Ability of dynamic airway pressure curve profile and elastance for positive end-expiratory pressure titration

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the ability of three indices derived from the airway pressure curve for titrating positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) to minimize mechanical stress while improving lung aeration assessed by computed tomography (CT). DESIGN: Prospective, experimental study. SETTING: University research facilities. SUBJECTS: Twelve pigs. INTERVENTIONS: Animals were anesthetized and mechanically ventilated with tidal volume of 7 ml kg(-1). In non-injured lungs (n = 6), PEEP was set at 16 cmH(2)O and stepwise decreased until zero. Acute lung injury was then induced either with oleic acid (n = 6) or surfactant depletion (n = 6). A recruitment maneuver was performed, the PEEP set at 26 cmH(2)O and decreased stepwise until zero. CT scans were obtained at end-expiratory and end-inspiratory pauses. The elastance of the respiratory system (Ers), the stress index and the percentage of volume-dependent elastance (%E (2)) were estimated. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: In non-injured and injured lungs, the PEEP at which Ers was lowest (8-4 and 16-12 cmH(2)O, respectively) corresponded to the best compromise between recruitment/hyperinflation. In non-injured lungs, stress index and %E (2) correlated with tidal recruitment and hyperinflation. In injured lungs, stress index and %E (2) suggested overdistension at all PEEP levels, whereas the CT scans evidenced tidal recruitment and hyperinflation simultaneously. CONCLUSION: During ventilation with low tidal volumes, Ers seems to be useful for guiding PEEP titration in non-injured and injured lungs, while stress index and %E (2) are useful in non-injured lungs only. Our results suggest that Ers can be superior to the stress index and %E (2) to guide PEEP titration in focal loss of lung aeration

Brazilian Flora 2020: Leveraging the power of a collaborative scientific network

International audienceThe shortage of reliable primary taxonomic data limits the description of biological taxa and the understanding of biodiversity patterns and processes, complicating biogeographical, ecological, and evolutionary studies. This deficit creates a significant taxonomic impediment to biodiversity research and conservation planning. The taxonomic impediment and the biodiversity crisis are widely recognized, highlighting the urgent need for reliable taxonomic data. Over the past decade, numerous countries worldwide have devoted considerable effort to Target 1 of the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC), which called for the preparation of a working list of all known plant species by 2010 and an online world Flora by 2020. Brazil is a megadiverse country, home to more of the world's known plant species than any other country. Despite that, Flora Brasiliensis, concluded in 1906, was the last comprehensive treatment of the Brazilian flora. The lack of accurate estimates of the number of species of algae, fungi, and plants occurring in Brazil contributes to the prevailing taxonomic impediment and delays progress towards the GSPC targets. Over the past 12 years, a legion of taxonomists motivated to meet Target 1 of the GSPC, worked together to gather and integrate knowledge on the algal, plant, and fungal diversity of Brazil. Overall, a team of about 980 taxonomists joined efforts in a highly collaborative project that used cybertaxonomy to prepare an updated Flora of Brazil, showing the power of scientific collaboration to reach ambitious goals. This paper presents an overview of the Brazilian Flora 2020 and provides taxonomic and spatial updates on the algae, fungi, and plants found in one of the world's most biodiverse countries. We further identify collection gaps and summarize future goals that extend beyond 2020. Our results show that Brazil is home to 46,975 native species of algae, fungi, and plants, of which 19,669 are endemic to the country. The data compiled to date suggests that the Atlantic Rainforest might be the most diverse Brazilian domain for all plant groups except gymnosperms, which are most diverse in the Amazon. However, scientific knowledge of Brazilian diversity is still unequally distributed, with the Atlantic Rainforest and the Cerrado being the most intensively sampled and studied biomes in the country. In times of “scientific reductionism”, with botanical and mycological sciences suffering pervasive depreciation in recent decades, the first online Flora of Brazil 2020 significantly enhanced the quality and quantity of taxonomic data available for algae, fungi, and plants from Brazil. This project also made all the information freely available online, providing a firm foundation for future research and for the management, conservation, and sustainable use of the Brazilian funga and flora