8 research outputs found

    Expanding tropical forest monitoring into Dry Forests: The DRYFLOR protocol for permanent plots

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    This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordSocietal Impact Statement Understanding of tropical forests has been revolutionized by monitoring in permanent plots. Data from global plot networks have transformed our knowledge of forests’ diversity, function, contribution to global biogeochemical cycles, and sensitivity to climate change. Monitoring has thus far been concentrated in rain forests. Despite increasing appreciation of their threatened status, biodiversity, and importance to the global carbon cycle, monitoring in tropical dry forests is still in its infancy. We provide a protocol for permanent monitoring plots in tropical dry forests. Expanding monitoring into dry biomes is critical for overcoming the linked challenges of climate change, land use change, and the biodiversity crisis.Newton FundNatural Environment Research Council (NERC)Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São PauloCYTE

    Resistance to rupture of the equine stomach

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    ABSTRACT: Equine colic is an important and common cause of disease and death in horses. Gastric rupture has been extensively described in the literature, and is known to affect expressive numbers of horses. Gastric dilatation, which precedes rupture, may be observed when the animal consumes large amounts of recently harvested grass or drinks water too fast, though diagnosis criteria also include infestation with Gastherophilus and the presence of ileus and distal intestinal obstructions. The objective of the present study was to determine the resistance to rupture of the equine stomach to air (mm Hg) and water (L) injection. Forty stomachs of young horses (20 geldings and 20 mares) with no defined breed were analyzed. Total organ length (cm), weight (g), greater curved length (cm), lesser curved length (cm) and height (cm) were measured, with no statistical difference between males and females (p > .05). However, stomachs of horses were larger than those of mares and therefore presented higher volumetric capacity (p<0.05). No difference between males and females was observed in the pressure assay (93mmg Hg). Rupture occurred along the greater curvature (99%) and on the visceral (80%) and diaphragmatic (20%) surfaces, across all layers of the gastric wall. Although the equine stomach is relatively small, the organ is considerably resistant to rupture, whether by injection of air or liquid. Horses and mares exhibit similar resistance values, although the stomach of females has smaller volumetric capacity

    Anatomical interpretations of the taxonomy of Chamaecrista (L.) Moench sect. Absus (Leguminosae–Caesalpinioideae)

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    Chamaecrista (L.) Moench (Caesalpinioideae–Leguminosae) with 330 species is organized into six sections: Apoucouita, Absus, Grimaldia, Chamaecrista, Caliciopsis and Xerocalyx. Section Absus is the largest section of the Chamaecrista and is organized into four subsections, viz., subsect. Adenophyllum, subsect. Baseophyllum, subsect. Otophyllum and subsect. Absus. This section is not monophyletic and has a complex taxonomy. This study aims to anatomically characterize 60 taxa of Chamaecrista, identifying meaningful morphoanatomical characters that may shed light on the evaluations of the taxonomic and phylogenetic framework of Chamaecrista, especially C. sect. Absus. Standard light microscopy techniques were used to anatomically characterize the leaves. The anatomical data were subjected to a multivariate analysis (Jaccard index). Epidermal papillae on the abaxial side, the distribution and types of secretory and tector trichomes, variations in the arrangement of the vascular system of the midvein and the type of arrangement of the vascular system of the petiole are useful for separating species or groups of species. The presence and type of secretory structure, the type and position of stomata and the venation pattern are important in establishing the affinities between sections and subsections. The phenetic analysis demonstrates that the anatomical data contribute to the establishment of affinities between sections and subsections, supporting the elevation of the taxonomic status of the clade Baseophyllum to section and the insertion of C. absus (C. sect. Grimaldia) into C. sect. Absus, corroborating molecular studies

    Liraglutide and Renal Outcomes in Type 2 Diabetes.

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    BACKGROUND: In a randomized, controlled trial that compared liraglutide, a glucagon-like peptide 1 analogue, with placebo in patients with type 2 diabetes and high cardiovascular risk who were receiving usual care, we found that liraglutide resulted in lower risks of the primary end point (nonfatal myocardial infarction, nonfatal stroke, or death from cardiovascular causes) and death. However, the long-term effects of liraglutide on renal outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes are unknown. METHODS: We report the prespecified secondary renal outcomes of that randomized, controlled trial in which patients were assigned to receive liraglutide or placebo. The secondary renal outcome was a composite of new-onset persistent macroalbuminuria, persistent doubling of the serum creatinine level, end-stage renal disease, or death due to renal disease. The risk of renal outcomes was determined with the use of time-to-event analyses with an intention-to-treat approach. Changes in the estimated glomerular filtration rate and albuminuria were also analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 9340 patients underwent randomization, and the median follow-up of the patients was 3.84 years. The renal outcome occurred in fewer participants in the liraglutide group than in the placebo group (268 of 4668 patients vs. 337 of 4672; hazard ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.67 to 0.92; P=0.003). This result was driven primarily by the new onset of persistent macroalbuminuria, which occurred in fewer participants in the liraglutide group than in the placebo group (161 vs. 215 patients; hazard ratio, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.60 to 0.91; P=0.004). The rates of renal adverse events were similar in the liraglutide group and the placebo group (15.1 events and 16.5 events per 1000 patient-years), including the rate of acute kidney injury (7.1 and 6.2 events per 1000 patient-years, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This prespecified secondary analysis shows that, when added to usual care, liraglutide resulted in lower rates of the development and progression of diabetic kidney disease than placebo. (Funded by Novo Nordisk and the National Institutes of Health; LEADER ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT01179048 .)

    Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

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    As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved
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