Interacciones en espacios mineros restaurados: vegetación y avifauna

Mining activities produce deeply denudated areas that must be restored towards functional and self-sustainable ecosystems. This includes making up new land morphology with efficient drainage network and acceptable soil, and promoting plant succession and the incorporation of different faunal groups; which finally should facilitate the biotic and abiotic relationships sustaining those ecosystems. The amount and composition of faunal communities is a key descriptor of the faunal biotopes and trophic opportunities achieved. Moreover, some of these communities nourish plant dissemination and vegetation complexity. Here, we refer to five different mining areas restored 15 years ago, which have developed into distinct vegetation mosaics. Both the spontaneous recruitment of woody species and the censuses of bird fauna are indicative of relationships between vegetation and bird groups. Overall, they suggest that the early recreation of contrasted habitats mosaics, including forest elements, enhance the self-sustainability and complexity of the young restored ecosystems

Aromatic, Sensory, and Fatty Acid Profiles of Arbequina Extra Virgin Olive Oils Produced Using Different Malaxation Conditions

The demand for high-quality extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is growing due to its unique characteristics. The aroma and flavor of EVOO depend on its content of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), whose formation is affected by the olive variety and maturity index, and the oil production process. In this study, the sensory quality and VOC and fatty acid (FA) profiles were determined in Arbequina olive oils produced by applying different malaxation parameters (20, 25, and 30 °C, and 30 and 45 min). All the olive oils were classified as EVOO by a sensory panel, regardless of the production conditions. However, cold extraction at 20 °C resulted in more positive sensory attributes (complexity). The FA concentration increased significantly with the malaxation temperature, although the percentage profile remained unaltered. Finally, an OPLS-DA model was generated to identify the discriminating variables that separated the samples according to the malaxation temperature. In conclusion, the tested range of malaxation parameters appeared not to degrade the distinctive attributes/organoleptic profile of olive oil and could be applied to obtain an EVOO of high sensory quality, especially at 20 °C

Abrupt changes in the composition and function of fungal communities along an environmental gradient in the High Arctic

Fungi play a key role in soil-plant interactions, nutrient cycling and carbon flow and are essential for the functioning of arctic terrestrial ecosystems. Some studies have shown that the composition of fungal communities is highly sensitive to variations in environmental conditions, but little is known about how the conditions control the role of fungal communities (i.e., their ecosystem function). We used DNA metabarcoding to compare taxonomic and functional composition of fungal communities along a gradient of environmental severity in Northeast Greenland. We analysed soil samples from fell fields, heaths and snowbeds, three habitats with very contrasting abiotic conditions. We also assessed within-habitat differences by comparing three widespread microhabitats (patches with high cover of Dryas, Salix, or bare soil). The data suggest that, along the sampled mesotopographic gradient, the greatest differences in both fungal richness and community composition are observed amongst habitats, while the effect of microhabitat is weaker, although still significant. Furthermore, we found that richness and community composition of fungi are shaped primarily by abiotic factors and to a lesser, though still significant extent, by floristic composition. Along this mesotopographic gradient, environmental severity is strongly correlated with richness in all fungal functional groups: positively in saprotrophic, pathogenic and lichenised fungi, and negatively in ectomycorrhizal and root endophytic fungi. Our results suggest complex interactions amongst functional groups, possibly due to nutrient limitation or competitive exclusion, with potential implications on soil carbon stocks. These findings are important in the light of the environmental changes predicted for the Arctic

Changes in the treatment of Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis in Spain in the last 15 years: from ampicillin plus gentamicin to ampicillin plus ceftriaxone

AbstractThe aim of this study was to assess changes in antibiotic resistance, epidemiology and outcome among patients with Enterococcus faecalis infective endocarditis (EFIE) and to compare the efficacy and safety of the combination of ampicillin and gentamicin (A+G) with that of ampicillin plus ceftriaxone (A+C). The study was a retrospective analysis of a prospective cohort of EFIE patients treated in our centre from 1997 to 2011. Thirty patients were initially treated with A+G (ampicillin 2 g/4 h and gentamicin 3 mg/kg/day) and 39 with A+C (ampicillin 2 g/4 h and ceftriaxone 2 g/12 h) for 4–6 weeks. Increased rates of high-level aminoglycoside resistance (HLAR; gentamicin MIC ≥512 mg/L, streptomycin MIC ≥1024 mg/L or both) were observed in recent years (24% in 1997–2006 and 49% in 2007–2011; p 0.03). The use of A+C increased over time: 1997–2001, 4/18 (22%); 2002–2006, 5/16 (31%); 2007–2011, 30/35 (86%) (p <0.001). Renal failure developed in 65% of the A+G group and in 34% of the A+C group (p 0.014). Thirteen patients (43%) in the A+G group had to discontinue treatment, whereas only one patient (3%) treated with A+C had to discontinue treatment (p <0.001). Only development of heart failure and previous chronic renal failure were independently associated with 1-year mortality, while the individual antibiotic regimen (A+C vs. A+G) did not affect outcome (OR, 0.7; 95% CI, 0.2–2.2; p 0.549). Our study shows that the prevalence of HLAR EFIE has increased significantly in recent years and that alternative treatment with A+C is safer than A+G, with similar clinical outcomes, although the sample size is too small to draw firm conclusions. Randomized controlled studies are needed to confirm these results

Haemoglobin mass and running time trial performance after recombinant human erythropoietin administration in trained men

&lt;p&gt;Recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) increases haemoglobin mass (Hbmass) and maximal oxygen uptake (v˙ O2 max).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Purpose: This study defined the time course of changes in Hbmass, v˙ O2 max as well as running time trial performance following 4 weeks of rHuEpo administration to determine whether the laboratory observations would translate into actual improvements in running performance in the field.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Methods: 19 trained men received rHuEpo injections of 50 IUNkg21 body mass every two days for 4 weeks. Hbmass was determined weekly using the optimized carbon monoxide rebreathing method until 4 weeks after administration. v˙ O2 max and 3,000 m time trial performance were measured pre, post administration and at the end of the study.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Results: Relative to baseline, running performance significantly improved by ,6% after administration (10:3061:07 min:sec vs. 11:0861:15 min:sec, p,0.001) and remained significantly enhanced by ,3% 4 weeks after administration (10:4661:13 min:sec, p,0.001), while v˙ O2 max was also significantly increased post administration (60.765.8 mLNmin21Nkg21 vs. 56.066.2 mLNmin21Nkg21, p,0.001) and remained significantly increased 4 weeks after rHuEpo (58.065.6 mLNmin21Nkg21, p = 0.021). Hbmass was significantly increased at the end of administration compared to baseline (15.261.5 gNkg21 vs. 12.761.2 gNkg21, p,0.001). The rate of decrease in Hbmass toward baseline values post rHuEpo was similar to that of the increase during administration (20.53 gNkg21Nwk21, 95% confidence interval (CI) (20.68, 20.38) vs. 0.54 gNkg21Nwk21, CI (0.46, 0.63)) but Hbmass was still significantly elevated 4 weeks after administration compared to baseline (13.761.1 gNkg21, p&#60;0.001).&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;Conclusion: Running performance was improved following 4 weeks of rHuEpo and remained elevated 4 weeks after administration compared to baseline. These field performance effects coincided with rHuEpo-induced elevated v˙ O2 max and Hbmass.&lt;/p&gt

L'estime de soi globale et physique à l'adolescence

International audienceObjective. From a data collection conducted among junior high-school students, we propose to assess global and physical self-esteem. Indeed, profound physical changes, psychological and social affect this phase of development of the person and the object of this article is to clarify what are the potential impacts of these changes on self-esteem as a function of age and gender. Methods. 579 junior high-school students of the Midi Pyrenees region, aged 11 to 17 years (M = 13.34, SD = 1.20) have informed the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (1965) and the physical self-inventory (Ninot, Delignières and Fortes, 2000). Results. The reliability of both tools is confirmed from our study sample. The results allow to update significant differences in global and physical self-esteem according to the age and gender of the adolescents. Conclusion. The discussion focuses on the interpretation of gender differences in the assessment of global self-esteem and physical interpretation of the differences in the development of the person.Objectif de l'étude : À partir d'un recueil de données réalisé auprès d'élèves de collège, nous proposons d'évaluer l'estime de soi dans les domaines global et physique. En effet, de profondes modifications physiques, psychologiques et sociales affectent cette phase de développement de la personne et l'objet de cet article est de préciser quelles sont les répercussions possibles de ces transformations sur l'estime de soi en fonction de l'âge et du genre. Sujets : 579 collégien(ne)s de la région Midi Pyrénées, âgés de 11 à 17 ans (M = 13,34 ; ET = 1,20) ont renseigné l'échelle unidimensionnelle de Rosenberg (1965) et l'Inventaire de Soi Physique de Ninot, Delignières et Fortes (2000). Résultats. La fiabilité des deux outils utilisés est confirmée auprès de notre échantillon d'étude. Les résultats permettent de mettre à jour des différences significatives d'estime de soi globale et physique en fonction de l'âge et du genre des adolescent(e)s. Conclusion. La discussion s'oriente sur l'interprétation des différences de genre dans l'évaluation de l'estime de soi globale et physique et sur l'interprétation de différences au cours du développement de la personne

Tree Sapling Responses to 10 Years of Experimental Manipulation of Temperature, Nutrient Availability, and Shrub Cover at the Pyrenean Treeline

Treelines are sensitive to environmental changes, but few studies provide a mechanistic approach to understand treeline dynamics based on field experiments. The aim of this study was to determine how changes in the abiotic and/or biotic conditions associated with global change affect the performance of tree seedlings (later saplings) at the treeline in a 10-year experiment. A fully factorial experiment in the Central Pyrenees was initiated in autumn 2006; 192 Pinus uncinata seedlings were transplanted into microplots with contrasting environmental conditions of (1) increased vs. ambient temperature, (2) increased nutrient availability vs. no increase, and (3) presence vs. absence of the dominant shrub Rhododendron ferrugineum. We assessed the performance of young pines on several occasions over 10 years. The pines were removed at the end of the experiment in autumn 2016 to characterize their morphology and to conduct chemical and isotopic analyses on their needles. Both the warming and the fertilization treatments increased seedling growth soon after the start of the experiment. R. ferrugineum facilitated the survival and development of pine seedlings during the early years and affected the chemical composition of the needles. Toward the end of the experiment, the transplanted P. uncinata individuals, by then saplings, competed with R. ferrugineum for light and nutrients; the presence of the shrub probably altered the strategy of P. uncinata for acquiring nutrients and buffered the effects of warming and fertilization. The pines were highly sensitive to all factors and their interactions throughout the entire experimental period. These findings indicated that the interactive effects of several key abiotic and biotic drivers associated with global change should be investigated simultaneously for understanding the contribution of young trees to treeline dynamics

Identificación y relaciones genéticas de variedades de olivo en España mediante el uso de marcadores EST-SNPs

En España existe una gran riqueza varietal de olivo (Olea europaea subsp. europaea var europaea) que ha sido ampliamente caracterizada y evaluada. Aun así, varios estudios recientes han evidenciado la presencia de variedades locales de olivo desconocidas, poniendo de manifiesto la necesidad de profundizar en trabajos de prospección, conservación y caracterización varietal. Por ello, en los últimos años, se están llevando a cabo trabajos de prospección en diferentes puntos del país (Andalucía, Aragón, Cataluña y La Rioja). Dichos trabajos han permitido la localización de 290 olivos cultivados de interés y recogida de material vegetal para su posterior identificación. Dicho material ha sido discriminado mediante un conjunto de 96 EST-SNPs recientemente desarrollado en el Banco Mundial de Germoplasma de Olivo del IFAPA (BGMO, Córdoba). El empleo de los marcadores EST-SNPs permitió la identificación de un total de 154 nuevas variedades en las cuatro regiones prospectadas y la detección de casos de sinonimias y homonimias. Además, los marcadores empleados pusieron en evidencia la presencia de una variabilidad relativamente amplia con unos rangos de heterocigosidad esperada y observada de 0,31-0,5 y 0,29-0,81, y valores medios de 0,46 y 0,53, respectivamente. El estudio de las relaciones genéticas entre las variedades prospectadas y el conjunto de variedades nacionales conservadas en el BGMO reveló una clara agrupación de variedades andaluzas y variedades del norte de España, indicando de esta manera una posible selección local de variedades de olivo en nuestro país. En concordancia con estudios anteriores en olivo, estos resultados ponen de manifiesto la eficiencia del conjunto de 96 EST-SNPs para la identificación varietal en olivo y su utilidad para mejorar el manejo de colecciones de recursos genéticos del cultivo

The health economic impact of disease management programs for COPD: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis

__Abstract__ Background: There is insufficient evidence of the cost-effectiveness of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Disease Management (COPD-DM) programs. The aim of this review is to evaluate the economic impact of COPD-DM programs and investigate the relation between the impact on healthcare costs and health outcomes. We also investigated the impact of patient-, intervention, and study-characteristics.Methods: We conducted a systematic literature review to identify cost-effectiveness studies of COPD-DM. Where feasible, results were pooled using random-effects meta-analysis and explorative subgroup analyses were performed.Results: Sixteen papers describing 11 studies were included (7 randomized control trials (RCT), 2 pre-post, 2 case-control). Meta-analysis showed that COPD-DM led to hospitalization savings of €1060 (95% CI: €2040 to €80) per patient per year and savings in total healthcare uti