Remarques sur la structure et l’évolution des communautés de Vertébrés terrestres I. structure d’une communauté II. Rapports entre prédateurs et proies

Les différentes remarques sur la structure des communautés de Vertébrés développées dans cet article peuvent se résumer comme suit : 1. L’analyse par groupes trophiques de la communauté des Vertébrés de la garrigue méditerranéenne à Halimium du Goto Donana (Espagne méridionale) met en évidence les faits suivants : a) Les Amphibiens forment une microcommunauté purement insectivore et indépendante, c’est-à-dire capable de subsister en l’absence des autres microcommunautés. b) Les Reptiles constituent une microcommunauté quasi-indépendante, deux espèces seulement vivant en pré dateurs sur les autres microcommunautés de Vertébrés. La microcommunauté reptilienne est complexe, mais la plupart des espèces qui la constituent ont un régime insec tivore. c) Les Mammifères forment, eux aussi, une micro communauté indépendante, dont la majorité des espèces a un régime phytophage. d) La microcommunauté des Oiseaux montre beau coup moins d’indépendance vis-à-vis des autres micros communautés de Vertébrés, car elle vit en partie à leurs dépens et entre quelque peu en compétition avec eux. 2. Dans la microcommunauté des Mammifères il existe une relation entre la taille adulte des différentes espèces et le rôle de celles-ci dans la mastocoenose. Dans une communauté mammalienne donnée, les tailles de pré dateurs tendent à être intermédiaires entre celles des espèces-proies qui sont, soit plus petites, soit plus grandes qu’eux. Cette relation est exprimée graphiquement sous forme de cénogrammes. La figure 10 résume de façon schématique les effets cénogrammiques. On voit que : a) Il existe une « zone de prédation totale » située de part et d’autre de la taille moyenne des prédateurs — taille aux environs de laquelle il n’existe aucune espèce- proie purement terrestre. b) De chaque côté de cette zone, les prédateurs exer cent une pression de sélection (prédopression) qui fait sentir son action, soit en faveur des fortes tailles, soit en faveur des petites. c) La tendance à la variation de taille et de forme chez certaines espèces-proies s’explique par des raisons bioénergétiques : les chances de survie d’une espèce-proie au sein d’une communauté sont inversement proportionnelles à la valeur de son indice d’appétence, c’est-à-dire du rapport existant entre l’énergie fournie par la proie et l’énergie dépensée pour la capturer. Plus un prédateur devra dépenser d’énergie pour capturer sa proie, plus le bénéfice énergétique tiré de sa capture sera réduit. Un autre moyen de diminuer la valeur de l’indice d’appétence consiste à acquérir des moyens passifs de défense ou des mœurs arboricoles ou endogées, qui s’accommodent de tailles petites. Ceci explique la tendance à la diminution de la taille observée chez tant de petits Mammifères à régime insectivore ou phytophage. Nous proposons d’appeler Zuobiontes les prédateurs responsables de cette pression de sélection particulière qu’est la prédopression. Les espèces-proies qui tendent naturellement, au cours de leur évolution, à diminuer cette pression qui s’exerce sur elles, le font de trois façons : a) Les animaux de taille supérieure à celle de leurs prédateurs (Ongulés) tendent soit à développer leurs adaptations à la course, soit à acquérir une masse corporelle imposante qui est, en soi, un moyen efficace de défense. On pourrait appeler ces animaux des Feugobiontes ortho géniques car ils tendent à donner lieu à des orthogénèses. b) Les animaux de taille inférieure à celle de leurs prédateurs mais qui ont également une taille plus petite que la moyenne de leur groupe (Insectivora, Rodentia) ont, de ce fait même, un indice d’appétence minimum. On pourrait les appeler Eobiontes. c) Les animaux de taille inférieure à celle de leurs prédateurs mais qui ont également une taille supérieure à la moyenne de leur groupe, doivent compenser ce désavantage par l’acquisition d’adaptations défensives variées. On pourrait les appeler Feugobiontes poly géniques. Plus ces derniers approchent de la taille de leurs pré dateurs, plus les moyens de défense doivent être parfaits ; cela conduit à des spécialisations extrêmes, aboutissant parfois à de véritables « cul de sac » évolutifs

Strategic Intelligence Monitor on Personal Health Systems (SIMPHS): Market Structure and Innovation Dynamics

Personal Health Systems (PHS) and Remote Patient Monitoring and Treatment (RMT) have the potential to alter the way healthcare is provided by increasing the quantity and quality of care. This report explores the current status of PHS and, more specifically of the RMT market in Europe. It addresses the question of how these technologies can contribute facing some of the challenges standing in front of the European healthcare delivery systems causes by higher demand pressures through chronic diseases and demographic change combined with diminishing resources for health care. An uptake and diffusion of these services would potentially lead to benefits through a reduction in death rates, and avoid recurring hospitalisation in a cost-effective manner. Yet the report identifies different categories of barriers hampering a full deployment of RMT in Europe. In the concluding part the reports provides a number of tentative policy options specifically aimed at fostering EU-wide deployment of RMT/PHS.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ

Strategic Intelligence Monitor on Personal Health Systems (SIMPHS): Report on Typology/Segmentation of the PHS Market

This market segmentation reports for Personal Health Systems (PHS) describes the methodological background and illustrates the principles of classification and typology regarding different fragments forming this market. It discusses different aspects of the market for PHS and highlights challenges towards a stringent and clear-cut typology or defining market segmentation. Based on these findings a preliminary hybrid typology and indications and insights are created in order to be used in the continuation of the SIMPHS project. It concludes with an annex containing examples and cases studies.JRC.DDG.J.4-Information Societ

The dynamics of phytobenthos and its main drivers on abrasion platforms with vermetids (Alicante, Southeastern Iberian Peninsula)

Abrasion platforms with vermetids shape unique seascapes and biotic assemblages that characterize several of the warm Mediterranean coasts. The composition, structural and seasonal dynamics of the platforms’ phytobenthos were examined at two Southeast Iberian locations through non-destructive sampling. The patterns observed were linked with environmental variables and grazers’ coverage, and we assessed their possible influence. Structural descriptors α-diversity and β-diversity were applied, pointing that depth and season-related variables were the major influencing drivers. Higher α-diversity and β-diversity values during winter and spring coincided with the production optimum of the community. A greater average water depth influences the abundance of both midlittoral and infralittoral taxa. The strong resemblance between the phytobenthos of these vermetid platforms and that on similar platforms in the Eastern and Central Mediterranean Sea suggests that these are affected by the same structuring mechanisms.This research received financial assistance from the project “Seguimiento de macroalgas sobre el litoral rocoso y Posidonia de la Comunidad Valenciana, dentro de la Directiva Marco del Agua” of the Generalitat Valenciana

Essential role of protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B in obesity-induced inflammation and peripheral insulin resistance during aging

Protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B) is a negative regulator of insulin signaling and a therapeutic target for type 2 diabetes (T2DM). In this study, we have evaluated the role of PTP1B in the development of aging-associated obesity, inflammation, and peripheral insulin resistance by assessing metabolic parameters at 3 and 16 months in PTP1B) ⁄ ) mice maintained on mixed genetic background (C57Bl ⁄ 6J · 129Sv ⁄ J). Whereas fat mass and adipocyte size were increased in wild-type control mice at 16 months, these parameters did not change with aging in PTP1B) ⁄ ) mice. Increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines, crown-like structures, and hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1a wereobserved only in adipose tissue from 16-month-old wild-type mice. Similarly, islet hyperplasia and hyperinsulinemia were observed in wild-type mice with agingassociated obesity, but not in PTP1B) ⁄ ) animals. Leanness in 16- month-old PTP1B) ⁄ ) mice was associated with increased energy expenditure. Whole-body insulin sensitivity decreased in 16- month-old control mice; however, studies with the hyperinsulinemic– euglycemic clamp revealed that PTP1B deficiency prevented this obesity-related decreased peripheral insulin sensitivity. At a molecular level, PTP1B expression and enzymatic activity were upregulated in liver and muscle of 16-month-old wild-type mice as were the activation of stress kinases and the expression of p53. Conversely, insulin receptor-mediated Akt ⁄ Foxo1 signaling was attenuated in these aged control mice. Collectively, these data implicate PTP1B in the development of inflammation and insulin resistance associated with obesity during aging and suggest that inhibition of this phosphatase by therapeutic strategies might protect against age-dependentT2DMThis work was supported by grants from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Spain) SAF2009-08114 and (to A.M.V.), BFU2008- 04901-C03-02 and 03 (to M.R and J.M.C., respectively), BFU2008-01283 (to M.V), Comunidad de Madrid S2010/BMD- 2423 and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Diabetes y Enfermedades Metabólicas Asociadas (CIBERDEM) (Instituto Salud Carlos III). CBMSO is recipient of institutional aid from Ramón Areces Foundation. We also acknowledge grants NIH-R01 DK080756, ADA 7-07-RA-80, and NIH U24-DK093000 (to J.K.K.) and UMass Mouse Phenotyping Center supported by UMass Diabetes and Endocrinology Research Center Grant (DK32520) and EFSD/Amylin Programme 2011 grant (to A.M.V.)

Nursing Students’ Perceptions on Healthcare-Associated Infection Control and Prevention Teaching and Learning Experience in Portugal

Healthcare-associated infections (HAI) are one of the major concerns worldwide, posing significant challenges to healthcare professionals’ education and training. This study intended to measure nursing students’ perceptions regarding their learning experiences on HAI prevention and control. In the first phase of the study, a cross-sectional and descriptive study with a convenience sample composed of undergraduate nursing students from Portugal, Spain, Poland, and Finland was conducted to develop the InovSafeCare questionnaire. In the second phase, we applied the InovSafeCare scale in a sample of nursing students from two Portuguese higher education institutions to explore which factors impact nursing students’ adherence to HAI prevention and control measures in clinical settings. In phase one, the InovSafeCare questionnaire was applied to 1326 students internationally, with the instrument presenting adequate psychometric qualities with reliability results in 14 dimensions. During phase two, the findings supported that Portuguese nursing students’ adherence to HAI prevention and control measures is influenced not only by the curricular offerings and resources available in academic settings, but also by the standards conveyed by nursing tutors during clinical placements. Our findings support the need for a dedicated curricular focus on HAI prevention and control learning, not only through specific classroom modules, innovative resources, and pedagogical approaches, but also through a complementary and coordinated liaison between teachers and tutors in academic and clinical settings.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Passive smoking in babies: The BIBE study (Brief Intervention in babies. Effectiveness)

Background: There is evidence that exposure to passive smoking in general, and in babies in particular, is an important cause of morbimortality. Passive smoking is related to an increased risk of pediatric diseases such as sudden death syndrome, acute respiratory diseases, worsening of asthma, acute-chronic middle ear disease and slowing of lung growth. The objective of this article is to describe the BIBE study protocol. The BIBE study aims to determine the effectiveness of a brief intervention within the context of Primary Care, directed to mothers and fathers that smoke, in order to reduce the exposure of babies to passive smoking (ETS). Methods/Design: Cluster randomized field trial (control and intervention group), multicentric and open. Subject: Fathers and/or mothers who are smokers and their babies (under 18 months) that attend pediatric services in Primary Care in Catalonia. The measurements will be taken at three points in time, in each of the fathers and/or mothers who respond to a questionnaire regarding their baby's clinical background and characteristics of the baby's exposure, together with variables related to the parents' tobacco consumption. A hair sample of the baby will be taken at the beginning of the study and at six months after the initial visit (biological determination of nicotine). The intervention group will apply a brief intervention in passive smoking after specific training and the control group will apply the habitual care. Discussion: Exposure to ETS is an avoidable factor related to infant morbimortality. Interventions to reduce exposure to ETS in babies are potentially beneficial for their health. The BIBE study evaluates an intervention to reduce exposure to ETS that takes advantage of pediatric visits. Interventions in the form of advice, conducted by pediatric professionals, are an excellent opportunity for prevention and protection of infants against the harmful effects of ETS

A multiplex qPCR approach for detection of pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions in multiple strain infections of Plasmodium falciparum

The rapid and accurate diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum malaria infection is an essential factor in malaria control. Currently, malaria diagnosis in the field depends heavily on using rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) many of which detect circulating parasite-derived histidine-rich protein 2 antigen (PfHRP2) in capillary blood. P. falciparum strains lacking PfHRP2, due to pfhrp2 gene deletions, are an emerging threat to malaria control programs. The novel assay described here, named qHRP2/3-del, is well suited for high-throughput screening of P. falciparum isolates to identify these gene deletions. The qHRP2/3-del assay identified pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 deletion status correctly in 93.4% of samples with parasitemia levels higher than 5 parasites/µL when compared to nested PCR. The qHRP2/3-del assay can correctly identify pfhrp2 and pfhrp3 gene deletions in multiple strain co-infections, particularly prevalent in Sub-Saharan countries. Deployment of this qHRP2/3-del assay will provide rapid insight into the prevalence and potential spread of P. falciparum isolates that escape surveillance by RDTs

Evolutionary Heritage Influences Amazon Tree Ecology

Lineages tend to retain ecological characteristics of their ancestors through time. However, for some traits, selection during evolutionary history may have also played a role in determining trait values. To address the relative importance of these processes requires large-scale quantification of traits and evolutionary relationships among species. The Amazonian tree flora comprises a high diversity of angiosperm lineages and species with widely differing life-history characteristics, providing an excellent system to investigate the combined influences of evolutionary heritage and selection in determining trait variation. We used trait data related to the major axes of life-history variation among tropical trees (e.g. growth and mortality rates) from 577 inventory plots in closed-canopy forest, mapped onto a phylogenetic hypothesis spanning more than 300 genera including all major angiosperm clades to test for evolutionary constraints on traits. We found significant phylogenetic signal (PS) for all traits, consistent with evolutionarily related genera having more similar characteristics than expected by chance. Although there is also evidence for repeated evolution of pioneer and shade tolerant life-history strategies within independent lineages, the existence of significant PS allows clearer predictions of the links between evolutionary diversity, ecosystem function and the response of tropical forests to global change