Open Patches Research Articles

Seasonal and spatial variability in total and active bacterial communities from desert soil

Studies describing the diversity of microorganisms in drylands are based mainly on the total (DNA), and seldom on the metabolically active (RNA) portion of the bacterial communities. We predicted that in desert environments, the majority of bacteria would display low activity during the hot and dry season, resulting in comparable diversity of the total and active communities. But during the wet periods, when rain activates certain bacterial groups, the total and active communities would differ. To test our predictions, the rDNA and rRNA extracted from desert soil, were analysed in samples collected during the dry and wet seasons from three patches: under the canopy of the dominant shrub, near ant nests and in open patches. The results disproved our predictions because the RNA- and DNA-based communities significantly differed in the dry season but matched very well in the wet season samples. Further comparative analysis of the rRNA/rDNA ratio revealed the composition and structure of metabolically active members within the patches’ communities. Our results suggest that in desert environments, the activity of soil bacterial communities is not restricted by water availability or patch types and could be fully described only, by concomitant analysis of the total and active members.

Nationwide Study on Treatment of Mycotic Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

Mycotic aortic aneurysms are rare, life threatening, and complex. This nationwide study aimed to assess outcome after repair of mycotic thoracic aortic aneurysms (MTAAs). Patients treated in Sweden for MTAAs between 2000 and 2016 were identified in the Swedish vascular registry (2010–16) and local patient registries (2000–09). Primary outcome was survival, and secondary outcomes included surgical strategy, rate of infection related complications (IRC), and re-operations. Fifty-two patients (median age 71 ± 8.1 years; 28 [54%] men, 13 [25%] ruptured) were identified (3.6% of all thoracic aortic aneurysm repairs in Sweden). Aneurysm location was aortic arch (n = 6; 11%), descending aorta (n = 42; 81%), and multiple locations (n = 4; 8%). Twenty-nine (56%) patients had positive cultures; the most prevalent agent was Staphylococcus aureus (n = 16; 31%). Operative techniques included thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR; n = 35 [67%]), fenestrated/branched TEVAR (n = 8; 15%), hybrid repair (n = 7; 14%), and open patch repair (n = 2; 4%). Survival was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI] 88–96) at 30 days, 88% (95% CI 84–93) at three months, 78% (73–84) at one year, and 71% (64–77) at five years. The mean follow up among survivors (> 90 days) was 45 months (range 4–216 months). Antibiotics were administered for a median of 15 weeks (range 0–220 weeks). IRCs occurred in nine patients (17%): sepsis (n = 3), graft infection (n = 3), recurrent mycotic aneurysm (n = 1), aorto-oesophageal/bronchial fistula (n = 2). Six (67%) IRCs were fatal; 80% occurred within the first year. Re-operations were performed in nine patients (17%). TEVAR was often used as treatment for MTAAs, with acceptable short- and long-term survival when compared with open cohorts in the literature. IRCs are of concern and warrant follow up and long-term antibiotic treatment.

Cross-elicitation responses to 2-methoxymethyl-p-phenylenediamine in p-phenylenediamine highly allergic volunteers using allergy alert test: the Italian experience.

Background. Allergic contact dermatitis after exposure to p-phenylenediamine (PPD)-containing hair dye products is a common and important clinical problem. Because there is a high rate of cross-elicitation of allergic contact dermatitis to other important hair dye products (such as p-toluene diamine [PTD] and other aminophenol hair dyes) in PPD allergic patients, safer alternative dyes with excellent hair coloring options are needed. We studied 2-methoxy methyl-PPD (Me-PPD), a chemical derivative of PPD for tolerance versus cross-elicitation in a cohort of eight PPD-allergic volunteers. Objective. To study tolerance to Me-PPD in a PPD highly allergic Italian cohort. Methods. Eight volunteers with a history of contact dermatitis to hair dyes or other PPD-containing chemicals and positive patch tests to 1% PPD in petrolatum, were recruited to study their immediate and delayed skin reactivity to PPD, vehicle control and 2-methoxy-methyl-PPD (Me-PPD), using the allergy alert test (simulating hair dyeing conditions) on volar forearm skin. This is a short-contact open patch test. Results. All eight volunteers reacted to PPD allergy alert test (100%); none reacted to vehicle (0%), and seven of eight reacted to Me-PPD allergy alert test (88%). However, in those seven volunteers who exhibited cross-elicitation to Me-PPD, their aggregate skin test reactivity to Me-PPD was significantly less than that of PPD (figure 3, p minore 0.0062, highly significant, paired two-tailed, students t test). Conclusions. Me-PPD may offer a safer alternative for PPD-allergic patients with an absent or reduced elicitation response in the allergy alert test simulating hair dye use conditions. Even patients with strong patch test reactions, with appropriate selection by allergy alert test and counselling, may be able to tolerate hair dyeing with Me-PPD containing products.

EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES IN TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY

Shrubs play a pivotal role in reversing desertification and in promoting ecological rehabilitation in severe environments. However, how the interactions between shrubs and their understorey species change during restoration remains unclear. Here, we report the results of an observational study conducted in the Mu Us Desert of northern China. This study explored how dune stabilization and the size of individual shrubs affect shrub–herb interactions. In particular, we aimed to determine how different life-history groups and performance indicators (e.g., biomass and richness) of subordinate species respond to shrub–herb interactions during dune stabilization. The shrub Artemisia ordosica had positive effects on understorey species in this dune system. The ability of the shrub to promote the growth of understorey species increased with dune stabilization, but decreased from small to large shrubs. This effect was due to an increase in the relative abundance and biomass of perennials and their higher sensitivity to the positive effects of the shrubs. In contrast, the ability of shrubs to improve the richness of understorey species decreased with dune stabilization, but increased from small to large shrubs. This effect occurred because perennials suffered high strain during recruitment in disturbed open patches of the semi-fixed dunes, particularly below small shrubs. Our results support the theory claiming that communities are sets of hidden interaction groups that have contrasting responses (neutral for annuals, but facilitative for perennials) to dominant neighbors in a single community, depending on their functional strategies. Furthermore, our study highlights the high efficiency of A. ordosica in facilitating ecological restoration of dry and disturbed sandy communities.

Coping with change in predation risk across space and time through complementary behavioral responses

BackgroundOur picture of behavioral management of risk by prey remains fragmentary. This partly stems from a lack of studies jointly analyzing different behavioral responses developed by prey, such as habitat use and fine-scale behavior, although they are expected to complement each other. We took advantage of a simple system on the Kerguelen archipelago, made of a prey species, European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, a predator, feral cat Felis catus, and a mosaic of closed and open foraging patches, allowing reliable assessment of spatio-temporal change in predation risk. We investigated the way such a change triggered individual prey decisions on where, when and how to perform routine activities.ResultsRabbit presence and behavior were recorded both day and night in patches with similar foraging characteristics, but contrasted in terms of openness. Cats, individually recognizable, were more active at night and in closed patches, in line with their expected higher hunting success in those conditions. Accordingly, rabbits avoided using closed patches at night and increased their vigilance if they did. Both day and night, rabbits increased their use of closed patches as compared to open patches in windy conditions, thereby probably reducing the thermoregulatory costs expected under such harsh environmental conditions.ConclusionsOverall, our data map the landscape of fear in this study system and indicate that prey habitat use and vigilance complement each other. Solely focusing on one or the other tactic may lead to erroneous conclusions regarding the way predation risk triggers prey decisions. Finally, future studies should investigate inter-individual variability in the relative use of these different types of complementary behavioral responses to perceived risk, along with the determinants and outcomes of such tactics.

Species-specific interference exerted by the shrub Cistus clusii Dunal in a semi-arid Mediterranean gypsum plant community

BackgroundThe gypsovag shrub Cistus clusii is locally dominant in semi-arid gypsum plant communities of North-Eastern Spain. This species commonly grows in species-poor patches even though it has nurse potential, suggesting interference on neighbouring species. Other Cistus species exert a chemically mediated interference on plant communities, suggesting that it might be a common phenomenon in this genus. This study aimed investigating whether C. clusii exerts chemically mediated interference on neighbouring species in gypsum plant communities. We tested in a greenhouse whether aqueous extracts from C. clusii leaves (L), roots (R) and a mixture of both (RL) affected germination, seedling survival, and growth of nine native species of gypsum communities, including C. clusii itself. We further assessed in the field richness and abundance of plants under the canopy of C. clusii compared to Gypsophila struthium (shrub with a similar architecture having a nurse role) and in open patches. Finally, we specifically assessed in the field the influence of C. clusii on the presence of the species tested in the greenhouse experiment.ResultsAqueous extracts from C. clusii (R and RL) negatively affected either germination or survival in four of nine species. In the field, richness and abundance of plants were lower under the canopy of C. clusii than under G. struthium, but higher than in open patches. Specifically, five of nine species were less frequent than expected under the canopy of C. clusii.ConclusionsCistus clusii shows species-specific interference with neighbouring species in the community, which may be at least partially attributable to its phytotoxic activity. To our knowledge, this is the first report of species-specific interference by C. clusii.

Nationwide Study on Treatment of Mycotic Thoracic Aortic Aneurysms

Mycotic aortic aneurysms are rare, life threatening, and complex. This nationwide study aimed to assess outcome after repair of mycotic thoracic aortic aneurysms (MTAAs). Patients treated in Sweden for MTAAs between 2000 and 2016 were identified in the Swedish vascular registry (2010-16) and local patient registries (2000-09). Primary outcome was survival, and secondary outcomes included surgical strategy, rate of infection related complications (IRC), and re-operations. Fifty-two patients (median age 71±8.1 years; 28 [54%] men, 13 [25%] ruptured) were identified (3.6% of all thoracic aortic aneurysm repairs in Sweden). Aneurysm location was aortic arch (n=6; 11%), descending aorta (n=42; 81%), and multiple locations (n=4; 8%). Twenty-nine (56%) patients had positive cultures; the most prevalent agent was Staphylococcus aureus (n=16; 31%). Operative techniques included thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR; n=35 [67%]), fenestrated/branched TEVAR (n=8; 15%), hybrid repair (n=7; 14%), and open patch repair (n=2; 4%). Survival was 92% (95% confidence interval [CI] 88-96) at 30 days, 88% (95% CI 84-93) at three months, 78% (73-84) at one year, and 71% (64-77) at five years. The mean follow up among survivors (> 90 days) was 45 months (range 4-216 months). Antibiotics were administered for a median of 15 weeks (range 0-220 weeks). IRCs occurred in nine patients (17%): sepsis (n=3), graft infection (n=3), recurrent mycotic aneurysm (n=1), aorto-oesophageal/bronchial fistula (n=2). Six (67%) IRCs were fatal; 80% occurred within the first year. Re-operations were performed in nine patients (17%). TEVAR was often used as treatment for MTAAs, with acceptable short- and long-term survival when compared with open cohorts in the literature. IRCs are of concern and warrant follow up and long-term antibiotic treatment.

Dan Watkins Scholarship in Weed Science

Dan Watkins was one of the founders of the Ivon Watkins Ltd herbicide company, based in New Plymouth, which later became Ivon Watkins Dow and is now Dow AgroSciences. He was a leading figure in the early weed science research arena within New Zealand. Dan Watkins was a founder of the New Zealand Weeds conference, forerunner of the New Zealand Plant Protection Society. He was also a member of the New Zealand National Research Council and was involved with other scientific bodies. This scholarship has been set up and financed by Dr
 George Mason, one of the founders of Taranaki Nuchem (now Zelam Limited), in memory of Dan Watkins and to recognise his contribution to weed science within New Zealand.
 David Kerr, recipient of the 2017/18 Dan Watkins Scholarship in Weed Science, is an MSc student at Canterbury University. His thesis is on the reproduction and ecology of Mimulus guttatus DC, a persistent riparian weed imported from the western United States into New Zealand as an ornamental plant. This weed grows vigorously from the smallest fragments and has potential to cause major damage to river systems; crowding out natives and increasing flooding potential. David’s research aims to investigate how reproductive strategy facilitates the spread of M. guttatus, particularly the role of seed banks in establishing populations after habitat disturbance.
 Mimulus guttatus produces abundant seeds of very small size (approx. 500 µm in diameter), which have been demonstrated to be viable after travelling hundreds of metres downstream or dispersing in large numbers by wind from dry seed pods. Traditional management techniques involve mechanical clearance or use of herbicides in affected rivers adjoining pasture land. These approaches have notable negative consequences, including waterway contamination and facilitation of fragment dispersal and growth.
 The first part of David’s thesis involved a survey of 250 contiguous 50-m long stretches of river at six valley locations around Banks Peninsula; recording the presence of M. guttatus and abundance as well as site data such as shading and evidence of grazing on M. guttatus plants. The data from this survey indicated a trend towards greater abundance in more open areas and occasional patches in more shaded regions where the canopy allows sufficient light to grow. Previous work has identified a lack of understanding of transient overwintering seed banks.
 The second part of David’s thesis will investigate the hypothesis that persistent seed banks allow M. guttatus to establish upstream of populations in shaded areas when the canopy is disturbed. Mimulus guttatus in its native range has high fitness costs associated with selfing. The third will investigate the reproductive strategy of M. guttatus with reference to rates of selfing, and seed viability to test the hypothesis that historic pollinator and mate limitation have driven a change towards selfing.
 This work will further the understanding of the reproductive strategy of M. guttatus and how it invades river systems and inform land-management and conservation decisions. This has particular relevance to the role of sustainable ecosystem-level approaches to weed management such as native shade belts and conservation of existing forest around waterways to prevent weed establishment.

Living on the edge: Multiscale habitat selection by cheetahs in a human-wildlife landscape.

Animals select habitats that will ultimately optimize their fitness through access to favorable resources, such as food, mates, and breeding sites. However, access to these resources may be limited by bottom‐up effects, such as availability, and top‐down effects, such as risk avoidance and competition, including that with humans. Competition between wildlife and people over resources, specifically over space, has played a significant role in the worldwide decrease in large carnivores. The goal of this study was to determine the habitat selection of cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) in a human‐wildlife landscape at multiple spatial scales. Cheetahs are a wide‐ranging, large carnivore, whose significant decline is largely attributed to habitat loss and fragmentation. It is believed that 77% of the global cheetah population ranges outside protected areas, yet little is known about cheetahs’ resource use in areas where they co‐occur with people. The selection, or avoidance, of three anthropogenic variables (human footprint density, distance to main roads and wildlife areas) and five environmental variables (open habitat, semiclosed habitat, edge density, patch density and slope), at multiple spatial scales, was determined by analyzing collar data from six cheetahs. Cheetahs selected variables at different scales; anthropogenic variables were selected at broader scales (720–1440 m) than environmental variables (90–180 m), suggesting that anthropogenic pressures affect habitat selection at a home‐range level, whilst environmental variables influence site‐level habitat selection. Cheetah presence was best explained by human presence, wildlife areas, semiclosed habitat, edge density and slope. Cheetahs showed avoidance for humans and steep slopes and selected for wildlife areas and areas with high proportions of semiclosed habitat and edge density. Understanding a species’ resource requirements, and how these might be affected by humans, is crucial for conservation. Using a multiscale approach, we provide new insights into the habitat selection of a large carnivore living in a human‐wildlife landscape.

Reconsideration of the nomadic condition of the southernmost Guachichiles based on the relationship with their environment

BackgroundThe Guachichiles were a group of Chichimeca people that inhabited the southern and central parts of the Mexican Plateau. In the southern area of their distribution, they occupied and used the tunales, extensive forests of arborescent nopales (Opuntia spp.). Their pre-Columbian distribution was dissected by the Royal Silver Road established by the Spaniards, and this lead to them being main protagonists in the so-called Chichimeca War, during the sixteenth century. With very little first-hand documentation, the Guachichiles were described as savage, warring, primitive, hunting nomads, but little efforts have been done to understand their daily life habits. Based on the relationship of pre-Columbian southern Guachichiles with their environment, we re-valuate whether they were nomads, as the Chichimecas collectively have been labeled, or whether those living in tunales could live year-round in this habitat. As part of our analysis, we propose the primary plant and animal species that integrated their diet.MethodsWe draw information from a review of bibliographic sources, complemented with extensive searches in all pertinent Mexican archives. We carried out field work to define the geographical extent of the pre-Columbian territory of the southernmost Guachichiles, based on the Spanish Chronicles, remnant fragments of vegetation, landscape characteristics, and geographic names related with nopales. Using approaches from wildlife ecology, historical sciences and ethnobiological information on wild resources currently or recently used in the area, we proposed which resources were available to the southernmost Guachichiles, and how their primary diet might have been.ResultsThe habitat of the southern Guachichiles, the tunal forest, was exuberant and rich in resources, having provided numerous plant products, of which tunas (prickly pears) and mesquite pods were of uttermost importance. At least 10 plant foods were available within the tunales. They would have consumed at least seven birds (including their eggs), six mammals, four reptiles, grubs, and honey, in addition to at least six vertebrate species hunted at the edges of the tunal with grasslands and shrublands or in more open patches of tunal. In addition to food, they prepared at least three alcoholic beverages, had access to two species of probable psychoactive beehive cacti and to one hallucinogenic mushroom species, and might have traded peyote from the north with outside-tunal Guachichiles.ConclusionsThe rich habitat in which southern Guachichiles lived allowed them to be largely sedentary, but this required that they prevented other groups from gathering and hunting in their habitat. As a result of them living in and defending the tunales, the Guachichiles could have been divided into two or three habitat-driven groups: Tunal Guachichiles, and grassland and, or shrubland Guachichiles.

Spiral Curve-Based Efficient Five-Axis Sweep Scanning of Barrel-Shaped Surfaces

Barrel-shaped surfaces are widely used in industries, e.g., blades, vases, and tabular parts. Because a part such as an aero-engine blade is typically quite large, the efficiency of its measurement becomes a critical issue. The recently emerged five-axis sweep scanning technology offers to be a powerful means to significantly increase the efficiency of measurement. However, currently it still mostly relies on humans to manually plan a five-axis sweep scanning path, and in most cases, the surface is simply divided into a number of smaller open patches for which the sweep scanning is then individually planned. We present an algorithm for automatically planning the five-axis sweep scanning for an arbitrary barrel-shaped surface in the form of either a compound, a trimmed, or a simple surface. The planning algorithm is novel in that no partitioning of the surface is needed and a single continuous five-axis sweep scanning path will be generated for the entire surface. By eliminating the nonsweeping time spent by the stylus due to its air-moves between multiple patches and also the time-costly approach-retraction operations required for each patch, the proposed algorithm is able to significantly reduce the total inspection time, sometimes more than 50%, as validated in our physical inspection experiments.

Habitat, Distribution, Biology, and Conservation of the Miami Tiger Beetle, Cicindelidia floridana (Cartwright) (Coleoptera: Carabidae: Cicindelinae)

The recently rediscovered Miami tiger beetle, Cicindelidia floridana (Cartwright), is one of the rarest USA tiger beetles and recently listed as an endangered species. Herein, we report on its distribution, abundance, habitat, and conservation based on studies from 2008 through 2014. Surveys of 25 scrub and 20 pine rockland sites in south Florida found the species restricted to three contiguous sites in the Richmond Heights area of south Miami. Visual index counts found four to 38 adults at these sites. Seasonal activity of adults ranged from May to October, suggesting two cohorts of adults emerge during this period. Adults and larvae at all sites were restricted to the few open patches of sand scattered among the more densely vegetated areas. Numbers of larvae declined significantly after 2010. The low and apparently declining numbers of adults and larvae were associated with loss and reduction of the open sandy patches of habitat from encroaching vegetation at these sites. In addition to these significant threats to its survival, two major commercial developments have been proposed in and near Zoo Miami and are likely to eliminate some habitat and further constrain the needed prescribed burns. Limited management at the occupied sites has included removal of invasive plant species and prescribed burns, but these activities have been too infrequent to significantly improve habitat for the beetles.

Habitat Features Rather Than Competition Explain the Distribution and Co-occurrence of Ardeidae in a Highly Urbanized Landscape

Habitat selection by herons, egrets and bitterns (Ardeidae) is influenced by the extent and quality of surrounding wetlands in natural landscapes. However, these relationships may be different in highly modified urban environments where inter- and intra-specific competition could be increased. To assess the relative effects of habitat and competition on habitat selection by ardeids in an urban landscape, all known colonies in the densely populated coastal region around Macao Special Administrative Region, China, were surveyed. The relationship among ardeid communities and patch-level habitat variables were investigated using multivariate and co-occurrence analyses. Ardeid species (n = 12) were recorded during 2006–2009. Habitat patches were categorized into three types based on 10 habitat factors using redundancy analysis. The area of adjacent open land (r13= 0.772, P = 0.002) and patch area (r13= 0.670, P = 0.012) were the major indicators of species richness and abundance, respectively. However, the factor that influenced habitat selection the most was perimeter-area ratio (marginal effect: λ1 = 0.33). The lack of evidence for competition in the co-occurrence analysis suggested that the spatial pattern of the ardeid community in Macao Special Administrative Region, China, was primarily driven by variation in habitat features that satisfy species-specific requirements.

Tree root dynamics in montane and sub-alpine mixed forest patches.

The structure of heterogeneous forests has consequences for their biophysical environment. Variations in the local climate significantly affect tree physiological processes. We hypothesize that forest structure also alters tree root elongation and longevity through temporal and spatial variations in soil temperature and water potential. We installed rhizotrons in paired vegetation communities of closed forest (tree islands) and open patches (canopy gaps), along a soil temperature gradient (elevations of 1400, 1700 and 2000 m) in a heterogeneous mixed forest. We measured the number of growing tree roots, elongation and mortality every month over 4 years. The results showed that the mean daily root elongation rate (RER) was not correlated with soil water potential but was significantly and positively correlated with soil temperature between 0 and 8 °C only. The RER peaked in spring, and a smaller peak was usually observed in the autumn. Root longevity was dependent on altitude and the season in which roots were initiated, and root diameter was a significant factor explaining much of the variability observed. The finest roots usually grew faster and had a higher risk of mortality in gaps than in closed forest. At 2000 m, the finest roots had a higher risk of mortality compared with the lower altitudes. The RER was largely driven by soil temperature and was lower in cold soils. At the treeline, ephemeral fine roots were more numerous, probably in order to compensate for the shorter growing season. Differences in soil climate and root dynamics between gaps and closed forest were marked at 1400 and 1700 m, but not at 2000 m, where canopy cover was more sparse. Therefore, heterogeneous forest structure and situation play a significant role in determining root demography in temperate, montane forests, mostly through impacts on soil temperature.

Pigs in space: An agent-based model of wild boar (Sus scrofa) movement into cities

Last decades saw a dramatic increase in wildlife populations within urban areas. Policymakers seek to minimize human-wildlife conflicts resulting from overabundance of species, such as wild boars (Sus scrofa). To this end, there is a need to understand the drivers governing infiltration of wildlife into cities. In this paper we study the availability and distribution of food resources in urban areas as driver of wild boar movement patterns. Based on the optimal foraging theory, we utilize an agent-based simulation model to investigate the ever-growing infiltration of wild boars into some cities. We apply the model to an artificial city that mimics the landscape of the city of Haifa. Manipulating food availability and relative resistance costs of different land-covers we demonstrate that infiltration of boars depends on population size of wild boars and on the amount and spatial distribution of attractors (e.g., food). Model outputs for likely sets of parameters demonstrate good correspondence to the reports of boar observations within the city of Haifa, Israel, where the porosity of the urban fabric and the connectivity of open space patches provide a trail network that makes food throughout the city accessible at a relatively low search-cost. Our results indicate that land cover and food patterns determine critically boars’ foraging movement and infiltration into the city. The proposed modeling framework provides a tool to investigate wildlife management policies that aim at reducing people-wildlife conflicts in cities.

Understanding the conditionality of ecosystem services: The effect of tidal flat morphology and oyster reef characteristics on sediment stabilization by oyster reefs

Ecosystem-based coastal protection by means of conserving, restoring or creating intertidal ecosystems that attenuate waves and stabilize shorelines, offers a promising way to climate proof coastlines for the future. The Pacific oyster (Crassostrea gigas) is an ecosystem engineering species, which is known for its wave attenuating and sediment trapping ecosystem services, but it remains unknown to which extent this is conditional. We aim to test the hypothesis that the ecosystem engineering effect concerning sediment trapping and stability by oyster reefs is conditional, and can be predicted based on i) local physical forcing, ii) morphological characteristics of the tidal flat, and iii) biological characteristics of the oyster reef.Analyses of long-term sediment accretion patterns on natural intertidal oyster reefs at the Oosterschelde basin (The Netherlands) showed that this ecosystem engineering effect is strongest on tidal flats under erosional conditions, lower aspect ratio (i.e., relative long and narrow reefs), relatively closed reefs (i.e., few open patches) and higher coverage of oysters within reef patches. The ability of C. gigas to shape the environment thus depends both on biotic and abiotic conditions, meaning that oyster reefs only work under specific conditions for erosion control. Overall, our results provide baseline understanding for ecosystem management aimed at affecting sediment dynamics, thereby contributing to a better understanding for designing ecosystem-based solutions under different abiotic and biotic conditions. In addition, present study provides a clear example of how we need to gain a better understanding of the conditionality of ecosystem services in general, to be able to create and restore ecosystems for obtaining their services.

Large Cardiac Muscle Patches Engineered From Human Induced-Pluripotent Stem Cell-Derived Cardiac Cells Improve Recovery From Myocardial Infarction in Swine.

Here, we generated human cardiac muscle patches (hCMPs) of clinically relevant dimensions (4 cm × 2 cm × 1.25 mm) by suspending cardiomyocytes, smooth muscle cells, and endothelial cells that had been differentiated from human induced-pluripotent stem cells in a fibrin scaffold and then culturing the construct on a dynamic (rocking) platform. In vitro assessments of hCMPs suggest maturation in response to dynamic culture stimulation. In vivo assessments were conducted in a porcine model of myocardial infarction (MI). Animal groups included: MI hearts treated with 2 hCMPs (MI+hCMP, n=13), MI hearts treated with 2 cell-free open fibrin patches (n=14), or MI hearts with neither experimental patch (n=15); a fourth group of animals underwent sham surgery (Sham, n=8). Cardiac function and infarct size were evaluated by MRI, arrhythmia incidence by implanted loop recorders, and the engraftment rate by calculation of quantitative polymerase chain reaction measurements of expression of the human Y chromosome. Additional studies examined the myocardial protein expression profile changes and potential mechanisms of action that related to exosomes from the cell patch. The hCMPs began to beat synchronously within 1 day of fabrication, and after 7 days of dynamic culture stimulation, in vitro assessments indicated the mechanisms related to the improvements in electronic mechanical coupling, calcium-handling, and force generation, suggesting a maturation process during the dynamic culture. The engraftment rate was 10.9±1.8% at 4 weeks after the transplantation. The hCMP transplantation was associated with significant improvements in left ventricular function, infarct size, myocardial wall stress, myocardial hypertrophy, and reduced apoptosis in the periscar boarder zone myocardium. hCMP transplantation also reversed some MI-associated changes in sarcomeric regulatory protein phosphorylation. The exosomes released from the hCMP appeared to have cytoprotective properties that improved cardiomyocyte survival. We have fabricated a clinically relevant size of hCMP with trilineage cardiac cells derived from human induced-pluripotent stem cells. The hCMP matures in vitro during 7 days of dynamic culture. Transplantation of this type of hCMP results in significantly reduced infarct size and improvements in cardiac function that are associated with reduction in left ventricular wall stress. The hCMP treatment is not associated with significant changes in arrhythmogenicity.

The early Miocene flora of Güvem (Central Anatolia, Turkey): a window into early Neogene vegetation and environments in the Eastern Mediterranean

AbstractThe early Burdigalian (MN3) plant assemblage of the Güvem area (northwestern Central Anatolia) is preserved in lacustrine sediments of the Dereköy pyroclastics. Its age is well constrained by radiometric dates of basaltic rocks bracketing the pyroclastics, making the Güvem flora one of the extremely few precisely dated early Miocene floras in the Mediterranean region. The rich assemblage of impression fossils comprises ferns and fern allies (2 species), gymnosperms (12 spp.) and angiosperms (129 spp.).Ilex miodipyrenasp. nov. is described as a new fossil-species. The most diverse families in the assemblage are the Fagaceae with 12 taxa and the Fabaceae with 12 leaf morphotypes and one fruit taxon. Aquatic plants are represented by seven taxa, riparian (including palms) and swamp forest elements by >35 taxa, and lianas by three taxa (Smilaxspp.,Chaneya). The relatively large number of aquatic and riparian/swamp elements is congruent with the rich fish, amphibian and reptile record of the Güvem area. Another characteristic feature of the plant assemblage is the presence of various lobed leaves which show similarities with modern species of different families (e.g.Alangium, various Malvales). Trees and shrubs growing on well-drained soils and forming closed-canopy and open-canopy forests are the most diversified group (>70 taxa). In terms of number of specimens in the collection and based on field observations, by far the most abundant leaf fossils belong to evergreen oaks ofQuercus drymejaandQ. mediterraneaand to various types of foliage that cannot be assigned to a particular extant or extinct genus of Fagaceae. These sclerophyllous trees must have covered vast areas surrounding the wetlands that developed during the early Miocene in the Güvem Basin. Based on a recent reassessment of the ecology and taxonomic affinity of these trees, they are considered to reflect humid temperate climatic conditions but with a brief drier season during the winter months. These forests are more similar to the laurel forests of the southeastern United States and those stretching in a narrow belt south of the Himalayas to eastern central China. The large number of Fabaceae may indicate the presence of warm subtropical environments but this is difficult to assess, as they are known for having wide ecological ranges today and in the past. All in all, a larger part of the plant taxa point to forested vegetation. This is in agreement with previous palynological studies which detected only small amounts of herbaceous and grass pollen. Open patches of vegetation may have been restricted to river banks and to rocky areas in a volcanic landscape. The biogeographic patterns detected for the early Miocene of the Güvem assemblage are manifold; most taxa are widespread Northern Hemispheric elements. A substantial part of the species migrated from Asia into Europe during the (late) Paleogene and reached Anatolia during the early Miocene (Fagus,Paliurus,Chaneya,Ailanthus,Quercus kubinyii,Davallia haidingeri,Acer angustilobum,A. palaeosaccharinum). Fewer taxa may have been in Anatolia before they migrated to Europe (e.g.Nerium,Smilax miohavanensis,Quercus sosnowskyi). Finally, very few taxa are Anatolian endemics (e.g.Ilex miodipyrena).

Surgical treatment of pulmonic stenosis in dogs under cardiopulmonary bypass: outcome in nine dogs.

To describe the outcome for nine dogs with pulmonic stenosis treated by open patch grafting using expanded polytetrafluoroethylene under cardiopulmonary bypass. Data were collected from the hospital records of all dogs that had undergone right ventricular outflow tract grafting with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch under cardiopulmonary bypass between 2006 and 2012 for the treatment of pulmonic stenosis. Echocardiographic images were reviewed and the pressure gradient across the right ventricular outflow tract re-measured. Owners of dogs still alive at the time of writing were invited to return to the hospital for reassessment. Nine dogs met the inclusion criteria. Median pressure gradient preoperatively was 118 mmHg, (range 102 to 259 mmHg) reducing to a median of 20 mmHg (range 7 to 53 mmHg) at 48 hours postoperatively and 14 mmHg (range 10 to 70 mmHg), with a median percentage reduction of 89% (range 41 to 94%) at long-term follow-up. Eight of nine dogs survived surgery, with six of nine surviving to hospital discharge. Two dogs were still alive over 6 and 8 years postoperatively. No long-term deaths were believed to be attributable to pulmonic stenosis. Expanded polytetrafluoroethylene patch grafting of the right ventricular outflow tract for treatment of severe pulmonic stenosis in dogs is feasible and can be an effective method to reduce the severity of right ventricular outflow tract obstruction.

From rural-urban gradients to patch – matrix frameworks: Plant diversity patterns in urban landscapes

Studies have attempted to disentangle the relationships between urban properties and species richness patterns by studying them within the urban-rural gradient context, the Island Biogeography framework, or the patch-matrix approach. We compared and contrasted these frameworks, to highlight their attributes. We assessed the role of patch properties and matrix characteristics, in light of these approaches, to identify the relative roles of different drivers in dictating urban plant species richness patterns.Vegetation surveys were conducted in 41 open space patches within the city boundaries of Haifa, Israel. Plants were classified into three categories: rare, native and non-native. Patch properties, distance to nearest neighboring patch, distance to city boundary, within patch heterogeneity and percentage of sealed surface buffering the patch were evaluated in relation to species richness. Non-linear regressions indicated that total, rare and native species richness were best explained by a combination of patch area, sealed surface and patch habitat heterogeneity. Non-native species richness was best explained indirectly by the proportion of sealed surface. No clear cut distinctions between the three frameworks were observed. The results point to the existence of non-linear interactive relationships between the drivers and species richness, which depend on patch and urban matrix properties, particularly on degree of urbanization. We conclude that patch-matrix mechanisms interact with the urban-rural gradient approach to determine plant richness patterns in urban landscapes. Additionally, the degree of urbanization is differentially associated with richness patterns, where rare and native species are negatively associated with it, and non-native species are positively associated with urbanization.