Factores ambientales que afectan la calidad y germinación de semillas de Mimosa ephedroides (Fabaceae), un arbusto endémico del Desierto de Monte, Argentina

Mimosa ephedroides es un arbusto endémico del oeste de Argentina. El conocimiento de la respuesta germinativa de esta especie ante distintos factores ambientales contribuye a una utilización eficiente de la misma en proyectos de restauración ecológica. Este estudio tuvo por objetivo examinar diferentes aspectos de la germinación de esta especie. Se evaluaron la calidad de las semillas y la dormición, la temperatura óptima de germinación y los efectos del estrés hídrico y salino (usando Manitol y NaCl como agentes osmóticos respectivamente) y del tiempo de almacenamiento de las semillas en su viabilidad y germinación. Los experimentos se llevaron a cabo en cámaras de crecimiento controlado. Se calculó el porcentaje de germinación y el tiempo medio de germinación. Los resultados mostraron que las semillas de esta especie presentan alta viabilidad, bajas pérdidas pre-dispersión y son no durmientes. En lo que respecta a los factores abióticos, la temperatura óptima para la germinación se encontró entre 20 y 30 °C, presentando altos porcentajes de germinación incluso con estrés hídrico moderado y severo (-1,12 MPa). Los porcentajes de germinación disminuyeron con el aumento de los niveles de salinidad a partir de 300 mM NaCl. Durante períodos cortos (hasta 36 meses), el almacenamiento de las semillas a temperatura ambiente (18°C) fue adecuado y no afectó la viabilidad o la germinación de las semillas. Estos resultados constituyen un aporte al conocimiento de los aspectos autoecológicos de esta especie endémica, apoyan su incorporación para proyectos de restauración y permiten el uso eficiente de sus semillas en la siembra directa o la producción de plántulas.Mimosa ephedroides is an endemic shrub from western Argentina. Knowledge on its germination response to different environmental factors contributes to an efficient use of this species in ecological restoration projects. This study aimed to examine different aspects of the species germination. Seed quality and dormancy, optimum germination temperature, effects of water and saline stresses (by using Mannitol and NaCl as osmotic agents, respectively) and of seed storage time on seed viability and germination, were evaluated. Experiments were carried out in controlled growth chambers. Germination percentage and mean germination time were calculated. Results showed that seeds of this species have high viability, low pre-dispersal loss and are non-dormant. Regarding abiotic factors, optimum germination temperature ranged from 20 to 30 °C, while high germination percentages were observed even at moderate and severe water stress (-1.12 MPa). Germination percentages decreased when salinity increased over 300 mM NaCl. For short periods (up to 36 months), seed storage at room temperature (18 °C) was adequate and did not affect seed viability or germination. These results constitute important contributions to the autecological aspects of this endemic species, supporting its incorporation in restoration projects and allowing efficient use of its seeds in direct seeding or seedling production.Fil: Dágata, Sofia Leonor. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, María Emiliaiadiz. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas; ArgentinaFil: Passera, Carlos Bernardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; Argentin

Oxidative Stress and Neonatal Respiratory Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation

Oxidative stress is a frequent condition in critically ill patients, especially if exposed to extracorporeal circulation, and it is associated with worse outcomes and increased mortality. The inflammation triggered by the contact of blood with a non-endogenous surface, the use of high volumes of packed red blood cells and platelets transfusion, the risk of hyperoxia and the impairment of antioxidation systems contribute to the increase of reactive oxygen species and the imbalance of the redox system. This is responsible for the increased production of superoxide anion, hydrogen peroxide, hydroxyl radicals, and peroxynitrite resulting in increased lipid peroxidation, protein oxidation, and DNA damage. The understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanisms leading to redox imbalance would pave the way for the future development of preventive approaches. This review provides an overview of the clinical impact of the oxidative stress during neonatal extracorporeal support and concludes with a brief perspective on the current antioxidant strategies, with the aim to focus on the potential oxidative stress-mediated cell damage that has been implicated in both short and long-term outcomes

Effect of water and salt stress on germination of the halophyte Suaeda divaricata Moq

Suaeda divaricata (Amaranthaceae) es un arbusto que crece en ambientes salinos y que presenta potencial de uso en tareas de restauración ecológica. El objetivo de este estudio fue determinar el efecto del estrés hídrico y salino en la germinación de esta especie, información clave para su uso en dichas tareas. Los ensayos se realizaron en cajas de Petri y se utilizaron soluciones isosmóticas de Manitol y NaCl con potencial osmótico decreciente (0 a -2,88 MPa). Se realizaron cuatro repeticiones de 25 semillas por cada tratamiento, las cuales se incubaron a 20°C por 30 días. La reversibilidad de ambos tipos de estrés se evaluó para semillas expuestas a -2,88 MPa al finalizar el ensayo. El umbral a partir del cual la germinación se vio afectada fue ? 1,44 MPa, mientras que no se vio inhibida hasta -2,43 MPa, para ambos tipos de estrés. Las semillas permanecieron viables al ser expuestas a estrés hídrico y salino elevado y exhibieron un porcentaje de recuperación elevado al transferirse a agua destilada (>80%). Los datos sugieren que la inhibición de la germinación al mismo potencial hídrico de NaCl y Manitol se debería al efecto osmótico más que a la toxicidad de la sal y que esta especie es capaz de tolerar niveles elevados de estrés hídrico y salino en su etapa germinativa. La reversibilidad de ambos tipos de estrés también constituye una característica adaptiva de esta especie a su ambiente. El presente estudio contribuye al uso de esta especie en tareas de restauración.Fil: Dágata, Sofia Leonor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Meglioli, Pablo Andrés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Passera, Carlos Bernardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaXXXVIII Jornadas Argentinas de BotánicaEntre RíosArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Botánic

Global burden of 288 causes of death and life expectancy decomposition in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations, 1990–2021: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021

BACKGROUND Regular, detailed reporting on population health by underlying cause of death is fundamental for public health decision making. Cause-specific estimates of mortality and the subsequent effects on life expectancy worldwide are valuable metrics to gauge progress in reducing mortality rates. These estimates are particularly important following large-scale mortality spikes, such as the COVID-19 pandemic. When systematically analysed, mortality rates and life expectancy allow comparisons of the consequences of causes of death globally and over time, providing a nuanced understanding of the effect of these causes on global populations. METHODS The Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 cause-of-death analysis estimated mortality and years of life lost (YLLs) from 288 causes of death by age-sex-location-year in 204 countries and territories and 811 subnational locations for each year from 1990 until 2021. The analysis used 56 604 data sources, including data from vital registration and verbal autopsy as well as surveys, censuses, surveillance systems, and cancer registries, among others. As with previous GBD rounds, cause-specific death rates for most causes were estimated using the Cause of Death Ensemble model-a modelling tool developed for GBD to assess the out-of-sample predictive validity of different statistical models and covariate permutations and combine those results to produce cause-specific mortality estimates-with alternative strategies adapted to model causes with insufficient data, substantial changes in reporting over the study period, or unusual epidemiology. YLLs were computed as the product of the number of deaths for each cause-age-sex-location-year and the standard life expectancy at each age. As part of the modelling process, uncertainty intervals (UIs) were generated using the 2·5th and 97·5th percentiles from a 1000-draw distribution for each metric. We decomposed life expectancy by cause of death, location, and year to show cause-specific effects on life expectancy from 1990 to 2021. We also used the coefficient of variation and the fraction of population affected by 90% of deaths to highlight concentrations of mortality. Findings are reported in counts and age-standardised rates. Methodological improvements for cause-of-death estimates in GBD 2021 include the expansion of under-5-years age group to include four new age groups, enhanced methods to account for stochastic variation of sparse data, and the inclusion of COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality-which includes excess mortality associated with the pandemic, excluding COVID-19, lower respiratory infections, measles, malaria, and pertussis. For this analysis, 199 new country-years of vital registration cause-of-death data, 5 country-years of surveillance data, 21 country-years of verbal autopsy data, and 94 country-years of other data types were added to those used in previous GBD rounds. FINDINGS The leading causes of age-standardised deaths globally were the same in 2019 as they were in 1990; in descending order, these were, ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and lower respiratory infections. In 2021, however, COVID-19 replaced stroke as the second-leading age-standardised cause of death, with 94·0 deaths (95% UI 89·2-100·0) per 100 000 population. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the rankings of the leading five causes, lowering stroke to the third-leading and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease to the fourth-leading position. In 2021, the highest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 occurred in sub-Saharan Africa (271·0 deaths [250·1-290·7] per 100 000 population) and Latin America and the Caribbean (195·4 deaths [182·1-211·4] per 100 000 population). The lowest age-standardised death rates from COVID-19 were in the high-income super-region (48·1 deaths [47·4-48·8] per 100 000 population) and southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania (23·2 deaths [16·3-37·2] per 100 000 population). Globally, life expectancy steadily improved between 1990 and 2019 for 18 of the 22 investigated causes. Decomposition of global and regional life expectancy showed the positive effect that reductions in deaths from enteric infections, lower respiratory infections, stroke, and neonatal deaths, among others have contributed to improved survival over the study period. However, a net reduction of 1·6 years occurred in global life expectancy between 2019 and 2021, primarily due to increased death rates from COVID-19 and other pandemic-related mortality. Life expectancy was highly variable between super-regions over the study period, with southeast Asia, east Asia, and Oceania gaining 8·3 years (6·7-9·9) overall, while having the smallest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 (0·4 years). The largest reduction in life expectancy due to COVID-19 occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (3·6 years). Additionally, 53 of the 288 causes of death were highly concentrated in locations with less than 50% of the global population as of 2021, and these causes of death became progressively more concentrated since 1990, when only 44 causes showed this pattern. The concentration phenomenon is discussed heuristically with respect to enteric and lower respiratory infections, malaria, HIV/AIDS, neonatal disorders, tuberculosis, and measles. INTERPRETATION Long-standing gains in life expectancy and reductions in many of the leading causes of death have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the adverse effects of which were spread unevenly among populations. Despite the pandemic, there has been continued progress in combatting several notable causes of death, leading to improved global life expectancy over the study period. Each of the seven GBD super-regions showed an overall improvement from 1990 and 2021, obscuring the negative effect in the years of the pandemic. Additionally, our findings regarding regional variation in causes of death driving increases in life expectancy hold clear policy utility. Analyses of shifting mortality trends reveal that several causes, once widespread globally, are now increasingly concentrated geographically. These changes in mortality concentration, alongside further investigation of changing risks, interventions, and relevant policy, present an important opportunity to deepen our understanding of mortality-reduction strategies. Examining patterns in mortality concentration might reveal areas where successful public health interventions have been implemented. Translating these successes to locations where certain causes of death remain entrenched can inform policies that work to improve life expectancy for people everywhere. FUNDING Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

Respuestas germinativas del arbusto endémico Cyclolepis genistiodes gillies ex. D. Don (Asteraceae)

Cyclolepis genistiodes es arbusto halófilo de interés en tareas de restauración ecológica. Se evaluó la presencia de dormición en las semillas de esta especie así como el efecto del estrés hídrico y salino en su germinación. Se realizaron cuatro repeticiones de 25 semillas por tratamiento. Se determinó la viabilidad de las semillas y se incubaron en un rango de 10-40°C. Además, se utilizaron soluciones isosmóticas de Manitol y NaCl con potencial osmótico decreciente (0 a -2,88 MPa), las cuales se incubaron a 20°C. Los ensayos duraron 30 días. Se encontró que las semillas de este arbusto tienen alta viabilidad (>85%) y no presentan dormición. La germinación se vio afectada significativamente a partir – 1,44 MPa para ambos tipos de estrés, siendo mayor el porcentaje de semillas germinadas en NaCl. Asimismo, la germinación de semillas incubadas en condiciones salinas se vio inhibida a potenciales osmóticos más bajos (-2,43 MPa) que las incubadas en soluciones isosmóticas de Manitol (-1,92 MPa). Esto sugiere que es mayor la importancia del efecto osmótico que el tóxico de la salinidad en la germinación de esta especie. Estos resultados contribuyen al conocimiento de la biología de las semillas de C. genistiodes y a su uso en restauración.Fil: Dágata, Sofia Leonor. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; ArgentinaFil: Meglioli, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Provincia de Mendoza. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Passera, Carlos Bernardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mendoza; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Cuyo. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias. Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas. Cátedra de Fisiología Vegetal; Argentina2° Reunión Argentina de Biología de SemillasSaltaArgentinaRed Argentina de Biologia de Semilla

Explainable Machine Learning (XAI) for Survival in Bone Marrow Transplantation Trials: A Technical Report

Artificial intelligence is gaining interest among clinicians, but its results are difficult to be interpreted, especially when dealing with survival outcomes and censored observations. Explainable machine learning (XAI) has been recently extended to this context to improve explainability, interpretability and transparency for modeling results. A cohort of 231 patients undergoing an allogeneic bone marrow transplantation was analyzed by XAI for survival by two different uni- and multi-variate survival models, proportional hazard regression and random survival forest, having as the main outcome the overall survival (OS) and its main determinants, using the survex package for R. Both models’ performances were investigated using the integrated Brier score, the integrated Cumulative/Dynamic AUC and the concordance C-index. Global explanation for the whole cohort was performed using the time-dependent variable importance and the partial dependence survival plot. The local explanation for each single patient was obtained via the SurvSHAP(t) and SurvLIME plots and the ceteris paribus survival profile. The survex package common interface ensured a good feasibility of XAI for survival, and the advanced graphical options allowed us to easily explore, explain and compare OS results coming from the two survival models. Before the modeling results to be suitable for clinical use, understandability, clinical relevance and computational efficiency were the most important criteria ensured by this XAI for survival approach, in adherence to clinical XAI guidelines

Environmental factors affecting germination of Mimosa ephedroides (Fabaceae), an endemic shrub from Monte Desert, Argentina

Mimosa ephedroides is an endemic shrub from western Argentina. The knowledge of the germination response of this species to different environmental factors contribute to its efficient use in ecological restoration projects. This study aimed to examine aspects of seed quality, seed dormancy, and the effect of temperature, water and saline stress on the germination of this species. Also, the effect of seed storage time on the viability and the percentage of germinated seeds were evaluated. Experiments were carried out in controlled growth chambers. Germination percentage and mean germination time were calculated. It was found that this species has non-dormant seeds. Concerning abiotic factors, the optimum temperature for germination ranged from 20 to 30 ºC, it presented high germination percentages even at moderate and severe water stress (-1.12 MPa), and the germination percentages decreased with increasing salinity levels from 300 mM NaCl. In short periods (up to 36 months), seed storage at room temperature (18ºC) was adequate, not affecting the viability and the germination power of the seeds. These results constitute a contribution to the knowledge of the autecological aspects of this endemic species, support its incorporation for restoration projects, and aid to an efficient use of native seeds for direct seeding or seedling production. Highlights Mimosa ephedroides seeds are non- dormant, show high viability and rapid germination (>24 h). This shrub is able to germinate in a wide range of temperatures and under moderate and severe water stress. High salinity levels (<300 Mm NaCl) negatively affected seed germination. Seed storage for short periods (<5 years) at room temperature (18ºC) did not affect seed viability and germination.Mimosa ephedroides is an endemic shrub from western Argentina. The knowledge of the germination response of this species to different environmental factors contribute to its efficient use in ecological restoration projects. This study aimed to examine aspects of seed quality, seed dormancy, and the effect of temperature, water and saline stress on the germination of this species. Also, the effect of seed storage time on the viability and the percentage of germinated seeds were evaluated. Experiments were carried out in controlled growth chambers. Germination percentage and mean germination time were calculated. It was found that this species has non-dormant seeds. Concerning abiotic factors, the optimum temperature for germination ranged from 20 to 30 ºC, it presented high germination percentages even at moderate and severe water stress (-1.12 MPa), and the germination percentages decreased with increasing salinity levels from 300 mM NaCl. In short periods (up to 36 months), seed storage at room temperature (18ºC) was adequate, not affecting the viability and the germination power of the seeds. These results constitute a contribution to the knowledge of the autecological aspects of this endemic species, support its incorporation for restoration projects, and aid to an efficient use of native seeds for direct seeding or seedling production. Highlights Mimosa ephedroides seeds are non- dormant, show high viability and rapid germination (>24 h). This shrub is able to germinate in a wide range of temperatures and under moderate and severe water stress. High salinity levels (<300 Mm NaCl) negatively affected seed germination. Seed storage for short periods (<5 years) at room temperature (18ºC) did not affect seed viability and germination

Role of Lung Function Monitoring by the Forced Oscillation Technique for Tailoring Ventilation and Weaning in Neonatal ECMO: New Insights From a Case Report

Respiratory management during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is complex. Assessment of lung mechanics might support a patient-tailored ventilatory strategy. We report, for the first time, the use of the forced oscillation technique (FOT) to evaluate lung function during neonatal ECMO to improve the individualization of respiratory support. The patient was a formerly preterm infant at a corrected age of 40 weeks (gestational age 32 weeks) undergoing veno-arterial ECMO for refractory respiratory failure secondary to influenza A (H1N1) pneumonia. We used the FOT as a bedside non-invasive tool for daily monitoring of lung mechanics, from ECMO day 6 (E6) until decannulation. A small-amplitude, 5-Hz oscillatory pressure was overimposed on the ventilation waveform at the airway opening during positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) trials. From E6 to E9, lung mechanics changes with PEEP indicated a largely de-recruited and easily over-distendable lung that was not recruitable by applying lung-protective PEEP values. After surfactant and steroid administration, oscillatory reactance (Xrs) values began improving, suggesting a more recruited and pressure-recruitable lung. On E11, despite the lack of improvement in the radiographic appearance of the thorax, the FOT measurements showed a more recruited lung. Weaning from ECMO was started, and the patient was extubated within 48 h. The decannulation was successful, and the patient was extubated within 48 h after ECMO weaning. First-year respiratory and neurodevelopmental follow-up evaluation was unremarkable. This report suggests the potential usefulness of the FOT for monitoring the lung mechanics of ventilated newborns during ECMO to achieve individualized respiratory management. Such tailoring might improve neonatal outcomes and support clinicians with the establishment of a timely and safer weaning approach. These findings need to be verified on a larger population