Global patterns of vascular plant alpha diversity

Global patterns of regional (gamma) plant diversity are relatively well known, but whether these patterns hold for local communities, and the dependence on spatial grain, remain controversial. Using data on 170,272 georeferenced local plant assemblages, we created global maps of alpha diversity (local species richness) for vascular plants at three different spatial grains, for forests and non-forests. We show that alpha diversity is consistently high across grains in some regions (for example, Andean-Amazonian foothills), but regional 'scaling anomalies' (deviations from the positive correlation) exist elsewhere, particularly in Eurasian temperate forests with disproportionally higher fine-grained richness and many African tropical forests with disproportionally higher coarse-grained richness. The influence of different climatic, topographic and biogeographical variables on alpha diversity also varies across grains. Our multi-grain maps return a nuanced understanding of vascular plant biodiversity patterns that complements classic maps of biodiversity hotspots and will improve predictions of global change effects on biodiversity

Association of a functional FAAH polymorphism with methamphetamine-induced symptoms and dependence in a Malaysian population

Aim: FAAH is a membrane enzyme that terminates the activity of a large class of endogenous signaling lipids. Recent studies suggest that the FAAH Pro129Thr polymorphism is a common mutation in the FAAH gene that is significantly associated with drug-addictive traits. This study investigated the association of the Pro129Thr polymorphism of the FAAH gene with methamphetamine dependence, methamphetamine-induced psychosis, manic episodes and panic disorder in a Malaysian population. Materials & methods: This polymorphism was genotyped in 232 male methamphetamine-dependent subjects and in 241 male controls of four different ethnicities: Malay, Chinese, Kadazan-Dusun and Bajau. Intergroup statistical analyses were performed by using the chi(2)-square test and Fisher's exact test, where necessary. In cases of multiple comparisons, the Bonferroni correction was performed. Results: Our results indicated that the FAAH Pro129Thr polymorphism showed a significant association with risk of methamphetamine dependence in the pooled subjects (odds ratio OR: 2.017; p < 0.001) and in the Malay (OR: 2.829; p < 0.001) and Chinese (OR: 3.685; p < 0.001) groups. We also found an association of this polymorphism with episodes of methamphetamine-induced mania in the Malay group (OR: 2.836; p = 0.035). However, there was no association between this polymorphism and age of onset of drug use or the occurrence of methamphetamine-induced psychosis or of panic disorder. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the FAAH Pro129Thr polymorphism may contribute to methamphetamine dependence in the Malay and Chinese ethnic groups

Association of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Val66Met) genetic polymorphism with methamphetamine dependence in a Malaysian population

Methamphetamine is a highly addictive psychostimulant that has surged in popularity worldwide in the last decade. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a member of the neurotrophic factor family, is widely expressed in the adult mammalian brain and plays an important role in the long-term survival, differentiation, and outgrowth of neurons. Previous studies suggested that the BDNF gene may be involved in the mechanisms underlying substance dependence. This study investigated the association of the BDNF gene Val66Met polymorphism with methamphetamine dependence and with psychosis in a Malaysian population with different ethnicities. The BDNF Val66Met polymorphism was genotyped by PCR-RFLP in 186 male methamphetamine-dependent subjects and in 154 male controls of four different ethnicities, namely, Malay, Chinese, Kadazan-Dusun, and Bajau. Our results showed that the distribution of the BDNF Val66Met genotype in Chinese subjects with methamphetamine dependence (OR = 2.6, p = 0.015) and methamphetamine psychosis (OR = 0.2, p = 0.034) were significant compared with controls. The frequency of the 66Val allele in methamphetamine-dependent subjects was higher than that in the control group, suggesting that the 66Val carriers are more susceptible to methamphetamine dependence. However, 66Val allele frequency in other ethnicities was not significantly different from the controls. The results of the study also showed that in the Chinese methamphetamine-dependent subjects, there was a difference in allele frequency when comparing those who developed psychosis and those who did not. Our findings suggest that the BDNF Val66Met polymorphism may contribute to methamphetamine dependence and psychosis in the Chinese population but not in other Malaysian ethnicities. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Phytosociological survey of the desert vegetation of Sinai, Egypt

Aims: Although Sinai is a global hotspot for desert vegetation, there is no well-documented overview of the Sinai vegetation. We aim to provide a phytosociological overview of Sinai desert vegetation based on an extensive database and formal classification. We further aim to describe the vegetation communities and provide information on their distribution. Location: Sinai, Egypt. Methods: We built a comprehensive database utilizing all available vegetation plot data of the study area from published literature and our field surveys. We determined the database clustering tendency (Hopkins’ test analysis) and estimated its optimal number of clusters (Elbow method). We performed a cluster analysis (modified TWINSPAN) and improved the validity of the resulting groups by approximating natural clustering using the Silhouette algorithm. We visualized the results by calculating Non-metric Multidimensional Scaling and drawing distribution maps for the observed vegetation communities. Results: We distinguished nine classes representing Sinai desert vegetation: Salicornietea fruticosae, Retametea raetam, Haloxylonetea salicornici, Retamo-Tamaricetea fluviatilis, Acacietea tortilis, Artemisietea herbae-albae, Anabasietea articulatae, Chiliadenetea iphionoidis, and Stellarietea mediae. We distinguished 25 vegetation groups, of which seven are new findings, representing four main vegetation groups: salt desert, lowland desert, mountain desert, and ruderal desert. We observed a high diversity in life forms, chorotypes, and alpha-diversity of the vegetation among the main groups. Therophytes, chamaephytes, hemicryptophytes, and phanerophytes are the dominant life forms. Prevailing chorotypes are Saharo-Arabian, Mediterranean, Mediterranean-Irano-Turanian and Irano-Turanian-Saharo-Arabian. The salt desert and lowland desert vegetation are species-poor, whereas the mountain desert vegetation is relatively species-rich. The ruderal desert vegetation is the most species-rich. Conclusion: We present a common classification of Sinai desert vegetation based on cutting-edge methods and provide an updated description of the desert vegetation groups of Sinai. Our study forms an important basis for decision-making in nature conservation, global change issues, and further in-depth studies on Sinai vegetation

VegEgypt ecoinformatics : contribution to Sinai flora and vegetation

This study is aimed at collection of all available phytosociological data on vegetation of Sinai Peninsula, a region that is still poorly explored. An overview of the plant communities of Sinai is compiled based on additional field work and inventories. The database for Sinai vegetation will serve as a nucleus for the National Vegetation Databank of Egypt—‘VegEgypt’. Aspects like species richness, species turnover, conservation categories, and endemism were given special attention. The database was set up and analysed using the Turboveg and Juice programs. A matrix of 816 relevés and 496 species belonging to 69 families and 281 genera formed the basis for further analysis. Asteraceae, Poaceae and Fabaceae were the most represented families. The lists contain 52 threatened, 16 endemic and 20 sub-endemic species. The percentage of endemic species is highest in insular floras, peninsulas and mountain chains. The vegetation analysis resulted in 21 associations. The plant associations on sand habitats have the lowest species richness and species turnover because of water scarcity. On the other hand, plant communities or associations inhabiting rocky habitats have the highest species richness and species turnover

Association of ADRA2A and MTHFR gene polymorphisms with weight loss following antipsychotic switching to aripiprazole or ziprasidone

ObjectivesVarious genetic polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with antipsychotic-induced weight gain. In this study, we aimed to determine whether risk polymorphisms in 12 candidate genes are associated with reduction in body mass index (BMI) of patients following switching of antipsychotics to aripiprazole or ziprasidone. MethodsWe recruited 115 schizophrenia patients with metabolic abnormalities and who have been on at least 1year treatment with other antipsychotics; they were then switched to either aripiprazole or ziprasidone. They were genotyped, and their BMI monitored for 6months. ResultsSignificant associations with reduction in BMI at 6months following switching were found in two of these genes: with rs1800544 of the ADRA2A gene (CC+CG -0.321.41kg/m(2) vs GG -1.04 +/- 1.63kg/m(2), p=0.013) and with rs1801131 of the MTHFR gene (AA -0.36 +/- 1.53 vs AC+CC -1.07 +/- 1.53, p=0.015). ConclusionThe study data indicated that carriage of the ADRA2A rs1800544 GG genotype and the MTHFR rs1801131 C allele are associated with BMI reduction in this population following switching of antipsychotics to aripiprazole and ziprasidone. Copyright (c) 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Structured carbon foam derived from waste biomass:application to endocrine disruptor adsorption

Abstract In this paper, a novel structured carbon foam has been prepared from argan nut shell (ANS) was developed and applied in bisphenol A (BPA) removal from water. The results showed that the prepared carbon foam remove 93% of BPA (60 mg/L). The BPA equilibrium data obeyed the Liu isotherm, displaying a maximum uptake capacity of 323.0 mg/g at 20 °C. The calculated free enthalpy change (∆H° = − 4.8 kJ/mol) indicated the existence of physical adsorption between BPA and carbon foam. Avrami kinetic model was able to explain the experimental results. From the regeneration tests, we conclude that the prepared carbon foam has a good potential to be used as an economic and efficient adsorbent for BPA removal from contaminated water. Based on these results and the fact that the developed structured carbon foam is very easy to separate from treated water, it can serve as an interesting material for real water treatment applications

Ceramic hydroxyapatite foam as a new material for Bisphenol A removal from contaminated water

Abstract Ceramic hydroxyapatite foam (CF-HAP) was prepared by combining slip-casting and foaming methods. The prepared CF-HAP was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), physisorption of N2, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results of the specific surface area and SEM analyses revealed that the used shaping method provides CF-HAP with a wide range of porosity including macro and mesopores. Based on FTIR and XRD analyses, the CF-HAP is similar to pure well-crystallized hydroxyapatite. The adsorption results revealed that 94% of the BPA with a concentration of (40 mg/L) was effectively removed from the water and that the maximum adsorption capacity was higher in acidic than in basic medium. The thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption reaction was spontaneous and endothermic in nature. The adsorption capacity increased with the temperature and the BPA is chemisorbed on the ceramic foam. The isotherm data fitted slightly better with the Liu than with the Freundlich and Langmuir models suggesting that the adsorption was homogeneous and occurred only in the monolayer. The adsorption process depends largely on the BPA concentration and the results fitted well with the pseudo-first-order model. This confirms that the interaction between the BPA and the CF-HAP was mainly chemical in nature. The FTIR analysis of the used and fresh CF-HAP showed that all the hydroxyl and phosphorus bands characteristic of the hydroxyapatite shifted after adsorption of Bisphenol A. This suggests that the adsorption of Bisphenol A occurred in the sites of the hydroxyapatite. Therefore, it can be concluded that the CF-HAP has the potential to be used as an adsorbent for wastewater treatment and purification processes

Porous foams based hydroxyapatite prepared by direct foaming method using egg white as a pore promoter

Abstract Stoichiometric hydroxyapatite (Ca₁₀(PO)₆(OH)₂, HAP) foams have been produced. The porous parts were prepared from a calcined HAP powder and egg white as a bio and non-toxic pore promoter. The colloidal slurry was prepared, poured into cylindrical molds, dried, unmolded, and sintered at 1200 °C. The effects of the concentration of the solid loading, of the dispersing agent, and the foaming agent on the ceramic preparation were examined. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) were used to evaluate the composition and the structure of the sintered HAP ceramics. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used for microstructural analysis. The XRD analysis of the porous parts, prepared under optimized conditions, showed the presence of crystallized HAP (JCPDS 9-432) as a single phase. SEM images showed existence of open and interconnected micro and macropores in the ceramics. The use of the egg white protein as pore former provides a total porosity of 86 vol% and a foam-structure that allows to a microporous wall