| 1. |
- Householder, John Ethan, et al.
(författare)
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One sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is dependent on river floodplains
- 2024
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Ingår i: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. - 2397-334X.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Amazonia's floodplain system is the largest and most biodiverse on Earth. Although forests are crucial to the ecological integrity of floodplains, our understanding of their species composition and how this may differ from surrounding forest types is still far too limited, particularly as changing inundation regimes begin to reshape floodplain tree communities and the critical ecosystem functions they underpin. Here we address this gap by taking a spatially explicit look at Amazonia-wide patterns of tree-species turnover and ecological specialization of the region's floodplain forests. We show that the majority of Amazonian tree species can inhabit floodplains, and about a sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is ecologically specialized on floodplains. The degree of specialization in floodplain communities is driven by regional flood patterns, with the most compositionally differentiated floodplain forests located centrally within the fluvial network and contingent on the most extraordinary flood magnitudes regionally. Our results provide a spatially explicit view of ecological specialization of floodplain forest communities and expose the need for whole-basin hydrological integrity to protect the Amazon's tree diversity and its function.
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| 2. |
- Luize, Bruno Garcia, et al.
(författare)
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Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities
- 2024
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Ingår i: JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY. - 0305-0270 .- 1365-2699.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Aim: Amazonia hosts more tree species from numerous evolutionary lineages, both young and ancient, than any other biogeographic region. Previous studies have shown that tree lineages colonized multiple edaphic environments and dispersed widely across Amazonia, leading to a hypothesis, which we test, that lineages should not be strongly associated with either geographic regions or edaphic forest types. Location: Amazonia. Taxon: Angiosperms (Magnoliids; Monocots; Eudicots). Methods: Data for the abundance of 5082 tree species in 1989 plots were combined with a mega-phylogeny. We applied evolutionary ordination to assess how phylogenetic composition varies across Amazonia. We used variation partitioning and Moran's eigenvector maps (MEM) to test and quantify the separate and joint contributions of spatial and environmental variables to explain the phylogenetic composition of plots. We tested the indicator value of lineages for geographic regions and edaphic forest types and mapped associations onto the phylogeny. Results: In the terra firme and v & aacute;rzea forest types, the phylogenetic composition varies by geographic region, but the igap & oacute; and white-sand forest types retain a unique evolutionary signature regardless of region. Overall, we find that soil chemistry, climate and topography explain 24% of the variation in phylogenetic composition, with 79% of that variation being spatially structured (R-2 = 19% overall for combined spatial/environmental effects). The phylogenetic composition also shows substantial spatial patterns not related to the environmental variables we quantified (R-2 = 28%). A greater number of lineages were significant indicators of geographic regions than forest types. Main Conclusion: Numerous tree lineages, including some ancient ones (>66 Ma), show strong associations with geographic regions and edaphic forest types of Amazonia. This shows that specialization in specific edaphic environments has played a long-standing role in the evolutionary assembly of Amazonian forests. Furthermore, many lineages, even those that have dispersed across Amazonia, dominate within a specific region, likely because of phylogenetically conserved niches for environmental conditions that are prevalent within regions.
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| 3. |
- ter Steege, Hans, et al.
(författare)
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Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora
- 2023
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Ingår i: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. - 2399-3642. ; 6:1
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Using 2.046 botanically-inventoried tree plots across the largest tropical forest on Earth, we mapped tree species-diversity and tree species-richness at 0.1-degree resolution, and investigated drivers for diversity and richness. Using only location, stratified by forest type, as predictor, our spatial model, to the best of our knowledge, provides the most accurate map of tree diversity in Amazonia to date, explaining approximately 70% of the tree diversity and species-richness. Large soil-forest combinations determine a significant percentage of the variation in tree species-richness and tree alpha-diversity in Amazonian forest-plots. We suggest that the size and fragmentation of these systems drive their large-scale diversity patterns and hence local diversity. A model not using location but cumulative water deficit, tree density, and temperature seasonality explains 47% of the tree species-richness in the terra-firme forest in Amazonia. Over large areas across Amazonia, residuals of this relationship are small and poorly spatially structured, suggesting that much of the residual variation may be local. The Guyana Shield area has consistently negative residuals, showing that this area has lower tree species-richness than expected by our models. We provide extensive plot meta-data, including tree density, tree alpha-diversity and tree species-richness results and gridded maps at 0.1-degree resolution. A study mapping the tree species richness in Amazonian forests shows that soil type exerts a strong effect on species richness, probably caused by the areas of these forest types. Cumulative water deficit, tree density and temperature seasonality affect species richness at a regional scale.
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| 4. |
- Bernal, Ximena E., et al.
(författare)
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Empowering Latina scientists
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 363:6429, s. 825-826
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 5. |
- Ferreira, Letícia Tiburcio, et al.
(författare)
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Computational Chemogenomics Drug Repositioning Strategy Enables the Discovery of Epirubicin as a New Repurposed Hit for Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax.
- 2020
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Ingår i: Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. - 1098-6596. ; 64:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Widespread resistance against antimalarial drugs thwarts current efforts for controlling the disease and urges the discovery of new effective treatments. Drug repositioning is increasingly becoming an attractive strategy since it can reduce costs, risks, and time-to-market. Herein, we have used this strategy to identify novel antimalarial hits. We used a comparative in silico chemogenomics approach to select Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium vivax proteins as potential drug targets and analyzed them using a computer-assisted drug repositioning pipeline to identify approved drugs with potential antimalarial activity. Among the seven drugs identified as promising antimalarial candidates, the anthracycline epirubicin was selected for further experimental validation. Epirubicin was shown to be potent in vitro against sensitive and multidrug-resistant P. falciparum strains and P. vivax field isolates in the nanomolar range, as well as being effective against an in vivo murine model of Plasmodium yoelii Transmission-blocking activity was observed for epirubicin in vitro and in vivo Finally, using yeast-based haploinsufficiency chemical genomic profiling, we aimed to get insights into the mechanism of action of epirubicin. Beyond the target predicted in silico (a DNA gyrase in the apicoplast), functional assays suggested a GlcNac-1-P-transferase (GPT) enzyme as a potential target. Docking calculations predicted the binding mode of epirubicin with DNA gyrase and GPT proteins. Epirubicin is originally an antitumoral agent and presents associated toxicity. However, its antiplasmodial activity against not only P. falciparum but also P. vivax in different stages of the parasite life cycle supports the use of this drug as a scaffold for hit-to-lead optimization in malaria drug discovery.
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| 6. |
- Oliveira, Helena Rodrigues, et al.
(författare)
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Biogas potential of biowaste: A case study in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- 2024
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Ingår i: Renewable energy. - : PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD. - 0960-1481 .- 1879-0682. ; 221
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Anaerobic digestion has been widely applied for waste treatment, renewable energy generation , biofertilizer production. The biogas potential in Brazil is sizable, but the state of Rio de Janeiro is largely dependent on fossil fuels , there is a lack of biogas potential assessments in the state. Thus, this study evaluated biomethane, electricity and biofertilizer potentials in the region. Three different scenarios of biomass supply were considered for four major biowaste streams: sewage sludge; cattle manure; sugarcane processing waste; and food waste. Biomethane generation from the assessed sources could reach 0.6-1.3 billion Nm(3) year(-1), corresponding to 1,768-3,961 GWh year(-1) of electricity , 1.6-3.3 million Mg year- 1 of biofertilizer. Cattle manure was responsible for 73-84% of the projected biomethane production, presenting an opportunity to reduce the sig-nificant emissions from livestock farming. The estimated biofertilizer production could meet the demands of the state , the produced electricity could offset up to 10% of the demand. The gas grid could facilitate the dis-tribution of upgraded biomethane, and 10-22% of the natural gas demand could be met. The findings of this work highlight the high potential for biogas generation in Rio de Janeiro, which is up to seven times larger than the current production.
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| 7. |
- Bonilla, Sylvia, et al.
(författare)
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Nutrients and not temperature are the key drivers for cyanobacterial biomass in the Americas
- 2023
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Ingår i: Harmful Algae. - : Elsevier. - 1568-9883 .- 1878-1470. ; 121
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Cyanobacterial blooms imperil the use of freshwater around the globe and present challenges for water man-agement. Studies have suggested that blooms are trigged by high temperatures and nutrient concentrations. While the roles of nitrogen and phosphorus have long been debated, cyanobacterial dominance in phytoplankton has widely been associated with climate warming. However, studies at large geographical scales, covering diverse climate regions and lake depths, are still needed to clarify the drivers of cyanobacterial success. Here, we analyzed data from 464 lakes covering a 14,000 km north-south gradient in the Americas and three lake depth categories. We show that there were no clear trends in cyanobacterial biomass (as biovolume) along latitude or climate gradients, with the exception of lower biomass in polar climates. Phosphorus was the primary resource explaining cyanobacterial biomass in the Americas, while nitrogen was also significant but particularly relevant in very shallow lakes (< 3 m depth). Despite the assessed climatic gradient water temperature was only weakly related to cyanobacterial biomass, suggesting it is overemphasized in current discussions. Depth was critical for predicting cyanobacterial biomass, and shallow lakes proved more vulnerable to eutrophication. Among other variables analyzed, only pH was significantly related to cyanobacteria biomass, likely due to a biologically mediated positive feedback under high nutrient conditions. Solutions toward managing harmful cyanobacteria should thus consider lake morphometric characteristics and emphasize nutrient control, independently of tem-perature gradients, since local factors are more critical - and more amenable to controls - than global external forces.
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| 8. |
- Brauko, Kalina M., et al.
(författare)
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Marine Heatwaves, Sewage and Eutrophication Combine to Trigger Deoxygenation and Biodiversity Loss: A SW Atlantic Case Study
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Marine Science. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 2296-7745. ; 7
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are a major concern worldwide due to their increasing impacts in recent years, and these extreme events may trigger deoxygenation of coastal waters affected by sewage and eutrophication. Here we investigate the combined effects of MHWs and nutrient enrichment on the water quality and biodiversity of the Bay of Santa Catarina Island (Brazil). We used historical (1994–2020) sea surface temperature data from satellites and in situ physical, chemical and biological parameters to assess temporal trends. Oxygen levels have been decreasing whilst phosphorus levels have been increasing in the bay. During the austral summer of 2020 a regional sea surface heatwave was detected by satellite, lasting for 9 days and coinciding with our research cruise. During this period, seawater temperatures reached 29.8°C and anoxia was detected for the first time in the bay. A decrease in macrobenthic and phytoplankton community richness correlated with decreases in oxygen both through time and towards more urbanized areas. Overall, poor wastewater treatment is a key stressor that combined with MHWs to degrade coastal waters. Mitigation strategies are needed to minimize the impact of MHWs, including improved sewage treatment, restoration and conservation of wetlands and the use of nature-based technologies to promote coastal ecosystem recovery.
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| 9. |
- Conti, Paulo César Rodrigues, et al.
(författare)
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Pain complications of oral implants : is that an issue?
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Oral Rehabilitation. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 1365-2842 .- 0305-182X. ; 48:2, s. 195-206
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The use of oral implants as a form of replacing missing teeth in partial or total edentulous patients is considered the gold standard in oral rehabilitation. Although considered a history of success in contemporary dentistry, surgical complications may occur, as excessive bleeding, damage to the adjacent teeth and mandibular fractures. Persistent pain and abnormal somatosensory responses after the surgery ordinary healing time are also potential problems and may lead to the development of a condition named posttraumatic trigeminal neuropathic pain (PTNP). Though relatively rare, PTNP has a profound impact on patient’s quality of life. Appropriated previous image techniques, effective anaesthetic procedures and caution during the surgical procedure and implant installation are recommended for the prevention of this condition. In case of the PTNP, different management modalities, including antidepressant and membrane stabilizer medications, as well as peripheral strategies, as the use of topical medication and the botulin toxin are presented and discussed.
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| 10. |
- Fernandes, Juliana Folloni, et al.
(författare)
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Transplantation of Hematopoietic Stem Cells for Primary Immunodeficiencies in Brazil: Challenges in Treating Rare Diseases in Developing Countries.
- 2018
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Ingår i: Journal of clinical immunology. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1573-2592 .- 0271-9142. ; 38:8, s. 917-926
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The results of hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) for primary immunodeficiency diseases (PID) have been improving over time. Unfortunately, developing countries do not experience the same results. This first report of Brazilian experience of HSCT for PID describes the development and results in the field. We included data from transplants in 221 patients, performed at 11 centers which participated in the Brazilian collaborative group, from July 1990 to December 2015. The majority of transplants were concentrated in one center (n=123). The median age at HSCT was 22months, and the most common diseases were severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) (n=67) and Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS) (n=67). Only 15 patients received unconditioned transplants. Cumulative incidence of GVHD grades II to IV was 23%, and GVHD grades III to IV was 10%. The 5-year overall survival was 71.6%. WAS patients had better survival compared to other diseases. Most deaths (n=53) occurred in the first year after transplantation mainly due to infection (55%) and GVHD (13%). Although transplant for PID patients in Brazil has evolved since its beginning, we still face some challenges like delayed diagnosis and referral, severe infections before transplant, a limited number of transplant centers with expertise, and resources for more advanced techniques. Measures like newborn screening for SCID may hasten the diagnosis and ameliorate patients' conditions at the moment of transplant.
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Kattge, Jens, et al.
(författare)
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TRY plant trait database - enhanced coverage and open access
- 2020
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Ingår i: Global Change Biology. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 1354-1013 .- 1365-2486. ; 26:1, s. 119-188
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Plant traits-the morphological, anatomical, physiological, biochemical and phenological characteristics of plants-determine how plants respond to environmental factors, affect other trophic levels, and influence ecosystem properties and their benefits and detriments to people. Plant trait data thus represent the basis for a vast area of research spanning from evolutionary biology, community and functional ecology, to biodiversity conservation, ecosystem and landscape management, restoration, biogeography and earth system modelling. Since its foundation in 2007, the TRY database of plant traits has grown continuously. It now provides unprecedented data coverage under an open access data policy and is the main plant trait database used by the research community worldwide. Increasingly, the TRY database also supports new frontiers of trait-based plant research, including the identification of data gaps and the subsequent mobilization or measurement of new data. To support this development, in this article we evaluate the extent of the trait data compiled in TRY and analyse emerging patterns of data coverage and representativeness. Best species coverage is achieved for categorical traits-almost complete coverage for 'plant growth form'. However, most traits relevant for ecology and vegetation modelling are characterized by continuous intraspecific variation and trait-environmental relationships. These traits have to be measured on individual plants in their respective environment. Despite unprecedented data coverage, we observe a humbling lack of completeness and representativeness of these continuous traits in many aspects. We, therefore, conclude that reducing data gaps and biases in the TRY database remains a key challenge and requires a coordinated approach to data mobilization and trait measurements. This can only be achieved in collaboration with other initiatives.
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| 13. |
- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(författare)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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Ingår i: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Tidskriftsartikel (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)
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| 14. |
- Moura, Camilla C G, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of human polymorphonuclear behavior on textured titanium and calcium-phosphate coated surfaces
- 2013
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Ingår i: Biomedical Materials. - : Bibliopolis, Edizioni di Filosofia e Scienze. - 1748-6041 .- 1748-605X. ; 8:3
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Few studies have evaluated the effects of titanium (Ti) surface modifications on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs). Human PMNs' viability and release of key mediators-such as IL1β, IL6, TNFα, IL12, IL10, IL4, TGFβ1, IL8, IP-10, and Mig-were evaluated on three different Ti surface treatments: (1) machined Ti; (2) alumina-blasted and acid-etched Ti (AB/AE); and (3) calcium phosphate coating of 300-500 nm by ion beam onto the AB/AE Ti surface (CaP). A polystyrene surface was used as a negative control. The PMNs were purified from whole human blood and cultured for 6 h. Cell viability was determined by flow cytometry, and the supernatant was evaluated to determine the levels of cytokines and chemokines. Results showed that the percentage of viable cells was significantly lower on the CaP surface compared to the control (p < 0.05) relative to the other groups. No differences in the levels of IL8, MIG, and IP10 were detected between groups. Significantly higher levels of IL1β (p = 0.046) and TNFα (p = 0.016) were detected for the CaP surfaces compared to AB/AE surface only. The levels of IL4, IL10, and TGFβ1 secreted from the PMNs in the CaP group were significantly lower than in the control and machined groups (p < 0.05) that were statistically comparable to AB/AE. Overall, the addition of a thin CaP coating to the AB/AE Ti surface influenced the secretion profile of pro-inflammatory cytokines due to the higher release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL1β and TNFα) on these surfaces.
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| 15. |
- Raw, Juliana, et al.
(författare)
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Unveiling the Three-Step Model for the Interaction of Imidazolium-Based Ionic Liquids on Albumin
- 2023
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Ingår i: ACS Omega. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 2470-1343. ; 8, s. 38101-38110
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The effect of the ionic liquids (ILs) 1-methyl-3-tetradecylimidazolium chloride ([C14MIM][Cl]), 1-dodecyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C12MIM][Cl]), and 1-decyl-methylimidazolium chloride ([C10MIM][Cl]) on the structure of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Concerning the fluorescence measurements, we observed a blue shift and a fluorescence quenching as the IL concentration increased in the solution. Such behavior was observed for all three studied imidazolium-based ILs, being larger as the number of methylene groups in the alkyl chain increased. UV-vis absorbance measurements indicate that even at relatively small IL/protein ratios, like 1:1 or 1:2, ([C14MIM][Cl]) is able to change, at least partially, the sample turbidity. SAXS results agree with the spectroscopic techniques and suggest that the proteins underwent partial unfolding, evidenced by an increase in the radius of gyration (Rg) of the scattering particle. In the absence and presence of ([C14MIM][Cl]) = 3 mM BSA Rg increases from 29.1 to 45.1 Å, respectively. Together, these results indicate that the interaction of BSA with ILs is divided into three stages: the first stage is characterized by the protein in its native form. It takes place for protein/IL ≤ 1:2, and the interaction is predominantly due to the electrostatic forces provided by the negative charges on the surface of BSA and the cationic polar head of the ILs. In the second stage, higher IL concentrations induce the unfolding of the protein, most likely inducing the unfolding of domains I and III, in such a way that the protein’s secondary structure is kept almost unaltered. In the last stage, IL micelles start to form, and therefore, the interaction with protein reaches a saturation point and free micelles may be formed. We believe that this work provides new information about the interaction of ILs with BSA.
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