La clasificación infraespecífica y la distribución geográfica de Monvillea phatnosperma (Cactaceae)

Infraspecific classification and geographical distribution of Monvillea phatnosperma (Cactaceae). Some aspects of morphology, taxonomy and nomenclature about Monvillea phatnosperma (K. Schum.) Britton & Rose (Cactaceae), a species native from the north of the ‘Great Chaco’ and adjacent areas, are considered. M. phatnosperma var. arenasii var. nov. is described and ilustrated in replacement of Monvillea kroenleinii R. Kiesling –nom. invalSe realizan algunas consideraciones morfológicas, taxonómicas y nomenclaturales sobre Monvillea phatnosperma (K. Schum.) Britton & Rose (Cactaceae), una especie nativa del norte del ‘Gran Chaco’ y áreas adyacentes. Se describe e ilustra M. phatnosperma var. arenasii var. nov., en reemplazo de Monvillea kroenleinii R. Kiesling – nom. inva

Monvillea phatnosperma (Cactaceae), nueva cita para la Flora argentina

Monvillea phatnosperma (Cactaceae), a new record for the Argentinian Flora. The species Monvillea phatnosperma (K. Schum.) Britton & Rose (Cactaceae), is cited and collected for the first time for Argentina, in the province of Formosa. Its distribution is extended within the Great Chaco expanse, since it was only known from Paraguay until now. Some aspects of its morphology, taxonomy and nomenclature are considered.Se cita por primera vez para la Argentina a Monvillea phatnosperma (K. Schum.) Britton & Rose (Cactaceae), coleccionada en la provincia de Formosa. Se extiende además su área de distribución dentro del ‘Gran Chaco’, dado que sólo estaba registrada para Paraguay. Se realizan algunas consideraciones morfológicas, taxonómicas y nomenclaturales sobre la misma

Thermodynamic description of the effect of the mutation Y49F on human glutathione transferase P1-1 in binding with glutathione and the inhibitor S-hexylglutathione.

The thermodynamics of binding of both the substrate glutathione (GSH) and the competitive inhibitor S-hexylglutathione to the mutant Y49F of human glutathione S-transferase (hGST P1-1), a key residue at the dimer interface, has been investigated by isothermal titration calorimetry and fluorescence spectroscopy. Calorimetric measurements indicated that the binding of these ligands to both the Y49F mutant and wild-type enzyme is enthalpically favorable and entropically unfavorable over the temperature range studied. The affinity of these ligands for the Y49F mutant is lower than those for the wild-type enzyme due mainly to an entropy change. Therefore, the thermodynamic effect of this mutation is to decrease the entropy loss due to binding. Calorimetric titrations in several buffers with different ionization heat amounts indicate a release of protons when the mutant binds GSH, whereas protons are taken up in binding S-hexylglutathione at pH 6.5. This suggests that the thiol group of GSH releases protons to buffer media during binding and a group with low pKa (such as Asp98) is responsible for the uptake of protons. The temperature dependence of the free energy of binding, DeltaG0, is weak because of the enthalpy-entropy compensation caused by a large heat capacity change. The heat capacity change is -199.5 +/- 26.9 cal K-1 mol-1 for GSH binding and -333.6 +/- 28.8 cal K-1 mol-1 for S-hexylglutathione binding. The thermodynamic parameters are consistent with the mutation Tyr49 --Phe, producing a slight conformational change in the active site

Notas nomenclaturales y taxonómicas en el género Opuntia (CactaceaeOpuntioideae) para la Argentina

En el marco del estudio del género Opuntia (Cactaceae) para la Argentina se analizaron 10 nombres del grupo: Opuntia anacantha, O. bispinosa, O. brunnescens, O. discolor, O. distans, O. hildemannii, O. kiska-loro, O. pampeana, O. sulphurea y O. vulpina.El objetivo fue la designación de lectotipos, neotipos o epitipos, cuando fuera necesario; así como también resolver problemas de estatus nomenclatural o taxonómicos, para cada uno de los taxones. Se consultaron los protólogos de todos los nombres y ejemplares depositados en herbarios, a través de visitas personales o consulta de imágenes disponibles online. Para las tipificaciones se siguieron las reglas y disposiciones del Código Internacional de Nomenclatura (CIN). Se discute y modifica el estatus de los tipos designados previamente para Opuntia anacantha, O. brunnescens, O. discolor, O. distans y O. kiska-loro. Se designan: un lectotipo para O. hildemannii; neotipos para O. pampeana y O. vulpina; y un epitipo para O. sulphurea. Se explica la razón por la cual el nombre O. bispinosa carece de estatus nomenclatural. Además, se proponen dos nuevos sinónimos y una combinación

Structure, composition and state of conservation of the woody-plant community of the otres quebrachosp forests in the Subhumid Central Chaco

El bosque de tres quebrachos en el SO de la Provincia de Chaco es un tipo de bosque poco estudiado y muy afectado por la expansión agropecuaria. Se estudió la composición, la estructura y el estado de conservación de la comunidad de plantas leñosas de los fragmentos remanentes. A partir de 60 parcelas distribuidas en 16 fragmentos (entre 5 y >1000 ha) se determinó la riqueza y la composición especíºca de la comunidad y el área basal y la densidad de cada una de las especies. Se detectaron 36 especies leñosas, todas ellas nativas, con un área basal de 24.73 m2/ha y una densidad de 13459 individuos/ha. Entre las especies del estrato superior se encontró una codominancia entre Schinopsis balansae y Aspidosperma quebracho blanco. Para evaluar el estado de conservación se compararon los resultados obtenidos con datos publicados para quebrachales en áreas protegidas de otras subregiones del Chaco argentino. Se encontró una notable similitud tanto en la riqueza como en los parámetros estructurales. El análisis de los tocones sugiere que la extracción selectiva no es de gran intensidad. Estas observaciones reflejarían un estado de conservación del bosque de tres quebrachos que resulta sorprendentemente bueno si se tiene en cuenta su alto grado de fragmentación.The otres quebrachosp forests in the SW Province of Chaco was scantily studied and strongly affected by the advance of the agricultural frontier. We studied the composition, structure and state of conservation of the woody plant community in remnants fragments. We determined the species richness and the community composition, and basal area and density of each woody species sampling 60 plots distributed in 16 forest fragments (between 5 and >1000 ha). We detected 36 species (trees and shrubs), all of them native. Considering all species together, the mean basal area for all sites was of 24.73 m2/ha, and the density of 13459 individuals/ha. We found a codominance between Schinopsis balansae and Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco among the species of the upper strata. The stumpms analysis showed that selective extraction is limited and it does not imply a strong alteration of the forest structure. To assess the conservation status of these forests, results were compared with published data for other quebracho forests of protected areas from other subregions of the Argentine Chaco. We found a remarkable similarity in the richness and structural parameters of the community. Considering the severe fragmentation of otres quebrachosp forests, our results reflect a surprisingly satisfactory state of conservation. It is necessary to design and implement management strategies to ensure the conservation of this environment

Cynophalla polyantha (Capparaceae), nuevo registro para la flora argentina.

Cynophalla polyantha (Capparaceae), new record for the Argentine flora. This paper records for the first time the presence in the Argentine flora of the small tree Cynophalla polyantha (Triana & Planch.) Cornejo & Iltis (Capparaceae), which was recently found in the north of the province of Salta, close to the Bolivian border.En el presente trabajo se registra por primera vez para la flora argentina la presencia del pequeño árbol Cynophalla polyantha (Triana & Planch.) Cornejo & Iltis (Capparaceae), hallado recientemente en el norte de la provincia de Salta, en cercanías de la frontera con la República de Bolivia

Unidades de vegetación de la Argentina

Oyarzabal, Mariano. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información. Buenos Aires, Argentina.Clavijo, José María. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA). Buenos Aires, Argentina.Oakley, Luis J. Universidad Nacional de Rosario.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Zavalla, Santa Fe, Argentina.Biganzoli, Fernando. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información. Buenos Aires, Argentina.Tognetti, Pedro Maximiliano. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Departamento de Métodos Cuantitativos y Sistemas de Información. Buenos Aires, Argentina.Barberis, Ignacio M. Universidad Nacional de Rosario.Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Zavalla, Santa Fe, Argentina.Oesterheld, Martín. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA). Buenos Aires, Argentina.León, Rolando Juan Carlos. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA). Buenos Aires, Argentina.40-63Existen numerosos mapas de la vegetación espontánea de la Argentina. Sin embargo, no contamos aún con uno de todo el país con una resolución que permita distinguir unidades de vegetación dentro de las provincias fitogeográficas descriptas por Cabrera (1946). Analizamos las descripciones de vegetación publicadas en las últimas décadas, con especial atención sobre aquellas que produjeron mapas fisonómico-florísticos. Como resultado de ese análisis, presentamos aquí un mapa fisonómico-florístico de la vegetación espontánea de la Argentina que muestra la heterogeneidad dentro de provincias fitogeográficas. El mapa tiene 50 unidades de vegetación como subdivisiones de las provincias fitogeográficas y el ecotono descritos con anterioridad, acompañadas de una breve descripción de la fisonomía y composición florística. Proponemos una nomenclatura de las unidades de vegetación según el tipo de vegetación espontánea dominante y especies características, y presentamos material cartográfico electrónico

TREM-2 defends the liver against hepatocellular carcinoma through multifactorial protective mechanisms

[EN] Objective Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a prevalent and aggressive cancer usually arising on a background of chronic liver injury involving inflammatory and hepatic regenerative processes. The triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2 (TREM-2) is predominantly expressed in hepatic non-parenchymal cells and inhibits Toll-like receptor signalling, protecting the liver from various hepatotoxic injuries, yet its role in liver cancer is poorly defined. Here, we investigated the impact of TREM-2 on liver regeneration and hepatocarcinogenesis. Design TREM-2 expression was analysed in liver tissues of two independent cohorts of patients with HCC and compared with control liver samples. Experimental HCC and liver regeneration models in wild type and Trem-2-/- mice, and in vitro studies with hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) and HCC spheroids were conducted. Results TREM-2 expression was upregulated in human HCC tissue, in mouse models of liver regeneration and HCC. Trem-2-/- mice developed more liver tumours irrespective of size after diethylnitrosamine (DEN) administration, displayed exacerbated liver damage, inflammation, oxidative stress and hepatocyte proliferation. Administering an antioxidant diet blocked DEN-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in both genotypes. Similarly, Trem-2-/- animals developed more and larger tumours in fibrosis-associated HCC models. Trem-2-/- livers showed increased hepatocyte proliferation and inflammation after partial hepatectomy. Conditioned media from human HSCs overexpressing TREM-2 inhibited human HCC spheroid growth in vitro through attenuated Wnt ligand secretion. Conclusion TREM-2 plays a protective role in hepatocarcinogenesis via different pleiotropic effects, suggesting that TREM-2 agonism should be investigated as it might beneficially impact HCC pathogenesis in a multifactorial manner.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and ’Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ grants (MJP (PI14/00399, PI17/00022 and Ramon y Cajal Programme RYC-2015–17755); JMB (PI12/00380, PI15/01132, PI18/01075, Miguel Servet Programme CON14/00129 and CPII19/00008) cofinanced by ’Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional’ (FEDER); CIBERehd: MJP, JMB and LB), Spain; IKERBASQUE, Basque foundation for Science (MJP and JMB), Spain; ’Diputación Foral de Gipuzkoa’ (MJP: DFG18/114, DFG19/081; JMB: DFG15/010, DFG16/004); BIOEF (Basque Foundation for Innovation and Health Research: EiTB Maratoia BIO15/CA/016/ BD to JMB); Department of Health of the Basque Country (MJP: 2015111100 and 2019111024; JMB: 2017111010), Euskadi RIS3 (JMB: 2016222001, 2017222014, 2018222029, 2019222054, 2020333010) Department of Industry of the Basque Country (JMB: Elkartek: KK-2020/00008) and AECC Scientific Foundation (JMB). AE-B was funded by the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) (PIF2014/11) and by the short-term training fellowship Andrew K Burroughs (European Association for the Study of the Liver, EASL). IL and AA-L were funded by the Department of Education, Language Policy and Culture of the Basque Government (PRE_2016_1_0152 and PRE_2018_1_0184). OS and SK were funded by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF25801-B22, FWF-P35168 to OS and L-Mac: F 6104-B21 to SK). FO and DAM were funded by a UK Medical Research Council programme Grant MR/R023026/1. DAM was also funded by the CRUK programme grant C18342/A23390, CRUK/AECC/AIRC Accelerator Award A26813 and the MRC MICA programme grant MR/R023026/1. JBA is supported by the Danish Medical Research Council, Danish Cancer Society, Nordisk Foundation, and APM Foundation. CJO’R and PM-G are supported by Marie Sklodowska-Curie Programme and EASL Sheila Sherlock postdoctoral fellowships

TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access

Plant traits—the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants—determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait‐based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits—almost complete coverage for ‘plant growth form’. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait–environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives

The OpenMolcas Web: A Community-Driven Approach to Advancing Computational Chemistry

The developments of the open-source OpenMolcas chemistry software environment since spring 2020 are described, with a focus on novel functionalities accessible in the stable branch of the package or via interfaces with other packages. These developments span a wide range of topics in computational chemistry and are presented in thematic sections: electronic structure theory, electronic spectroscopy simulations, analytic gradients and molecular structure optimizations, ab initio molecular dynamics, and other new features. This report offers an overview of the chemical phenomena and processes OpenMolcas can address, while showing that OpenMolcas is an attractive platform for state-of-the-art atomistic computer simulations