Indices from flow-volume curves in relation to cephalometric, ENT- and sleep-O2 saturation variables in snorers with and without obstructive sleep-apnoea

In a group of 37 heavy snorers with obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA, Group 1) and a group of 23 heavy snorers without OSA (Group 2) cephalometric indices, ENT indices related to upper airway collapsibility, and nocturnal O2 desaturation indices were related to variables from maximal expiratory and inspiratory flow-volume (MEFV and MIFV) curves. The cephalometric indices used were the length and diameter of the soft palate (spl and spd), the shortest distance between the mandibular plane and the hyoid bone (mph) and the posterior airway space (pas). Collapsibility of the upper airways was observed at the level of the tongue base and soft palate by fibroscopy during a Muller manoeuvre (mtb and msp) and ranked on a five point scale. Sleep indices measured were the mean number of oxygen desaturations of more than 3% per hour preceded by an apnoea or hypopnoea of more than 10 s (desaturation index), maximal sleep oxygen desaturation, baseline arterial oxygen saturation (Sa,O2) and, in the OSA group, percentage of sleep time with Sa,O2 < 90%. The variables obtained from the flow-volume curves were the forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory and inspiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1 and FIV1), peak expiratory and peak inspiratory flows (PEF and PIF), and maximal flow after expiring 50% of the FVC (MEF50). The mean of the flow-volume variables, influenced by upper airway aperture (PEF, FIV1) was significantly greater than predicted.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS

Transplantation, gene therapy and intestinal pathology in MNGIE patients and mice

Background: Gastrointestinal complications are the main cause of death in patients with mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE). Available treatments often restore biochemical homeostasis, but fail to cure gastrointestinal symptoms. Methods: We evaluated the small intestine neuromuscular pathology of an untreated MNGIE patient and two recipients of hematopoietic stem cells, focusing on enteric neurons and glia. Additionally, we evaluated the intestinal neuromuscular pathology in a mouse model of MNGIE treated with hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy. Quantification of muscle wall thickness and ganglion cell density was performed blind to the genotype with ImageJ. Significance of differences between groups was determined by two-tailed Mann-Whitney U test (P < 0.05). Results: Our data confirm that MNGIE presents with muscle atrophy and loss of Cajal cells and CD117/c-kit immunoreactivity in the small intestine. We also show that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation does not benefit human intestinal pathology at least on short-term. Conclusions: We suggest that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation may be insufficient to restore intestinal neuropathology, especially at later stages of MNGIE. As interstitial Cajal cells and their networks play a key role in development of gastrointestinal dysmotility, alternative therapeutic approaches taking absence of these cells into account could be required

Defaunation changes leaf trait composition of recruit communities in tropical forests in French Guiana

Hunting impacts tropical vertebrate populations, causing declines of species that function as seed dispersers and predators, or that browse seedlings and saplings. Whether and how the resulting reductions in seed dispersal, seed predation, and browsing translate to changes in the tree composition is poorly understood. Here, we assess the effect of defaunation on the functional composition of communities of tree recruits in tropical rainforests in French Guiana. We selected eight sites along a gradient of defaunation, caused by differences in hunting pressure, in otherwise intact old-growth forests in French Guiana. We measured shifts in functional composition by comparing leaf and fruit traits and wood density between tree recruits (up to 5 cm diameter at breast height) and adults, and tested whether and how these compositional shifts related to defaunation. We found a positive relationship with defaunation for shifts in specific leaf area, a negative relationship for shifts of leaf toughness and wood density, and a weak relationship for shifts in fruit traits. Our results suggest that the loss of vertebrates affects ecological processes such as seed dispersal and browsing, of which browsing remains understudied. Even though these changes sometimes seem minor, together they result in major shifts in forest composition. These changes have long-term ramifications that may alter forest dynamics for generations

Multidecadal polynya formation in a conceptual (box) model

Maud Rise polynyas (MRPs) form due to deep convection, which is caused by static instabilities of the water column. Recent studies with the Community Earth System Model (CESM) have indicated that a multidecadal varying heat accumulation in the subsurface layer occurs prior to MRP formation due to the heat transport over the Weddell Gyre. In this study, a conceptual MRP box model, forced with CESM data, is used to investigate the role of this subsurface heat accumulation in MRP formation. Cases excluding and including multidecadal varying subsurface heat and salt fluxes are considered, and multiple polynya events are only simulated in the cases where subsurface fluxes are included. The dominant frequency for MRP events in these results, approximately the frequency of the subsurface heat and salt accumulation, is still visible in cases where white noise is added to the freshwater flux. This indicates the importance and dominance of the subsurface heat accumulation in MRP formation

Participatory mapping to identify indigenous community use zones: Implications for conservation planning in southern Suriname

Large-scale development projects often overlap forest areas that support the livelihoods of indigenous peoples, threatening in situ conservation strategies for the protection of biological and cultural diversity. To address this problem, there is a need to integrate spatially-explicit information on ecosystem services into conservation planning. We present an approach for identifying conservation areas necessary to safeguard the provision of important ecosystem services for indigenous communities. "Community use zones" (CUZs) were generated using participatory mapping methods that identify place values indicating significant hotspots for ecosystem services. Using principles from landscape ecology, these areas are buffered to provide connectivity and to delineate ecosystem service delivery areas. We demonstrate the use of CUZs for five villages in southern Suriname (n = 191 participants) to inform the South Suriname Conservation Corridor project. The mapped data reveal overlapping hotspots for different ecosystem services depicting multifunctional landscapes that provide an empirical foundation for delineating CUZs. In the absence of legal and traditional land rights for indigenous people, CUZs based on the provision of ecosystem services provide a defensible, spatially explicit approach for integrating indigenous needs into regional conservation plans in southern Suriname. We discuss the utility of CUZ maps for promoting land tenure and security and as a basis for collaborative governance in indigenous and community-conserved areas (ICCAs)

Participatory mapping to identify indigenous community use zones : Implications for conservation planning in southern Suriname

Large-scale development projects often overlap forest areas that support the livelihoods of indigenous peoples, threatening in situ conservation strategies for the protection of biological and cultural diversity. To address this problem, there is a need to integrate spatially-explicit information on ecosystem services into conservation planning. We present an approach for identifying conservation areas necessary to safeguard the provision of important ecosystem services for indigenous communities. "Community use zones" (CUZs) were generated using participatory mapping methods that identify place values indicating significant hotspots for ecosystem services. Using principles from landscape ecology, these areas are buffered to provide connectivity and to delineate ecosystem service delivery areas. We demonstrate the use of CUZs for five villages in southern Suriname (n = 191 participants) to inform the South Suriname Conservation Corridor project. The mapped data reveal overlapping hotspots for different ecosystem services depicting multifunctional landscapes that provide an empirical foundation for delineating CUZs. In the absence of legal and traditional land rights for indigenous people, CUZs based on the provision of ecosystem services provide a defensible, spatially explicit approach for integrating indigenous needs into regional conservation plans in southern Suriname. We discuss the utility of CUZ maps for promoting land tenure and security and as a basis for collaborative governance in indigenous and community-conserved areas (ICCAs)

Governing the Atlantic Forest transition: Improving our knowledge on forest recovery for ecosystem services

Improving our knowledge for managing multifunctional landscapes in a World's Top hotspot

Shaded Coffee and Cocoa : Double Dividend for Biodiversity and Small-scale Farmers

This paper compares financial and biodiversity performance of small-scale shaded coffee and cocoa plantations versus intensified conventional ones. We conduct a meta-analysis including 23 studies on coffee and cocoa plantations over a 26 year period. Our results show that, contrary to common perceptions, profitability and cost-efficiency are higher for small-scale shaded systems. Despite the lower yields for shaded systems, the lower costs per area and higher price per kilogram of coffee or cocoa causes shaded systems to perform better financially. This finding shows that the traditional indicator ‘yield’ is an inaccurate measure of financial performance when studying diversified systems, and that the more detailed indicators as net revenue or benefit-cost ratio should be used instead. Few studies specifically reported on the relationship between biodiversity and financial performance, providing divergent results, yet various papers showed a promising optimum relationship for intermediate levels of shade. Because shaded systems are known to correlate positively with biodiversity, we postulate that they can offer competitive business opportunities for small-scale farmers, while also contributing to biodiversity conservation. Still, there is a pressing need for multidisciplinary studies to quantify financial and biodiversity performance simultaneously, and to identify opportunities for scaling up shaded systems

Influence of livelihood assets, experienced shocks and perceived risks on smallholder coffee farming practices in Peru

Smallholder farmers might adopt different farming practices to cope with multiple stressors depending on their livelihood assets, and with varying environmental and economic outcomes. Ongoing global change is triggering stronger and different stressors that threaten conventional farming practices; however, this could be resolved if livelihood assets that drive decision making are actionable and thus can be modified. This study assessed the influence of farmers' livelihood assets, risk perception, and shocks on the choice of non-conventional farming practices for smallholder coffee farmers in San Martín, Peru. Using household survey data, we collected data on 162 coffee plantations along an elevation gradient. We operationalized the sustainable livelihoods framework for the adoption of shade and input coffee farming strategies and explored farmers’ motives to change them. Despite associated high risks with pest and disease pressure, coffee price volatility and climate change, these risks did not explain the current shade and input farming strategies. While in the past five years, farmers adapted shade and input management in response to pest and disease and climate change pressures, these occurred in diverging directions: we found higher human and social assets associated with higher shade levels, and a trend for higher physical and financial assets associated with higher input use. These findings illustrate that two main factors affect decisions on farming practices related to shade and input management and they relate to different livelihood capitals. This suggests a potential for conflicting decision-making, push-and-pulling decisions in different directions. Further the disconnect between livelihood assets and perceptions suggests that perception of risk and shocks might not be sufficient to motivate decision making under changing conditions. Such insights in decision-making typologies and drivers can inform the development of farming practices that enhance resilience and sustainability of smallholder coffee production in Peru and elsewhere in the tropics