Mammalia, Chiroptera, Phyllostomidae, Phyllostomus hastatus and Pygoderma bilabiatum: first occurrence in the Brazilian coastal shrubland ecosystem

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ANALYZING SMALLHOLDERS AGRICULTURAL COMMERCIALIZATION IN BURKINA FASO. THE ROLE OF TRANSACTION COSTS AND HOUSEHOLDS ASSETS

Promoting smallholders’ agricultural commercialization is frequently identified as a promising strategy to improve agricultural contribution to poverty reduction and economic growth in developing countries. This paper analyses the determinants of agricultural commercialization of smallholder farmers in Burkina Faso, focusing on the role of transaction costs and households’ productive resources. Based on data collected in 2011 at national level from a sample of 1178 farm households, a double hurdle model of market participation and intensity of participation measured by crop commercialization index is estimated. The results indicate that households’ productive resources such as farm size per worker, use of animal traction, quantity of fertilizer used per hectare and access to credit significantly increase the likelihood of households’ market participation and the intensity of commercialization. In addition, transaction costs factors such as quality of rural roads and ownership of communication assets have positive and significant effects on the probability of market participation. Therefore, reducing remoteness-induced transaction costs by unlocking rural areas and improving farm households’ access to productive assets and technologies are required to promote agricultural transformation and commercialization of smallholder farmers

Epigenetic centromere specification directs aurora B accumulation but is insufficient to efficiently correct mitotic errors

Aurora B activity is inhibited when centromeric repeat sequences are absent, although kinetochores can still assemble

Expression of Constitutively Active CDK1 Stabilizes APC-Cdh1 Substrates and Potentiates Premature Spindle Assembly and Checkpoint Function in G1 Cells

Mitotic progression in eukaryotic cells depends upon the activation of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (CDK1), followed by its inactivation through the anaphase-promoting complex (APC)/cyclosome-mediated degradation of M-phase cyclins. Previous work revealed that expression of a constitutively active CDK1 (CDK1AF) in HeLa cells permitted their division, but yielded G1 daughter cells that underwent premature S-phase and early mitotic events. While CDK1AF was found to impede the sustained activity of APC-Cdh1, it was unknown if this defect improperly stabilized mitotic substrates and contributed to the occurrence of these premature M phases. Here, we show that CDK1AF expression in HeLa cells improperly stabilized APC-Cdh1 substrates in G1-phase daughter cells, including mitotic kinases and the APC adaptor, Cdc20. Division of CDK1AF-expressing cells produced G1 daughters with an accelerated S-phase onset, interrupted by the formation of premature bipolar spindles capable of spindle assembly checkpoint function. Further characterization of these phenotypes induced by CDK1AF expression revealed that this early spindle formation depended upon premature CDK1 and Aurora B activities, and their inhibition induced rapid spindle disassembly. Following its normal M-phase degradation, we found that the absence of Wee1 in these prematurely cycling daughter cells permitted the endogenous CDK1 to contribute to these premature mitotic events, since expression of a non-degradable Wee1 reduced the number of cells that exhibited premature cyclin B1oscillations. Lastly, we discovered that Cdh1-ablated cells could not be forced into a premature M phase, despite cyclin B1 overexpression and proteasome inhibition. Together, these results demonstrate that expression of constitutively active CDK1AF hampers the destruction of critical APC-Cdh1 targets, and that this type of condition could prevent newly divided cells from properly maintaining a prolonged interphase state. We propose that this more subtle type of defect in activity of the APC-driven negative-feedback loop may have implications for triggering genome instability and tumorigenesis

Rehabilitation versus surgical reconstruction for non-acute anterior cruciate ligament injury (ACL SNNAP): a pragmatic randomised controlled trial

BackgroundAnterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a common debilitating injury that can cause instability of the knee. We aimed to investigate the best management strategy between reconstructive surgery and non-surgical treatment for patients with a non-acute ACL injury and persistent symptoms of instability.MethodsWe did a pragmatic, multicentre, superiority, randomised controlled trial in 29 secondary care National Health Service orthopaedic units in the UK. Patients with symptomatic knee problems (instability) consistent with an ACL injury were eligible. We excluded patients with meniscal pathology with characteristics that indicate immediate surgery. Patients were randomly assigned (1:1) by computer to either surgery (reconstruction) or rehabilitation (physiotherapy but with subsequent reconstruction permitted if instability persisted after treatment), stratified by site and baseline Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score—4 domain version (KOOS4). This management design represented normal practice. The primary outcome was KOOS4 at 18 months after randomisation. The principal analyses were intention-to-treat based, with KOOS4 results analysed using linear regression. This trial is registered with ISRCTN, ISRCTN10110685, and ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02980367.FindingsBetween Feb 1, 2017, and April 12, 2020, we recruited 316 patients. 156 (49%) participants were randomly assigned to the surgical reconstruction group and 160 (51%) to the rehabilitation group. Mean KOOS4 at 18 months was 73·0 (SD 18·3) in the surgical group and 64·6 (21·6) in the rehabilitation group. The adjusted mean difference was 7·9 (95% CI 2·5–13·2; p=0·0053) in favour of surgical management. 65 (41%) of 160 patients allocated to rehabilitation underwent subsequent surgery according to protocol within 18 months. 43 (28%) of 156 patients allocated to surgery did not receive their allocated treatment. We found no differences between groups in the proportion of intervention-related complications.InterpretationSurgical reconstruction as a management strategy for patients with non-acute ACL injury with persistent symptoms of instability was clinically superior and more cost-effective in comparison with rehabilitation management

Barbarians at the British Museum: Anglo-Saxon Art, Race and Religion

A critical historiographical overview of art historical approaches to early medieval material culture, with a focus on the British Museum collections and their connections to religion

Roost use by bats in Espírito Santo, Brazil: comparison of a protected area, a rural landscape, and an urban landscape

Bats use a wide array of roosts that have several important roles for bats. The present study was conducted in three areas in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil: a protected area, a rural landscape, and an urban landscape. In each area we actively searched for roosts, and when one was found we set mist-nets (from one to four, depending on roost size) close to the roost entrance. These mist-nets stayed open from three to six hours after sunset. We observed bats using several types of roosts: hollow trees, foliage, caves, rock crevices, buildings, abandoned houses, bridges, and rain pipes. We found a total of 12 roosts, four in each sampled area. To our knowledge we present the first record of Lonchorhina aurita using man-made roosts. Roosts are of paramount importance to the persistence of bat populations. Therefore, bat roost ecology will play a vital role in managing and conserving bat species.KEY WORDSRoost ecology, urban landscape, rural landscape, Atlantic Forest, Chiroptera.Los murciélagos utilizan una variedad de refugios, con funciones diferentes e importantes en la ecología del grupo. El conocimiento de estos refugios es importante en su gestión y conservación. Este estudio se realizó en tres localidades de Espíritu Santo, sudeste de Brasil: (1) Colina de Vargas (una zona protegida), (2) un paisaje rural, y (3) un paisaje urbano. En estas tres áreas se llevó a cabo la búsqueda activa de refugiospara instalar entre una y cuatro redes de niebla (dependiendo del tamaño del refugio) cerca de la entrada principal del refugio. Las redes se mantuvieron activas 3-6 horas después del atardecer. Se encontró un total de 12 refugios, cuatro en cada área, incluyendo: huecos de árboles, follaje, cuevas, grietas de las rocas, edificios, casas abandonadas, puentes y tuberías de aguas pluviales. Este es el primer registro de refugio natural de Lonchorhina aurita.PALABRAS CLAVEEcología de refugios, paisaje urbano, paisaje rural, Atlántico, Chiroptera