The effects caused by the replacement of native riparian forest with Eucalyptus sp. on the benthic macro-invertebrate community.

The replacement of native riparian forests with exotic plants, especially Eucalyptus sp. can cause changes in ecological processes of small orders rivers. The leaves of Eucalyptus sp. have lower nutrients concentration, higher hardness and secondary metabolites which inhibit the decomposing micro-organisms and benthic macro-invertebrate colonization, which are the connection between the dead organic matter and the rest of the food chain. Thus the aim of the study was to test the following hypothesis: leaf decomposition rate will be lower in the substrate composed of Eucalyptus sp. leaves, when compared to the substrate composed of native tree species leaves; the benthic macro-invertebrates diversity will be lower in the substrate composed of Eucalyptus sp. leaves than the one composed of native tree species leaves. Sixty litter bags were used in the experiment, 30 of them were filled with 5 g of Eucalyptus sp leaves and the other 30 with a mixture of native trees leaves. From the results it was concluded that leaf decomposition rates were similar for both substrates, substrate composed of native trees leaves and substrate composed of Eucalyptus sp. leaves; the benthic macroinvertebrates diversity was lower in the substrate composed of Eucalyptus sp. leaves when compared to the substrate composed of native tree species leaves

Tracheostomy in the COVID-19 pandemic

Purpose: The role of tracheostomy in COVID-19-related ARDS is unknown. Nowadays, there is no clear indication regarding the timing of tracheostomy in these patients. Methods: We describe our synergic experience between ENT and ICU Departments at University Hospital of Modena underlining some controversial aspects that would be worth discussing tracheostomies in these patients. During the last 2 weeks, we performed 28 tracheostomies on patients with ARDS due to COVID-19 infection who were treated with IMV. Results: No differences between percutaneous and surgical tracheostomy in terms of timing and no case of team virus infection. Conclusion: In our experience, tracheostomy should be performed only in selected patients within 7- and 14-day orotracheal intubation

Long-Term Oral Administration of Theaphenon-E Improves Cardiomyocyte Mechanics and Calcium Dynamics by Affecting Phospholamban Phosphorylation and ATP Production

Background/Aims: Dietary polyphenols from green tea have been shown to possess cardio-protective activities in different experimental models of heart diseases and age-related ventricular dysfunction. The present study was aimed at evaluating whether long term in vivo administration of green tea extracts (GTE), can exert positive effects on the normal heart, with focus on the underlying mechanisms. Methods: The study population consisted of 20 male adult Wistar rats. Ten animals were given 40 mL/day tap water solution of GTE (concentration 0.3%) for 4 weeks (GTE group). The same volume of water was administered to the 10 remaining control rats (CTRL). Then, in vivo and ex vivo measurements of cardiac function were performed in the same animal, at the organ (hemodynamics) and cellular (cardiomyocyte mechanical properties and intracellular calcium dynamics) levels. On cardiomyocytes and myocardial tissue samples collected from the same in vivo studied animals, we evaluated: (1) the intracellular content of ATP, (2) the endogenous mitochondrial respiration, (3) the expression levels of the Sarcoplasmic Reticulum Ca2+-dependent ATPase 2a (SERCA2), the Phospholamban (PLB) and the phosphorylated form of PLB, the L-type Ca2+ channel, the Na+-Ca2+ exchanger, and the ryanodine receptor 2. Results: GTE cardiomyocytes exhibited a hyperdynamic contractility compared with CTRL (the rate of shortening and re-lengthening, the fraction of shortening, the amplitude of calcium transient, and the rate of cytosolic calcium removal were significantly increased). A faster isovolumic relaxation was also observed at the organ level. Consistent with functional data, we measured a significant increase in the intracellular ATP content supported by enhanced endogenous mitochondrial respiration in GTE cardiomyocytes, as well as higher values of the ratios phosphorylated-PLB/PLB and SERCA2/PLB. Conclusions: Long-term in vivo administration of GTE improves cell mechanical properties and intracellular calcium dynamics in normal cardiomyocytes, by increasing energy availability and removing the inhibitory effect of PLB on SERCA2

Grupos funcionales de hormigas: evaluación de su utilización como indicadores del impacto ambiental producto de la agricultura y el cambio climático

Las hormigas se destacan por su elevada biomasa, diversidad, dominancia numérica e importancia ecológica, por tal motivo son utilizadas como indicadores biológicos del estado de conservación de los escosistemas. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar la diversidad de Formícidos presentes en un pastizal natural de la localidad de 9 de Julio, a los fines de estimar el grado de disturbio que presenta el agroecosistema y evaluar la utilización de los grupos funcionales de hormigas en el seguimiento del impacto del cambio climático. Se realizaron monitoreos por captura manual y la utilización de cebos. Se calculó el índice de diversidad de Shannon Wiener, el de dominancia de Berger Parker y a los fines de determinar el grupo funcional dominante, se agrupó a las hormigas en grupos funcionales desarrollado para comunidades mirmecológicas. Se identificaron 4.533 hormigas agrupadas en 4 subfamilias y 12 géneros. La diversidad general fue de 2,33 y la dominancia general de 51,6, siendo Solenopsis sp1. (Myrmicinae) dominante. Se repartieron en 6 grupos funcionales: Especialistas de Climas Tropicales (54,12%), Mirmicinae Generalistas (35,76%) y Dolicherinae Dominantes (6,13%). Los restantes grupos presentaron abundancias menores al 5%. Dada que los Dolichoderinae Dominantes fueron escasos, podría inferirse que la competencia no fue el factor determinante de la estructura de la comunidad. Se concluye que el ambiente ocupado por la misma se encuentra bajo condiciones de estrés intermedio y disturbio moderadamente alto y que la utilización de los grupos funcionales constituye una herramienta a implementar en el seguimiento y diagnóstico de los cambios ambientales.Eje: Economía, producción y tecnología.Universidad Nacional de La Plat

Grupos funcionales de hormigas: evaluación de su utilización como indicadores del impacto ambiental producto de la agricultura y el cambio climático

Las hormigas se destacan por su elevada biomasa, diversidad, dominancia numérica e importancia ecológica, por tal motivo son utilizadas como indicadores biológicos del estado de conservación de los escosistemas. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar la diversidad de Formícidos presentes en un pastizal natural de la localidad de 9 de Julio, a los fines de estimar el grado de disturbio que presenta el agroecosistema y evaluar la utilización de los grupos funcionales de hormigas en el seguimiento del impacto del cambio climático. Se realizaron monitoreos por captura manual y la utilización de cebos. Se calculó el índice de diversidad de Shannon Wiener, el de dominancia de Berger Parker y a los fines de determinar el grupo funcional dominante, se agrupó a las hormigas en grupos funcionales desarrollado para comunidades mirmecológicas. Se identificaron 4.533 hormigas agrupadas en 4 subfamilias y 12 géneros. La diversidad general fue de 2,33 y la dominancia general de 51,6, siendo Solenopsis sp1. (Myrmicinae) dominante. Se repartieron en 6 grupos funcionales: Especialistas de Climas Tropicales (54,12%), Mirmicinae Generalistas (35,76%) y Dolicherinae Dominantes (6,13%). Los restantes grupos presentaron abundancias menores al 5%. Dada que los Dolichoderinae Dominantes fueron escasos, podría inferirse que la competencia no fue el factor determinante de la estructura de la comunidad. Se concluye que el ambiente ocupado por la misma se encuentra bajo condiciones de estrés intermedio y disturbio moderadamente alto y que la utilización de los grupos funcionales constituye una herramienta a implementar en el seguimiento y diagnóstico de los cambios ambientales.Eje: Economía, producción y tecnología.Universidad Nacional de La Plat

Sampling effort and information quality provided by rare and common species in estimating assemblage structure

Reliable biological assessments are essential to answer ecological and management questions but require well-designed studies and representative sample sizes. However, large sampling effort is rarely possible, because it demands large financial resources and time, restricting the number of sites sampled, the duration of the study and the sampling effort at each site. In this context, we need methods and protocols allowing cost-effective surveys that would, consequently, increase the knowledge about how biodiversity is distributed in space and time. Here, we assessed the minimal sampling effort required to correctly estimate the assemblage structure of stream insects sampled in near-pristine boreal and subtropical regions. We used five methods grouped into two different approaches. The first approach consisted of the removal of individuals 1) randomly or 2) based on a count threshold. The second approach consisted of simplification in terms of 1) sequential removal from rare to common species; 2) sequential removal from common to rare species; and 3) random species removal. The reliability of the methods was assessed using Procrustes analysis, which indicated the correlation between a reduced matrix (after removal of individuals or species) and the complete matrix. In many cases, we found a strong relationship between ordination patterns derived from presence/absence data (the extreme count threshold of a single individual) and those patterns derived from abundance data. Also, major multivariate patterns derived from the complete data matrices were retained even after the random removal of more than half of the individuals. Procrustes correlation was generally high ( > 0.8), even with the removal of 50% of the species. Removal of common species produced lower correlation than removal of rare species, indicating higher importance of the former to estimate resemblance between assemblages. Thus, we conclude that sampling designs can be optimized by reducing the sampling effort at a site. We recommend that such efforts saved should be redirected to increase the number of sites studied and the duration of the studies, which is essential to encompass larger spatial, temporal and environmental extents, and increase our knowledge of biodiversity.peerReviewe

To what degree have the non-police public services adopted the National Intelligence Model? : what benefits could the National Intelligence Model deliver?

It is claimed that the National Intelligence Model (NIM) consolidated intelligence-led policing principles in investigative practice and decision making in British policing. Subsequently, encouraged by the Home Office, the NIM was adopted by a number of other public services with an investigative capability. However, that transfer took place without a sufficiently rigorous evaluation of the model’s value to the police service and without any meaningful analysis of its relevance to the investigative functions of other public sector agencies. This research examined the adoption of the NIM by three public sector bodies: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) and the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). It drew on archival materials, associated literature and the analysis of semi-structured interviews with the personnel of these and associated agencies. Research respondents also assessed a simplified version of the NIM that was designed to remove many of the original model’s inconsistencies and ambiguities. The research identified that the reviewed public services are not compliant with the NIM minimum standards and that the model has not delivered any meaningful improvement in the consistency of process, investigative efficiency, improved partnership working, or in fraud reduction in those agencies. The NIM failed because of perceived complexity, the language of the model and supplementary guidance; its exclusive ‘fit’ with the police; and a suspicion by the agencies’ personnel that its adoption was intended as a performance management and governance tool. Moreover, the revised version of the NIM’s minimum standards did not improve comprehension or conformity, or resolve the model’s perceived police bias. It was concluded that the model is not fit for purpose for the agencies studied and that an alternative model that is more finely tuned to the needs of those agencies is required.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo