Effects of Repeated Intensive Harvesting Practices, Prescribed Burning, and Browsing on Northern Hardwood Forest Plant Communities

When extracting large volumes of biomass from our nation’s forests, it is imperative to consider the sustainability of these intensive harvesting practices on future forests and timber products, and wildlife habitat and populations. The goal of this study was to assess if plant density and ecological integrity are affected by strip-cut harvesting silvicultural practices, prescribed burning on slash left on site and slash residue left unburned, and mammalian browse. A summer 2019 inventory of plant species throughout Compartment 33 on the Penobscot Experimental Forest, a management unit that recently was harvested for the second time in the past 55years, which utilized whole-tree harvesting, stem-only harvesting, and stem-only harvesting with prescribed burning. We evaluated the effects of strip clearcutting (stem-only removal and whole-tree removal), burning, and mammalian browse one year after the stand was harvested and burned Harvests with slash removal and slash left on site had consistently higher diversity, but lower ecological integrity based on floristic quality assessments, when compared to areas without harvest. Slash removal in conjunction with burning reduced arboreal density, particularly that of softwood species, but did not negatively impact ecological integrity. Effect of mammalian browse varied heavily by treatment, and the plant communities present on site, but did not have an overall impact on stem density. Browse was found to be particularly important for diversity indices and floristic quality assessments within stem only harvest, and harvest with burning. This investigation provided insight into successional forest composition, density, and ecological integrity (diversity and floristic quality assessment) changes in arboreal and non-arboreal plant species in response to these disturbance effects

Panel: The Architectural Touch: Gestural Approaches to Library Search

This panel centers on the LibViz project—a touch and gesture-based interface that allows users to navigate through library collections using visual queries—and the issues surrounding such efforts. The LibViz project, for which we have done initial research and constructed a prototype, aims to increase the discoverability of library materials, particularly those of non-textual objects, which are difficult to access via traditional search and which do not circulate. Many collections are currently preparing large scale digitizing of threedimensional objects and it is imperative to develop appropriate methods to work with this new kind of data. The established methods only do a poor job at providing access to 3D-object data. Based in theories of “grounded cognition,” the LibViz interface will be optimized for use on personal mobile devices, but it can also be used on large format touch screens equipped with depth cameras that track user gestures. In other words, the interactive flow of LibViz allows both gestural interaction and touch commands, effectively extending the sensory modalities involved in the cognitive processing of the search results. By engaging a fuller range of human cognitive capabilities, the LibViz interface also hopes to help transform search. The amount of data generated in the digital era is growing exponentially, and so we must find novel ways of analyzing and interpreting these vast data archives. Moreover, the ways in which information is categorized and databases are created are value laden. As such, the processes by which these structures are established should be more transparent than conventional systems currently allow. The project turns library search into a powerful and pleasurable experience, stimulating engagement with the collections and the library itself

Enhancing patient safety by integrating ethical dimensions to Critical Incident Reporting Systems

Background Critical Incident Reporting Systems (CIRS) provide a well-proven method to identify clinical risks in hospitals. All professions can report critical incidents anonymously, low-threshold, and without sanctions. Reported cases are processed to preventive measures that improve patient and staff safety. Clinical ethics consultations offer support for ethical conflicts but are dependent on the interaction with staff and management to be effective. The aim of this study was to investigate the rationale of integrating an ethical focus into CIRS. Methods A six-step approach combined the analysis of CIRS databases, potential cases, literature on clinical and organizational ethics, cases from ethics consultations, and experts' experience to construct a framework for CIRS cases with ethical relevance and map the categories with principles of biomedical ethics. Results Four main categories of critical incidents with ethical relevance were derived: (1) patient-related communication; (2) consent, autonomy, and patient interest; (3) conflicting economic and medical interests; (4) staff communication and corporate culture. Each category was refined with different subcategories and mapped with case examples and exemplary related ethical principles to demonstrate ethical relevance. Conclusion The developed framework for CIRS cases with its ethical dimensions demonstrates the relevance of integrating ethics into the concept of risk-, quality-, and organizational management. It may also support clinical ethics consultations' presence and effectiveness. The proposed enhancement could contribute to hospitals' ethical infrastructure and may increase ethical behavior, patient safety, and employee satisfaction

Gesundheitslabel: Eine Bestandsaufnahme

Die Gesundheit von Mitarbeitenden am Arbeitsplatz ist ein Thema, das vor dem Hintergrund des demografischen Wandels und der zunehmenden Forderung nach sozialer Verantwortung in ökonomischen Kontexten in vielen Industrienationen zusehends an Relevanz gewinnt. Ein klares Bekenntnis für die Mitarbeitendengesundheit stellen proaktive Programme der betrieblichen Gesundheitsförderung und des Gesundheitsmanagements dar. Für externe Unternehmen, Institutionen und ganz besonders für Endverbraucher bleiben diese Programme in der Regel allerdings intransparent. Verbraucher können die proaktive Fürsorge der Unternehmen nicht durch ihr Konsumverhalten honorieren, betrieblichen Partnern ist es nur vereinzelt möglich, kooperative Programme zu etablieren und hier Synergien zu nutzen und staatlichen Institutionen fällt es schwer, Regulierungen sinnvoll anzupassen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurden viele in Deutschland gängige Label daraufhin überprüft, welche Einschätzung sie über die Gesundheitsförderung und das Gesundheitsmanagement des zertifizierten Unternehmens erlauben. Die Arbeit endet mit einer Evaluation der vielversprechendsten Label und einer politischen Empfehlung

心房ナトリウム利尿ペプチドは、ミネラルコルチコイド受容体活性を抑制して心筋リモデリングを予防する

BACKGROUND:The endocrine balance between atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system is critical for the maintenance of arterial blood pressure and volume homeostasis. This study investigated whether a cardiac imbalance between ANP and aldosterone, toward increased mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) signaling, contributes to adverse left ventricular remodeling in response to pressure overload.METHODS AND RESULTS:We used the MR-selective antagonist eplerenone to test the role of MRs in mediating pressure overload-induced dilatative cardiomyopathy of mice with abolished local, cardiac ANP activity. In response to 21 days of transverse aortic constriction, mice with cardiomyocyte-restricted inactivation (knockout) of the ANP receptor (guanylyl cyclase [GC]-A) or the downstream cGMP-dependent protein kinase I developed enhanced left ventricular hypertrophy and fibrosis together with contractile dysfunction. Treatment with eplerenone (100 mg/kg/d) attenuated left ventricular hypertrophy and fully prevented fibrosis, dilatation, and failure. Transverse aortic constriction induced the cardiac expression of profibrotic connective tissue growth factor and attenuated the expression of SERCA2a (sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase) in knockout mice, but not in controls. These genotype-dependent molecular changes were similarly prevented by eplerenone. ANP attenuated the aldosterone-induced nuclear translocation of MRs via GC-A/cGMP-dependent protein kinase I in transfected HEK 293 (human embryonic kidney) cells. Coimmunoprecipitation and fluorescence resonance energy transfer experiments demonstrated that a population of MRs were membrane associated in close interaction with GC-A and cGMP-dependent protein kinase I and, moreover, that aldosterone caused a conformational change of this membrane MR/GC-A protein complex which was prevented by ANP.CONCLUSIONS:ANP counter-regulates cardiac MR activation in hypertensive heart disease. An imbalance in cardiac ANP/GC-A (inhibition) and aldosterone/MR signaling (augmentation) favors adverse cardiac remodeling in chronic pressure overload.博士（医学）・甲第630号・平成27年3月16日© 2014 American Heart Association, Inc

The atrial natriuretic peptide and guanylyl cyclase-A system modulates pancreatic beta-cell function

Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) and its guanylyl cyclase-A (GC-A) receptor are being involved in metabolism, although their role in the endocrine pancreas is still greatly unknown. The aim of this work is to study a possible role for the ANP/GC-A system in modulating pancreatic beta-cell function. The results presented here show a direct effect of the GC-A receptor in regulating glucose-stimulated insulin secretion (GSIS) and beta-cell mass. GC-A activation by its natural ligand, ANP, rapidly blocked ATP-dependent potassium (K(ATP)) channel activity, increased glucose-elicited Ca(2+) signals, and enhanced GSIS in islets of Langerhans. The effect in GSIS was inhibited in islets from GC-A knockout (KO) mice. Pancreatic islets from GC-A KO mice responded to increasing glucose concentrations with enhanced insulin secretion compared with wild type (WT). Remarkably, islets from GC-A KO mice were smaller, presented lower beta-cell mass and decreased insulin content. However, glucose-induced Ca(2+) response was more vigorous in GC-A KO islets, and basal K(ATP) channel activity in GC-A KO beta-cells was greatly diminished compared with WT. When protein levels of the two K(ATP) channel constitutive subunits sulfonylurea receptor 1 and Inward rectifier potassium channel 6.2 were measured, both were diminished in GC-A KO islets. These alterations on beta-cell function were not associated with disruption of glucose tolerance or insulin sensitivity in vivo. Glucose and insulin tolerance tests were similar in WT and GC-A KO mice. Our data suggest that the ANP/GC-A system may have a modulating effect on beta-cell function

Receptor guanylyl cyclase (RGC) family (version 2020.3) in the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology Database

The mammalian genome encodes seven guanylyl cyclases, GC-A to GC-G, that are homodimeric transmembrane receptors activated by a diverse range of endogenous ligands. These enzymes convert guanosine-5'-triphosphate to the intracellular second messenger cyclic guanosine-3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic GMP). GC-A, GC-B and GC-C are expressed predominantly in the cardiovascular system, skeletal system and intestinal epithelium, respectively. GC-D and GC-G are found in the olfactory neuropepithelium and Grueneberg ganglion of rodents, respectively. GC-E and GC-F are expressed in retinal photoreceptors