Abstract We aimed to characterize the adult and regenerating tree components and their relationships with soil characteristics of a native vegetation remnant in Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brazil. The area ...of the fragment is stratified into “dry area” (lithic neosoil) and “damp area” (gleisoil). We conducted a forest inventory with a random distribution of 25 parcels. We analyzed the physical and chemical components of the soil. We evaluated the vegetation's horizontal structure, diversity, and sample sufficiency using the Bootstrap richness estimator. We classified the species according to dispersal syndrome and ecological group. Overall, we found 93 species in the adult layer and 70 species in the regenerating layer. The similarity dendrograms based on the two evaluated indices demonstrated the existence of the two initially stratified environments in both strata. The IndVal (%) indicated that the set of indicator species differed between the strata. Thereby, the fragment is in an intermediate stage of successional progression. PCA showed that plots in the wet area had higher pH values and Ca, Zn, and Fe levels, while plots in the dry area did not clearly distinguish, varying in terms of K, B, and organic matter content. In CCA, a set of species that occurred exclusively in the damp area showed a strong relationship with the analyzed variables. The area is a diverse ecosystem that efficiently provides ecosystem services to society and should be the subject of long-term conservation and research.
Resumo Nós objetivamos caracterizar os componentes de arbóreos adultos e em regeneração, bem como suas relações com as características do solo de um remanescente de vegetação nativa em Cuiabá, Mato Grosso, Brasil. A área do fragmento foi estratificada em “área seca” (neossolo lítico) e “área úmida” (gleissolo). Realizamos um inventário florestal com uma distribuição aleatória de 25 parcelas. Analisamos os componentes físicos e químicos do solo. Avaliamos a estrutura horizontal da vegetação, além da diversidade e suficiência amostral por meio do estimador de riqueza Bootstrap. Classificamos as espécies de acordo com a síndrome de dispersão e o grupo ecológico. No geral, encontramos 93 espécies no extrato adulto e 70 espécies no extrato regenerante. Os dendrogramas de similaridade com base nos dois índices avaliados demonstraram a existência dos dois ambientes inicialmente estratificados em ambos os extratos. O Índice de Valor de Indicação (IndVal %) indicou que o conjunto de espécies indicadoras diferiu entre os extratos. Assim, o fragmento encontra-se em um estágio intermediário de progressão sucessional. A Análise de Componentes Principais (PCA) mostrou que as parcelas na área úmida apresentavam valores de pH mais elevados e níveis elevados de cálcio (Ca), zinco (Zn) e ferro (Fe), enquanto as parcelas na área seca não se distinguiram claramente, variando em termos de potássio (K), boro (B) e teor de matéria orgânica. Na Análise de Correspondência Canônica (CCA), um conjunto de espécies que ocorreu exclusivamente na área úmida mostrou uma forte relação com as variáveis analisadas. A área é um ecossistema diversificado que fornece eficientemente serviços ecossistêmicos à sociedade e deve ser objeto de conservação e pesquisa de longo prazo.
Objective
Describe outcomes of open fetal surgery for myelomeningocele (MMC) repair in two Brazilian hospitals and the impact of surgical experience on outcome.
Design
Retrospective cohort study.
...Setting
Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Population
237 pregnant women carrying a fetus with an open spinal defect.
Methods
Surgical details, and maternal and fetal outcomes collected from all patients.
Main outcome measures
Analysis of surgical and perinatal outcome parameters.
Results
Total surgical time was 119 ± 7.6 minutes. Preterm labour occurred in 24.2%, premature rupture of membranes in 26.7%, placental abruption in 0.8%, need for a blood transfusion at delivery in 2.1%, and dehiscence at the repair site in 2.5%. Reversal of hindbrain herniation at birth occurred in 71.4%. There were no maternal deaths or severe maternal morbidities. The failure rate with the patient anaesthetised was 0.42% and perinatal mortality was 2.1% (three intrauterine demises and two neonatal deaths). Comparing results from our study in the first 3 years with the last 3 years demonstrated improvement in the total surgical time (121.2 ± 6.4 versus 118.5 ± 8.2 minutes, P = 0.005) and an increase in reversal of hindbrain herniation at birth (64.0 versus 77.1%, P = 0.042).
Conclusion
Our open fetal surgical approach for MMC was effective and results were comparable to past studies. Improvements in surgical performance and perinatal outcome increased as the surgical team became more familiar with the procedure.
Funding
The study was funded solely by institutional funds.
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Brazilian experience of in utero open surgery for myelomeningocele repair.
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Brazilian experience of in utero open surgery for myelomeningocele repair.
“Super-deep” diamonds are thought to crystallize between 300 and 800km depth because some of the inclusions trapped within them are considered to be the products of retrograde transformation from ...lower mantle or transition zone precursors. In particular, single inclusion CaSiO3-walstromite is believed to derive from CaSiO3-perovskite, although its real depth of origin has never been proven. Our aim is therefore to determine for the first time the pressure of formation of the diamond-CaSiO3-walstromite pair by “single-inclusion elastic barometry” and to determine whether CaSiO3-walstromite derives from CaSiO3-perovskite or not.
We investigated several single phases and assemblages of Ca-silicate inclusions still trapped in a diamond coming from Juina (Brazil) by in-situ analyses (single-crystal X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman spectroscopy) and we obtained a minimum entrapment pressure of ~5.7GPa (∼180km) at 1500K. However, the observed coexistence of CaSiO3-walstromite, larnite (β-Ca2SiO4) and CaSi2O5-titanite in one multiphase inclusion within the same diamond indicates that the sample investigated is sub-lithospheric with entrapment pressure between ~9.5 and ~11.5GPa at 1500K, based on experimentally-determined phase equilibria. In addition, thermodynamic calculations suggested that, within a diamond, single inclusions of CaSiO3-walstromite cannot derive from CaSiO3-perovskite, unless the diamond around the inclusion expands by ~30% in volume.
•Estimate of the depth of formation for the diamond-CaSiO3-walstromite pair by “single-inclusion elastic barometry” is proposed•Minimum entrapment pressure of ~5.7GPa at 1500K due to fracturing•CaSiO3-walstromite+larnite+CaSi2O5-titanite in one inclusion indicates sub-lithospheric origin•Retrograde transformation of CaSiO3-walstromite from CaSiO3-perovskite requires 30% expansion of diamond
The World Health Organization classification of myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) is based on morphological evaluation of marrow dysplasia. We performed a systematic review of cytological and ...histological data from 1150 patients with peripheral blood cytopenia. We analyzed the frequency and discriminant power of single morphological abnormalities. A score to define minimal morphological criteria associated to the presence of marrow dysplasia was developed. This score showed high sensitivity/specificity (>90%), acceptable reproducibility and was independently validated. The severity of granulocytic and megakaryocytic dysplasia significantly affected survival. A close association was found between ring sideroblasts and SF3B1 mutations, and between severe granulocytic dysplasia and mutation of ASXL1, RUNX1, TP53 and SRSF2 genes. In myeloid neoplasms with fibrosis, multilineage dysplasia, hypolobulated/multinucleated megakaryocytes and increased CD34+ progenitors in the absence of JAK2, MPL and CALR gene mutations were significantly associated with a myelodysplastic phenotype. In myeloid disorders with marrow hypoplasia, granulocytic and/or megakaryocytic dysplasia, increased CD34+ progenitors and chromosomal abnormalities are consistent with a diagnosis of MDS. The proposed morphological score may be useful to evaluate the presence of dysplasia in cases without a clearly objective myelodysplastic phenotype. The integration of cytological and histological parameters improves the identification of MDS cases among myeloid disorders with fibrosis and hypocellularity.
Transient elastography (TE) has received increasing attention as a means to evaluate disease progression in patients with chronic liver disease.
To assess the value of TE for predicting the stage of ...fibrosis.
Liver biopsy and TE were performed in 150 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis C-related hepatitis (92 men and 58 women, age 50.6 (SD 12.5) years on the same day. Necro-inflammatory activity and the degree of steatosis at biopsy were also evaluated.
The areas under the curve for the prediction of significant fibrosis (> or = F2), advanced fibrosis (> or = F3) or cirrhosis were 0.91, 0.99 and 0.98, respectively. Calculation of multilevel likelihood ratios showed that values of TE < 6 or > or = 12, < 9 or > or = 12, and < 12 or > or = 18, clearly indicated the absence or presence of significant fibrosis, advanced fibrosis, and cirrhosis, respectively. Intermediate values could not be reliably associated with the absence or presence of the target condition. The presence of inflammation significantly affected TE measurements in patients who did not have cirrhosis (p<0.0001), even after adjusting for the stage of fibrosis. Importantly, TE measurements were not influenced by the degree of steatosis.
TE is more suitable for the identification of patients with advanced fibrosis than of those with cirrhosis or significant fibrosis. In patients in whom likelihood ratios are not optimal and do not provide a reliable indication of the disease stage, liver biopsy should be considered when clinically indicated. Necro-inflammatory activity, but not steatosis, strongly and independently influences TE measurement in patients who do not have cirrhosis.
Context. The ESA Rosetta spacecraft will reach the short-period comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014. Orbiting strategy, orbiter safety conditions, landing scenarios and expected results from dust ...collectors depend on models of the 67P dust environment. Many papers already tackled this matter, analysing a limited set of observations, and therefore often reaching conflicting conclusions. Aims. We consider a set of observations representative of all ground-based and IR (thermal infrared) Spitzer data collected over the last three perihelion passages, to determine the 67P dust environment after the end of the gas drag on dust (at about 20 nucleus radii) consistent with available 67P gas and dust coma photometry, images of the dust coma, tail and trail, at optical and IR wavelengths. Methods. In order to obtain the best fit to 67P data, we consider three independent tail and trail simulation codes (developed by three independent groups), which parametrise cometary dust by the quantity β, the ratio between solar radiation pressure and gravity forces. GIADA, the dust monitor instrument of the Rosetta orbiter, will provide an experimental determination of the β-dust mass relation. Results. A 67P environment model based on a perihelion-symmetric dust velocity and on a perihelion-asymmetric dust size distribution, is consistent with all available data. During most Rosetta operations, the dust cross-section is dominated by mm to cm-sized grains, while the ejected dust mass is dominated by grains larger than a few mm, with a dust-to-gas ratio of 3 around perihelion. Conclusions. 67P onsets its activity at Sun-distances rh ≥ 3.4 AU; the dust geometric albedo is 0.04 ± 0.02; at 3.0 AU, 10 g grains escape the nucleus gravity field (10 kg grains at perihelion) with a dust mass-loss rate of 10−40 kg s-1 (500 kg s-1 at perihelion); 67P’s activity depends on seasons, with the northern heminucleus (rich in large grains and CN depleted) active before perihelion.
In order to investigate the comparability of microsatellite profiles obtained in different laboratories, ten partners in seven countries analyzed 46 grape cultivars at six loci (VVMD5, VVMD7, VVMD27, ...VVS2, VrZAG62, and VrZAG79). No effort was made to standardize equipment or protocols. Although some partners obtained very similar results, in other cases different absolute allele sizes and, sometimes, different relative allele sizes were obtained. A strategy for data comparison by means of reference to the alleles detected in well-known cultivars was proposed. For each marker, each allele was designated by a code based on the name of the reference cultivar carrying that allele. Thirty-three cultivars, representing from 13 to 23 alleles per marker, were chosen as references. After the raw data obtained by the different partners were coded, more than 97% of the data were in agreement. Minor discrepancies were attributed to errors, suboptimal amplification and visualization, and misscoring of heterozygous versus homozygous allele pairs. We have shown that coded microsatellite data produced in different laboratories with different protocols and conditions can be compared, and that it is suitable for the identification and SSR allele characterization of cultivars. It is proposed that the six markers employed here, already widely used, be adopted as a minimal standard marker set for future grapevine cultivar analyses, and that additional cultivars be characterized by means of the coded reference alleles presented here. The complete database is available at http://www.genres.de/eccdb/vitis/. Cuttings of the 33 reference cultivars are available-on-request-from the Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique Vassal collection (didier.vares@ensam.inra.fr).
Obesity is heritable and predisposes to many diseases. To understand the genetic basis of obesity better, here we conduct a genome-wide association study and Metabochip meta-analysis of body mass ...index (BMI), a measure commonly used to define obesity and assess adiposity, in up to 339,224 individuals. This analysis identifies 97 BMI-associated loci (P < 5 × 10(-8)), 56 of which are novel. Five loci demonstrate clear evidence of several independent association signals, and many loci have significant effects on other metabolic phenotypes. The 97 loci account for ∼2.7% of BMI variation, and genome-wide estimates suggest that common variation accounts for >20% of BMI variation. Pathway analyses provide strong support for a role of the central nervous system in obesity susceptibility and implicate new genes and pathways, including those related to synaptic function, glutamate signalling, insulin secretion/action, energy metabolism, lipid biology and adipogenesis.
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