Historic emissions from deforestation and forest degradation in Mato Grosso, Brazil: 1) source data uncertainties

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Historic carbon emissions are an important foundation for proposed efforts to Reduce Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation and enhance forest carbon stocks through conservation and sustainable forest management (REDD+). The level of uncertainty in historic carbon emissions estimates is also critical for REDD+, since high uncertainties could limit climate benefits from credited mitigation actions. Here, we analyzed source data uncertainties based on the range of available deforestation, forest degradation, and forest carbon stock estimates for the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso during 1990-2008.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Deforestation estimates showed good agreement for multi-year periods of increasing and decreasing deforestation during the study period. However, annual deforestation rates differed by > 20% in more than half of the years between 1997-2008, even for products based on similar input data. Tier 2 estimates of average forest carbon stocks varied between 99-192 Mg C ha^-1, with greatest differences in northwest Mato Grosso. Carbon stocks in deforested areas increased over the study period, yet this increasing trend in deforested biomass was smaller than the difference among carbon stock datasets for these areas.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Estimates of source data uncertainties are essential for REDD+. Patterns of spatial and temporal disagreement among available data products provide a roadmap for future efforts to reduce source data uncertainties for estimates of historic forest carbon emissions. Specifically, regions with large discrepancies in available estimates of both deforestation and forest carbon stocks are priority areas for evaluating and improving existing estimates. Full carbon accounting for REDD+ will also require filling data gaps, including forest degradation and secondary forest, with annual data on all forest transitions.</p

Abundances and rotational temperatures of the C2 interstellar molecule towards six reddened early-type stars

Using high-resolution (~85000) and high signal-to-noise ratio (~200) optical spectra acquired with the European Southern Observatory Ultraviolet and Visual Echelle Spectrograph, we have determined the interstellar column densities of C2 for six Galactic lines of sight with E(B- V) ranging from 0.33 to 1.03. For our purposes, we identified and measured absorption lines belonging to the (1, 0), (2, 0) and (3, 0) Phillips bands A1{\Pi}u-X1{\Sigma}+g. We report on the identification of a few lines of the C2 (4, 0) Phillips system towards HD 147889. The curve-of-growth method is applied to the equivalent widths to determine the column densities of the individual rotational levels of C2. The excitation temperature is extracted from the rotational diagrams. The physical parameters of the intervening molecular clouds (e.g. gas kinetic temperatures and densities of collision partners) were estimated by comparison with the theoretical model of excitation of C2.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, MNRAS 201

Services just for men? Insights from a national study of the well men services pilots.

Men continue to have a lower life expectancy in most countries compared to women. Explanations of this gendered health inequality tend to focus on male risk taking, unhealthy lifestyle choices and resistance to seeking help from health services. In the period 2005-2008 the Scottish Government funded a nationwide community health promotion programme aimed at improving men's health, called Well Men Service Pilots (henceforth WMS)

Inhibitory action of Lippia gracilis Schauer essential oil on pathogenic bacteria and its effects as a growth promoter on quail

Aim of the study: To examine the in vitro sensitivity of Salmonella sp. and Escherichia coli strains to the microbial activity of Lippia gracilis Schauer essential oil (LGSEO) and to determine the optimal level of LGSEO as a growth promoter in diets for Japanese quail up to 35 days of age.Area of study: São Cristovão, Sergipe, Brazil.Material and methods: A total of 504 female Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) at an initial average body weights of 6.80±0.10 g was allotted to one of six treatments (0, 100, 200, 300, 400 mg/kg of LGSEO and a diet containing 500 mg/kg of bacitracin methylene disalicylate) in 7 replicates, using 12 birds per experimental unit.Main results: In the age period of 21 to 35 days, feed intake declined linearly (p=0.04) and feed efficiency improved (p&lt;0.01), whereas no changes were observed in production performance (p&gt;0.05). The estimated (p=0.01) maximum relative weights of proventriculus and pancreas were obtained at the LGSEO inclusion levels of 196.5 and 251 mg/kg, respectively. Inclusion of 100 to 300 mg/kg of LGSEO in the diet reduced the total Salmonella sp. bacterial count.Research highlights: The use of 196.5 mg/kg of LGSEO in the diet of Japanese quail improved production performance and organ development and demonstrated potential antimicrobial capacity against Salmonella sp. bacteria. Due its pharmacological composition, LGSEO can potentially substitute to antimicrobials, because contains thymol and carvacrol as main active constituents

The Expression of NTAL and Its Protein Interactors Is Associated With Clinical Outcomes in Acute Myeloid Leukemia

Non–T cell activation linker (NTAL) membrane protein depletion from lipid rafts by alkylphospholipids or downregulation by shRNA knockdown decreases cell viability through regulation of the Akt/PI3K pathway in mantle cell lymphoma and acute promyelocytic leukemia cells. Here, we confirmed that the knockdown of NTAL in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cell lines was associated with decreased cell proliferation and survival. Similarly, a xenograft model using AML cells transduced with NTAL–shRNA and transplanted into immunodeficient mice led to a 1.8-fold decrease in tumor burden. Using immunoprecipitation, LC–MS/MS analysis, and label-free protein quantification, we identified interactors of NTAL in two AML cell lines. By evaluating the gene expression signatures of the NTAL protein interactors using the PREdiction of Clinical Outcomes from Genomic Profiles database, we found that 12 NTAL interactors could predict overall survival in AML, in at least two independent cohorts. In addition, patients with AML exhibiting a high expression of NTAL and its interactors were associated with a leukemic granulocyte–macrophage progenitor–like state. Taken together, our data provide evidence that NTAL and its protein interactors are relevant to AML cell proliferation and survival and represent potential therapeutic targets for granulocyte–macrophage progenitor–like leukemias

The frequency of CD127low expressing CD4+CD25high T regulatory cells is inversely correlated with human T lymphotrophic virus type-1 (HTLV-1) proviral load in HTLV-1-infection and HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>CD4⁺CD25^highregulatory T (T_Reg) cells modulate antigen-specific T cell responses, and can suppress anti-viral immunity. In HTLV-1 infection, a selective decrease in the function of T_Regcell mediated HTLV-1-tax inhibition of FOXP3 expression has been described. The purpose of this study was to assess the frequency and phenotype of T_Regcells in HTLV-1 asymptomatic carriers and in HTLV-1-associated neurological disease (HAM/TSP) patients, and to correlate with measures of T cell activation.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We were able to confirm that HTLV-I drives activation, spontaneous IFNγ production, and proliferation of CD4+ T cells. We also observed a significantly lower proportion of CTLA-4⁺T_Regcells (CD4⁺CD25^highT cells) in subjects with HAM/TSP patients compared to healthy controls. Ki-67 expression was negatively correlated to the frequency of CTLA-4⁺T_Regcells in HAM/TSP only, although Ki-67 expression was inversely correlated with the percentage of CD127^lowT_Regcells in healthy control subjects. Finally, the proportion of CD127^lowT_Regcells correlated inversely with HTLV-1 proviral load.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Taken together, the results suggest that T_Regcells may be subverted in HAM/TSP patients, which could explain the marked cellular activation, spontaneous cytokine production, and proliferation of CD4⁺T cells, in particular those expressing the CD25^highCD127^lowphenotype. T_Regcells represent a potential target for therapeutic intervention for patients with HTLV-1-related neurological diseases.</p

Adenosine A2A Receptors in the Rat Prelimbic Medial Prefrontal Cortex Control Delay-Based Cost-Benefit Decision Making

Adenosine A2A receptors (A2ARs) were recently described to control synaptic plasticity and network activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC). We now probed the role of these PFC A2AR by evaluating the behavioral performance (locomotor activity, anxiety-related behavior, cost-benefit decision making and working memory) of rats upon downregulation of A2AR selectively in the prelimbic medial PFC (PLmPFC) via viral small hairpin RNA targeting the A2AR (shA2AR). The most evident alteration observed in shA2AR-treated rats, when compared to sh-control (shCTRL)-treated rats, was a decrease in the choice of the large reward upon an imposed delay of 15 s assessed in a T-maze-based cost-benefit decision-making paradigm, suggestive of impulsive decision making. Spontaneous locomotion in the open field was not altered, suggesting no changes in exploratory behavior. Furthermore, rats treated with shA2AR in the PLmPFC also displayed a tendency for higher anxiety levels in the elevated plus maze (less entries in the open arms), but not in the open field test (time spent in the center was not affected). Finally, working memory performance was not significantly altered, as revealed by the spontaneous alternation in the Y-maze test and the latency to reach the platform in the repeated trial Morris water maze. These findings constitute the first direct demonstration of a role of PFC A2AR in the control of behavior in physiological conditions, showing their major contribution for the control of delay-based cost-benefit decisions