The neotropical reforestation hotspots : a biophysical and socioeconomic typology of contemporary forest expansion

Tropical reforestation is a significant component of global environmental change that is far less understood than tropical deforestation, despite having apparently increased widely in scale during recent decades. The regional contexts defining such reforestation have not been well described. They are likely to differ significantly from the geographical profiles outlined by site-specific observations that predominate in the literature. In response, this article determines the distribution, extent, and defining contexts of apparently spontaneous reforestation. It delineates regional ‘hotspots’ of significant net reforestation across Latin America and the Caribbean and defines a typology of these hotspots with reference to the biophysical and socioeconomic characteristics that unite and distinguish amongst them. Fifteen regional hotspots were identified on the basis of spatial criteria pertaining to the area, distribution, and rate of reforestation 2001–2014, observed using a custom continental MODIS satellite land-cover classification. Collectively, these hotspots cover 11% of Latin America and the Caribbean and they include 167,667.7 km2 of new forests. Comparisons with other remotely sensed estimates of reforestation indicate that these hotspots contain a significant amount of tropical reforestation, continentally and pantropically. The extent of reforestation as a proportion of its hotspot was relatively invariable (3–14%) given large disparities in hotspot areas and contexts. An ordination analysis defined a typology of five clusters, distinguished largely by their topographical roughness and related aspects of agro-ecological marginality, climate, population trends, and degree of urbanization: ‘Urban lowlands’, ‘Mountainous populated areas’, ‘Rural highlands’, ‘Rural humid lands’ and ‘Rural dry lands’. The typology highlights that a range of distinct, even oppositional regional biophysical, demographic, and agricultural contexts have equally given rise to significant, regional net reforestation, urging a concomitant diversification of forest transition science

Documenting the Recovery of Vascular Services in European Centres Following the Initial COVID-19 Pandemic Peak: Results from a Multicentre Collaborative Study

Objective: To document the recovery of vascular services in Europe following the first COVID-19 pandemic peak. Methods: An online structured vascular service survey with repeated data entry between 23 March and 9 August 2020 was carried out. Unit level data were collected using repeated questionnaires addressing modifications to vascular services during the first peak (March – May 2020, “period 1”), and then again between May and June (“period 2”) and June and July 2020 (“period 3”). The duration of each period was similar. From 2 June, as reductions in cases began to be reported, centres were first asked if they were in a region still affected by rising cases, or if they had passed the peak of the first wave. These centres were asked additional questions about adaptations made to their standard pathways to permit elective surgery to resume. Results: The impact of the pandemic continued to be felt well after countries’ first peak was thought to have passed in 2020. Aneurysm screening had not returned to normal in 21.7% of centres. Carotid surgery was still offered on a case by case basis in 33.8% of centres, and only 52.9% of centres had returned to their normal aneurysm threshold for surgery. Half of centres (49.4%) believed their management of lower limb ischaemia continued to be negatively affected by the pandemic. Reduced operating theatre capacity continued in 45.5% of centres. Twenty per cent of responding centres documented a backlog of at least 20 aortic repairs. At least one negative swab and 14 days of isolation were the most common strategies used for permitting safe elective surgery to recommence. Conclusion: Centres reported a broad return of services approaching pre-pandemic “normal” by July 2020. Many introduced protocols to manage peri-operative COVID-19 risk. Backlogs in cases were reported for all major vascular surgeries

Genome-wide association and Mendelian randomisation analysis provide insights into the pathogenesis of heart failure

Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A small proportion of HF cases are attributable to monogenic cardiomyopathies and existing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have yielded only limited insights, leaving the observed heritability of HF largely unexplained. We report results from a GWAS meta-analysis of HF comprising 47,309 cases and 930,014 controls. Twelve independent variants at 11 genomic loci are associated with HF, all of which demonstrate one or more associations with coronary artery disease (CAD), atrial fibrillation, or reduced left ventricular function, suggesting shared genetic aetiology. Functional analysis of non-CAD-associated loci implicate genes involved in cardiac development (MYOZ1, SYNPO2L), protein homoeostasis (BAG3), and cellular senescence (CDKN1A). Mendelian randomisation analysis supports causal roles for several HF risk factors, and demonstrates CAD-independent effects for atrial fibrillation, body mass index, and hypertension. These findings extend our knowledge of the pathways underlying HF and may inform new therapeutic strategies

Genome-wide association and Mendelian randomisation analysis provide insights into the pathogenesis of heart failure

Abstract: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A small proportion of HF cases are attributable to monogenic cardiomyopathies and existing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have yielded only limited insights, leaving the observed heritability of HF largely unexplained. We report results from a GWAS meta-analysis of HF comprising 47,309 cases and 930,014 controls. Twelve independent variants at 11 genomic loci are associated with HF, all of which demonstrate one or more associations with coronary artery disease (CAD), atrial fibrillation, or reduced left ventricular function, suggesting shared genetic aetiology. Functional analysis of non-CAD-associated loci implicate genes involved in cardiac development (MYOZ1, SYNPO2L), protein homoeostasis (BAG3), and cellular senescence (CDKN1A). Mendelian randomisation analysis supports causal roles for several HF risk factors, and demonstrates CAD-independent effects for atrial fibrillation, body mass index, and hypertension. These findings extend our knowledge of the pathways underlying HF and may inform new therapeutic strategies

Genome-wide association and Mendelian randomisation analysis provide insights into the pathogenesis of heart failure

Abstract: Heart failure (HF) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. A small proportion of HF cases are attributable to monogenic cardiomyopathies and existing genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have yielded only limited insights, leaving the observed heritability of HF largely unexplained. We report results from a GWAS meta-analysis of HF comprising 47,309 cases and 930,014 controls. Twelve independent variants at 11 genomic loci are associated with HF, all of which demonstrate one or more associations with coronary artery disease (CAD), atrial fibrillation, or reduced left ventricular function, suggesting shared genetic aetiology. Functional analysis of non-CAD-associated loci implicate genes involved in cardiac development (MYOZ1, SYNPO2L), protein homoeostasis (BAG3), and cellular senescence (CDKN1A). Mendelian randomisation analysis supports causal roles for several HF risk factors, and demonstrates CAD-independent effects for atrial fibrillation, body mass index, and hypertension. These findings extend our knowledge of the pathways underlying HF and may inform new therapeutic strategies

Digestión secundaria en el análisis del contenido gástrico del calamar rojo Dosidicus gigas (Cephalopoda: Teuthoidea): ¿qué tan importante es?

The biological significance of the secondary digestion, i.e., prey of the prey, was determined in the analysis of stomach contents of 112 jumbo squid Dosidicus gigas. Squids were caught on the continental shelf off the coast of central-southern Chile during austral winter and spring 2005. All prey (digested and those from opened stomachs of the prey in the squids) found in the squid stomachs were assessed. The results obtained by using several trophic indices (numeric, gravimetric, frequency of occurrence, relative importance, percentage similarity and trophic heterogeneity), plus the average weight of common prey between seasons (winter and spring) and the Spearman correlation coefficient, revealed no significant differences in the feeding behavior between sexes, ontogenetic and seasonal groups. Comparing the primary with the secondary digestion allow us to conclude that consider or not the latter, in a quantitative point of view, is not relevant in assessing the food preferences squid. On the other hand, the biological significance of secondary digestion from a qualitative point of view may still be relevant when the aim is to avoid overestimating the food spectrum for this species.Se determinó la importancia biológica de la digestión secundaria, i.e., presas de las presas, en el análisis de los contenidos estomacales de 112 individuos del calamar rojo Dosidicus gigas, capturados sobre la plataforma continental, frente a la costa Centro-Sur de Chile, durante invierno y primavera austral de 2005. Todas las presas (digeridas y aquellas de los estómagos abiertos de las presas del calamar) halladas en los contenidos estomacales de los calamares fueron analizadas. Los resultados obtenidos mediante el uso de varios índices tróficos (numérico, gravimétrico, frecuencia de ocurrencia, importancia relativa, similitud porcentual, heterogeneidad trófica), el peso medio de las presas comunes entre estaciones (invierno y primavera) y el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman entre presas, no mostraron diferencias significativas en el comportamiento alimentario del calamar rojo, respecto de su condición sexual, ontogenética y estacional. Comparar la digestión primaria con la secundaria permite concluir que considerar o no a esta última, desde un punto de vista cuantitativo, no es relevante en la evaluación de las preferencias alimentarias del calamar. Por otro lado, la importancia biológica de la digestión secundaria desde un punto de vista cualitativo, podría ser relevante en el caso de evitar la sobreestimación del espectro alimentario de esta especie

Clavigero. Comunidad de saberes, núm. 27: La bioética como el cuidado de la vida

La bioética es una disciplina en pleno auge. El sueño de Van Rensselaer Potter de que fuera un puente entre las ciencias y las humanidades es hoy una realidad que crece con muchas vertientes y también tensiones. Sobre estas cuestiones gira este número dedicado a esa parte de la ética que intenta ofrecer pautas para la reflexión sobre la salud y la vida del planeta entero, ante la avalancha de abusos a los que la ciencia y la tecnología han dado paso