Differential tolerance of native and invasive tree seedlings from arid African deserts to drought and shade

Efforts to understand why some species become successful invaders and why some habitats are more at risk from invasive species is an important research focus in invasion ecology. With current global climate change, evaluation of the effects of shade and drought on cohabiting native and invasive species from extreme ecosystems is especially important. Acacia tortilis subsp. raddiana is a tree taxon native to arid African deserts. Prosopis glandulosa, native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, is invading African arid and semiarid regions that are habitat for A. t. subsp. raddiana. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the tolerance and responses of the seedlings of these two tree species to shade, water stress and their interactions. We measured and recorded growth rates and morphological, biochemical and physiological plant traits under two radiation and two water treatments in greenhouse conditions. Radiation intensity was a stronger driver of the performance of both species than water availability. Beyond the independent effects of shade and drought, the interactions of these factors yielded synergistic effects on seedlings of both tree species, affecting key plant traits. The seedlings of A. t. subsp. raddiana were able to implement important shifts in key functional traits in response to altering abiotic stress conditions, behaving as a stress-tolerant species that is well-adapted to the habitat it occupies in hot arid African deserts. In contrast, the fast-growing seedlings of P. glandulosa were stress-avoiding. The alien P. glandulosa seedlings were highly sensitive to water and shade stress. Moreover, they were particularly sensitive to drought in shade conditions. However, although alien P. glandulosa seedlings were exposed to high stress levels, they were able to avoid permanent damage to their photosynthetic apparatus by mechanisms such as increasing energy dissipation by heat emission and by adjusting the relative allocation of resources to above- and below-ground structures. Our results are useful for conservation planning and restoration of invaded hyperarid ecosystems

Wetland Loss by Erosion in Odiel Marshes (SW Spain)

Wetland loss in many estuaries around the world, has been attributed mainly to undermining and collapse of channel banks. This study aims to quantify bank erosion and vertical erosion/accretion rates on intertidal sediments in the Odiel tidal marshes (SW Spain). Bi-monthly erosion/accretion measurements were taken on eight channels over a four year period, using markers (iron stakes) located on intertidal areas and on eroding banks. The intensity of erosion divides the Odiel marshes into two zones. The northern zone has low erosion rates (horizontal erosion c. -20 cm year-1 and vertical erosion / accretion between 0 and -1 cm year-1), and coincides with low levels of human activities. The southern zone has higher erosion rates (horizontal erosion c. -25 cm year-1 and vertical erosion / accretion between 0 and -5 cm year-1) and exhibits higher levels of anthropogenic pressure. The highest horizontal and vertical erosion rates (c. -80 cm year-1) were recorded on navigation channels. Horizontal and vertical erosion showed a positive linear relationship (r2 = 0.66; P< 0.01), indicating that sediments mobilized by bank erosion are not deposited on adjacent intertidal areas. Erosion led to mature marsh habitat loss of c. 17000 m2 year-1 and a sediment mobilization of c. 16500 m3 year-1

Tree vigour influences secondary growth but not responsiveness to climatic variability in Holm oak

Many tree species from Mediterranean regions have started to show increased rates of crown defoliation, reduced groth, and dieback associated with the increase in temperatures and changes in the frequency and intensity of drought events experienced during the last decades. In this regard, Quercus ilex L. subsp. ballota (Desf.) (Holm oak), despite being a drought-tolerant species widely distributed in the Mediterranean basin, it has recently started to show acute signs of decline, extended areas from Spain being affected. However, few studies have assessed the role of climatic variability (i.e., temperature, precipitation, and drought) on the decline and resilience of Holm oak. Here, we measured secondary growth of seventy Holm oaks from a coppice stand located in central Spain. Sampled trees had different stages of decline, so they were classified into four vigour groups considering their crown foliar lost: healthy (0%), low defoliated (25%), highly defoliated (25 70%), and dying (70 100%). Our results showed that during the study period (1980 2009) the highly defoliated and dying Holm oaks grew significantly less than their healthy and low defoliated neighbours, suggesting permanent growth reduction in the less vigorous individuals. Despite these differences, all four vigour groups showed similar responses to climatic variations, especially during winter and late spring early summer seasons, and similar resilience after severe drought events, managing to significantly recover to pre-drought growth rates after only two years. Our findings, hence, illustrate that tree vigour influences secondary growth but not responsiveness to climatic variability in Holm oak. Still, as reduced growth rates are frequently associated with the process of tree mortality, we conclude that the less vigorous Holm oaks might not be able to cope with future water stress conditions, leading to increased mortality rates among this emblematic Mediterranean specie

Pd-(L)1 inhibitors as monotherapy for the first-line treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer patients with high pd-l1 expression : A network meta-analysis

Altres ajuts: RocheProgrammed cell death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) has emerged as a potential biomarker for selec-tion of patients more likely to respond to immunotherapy and as a prognostic factor in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this network meta-analysis, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of first-line anti-PD-(L)1 monotherapy in advanced NSCLC patients with high PD-L1 expression (≥50%) compared to platinum-based chemotherapy. We also evaluated efficacy outcomes according to tumor mutational burden (TMB). To that end, we conducted a systematic review. Six clinical trials with 2111 patients were included. In head-to-head comparisons, immunotherapy showed a significant improvement in progression-free survival (PFS: HRpooled = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.52-0.90, p = 0.007), overall survival (OS: HRpooled = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.61-0.78; p < 0.001) and overall response rate (ORR) (Risk ratio (RR)pooled = 1.354, 95% CI: 1.04-1.762, p = 0.024). In the assessment of relative efficacy for PFS through indirect comparisons, pembrolizumab (results from KEYNOTE-024) ranked highest followed by cemiplimab and atezolizumab, with statistical significance determined for some of the drugs. In terms of OS, cemiplimab ranked highest followed by atezolizumab and pembrolizumab, although non-significant OS was determined for these drugs. In conclusion, PD-(L)1 inhibitor mon-otherapy improves efficacy outcomes in the first line setting of advanced NSCLC patients with high PD-L1 expression. Evaluations with longer follow up are still needed to determine the superiority of any specific drug

Lung cancer in Spain: information from the Thoracic Tumors Registry (TTR study)

[Background] Lung cancer remains a leading cause of cancer incidence and mortality worldwide. Although Spain contributes to global statistics related to cancer, it is difficult to discern aspects linked to clinical presentation of the disease or molecular testing. The Thoracic Tumor Registry (TTR) was created with the aim of filling this gap.[Methods] Observational cohort multicenter study performed in Spain, including patients with lung cancer or other types of thoracic tumors undergoing active treatment or palliative care only. Enrollment took place between August 2016 and December 2018. The evaluation included a review of demographic, epidemiological, clinical and molecular data.[Results] A total of 6,600 patients diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were recruited at 56 Spanish hospitals. The mean age at diagnosis was 64 years. The majority of patients (80%) presented with advanced disease, being adenocarcinoma the most frequent histological type. Up to 86% of patients were current- or ex-smokers, with men starting to smoke earlier than women (average age 17.9 vs. 19.2 years). Sixty-seven percent of patients underwent some type of molecular testing. Mutations in EGFR and KRAS genes were found in 18% and 28% of patients, respectively.[Conclusions] Our findings suggest that the TTR study accurately describes the clinical reality of lung cancer in Spain, including useful information on smoking status as well as molecular profiling and tumor histology, and can therefore be used to drive improvements in health care. Social and political pressure to reduce tobacco consumption among the population should be reinforced, particularly among youth.This work was supported by Grupo Español de Cáncer de Pulmón (GECP), Novartis, Lilly and Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD)

COP1 destabilizes DELLA proteins in Arabidopsis

DELLA transcriptional regulators are central components in the control of plant growth responses to the environment. This control is considered to be mediated by changes in the metabolism of the hormones gibberellins (GAs), which promote the degradation of DELLAs. However, here we show that warm temperature or shade reduced the stability of a GA-insensitive DELLA allele in Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, the degradation of DELLA induced by the warmth preceded changes in GA levels and depended on the E3 ubiquitin ligase CONSTITUTIVELY PHOTOMORPHOGENIC1 (COP1). COP1 enhanced the degradation of normal and GA-insensitive DELLA alleles when coexpressed in Nicotiana benthamiana. DELLA proteins physically interacted with COP1 in yeast, mammalian, and plant cells. This interaction was enhanced by the COP1 complex partner SUPRESSOR OF phyA-105 1 (SPA1). The level of ubiquitination of DELLA was enhanced by COP1 and COP1 ubiquitinated DELLA proteins in vitro. We propose that DELLAs are destabilized not only by the canonical GA-dependent pathway but also by COP1 and that this control is relevant for growth responses to shade and warm temperature.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness and Agencia Española de Investigación/Fondo Europeo para el Desarrollo Regional/Unión Europea (grants BIO2016-79133-P to D.A. and BIO2013-46539-R and BIO2016-80551-R to V.R.); the European Union SIGNAT-Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (Grant H2020-MSCA-RISE-2014-644435 to M.A.B., D.A., and J.J.C.); the Argentinian Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (Grant Proyectos de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica-2016-1459 to J.J.C.); Universidad de Buenos Aires (grant 20020170100505BA to J.J.C.); the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health (awards R01GM067837 and R01GM056006 to S.A.K.); the German Research Foundation (DFG) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy/Initiative (Cluster of Excellence on Plant Sciences – Excellence Cluster EXC-2048/1, Project ID 390686111 to M.D.Z.); the International Max Planck Research School of the Max Planck Society; the Universities of Düsseldorf and of Cologne to T.B.; Nordrhein Westfalen Bioeconomy Science Center-FocusLabs CombiCom to N.H. and M.D.Z.; and Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic (Project LQ1601 Central European Institute of Technology 2020 to B.B. and M.C.). N.B.-T., E.I., and M.G.-L. were supported by Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad-Formación de Personal Investigador Program fellowships

Climate change facilitated the early colonization of the Azores Archipelago during medieval times

Humans have made such dramatic and permanent changes to Earth's landscapes that much of it is now substantially and irreversibly altered from its preanthropogenic state. Remote islands, until recently isolated from humans, offer insights into how these landscapes evolved in response to human-induced perturbations. However, little is known about when and how remote systems were colonized because archaeological data and historical records are scarce and incomplete. Here, we use a multiproxy approach to reconstruct the initial colonization and subsequent environmental impacts on the Azores Archipelago. Our reconstructions provide unambiguous evidence for widespread human disturbance of this archipelago starting between 700 -60/+50 and 850 -60/+60 Common Era (CE), ca. 700 y earlier than historical records suggest the onset of Portuguese settlement of the islands. Settlement proceeded in three phases, during which human pressure on the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems grew steadily (i.e., through livestock introductions, logging, and fire), resulting in irreversible changes. Our climate models suggest that the initial colonization at the end of the early Middle Ages (500 to 900 CE) occurred in conjunction with anomalous northeasterly winds and warmer Northern Hemisphere temperatures. These climate conditions likelyinhibited exploration from southern Europe and facilitated human settlers from the northeast Atlantic. These results are consistent with recent archaeological and genetic data suggesting that the Norse were most likely the earliest settlers on the islands

Measurement of the Bottom-Strange Meson Mixing Phase in the Full CDF Data Set

We report a measurement of the bottom-strange meson mixing phase \beta_s using the time evolution of B0_s -> J/\psi (->\mu+\mu-) \phi (-> K+ K-) decays in which the quark-flavor content of the bottom-strange meson is identified at production. This measurement uses the full data set of proton-antiproton collisions at sqrt(s)= 1.96 TeV collected by the Collider Detector experiment at the Fermilab Tevatron, corresponding to 9.6 fb-1 of integrated luminosity. We report confidence regions in the two-dimensional space of \beta_s and the B0_s decay-width difference \Delta\Gamma_s, and measure \beta_s in [-\pi/2, -1.51] U [-0.06, 0.30] U [1.26, \pi/2] at the 68% confidence level, in agreement with the standard model expectation. Assuming the standard model value of \beta_s, we also determine \Delta\Gamma_s = 0.068 +- 0.026 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps-1 and the mean B0_s lifetime, \tau_s = 1.528 +- 0.019 (stat) +- 0.009 (syst) ps, which are consistent and competitive with determinations by other experiments.Comment: 8 pages, 2 figures, Phys. Rev. Lett 109, 171802 (2012

Stab Injury to the Preauricular Region With Laceration of the External Carotid Artery Without Involvement of the Facial Nerve: a Case Report

BACKGROUND: Open injuries to the face involving the external carotid artery are uncommon. These injuries are normally associated with laceration of the facial nerve because this nerve is more superficial than the external carotid artery. Hence, external carotid artery lesions are usually associated with facial nerve dysfunction. We present an unusual case report in which the patient had an injury to this artery with no facial nerve compromise. CASE PRESENTATION: A 25-year-old Portuguese man sustained a stab wound injury to his right preauricular region with a broken glass. Immediate profuse bleeding ensued. Provisory tamponade of the wound was achieved at the place of aggression by two off-duty doctors. He was initially transferred to a district hospital, where a large arterial bleeding was observed and a temporary compressive dressing was applied. Subsequently, the patient was transferred to a tertiary hospital. At admission in the emergency room, he presented a pulsating lesion in the right preauricular region and slight weakness in the territory of the inferior buccal branch of the facial nerve. The physical examination suggested an arterial lesion superficial to the facial nerve. However, in the operating theater, a section of the posterior and lateral flanks of the external carotid artery inside the parotid gland was identified. No lesion of the facial nerve was observed, and the external carotid artery was repaired. To better understand the anatomical rationale of this uncommon clinical case, we dissected the preauricular region of six cadavers previously injected with colored latex solutions in the vascular system. A small triangular space between the two main branches of division of the facial nerve in which the external carotid artery was not covered by the facial nerve was observed bilaterally in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: This clinical case illustrates that, in a preauricular wound, the external carotid artery can be injured without facial nerve damage. However, no similar description was found in the reviewed literature, which suggests that this must be a very rare occurrence. According to the dissection study performed, this is due to the existence of a triangular space between the cervicofacial and temporofacial nerve trunks in which the external carotid artery is not covered by the facial nerve or its branches.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background: Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission. Methods: Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes. Results: Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO2/FiO2 increased from 115.6 [80.0-171.2] to 180.0 [135.4-227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33-2.25] to 1.96 [1.61-2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01-1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93-1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO2/FiO2 variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47). Conclusions: Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO2/FiO2 variation