Investigations concerning the sustainable land use by forest plantations Final report

In the operational region of the present SHIFT-project (Para, Northern Maranhao), plantation forestry concentrates on the production of pulp, paper, and charcoal using fast growing tree species of exotic origin. The SHIFT project 'Sustainable land use by forest plantations' has focussed its research activity on one aspect of soil fertility, and that is the supply of nutrients. Though other problems like soil compaction, water supply or erosion can become severely limiting under certain site conditions, this focus can be justified: - Many soils in the humid tropics are ill supplied with nutrients and lack retention capacity. - Plantation forestry with fast growing species represents a relatively intensive cropping system. At the end of each rotation, large quantities of nutrients are exported from the site together with the wood and bark of the harvested stems (export loss). Harvesting and the site preparation for the next rotation include a number of processes which inflict further nutrient loss (conversion loss), like the burning of the residual biomass (leaves, branches, litter), decay of soil humus and the dead root biomass in the soil. - This drain of nutrients is threatening the sustainability of plantation forestry in subsequent rotations. With rotations of 100 years duration, nutrient losses were ignored or not even contemplated. The transfer of this - unjustified - attitude to the fast growing plantations in the tropics (5 to 20 rotations per 100 years) with their greater wood production and their much greater frequency of disturbance phases between rotations, has certainly to be considered as one of the many uncontemplated concept transfers which occurred during the history of European ventures into the tropics. (orig./HK)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: F96B1662+a / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekBundesministerium fuer Bildung, Wissenschaft, Forschung und Technologie, Bonn (Germany); Instituto Brasileiro de Meio Ambiente e Recoursos Naturais Renovavais (IBAMA) (Brazil)DEGerman

Human Papillomavirus-type distribution in anogenital lesions of prepubertal children

Background In contrast to adults, only limited data are available on the human papillomavirus (HPV)-type spectrum in anogenital warts (AGW) of children. Objective This study aimed to evaluate the HPV-type spectrum in AGW of prepubertal children. Materials & methods In a retrospective German multicentre study, HPV genotyping was performed in AGW biopsies of 55 1- to 12-year-old children using HPV group-specific PCRs followed by hybridization with type-specific probes or sequence analysis. Results Human papillomavirus-DNA was found in 53 of the 55 AGW. In 58.5% (31/53) of the HPV-positive AGW, mucosal HPV types were detected. HPV6 (27/53, 50.9%) was the predominant type. 43.4% (23/53) of the lesions were induced by cutaneous HPV types (HPV2, HPV27, HPV57). Mucosal HPV types were significantly more common in children under 5 years of age than in children 5 years of age and older (22/25, 88.0% [95% CI: 70.0-95.8] vs. 9/28, 32.1% [95% CI: 17.9-50.7], P < 0.001). In contrast, cutaneous HPV types were significantly more prevalent in the 5- to 12-year age group (4/25, 16.0% [95% CI 6.4-34.7] vs. 19/28, 67.9% [95% CI 49.3-82.1], P < 0.001). Conclusion Anogenital warts in 5- to 12-year-old children are frequently associated with cutaneous HPV types, possibly due to horizontal transmission. HPV typing, in addition to comprehensive clinical and psychosocial evaluation, can potentially help in the assessment of these cases

A common haplotype of the IL-31 gene influencing gene expression is associated with nonatopic eczema

BACKGROUND: IL-31 is a novel cytokine that, when overexpressed in transgenic mice, induces severe itching dermatitis resembling human eczema. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the importance of polymorphisms in the human IL-31 gene (IL31) in the genetic susceptibility to eczema. METHODS: We sequenced the entire IL-31 gene, including the promoter region, and determined the haplotype structure. Single nucleotide polymorphisms tagging the main haplotypes were genotyped in 3 independent European populations comprising 690 affected families. An association analysis of IL31 gene variants with atopic and nonatopic eczema was performed. RESULTS: We found significant association of a common IL31 haplotype with the nonatopic type of eczema in all 3 study populations (combined P = 4.5 x 10(-5)). Analysis of PBMCs in healthy individuals revealed a strong induction IL31 mRNA expression on stimulation with anti-CD3 and anti-CD28 that was 3.8-fold higher in individuals homozygous for the risk haplotype (AA) in contrast to non-A haplotype carriers, suggesting that altered regulation of IL-31 gene expression is the disease-causing factor. CONCLUSION: Our results lend strong support to an important role of IL-31 in the pathogenesis of nonatopic eczema. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: This study presents the first genetic risk factor for the nonatopic type of eczema and indicates a primary role of IL-31-induced pruritus in the initiation of this disease, thus proposing a new target for the prevention and therapy of eczema

Consensus Conference on Clinical Management of pediatric Atopic Dermatitis

The Italian Consensus Conference on clinical management of atopic dermatitis in children reflects the best and most recent scientific evidence, with the aim to provide specialists with a useful tool for managing this common, but complex clinical condition. Thanks to the contribution of experts in the field and members of the Italian Society of Pediatric Allergology and Immunology (SIAIP) and the Italian Society of Pediatric Dermatology (SIDerP), this Consensus statement integrates the basic principles of the most recent guidelines for the management of atopic dermatitis to facilitate a practical approach to the disease. The therapeutical approach should be adapted to the clinical severity and requires a tailored strategy to ensure good compliance by children and their parents. In this Consensus, levels and models of intervention are also enriched by the Italian experience to facilitate a practical approach to the disease