Dinámica de las comunidades de lianas y epífitas en bosques sucesionales de las yungas australes (Sierra de San Javier, Tucumán, Argentina)

Lianas y epífitas vasculares son organismos intersticiales que dependen del soporte de los árboles. Cuando ocurren procesos de des-intensificación del impacto antrópico, lianas y epífitas pueden recolonizar los bosques en regiones tropicales. Sin embargo se desconoce cómo responden las lianas y epífitas a esta des-intensificación en bosques subtropicales, cómo varía esta respuesta en relación a la composición de los bosques (e.g. nativos versus exóticos) y a qué edad estas comunidades de plantas alcanzan los atributos ecológicos de bosques maduros que se encuentran en mejor estado de conservación. En esta tesis se caracterizó la dinámica de las comunidades de lianas y epífitas en bosques de yungas de la Sierra de San Javier (Tucumán, Argentina) teniendo en cuenta estos interrogantes. Se describieron varios aspectos ecológicos de sus comunidades: cambios en un gradiente de bosques de diferente edad y en bosques invadidos por especies exóticas que ocurren en las comunidades de lianas (capítulo II) y epífitas (capítulo III), cambios de las comunidades de lianas durante un período de 12 años en un bosque maduro (capítulo IV) y se analizó la red de interacciones entre epífitas y árboles hospedadores en bosques maduros (capítulo V). Se muestrearon lianas ≥ 1 cm de diámetro, epífitas, y árboles ≥ 10 cm de diámetro a la altura del pecho en 6.4 de bosques maduros, bosques secundarios nativos e invadidos por las especies exóticas Ligustrum lucidum y Morus alba. Las comunidades de lianas y epífitas presentaron mayor riqueza, densidad y cobertura en bosques maduros que en bosques secundarios nativos. Estas comunidades de plantas mostraron capacidad para colonizar, persistir e incrementar en densidad y cobertura durante la sucesión de los bosques nativos. Sin embargo, en bosques secundarios dominados por L. lucidum y M. alba, las lianas y epífitas cambiaron en estructura y riqueza. Las comunidades de lianas y epífitas disminuyeron en riqueza, densidad y cobertura con el incremento en la densidad de L. lucidum. En cambio, la invasión de M. alba tendió a incrementar la densidad de lianas y reducir la riqueza y el porcentaje de árboles colonizados por epífitas. La estructura de la comunidad de lianas también cambió a través del tiempo en un bosque maduro, debido a que disminuyeron en densidad y aumentaron en área basal en un período de 12 años entre 2003 y 2015. En este período las especies de lianas que disminuyeron en densidad fueron demandantes de luz, mientras que las tolerantes a la sombra incrementaron, posiblemente como consecuencia de la recuperación del bosque de disturbios pasados. Las comunidades de lianas y epífitas vasculares variaron entre los diferentes tipos de bosque dependiendo de su edad y composición (e.g. nativos vs. exóticos). En esta tesis se reportaron las características de las comunidades de lianas y epífitas en diferentes tipos de bosque y la dinámica de estas comunidades de plantas en bosques maduros. Los resultados obtenidos fueron importantes para evaluar el estado de conservación de estas comunidades en los bosques y su capacidad de recuperación natural como consecuencia de la des-intensificación del impacto antrópico.Lianas and vascular epiphytes are interstitial organisms because they depend on the structural support of the trees. Based on studies performed mainly in tropical regions, lianas and epiphytes can return to forests that grow after the de-intensification of the anthropic impact. It remains unknown how lianas and epiphytes respond to the de-intensification of human influence in subtropical forests, how their response change based on forest composition (e.g. native vs. exotic), and when their structure and diversity in secondary forests approaches that of mature forests. All those aspects were considered in this thesis to characterize the dynamics of liana and vascular epiphyte communities in yungas forests of Sierra de San Javier (Tucumán, Argentina). Several ecological aspects of these plant communities were described, including: changes across gradients of forest succession and tree invasion in liana communities (chapter II) and epiphyte communities (chapter III), changes of a liana community over a 12-y period in a mature forest (chapter IV), and the interaction network between epiphytes and host trees in mature forests. Lianas with a diameter ≥ 1 cm, epiphytes, and trees with a diameter ≥ 10 cm at breast height were surveyed in 6.4 ha of mature forests, native secondary forests, and invaded secondary forests by the exotic tree species Ligustrum lucidum and Morus alba. Lianas and epiphytes had higher species richness, density and cover in mature forests compared to native secondary forests. Results showed that lianas and epiphyte communities had great capacity for the colonization of native secondary forests and for persistence during forest succession. However, at early or mid-successional stages, the invasion of exotic tree species such as L. lucidum and M. alba influenced the structure and species richness of lianas and epiphytes. L. lucidum invasion reduced the richness and density of lianas, and the richness and cover of epiphytes. M. alba invasion tended to increase liana density and reduced epiphyte richness, and the percentage of trees colonized by epiphytes. In a mature forest within the area, the liana community changed over a 12-y period between 2003 and 2015: they decreased in density but increased in basal area. Over this period, light-demanding liana species decreased in density whereas shade-tolerant species increased, possibly influenced by the reduction of anthropic influence that this forest experienced in recent decades. Lianas and epiphytes communities showed different ecological attributes depending on forest age and composition (native vs. exotic). Characteristics of these communities were reported in this thesis considering different forest types (secondary and mature forests dominated by native tree species, and secondary forests invaded by exotic tree species) and ecological gradients (successional and tree invaded gradients). Results reported here were important to evaluate the conservation status of lianas and epiphyte communities in these forests, and their capacity of natural recovery after anthropic de-intensification.Fil: Ceballos, Sergio Javier

Influence of the invasion of Ligustrum lucidum (Oleaceae) on liana community in sierra de San Javier (Tucumán - Argentina)

En la sierra de San Javier (Tucumán, Argentina) se presentan bosques secundarios nativos e invadidos, estos últimos dominados por Ligustrum lucidum, que afecta la biodiversidad nativa. Analizamos la influencia del bosque dominado por L. lucidum sobre las comunidades de lianas en comparación con bosques secundarios nativos sin dominancia de especies exóticas. Los bosques fueron comparados en abundancia, composición, modalidades de trepado y distribución de clases de tamaños de los tallos de lianas. Para ello se establecieron un total de 10 cuadrantes en el sector pedemontano de yungas de la sierra de San Javier en los cuales se midió, identificó y relevó los tallos de lianas ≥ a 0.5 cm y los árboles ≥ a 10 cm en diámetro a la altura del pecho. El bosque nativo presentó cuatro veces mayor abundancia y mayor riqueza de tallos de lianas en comparación con el bosque invadido. Los individuos de L. lucidum hospedaron tallos de lianas en muy baja abundancia y en el bosque dominado por esta especie exótica los hospedadores de lianas fueron principalmente árboles nativos. Además de no constituir soportes adecuados de lianas, se manifiesta una influencia indirecta a través de la exclusión de las especies de árboles nativos que las hospedan.Native and invaded secondary forests are present in sierra de San Javier, the latter dominated by Ligustrum lucidum, which exerts an influence on native biodiversity. We analyzed the influence of the forest dominated by L. lucidum over liana communities compared to native secondary forests without dominance of exotic species. Forests were compared in abundance, composition, climbing mechanisms and distribution in size classes of liana stems. For this, liana stems ≥ 0.5 cm and the trees ≥ 10 cm in diameter at height breast, were measured, identified and surveyed in 10 plots located in the yungas piedmont of sierra de San Javier. Native forests had four times more abundance and richness of liana stems than invaded forest of L. lucidum. Individual trees of L. lucidum hosted liana stems in very low abundance, and in the forest dominated by this exotic species, the liana hosts were mainly native trees. Besides the fact that they do not constitute suitable hosts for lianas, they have an indirect influence through the exclusion of native host trees of lianas.Fil: Ceballos, Sergio Javier. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Malizia, Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Chacoff, Natacha Paola. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Las epífitas vasculares en un ambiente urbano están influidas por características del arbolado, el clima y las fuentes de propágulos

El arbolado urbano brinda múltiples beneficios a la población, tales como como la provisión de sombra y la regulación del clima. También puede contribuir a la conservación de plantas nativas de la ecorregión en la que se encuentra la ciudad, aunque existe poca información al respecto. En este trabajo se analizaron la riqueza, la cobertura y la composición del ensamble de epífitas vasculares que habita el arbolado urbano del Gran San Miguel de Tucumán. Para ello se registraron las epífitas en 240 árboles distribuidos en 24 sitios ubicados en las localidades de Horco Molle, El Corte, Yerba Buena y San Miguel de Tucumán. Se registraron las características de los árboles hospedadores (i.e., diámetro a la altura del pecho [DAP], tipo de corteza y número de ramas podadas) y del sitio de muestreo (i.e., distancia a fuentes de propágulos como la Sierra de San Javier y espacios verdes urbanos, temperatura y humedad mediante imágenes satelitales). Se observó que el incremento del DAP y las cortezas rugosas determinaban un incremento significativo en la riqueza y la cobertura de epífitas. Ambas características son conocidas por su importancia en el establecimiento de epífitas al permitir un mayor tiempo de colonización y proveer mayor superficie (DAP), así como por acumular materia orgánica y agua en las grietas de la corteza (rugosidad). La riqueza de epífitas también aumentó en árboles ubicados a menor distancia de la sierra y en sitios con menor temperatura y mayor humedad. La localidad de Horco Molle, más cercana a la sierra, se segregó de otros sectores de la ciudad con respecto a la composición de especies de epífitas. Se observaron interacciones entre arboles hospedadores y epífitas vasculares, en coincidencia con las observadas en bosques prístinos de la sierra. Estos resultados son importantes para el manejo de la vegetación urbana debido a que permiten considerar al arbolado como un aporte importante para la conservación de epífitas nativas de Yungas.Urban trees provide multiple benefits for the citizens such as shadow provision and climate regulation. In addition, it can contribute to the conservation of native plants from the ecoregion where the city is located, although there is not much information about it. In this study, species richness, cover and composition of vascular epiphytes were analyzed in urban trees of Gran San Miguel de Tucumán. We sampled epiphytes over 240 trees in 24 sites located in the localities of Horco Molle, El Corte, Yerba Buena and San Miguel de Tucumán. We recorded characteristics of trees (i.e., diameter at breast height [DBH], bark type and number of pruned branches) and sites (distance from the nearest source of epiphyte propagules such as sierra San Javier and urban green spaces, temperature and humidity using satellite images). Significant increases of species richness and cover of epiphytes were recorded with tree DBH and rough barks. Both features are important for vascular epiphyte establishment because they allow more surface and time available for colonization and a rough bark accumulates water and organic matter. In addition, epiphyte richness increased in trees closer to Sierra de San Javier, and in sites with lower temperature and higher humidity. The locality of Horco Molle, closer to sierra de San Javier, had a different composition of epiphytes compared to the other localities. Interactions between host trees and vascular epiphytes were similar to those observed in pristine forests of sierra de San Javier. These results are relevant for urban vegetation management because they allow us to consider urban trees as an important contribution to the conservation of native Yungas epiphytes.Fil: González, Maria Virginia. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Ceballos, Sergio Javier. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentin

Application of principal component analysis to identify pollen subtypes in Miconia (Melastomataceae)

Miconia Ruiz et Pav. es un género característico de regiones selváticas que en Argentina está representado por 10 especies. El objetivo de este trabajo fue la identificación de posibles subtipos polínicos en las especies argentinas de este género señalado como estenopalínico por estudios previos. Se midieron 60 granos de polen de cada una de las especies al microscopio óptico y se realizó un análisis de componentes principales y un árbol de recorrido mínimo, basados en una matríz de especies y variables morfométricas de los granos. Fueron seleccionados dos componentes principales que en conjunto explicaron el 77% de la variación total de los datos. La mayoría de las variables se correlacionaron con el componente 1. Seis especies se definieron en tres subtipos, restando cuatro que no pudieron ser incluidas en ninguno de ellos por presentar caracteres intermedios. Se concluyó que el análisis multivariado constituye una posible herramienta para ayudar a diferenciar subtipos polínicos dentro de géneros estenopalínicos.Miconia Ruiz et Pav. inhabits forest regions being represented in Argentina by 10 species. The aim of this study was to identify possible pollen subtypes in the Argentine species of Miconia. Previous studies found that the genus is stenopalynous. Pollen grains of each species were measured with an optical microscope and a PCA was conducted based on a matrix of species versus morphometric variables of pollen grains. Two components were selected because these explained together 77% of the total variation in the data. Most of the variables were correlated with component 1. Three pollen subtypes were defined in the genus, but four of the species could not be included in any of them because they presented intermediated characters. It was concluded that multivariate analysis is a possible tool that helps to differentiate pollen subtypes within stenopalynous genera.Fil: Ceballos, Sergio Javier. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: García, Maria E.. Fundación Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Slanis, Alberto C.. Fundación Miguel Lillo; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e Instituto Miguel Lillo; ArgentinaFil: Reyes, Nora J. F.. Fundación Miguel Lillo; Argentin

Quality and Conservation of Riparian Forest in a Mountain Subtropical Basin of Argentina

The aims of this work were to describe the conservation status of riparian forests located in a mountain subtropical basin of Tucumán province, Argentina, and assess how the quality of riparian forests is related with altitude, plant species richness, proportion of exotic species, and Total Suspended Solids (TSS) in adjacent rivers. Composition and species richness of riparian forests were studied at 16 sites located along an altitudinal gradient and TSS was determined from water samples collected in each site. In order to evaluate conservation status of riparian forests, we calculated an index of Quality of Yungas Riparian Forests (QBRy). We recorded 90 plant species at all sites, from which 77% were native. QBRy index was mainly associated with altitude and varied from riparian forests with good preservation or slightly disturbed to those with extreme degradation. At lower altitude, forests were more disturbed, more invaded by exotic plant species, and closer to urban and cropped areas. QBRy was not correlated with species richness or TSS. Like other riparian forests of Argentina, plant species invasion increased their degradation; therefore, future studies should focus on native riparian forests conservation and on the management of invasive plant species, which affect their quality

Spatial, Temporal and Ecological Patterns of Peri-Urban Forest Transitions: An Example From Subtropical Argentina

Most studies on forest transition (FT) have focused on temporal patterns of forest cover across whole countries or regions, without much consideration of the local spatio-temporal heterogeneity or the species composition of new forests. We hypothesize that peri-urban forest transitions are driven by processes associated with urban-based economies and functioning, which define spatial characteristics of new forests. We analyzed the patterns of peri-urban forest expansion detected during the past three decades in the Lules watershed, a montane area of ca. 100,000 ha around San Miguel de Tucumán (SMT), an urban center of ca. one million inhabitants in the Andean foothills of subtropical Argentina. New forests (4,600 ha) were observed through the watershed, but they were more frequent at short distances (1–15 km) from the urban and second home residential areas. New forests nearby SMT are characterized by higher plant diversity largely due to a higher proportion of exotic species. In some cases, these exotic species dominated new forests diminishing stand-level biodiversity. Second-home residential areas, a byproduct of the urban centers in intermontane valleys, replicate the spatial patterns of exotic-dominated forest transition observed around SMT. We argue that peri-urban FT provides an early characterization of the future patterns of spontaneous forest transition with increased presence of globalized species which may locally increase species richness. We use the case study to discuss emerging research lines and to emphasize the importance of urban-centered land use policies (e.g., associated to urban-based uses such as recreation or watershed conservation) as key targets for promoting new forests more beneficial for future generations.Fil: Jiménez, Yohana Gisell. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Ceballos, Sergio Javier. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Aráoz, Ezequiel. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Blundo, Cecilia Mabel. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Carilla, Julieta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Malizia, Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Grau, Hector Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; Argentin

Ectopic expression of the AtCDF1 transcription factor in potato enhances tuber starch and amino acid contents and yield under open field conditions

Introduction Cycling Dof transcription factors (CDFs) have been involved in different aspects of plant growth and development. In Arabidopsis and tomato, one member of this family (CDF1) has recently been associated with the regulation of primary metabolism and abiotic stress responses, but their roles in crop production under open field conditions remain unknown. Methods In this study, we compared the growth, and tuber yield and composition of plants ectopically expressing the CDF1 gene from Arabidopsis under the control of the 35S promoter with wild-type (WT) potato plants cultured in growth chamber and open field conditions. Results In growth chambers, the 35S::AtCDF1 plants showed a greater tuber yield than the WT by increasing the biomass partition for tuber development. Under field conditions, the ectopic expression of CDF1 also promoted the sink strength of the tubers, since 35S::AtCDF1 plants exhibited significant increases in tuber size and weight resulting in higher tuber yield. A metabolomic analysis revealed that tubers of 35S::AtCDF1 plants cultured under open field conditions accumulated higher levels of glucose, starch and amino acids than WT tubers. A comparative proteomic analysis of tubers of 35S::AtCDF1 and WT plants cultured under open field conditions revealed that these changes can be accounted for changes in the expression of proteins involved in energy production and different aspects of C and N metabolism. Discussion The results from this study advance our collective understanding of the role of CDFs and are of great interest for the purposes of improving the yield and breeding of crop plants

Elevation and latitude drives structure and tree species composition in Andean forests: Results from a large-scale plot network

Our knowledge about the structure and function of Andean forests at regional scales remains limited. Current initiatives to study forests over continental or global scales still have important geographical gaps, particularly in regions such as the tropical and subtropical Andes. In this study, we assessed patterns of structure and tree species diversity along ~ 4000 km of latitude and ~ 4000 m of elevation range in Andean forests. We used the Andean Forest Network (Red de Bosques Andinos, https://redbosques.condesan.org/) database which, at present, includes 491 forest plots (totaling 156.3 ha, ranging from 0.01 to 6 ha) representing a total of 86,964 identified tree stems ≥ 10 cm diameter at breast height belonging to 2341 identified species, 584 genera and 133 botanical families. Tree stem density and basal area increases with elevation while species richness decreases. Stem density and species richness both decrease with latitude. Subtropical forests have distinct tree species composition compared to those in the tropical region. In addition, floristic similarity of subtropical plots is between 13 to 16% while similarity between tropical forest plots is between 3% to 9%. Overall, plots ~ 0.5-ha or larger may be preferred for describing patterns at regional scales in order to avoid plot size effects. We highlight the need to promote collaboration and capacity building among researchers in the Andean region (i.e., South-South cooperation) in order to generate and synthesize information at regional scale.Fil: Malizia, Agustina. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Blundo, Cecilia Mabel. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Carilla, Julieta. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Osinaga Acosta, Oriana. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Cuesta, Francisco. Universidad de Las Américas; Ecuador. Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina; EcuadorFil: Duque, Alvaro. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Sede Medellín; ColombiaFil: Aguirre, Nikolay. Universidad Nacional de Loja. Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales del Ambiente y la Biodiversidad; EcuadorFil: Aguirre, Zhofre. Universidad Nacional de Loja. Centro de Investigaciones Tropicales del Ambiente y la Biodiversidad; EcuadorFil: Ataroff, Michele. Universidad de Los Andes; VenezuelaFil: Baez, Selene. Escuela Politécnica Nacional; EcuadorFil: Calderón Loor, Marco. Universidad de Las Américas; Ecuador. Deakin University; AustraliaFil: Cayola, Leslie. Herbario Nacional de Bolivia; Bolivia. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Cayuela, Luis. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; EspañaFil: Ceballos, Sergio Javier. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Cedillo, Hugo. Universidad de Cuenca; EcuadorFil: Farfán Ríos, William. Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco. Herbario Vargas; PerúFil: Feeley, Kenneth J.. University of Miami; Estados UnidosFil: Fuentes, Alfredo Fernando. Herbario Nacional de Bolivia; Bolivia. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Gámez Álvarez, Luis E.. Universidad de Los Andes; VenezuelaFil: Grau, Hector Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Instituto de Ecología Regional; ArgentinaFil: Homeier, Juergen. Universität Göttingen; AlemaniaFil: Jadan, Oswaldo. Universidad de Cuenca; EcuadorFil: Llambi, Luis Daniel. Escuela Politécnica Nacional; EcuadorFil: Loza Rivera, María Isabel. University of Missouri; Estados Unidos. Herbario Nacional de Bolivia; Bolivia. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Macía, Manuel J.. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid; EspañaFil: Malhi, Yadvinder. University of Oxford; Reino UnidoFil: Malizia, Lucio Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Jujuy. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias; ArgentinaFil: Peralvo, Manuel. Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina; EcuadorFil: Pinto, Esteban. Consorcio para el Desarrollo Sostenible de la Ecorregión Andina; EcuadorFil: Tello, Sebastián. Missouri Botanical Garden; Estados UnidosFil: Silman, Miles. Center for Energy, Environment and Sustainability; Estados UnidosFil: Young, Kenneth R.. University of Texas at Austin; Estados Unido

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI