| 1. |
- Householder, John Ethan, et al.
(author)
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One sixth of Amazonian tree diversity is dependent on river floodplains
- 2024
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In: NATURE ECOLOGY & EVOLUTION. - 2397-334X.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
(author)
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Geography and ecology shape the phylogenetic composition of Amazonian tree communities
- 2024
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In: JOURNAL OF BIOGEOGRAPHY. - 0305-0270 .- 1365-2699.
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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.
(author)
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Mapping density, diversity and species-richness of the Amazon tree flora
- 2023
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In: COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY. - 2399-3642. ; 6:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)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. |
- Cooper, Declan L.M., et al.
(author)
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Consistent patterns of common species across tropical tree communities
- 2024
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In: Nature. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 625:7996, s. 728-734
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Trees structure the Earth’s most biodiverse ecosystem, tropical forests. The vast number of tree species presents a formidable challenge to understanding these forests, including their response to environmental change, as very little is known about most tropical tree species. A focus on the common species may circumvent this challenge. Here we investigate abundance patterns of common tree species using inventory data on 1,003,805 trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm across 1,568 locations 1–6 in closed-canopy, structurally intact old-growth tropical forests in Africa, Amazonia and Southeast Asia. We estimate that 2.2%, 2.2% and 2.3% of species comprise 50% of the tropical trees in these regions, respectively. Extrapolating across all closed-canopy tropical forests, we estimate that just 1,053 species comprise half of Earth’s 800 billion tropical trees with trunk diameters of at least 10 cm. Despite differing biogeographic, climatic and anthropogenic histories 7, we find notably consistent patterns of common species and species abundance distributions across the continents. This suggests that fundamental mechanisms of tree community assembly may apply to all tropical forests. Resampling analyses show that the most common species are likely to belong to a manageable list of known species, enabling targeted efforts to understand their ecology. Although they do not detract from the importance of rare species, our results open new opportunities to understand the world’s most diverse forests, including modelling their response to environmental change, by focusing on the common species that constitute the majority of their trees.
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| 5. |
- Daelman, Bo, et al.
(author)
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Frailty and cognitive function in middle-aged and older adults with congenital heart disease
- 2024
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In: Journal of the American College of Cardiology. - : Elsevier. - 0735-1097 .- 1558-3597. ; 83:12, s. 1149-1159
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Life expectancy of patients with congenital heart disease (CHD) has increased rapidly, resulting in a growing and aging population. Recent studies have shown that older people with CHD have higher morbidity, health care use, and mortality. To maintain longevity and quality of life, understanding their evolving medical and psychosocial challenges is essential.Objectives: The authors describe the frailty and cognitive profile of middle-aged and older adults with CHD to identify predictor variables and to explore the relationship with hospital admissions and outpatient visits.Methods: Using a cross-sectional, multicentric design, we included 814 patients aged ≥40 years from 11 countries. Frailty phenotype was determined using the Fried method. Cognitive function was assessed by the Montreal Cognitive Assessment.Results: In this sample, 52.3% of patients were assessed as robust, 41.9% as prefrail, and 5.8% as frail; 38.8% had cognitive dysfunction. Multinomial regression showed that frailty was associated with older age, female sex, higher physiologic class, and comorbidities. Counterintuitively, patients with mild heart defects were more likely than those with complex lesions to be prefrail. Patients from middle-income countries displayed more prefrailty than those from higher-income countries. Logistic regression demonstrated that cognitive dysfunction was related to older age, comorbidities, and lower country-level income.Conclusions: Approximately one-half of included patients were (pre-)frail, and more than one-third experienced cognitive impairment. Frailty and cognitive dysfunction were identified in patients with mild CHD, indicating that these concerns extend beyond severe CHD. Assessing frailty and cognition routinely could offer valuable insights into this aging population.
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| 6. |
- Peripato, Vinicius, et al.
(author)
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More than 10,000 pre-Columbian earthworks are still hidden throughout Amazonia
- 2023
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In: Science (New York, N.Y.). - 1095-9203. ; 382:6666, s. 103-109
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Indigenous societies are known to have occupied the Amazon basin for more than 12,000 years, but the scale of their influence on Amazonian forests remains uncertain. We report the discovery, using LIDAR (light detection and ranging) information from across the basin, of 24 previously undetected pre-Columbian earthworks beneath the forest canopy. Modeled distribution and abundance of large-scale archaeological sites across Amazonia suggest that between 10,272 and 23,648 sites remain to be discovered and that most will be found in the southwest. We also identified 53 domesticated tree species significantly associated with earthwork occurrence probability, likely suggesting past management practices. Closed-canopy forests across Amazonia are likely to contain thousands of undiscovered archaeological sites around which pre-Columbian societies actively modified forests, a discovery that opens opportunities for better understanding the magnitude of ancient human influence on Amazonia and its current state.
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| 7. |
- Van Bulck, Liesbet, et al.
(author)
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Rationale, design and methodology of APPROACH-IS II: International study of patient-reported outcomes and frailty phenotyping in adults with congenital heart disease.
- 2022
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In: International journal of cardiology. - : Elsevier BV. - 1874-1754 .- 0167-5273. ; 363, s. 30-39
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- In recent years, patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have received increasing prominence in cardiovascular research and clinical care. An understanding of the variability and global experience of PROs in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD), however, is still lacking. Moreover, information on epidemiological characteristics and the frailty phenotype of older adults with CHD is minimal. The APPROACH-IS II study was established to address these knowledge gaps. This paper presents the design and methodology of APPROACH-IS II.APPROACH-IS II is a cross-sectional global multicentric study that includes Part 1 (assessing PROs) and Part 2 (investigating the frailty phenotype of older adults). With 53 participating centers, located in 32 countries across six continents, the aim is to enroll 8000 patients with CHD. In Part 1, self-report surveys are used to collect data on PROs (e.g., quality of life, perceived health, depressive symptoms, autonomy support), and explanatory variables (e.g., social support, stigma, illness identity, empowerment). In Part 2, the cognitive functioning and frailty phenotype of older adults are measured using validated assessments.APPROACH-IS II will generate a rich dataset representing the international experience of individuals in adult CHD care. The results of this project will provide a global view of PROs and the frailty phenotype of adults with CHD and will thereby address important knowledge gaps. Undoubtedly, the project will contribute to the overarching aim of improving optimal living and care provision for adults with CHD.
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| 8. |
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| 9. |
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| 10. |
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| 11. |
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| 12. |
- Jacome, Cristina, et al.
(author)
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Feasibility and Acceptability of an Asthma App to Monitor Medication Adherence : Mixed Methods Study
- 2021
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In: JMIR mhealth and uhealth. - : JMIR Publications. - 2291-5222. ; 9:5
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma, and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. The InspirerMundi app aims to monitor adherence while providing a positive experience through gamification and social support. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the InspirerMundi app to monitor medication adherence in adolescents and adults with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). Methods: A 1-month mixed method multicenter observational study was conducted in 26 secondary care centers from Portugal and Spain. During an initial face-to-face visit, physicians reported patients' asthma therapeutic plan in a structured questionnaire. During the visits, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients registered the intake (inhaler, blister, or other drug formulation) by using the image-based medication detection tool. At 1 month, patients were interviewed by phone, and app satisfaction was assessed on a 1 (low) to 5 (high) scale. Patients were also asked to point out the most and least preferred app features and make suggestions for future app improvements. Results: A total of 107 patients (median 27 [P25-P75 14-40] years) were invited, 92.5% (99/107) installed the app, and 73.8% (79/107) completed the 1-month interview. Patients interacted with the app a median of 9 (P25-P75 1-24) days. At least one medication was registered in the app by 78% (77/99) of patients. A total of 53% (52/99) of participants registered all prescribed inhalers, and 34% (34/99) registered the complete asthma therapeutic plan. Median medication adherence was 75% (P25-P75 25%-90%) for inhalers and 82% (P25-P75 50%-94%) for other drug formulations. Patients were globally satisfied with the app, with 75% (59/79) scoring >= 4,; adherence monitoring, symptom monitoring, and gamification features being the most highly scored components; and the medication detection tool among the lowest scored. A total of 53% (42/79) of the patients stated that the app had motivated them to improve adherence to inhaled medication and 77% (61/79) would recommend the app to other patients. Patient feedback was reflected in 4 major themes: medication-related features (67/79, 85%), gamification and social network (33/79, 42%), symptom monitoring and physician communication (21/79, 27%), and other aspects (16/79, 20%). Conclusions: The InspirerMundi app was feasible and acceptable to monitor medication adherence in patients with asthma. Based on patient feedback and to increase the registering of medications, the therapeutic plan registration and medication detection tool were redesigned. Our results highlight the importance of patient participation to produce a patient-centered and engaging mHealth asthma app.
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| 13. |
- Jacome, Cristina, et al.
(author)
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Monitoring Adherence to Asthma Inhalers Using the InspirerMundi App : Analysis of Real-World, Medium-Term Feasibility Studies
- 2021
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In: Frontiers in Medical Technology. - : Frontiers Media S.A.. - 2673-3129. ; 3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Poor medication adherence is a major challenge in asthma and objective assessment of inhaler adherence is needed. InspirerMundi app aims to monitor inhaler adherence while turning it into a positive experience through gamification and social support.Objective: We assessed the medium-term feasibility of the InspirerMundi app to monitor inhaler adherence in real-world patients with persistent asthma (treated with daily inhaled medication). In addition, we attempted to identify the characteristics of the patients related to higher app use.Methods: Two real-world multicenter observational studies, with one initial face-to-face visit and a 4-month telephone interview, were conducted in 29 secondary care centers from Portugal. During an initial face-to-face visit, patients were invited to use the app daily to register their asthma medication intakes. A scheduled intake was considered taken when patients took a photo of the medication (inhaler, blister, or others) using the image-based medication detection tool. Medication adherence was calculated as the number of doses taken as a percentage of the number scheduled. Interacting with the app =30 days was used as the cut-off for higher app use.Results: A total of 114 patients {median 20 [percentile 25 to percentile 75 (P25-P75) 16-36] years, 62% adults} were invited, 107 (94%) installed the app and 83 (73%) completed the 4-month interview. Patients interacted with the app for a median of 18 [3-45] days, translated on a median use rate of 15 [3-38]%. Median inhaler adherence assessed through the app was 34 [4-73]% when considering all scheduled inhalations for the study period. Inhaler adherence assessed was not significantly correlated with self-reported estimates. Median adherence for oral and other medication was 41 [6-83]% and 43 [3-73]%, respectively. Patients with higher app use were slightly older (p = 0.012), more frequently taking medication for other health conditions (p = 0.040), and more frequently prescribed long-acting muscarinic antagonists (LAMA, p = 0.024). After 4 months, Control of Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma Test (CARAT) scores improved (p < 0.001), but no differences between patients interacting with the app for 30 days or less were seen.Conclusions: The InspirerMundi app was feasible to monitor inhaler adherence in patients with persistent asthma. The persistent use of this mHealth technology varies widely. A better understanding of characteristics related to higher app use is still needed before effectiveness studies are undertaken.
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| 14. |
- Osaku, Erica F., et al.
(author)
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beta-(1 -> 6)-d-glucan secreted during the optimised production of exopolysaccharides by Paecilomyces variotii has immunostimulatory activity
- 2018
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In: Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. International Journal of General and Molecular Microbiology. - : Springer. - 0003-6072 .- 1572-9699. ; 111:6, s. 981-994
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Paecilomyces variotii is a filamentous fungus that occurs worldwide in soil and decaying vegetation. Optimization of the fermentation process for exopolysaccharide (EPS) production from the fungus P. variotii, structure determination and immuno-stimulating activity of EPS were performed. Response surface methodology (RSM) coupled with central composite design (CCD) was used to optimize the physical and chemical factors required to produce EPS in submerged fermentation. Preliminary investigations to choose the three factors for the present work were made using a factorial experimental design. Glucose, ammonium nitrate (NH4NO3) and pH were used as variables for which, with constant temperature of 28 A degrees C and agitation of 90 rpm, the optimal process parameters were determined as glucose values of 0.96%, NH4NO3 0.26% and pH 8.0. The three parameters presented significant effects. In this condition of culture, the main composition of the isolated EPS was a linear beta-(1 -> 6)-linked-D-glucan, as determined by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and methylation analysis. This polysaccharide is a very unusual as an EPS from fungi, especially a filamentous fungus such as P. variotii. Murine peritoneal macrophages cultivated with beta-glucan for 6 and 48 h showed an increase in TNF-alpha, IL-6 and nitric oxide release with increased polysaccharide concentrations. Therefore, we conclude that the beta-(1 -> 6)-linked-D-glucan produced in optimised conditions of P. variotii cultivation has an immune-stimulatory activity on murine macrophages.
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| 15. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2011
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 16. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2011
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 17. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 18. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 19. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2011
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 20. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2013
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 21. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 22. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 23. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 24. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 25. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 26. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 27. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 28. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 29. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 30. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2013
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 31. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2015
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 32. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2013
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 33. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 34. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2011
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 35. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2011
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 36. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2011
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 37. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2011
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 38. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 39. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 40. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 41. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 42. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 43. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2014
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 44. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2013
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 45. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)
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| 46. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 47. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2011
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 48. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 49. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2012
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swepub:Mat__t (peer-reviewed)
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| 50. |
- Aad, G., et al.
(author)
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- 2011
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