General ecosystem health indicators – A scoping review

Background: Assessing the health status of a natural ecosystem is important across all natural fields of study. Ecologists have discussed and used a variety of terms to describe the health of ecosystems, yet consistent use or adoption of a set of terms has not been established. A common vernacular is necessary to convey the status of an ecosystem to any audience, particularly to influence policy. The purpose of this review is to explore the terms associated with general ecosystem health metrics. Methods: A scoping literature review was performed within three databases, using a search string informed by place, interest, and outcome, a modified PICO (Place, Interest, Comparison, Outcome) structure. A three-stage review process was conducted, at title only, abstract, and full text, respectively. The second and third stages were conducted by two independent reviewers. Key ecosystem health indicator terms were extracted from the final article list and categorized into composite terms or individual indicators for the assessment of general ecosystem health. Results: The initial search yielded 4733 articles, of which 701 were included for screening at the abstract level. A subsequent full-text review of 118 peer-reviewed articles found 95 distinct indicators and 109 multi-metric index systems that qualify under the study search criteria from a total of 64 scientific journals over 20 years. Conclusions: We found a substantial diversity of ecological health terminologies and concepts, reflecting various scientific traditions and disciplines, which highlight not only the necessity to standardize the language for communication but also the opportunity for cross-fertilization. Single distinct indicators were as frequently used as multi-metric index systems. For academic purposes, this raises the question of how underlying value statements and ethical dimensions differ between integrated health terminologies and concepts. For advocacy, we emphasize the need of a consistent core terminology to improve the effectiveness of our messaging

Typical Weather Conditions of Large Wildfires in Portugal (1980–2018)

UIDB/04209/2020 UIDP/04209/2020publishersversionpublishe

Contributions to forecasting and preparedness

UIDB/04209/2020 UIDP/04209/2020 GFC/0109/2017Available research has extensively examined the spatiotemporal patterns of fire-weather regime in Portugal, but a comprehensive climatology of extreme wildfires is still under development. This study calls for different strategies and scales of analysis aiming to describe the relationships between medium and low troposphere weather conditions and severe fire behaviour in mainland Portugal, between 1980 and 2018. In particular, critical fire-weather patterns and thresholds that can contribute to operational and forecasting know-how in short and medium time ranges are presented. We updated the general trends in the fire regime with a new, longer daily burned area series and developed a method that identifies Extreme Wildfire Periods (EWP) that form the basis for climate analysis. Synoptic analysis using Circulation Weather Types (CWT) showed that the northeasterly and easterly directional flows are significantly associated with EWP and produce the most severe fire-weather conditions. The four main CWT related to extreme fire are driven from anticyclones over the eastern Atlantic between the Azores and the British Isles. However, severe situations can also be regulated by CWT with marginal presence in both summer and EWP: low systems located to the west and northwest of Iberia carrying air masses from the south quadrant are related to catastrophic events. Regarding the antecedent climate, the results indicate that the coincident meteorological drought, whether weak or intense, is a necessary but not sufficient condition for the development of an EWP. An increasing relevance of water stress for shorter intervals preceding EWP, in the order of days and weeks, is apparent. Following these results, fine dead fuel moisture thresholds related to transitions in fire behaviour in Portuguese landscapes are computed using a promising predictive moisture content model. Finally, the different methods used are summoned for the detailed analysis of an EWP starting under unusual synoptic circulation.publishersversionpublishe

Remdesivir and corticosteroids in the treatment of hospitalized COVID-19 patients

okCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a pandemic infection caused by the newly discovered severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. Remdesivir (RDV) and corticosteroids are used mainly in COVID-19 patients with acute respiratory failure. The main objective of the study was to assess the effectiveness of remdesivir with and without corticosteroids in the treatment of COVID-19 patients. We conducted a prospective observational study, including adult patients consecutively hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19 and acute respiratory failure. Patients were divided according to treatment strategy: RDV alone versus RDV with corticosteroids. The primary outcome was the time to recovery in both treatment groups. We included 374 COVID-19 adult patients, 184 were treated with RDV, and 190 were treated with RDV and corticosteroid. Patients in the RDV group had a shorter time to recovery in comparison with patients in the RDV plus corticosteroids group at 28 days after admission [11 vs. 16 days (95% confidence Interval 9.7-12.8; 14.9-17.1; p = .016)]. Patients treated with RDV alone had a shorter length of hospital stay. The use of corticosteroids as adjunctive therapy of RDV was not associated with improvement in mortality of COVID-19 patients.publishersversionpublishe

Chemical study and biological activity evaluation of two Azorean Macroalgae: Ulva rigida and Gelidium microdon

Copyright: © 2013 Silva M, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credite.The green macroalga Ulva rigida C. Agardh (Chlorophyta) and the red macroalga Gelidium microdon Kützing (Rhodophyta), collected from the Azorean archipelago, were investigated for their secondary metabolites and their in vitro growth inhibitory effect on three human tumor cell lines: MCF-7 (breast adenocarcinoma), NCI-H460 (non-small cell lung cancer) and A375-C5 (melanoma), as well as for their antifungal and antibacterial activities. The methanol extract of U. rigida furnished isofucosterol (1), 7(E)-3β-hydroxy-5α,6α-epoxymegastigmane (2) and (+)-dehydrovomifoliol (3) while the methanol extract of G. microdon yielded cholesterol (4) and lumichrome (5). The crude extracts of both macroalgae were found to be moderately active against the three cell lines whereas compound 1 showed a weak effect and compound 2 was inactive. The crude extracts of the two macroalgae were found to be moderately active against some fungi and bacteria while compounds 1 and 2 were inactive against all microorganisms tested

Eficácia de herbicidas no controle de plantas daninhas e seletividade na cultura do amendoim Runner IAC 886

It was aimed to verify the efficacy and selectivity of herbicides applied alone or in tank mixture for the weed control in peanut crop cv Runner IAC 886. Therefore, it was settled a field experiment, in a randomized block design with four replications. The treatments applied in pre-emergence were: 1-imazapic, 3-imazapic + pendimethalin, and 5-imazapic + trifluralin; the treatments applied in post-emergence were: 2-imazapic, 4-imazapic + pendimethalin, and 10-imazapic + (bentazon + paraquat); and treatments with application in PRE followed by POST were: 6-trifluralin and imazapic, 7-trifluralin and bentazon, 8-trifluralin and 2,4-D, 9-imazapic and bentazon + paraquat; besides the checks with and without weeding (treatments 11 and 12, respectively). It were evaluated the efficacy of herbicides and symptoms of intoxication in peanut plants by visual evaluations at 7, 14, 21, 28, 45, and 90 days after application, and, after the harvest, the pods yields. Treatments 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 had no significant reduction in peanut productivity. Treatment 10 was the least effective in controlling weeds and presented yields 47.3% lower than treatment 3 and 51.2% lower than the weeded control. It is concluded that for a weed community composed mainly of Cenchrus echinatus, Acanthospermum hispidum, Amaranthus deflexus, Parthenium hysterophorus, Alternanthera tenella, and Eleusine indica, the best weed control was obtained by imazapic in post-emergence. The application of imazapic + (bentazon + paraquat) in post-emergence was not effective in controlling weeds, resulting in yield losses.Objetivou-se verificar a eficácia e a seletividade de herbicidas aplicados isoladamente ou em mistura, no controle de plantas daninhas infestantes da cultura do amendoim Runner IAC 886. Para tanto, instalou-se um experimento a campo, em delineamento de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos aplicados em pré-emergência foram: 1-imazapic, 3-imazapic + pendimetalina e 5-imazapic + trifluralina; os aplicados em pós-emergência foram: 2-imazapic, 4-imazapic + pendimetalina e 10-imazapic + (bentazon + paraquat); e os tratamentos com aplicação em pré seguido de pós, foram: 6-trifluralina e imazapic, 7-trifluralina e bentazon, 8-trifluralina e 2,4-D, 9-imazapic e bentazon + paraquat; além das testemunhas com e sem capina (tratamentos 11 e 12, respectivamente). Foram avaliados a eficácia dos herbicidas e os sintomas de intoxicação nas plantas de amendoim por avaliações visuais aos 7, 14, 21, 28, 45 e 90 dias após a aplicação, e após a colheita, a produtividade de vagens. Os tratamentos 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 e 8 não tiveram redução significativa na produtividade. O tratamento 10 foi o menos eficiente no controle das plantas daninhas e apresentou produtividade 47,3% menor que o tratamento 3 e 51,2% menor que a testemunha capinada. Conclui-se que para uma comunidade infestante composta principalmente por capim-carrapicho, carrapicho-de-carneiro, caruru, losna-branca, apaga-fogo e capim-pé-de-galinha, o melhor controle das plantas daninhas foi obtido por imazapic em pós-emergência; já a aplicação de imazapic + (bentazon + paraquat) em pós-emergência, não foi efetivo no controle das plantas infestantes, resultando em perdas de produtividade

Motor uncoordination and neuropathology in a transgenic mouse model of Machado-Joseph disease lacking intranuclear inclusions and ataxin-3 cleavage products

Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the ataxin-3 protein. We generated two transgenic mouse lineages expressing the expanded human ataxin-3 under the control of the CMV promoter: CMVMJD83 and CMVMJD94, carrying Q83 and Q94 stretches, respectively. Behavioral analysis revealed that the CMVMJD94 transgenic mice developed motor uncoordination, intergenerational instability of the CAG repeat and a tissue-specific increase in the somatic mosaicism of the repeat with aging. Histopathological analysis of MJD mice at early and late stages of the disease revealed neuronal atrophy and astrogliosis in several brain regions; however, we found no signs of microglial activation or neuroinflammatory response prior to the appearance of an overt phenotype. In our model, the appearance of MJD-like symptoms was also not associated with the presence of ataxin-3 cleavage products or intranuclear aggregates. We propose the transgenic CMVMJD94 mice as a useful model to study the early stages in the pathogenesis of MJD and to explore the molecular mechanisms involved in CAG repeat instability.We would like to thank to Dr. Henry Paulson for providing the anti-ataxin-3 serum, Dr. Monica Sousa for the pCMV vector and to Eng. Lucilia Goreti Pinto for technical assistance. AS-F., M.C.C., S.S. and C.B. received FCT fellowships (SFRH/BD/15910/2005; SFRH/BPD/28560/2006; PTDC/SAU-GMG/64076/2006; SFRH/BPD/20987/2004). This research was funded by Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia through projects FEDER/FCT, POCI/SAU-MMO/60412/2004, PTDC/SAU-GMG/64076/2006; and Ataxia MJD Research Project

Diabetes as an independent predictor of high atherosclerotic burden assessed by coronary computed tomography angiography: The coronary artery disease equivalent revisited

(1) To study the prevalence and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD) in diabetic patients. (2) To provide a detailed characterization of the coronary atherosclerotic burden, including the localization, degree of stenosis and plaque composition by coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA). Single center prospective registry including a total of 581 consecutive stable patients (April 2011-March 2012) undergoing CCTA (Dual-source CT) for the evaluation of suspected CAD without previous myocardial infarction or revascularization procedures. Different coronary plaque burden indexes and plaque type and distribution patterns were compared between patients with (n = 85) and without diabetes (n = 496). The prevalence of CAD (any plaque; 74.1 vs. 56 %; p = 0.002) and obstructive CAD (≥50 % stenosis; 31.8 vs. 10.3 %; p<0.001) were significantly higher in diabetic patients. The remaining coronary atherosclerotic burden indexes evaluated (plaque in LM-3v-2v with prox. LAD; SIS; SSS; CT-LeSc) were also significantly higher in diabetic patients. In the per segment analysis, diabetics had a higher percentage of segments with plaque in every vessel (2.6/13.1/7.5/10.5 % for diabetics vs. 1.4/7.1/3.3/4.4 % for nondiabetics for LM, LAD, LCx, RCA respectively; p<0.001 for all) and of both calcified (19.3 vs. 9.2 %, p<0.001) and noncalcified or mixed types (14.4 vs. 7.0 %; p<0.001); the ratio of proximal-to-distal relative plaque distribution (calculated as LM/proximal vs. mid/distal/branches) was lower for diabetics (0.75 vs. 1.04; p = 0.009). Diabetes was an independent predictor of CAD and was also associated with more advanced CAD, evaluated by indexes of coronary atherosclerotic burden. Diabetics had a significantly higher prevalence of plaques in every anatomical subset and for the different plaque composition. In this report, the relative geographic distribution of the plaques within each subgroup, favored a more mid-to-distal localization in the diabetic patients

Coronary computed tomography angiography-adapted Leaman score as a tool to noninvasively quantify total coronary atherosclerotic burden

To describe a coronary computed tomography angiography (CCTA)-adapted Leaman score (CT-LeSc) as a tool to quantify total coronary atherosclerotic burden with information regarding localization, type of plaque and degree of stenosis and to identify clinical predictors of a high coronary atherosclerotic burden as assessed by the CT-LeSc. Single center prospective registry including a total of 772 consecutive patients undergoing CCTA (Dual-source CT) from April 2011 to March 2012. For the purpose of this study, 581 stable patients referred for suspected coronary artery disease (CAD) without previous myocardial infarction or revascularization procedures were included. Pre-test CAD probability was determined using both the Diamond-Forrester extended CAD consortium method (DF-CAD consortium model) and the Morise score. Cardiovascular risk was assessed with the HeartScore. The cut-off for the 3rd tercile (CT-LeSc ≥8.3) was used to define a population with a high coronary atherosclerotic burden. The median CT-LeSc in this population (n = 581, 8,136 coronary segments evaluated; mean age 57.6 ± 11.1; 55.8 % males; 14.6 % with diabetes) was 2.2 (IQR 0-6.8). In patients with CAD (n = 341), the median CT-LeSc was 5.8 (IQR 3.2-9.6). Among patients with nonobstructive CAD, most were classified in the lowest terciles (T1, 43.0 %; T2, 36.1 %), but 20.9 % were in the highest tercile (T3). The majority of the patients with obstructive CAD were classified in T3 (78.2 %), but 21.8 % had a CT-LeSc in lower terciles (T1 or T2). The independent predictors of a high CT-LeSc were: Male sex (OR 1.73; 95 % CI 1.04-2.90) diabetes (OR 2.91; 95 % CI 1.61-5.23), hypertension (OR 2.54; 95 % CI 1.40-4.63), Morise score ≥16 (OR 1.97; 95 % CI 1.06-3.67) and HeartScore ≥5 (OR 2.42; 95 % CI 1.41-4.14). We described a cardiac CT adapted Leaman score as a tool to quantify total (obstructive and nonobstructive) coronary atherosclerotic burden, reflecting the comprehensive information about localization, degree of stenosis and type of plaque provided by CCTA. Male sex, hypertension, diabetes, a HeartScore ≥5 % and a Morise score ≥16 were associated with a high coronary atherosclerotic burden, as assessed by the CT-LeSc. About one fifth of the patients with nonobstructive CAD had a CT-LeSc in the highest tercile, and this could potentially lead to a reclass