Long-Term water stress and drought assessment of Mediterranean oak savanna vegetation using thermal remote sensing

Drought is a devastating natural hazard that is difficult to define, detect and quantify. The increased availability of both meteorological and remotely sensed data provides an opportunity to develop new methods to identify drought conditions and characterize how drought changes over space and time. In this paper, we applied the surface energy balance model, SEBS (Surface Energy Balance System), for the period 2001 2018, to estimate evapotranspiration and other energy fluxes over the dehesa area of the Iberian Peninsula, with a monthly temporal resolution and 0.05° pixel size. A satisfactory agreement was found between the fluxes modeled and the measurements obtained for 3 years by two flux towers located over representative sites (RMSD = 21 W m-2 and R2 = 0.76, on average, for all energy fluxes and both sites). The estimations of the convective fluxes (LE and H) showed higher deviations, with RMSD = 26 W m-2 on average, than Rn and G, with RMSD = 15 W m-2. At both sites, annual evapotranspiration (ET) was very close to total precipitation, with the exception of a few wet years in which intense precipitation events that produced high runoff were observed. The analysis of the anomalies of the ratio of ET to reference ET (ETo) was used as an indicator of agricultural drought on monthly and annual scales. The hydrological years 2004/2005 and 2011/2012 stood out for their negative values. The first one was the most severe of the series, with the highest impact observed on vegetation coverage and grain production. On a monthly scale, this event was also the longest and most intense, with peak negative values in January February and April May 2005, explaining its great impact on cereal production (up to 45 % reduction). During the drier events, the changes in the grasslands and oak trees ground cover allowed for a separate analysis of the strategies adopted by the two strata to cope with water stress. These results indicate that the drought events characterized for the period did not cause any permanent damage to the vegetation of dehesa systems. The approach tested has proven useful for providing insight into the characteristics of drought events over this ecosystem and will be helpful to identify areas of interest for future studies at finer resolutions

Integrin Binding Dynamics Modulate Ligand-Specific Mechanosensing in Mammary Gland Fibroblasts

The link between integrin activity regulation and cellular mechanosensing of tissue rigidity, especially on different extracellular matrix ligands, remains poorly understood. Here, we find that primary mouse mammary gland stromal fibroblasts (MSFs) are able to spread efficiently, generate high forces, and display nuclear YAP on soft collagen-coated substrates, resembling the soft mammary gland tissue. We describe that loss of the integrin inhibitor, SHARPIN, impedes MSF spreading specifically on soft type I collagen but not on fibronectin. Through quantitative experiments and computational modeling, we find that SHARPIN-deficient MSFs display faster force-induced unbinding of adhesions from collagen-coated beads. Faster unbinding, in turn, impairs force transmission in these cells, particularly, at the stiffness optimum observed for wild-type cells. Mechanistically, we link the impaired mechanotransduction of SHARPIN-deficient cells on collagen to reduced levels of collagen-binding integrin α11β1. Thus integrin activity regulation and α11β1 play a role in collagen-specific mechanosensing in MSFs.publishedVersio

The Effect of High Column Density Systems on the Measurement of the Lyman \alpha Forest Correlation Function

We present a study of the effect of High Column Density (HCD) systems on the Lyman \alpha forest correlation function on large scales. We study the effect both numerically, by inserting HCD systems on mock spectra for a specific model, and analytically, in the context of two-point correlations and linear theory. We show that the presence of HCDs substantially contributes to the noise of the correlation function measurement, and systematically alters the measured redshift-space correlation function of the Lyman \alpha forest, increasing the value of the density bias factor and decreasing the redshift distortion parameter $\beta_\alpha$ of the Lyman \alpha forest. We provide simple formulae for corrections on these derived parameters, as a function of the mean effective optical depth and bias factor of the host halos of the HCDs, and discuss the conditions under which these expressions should be valid. In practice, precise corrections to the measured parameters of the Lyman \alpha forest correlation for the HCD effects are more complex than the simple analytical approximations we present, owing to non-linear effects of the damped wings of the HCD systems and the presence of three-point terms. However, we conclude that an accurate correction for these HCD effects can be obtained numerically and calibrated with observations of the HCD-Lyman \alpha cross-correlation. We also discuss an analogous formalism to treat and correct for the contaminating effect of metal lines overlapping the Lyman \alpha forest spectra.Comment: 26 pages, 11 figure

Evolution of evapotranspiration and water stress of oak savanna vegetation in the Iberian Peninsula (2001-2015)

[EN] The objective of this work is to provide new insights about the effect of soil water deficit on the vegetation of Mediterranean oak savanna. The evolution of evapotranspiration (ET) and vegetation water stress over this ecosystem, in the Iberian Peninsula, has been monitored for fifteen years through the application of a remote sensing thermal-based energy balance model. The Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) has been applied, on a monthly timescale from January 2001 to December 2015, using input satellite and meteorological reanalysis databases. The model performance has been evaluated under these conditions by comparison with field measurements. The estimation of energy fluxes yielded reasonable agreements with observations (RMSD=14-20 W·m–2 for the radiative fluxes and RMSD=26-29 W·m–2 for the turbulent ones) and have led to characterize the main drought events occurred during the study period, and to quantify their effects on the vegetation coverage and production. The most generalized and severe events (2004/2005 and 2011/2012) and their impact on different vegetation strata, oaks and grasslands, are further analyzed.[ES] Este trabajo pretende profundizar en el efecto del déficit de agua en el suelo sobre la vegetación de los ecosistemas de dehesa. Para ello, se ha realizado un seguimiento de la evapotranspiración (ET) y el estrés hídrico de este sistema en la Península Ibérica a lo largo quince años, mediante la aplicación de un modelo de balance de energía basado en datos térmicos procedentes de imágenes de satélite. El modelo SEBS (Surface Energy Balance System) se ha aplicado, a escala mensual desde enero de 2001 a diciembre de 2015, haciendo uso de datos remotos e información meteorológica procedente de reanálisis. Los resultados han permitido evaluar el funcionamiento del modelo en estas condiciones usando observaciones experimentales, obteniendo estimaciones suficientemente precisas (RMSD=14-20 W·m–2 para los flujos radiativos y RMSD=26-29 W·m–2 en los convectivos) para realizar un seguimiento de los flujos de energía, incluyendo ET, y el estrés hídrico de la vegetación en las condiciones estudiadas. Se han caracterizado los principales episodios de sequía ocurridos en dicho período, cuantificando su efecto sobre la cobertura de la vegetación y su producción. Por último, se ha profundizado en el análisis de los dos años más secos de la serie (2004/2005 y 2011/2012) y su impacto sobre los diferentes estratos de vegetación, herbáceos y arbóreo, del ecosistema de dehesa.Los autores desean agradecer la financiación re-cibida de INIA y FEDER 2014-2020 (Programa operativo de crecimiento inteligente) mediante el proyecto RTA2014-00063-C04-02, y del Co-operative Research Programme (CRP): Biological Resource Management for Sustainable Agricultural Systems de la OECD.González-Dugo, MP.; Chen, X.; Andreu, A.; Carpintero, E.; Gómez-Giráldez, P.; Su, Z. (2017). Evolución de la evapotranspiración y el estrés hídrico de la vegetación de dehesa en la Península Ibérica (2001-2015). Revista de Teledetección. (50):27-36. https://doi.org/10.4995/raet.2017.8916SWORD27365

Airway cellularity, lipid laden macrophages and microbiology of gastric juice and airways in children with reflux oesophagitis

BACKGROUND: Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GORD) can cause respiratory disease in children from recurrent aspiration of gastric contents. GORD can be defined in several ways and one of the most common method is presence of reflux oesophagitis. In children with GORD and respiratory disease, airway neutrophilia has been described. However, there are no prospective studies that have examined airway cellularity in children with GORD but without respiratory disease. The aims of the study were to compare (1) BAL cellularity and lipid laden macrophage index (LLMI) and, (2) microbiology of BAL and gastric juices of children with GORD (G+) to those without (G-). METHODS: In 150 children aged <14-years, gastric aspirates and bronchoscopic airway lavage (BAL) were obtained during elective flexible upper endoscopy. GORD was defined as presence of reflux oesophagitis on distal oesophageal biopsies. RESULTS: BAL neutrophil% in G- group (n = 63) was marginally but significantly higher than that in the G+ group (n = 77), (median of 7.5 and 5 respectively, p = 0.002). Lipid laden macrophage index (LLMI), BAL percentages of lymphocyte, eosinophil and macrophage were similar between groups. Viral studies were negative in all, bacterial cultures positive in 20.7% of BALs and in 5.3% of gastric aspirates. BAL cultures did not reflect gastric aspirate cultures in all but one child. CONCLUSION: In children without respiratory disease, GORD defined by presence of reflux oesophagitis, is not associated with BAL cellular profile or LLMI abnormality. Abnormal microbiology of the airways, when present, is not related to reflux oesophagitis and does not reflect that of gastric juices

A Novel, Single Algorithm Approach to Predict Acenocoumarol Dose Based on CYP2C9 and VKORC1 Allele Variants

The identification of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 genes has strongly stimulated the research on pharmacogenetics of coumarins in the last decade. We assessed the combined influence of CYP2C9 *2 and *3, and VKORC1 c.-1639G>A, 497C>G, and 1173C>T variants, on acenocoumarol dosage using a novel algorithm approach, in 193 outpatients who had achieved stable anticoagulation. We constructed an “acenocoumarol-dose genotype score” (AGS, maximum score = 100) based on the number of alleles associated with higher acenocoumarol dosage carried by each subject for each polymorphism. The mean AGS was higher in the high-dose (>28mg/week) compared with the low-dose (<7mg/week) group (mean(SEM) of 84.1±3.4 vs. 62.2±4.8, P = 0.008). An AGS>70 was associated with an increased odds ratio (OR) of requiring high acenocoumarol dosage (OR: 3.347; 95%CI: 1.112–10.075; P = 0.032). In summary, although more research is necessary in other patient cohorts, and this algorithm should be replicated in an independent sample, our data suggest that the AGS algorithm could be used to help discriminating patients requiring high acenocoumarol doses to achieve stable anti-coagulation

Neutrophils in cancer: neutral no more

Neutrophils are indispensable antagonists of microbial infection and facilitators of wound healing. In the cancer setting, a newfound appreciation for neutrophils has come into view. The traditionally held belief that neutrophils are inert bystanders is being challenged by the recent literature. Emerging evidence indicates that tumours manipulate neutrophils, sometimes early in their differentiation process, to create diverse phenotypic and functional polarization states able to alter tumour behaviour. In this Review, we discuss the involvement of neutrophils in cancer initiation and progression, and their potential as clinical biomarkers and therapeutic targets

Potential Role of miRNAs in Developmental Haemostasis

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are an abundant class of small non-coding RNAs that are negative regulators in a crescent number of physiological and pathological processes. However, their role in haemostasis, a complex physiological process involving multitude of effectors, is just beginning to be characterized. We evaluated the changes of expression of miRNAs in livers of neonates (day one after birth) and adult mice by microarray and qRT-PCR trying to identify miRNAs that potentially may also be involved in the control of the dramatic change of hepatic haemostatic protein levels associated with this transition. Twenty one out of 41 miRNAs overexpressed in neonate mice have hepatic haemostatic mRNA as potential targets. Six of them identified by two in silico algorithms potentially bind the 3′UTR regions of F7, F9, F12, FXIIIB, PLG and SERPINC1 mRNA. Interestingly, miR-18a and miR-19b, overexpressed 5.4 and 8.2-fold respectively in neonates, have antithrombin, a key anti-coagulant with strong anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory roles, as a potential target. The levels of these two miRNAs inversely correlated with antithrombin mRNA levels during development (miR-19b: R = 0.81; p = 0.03; miR-18a: R = 0.91; p<0.001). These data suggest that miRNAs could be potential modulators of the haemostatic system involved in developmental haemostasis

Impact of the Mitochondrial Genetic Background in Complex III Deficiency

BACKGROUND: In recent years clinical evidence has emphasized the importance of the mtDNA genetic background that hosts a primary pathogenic mutation in the clinical expression of mitochondrial disorders, but little experimental confirmation has been provided. We have analyzed the pathogenic role of a novel homoplasmic mutation (m.15533 A>G) in the cytochrome b (MT-CYB) gene in a patient presenting with lactic acidosis, seizures, mild mental delay, and behaviour abnormalities. METHODOLOGY: Spectrophotometric analyses of the respiratory chain enzyme activities were performed in different tissues, the whole muscle mitochondrial DNA of the patient was sequenced, and the novel mutation was confirmed by PCR-RFLP. Transmitochondrial cybrids were constructed to confirm the pathogenicity of the mutation, and assembly/stability studies were carried out in fibroblasts and cybrids by means of mitochondrial translation inhibition in combination with blue native gel electrophoresis. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Biochemical analyses revealed a decrease in respiratory chain complex III activity in patient's skeletal muscle, and a combined enzyme defect of complexes III and IV in fibroblasts. Mutant transmitochondrial cybrids restored normal enzyme activities and steady-state protein levels, the mutation was mildly conserved along evolution, and the proband's mother and maternal aunt, both clinically unaffected, also harboured the homoplasmic mutation. These data suggested a nuclear genetic origin of the disease. However, by forcing the de novo functioning of the OXPHOS system, a severe delay in the biogenesis of the respiratory chain complexes was observed in the mutants, which demonstrated a direct functional effect of the mitochondrial genetic background. CONCLUSIONS: Our results point to possible pitfalls in the detection of pathogenic mitochondrial mutations, and highlight the role of the genetic mtDNA background in the development of mitochondrial disorders