An annotated checklist of trees and relatives in tropical montane forests from southeast Peru: the importance of continue collecting

Los Andes están considerados como los puntos calientes más diversos de los trópicos, dentro de estos se encuentra el Parque Nacional del Manu, cuyas complejas condiciones climáticas y fisiográficas albergan una mega-diversidad y endemismo. En el presente trabajo se presenta una lista anotada de especies arbóreas y afines a lo largo de un gradiente de elevación desde los bosques submontanos a 800 m hasta la línea de bosque a 3625 m en la Reserva de Biosfera del Manu. En base a una red de 21 parcelas permanentes de una hectárea y exploraciones botánicas se sistematiza la información florística por rangos de elevación, distribución geográfica y endemismo. Estos resultados preliminares se traducen en 1108 especies de las cuales el 39.7% son morfoespecies, el 43% de las especies determinadas son registros nuevos para la región del Cusco, 15 especies son nuevos registros para la flora peruana, 40 especies son endémicas para Perú y 30 son potenciales especies nuevas para la ciencia. Adicionalmente, se resalta la expansión del rango altitudinal para el 45.2% de las especies determinadas (302 especies). Estos resultados son una muestra de la alta diversidad arbórea y afines en estos ecosistemas montañosos registrados en tan solo ~20 km de distancia geográfica, además muestra lo escasamente colectados y poco estudiados que se encuentran. Mas colecciones botánicas son necesarias - estos estudios básicos de florística son imperativos para un mejor entendimiento de la distribución de especies y la función del ecosistemas, además ayudará a responder una de las grandes preguntas en la ecología global moderna, ¿Cómo responderán los bosques tropicales al cambio climático global?The tropical Andes and adjacent Amazon are Earth’s highest biodiversity hotspot. Manu National Park in southeastern Peru encompasses an entire watershed, ranging from Andean highlands to Amazonian lowlands, and is a megadiverse landscape on the Andes to Amazon transition. Here we present an annotated checklist of trees and related species is along an elevation gradient in the Manu Biosphere Reserve that runs from sub-montane forests at 800 m elevation up to the tree line at 3625 m. Based on a network of 21 1-hectare permanent tree plots and botanical explorations, the floristic information is systematized by elevation ranges, geographical distribution and endemism. These preliminary results show 1108 species. Of these, 43% are new records for the region of Cusco, 15 species are new records for the Peruvian flora, 40 species are endemics for Peru, and 30 are potential new species for science. Another 39.7% are identified to genus or family level and remain morphospecies. Additionally, we show altitudinal range expansion for 45.2% of identified species (302 species). These results were found in a transect of plots spanning only 20 km of geographic distance, and are a sample of the high tree diversity in these mountainous ecosystems. The data show how poorly collected and understudied these ecosystems are. Basic floristic studies and collections are imperative for a better understanding of species distribution and function of ecosystems, and the basic biodiversity of the tropical Andes. They will also help to answer a major, unresolved question in modern global ecology of how tropical forests will respond to global climate change

Modelling the balance of care:Impact of an evidence-informed policy on a mental health ecosystem

Major efforts worldwide have been made to provide balanced Mental Health (MH) care. Any integrated MH ecosystem includes hospital and community-based care, highlighting the role of outpatient care in reducing relapses and readmissions. This study aimed (i) to identify potential expert-based causal relationships between inpatient and outpatient care variables, (ii) to assess them by using statistical procedures, and finally (iii) to assess the potential impact of a specific policy enhancing the MH care balance on real ecosystem performance. Causal relationships (Bayesian network) between inpatient and outpatient care variables were defined by expert knowledge and confirmed by using multivariate linear regression (generalized least squares). Based on the Bayesian network and regression results, a decision support system that combines data envelopment analysis, Monte Carlo simulation and fuzzy inference was used to assess the potential impact of the designed policy. As expected, there were strong statistical relationships between outpatient and inpatient care variables, which preliminarily confirmed their potential and a priori causal nature. The global impact of the proposed policy on the ecosystem was positive in terms of efficiency assessment, stability and entropy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that formalized expert-based causal relationships between inpatient and outpatient care variables. These relationships, structured by a Bayesian network, can be used for designing evidence-informed policies trying to balance MH care provision. By integrating causal models and statistical analysis, decision support systems are useful tools to support evidence-informed planning and decision making, as they allow us to predict the potential impact of specific policies on the ecosystem prior to its real application, reducing the risk and considering the population’s needs and scientific findings

Standard comparison of local mental health care systems in eight European countries

Sistema de Salut Mental; Comparació d'atenció a la salut mentalMental Health System; Mental health care comparisonSistema de Salud Mental; Comparación de atención a la salud mentalAims: There is a need of more quantitative standardised data to compare local Mental Health Systems (MHSs) across international jurisdictions. Problems related to terminological variability and commensurability in the evaluation of services hamper like-with-like comparisons and hinder the development of work in this area. This study was aimed to provide standard assessment and comparison of MHS in selected local areas in Europe, contributing to a better understanding of MHS and related allocation of resources at local level and to lessen the scarcity in standard service comparison in Europe. This study is part of the Seventh Framework programme REFINEMENT (Research on Financing Systems' Effect on the Quality of Mental Health Care in Europe) project. Methods: A total of eight study areas from European countries with different systems of care (Austria, England, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain) were analysed using a standard open-access classification system (Description and Evaluation of Services for Long Term Care in Europe, DESDE-LTC). All publicly funded services universally accessible to adults (≥18 years) with a psychiatric disorder were coded. Care availability, diversity and capacity were compared across these eight local MHS. Results: The comparison of MHS revealed more community-oriented delivery systems in the areas of England (Hampshire) and Southern European countries (Verona - Italy and Girona - Spain). Community-oriented systems with a higher proportion of hospital care were identified in Austria (Industrieviertel) and Scandinavian countries (Sør-Trøndelag in Norway and Helsinki-Uusimaa in Finland), while Loiret (France) was considered as a predominantly hospital-based system. The MHS in Suceava (Romania) was still in transition to community care. Conclusions: There is a significant variation in care availability and capacity across MHS of local areas in Europe. This information is relevant for understanding the process of implementation of community-oriented mental health care in local areas. Standard comparison of care provision in local areas is important for context analysis and policy planning.The REFINEMENT project has received funding from the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme (7FP) and lies within the Specific Programme ‘Cooperation’ – Theme ‘Health’: HEALTH.2010.3.2–1: Financing systems’ effect on quality of health care. Duration: 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013. 7FP. Project number: 261459

Termoterapia transpupilar en neovascularización subretiniana oculta secundaria a degeneración macular asociada a la edad. Primeros resultados

To determine the efficacy of transpupillary thermotherapy (TTT) to treat choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in patients with age-related macular degeneration (ARMD). Patients and Methods: Eight patients (ten eyes) with occult CNV were treated by TTT. A 810 nm diode laser was used to perform TTT. The diode laser was delivered through a panfunduscopic contact lens. Results: Three eyes showed a visual acuity improvement and a decrease in exudation on fluorescein angiography. Four eyes remained stable. Nevertheless, lesions worsened after treatment in three cases. One of these cases suffered an overtreatment. Conclusions: TTT may be a useful therapy in some cases of CNV in patients with age-related macular degeneration. Randomized and multicentric studies are necessary to stablish precise indications of this therap

Concerted Transport and Phosphorylation of Diacylglycerol at ER-PM Contacts Sites Regulates Phospholipid Dynamics During Stress

A universal response of plants to environmental stresses is the activation of plasma membrane (PM) phospholipase C (PLC) that hydrolyzes phosphatidylinositol phosphate (PIP) to produce soluble inositol phosphate (IP) and diacylglycerol (DAG). DAG produced in this way can be either phosphorylated by PM diacylglycerol kinases (DGKs) to produce the second messenger phosphatidic acid (PA) or transferred to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by the Synaptotagmin 1 (SYT1) protein at ER-PM Contact Sites (CS). In Arabidopsis, the clearance of DAG at the PM (avoiding deleterious accumulation) by the transfer activity of SYT is essential to maintain PM stability after stress. In this study we identify that DGK1 and DGK2 form a module with SYT1 at ER-PM CS through interaction of their C1 and C2 domains respectively. Global transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses confirms that SYT1 and DGK1/DGK2 are functionally related and lipidomic analysis supports the hypothesis that DGK1 and DGK2 function at the ER by phosphorylating DAG transferred by SYT1 from the PM. DGK1 and DGK2 show structural similarity to human DGKε, the DGK isoform that function at ER-PM CS in the phosphoinositide (PI) cycle. Our data indicate that components of the PI cycle are conserved between animals and plants and provide a novel mechanism leading to an increase in the efficiency of the PI cycle by channeling the transport and hydrolysis of DAG at the ER-PM CS