shape as well as the distances to the nearest road, human settlement, agricultural field, and nearest neighboring fragment. During 1 year (ca. 4500 fieldwork hours) we surveyed 48 fragments, 17 of which were occupied, and counted 198 howlers. Larger fragments that were farther from agricultural activities were more likely to be occupied. Subpopulation size and number of individuals in all age–sex classes increased in larger fragments that were closer to other fragments. We found more females and juveniles, as well as more females per male in fragments that were farther from roads and we found fewer immatures per female, females per male, and individuals per area in more irregular fragments. In addition, more males and immatures per female occurred in fragments that were farther from agricultural fields. The Olmec Region is located at the center of the geographic distribution of mantled howlers in Mexico, and could therefore play a fundamental role in maintaining the contact between different populations. However, our study suggests that mantled howlers are highly threatened by anthropogenic habitat disturbance in this area, mainly through the loss of their habitat and contact with humans.