Leaf surface features of maize cultivars and response to foliar phosphorus application: effect of leaf stage and plant phosphorus status.

Soil phosphorus (P) application is the most common fertilisation technique but may involve constraints due to chemical fixation and microbial immobilisation. Furthermore, excessive P fertilisation leads to P runoff into water bodies, threatening ecosystems, so targeted foliar P fertilisation is an interesting alternative. This study aimed to determine the importance of leaf surface characteristics for foliar P uptake in P-deficient maize (Zea mays L.). The leaf surface of four maize cultivars was characterised by electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and contact angle measurements. Uptake of foliar-applied P by maize cultivars was estimated, measuring also leaf photosynthetic rates after foliar P spraying. Plants of cultivar P7948 were found to be wettable from the 4th leaf in acropetal direction, whereas other cultivars were unwettable until the 6th leaf had developed. Minor variations in stomatal number and cuticle composition were recorded, but no differences in foliar P absorption were observed between cultivars. Nevertheless, cultivars showed variation in the improvement of photosynthetic capacity following foliar P application. Phosphorus deficiency resulted in ultrastructural disorganisation of mesophyll cells and chloroplasts, which impaired photosynthetic performance, yet there was no effect on stomatal frequency and leaf wettability. This study provides new insights into the influence of P deficiency and cultivar on leaf surface characteristics, foliar P uptake and its effect on physiological processes. Understanding the relationships between leaf characteristics and P uptake allows a more targeted evaluation of foliar P fertilisation as an application technique and contributes to the understanding of foliar uptake mechanisms.

Leaf wettability is the main driver for foliar P uptake in P-deficient maize.

Foliar fertilisation is an alternative form of nutrient application, which is of particular interest for phosphorus (P), where the efficiency of soil fertilisation is low. However, the uptake of foliar-applied nutrients is insufficiently characterised. The aim of this study was to investigate the individual and combined significance of wettability, foliar fertiliser properties and surfactant on foliar P uptake in P-deficient maize (Zea mays L.). Sorption and desorption properties of two P salts used as foliar fertilisers (KH2PO4, K2HPO4) were determined with dynamic vapor sorption isotherms. Leaf surfaces and foliar spray depositions of two differently wettable maize cultivars were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and contact angle measurement. Phosphorus uptake was then linked to leaf and fertiliser solution properties and its effect on cell ultrastructure was characterised by transmission electron microscopy. Wettability was the key factor for P absorption, as all foliar fertilisers were taken up reaching a tissue-P level of adequately nourished plants. For unwettable leaves, only solutions with surfactant, especially the combination of surfactant and hygroscopic P salt (K2HPO4) were taken up. This study provides novel insights into the significance of leaf surface and fertiliser properties, which can thus contribute to an improvement of P fertilisation strategies.

Incorporating biodiversity responses to land use change scenarios for preventing emerging zoonotic diseases in areas of unknown host-pathogen interactions.

The need to reconcile food production, the safeguarding of nature, and the protection of public health is imperative in a world of continuing global change, particularly in the context of risks of emerging zoonotic disease (EZD). In this paper, we explored potential land use strategies to reduce EZD risks using a landscape approach. We focused on strategies for cases where the dynamics of pathogen transmission among species were poorly known and the ideas of "land-use induced spillover" and "landscape immunity" could be used very broadly. We first modeled three different land-use change scenarios in a region of transition between the Cerrado and the Atlantic Forest biodiversity hotspots. The land-use strategies used to build our scenarios reflected different proportions of native vegetation cover, as a proxy of habitat availability. We then evaluated the effects of the proportion of native vegetation cover on the occupancy probability of a group of mammal species and analyzed how the different land-use scenarios might affect the distribution of species in the landscape and thus the risk of EZD. We demonstrate that these approaches can help identify potential future EZD risks, and can thus be used as decision-making tools by stakeholders, with direct implications for improving both environmental and socio-economic outcomes.

SOX9 knockout decreases stemness properties in colorectal cancer cells.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of death worldwide. SRY-box transcription factor 9 (SOX9) participates in organogenesis and cell differentiation in normal tissues but has been involved in carcinogenesis development. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small population of cells present in solid tumors that contribute to increased tumor heterogeneity, metastasis, chemoresistance, and relapse. CSCs have properties such as self-renewal and differentiation, which can be modulated by many factors. Currently, the role of SOX9 in the maintenance of the stem phenotype has not been well elucidated, thus, in this work we evaluated the effect of the absence of SOX9 in the stem phenotype of CRC cells. Methods: We knockout (KO) SOX9 in the undifferentiated CRC cell line HCT116 and evaluated their stemness properties using sphere formation assay, differentiation assay, and immunophenotyping. Results: SOX9-KO affected the epithelial morphology of HCT116 cells and stemness characteristics such as its pluripotency signature with the increase of SOX2 as a compensatory mechanism to induce SOX9 expression, the increase of KLF4 as a differentiation feature, as well as the inhibition of the stem cell markers CD44 and CD73. In addition, SOX9-KO cells gain the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) phenotype with a significant upregulation of CDH2. Furthermore, our results showed a remarkable effect on first- and second-sphere formation, being SOX9-KO cells less capable of forming high-size-resistant spheres. Nevertheless, CSCs surface markers were not affected during the differentiation assay. Conclusions: Collectively, our findings supply evidence that SOX9 promotes the maintenance of stemness properties in CRC-CSCs.

High sensitivity of tropical forest birds to deforestation at lower altitudes.

Habitat conversion is a major driver of tropical biodiversity loss, but its effects are poorly understood in montane environments. While community-level responses to habitat loss display strong elevational dependencies, it is unclear whether these arise via elevational turnover in community composition and interspecific differences in sensitivity or elevational variation in environmental conditions and proximity to thermal thresholds. Here we assess the relative importance of inter- and intraspecific variation across the elevational gradient by quantifying how 243 forest-dependent bird species vary in sensitivity to landscape-scale forest loss across a 3000-m elevational gradient in the Colombian Andes. We find that species that live at lower elevations are strongly affected by loss of forest in the nearby landscape, while those at higher elevations appear relatively unperturbed, an effect that is independent of phylogeny. Conversely, we find limited evidence of intraspecific elevational gradients in sensitivity, with populations displaying similar sensitivities to forest loss, regardless of where they exist in a species' elevational range. Gradients in biodiversity response to habitat loss thus appear to arise via interspecific gradients in sensitivity rather than proximity to climatically limiting conditions.

Randomized Prospective Evaluation of Microblepharoexfoliation BlephEx as Adjunctive Therapy in the Treatment of Chalazia.

PURPOSE: Chalazia are benign eyelid lesions caused by the obstruction and inflammatory reaction of the meibomian glands. Demodex mites are one potential cause of chalazia leading to mechanical obstruction of the meibomian gland. In this prospective randomized study, we examine a novel approach to treating chalazia with the use of microblepharoexfoliation (MBE), an in-office lid hygiene technique that exfoliates the eyelid margins. METHODS: Fifty patients with clinical evidence of acute chalazion were enrolled in this study. Subjects were randomly assigned to a MBE plus lid hygiene group (23 patients, mean age 66.6 ± 16.6 years) or a lid hygiene alone group (27 patients, mean age 62.1 ± 14.4). The MBE plus lid hygiene group received MBE treatment and were evaluated 1 month after the baseline visit. The main outcome measured was the resolution of the chalazion at the 1-month follow-up visit. RESULTS: The lid hygiene plus MBE treatment group demonstrated a statistically significant resolution of the chalazion compared with the lid hygiene group alone ( P = 0.007; chi-square test). Among the MBE plus hygiene group, 87% of the patients had resolution of their chalazion as opposed to the lid hygiene alone group, which had 44% resolution. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first prospective, randomized clinical trial that demonstrated efficacy of MBE as a noninvasive adjunctive treatment method for chalazion resolution.

Accessing the Pion 3D Structure at US and China Electron-Ion Colliders.

We present the first systematic feasibility study of accessing generalized parton distributions of the pion at an electron-ion collider through deeply virtual Compton scattering. Relying on state-of-the-art models for pion GPDs, we show that quarks and gluons interfere destructively, modulating the expected event rate and maximizing it when parton content is generated via radiation from valence dressed quarks. Moreover, gluons are found to induce a sign inversion for the beam-spin asymmetry in every model studied, being a clear signal for pinning down the regime of gluon superiority.

A Systematic Review on Cannabinoids for Neuropathic Pain Administered by Routes Other than Oral or Inhalation.

The use of cannabis and cannabinoid products for the treatment of neuropathic pain is a growing area of research. This type of pain has a high prevalence, limited response to available therapies and high social and economic costs. Systemic cannabinoid-based therapies have shown some unwanted side effects. Alternative routes of administration in the treatment of neuropathic pain may provide better acceptance for the treatment of multiple pathologies associated with neuropathic pain. To examine the efficacy, tolerability, and safety of cannabinoids (individualized formulations, phytocannabinoids, and synthetics) administered by routes other than oral or inhalation compared to placebo and/or conventional medications in the management of neuropathic pain. This systematic review of the literature reveals a lack of clinical research investigating cannabis by routes other than oral and inhalation as a potential treatment for neuropathic pain and highlights the need for further investigation with well-designed clinical trials. There is a significant lack of evidence indicating that cannabinoids administered by routes other than oral or inhaled may be an effective alternative, with better tolerance and safety in the treatment of neuropathic pain. Higher quality, long-term, randomized controlled trials are needed to examine whether cannabinoids administered by routes other than inhalation and oral routes may have a role in the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Management of soft-tissue coverage of open tibia fractures in Latin America: Techniques, timing, and resources.

PURPOSE: This study examined soft-tissue coverage techniques of open tibia fractures, described soft-tissue treatment patterns across income groups, and determined resource accessibility and availability in Latin America. METHODS: A 36-question survey was distributed to orthopaedic surgeons in Latin America through two networks: national orthopaedic societies and the Asociación de Cirujanos Traumatólogos de las Américas (ACTUAR). Demographic information was collected, and responses were stratified by income groups: high-income countries (HICs) and middle-income countries (MICs). RESULTS: The survey was completed by 469 orthopaedic surgeons, representing 19 countries in Latin America (2 HICs and 17 MICs). Most respondents were male (89%), completed residency training (96%), and were fellowship-trained (71%). Only 44% of the respondents had received soft-tissue training. Respondents (77%) reported a strong interest in attending a soft-tissue training course. Plastic surgeons were more commonly the primary providers for Gustilo Anderson (GA) Type IIIB injuries in HICs than in MICs (100% vs. 47%, p<0.01) and plastic surgeons were more available (<24 h of patient presentation to the hospital) in HICs than MICs (63% vs. 26%, p = 0.05), demonstrating statistically significant differences. In addition, respondents in HICs performed free flaps more commonly than in MICs for proximal third (55% vs. 10%, p<0.01), middle third (36% vs. 9%, p = 0.02), and distal third (55% vs. 10%, p<0.01) lower extremity wounds. Negative Pressure Wound Therapy (NPWT or Wound VAC) was the only resource available to more than half of the respondents. Though not statistically significant, surgeons reported having more access to plastic surgeons at their institutions in HICs than MICs (91% vs. 62%, p = 0.12) and performed microsurgical flaps more commonly at their respective institutions (73% vs. 42%, p = 0.06). CONCLUSIONS: The study demonstrated that most orthopaedic surgeons in Latin America have received no soft-tissue training, HICs and MICs have differences in access to plastic surgeons and expectations for flap type and timing to definitive coverage, and most respondents had limited access to necessary soft-tissue surgical resources. Further investigation into differences in the clinical outcomes related to soft-tissue coverage methods and protocols can provide additional insight into the importance of timing and access to specialists.

Leadership development for orthopaedic trauma surgeons in Latin America: opportunities for and barriers to skill acquisition.

INTRODUCTION: There is growing interest in leadership courses for physicians. Few opportunities are available in global regions with limited resources. This study describes orthopaedic trauma surgeons' desired leadership skill acquisition, opportunities, and barriers to course participation in Latin America. METHODS: Latin American orthopaedic trauma surgeons from the Asociación de Cirujanos Traumatólogos de las Americas (ACTUAR) network were surveyed. This survey solicited and gauged the surgeons' level of interest in leadership topics and their relative importance utilizing a 5-point Likert-scale. Additionally, comparisons were calculated between middle-income countries (MICs) and high-income countries (HICs) to ascertain if needs were different between groups. The survey included demographic information, nationality, level of training, years in practice, leadership position, needs assessment, and perceived barriers for leadership educational opportunities. RESULTS: One hundred forty-four orthopaedic surgeons completed the survey, representing 18 countries across Latin America; 15 MICs and 3 HICs. Participants had more than 20 years in practice (49%) and held leadership positions (81%) in hospital settings (62%), national orthopaedic societies (45%), and/or clinical settings (40%). Sixty-three percent had never attended a leadership course due to lack of opportunities/invitations (69%), difficulty missing work (24%), and costs (21%). Ninety-seven percent expressed interest in attending a leadership course. No difference in needs was determined between respondents from MICs and HICs. Professional Ethics, Crisis Management/Organizational Change Management, and High Performing Team-Building were identified as the most important leadership topics. CONCLUSION: Orthopaedic surgeons in Latin America demonstrate an interest in acquiring additional leadership skills but have few opportunities. Identifying interests, knowledge gaps, and core competencies can guide the development of such opportunities.

Tapping into non-English-language science for the conservation of global biodiversity.

The widely held assumption that any important scientific information would be available in English underlies the underuse of non-English-language science across disciplines. However, non-English-language science is expected to bring unique and valuable scientific information, especially in disciplines where the evidence is patchy, and for emergent issues where synthesising available evidence is an urgent challenge. Yet such contribution of non-English-language science to scientific communities and the application of science is rarely quantified. Here, we show that non-English-language studies provide crucial evidence for informing global biodiversity conservation. By screening 419,679 peer-reviewed papers in 16 languages, we identified 1,234 non-English-language studies providing evidence on the effectiveness of biodiversity conservation interventions, compared to 4,412 English-language studies identified with the same criteria. Relevant non-English-language studies are being published at an increasing rate in 6 out of the 12 languages where there were a sufficient number of relevant studies. Incorporating non-English-language studies can expand the geographical coverage (i.e., the number of 2° × 2° grid cells with relevant studies) of English-language evidence by 12% to 25%, especially in biodiverse regions, and taxonomic coverage (i.e., the number of species covered by the relevant studies) by 5% to 32%, although they do tend to be based on less robust study designs. Our results show that synthesising non-English-language studies is key to overcoming the widespread lack of local, context-dependent evidence and facilitating evidence-based conservation globally. We urge wider disciplines to rigorously reassess the untapped potential of non-English-language science in informing decisions to address other global challenges. Please see the Supporting information files for Alternative Language Abstracts.

Distribution of birds in Colombia.

BACKGROUND: 1. Colombia with 1941 known recorded bird species is one of the most species rich countries in the world. Efforts are necessary to conserve, study and promote sustainable use of this important taxonomic group throughout Colombia's vast territory.2. In an ideal world, informed decisions that are based on sound scientific information should be likelier to have successful outcomes. Nevertheless, there are barriers that make it difficult to access and use information in a timely fashion. Those same barriers impede the study, conservation and sustainable use of bird species in Colombia. On the other hand, given that there is good documentation about the ecology of a large number of species, information about the distribution of birds can be easily incorporated into decision-making processes, once this information becomes readily available in a consumable format using Geographic Information Sciences tools.3. In this context, the main objective of this paper is to present the first compilation of the current distribution of 1889 (97%) species of birds in Colombia, using expert criteria. The shapefiles were used to show the distribution and diversity of bird species in Colombia under both geopolitical and conservation geographic units.4. The information provided in this paper can be used as a baseline for a huge number of initiatives that aim to strengthen conservation efforts and improve knowledge about one the most unique taxonomic groups in the country. These range from land use planning strategies at the municipal or department scale to sustainable use of bird species - such as those initiatives related to bird watching - in Colombia. NEW INFORMATION: This study has considered three key aspects: 1) the importance of birds for Colombia's ecosystems, 2) the privileged place of Colombia in bird species richness and 3) the importance of data mobilisation in formats easily consumable by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to facilitate the processes of informed decision-making. We present the first compilation - in shapefile format - for 1889 of the 1941 bird species recorded from Colombia. Using this novel collection, we showed the species richness of birds in Colombia's 33 Departments plus its Captial District (DPs), 1122 Municipalities (MNs), 58 protected areas (PAs), 39 Regional Autonomous Corporations (the authorities responsible within their respective jurisdictions for regulating the environment and renewable natural resources in Colombia; CARs) and 916 Collectively Titled Territories (including both indigenous reservations and afro-descendant communities; CTTs). In addition, we provide a list of known bird species richness for the above geographic units found in the available literature. The information provided here can be used as a baseline for a huge number of initiatives concerning the study, conservation and sustainable use of bird species present in Colombia, providing access to key features of bird distribution that should facilitate decision-making.

Passive acoustic sampling data of the Colección de Sonidos Ambientales Mauricio Álvarez-Rebolledo - Instituto Humboldt (IAvH-CSA) during 2018 and 2019 in Colombia.

We present the dataset of passive acoustic sampling events deposited in the Colección de Sonidos Ambientales Mauricio Álvarez-Rebolledo at the Humboldt Institute (IAvH-CSA) during the years 2018-2019. The acoustic sampling events were generated from different projects, including Colombia Bio, Santander Bio, Boyacá Bio, Lisama, Riqueza Natural, and occasional events collected during this time. In total, 44,704 sampling events are deposited in the collection, corresponding to 1 minute of automatic recording sampled at a 44.1 kHz sampling rate and 16-bit resolution. The recording schedules correspond to 1 minute every 5, 10, or 30 min throughout the day, during 1 to 20 sampling days, across 79 localities in Colombia. The geographical coverage includes the departments of Bolívar, Boyacá, Caquetá, Cundinamarca, Meta, Santander, and Sucre. The present information was collected within the framework of the passive monitoring methodology established by the Humboldt Institute .

Differential reporting of biodiversity in two citizen science platforms during COVID-19 lockdown in Colombia.

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the potential of using data from long-term citizen science projects to answer questions about the impacts of unexpected events on biodiversity. We evaluate the suitability of data from the citizen science platforms iNaturalist and eBird to describe the effects of the "anthropause" on biodiversity observation in Colombia. We compared record distribution according to human footprint, sampling behaviors, overall and conservation priority species composition during the strictest phase of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020 to the same periods in 2015-2019. Overall participation in both platforms during the lockdown was high when compared to previous years, but records were concentrated on highly-transformed regions, had lower sampling efforts, and fewer species were recorded. For eBird, species composition was similar to that observed in previous years, and records of species of conservation concern declined in proportion to the decrease in overall species richness across samples. For iNaturalist, the species pool sampled each year remained too dissimilar for comparisons. Once differences in observer behaviors are accounted for, data from these platforms can be used in unplanned comparisons of relatively common species, in regions with high levels of human transformation, and at narrowly defined geographical contexts. To increase the potential of citizen science to monitor rarer species, more natural areas, or be used in large-scale analyses, we need to build and strengthen more diverse networks of observers that can further promote decentralization, democratization, and cost-effectiveness in biodiversity research.

Listening to cities during the COVID-19 lockdown: How do human activities and urbanization impact soundscapes in Colombia?

Noise is one of the fastest growing and most ubiquitous type of environmental pollution, with prevalence in cities. The COVID-19 confinement in 2020 in Colombia led to a reduction in human activities and their associated noise. We used this unique opportunity to measure the impacts of noise on urban soundscapes, and explore the effects of urbanization intensity independently of human activity. We launched a community science initiative inviting participants to collect audio recordings from their windows using smartphones. Recordings were taken during severe mobility restrictions (April), and during a period of lightened restrictions (May-June). From the data collected, we measured changes in sound pressure levels (SPL), acoustic structure (soundscape spectro-temporal characteristics), and human perception between the two periods. A 12% increase in human activities had a detectable acoustic footprint, with a significant increase of SPL (2.15 dB, 128% increase), a shift towards dominance of low-frequency broadband signals, and a perceived dominance of human-made over wildlife sounds. Measured changes in SPL and acoustic structure were directly proportional to urbanization; however, perception of these changes was not. This gap may be associated with a masking effect generated by noise or a disconnect of humans from nature in large cities. The mobility restrictions created a chance to better understand the impacts of urbanization and human activities on the soundscape, while raising public awareness regarding noise pollution effects on people and wildlife. Information analyzed here might serve in urban planning in developing countries where urban expansion is occurring in a rapid, unplanned fashion.

Open Tibial Shaft Fractures: Treatment Patterns in Latin America.

BACKGROUND: Open tibial shaft fractures are an important source of disability in Latin America. High-income countries (HICs) worldwide have established standardized treatment protocols for open tibial fractures, but less is known about their treatment in middle-income countries (MICs) in Latin America. This survey of Latin American orthopaedic surgeons characterizes open tibial fracture treatment patterns. METHODS: Orthopaedic surgeons from 20 national orthopaedic societies throughout Latin America completed an online survey assessing their treatment of open tibial fractures. Demographic information was collected. Treatment patterns were queried according to 2 groupings of Gustilo-Anderson (GA) fracture types: treatment of type-I and type-II fractures (GA-I/II) and treatment of type-III fractures (GA-III). Treatment patterns were evaluated across 4 domains: antibiotic prophylaxis, irrigation and debridement, fracture stabilization, and wound management. Summary statistics were reported; analysis was performed using the Fisher exact test (p < 0.05). RESULTS: There were 616 survey participants from 20 Latin American countries (4 HICs and 16 MICs). Initial external fixation followed by staged internal fixation was preferred for GA-I/II (51.0%) and GA-III fractures (86.0%). Nearly one-third (31.5%) of GA-IIIB fractures did not receive a soft-tissue coverage procedure. Stratifying by country socioeconomic status, surgeons in MICs more commonly utilized delayed internal fixation for GA-I/II (53.3% versus 22.0%, p < 0.001) and GA-III fractures (94.0% versus 80.4%, p = 0.002). Surgeons in MICs more commonly used primary closure for GA-I/II (88.9% versus 62.8%, p < 0.001) and GA-III fractures (32.6% versus 9.8%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This survey reports Latin American orthopaedic surgeons' treatment patterns for open tibial shaft fractures. Surgeons in MICs reported higher delayed internal fixation use for all fracture types, while surgeons in HICs more routinely avoid primary closure. Soft-tissue coverage procedures are not performed in nearly one-third of GA-IIIB fractures because of a lack of operative personnel and training.

Discrete Adaptive Responses to MEK Inhibitor in Subpopulations of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

Triple-negative breast cancers contain a spectrum of epithelial and mesenchymal phenotypes. SUM-229PE cells represent a model for this heterogeneity, maintaining both epithelial and mesenchymal subpopulations that are genomically similar but distinct in gene expression profiles. We identified differential regions of open chromatin in epithelial and mesenchymal cells that were strongly correlated with regions of H3K27ac. Motif analysis of these regions identified consensus sequences for transcription factors that regulate cell identity. Treatment with the MEK inhibitor trametinib induced enhancer remodeling that is associated with transcriptional regulation of genes in epithelial and mesenchymal cells. Motif analysis of enhancer peaks downregulated in response to chronic treatment with trametinib identified AP-1 motif enrichment in both epithelial and mesenchymal subpopulations. Chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq) of JUNB identified subpopulation-specific localization, which was significantly enriched at regions of open chromatin. These results indicate that cell identity controls localization of transcription factors and chromatin-modifying enzymes to enhancers for differential control of gene expression. We identified increased H3K27ac at an enhancer region proximal to CXCR7, a G-protein-coupled receptor that increased 15-fold in expression in the epithelial subpopulation during chronic treatment. RNAi knockdown of CXCR7 inhibited proliferation in trametinib-resistant cells. Thus, adaptive resistance to chronic trametinib treatment contributes to proliferation in the presence of the drug. Acquired amplification of KRAS following trametinib dose escalation further contributed to POS cell proliferation. Adaptive followed by acquired gene expression changes contributed to proliferation in trametinib-resistant cells, suggesting inhibition of early transcriptional reprogramming could prevent resistance and the bypass of targeted therapy. IMPLICATIONS: We defined the differential responses to trametinib in subpopulations of a clinically relevant in vitro model of TNBC, and identified both adaptive and acquired elements that contribute to the emergence of drug resistance mediated by increased expression of CXCR7 and amplification of KRAS.

The importance of Legal Reserves for protecting the Pantanal biome and preventing agricultural losses.

Considering scenarios of future changes in land use have the potential to support policy-makers in drafting environmental laws to reconcile the demands of multiple land uses. The Pantanal, one of the largest wetlands in the world, has been undergoing rapid land use changes, and does not yet have any integrated environmental legislation on Legal Reserve for entire region (LR - minimum percentage of native vegetation required within private properties). The aim of this paper was to generate future vegetation loss scenarios for the Pantanal based on four LR values: (i) BAU: Business as usual, which considers existing laws: Native Vegetation Protection Law and State Decree; (ii) LRE: LR elimination owing to a bill recently proposed; (iii) LR50: which considers the bill proposing 50% of LR for the Pantanal; and (iv) LR80: our proposed levels of 80% of LR for the lowlands and 35% for the plateau (following values in the Amazon). Based on native vegetation loss from each scenario, we estimated the soil loss and sediment yield to rivers. Our results show that LRE would increase native vegetation loss in the Pantanal by as much as 139% when compared to the BAU, whereas increasing LR levels would reduce conversion values by 29% (LR80). Elimination of the LR would increase soil erosion and sediment production by up to 7% and 10%, respectively, compared to BAU. Based on native vegetation loss from each scenario, we estimated the soil loss and sediment yield to rivers with our data showing more than 90% of the sediment transported to the lowland originating from the plateau. The LR80 indicates a reduction in soil nutrient replacement costs of 10% compared to BAU, while in the LR50 these costs decrease by 1.5%, and in the LRE would increase of 8%. Our results show that abolishing current protections would have substantial impacts on avulsion processes, on several economic activities (tourism, fishery, cattle raising, etc.) and negative impacts for biodiversity conservation and would bring losses to agriculture in the Pantanal. Hence, our study brings clearly evidence of LR importance and need to expand it in this sensitive wetland.

Quo vadis Pantanal? Expected precipitation extremes and drought dynamics from changing sea surface temperature.

Climate change poses a critical threat to the Pantanal, the largest wetland in the world. Models indicate an increase in the frequency of extreme precipitation events and extended periods of drought. These changes can amplify consequences for Pantanal's ecological functioning, which has already experienced intensive human modification of its hydrological system and environmental health. The present study analyzed the spatial and temporal dynamics of rainfall and resulting extremes in the Brazilian area of the Upper Paraguay River Basin (UPRB) along with a co-evaluation of the global Sea Surface Temperature data (SST). The predicted results indicate that wet extreme precipitation events will become more frequent in the highlands, while severe and prolonged droughts triggered by warming SSTs in the Northern Hemisphere (North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans) will affect the Pantanal. The linear relations between precipitation with SST of very specific oceanic regions and even from specific oceanic indexes obtained in the present study significantly improve the forecasting capacity, mainly from a resulting reduction to two months of the lead-time between SST warming to concomitant precipitation impacts, and by explaining 80% of Pantanal´s precipitation variation from major oceanic indexes (e.g., ENSO, PDO, NAO, ATL3). Current SST trends will result in inter- and intra-annual flooding dynamic alterations, drastically affecting the Pantanal ecosystem functioning, with consequences for wildlife diversity and distribution. Regarding the foreseeable global climate and land use change scenarios, the results from the present study provide solid evidence that can be used at different decision-making levels (from local to global) for identifying the most appropriate management practices and effectively achieving sustainability of the anthropic activity occurring in the Pantanal.

Hip fracture care-Latin America.

Incidence rates of hip fractures in Latin America continue to rise. These fractures are associated with factors such as health, education, and socioeconomic status. Although there are many well-developed public and private healthcare systems available, the quality and consistency in the management of patients with hip fractures varies substantially. This article provides a summary review of national hip fracture care guidelines in 4 of the largest countries in Latin America (Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, and Argentina), describing national guidelines, audits, standard treatment approaches in each country and regional policies; with the goal of understanding and comparing the different guidelines, identifying the main problems in each country, learning from the policies of the other countries, and developing improvement projects.