A rare skin infection in atopic dermatitis: A case report.

Atopic dermatitis is associated with a susceptibility to infection usually by Staphylococcus spp due to a decrease of AMPs and Th2 cytokines (eg, IL-17). We reported a rare E. faecalis skin contamination in AD patients due to a frequent contact with excrement.

Assessment of riparian vegetation characteristics in Mediterranean headwaters regulated by check dams using multivariate statistical techniques.

In mountainous torrents of the Mediterranean environment the riparian vegetation is strongly influenced by the presence of engineering control works, since these structures bring heavy modifications in channel geometry, hydraulic regime and bed sediment size. Previous investigations have shown high linear correlations between physical (section shape, profile slope, specific discharge, surface and subsurface size of the channel bed) and vegetation (development, structure and biodiversity) indicators in headwater channels with check dams of Calabrian (Southern Italy) torrents. Based on these findings, this study applies multivariate statistical techniques (Principal Component Analysis and Partial Least Square Regression) to identify in the same study headwaters new synthetic explanatory variables, representative of the different transects (upstream, downstream or intermediate, compared to the check dam location) and develop predictive models of riparian vegetation characteristics. The Principal Component Analysis has provided a simple parameter (the first Principal Component, explaining about 60% of the total variance), which is able to discriminate the physical and vegetal characteristics of the different transects close to check dams, thus reducing the large number of factors influencing the fluvial processes. Moreover, cover, height and transversal variability of riparian vegetation have a very high influence (loadings over 0.73) on this component, while its biodiversity is correlated to the second Principal Component (loadings over 0.63). The Partial Least Square Regression has shown that it is possible to estimate with fair accuracy (minimum r2 of 0.70) the development, structure as well as transversal variability of the riparian vegetation, starting from the physical features of the channel. These models may be important in the planning steps of new check dams, since their effects on the development and growth of vegetation upstream and downstream can be forecasted before their installation, at least for the quantification of the order of magnitude of the check dam impacts on torrent ecology.

Evaluating the effects of check dams on channel geometry, bed sediment size and riparian vegetation in Mediterranean mountain torrents.

In mountain streams possible negative impacts of check dams on soil, water and riparian vegetation due to check dam installation can be noticed. In spite of the ample literature on the qualitative effects of engineering works on channel hydrology, morphology, sedimentary effects and riparian vegetation characteristics, quantitative evaluations of the changes induced by check dams on headwater characteristics are rare. In order to fill this gap, this study has evaluated the effects of check dams located in headwaters of Calabria (Southern Italy) on hydrological and geomorphological processes and on the response of riparian vegetation to these actions. The analysis has compared physical and vegetation indicators in transects identified around check dams (upstream and downstream) and far from their direct influence (control transects). Check dams were found to influence significantly unit discharge, surface and subsurface sediments (both upstream and downstream), channel shape and transverse distribution of riparian vegetation (upstream) as well as cover and structure of riparian complexes (downstream). The actions of the structures on torrent longitudinal slope and biodiversity of vegetation were less significant. The differences on bed profile slope were significant only between upstream and downstream transects. The results of the Agglomerative Hierarchical Cluster analysis confirmed the substantial similarity between upstream and control transects, thus highlighting that the construction of check dams, needed to mitigate the hydro-geological risks, has not strongly influenced the torrent functioning and ecology before check dam construction. Moreover, simple and quantitative linkages between torrent hydraulics, geomorphology and vegetation characteristics exist in the analysed headwaters; these relationships among physical adjustments of channels and most of the resulting characteristics of the riparian vegetation are specific for the transect locations with respect of check dams. Conversely, the biodiversity of the riparian vegetation basically eludes any quantitative relations with the physical and other vegetal characteristics of the torrent transects.

Simulating the hydrological response of a small tropical forest watershed (Mata Atlantica, Brazil) by the AnnAGNPS model.

Given the intrinsic hydrological cycle made of large input of water vapour and intense precipitation producing large volumes of water and sediment, modelling runoff and water losses in humid tropical watersheds is important for forest and water resources management. For instance, reliable simulations of the water cycle in such environments are a prerequisite for predictions of water quality, soil erosion and the climate change effects on water resources. The distributed parameter, physically based, continuous simulation, daily time step AnnAGNPS model, was implemented in almost completely forested (98% of its area, 0.56 km2) Cunha watershed (Brazil) to assess its capability to simulate hydrological processes under tropical conditions. The simulated surface runoff was compared to 4-year observations with statistical indices on several time scales. The model, running with default CN of forest, showed poor predictions of runoff. After increasing CN from 63 to 72 by calibration, the runoff prediction capability of AnnAGNPS was satisfactory on annual, seasonal and monthly scales, while daily runoff predictions were less accurate. Modelling water losses at event scale showed that the effect of forest vegetation on water retention during a single precipitation was more limited than for longer periods (months, seasons and years), since evapo-transpiration and interception account for small shares (>20%) of total precipitation. This study demonstrated that the AnnAGNPS model has reliable runoff prediction capacity in tropical forest watersheds at the annual and seasonal scales (E > 0.73), whereas daily runoff simulations are less accurate (E = 0.44). The use of this model may prove an important tool for water resource and territory management in tropical rainforests.