Fire, water, and biodiversity in the sierra nevada: A possible triple win

Reducing the risk of large, severe wildfires while also increasing the security of mountain water supplies and enhancing biodiversity are urgent priorities in western US forests. After a century of fire suppression, Yosemite and Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Parks located in California’s Sierra Nevada initiated programs to manage wildfires and these areas present a rare opportunity to study the effects of restored fire regimes. Forest cover decreased during the managed wildfire period and meadow and shrubland cover increased, especially in Yosemite’s Illilouette Creek basin that experienced a 20% reduction in forest area. These areas now support greater pyrodiversity and consequently greater landscape and species diversity. Soil moisture increased and drought-induced tree mortality decreased, especially in Illilouette where wildfires have been allowed to burn more freely resulting in a 30% increase in summer soil moisture. Modeling suggests that the ecohydrological co-benefits of restoring fire regimes are robust to the projected climatic warming. Support will be needed from the highest levels of government and the public to maintain existing programs and expand them to other forested areas

A rare form of leishmaniasis, identified in the Russian Federation

Diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis is a rare form of cutaneous leishmaniasis characterized by an inadequate immune response of the host cells to parasitic invasion (weak T-helper (Th)1 response or Th2 response with the production of interleukin IL-4 and IL-10). The characteristic features of the disease include diffuse nodular eruption, masquerading as leprosy and a frequent association with immunosuppression (HIV co-infection, for example). The Russian Federation is a non-endemic country for leishmaniasis, but this disease can be brought into the country by tourists, immigrants, refugees and military personnel. A clinical case of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis and HIV co-infection is presented. The patient was a citizen of Uzbekistan, a country endemic for leishmaniasis. The authors were unable to find domestic scientific publications describing cases of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis detected in the Russian Federation. The presented clinical case of diffuse cutaneous leishmaniasis in a patient with HIV is the first in the Russian literature

Case report of leprosy in the Russian Federation

A clinical case of leprosy diagnosis in a citizen of the Republic of Chad (lepra-endemic region), а 24 year old male, student is presented. In 2019 the patient received permission to stay in the Russian Federation for educational purposes, entered one of the federal universities, and studied in Moscow, living in a hostel. During these years, he applied to various clinics, complaining of skin rashes and other symptoms characteristic of leprosy, without the effect of the prescribed treatment. In 2023, after contacting the clinic of skin diseases of the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University), was first sent to the The Federal State Research Center of Dermatovenereology and Cosmetology of the Ministry of Health of Russia with suspicion of leprosy. The results of clinical and laboratory studies including bacterioscopic examination of skin scarifications and pathohistological study of the skin confirmed the diagnosis: A30.5 Leprosy, multibacterial form, lepromatous type, active stage. This case presentation testifies to the lack of alertness regarding leprosy, especially among doctors conducting medical examinations of foreign citizens in order to obtain permission to stay in the Russian Federation, which may cause the spread of dangerous infectious diseases on the territory of the Russian Federation

Quantifying Links Between Fire and Water Cycles Across Time, Place and Processes, in California's Sierra Nevada

Drought, elevated temperatures, and extended fire seasons combine with high fuel loads to increase the scale and severity of wildfires in California. Many of these fires occur in the forested montane watersheds that provide approximately 60% of the developed water supply of the state, creating a critical nexus between water and fire from a management perspective. However, the links between hydrological and fire processes go well beyond a common dependence on forests. Both water and fire cycles are impacted by, and impact upon the growth, spread, function, and disturbance of vegetation communities. This means there are multiple processes linking plants, fire and water. With climate change projected to warm temperatures, reduce snowpack, extend fire seasons, and increase drought stress on Californian watersheds, foresters are turning to alternative forest management strategies. One such strategy involves the re-introduction of frequent mixed-severity fire into the landscape to lower fuel loads and reduce the risk of catastrophic fires. Co-benefits of this strategy are anticipated to include greater water yields and storage, and increased landscape diversity and forest resilience. In my primary study site of the Illilouette Creek Basin (in Yosemite National Park, California), this strategy has proven to be successful to date. Many important knowledge gaps remain, however, including how the strategy of re-introduce fire will impact the water cycle as climates warm, how transferable this strategy is to other basin, the potential implications of frequent burning on erosion and water quality, and how changes in water storage in fire-treated landscapes, and specifically in soil moisture, might modify the resulting fire regime. To answer these questions, this dissertation draws on satellite and field collected data, laboratory experiments, and hydrological and statistical modeling to explore fire-vegetation-water-climate feedbacks and inform future forest management in California