A genetic algorithm for resizing and sampling reduction of non-stationary soil chemical attributes optimizing spatial prediction

Aim of study: To evaluate the influence of the parameters of the geostatistical model and the initial sample configuration used in the optimization process; and to propose and evaluate the resizing of a sample configuration, reducing its sample size, for simulated data and for the study of the spatial variability of soil chemical attributes under a non-stationary with drift process from a commercial soybean cultivation area.Area of study: Cascavel, BrazilMaterial and methods: For both, the simulated data and the soil chemical attributes, the Genetic Algorithm was used for sample resizing, maximizing the overall accuracy measure.Main results: The results obtained from the simulated data showed that the practical range did not influence in a relevant way the optimization process. Moreover, the local variations, such as variance or sampling errors (nugget effect), had a direct relationship with the reduction of the sample size, mainly for the smaller nugget effect. For the soil chemical attributes, the Genetic Algorithm was efficient in resizing the sampling configuration, since it generated sampling configurations with 30 to 35 points, corresponding to 29.41% to 34.31% of the initial configuration, respectively. In addition, comparing the optimized and initial configurations, similarities were obtained regarding spatial dependence structure and characterization of spatial variability of soil chemical attributes in the study area.Research highlights: The optimization process showed that it is possible to reduce the sample size, allowing for lesser financial investments with data collection and laboratory analysis of soil samples in future experiments

Sampling redesign of soil penetration resistance in spatial t-Student models

 Aim of study: To reduce the sample size in an agricultural area of 167.35 hectares, cultivated with soybean, to analyze the spatial dependence of soil penetration resistance (SPR) with outliers.Area of study: Cascavel, BrazilMaterial and methods: The reduction of sample size was made by the univariate effective sample size ( ) methodology, assuming that the t-Student model represents the probability distribution of SPR.Main results: The radius and the intensity of spatial dependence have an inverse relationship with the estimated value of the . For the depths of SPR with spatial dependence, the highest estimated value of the  reduced the sample size by 40%. From the new sample size, the sampling redesign was performed. The accuracy indexes showed differences between the thematic maps with the original and reduced sampling designs. However, the lowest values of the standard error in the parameters of the spatial dependence structure evidenced that the new sampling design was appropriate. Besides, models of semivariance function were efficiently estimated, which allowed identifying the existence of spatial dependence in all depth of SPR.Research highlights: The sample size was reduced by 40%, allowing for lesser financial investments with data collection and laboratory analysis of soil samples in the next mappings in the agricultural area. The spatial t-Student model was able to reduce the influence of outliers in the spatial dependence structure

Circulating Senescent T Cells Are Linked to Systemic Inflammation and Lesion Size During Human Cutaneous Leishmaniasis

Leishmania (Viannia) braziliensis induces American tegumentary leishmaniasis that ranges in severity from the milder form, cutaneous (CL) to severe disseminated cutaneous leishmaniasis. Patients with CL develop a cell-mediated Th1 immune response accompanied by production of inflammatory cytokines, which contribute to parasite control and pathogenesis of disease. Here, we describe the accumulation of circulating T cells with multiple features of telomere dependent-senescence including elevated expression of CD57, KLRG-1, and γH2AX that have short telomeres and low hTERT expression during cutaneous L. braziliensis infection. This expanded population of T cells was found within the CD45RA+CD27− (EMRA) subset and produced high levels of inflammatory cytokines, analogous to the senescence-associated secretory profile (SASP) that has been described in senescent non-lymphoid cells. There was a significant correlation between the accumulation of these cells and the extent of systemic inflammation, suggesting that they are involved in the inflammatory response in this disease. Furthermore, these cells expressed high level of the skin homing receptor CLA and there was a highly significant correlation between the number of these cells in the circulation and the size of the Leishmania-induced lesions in the skin. Collectively our results suggest that extensive activation during the early stages of leishmaniasis drives the senescence of T cells with the propensity to home to the skin. The senescence-related inflammatory cytokine secretion by these cells may control the infection but also contribute to the immunopathology in the disease

MENSURAÇÃO DA DESIGUALDADE EDUCACIONAL ENTRE OS MUNICÍPIOS NORDESTINOS

RESUMO O objetivo deste artigo é analisar a desigualdade educacional da Região Nordeste com base nos dados do Censo Demográfico de 2010. Para este fim, foi calculado o Índice de Gini Educacional (IGE) para a parcela da população economicamente ativa com 15 anos ou mais de idade, residentes nos 1793 municípios nordestinos. Foram empregadas as técnicas de Análise Exploratória de Dados Espaciais (AEDE) e Análise de Regressão Espacial para detectar a importância de algumas variáveis relacionadas ao contexto das famílias, do sistema educacional e da economia dos municípios sobre o Índice de Gini Educacional. Verificou-se que o estado da Bahia apresentou a menor desigualdade educacional no Nordeste, com IGE de 0,394, enquanto o maior índice de desigualdade foi detectado no estado de Alagoas (0,467). Quanto à analise espacial, foi detectada dependência espacial no tocante à desigualdade educacional entre os municípios e seus vizinhos. Constatou-se também que a renda per capita, a frequência escolar líquida, a presença de IES e o PIB per capita municipal contribuem na redução da desigualdade, e que o baixo impacto de variáveis relacionadas ao sistema educacional pode ser atribuído ao seu efeito no longo prazo e, portanto, ressalta-se a importância do investimento e as políticas públicas educacionais, que só terão reflexo na redução da desigualdade educacional dos municípios no futuro

Geographic patterns of tree dispersal modes in Amazonia and their ecological correlates

Aim: To investigate the geographic patterns and ecological correlates in the geographic distribution of the most common tree dispersal modes in Amazonia (endozoochory, synzoochory, anemochory and hydrochory). We examined if the proportional abundance of these dispersal modes could be explained by the availability of dispersal agents (disperser-availability hypothesis) and/or the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits (resource-availability hypothesis). Time period: Tree-inventory plots established between 1934 and 2019. Major taxa studied: Trees with a diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 9.55 cm. Location: Amazonia, here defined as the lowland rain forests of the Amazon River basin and the Guiana Shield. Methods: We assigned dispersal modes to a total of 5433 species and morphospecies within 1877 tree-inventory plots across terra-firme, seasonally flooded, and permanently flooded forests. We investigated geographic patterns in the proportional abundance of dispersal modes. We performed an abundance-weighted mean pairwise distance (MPD) test and fit generalized linear models (GLMs) to explain the geographic distribution of dispersal modes. Results: Anemochory was significantly, positively associated with mean annual wind speed, and hydrochory was significantly higher in flooded forests. Dispersal modes did not consistently show significant associations with the availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits. A lower dissimilarity in dispersal modes, resulting from a higher dominance of endozoochory, occurred in terra-firme forests (excluding podzols) compared to flooded forests. Main conclusions: The disperser-availability hypothesis was well supported for abiotic dispersal modes (anemochory and hydrochory). The availability of resources for constructing zoochorous fruits seems an unlikely explanation for the distribution of dispersal modes in Amazonia. The association between frugivores and the proportional abundance of zoochory requires further research, as tree recruitment not only depends on dispersal vectors but also on conditions that favour or limit seedling recruitment across forest types

Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities

AimAmazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types.LocationAmazonia.TaxonAngiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots).MethodsData for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny.ResultsIn the terra firme and várzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igapó and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R2 = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R2 = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types.Main ConclusionNumerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions

Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities

Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran\u27s eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and várzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igapó and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R$^{2}$ = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R$^{2}$ = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions