Spatialization of soil quality index in the Sub-Basin of Posses, Extrema, Minas Gerais

This study aimed to determine and spatialize the soil quality index (SQI), in relation to chemical and physical attributes, and evaluate its use in the payment for environmental services in the Sub-Basin of Posses, Extrema-MG, Brazil, which represents the Atlantic Forest Biome. SQI values were influenced by both the replacement of native forests by stands of eucalyptus and by pastures and annual crops, reflecting in the reduction of soil quality in the sampled layer in the evaluated systems. The spatialization of SQI showed values ranging from 0.40 to 0.80, with some specific areas with high values and others with values above 1.00 (native forest). The reforestation with eucalyptus conditioned most of the soils with low chemical and physical deterioration, due to accumulation of litter. The lowest SQI values are associated with pastures. SQI adjusted to the exponential model, which allowed the use of ordinary Kriging. The SQI has a great potential of use in the payment to farmers who provide services of soil and water conservation

Associação Entre Doenças Metabólicas e Parâmetros Hemodinâmicos de Filhos Obesos e Suas Mães

Modelo do estudo: Estudo originalObjetivo: Verificar possíveis associações entre o perfil hemodinâmico e metabólico de crianças e adolescentes obesos e suas mães. Metodologia: Realizou-se um estudo transversal com 69 crianças e adolescentes obesos, de ambos os sexos, com faixa etária compreendida entre seis e 15 (10,6 ± 3,04) anos. Por meio de avaliações específicas foram analisadas as variáveis de composição corporal (massa corporal magra, massa de gordura em quilos e percentual), hemodinâmicas (pressão arterial sistólica e diastólica) e bioquímicas (glicemia, colesterol total e suas frações) dos filhos. Entre as mães foi realizado uma avaliação de composição corporal por meio de antropometria e impedância bioelétrica, aferição de pressão arterial e aplicação de questionário auto referido de doenças. Para o tratamento estatístico foram realizados análise descritiva, teste t de Student independente e análise de associação entre alterações maternas com seus respectivos filhos por meio de teste de Mc Nemar, adotando-se pd” 0,05. Todo o tratamento estatístico foi realizado por meio do software SPSS, 17.0. Resultados: Ser filho de mães diabéticas ou hipertensas associa-se com a presença de alterações nas variáveis de glicemia, pressão arterial sistólica ou diastólica. Quando a mãe apresenta mais de uma variável de risco cardiovascular a sua prole também possui alguma alteração metabólica ou em variáveis dos parâmetros hemodinâmicos (PA). Conclusão: No presente estudo observaram-se associações entre variáveis metabólicas e parâmetros hemodinâmicos entre crianças e adolescentes obesos com suas respectivas mães.Study Model: Original StudyObjective: To analyze possible associations between hemodynamic and metabolic profile of obese children and adolescents and their mothers. Methods: The study had longitudinal design with 69 children and adolescents, aged between six and 15 (10,6 ± 3,04) years old. Specific assessments to body composition (fat free mass, fat mass and percentage fat), blood pressure (blood pressure systolic and diastolic) and biochemical analysis of blood plasma (glucose, total cholesterol and its fractions) of children were analyzed. Among the mothers was carried out an assessment of body composition by anthropometry and bioelectrical impedance, blood pressure and application of inquiry self-report diseases. To treatment statistic were applied descriptive analyze, independent Student‘s test and test for association between maternal disorders with their children by Mc Nemar test, adopting pd” 0,05. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS software version 17.0 (Statistical Package for Social Science, SPSS Inc,Illinois, USA). Results: Diabetic or hypertensive mothers contribute to the presence or absence of disorders in glucose, blood pressure systolic or diastolic in their children, as well as, when mothers has more than one cardiovascular risk variable their children had some disorder metabolic or hemodynamic too. Conclusion: The present study notes association between metabolic and hemodynamic variables of children and adolescents with their mothers

Imaging genetics paradigms in depression research: Systematic review and meta-analysis

Imaging genetics studies involving participants with major depressive disorder (MDD) have expanded. Nevertheless, findings have been inconsistent. Thus, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of imaging genetics studies that enrolled MDD participants across major databases through June 30th, 2017. Sixty-five studies met eligibility criteria (N = 4034 MDD participants and 3293 controls), and there was substantial between-study variability in the methodological quality of included studies. However, few replicated findings emerged from this literature with only 22 studies providing data for meta-analyses (882 participants with MDD and 616 controls). Total hippocampal volumes did not significantly vary in MDD participants or controls carrying either the BDNF Val66Met ‘Met’ (386 participants with MDD and 376 controls) or the 5-HTTLPR short ‘S’ (310 participants with MDD and 230 controls) risk alleles compared to non-carriers. Heterogeneity across studies was explored through meta-regression and subgroup analyses. Gender distribution, the use of medications, segmentation methods used to measure the hippocampus, and age emerged as potential sources of heterogeneity across studies that assessed the association of 5-HTTLPR short ‘S’ alleles and hippocampal volumes. Our data also suggest that the methodological quality of included studies, publication year, and the inclusion of brain volume as a covariate contributed to the heterogeneity of studies that assessed the association of the BDNF Val66Met ‘Met’ risk allele and hippocampal volumes. In exploratory voxel-wise meta-analyses, MDD participants carrying the 5-HTTLPR short ‘S’ allele had white matter microstructural abnormalities predominantly in the corpus callosum, while carriers of the BDNF Val66Met ‘Met’ allele had larger gray matter volumes and hyperactivation of the right middle frontal gyrus compared to non-carriers. In conclusion, few replicated findings emerged from imaging genetics studies that included participants with MDD. Nevertheless, we explored and identified specific sources of heterogeneity across studies, which could provide insights to enhance the reproducibility of this emerging field

Emerging Role of HMGB1 in the Pathogenesis of Schistosomiasis Liver Fibrosis

In chronic schistosomiasis, liver fibrosis is linked to portal hypertension, which is a condition associated with high mortality and morbidity. High mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) was originally described as a nuclear protein that functions as a structural co-factor in transcriptional regulation. However, HMGB1 can also be secreted into the extracellular milieu under appropriate signal stimulation. Extracellular HMGB1 acts as a multifunctional cytokine that contributes to infection, injury, inflammation, and immune responses by binding to specific cell-surface receptors. HMGB1 is involved in fibrotic diseases. From a clinical perspective, HMGB1 inhibition may represent a promising therapeutic approach for treating tissue fibrosis. In this study, we demonstrate elevated levels of HMGB1 in the sera in experimental mice or in patients with schistosomiasis. Using immunohistochemistry, we demonstrated that HMGB1 trafficking in the hepatocytes of mice suffering from acute schistosomiasis was inhibited by Glycyrrhizin, a well-known HMGB1 direct inhibitor, as well as by DIC, a novel and potential anti-HMGB1 compound. HMGB1 inhibition led to significant downregulation of IL-6, IL4, IL-5, IL-13, IL-17A, which are involved in the exacerbation of the immune response and liver fibrogenesis. Importantly, infected mice that were treated with DIC or GZR to inhibit HMGB1 pro-inflammatory activity showed a significant increase in survival and a reduction of over 50% in the area of liver fibrosis. Taken together, our findings indicate that HMGB1 is a key mediator of schistosomotic granuloma formation and liver fibrosis and may represent an outstanding target for the treatment of schistosomiasis

Seed storage conditions change the germination pattern of clonal growth plants in Mediterranean salt marshes.

8 páginas, 4 tablas, 8 figuras.The effect of salinity level and extended exposure to different salinity and flooding conditions on germination patterns of three saltmarsh clonal growth plants (Juncus subulatus, Scirpus litoralis, and S. maritimus) was studied. Seed exposure to extended flooding and saline conditions significantly affected the outcome of the germination process in a different, though predictable, way for each species, after favorable conditions for germination were restored. Tolerance of the germination process was related to the average salinity level measured during the growth/germination season at sites where established individuals of each species dominated the species cover. No relationship was found between salinity tolerance of the germination process and seed response to extended exposure to flooding and salinity conditions. The salinity response was significantly related to the conditions prevailing in the habitats of the respective species during the unfavorable (nongrowth/nongermination) season. Our results indicate that changes in salinity and hydrology while seeds are dormant affect the outcome of the seed-bank response, even when conditions at germination are identical. Because these environmental-history-dependent responses differentially affect seed germination, seedling density, and probably sexual recruitment in the studied and related species, these influences should be considered for wetland restoration and managementFinancial support from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment (MMA, project 05/99) and the Junta de Andalucía (research group 4086)enabled us to carry out the present work.Peer reviewe

Seed storage conditions change the germination pattern of clonal growth plants in Mediterranean salt marshes.

8 páginas, 4 tablas, 8 figuras.The effect of salinity level and extended exposure to different salinity and flooding conditions on germination patterns of three saltmarsh clonal growth plants (Juncus subulatus, Scirpus litoralis, and S. maritimus) was studied. Seed exposure to extended flooding and saline conditions significantly affected the outcome of the germination process in a different, though predictable, way for each species, after favorable conditions for germination were restored. Tolerance of the germination process was related to the average salinity level measured during the growth/germination season at sites where established individuals of each species dominated the species cover. No relationship was found between salinity tolerance of the germination process and seed response to extended exposure to flooding and salinity conditions. The salinity response was significantly related to the conditions prevailing in the habitats of the respective species during the unfavorable (nongrowth/nongermination) season. Our results indicate that changes in salinity and hydrology while seeds are dormant affect the outcome of the seed-bank response, even when conditions at germination are identical. Because these environmental-history-dependent responses differentially affect seed germination, seedling density, and probably sexual recruitment in the studied and related species, these influences should be considered for wetland restoration and managementFinancial support from the Spanish Ministry of the Environment (MMA, project 05/99) and the Junta de Andalucía (research group 4086)enabled us to carry out the present work.Peer reviewe

A list of land plants of Parque Nacional do Caparaó, Brazil, highlights the presence of sampling gaps within this protected area

Brazilian protected areas are essential for plant conservation in the Atlantic Forest domain, one of the 36 global biodiversity hotspots. A major challenge for improving conservation actions is to know the plant richness, protected by these areas. Online databases offer an accessible way to build plant species lists and to provide relevant information about biodiversity. A list of land plants of “Parque Nacional do Caparaó” (PNC) was previously built using online databases and published on the website "Catálogo de Plantas das Unidades de Conservação do Brasil." Here, we provide and discuss additional information about plant species richness, endemism and conservation in the PNC that could not be included in the List. We documented 1,791 species of land plants as occurring in PNC, of which 63 are cited as threatened (CR, EN or VU) by the Brazilian National Red List, seven as data deficient (DD) and five as priorities for conservation. Fifity-one species were possible new ocurrences for ES and MG states

Progression From Paroxysmal to Persistent Atrial Fibrillation. Clinical Correlates and Prognosis

Objectives: We investigated clinical correlates of atrial fibrillation (AF) progression and evaluated the prognosis of patients demonstrating AF progression in a large population. Background: Progression of paroxysmal AF to more sustained forms is frequently seen. However, not all patients will progress to persistent AF. Methods: We included 1,219 patients with paroxysmal AF who participated in the Euro Heart Survey on AF and had a known rhythm status at follow-up. Patients who experienced AF progression after 1 year of follow-up were identified. Results: Progression of AF occurred in 178 (15%) patients. Multivariate analysis showed that heart failure, age, previous transient ischemic attack or stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and hypertension were the only independent predictors of AF progression. Using the regression coefficient as a benchmark, we calculated the HATCH score. Nearly 50% of the patients with a HATCH score >5 progressed to persistent AF compared with only 6% of the patients with a HATCH score of 0. During follow-up, patients with AF progression were more often admitted to the hospital and had more major adverse cardiovascular events. Conclusions: A substantial number of patients progress to sustained AF within 1 year. The clinical outcome of these patients regarding hospital admissions and major adverse cardiovascular events was worse compared with patients demonstrating no AF progression. Factors known to cause atrial structural remodeling (age and underlying heart disease) were independent predictors of AF progression. The HATCH score may help to identify patients who are likely to progress to sustained forms of AF in the near future. \ua9 2010 American College of Cardiology Foundation