PTX3 Polymorphisms and Invasive Mold Infections After Solid Organ Transplant

Donor PTX3 polymorphisms were shown to influence the risk of invasive aspergillosis among hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. Here, we show that PTX3 polymorphisms are independent risk factors for invasive mold infections among 1101 solid organ transplant recipients, thereby strengthening their role in mold infection pathogenesis and patients' risk stratificatio

Nitrogen deposition is negatively related to species richness and species composition of vascular plants and bryophytes in Swiss mountain grassland

Nitrogen (N) deposition is a major threat to biodiversity of many habitats in the lowlands. In mountain habitats, however, the effect of N deposition on biodiversity is not well understood. Here, data from the biodiversity monitoring of Switzerland were used to investigate whether high N deposition is negatively related to species richness and community uniqueness of vascular plants and bryophytes in mountain grassland. The total species diversity, as well as the diversity of three subsets of species (i.e. oligotrophic species, eutrophic species and targeted grassland species according to conservation objectives of the Swiss authorities) were analyzed. Overall, the empirical data from the present study indicate that the currently expert-based range of the critical load of N deposition below which harmful effects on sensitive ecosystems should not occur (upper bound is currently at 20 kg N ha−1 yr−1) is set too large for mountain hay meadows. Negative relations between N deposition and species richness and community uniqueness in mountain grassland were found already at 10–15 kg N ha−1 yr−1. The results suggest that the negative effect of N deposition on plant diversity is mainly due to a decrease of oligotrophic plant species and to a lesser extent to an increase in eutrophic plant species. While for bryophytes, the decrease of community uniqueness is related to changes in both oligotrophic and eutrophic species. Furthermore, because plant species richness of target species for conservation was negatively related to N deposition, airborne N deposition is likely to defeat conservation efforts in mountain grassland

Nitrogen deposition and multi-dimensional plant diversity at the landscape scale

Estimating effects of nitrogen (N) deposition is essential for understanding human impacts on biodiversity. However, studies relating atmospheric N deposition to plant diversity are usually restricted to small plots of high conservation value. Here, we used data on 381 randomly selected 1 km(2) plots covering most habitat types of Central Europe and an elevational range of 2900 m. We found that high atmospheric N deposition was associated with low values of six measures of plant diversity. The weakest negative relation to N deposition was found in the traditionally measured total species richness. The strongest relation to N deposition was in phylogenetic diversity, with an estimated loss of 19% due to atmospheric N deposition as compared with a homogeneously distributed historic N deposition without human influence, or of 11% as compared with a spatially varying N deposition for the year 1880, during industrialization in Europe. Because phylogenetic plant diversity is often related to ecosystem functioning, we suggest that atmospheric N deposition threatens functioning of ecosystems at the landscape scale

Data from: Nitrogen deposition and multi-dimensional plant diversity at the landscape scale

Estimating effects of nitrogen (N) deposition is essential for understanding human impacts on biodiversity. However, studies relating atmospheric N deposition to plant diversity are usually restricted to small plots of high conservation value. Here, we used data on 381 randomly selected 1 km2 plots covering most habitat types of Central Europe and an elevational range of 2900 m. We found that high atmospheric N deposition was associated with low values of six measures of plant diversity. The weakest negative relation to N deposition was found in the traditionally measured total species richness. The strongest relation to N deposition was in phylogenetic diversity, with an estimated loss of 19% due to atmospheric N deposition as compared with a homogeneously distributed historic N deposition without human influence, or of 11% as compared with a spatially varying N deposition for the year 1880, during industrialization in Europe. Because phylogenetic plant diversity is often related to ecosystem functioning, we suggest that atmospheric N deposition threatens functioning of ecosystems at the landscape scale

swissBDM

This file contains the six measures of plant diversity for each of the 381 study plots, each of 1 km2 size, as obtained from the Swiss biodiversity monitoring indicator "species richness in landscapes" (www.biodiversitymonitoring.ch/en/data/indicators/z/z7.html). Additionally, the file contains the estimated atmospheric N deposition for each plot as well as the different covariates as obtained from [1]. The content of the columns is as follows: PLOT_ID: Unique identifier for each 1 km2 plot. TOTAL_SR: Number of recorded species. OLIGO_SR: Number of species typically found on nutrient-poor soils, i.e. oligotrophic species with N-values of one and two [2]. AGRI_SR: Number of target species for which Swiss agriculture has particular responsibility of conservation [3]. UNIQUE: Community uniqueness calculated as the average Simpson dissimilarity index [4] of species composition for the particular study plot paired with each other plot. FD: Functional diversity. PD :Phylogenetic diversity. Ndep: Atmospheric Nitrogen deposition (kg ha-1 yr-1). E.avg: Altitude (m.a.s.l.). L.agrilow: Lowland agricultural area (ha). L.tree: Open woody formation area (ha). CALC: Calcareous substrate (%). TR.ran: Range of temperature variation Jul.-Jan. (°C). creek.sd: Standard deviation of creek length (m). REFERENCES: [1] Wohlgemuth, T., Nobis, M.P., Kienast, F. & Plattner, M. 2008 Modelling vascular plant diversity at the landscape scale using systematic samples. J. Biogeogr. 35, 1226-1240. (doi:j.1365-2699.2008.01884.x). [2] Landolt, E., Bäumler, B., Erhardt, A., Hegg, O., Klötzli, F., Lämmler, W., Nobis, M., Rudmann-Maurer, K., Schweingruber, F. & Theurillat, J. 2010 Flora Indicativa, Ecological Indicator Values and Biological Attributes of the Flora of Switzerland and the Alps. Bern, Haupt-Verlag; 382 p. [3] BAFU & BLW. 2008 Umweltziele Landwirtschaft. Hergeleitet aus bestehenden rechtlichen Grundlagen. Bern, Bundesamt für Umwelt; 221 p. [4] Koleff, P., Gaston, K.J. & Lennon, J.J. 2003 Measuring beta diversity for presence-absence data. J. Anim. Ecol. 72, 367-382. (doi:10.1046/J.1365-2656.2003.00710.x)

Epidemiological analysis of ozone and nitrogen impacts on vegetation - critical evaluation and recommendations

For human health studies, epidemiology has been established as important tool to examine factors that affect the frequency and distribution of disease, injury, and other health-related events in a defined population, serving the purpose of establishing prevention and control programs. On the other hand, gradient studies have a long tradition in the research of air pollution effects on plants. While there is no principal difference between gradient and epidemiological studies, the former address more one-dimensional transects while the latter focus more on populations and include more experience in making quantitative predictions, in dealing with confounding factors and in taking into account the complex interplay of different factors acting at different levels. Epidemiological analyses may disentangle and quantify the contributions of different predictor variables to an overall effect, e.g. plant growth, and may generate hypotheses deserving further study in experiments. Therefore, their use in ecosystem research is encouraged. This article provides a number of recommendations on: (1) spatial and temporal aspects in preparing predictor maps of nitrogen deposition, ozone exposure and meteorological covariates; (2) extent of a dataset required for an analysis; (3) choice of the appropriate regression model and conditions to be satisfied by the data; (4) selection of the relevant explanatory variables; (5) treatment of interactions and confounding factors; and (6) assessment of model validity

Interrelation of directly measured oxygenation levels, erythropoietin and erythropoietin receptor expression in spontaneous canine tumours

The expression of the hypoxia-inducible protein erythropoietin in tumour cells correlates with levels of tumour hypoxia. Our aim was to look for an interrelation of directly measured oxygenation levels, the presence of tissue erythropoietin and its receptor. Data of tumour oxygenation status, plasma and tissue erythropoietin and its receptor in a group of spontaneously occurring tumours in 15 dogs were collected. Polarographic tumour oxygen partial pressure measurements were obtained and data were correlated. Significant positive correlations were found between tissue erythropoietin and the percentages of pO2 values 610 mmHg. Multivariate analysis revealed no parameters influencing plasma erythropoietin levels. Our results show that a co-expression of erythropoietin receptor and its ligand in spontaneous canine tumours exists, that the level of hypoxia in tumour cells correlates with the level of tissue erythropoietin and suggest the need to be quantitatively and functionally tested as novel prognostic biological parameters in neoplastic tissues