The relationship between plant density and survival to water stress in seedlings of a legume tree

Competition for soil water is one of the major processes that drive the assembly of plant communities, particularly in regions subjected to long dry seasons. The relationship between plant density and soil water competition has strong, but poorly understood, practical implications for population dynamics, restoration and conservation. We planted seedlings of the pioneer legume tree Senegalia polyphylla in containers and assessed the effects of plant density on their resistance to water stress. We completely eliminated the above-ground parts (stem and shoots) of randomly selected plants at 60-days post-planting in order to create three different densities of seedlings. We saturated the soil of the remaining seedlings and then deprived them of additional water until all seedlings died. We assessed the time elapsed from water suppression to wilting and death of individual plants. We found a strong negative relationship between plant density and time to wilting or death. Seedlings survived water stress 80% longer when density was reduced by two-thirds. Planting in lower densities or reducing density by thinning should be considered as strategies to enhance resistance to water stress in drought-prone regions.333602606CONSELHO NACIONAL DE DESENVOLVIMENTO CIENTÍFICO E TECNOLÓGICO - CNPQFUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO - FAPESP303179/2016-32014/05573-

Effect modification by temperature on the association between O3 and emergency ambulance dispatches in Japan: A multi-city study

Numerous epidemiological studies have reported that ozone (O₃) and temperature are independently associated with health outcomes, but modification of the effects of O₃ on health outcomes by temperature, and vice versa, has not been fully described. This study aimed to investigate effect modification by temperature on the association between O₃ and emergency ambulance dispatches (EADs) in Japan. Data on daily air pollutants, ambient temperature, and EADs were obtained from eight Japanese cities from 2007 to 2015. A distributed lag non-linear model combined with Poisson regression was performed with temperature as a confounding factor and effect modifier to estimate the effects of O₃ on EADs at low (75th percentile) temperature for each city. The estimates obtained from each city were pooled by random-effects meta-analysis. When temperature was entered as a confounder, the estimated effects of O₃ on EADs for all acute, cardiovascular, and respiratory illnesses were largest at lag 0 (current-day lag). Therefore, this lag was used to further estimate the effects of O₃ on EADs in each temperature category. The estimated effects of O₃ on EADs for all acute, cardiovascular, and respiratory illnesses in all eight Japanese cities increased with increasing temperature. Specifically, a 10 ppb increase in O₃ was associated with 0.80 % (95 % CI: 0.25 to 1.35), 0.19 % (95 % CI: -0.85 to 1.25), and 1.14 % (95 % CI: -0.01 to 2.31) increases in the risk of EADs for all acute, cardiovascular, and respiratory illnesses, respectively, when city-specific daily temperature exceeded the 75th percentile. Our findings suggest that the association between O₃ and EADs for all acute, cardiovascular, and respiratory illnesses is the highest during high temperature. Finding of this study can be used to develop potential mitigation measures against O₃ exposure in high temperature environment to reduce its associated adverse health effects

Elastin Variants in Two Angiographic PCV Subtypes

Objective To compare the association of elastin (ELN) gene variants between two different angiographic phenotypes of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV). Methods We included 411 treatment-naïve PCV patients and 350 controls in the present study. PCV was classified into two phenotypes (152 Type 1 and 259 Type 2) according to the presence or absence of feeding vessels found in indocyanine-green angiography. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the ELN region including rs868005, rs884843, rs2301995, rs13239907 and rs2856728 were genotyped using TaqMan Genotyping Assays. Results In the allelic association analyses, rs868005 showed the strongest association with Type 2 PCV (allelic odds ratio 1.56; p = 7.4x10-6), while no SNP was significantly associated with Type 1 PCV. Genotype association analyses revealed the significant association of rs868005 with Type 2 PCV in log additive model and predominant model (odds ratio 1.75; p = 1.5x10-6 and odds ratio 1.60; p = 0.0044, respectively), but not with Type 1 PCV. These findings were further corroborated by another control group in the literature. Conclusions There may be significantly different associations in genetic variants of elastin between two angiographic phenotypes of PCV

Health-related quality of life among women in rural Bangladesh after surgical repair of obstetric fistula

Objective To identify factors influencing health-related quality of life (QOL) among women in Bangladesh after successful surgical repair of obstetric fistula. Methods In 2012, a cross-sectional study was conducted of women who had undergone a successful surgical repair of an obstetric fistula at a hospital in northwest Bangladesh between June 2005 and May 2012. Sociodemographic, obstetric, and fistula-related information was collected by interview. Health-related QOL was assessed using the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36). Results A total of 113 women were included. Linear regression analysis showed that discrimination experiences negatively affected four of the eight scales of SF-36, as well as both the physical and mental component summaries (P < 0.05 for all). Married status had a positive effect on four scales and the mental component summary (P < 0.05 for all). Age inversely affected two scales and the physical component summary (P < 0.01 for all). Internalized stigma negatively influenced two scales (P < 0.05 for both). Not having living children and experiencing two or more previous stillbirths negatively influenced one scale (P < 0.05 for both). Conclusion Several factors influence health-related QOL after obstetric fistula repair; a comprehensive approach is needed to address these issues

CARACTERÍSTICAS FÍSICAS DAS ÁGUAS DOS RIOS PARAIBUNA E PARAITINGA; REGIÃO DO ALTO PARAÍBA-SP

Este trabalho apresenta os resultados de dois anos do monitoramento mensal das concentrações de sedimentos em suspensão, turbidez, cor aparente, oxigênio dissolvido e da temperatura das águas dos rios Paraibuna e Paraitinga, no Estado de São Paulo. Os valores médios encontrados para os dois rios foram, respectivamente - conyentração de sedimentos em suspensão: 13,0 mg.L- e 35,9 mgL1 ; turbidez: 20 FTU e 39 FTU; cor aparente: 95 UPC e 153 UPC; temperatura da água: l 7,2ºC e l 9,6ºC e oxigênio dissolvido: 9,3 mgL1 e 8,6 mg.L-1. Os maiores valores de sedimentos em suspensão, turbidez e cor na água do rio Paraitinga são indicadores de processos erosivos mais intensos nesta bacia hidrográfica. A diferença no uso e ocupação do solo é condição importante para estes resultados. A bacia hidrográfica do rio Paraitinga encontra-se ocupada majontariamente por pastagens desradadas, enquanto a bacia do rio Paraibuna esta melhor protegida por remanescentes de floresta natural. O clima mais quente, o maior tempo de residência da água na rede de canais da bacia e a ausência de matas ciliares contribuem para que as temperaturas da água sejam mais elevadas no rio Paraitinga. As maiores concentrações de oxigênio no rio Paraibuna são conseqüências das menores temperaturas da água e da maior capacidade de aeração, resultado de quedas d'água e corredeiras em grande quantidade ao longo do curso d'água