ABSTRACT
The South Brazilian grasslands (Campos Sulinos) form the dominant vegetation in southern Brazil. They are species-rich ecosystems that occur under distinct geomorphological and climatic conditions but spatial variation of plant species diversity remains understudied. Here, we present a detailed description of plant communities across the region. Our data were obtained in 1080 plots, representing well-preserved grasslands in different ecological systems. Apart from describing alpha and beta diversity, we investigated the relations of plant communities with environmental features. We identified 759 plant species and found clear differences in community composition across the region. Northern and Southern highland grasslands, humid and dry coastal grasslands and the mesic Pampa grassland were clearly distinct, related to climatic and edaphic features. While species abundance distribution was markedly uneven, local species richness was high, above 20 species/m2, especially in the highlands and in mesic Pampa sites, on shallow soils. The predominant component of beta diversity was species turnover, which suggests that a network of well-conserved grasslands distributed across the region would be the best strategy to protect plant diversity. Our results establish regionalized reference values for richness and diversity that can be useful for initiatives of restoration and conservation of these grasslands.
Subject(s)
Ecosystem , Grassland , Biodiversity , Brazil , Plants , Reference ValuesABSTRACT
The Program for Biodiversity Research (PPBio) is an innovative program designed to integrate all biodiversity research stakeholders. Operating since 2004, it has installed long-term ecological research sites throughout Brazil and its logic has been applied in some other southern-hemisphere countries. The program supports all aspects of research necessary to understand biodiversity and the processes that affect it. There are presently 161 sampling sites (see some of them at Supplementary Appendix), most of which use a standardized methodology that allows comparisons across biomes and through time. To date, there are about 1200 publications associated with PPBio that cover topics ranging from natural history to genetics and species distributions. Most of the field data and metadata are available through PPBio web sites or DataONE. Metadata is available for researchers that intend to explore the different faces of Brazilian biodiversity spatio-temporal variation, as well as for managers intending to improve conservation strategies. The Program also fostered, directly and indirectly, local technical capacity building, and supported the training of hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students. The main challenge is maintaining the long-term funding necessary to understand biodiversity patterns and processes under pressure from global environmental changes.
Subject(s)
Biodiversity , Ecosystem , Brazil , Conservation of Natural Resources , Humans , KnowledgeABSTRACT
The role of caffeinated beverages on efficiency of acute inflammatory responses is not yet fully understood. This study analyzed the effect of five hot water extracts, coffee (CO), black/green tea (BT/GT), yerba mate (YM), and guarana (GU) on inflammatory modulation of non-activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), yeast-activated human neutrophils, and granulocytic coelomocytes from Eisenia fetida earthworm. Based on preliminary tests, a concentration of 10⯵g/mL was chosen for subsequent assays, as at this concentration, the extracts exhibited antioxidant, genoprotective, and non-cytotoxic properties. Immunoassays using 24-h PBMC supernatant showed that all extracts decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1ß, IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ), and increased levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10. Further, these extracts induced overexpression of cytokine genes in 24-h cultures. These results suggest that an increase in the levels of mRNAs and/or inactive cytokines in the cytoplasm improves the "immune cytokine response. Analysis of the yeast encapsulation processes, and production of human neutrophils and coelomocyte extracellular DNA traps suggests that extracts also improve the immune response in humans and earthworms. However, for E. fetida, the intensity of these results varied from extract. Overall, our results suggest that caffeinated beverages may improve an organism's efficiency against acute inflammatory processes.
Subject(s)
Beverages , Caffeine/pharmacology , Inflammation/prevention & control , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/drug effects , Animals , Cytokines/immunology , Humans , Inflammation Mediators/immunology , Leukocytes, Mononuclear/immunology , OligochaetaABSTRACT
Objetivo: describir la frecuencia de anticuerpos antianexina V en una serie de mujeres que presentaron aborto recurrente en la ciudad de Medellín. Materiales y métodos: se llevó a cabo una serie de casos constituida por mujeres sanas que acudían a consulta ginecológica por historia de pérdidas gestacionales recurrentes caracterizadas por dos o más abortos en el primer trimestre de gestación, en dos instituciones prestadoras de servicios de salud de segundo y tercer nivel de complejidad, y a la consulta privada de algunos ginecólogos de la ciudad de Medellín que aceptaron participar en el estudio. Se excluyeron las mujeres con diagnóstico de síndrome antifosfolípido secundario. Se evaluaron las características sociodemográficas, los antecedentes obstétricos y médicos con énfasis en hipertensión arterial y trombosis. También se evaluaron los anticuerpos anticardiolipina, anticoagulante lúpico, número de anticuerpos antiß2-GPI y número de anticuerpos antianexina V. La información se tabuló en una hoja de cálculo de Microsoft Excel y se procesó en el programa estadístico Stata 10.0, en el análisis estadístico se utilizó estadística descriptiva. Resultados: se encuestaron 65 mujeres con edades entre los 18 y 46 años, la mitad de las pacientes reportaron 2 abortos antes de la décima semana, y la otra mitad después de esta. En los resultados de los anticuerpos anticardiolipina se encontró que el 4,6% (3) de las pacientes presentaron anticuerpos positivos IgM y el 3,1% (2) tenían anticuerpos positivos IgG. El 3,1% (2) de las mujeres presentaron anticuerpos antiß2-GPI IgG e IgM. El 4,6% (3) de las pacientes presentaron anticuerpos positivos antianexina IgG y un 12,3% (8) de estas presentaron un resultado indeterminado.Conclusiones: se evidencia la presencia de anticuerpos antianexina en las pacientes estudiadas, aunque un subgrupo de mujeres presentó un resultado indeterminado; surge la hipótesis de que la anexina V podría ser un factor importante e independiente de los anticuerpos cardiolipina y β2-GPI en las pérdidas gestacionales recurrentes.
Objective: Describing anti-annexin V antibody frequency in a series of females suffering recurrent abortion in Medellin. Materials and methods: A series of cases was compiled, consisting of healthy females attending gynecological consultation who had a background of recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL), characterized by two or more abortions during the first three months of pregnancy. The females were attending a second- and third-level complexity healthcareproviding institution and/or private consultation with some gynecologists in Medellin who agreed to participate in the study. Females diagnosed with secondary antiphospholipid syndrome were excluded. Socio-demographic characteristics, obstetric and medical background emphasizing hypertension and thrombosis were evaluated, as were anti-cardiolipin antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, number of anti-â2-GPI antibodies and number of anti-annexin V antibodies. Such information was tabulated on a Microsoft Excel sheet and processed using Stata 10.0 statistical software; descriptive statistics were used for statistical analysis. Results: 65 females were surveyed, their ages ranging from 18 to 46 years. Half the patients reported 2 abortions before the tenth week and the other half following such time. Anti-cardiolipin antibody results revealed that 4.6% (3) of the patients proved positive for IgM antibodies and 3.1% (2) positive for IgG antibodies. 3.1% (2) of the females had IgG and IgM anti-â2-GPI antibodies. 4.6% (3) of the patients were positive for anti-annexin IgG antibodies and 12.3% (8) had an indeterminate result. Conclusions: Anti-annexin antibodies were detected in the patients surveyed in this study, although a subgroup of females had an indeterminate result. This led to advancing a hypothesis that annexin V could be an important and independent factor for cardiolipin and â2-GPI antibodies in recurrent pregnancy loss.Conclusions: Anti-annexin antibodies were detected in the patients surveyed in this study, although a subgroup of females had an indeterminate result. This led to advancing a hypothesis that annexin V could be an important and independent factor for cardiolipin and β2-GPI antibodies in recurrent pregnancy loss.