Litterfall Chemistry Is Modulated by Wet-Dry Seasonality and Leaf Phenology of Dominant Species in the Tropics

Litterfall has a large influence on carbon and nutrient cycling of ecosystems, particularly in light-limited forested streams, as most nutrients return in the form of litter. Although recent evidence points to the prevalence of seasonal litterfall in species-rich and evergreen tropical riparian forests, there is a limited understanding of how riparian plant diversity intersects with stream and riparian ecosystem functions. To explore this question, we investigate litterfall chemistry across wet and dry seasons and the congruence between litter traits and plant species composition of litterfall in the wet-dry tropics. Using generalized additive models, we observed consistent seasonal patterns of litterfall chemistry over 2 years, mostly influenced by dominant species in litterfall. While drier seasons showed litter lower in nutrients and structural compounds and higher in polyphenols, litter from wetter seasons were nutrient rich but lower in polyphenols. We also found contrasting seasonal patterns in litterfall chemistry, one showing that litterfall nutrient, structural compounds, and secondary metabolite concentrations declined in drier seasons while the other showed that mass-based litterfall inputs increased markedly in drier seasons. Our findings suggest that litterfall chemistry may be altered by shifts in the identity of dominant plant species and seasonality, possibly leading to changes in carbon and nutrient fluxes in tropical riparian ecosystems

Latitude dictates plant diversity effects on instream decomposition

Running waters contribute substantially to global carbon fluxes through decomposition of terrestrial plant litter by aquatic microorganisms and detritivores. Diversity of this litter may influence instream decomposition globally in ways that are not yet understood. We investigated latitudinal differences in decomposition of litter mixtures of low and high functional diversity in 40 streams on 6 continents and spanning 113 degrees of latitude. Despite important variability in our dataset, we found latitudinal differences in the effect of litter functional diversity on decomposition, which we explained as evolutionary adaptations of litter-consuming detritivores to resource availability. Specifically, a balanced diet effect appears to operate at lower latitudes versus a resource concentration effect at higher latitudes. The latitudinal pattern indicates that loss of plant functional diversity will have different consequences on carbon fluxes across the globe, with greater repercussions likely at low latitudes

Macro-scale (biomes) differences in neotropical stream processes and community structure

The definition of conservation strategies and ecological assessment schemes requires understanding ecosystem patterns over multiple spatial scales. This study aimed to determine if macro-scale structural and functional (processes) patterns associated with stream ecosystems differed among three neotropical biomes (Cerrado, Amazon, Atlantic Forest). We compared the aquatic communities (benthic invertebrates and hyphomycetes) and processes (decomposition rates, primary production and biofilms growth and aquatic hyphomycetes reproduction rates-sporulation) of Cerrado stream sites (neotropical savannah) against those of stream sites in the connecting biomes of the Atlantic Forest and Amazon (rainforests). We expected that, contrary to the biome dependency hypothesis the community structure and processes rates of streams at the biome-scale would not differ significantly, because those ecosystems are strongly influenced by their dense riparian forests, which have a transitional character among the three biomes. Fifty-three stream sites were selected covering a wide range of geographic locations (Table 1), from near the Equator (2° S) in the Amazon, to intermediate latitudes in the Cerrado (12-19° S), and latitudes closer to the tropic of Capricorn in the Atlantic Forest (19º-25° S). We found that: 1) at the abiotic level, the aquatic ecosystems of the three biomes differed, which was mostly explained by large-scale factors such as temperature, precipitation and altitude; 2) functional and structural variables did not behave similarly among biomes: decomposition and sporulation rates showed larger differences among biomes than invertebrate and aquatic hyphomycete assemblages structure; 3) invertebrate assemblages structure differed between the rainforests and Cerrado but not between rainforests (Amazon and Atlantic Forest) whereas aquatic hyphomycetes were similar among all biomes; 4) biofilm growth and algae concentration in biofilms of artificial substrates were highly variable within biomes and not significantly different between biomes. Overall, aquatic ecosystem processes and community structure differed across biomes, being influenced by climatic variables, but the variation is not as pronounced as that described for terrestrial systems. Considering the potential use of these functional and structural indicators in national-wide ecological assessments, our results indicate the need to define different reference values for different biomes, depending on the variable used. The approach followed in this study allowed an integrative analysis and comparison of the stream ecosystems across three tropical biomes, being the first study of this kind. Future studies should try to confirm the patterns evidenced here with more sites from other areas of the three biomes, and especially from the Amazon, which was the least represented biome in our investigation. © 201

Determinants of intensive insulin therapeutic regimens in patients with type 1 diabetes: data from a nationwide multicenter survey in Brazil

Background: To evaluate the determinants of intensive insulin regimens (ITs) in patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D).Methods: This multicenter study was conducted between December 2008 and December 2010 in 28 public clinics in 20 Brazilian cities. Data were obtained from 3,591 patients (56.0% female, 57.1% Caucasian). Insulin regimens were classified as follows: group 1, conventional therapy (CT) (intermediate human insulin, one to two injections daily); group 2 (three or more insulin injections of intermediate plus regular human insulin); group 3 (three or more insulin injections of intermediate human insulin plus short-acting insulin analogues); group 4, basal-bolus (one or two insulin injections of long-acting plus short-acting insulin analogues or regular insulin); and group 5, basal-bolus with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII). Groups 2 to 5 were considered IT groups.Results: We obtained complete data from 2,961 patients. Combined intermediate plus regular human insulin was the most used therapeutic regimen. CSII was used by 37 (1.2%) patients and IT by 2,669 (90.2%) patients. More patients on IT performed self-monitoring of blood glucose and were treated at the tertiary care level compared to CT patients (p < 0.001). the majority of patients from all groups had HbA1c levels above the target. Overweight or obesity was not associated with insulin regimen. Logistic regression analysis showed that economic status, age, ethnicity, and level of care were associated with IT (p < 0.001).Conclusions: Given the prevalence of intensive treatment for T1D in Brazil, more effective therapeutic strategies are needed for long term-health benefits.Farmanguinhos/Fundacao Oswaldo Cruz/National Health MinistryBrazilian Diabetes SocietyFundacao do Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de JaneiroConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Univ Estado Rio de Janeiro, Unit Diabet, BR-20551030 Rio de Janeiro, BrazilBaurus Diabet Assoc, São Paulo, BrazilFed Univ São Paulo State, Diabet Unit, São Paulo, BrazilFed Univ Hosp Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, BrazilUniv Hosp São Paulo, Diabet Unit, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv Fed Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilSanta Casa Misericordia, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilSanta Casa Misericordia São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Fed Amazonas, Manaus, Amazonas, BrazilHosp Geral de Bonsucesso, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilHosp Univ Clementino Fraga Filho IPPMG, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilUniv Hosp São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilFac Ciencias Med Santa Casa São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Inst Crianca, Hosp Clin, São Paulo, BrazilUniv São Paulo, Fac Med Ribeirao Preto, Hosp Clin, Ribeirao Preto, BrazilAmbulatorio Fac Estadual Med Sao Jose Rio Preto, Ribeirao Preto, BrazilEscola Paulista Med, Ctr Diabet, Ribeirao Preto, BrazilClin Endocrinol Santa Casa Belo Horizonte, Belo Horizonte, MG, BrazilUniv Estadual Londrina, Londrina, BrazilUniv Fed Parana, Hosp Clin, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilInst Crianca Com Diabet Rio Grande Sul, Rio Grande Do Sul, RS, BrazilGrp Hosp Conceicao, Inst Crianca Com Diabet, Porto Alegre, RS, BrazilHosp Univ Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, SC, BrazilInst Diabet Endocrinol Joinville, Joinville, BrazilHosp Reg Taguatinga, Brasilia, DF, BrazilHosp Geral Goiania, Goiania, Go, BrazilCtr Diabet & Endocrinol Estado Bahia, Goiania, Go, BrazilUniv Fed Maranhao, Sao Luis, BrazilCtr Integrado Diabet & Hipertensao Ceara, Fortaleza, Ceara, BrazilUniv Fed Sergipe, Aracaju, BrazilHosp Univ Alcides Carneiro, Campina Grande, BrazilHosp Univ Joao de Barros Barreto, Belem, Para, BrazilFed Univ São Paulo State, Diabet Unit, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Hosp São Paulo, Diabet Unit, São Paulo, BrazilUniv Hosp São Paulo, São Paulo, BrazilEscola Paulista Med, Ctr Diabet, Ribeirao Preto, BrazilWeb of Scienc

Plant litter dynamics in the forest-stream interface: Precipitation is a major control across tropical biomes

Riparian plant litter is a major energy source for forested streams across the world and its decomposition has repercussions on nutrient cycling, food webs and ecosystem functioning. However, we know little about plant litter dynamics in tropical streams, even though the tropics occupy 40% of the Earth's land surface. Here we investigated spatial and temporal (along a year cycle) patterns of litter inputs and storage in multiple streams of three tropical biomes in Brazil (Atlantic forest, Amazon forest and Cerrado savanna), predicting major differences among biomes in relation to temperature and precipitation regimes. Precipitation explained most of litter inputs and storage, which were generally higher in more humid biomes (litterfall: 384, 422 and 308 g m-2 y-1, storage: 55, 113 and 38 g m-2, on average in Atlantic forest, Amazon and Cerrado, respectively). Temporal dynamics varied across biomes in relation to precipitation and temperature, with uniform litter inputs but seasonal storage in Atlantic forest streams, seasonal inputs in Amazon and Cerrado streams, and aseasonal storage in Amazon streams. Our findings suggest that litter dynamics vary greatly within the tropics, but point to the major role of precipitation, which contrasts with the main influence of temperature in temperate areas. © 2017 The Author(s)

2 nd Brazilian Consensus on Chagas Disease, 2015

Abstract Chagas disease is a neglected chronic condition with a high burden of morbidity and mortality. It has considerable psychological, social, and economic impacts. The disease represents a significant public health issue in Brazil, with different regional patterns. This document presents the evidence that resulted in the Brazilian Consensus on Chagas Disease. The objective was to review and standardize strategies for diagnosis, treatment, prevention, and control of Chagas disease in the country, based on the available scientific evidence. The consensus is based on the articulation and strategic contribution of renowned Brazilian experts with knowledge and experience on various aspects of the disease. It is the result of a close collaboration between the Brazilian Society of Tropical Medicine and the Ministry of Health. It is hoped that this document will strengthen the development of integrated actions against Chagas disease in the country, focusing on epidemiology, management, comprehensive care (including families and communities), communication, information, education, and research