Contribution of bacterial respiration to plankton respiration from 50˚N to 44˚S in the Atlantic Ocean

Marine bacteria play an important role in the global cycling of carbon and therefore in climate regulation. However, the paucity of direct measurements means that our understanding of the magnitude and variability of bacterial respiration in the ocean is poor. Estimations of respiration in the 0.2-0.8 µm size-fraction (considered as bacterial respiration), total plankton community respiration, and the contribution of bacterial respiration to total plankton community respiration were made along two latitudinal transects in the Atlantic Ocean (ca. 50 ºN – 44 ºS) during 2010 and 2011. Two different methodologies were used: determination of changes in dissolved O2 concentration after standard 24 h dark bottle incubations, and measurements of in vivo reduction of 2-(ρ-iodophenyl)-3- (ρ-nitrophenyl)-5phenyl tetrazolium salt (INT). There was an overall significant correlation (r = 0.44, p <0.0001, n = 90) between the rates of community respiration estimated by both methods. Depth-integrated community respiration varied as much as three-fold between regions. Maximum rates occurred in waters of the western European shelf and Patagonian shelf, and minimum rates in the North and South oligotrophic gyres. Depth-integrated bacterial respiration followed the same pattern as community respiration. There was a significantly higher cell-specific bacterial respiration in the northern subtropical gyre than in the southern subtropical gyre which suggests that bacterial carbon turnover is faster in the northern gyre. The relationships between plankton respiration and physicochemical and biological variables were different in different years. In general, INTT was correlated to both chlorophyll-a and bacterial abundance, while INT0.2-0.8 was only correlated with bacterial abundance. However, in 2010 INTT and INT0.2-0.8 were also correlated with temperature and primary production while in 2011 they were correlated with nitrate + nitrite concentration. The bacterial contribution to depth integrated community respiration was highly variable within provinces (4 - 77 %). Results from this study suggest that the proportion of total community respiration attributable to bacteria is similar between the 6 oceanographic regions studied

Dataset of above and below ground traits assessed in Durum wheat cultivars grown under Mediterranean environments differing in water and temperature conditions

Ideotypic characteristics of durum wheat associated with higher yield under different water and temperature regimes were studied under Mediterranean conditions. The focus of this paper is to provide raw and supplemental data from the research article entitled "Durum wheat ideotypes in Mediterranean environments differing in water and temperature conditions" [1], which aims to define specific durum wheat ideotypes according to their responses to different agronomic conditions. In this context, six modern (i.e. post green revolution) genotypes with contrasting yield performance (i.e. high vs low yield) were grown during two consecutive years under different treatments: (i) winter planting under support-irrigation conditions, (ii) winter planting under rainfed conditions, (iii) late planting under support-irrigation. Trials were conducted at the INIA station of Colmenar de Oreja (Madrid). Different traits were assessed to inform about water status (canopy temperature at anthesis and stable carbon isotope composition (delta C-13) of the flag leaf and mature grains), root performance (root traits and the oxygen isotope composition (delta O-18) in the stem base water), phenology (days from sowing to heading), nitrogen status/photosynthetic capacity (nitrogen content and stable isotope composition (delta N-15) of the flag leaf and mature grain together with the pigment contents and the nitrogen balance index (NBI) of the flag leaf), crop growth (plant height (PH) and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) at anthesis), grain yield and agronomic yield components. For most of the parameters assessed, data analysis demonstrated significant differences among genotypes within each treatment. The level of significance was determined using the Tukey-b test on independent samples, and ideotypes were modelled from the results of principle component analysis. The present data shed light on traits that help to define specific ideotype characteristics that confer genotypic adaptation to a wide range of agronomic conditions produced by variations in planting date, water conditions and seasonThis study was supported by the Spanish projects PID2019-106650RB-C21 and PCIN-2017-063, from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion, Spain. FZR is a recipient of a research grant (FI-AGAUR) sponsored by the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants (AGAUR) in collaboration with the University of Barcelona (UB) . We thank the personnel from the exper-imental station of INIA at Colmenar de Oreja (Aranjuez) for their continued support of our re-search. We thank the members of the Integrative Crop Ecophysiology Group for their assistance during the data assessment of the study. We extend our thanks to The Water Research Institute (IdRA) for their financial support to cover laboratory analyses. JLA acknowledges support from ICREA Academia, Generalitat de Catalunya, Spain. We thank Dr. J.Voltas from the University of Lleida, Spain, for his support with the delta 18O water analyses

Agronomic and physiological traits related to the genetic advance of semi-dwarf durum wheat: The case of Spain

Knowledge of the agronomic and physiological traits associated with genetic gains in yield is essential to improve understanding of yield-limiting factors and to inform future breeding strategies. The aim of this paper is to dissect the agronomic and physiological traits related to genetic gain and to propose an ideotype with high yield that is best adapted to Spanish Mediterranean environments. Six semi-dwarf (i.e. modern) durum wheat genotypes were grown in a wide range of growing conditions in Spain during two successive years. Diverse agronomic, physiological and leaf morphological traits were evaluated. Kernels spike−1 was the yield component most affected by the genetic gain. While no interaction between genotype and growing conditions existed for grain yield, the more productive genotypes were characterized by a plant height of around 85 cm, small erect flag leaves, more open stomata, a better balance between N sources and N sinks and a higher capacity to re-fix CO2 respired by the grain. Moreover, in general the non-laminar parts of the plants play a key role in providing assimilates during grain filling. The high heritability of most of the studied parameters allows their consideration as traits for phenotyping durum wheat better adapted to a wide range of Mediterranean conditions

Validation of the in vivo iodo-nitro-tetrazolium (INT) salt reduction method as a proxy for plankton respiration

Knowledge of the magnitude and variability of plankton respiration is a crucial gap in our understanding of marine carbon cycling. In order to validate the INT reduction method as a proxy for plankton respiration, we have compiled and analyzed a dataset (n = 376) of concurrent measurements of dissolved oxygen consumption (CRO2) and in vivo reduction of 2-para (iodophenyl)-3(nitrophenyl)-5(phenyl) tetrazolium chloride tetrazolium salt (INT) spanning a wide range of oceanic regions and physicochemical conditions. Data were randomly divided into two independent subgroups: two thirds of the data were used to derive a regression conversion between dissolved oxygen consumption and INT reduction (“training” dataset) and one third of the data was used to validate the regression (“test” dataset). There was a significant relationship between the log-transformed dissolved oxygen consumption rates and the log-transformed INT reduction rates (INTT) with the “training” dataset (logCRO2 = 0.72logINTT + 0.44, R2 = 0.69, n = 249, p 8∘C and chlorophyll-a concentrations >0.2 μg L-1 and reduced at lower temperatures and chlorophyll-a concentrations. The results of this study endorse the adequate performance and reliability of the INT method for natural plankton communities.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. 07MMA002402PRXunta de Galicia | Ref. 07MMA013103PRMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CTM2009-08069-EMinisterio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CTM2011-29616Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CTM2008-03790Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. CTM2009-08616-

Search for histopathological characteristics of inflammatory juvenile conjunctival nevus in conjunctival nevi related to age : Analysis of 33 cases

Conjunctival nevi in young individuals can correspond to the entity named Inflammatory Juvenile Conjunctival Nevus (IJCN), presenting clinically as a rapid growth lesion, and showing at the histopathological study an inflammatory infiltrate surrounding the lesion. All these findings can suggest a diagnosis of malignancy. Due to a case of IJCN diagnosed in our Pathology department, we realized that this entity is rarely reported in the literature and histopathological diagnostic criteria are not well defined. The aim of our study is to compare the histopathological characteristics of conjunctival nevi in patients aged thirty years or less to those in patients above 30 years, looking for the findings described in IJCN. All the excisional specimens of resected conjunctival nevus in a tertiary hospital from 2000 to 2018 were retrieved from the Pathology department archives. Demographic data were recorded, and histopathological variables (histological type of nevus, lymphocytic infiltration, eosinophilic infiltration, presence of lymphoid follicles, stromal nevomelanocytic component, intraepithelial nevomelanocytic component, epithelial inclusions, quantity of goblet cells in epithelial inclusions, cellular atypia, mitoses and maturation of the lesion) were evaluated by three independent observers. Statistical analysis was performed comparing the two age groups. The study determined a significant predominance of the lymphocytic and eosinophilic infiltration in the group of patients aged thirty years or less respect to the elderly group. The percentage of stromal component of the lesion is larger in patients over thirty years compared to the younger group. There was no correlation between epithelial inclusions, maturation or cytological atypia and age groups. We found some histopathological differences in conjunctival nevi related to young age, some of them coincident with the ones described in IJCN, which histopathologically could lead to a misleading diagnosis. However, we did not find significant differences related to age in many of the described histopathological findings described in IJCN. Larger series with a greater number of cases would be of interest to characterize more precisely this lesion

Interactive effects of CO2 concentration and water regime on stable isotope signatures, nitrogen assimilation and growth in sweet Pepper.

Sweet pepper is among the most widely cultivated horticultural crops in the Mediterranean basin, being frequently grown hydroponically under cover in combination with CO2 fertilization and water conditions ranging from optimal to suboptimal. The aim of this study is to develop a simple model, based on the analysis of plant stable isotopes in their natural abundance, gas exchange traits and N concentration, to assess sweet pepper growth. Plants were grown in a growth chamber for near 6 weeks. Two [CO2] (400 and 800 μmol mol−1), three water regimes (control and mild and moderate water stress) and four genotypes were assayed. For each combination of genotype, [CO2] and water regime five plants were evaluated. Water stress applied caused significant decreases in water potential, net assimilation, stomatal conductance, intercellular to atmospheric [CO2], and significant increases in water use efficiency, leaf chlorophyll content and carbon isotope composition, while the relative water content, the osmotic potential and the content of anthocyanins did change not under stress compared to control conditions support this statement. Nevertheless, water regime affects plant growth via nitrogen assimilation, which is associated with the transpiration stream, particularly at high [CO2], while the lower N concentration caused by rising [CO2] is not associated with stomatal closure. The stable isotope composition of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen (δ13C, δ18O, and δ15N) in plant matter are affected not only by water regime but also by rising [CO2]. Thus, δ18O increased probably as response to decreases in transpiration, while the increase in δ15N may reflect not only a lower stomatal conductance but a higher nitrogen demand in leaves or shifts in nitrogen metabolism associated with decreases in photorespiration. The way that δ13C explains differences in plant growth across water regimes within a given [CO2], seems to be mediated through its direct relationship with N accumulation in leaves. The changes in the profile and amount of amino acids caused by water stress and high [CO2] support this conclusion. However, the results do not support the use of δ18O as an indicator of the effect of water regime on plant growth

What to expect and when: benznidazole toxicity in chronic Chagas' disease treatment

Background: Benznidazole is one of the two most effective antiparasitic drugs for Chagas' disease treatment. However, knowledge about its toxicity profile is mostly based on post-marketing observational studies. Objectives: Our study combines data from two prospective clinical trials designed to assess the safety of the drug newly produced by ELEA Laboratories (Abarax(R)). Methods: Eligible participants were selected using a consecutive sampling strategy in the CINEBENZ and BIOMARCHA studies between 2013 and 2016 (EUDRACT 2011-002900-34 and 2012-002645-38, respectively, and clinicaltrials.gov NCT01755403 and NCT01755377, respectively). Enrolled subjects received treatment with 5 mg/kg/day benznidazole orally in two divided doses for 8 weeks and were followed up fortnightly. Results: We observed 305 adverse reactions in 85 of 99 participants (85.9%). Each patient had a median of three adverse reactions, 89.5% were mild and the median duration was 12 days. Most adverse reactions appeared in the first month of treatment except arthritis and peripheral neuropathy. Twenty-six patients did not complete treatment: 2 were withdrawn, 1 for ectopic pregnancy and 1 for epilepsy relapse due to cysticercosis; 2 were lost to follow-up; and 22 were owing to adverse reactions, two of them severe. We observed some unexpected adverse reactions that have not been described previously, such as psychiatric symptoms, erectile dysfunction, menstrual cycle alterations and lung infiltration. Conclusions: There is a very high frequency of adverse reactions to benznidazole. Most adverse reactions are mild, but the treatment burden is significant and unexpected reactions are not rare. Severe reactions are uncommon, but they can be life-threatening. Further studies are necessary to optimize treatment

Carbon Isotope Composition and the NDVI as Phenotyping Approaches for Drought Adaptation in Durum Wheat: Beyond Trait Selection

High-throughput phenotyping platforms provide valuable opportunities to investigate biomass and drought-adaptive traits. We explored the capacity of traits associated with drought adaptation such as aerial measurements of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and carbon isotope composition (δ13C) determined at the leaf level to predict genetic variation in biomass. A panel of 248 elite durum wheat accessions was grown at the Maricopa Phenotyping platform (US) under well-watered conditions until anthesis, and then irrigation was stopped and plot biomass was harvested about three weeks later. Globally, the δ13C values increased from the first to the second sampling date, in keeping with the imposition of progressive water stress. Additionally, δ13C was negatively correlated with final biomass, and the correlation increased at the second sampling, suggesting that accessions with lower water-use efficiency maintained better water status and, thus, performed better. Flowering time affected NDVI predictions of biomass, revealing the importance of developmental stage when measuring the NDVI and the effect that phenology has on its accuracy when monitoring genotypic adaptation to specific environments. The results indicate that in addition to choosing the optimal phenotypic traits, the time at which they are assessed, and avoiding a wide genotypic range in phenology is crucial

Open Medical Library: Cooperation and Scientific Communication Network through RSS

http://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:179869One of the fastest and most performing tools on Web 2.0 is RSS (Really Simple Syndication). It allows the access to digital content without constantly visiting the pages where it is stored. Syndication enables to share all kind of information in XML format, and offers us the opportunity of showing our own content in other web pages in an integrated way, giving an added value to the information. In this communication we would like to present a Network Collaborative Project between medical libraries belonging to different institutions, located in different geographical areas and with different purposes, objectives and interests (some of them focusing on research and teaching and other on medical practice). Our medical libraries have incorporated “the content syndication”, on the one hand, as another tool for medical librarian work and, on the other hand, as a value-added service in order to be useful to different users such as medical staff, teachers, researchers or students. RSS lets us share information channels, creating a space for collaborative research. Syndication is a great help to our users as it develops a new trend in the content management sector, which is changing considerably the relationship with information, for both users and librarians’ point of view