Rainfall trends,land use change and adaptation in the Chaco salteño region of Argentina

Regional change under agricultural expansion in the Chaco of Argentina is determined by interactions of rainfall change, infrastructure development, socio-economic actions and values, and the social perceptions of change. Our study focused on adaptation in the socio-environmental system which is the key to understanding opportunities, uncertainties and risk in the context of historical change. Change in land use from extensive grazing through mixed farming and on to industrial-scale soybean production was made possible by a trend of increasing rainfall that reduced the risk of crop failure from drought since the 1970s. Rainfall change coincided with a period in which the Chaco forest was suffering extensive degradation from long-term extractive use. The degradation aided agricultural expansion since the degraded state of the ecosystem justified public policies of deforestation. In parallel to these resource-based processes, public policy changed in the late 70s and 80s toward favoring privatization of state land and exclusion of small producers. This permitted the land concentration needed for industrial-scale production. Technological innovation in both water and land resource management reinforced the process of concentration because small producers rarely have the financial or educational capital to develop or implement emerging technologies. One of the results of the intensification and expansion of agriculture is that soil surface sealing, waterlogging and flood risk are now effective at a landscape scale. To address these risks, private enterprise and government efforts must now come together toward innovative policies in integrated landscape management.     

Photochemical persistence of sulfa drugs in aqueous medium: kinetic study and mathematical simulations

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - This study aimed at investigating the photochemical behavior of sulfa drugs containing five and six-membered heterocyclic substituents...     

Plant–pollinator interactions in urban ecosystems worldwide: A comprehensive review including research funding and policy actions

Urbanization has rapidly increased in recent decades and the negative effects on biodiversity have been widely reported. Urban green areas can contribute to improving human well-being, maintaining biodiversity, and ecosystem services (e.g. pollination). Here we examine the evolution of studies on plant–pollinator interactions in urban ecosystems worldwide, reviewing also research funding and policy actions. We documented a significant increase in the scientific production on the theme in recent years, especially in the temperate region; tropical urban ecosystems are still neglected. Plant–pollinator interactions are threatened by urbanization in complex ways, depending on the studied group (plant or pollinator [generalist or specialist]) and landscape characteristics. Several research opportunities emerge from our review. Research funding and policy actions to pollination/pollinator in urban ecosystems are still scarce and concentrated in developed countries/temperate regions. To make urban green spaces contribute to the maintenance of biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services, transdisciplinary approaches (ecological–social–economic–cultural) are needed.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1007/s13280-020-01410-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Ecological consistency across space: a synthesis of the ecological aspects of Dromiciops gliroides in Argentina and Chile

Dromiciops gliroides is an arboreal marsupial found in the temperate forests of South America (36–43 °S). This species is the sole extant representative of the order Microbiotheria, and is a key seed disperser of many native plant species, including the keystone mistletoe Tristerix corymbosus. Here, we synthesized the current knowledge on the ecological aspects of this species, and compared the available information from Argentina and Chile. Population density (23?±?2 (mean ± SE) individual/ha) and home range (1.6?±?0.6?ha) appear to be relatively similar across a marked ecological gradient in the mainland, but lower densities (7?±?2 individual/ha) and smaller home ranges (0.26?±?0.04?ha) were detected at island sites. We detected regional variation in body condition in Chile, but there were no significant differences across a wider E-W gradient. Movement patterns fit a random walk model; such behavior might have important consequences in shaping plant’s spatial patterns. Although our data suggest that D. gliroides is more tolerant to habitat disturbance than previously thought, its incapability to disperse across non-forested areas suggests that the rapid rate of habitat loss and fragmentation that characterizes southern temperate forests likely poses a serious threat to this species. These ecological similarities are surprising given that forests studied receive dramatically different rainfall and correspond to distinct forest types. The evidence synthetized here dispels some of the myths about this species but also stresses the need for more comprehensive ecological studies across its distribution range.     

Prenatal molecular diagnosis in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy: report of the first case

Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is an autosomal dominant disease that may cause premature sudden death, especially in teenagers and young adults. The recent progress in the molecular genetics of the disease has made genetic testing sometimes available in clinical practice. We report the case of a couple who still requested prenatal molecular testing after detailed information had been given through a multidisciplinary consultation. Prenatal diagnosis in HCM is associated with complex medical and psychological implications, in addition to general ethical considerations, as the potential value of the diagnosis is counterbalanced by the highly variable expression of the disease and the difficulty in predicting its evolution. The R403L mutation in the MYH7 gene had been previously identified in this family, characterized by a malignant form of HCM. In the specific context of this case, we decided to agree to the request of the parents and performed the prenatal diagnosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of a prenatal molecular diagnosis performed in the context of HCM. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Secondary sex ratios do not support maternal manipulation: extensive data from laboratory colonies of spiny mice (Muridae: Acomys)

Spiny mice of the genus Acomys (Muridae) represent a very suitable mammalian model for studying factors influencing the secondary sex ratio (SSR). The maternal effort in these rodents is extremely biased in favour of the prenatal period and, therefore, maternal manipulation of the SSR is potentially more advantageous. We studied the SSR in four populations/species of spiny mice kept in family groups consisting of two closely related females, one non-relative male and their descendants. The groups were established from founding animals aged about 3 months (maturing age) and were allowed to breed freely for several months. Each litter was sexed after birth, and relevant data were thoroughly recorded. Altogether, data were collected on 1684 litters: 189 of Acomys sp. from Iran, 203 of A. cilicicus, 875 of A. cahirinus, and 417 of A. dimidiatus. We recorded the sex of 4048 newborns of which 1995 were males and 2053 were females. The overall sex ratio was close to 1:1 (49.2%). Generalized linear mixed models and/or generalized linear models were constructed to evaluate the effect of four life history and eight social variables on the sex ratio. No consistent effects of these variables on the sex ratio were found and, interestingly, none of the variables associated with maternal life history had any effect on the sex ratio. Three factors associated with group composition (i.e. the number of immature males, the number of immature females and the number of breeding females) did have significant effects on the sex ratio, but these effects were not consistent across the studied species. In conclusion, our evaluation of this large dataset revealed that the sex ratio in spiny mice is surprisingly stable.     

Performance of the National Water Model in Iowa Using Independent Observations

This paper explores the performance of the analysis‐and‐assimilation configuration of the National Water Model (NWM) v1.0 in Iowa. The NWM assimilates streamflow observations from the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which increases the performance but also limits the available data for model evaluation. In this study, Iowa Flood Center Bridge Sensors (IFCBS) data provided an independent nonassimilated dataset for evaluation analyses. The authors compared NWM outputs for the period between May 2016 and April 2017, with two datasets: USGS streamflow and velocity observations; Stage and streamflow data from IFCBS. The distribution of Spearman rank correlation (r_s), Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (E), and Kling–Gupta efficiency (KGE) provided quantification of model performance. We found the performance was linked with the spatial scale of the basins. Analysis at USGS gauges showed the strongest performance in large (>10,000 km²) basins (r_s = 0.9, E = 0.9, KGE = 0.8), with some decrease at small (<1,000 km²) basins (r_s = 0.6, E = ?0.25, KGE = ?0.2). Analysis with independent IFCBS observations was used to report performance at large basins (r_s = 0.6, KGE = 0.1) and small basins (r_s = 0.2, KGE = ?0.4). Data assimilation improves simulations at downstream basins. We found differences in the characterization of the model and observed data flow velocity distributions. The authors recommend checking the connection of USGS gauges and NHDPlus reaches for selected locations where performance is weak.     

Non-aggressive mate guarding by the blue-footed booby: a balance of female and male control

Thirteen pairs of blue-footed boobies (Sula nebouxii) were observed on their colony. Pairs courted frequently and, on average, copulated 24 times during the 30 days before laying, with 38% of those copulations occurring in the last 5 days (presumed fertile period). Males and females increased attendance at the nest site as laying approached. Seven females performed an average seven extra-pair copulations, with 1–2 paired male neighbors, but these were less concentrated in the presumed fertile period than within-pair copulations, and the last two copulations of all 7 females were with their social mates. Rates of female extra-pair copulations were six times lower when their social mate was present, and during the presumed fertile period, no female performed an extra-pair copulation in the presence of her mate. Males did not respond to infidelity of social mates with aggression, prompt copulation, retaliatory copulation, or increase in copulation. Seven of 13 males performed an average of five extra-pair copulations, with 1–3 paired female neighbors, before their own mates began egg-laying. The males' extra-pair copulations represented only 4% of their total copulations during their own mates' presumed fertile periods. Females, the larger sex, apparently control sexual access and copulate with extra males to achieve extra-pair fertilization. Males pursue a mixed strategy: they copulate with extra females, mostly outside their own mate's presumed fertile period, and they copulate increasingly with their social mate as laying approaches, probably assuring some paternity by mate guarding, involving attendance and courtship. Behavior of males and females is also consistent with other hypotheses for extensive joint nest site attendance: pairbonding, copulation access, and territory acquisition. Received: 14 November 1997 / Accepted after revision: 16 May 1998     

The effect of deoxynivalenol on the secretion activity, proliferation and apoptosis of porcine ovarian granulosa cells in vitro

The aim of this in vitro study was to examine the secretion activity, markers of proliferation and apoptosis in porcine ovarian granulosa cells (GCs) after deoxynivalenol (DON) addition. Ovarian granulosa cells were incubated with DON for 24h: 10, 100 and 1000 ng/mL, while the control group received no DON. The secretion of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and progesterone was determined by radioimmunoassay (RIA) and expression of cyclin B1, PCNA and caspase-3 by immunocytochemistry. IGF-I release by GCs was inhibited by DON, while progesterone release and the expression of cyclin B1 was stimulated by DON (at 1000 ng/mL but not at 10 and 100 ng/mL). PCNA expression was stimulated by DON (at 100 and 1000 ng/mL but not at 10 ng/mL). Caspase-3 expression was not influenced by DON treatment (at all doses). In conclusion, our results indicate, (1) a direct effect of DON on secretion of growth factor IGF-I and steroid hormone progesterone, (2) expression of markers of proliferation (cyclin B1 and PCNA) but not on the (3) expression of marker of apoptosis (caspase-3) in porcine ovarian granulosa cells. This in vitro study suggests the dose-dependent association of DON on porcine ovarian functions.