Publication date: Available online 24 January 2017 Source:European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry Author(s): Rocío M. Neri-Bazán, Jazmín García-Machorro, David Méndez-Luna, Luis E. Tolentino-López, Federico Martínez-Ramos, Itzia I. Padilla-Martínez, Leopoldo Aguilar-Faisal, Marvin A. Soriano-Ursúa, José G. Trujillo-Ferrara, M. Jonathan Fragoso-Vázquez, Blanca L. Barrón, José Correa-Basurto Since the neuraminidase (NA) enzyme of the influenza A virus plays a key role in the process of release of new viral particles from a host cell, it is often a target for new drug design. The emergence of NA mutations, such as H275Y, has led to great resistance against neuraminidase inhibitors, including oseltamivir and zanamivir. Hence, we herein designed a set of derivatives by modifying the amine and/or carboxylic groups of oseltamivir. After being screened for their physicochemical (Lipinski's rule) and toxicological properties, the remaining compounds were submitted to molecular and theoretical studies. The docking simulations provided insights into NA recognition patterns, demonstrating that oseltamivir modified at the carboxylic moiety and coupled with anilines had higher affinity and a better binding pose for NA than the derivatives modified at the amine group. Based on these theoretical studies, the new oseltamivir derivatives may have higher affinity to mutant variants and possibly to other viral subtypes. Accordingly, two compounds were selected for synthesis, which together with their respective intermediates were evaluated for their cytotoxicity and antiviral activities. Their biological activity was then tested in cells infected with the A/Puerto Rico/916/34 (H1N1) influenza virus, and virus yield reduction assays were performed. Additionally, by measuring neuraminidase activity with the neuraminidase assay kit it was found that the compounds produced inhibitory activity on this enzyme. Finally, the infected cells were analysed with atomic force microscopy (AFM), observing morphological changes strongly suggesting that these compounds interfered with cellular release of viral particles. Graphical abstract
Publication date: Available online 21 January 2017 Source:Veterinary Microbiology Author(s): Mohammed Y.E. Chowdhury, Tae-Hwan Kim, Md Bashir Uddin, Jae-Hoon Kim, C.Y. Hewawaduge, Zannatul Ferdowshi, Moon-Hee Sung, Chul-Joong Kim, Jong-Soo Lee To develop a safe and effective mucosal vaccine that broad cross protection against seasonal or emerging influenza A viruses, we generated a mucosal influenza vaccine system combining the highly conserved matrix protein-2 (sM2), fusion peptide of hemagglutinin (HA2), the well-known mucosal adjuvant cholera toxin subunit A1 (CTA1) and poly-γ-glutamic acid (γ-PGA)-chitosan nanoparticles (PC NPs), which are safe, natural materials that are able to target the mucosal membrane as a mucosal adjuvant. The mucosal administration of sM2HA2CTA1/PC NPs could induce a high degree of systemic immunity (IgG and IgA) at the site of inoculation as well as at remote locations and also significantly increase the levels of sM2- or HA2-specific cell-mediated immune response. In challenge tests in BALB/c mice with 10 MLD50 of A/EM/Korea/W149/06(H5N1), A/Puerto Rico/8/34(H1N1), A/Aquatic bird/Korea/W81/2005(H5N2), A/Aquatic bird/Korea/W44/2005 (H7N3) or A/Chicken/Korea/116/2004(H9N2) viruses, the recombinant sM2HA2CTA1/PC NPs provided cross protection against divergent lethal influenza subtypes and also the protection was maintained up to six months after vaccination. Thus, sM2HA2CTA1/PC NPs could be a promising strategy for a universal influenza vaccine.
Publication date: 2017 Source:Procedia Earth and Planetary Science, Volume 17 Author(s): Scott Hynek, Xavier Comas, Susan L. Brantley Just as microscopic observations show that minerals dissolve quickly at sites where defects intersect the water-crystal interface and dissolve slowly at zones of perfect lattice structure, weathering rates also vary across a landscape. Specifically, at landscape scale, dissolution (weathering) occurs faster where defects (fractures) intersect the land surface, and slower in unfractured zones. In the rain forest of Puerto Rico, for example, we used ground penetrating radar to document how deep fracture zones allow meteoric waters to accelerate weathering in the Luquillo Mountains. The mountains comprise a metamorphic aureole complex where a quartz diorite pluton intruded into volcaniclastic sedimentary country rock. In the only watershed that has incised deeply into the quartz diorite (Río Icacos), water infiltrates slowly through areas without deep fractures and penetrates more deeply into fractured zones that criss-cross the landscape. These deep fracture zones contain weathered granular material, spheroidally weathered corestones, and waters with higher Si concentrations, [Si]. In the areas between fracture zones, the flowpaths are shallower, intersecting only weathered granular material and perhaps a single corestone, and are characterized by lower [Si]. In contrast, in the volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, fractures are distributed more homogeneously. Penetration of water in those rocks is thus more homogeneous at the landscape scale. Weathering controlled release rates of Si were estimated using residence times of surface and groundwater based on tritium concentrations, [3H]. The Si weathering release rates are higher for waters that have penetrated to deeper depths as expected if fractures accelerate weathering at depth by providing both preferential hydrologic flowpaths and access to highly soluble Si-containing mineral phases.
Publication date: Available online 12 January 2017 Source:Journal of the American Pharmacists Association Author(s): Michael J. Long, Brian N. LaPlant, Justin C. McCormick Objectives To determine the impact of national and local antimicrobial stewardship measures on overall antibiotic prescribing in the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Setting Care was delivered to more than 160,000 inmates in 122 BOP facilities in the United States and Puerto Rico. Practice description Medical centers and health services clinics staffed by in-house medical staff, consultants, and specialists. Staffs include a variety of disciplines, including physicians, pharmacists, dentists, nurses, infection control personnel, therapists, health services administrators, and institution executive staff. Practice innovation Innovations occurred on 2 levels: local components were used to reinforce national initiatives. Local institutions used a multidisciplinary team approach including education and focused evaluations of all antibiotic prescriptions before dispensing. National initiatives included the development of a closed formulary, clinical practice guidelines, an antimicrobial stewardship group led by pharmacy, development of tools and strategies for institutions, inclusion in the BOP strategic plan, and a drug utilization evaluation. Evaluation This was a study of antimicrobial stewardship within BOP and the resultant impact on antibiotic prescriptions. In addition, one institution’s antimicrobial stewardship methods were reviewed to determine the impact on antibiotic prescribing practices. Results The total number of antibiotic prescriptions in BOP-managed institutions in fiscal year (FY) 2010 (October 2009 to September 2010) was 142,907 and progressively decreased to 105,832 in FY2015. The number of antibiotic prescriptions per 1000 inmates correspondingly decreased from 829 in FY2010 to 625 in FY2015. The overall number of antibiotic prescriptions as a percentage of total prescriptions decreased from 7.64% in FY2010 to 5.84% in FY2015. Conclusion A robust multidisciplinary antimicrobial stewardship program has likely contributed to a decrease in both the total number and the rate of antibiotic prescriptions on a per-1000-patient basis in BOP.
Publication date: Available online 6 January 2017 Source:Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Author(s): Wei Chen, Ting Wang, Maria Pino-Yanes, Erick Forno, Liming Liang, Qi Yan, Donglei Hu, Daniel E. Weeks, Andrea Baccarelli, Edna Acosta-Perez, Celeste Eng, Yueh-Ying Han, Nadia Boutaoui, Catherine Laprise, Gwyneth A. Davies, Julian M. Hopkin, Miriam F. Moffatt, William O.C.M. Cookson, Glorisa Canino, Esteban G. Burchard, Juan C. Celedón Background Total immunoglobulin E (IgE) is a therapeutic target in allergic diseases. DNA methylation in white blood cells (WBCs) was associated with total IgE in an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS) of Caucasians. Whether DNA methylation of eosinophils explains those findings is insufficiently understood. Methods We tested for association between genome-wide DNA methylation in WBCs and total IgE in two studies of Hispanic children: the Puerto Rico Genetics of Asthma and Lifestyle Study (PR-GOAL, n = 306) and the Genes-environments and Admixture in Latino Americans (GALA II, n = 573). Whole-genome methylation of DNA from WBCs was measured using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip. Total IgE was measured using the UniCAP 100 system. In PR-GOAL, WBC types (i.e. neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes) in peripheral blood were measured using Coulter-Counter techniques. In GALA II, WBC types were imputed. Multivariable linear regression was used for the analysis of DNA methylation and total IgE, which was first conducted separately for each cohort, and then combining results from the two cohorts in a meta-analysis. Results CpG sites in multiple genes, including novel findings and results previously reported in Caucasians, were significantly associated with total IgE. However, adjustment for WBC types resulted in markedly fewer significant sites. Top findings from this adjusted meta-analysis were in genes ZFPM1 (P=1.5×10-12), ACOT7 (P=2.5×10-11), and MND1 (P=1.4×10-9). Conclusions In an EWAS adjusted for WBC types (including eosinophils), methylation changes in genes enriched in pathways relevant to asthma and immune responses were associated with total IgE among Hispanic children. Teaser In an EWAS adjusted for WBC types, few DNA methylation changes were significantly associated with total IgE among Hispanic children. Future EWAS of total IgE should account for DNA methylation of WBC types, particularly eosinophils.
Publication date: Available online 5 January 2017 Source:Tectonophysics Author(s): David Schlaphorst, J-Michael Kendall, Brian Baptie, Joan L. Latchman, Steve Tait Seismic anisotropy in and beneath the subducting slabs of the Antilles is investigated using observations of shear-wave splitting. We use a combination of teleseismic and local events recorded at three-component broadband seismic stations on every major island in the area to map anisotropy in the crust, the mantle wedge and the slab/sub-slab mantle. To date this is the most comprehensive study of anisotropy in this region, involving 52 stations from 8 seismic networks. Local event delay times (0.21±0.12s) do not increase with depth, indicating a crustal origin in anisotropy and an isotropic mantle wedge. Teleseismic delay times are much larger (1.34±0.47s), with fast shear-wave polarisations that are predominantly parallel to trend of the arc. These observations can be interpreted three ways: (1) the presence of pre-existing anisotropy in the subducting slab; (2) anisotropy due to sub-slab mantle flow around the eastern margin of the nearly stationary Caribbean plate; (3) some combination of both mechanisms. However, there are two notable variations in the trench-parallel pattern of anisotropy — trench-perpendicular alignment is observed in narrow regions east of Puerto Rico and south of Martinique. These observations support previously proposed ideas of eastward sublithospheric mantle flow through gaps in the slab. Furthermore, the pattern of anisotropy south of Martinique, near Saint Lucia is consistent with a previously proposed location for the boundary between the North and South American plates.
Publication date: Available online 5 January 2017 Source:Veterinary Microbiology Author(s): Nitin Machindra Kamble, Irshad Ahmed Hajam, John Hwa Lee Pre-stimulation of toll-like receptors (TLRs) by agonists has been shown to increase protection against influenza virus infection. In this study, we evaluated the protective response generated against influenza A/Puerto Rico/8/1934 (PR8; H1N1) virus by oral and nasal administration of live attenuated Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, JOL911 strain, in mice. Oral and nasal inoculation of JOL911 significantly increased the mRNA copy number of TLR-2, TLR4 and TLR5, and downstream type I interferon (IFN) molecules, IFN-α and IFN-β, both in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and in lung tissue. Similarly, the mRNA copy number of interferon-inducible genes (ISGs), Mx and ISG15, were significantly increased in both the orally and the nasally inoculated mice. Post PR8 virus lethal challenge, the nasal JOL911 and the PBS control group mice showed significant loss of body weight with 70% and 100% mortality, respectively, compared to only 30% mortality in the oral JOL911 group mice. Post sub-lethal challenge, the significant reduction in PR8 virus copy number in lung tissue was observed in oral [on day 4 and 6 post-challenge (dpc)] and nasal (on 4 dpc) than the PBS control group mice. The lethal and sub-lethal challenge showed that the generated stimulated innate resistance (StIR) in JOL911 inoculated mice conferred resistance to acute and initial influenza infection but might not be sufficient to prevent the PR8 virus invasion and replication in the lung. Overall, the present study indicates that oral administration of attenuated S. Typhimurium can pre-stimulate multiple TLR pathways in mice to provide immediate early StIR against a lethal H1N1 virus challenge.
Publication date: Available online 29 December 2016 Source:Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Author(s): María Chapela Lara, Heather L. Buss, Philip A.E. Pogge von Strandmann, Jan A. Schuessler, Oliver W. Moore In order to assess the effects of critical zone processes on Mg concentrations and isotopic signatures of tropical streams, we studied a well constrained, highly weathered andesitic volcaniclastic catchment in the Luquillo Critical Zone Observatory, Puerto Rico. Our results indicate that dissolved Mg concentrations and isotope ratios in the regolith pore water are mainly controlled by rain input, with weathering inputs being more important at sites with thinner regolith (2.7 to 0.9 m deep) and at depth (> 8 m) on a thick ridgetop regolith (∼10 m). In addition to mixing of precipitation and weathering-sourced Mg, an isotopic fractionation process is taking place between dissolved Mg and the regolith, likely during dissolution or recrystallisation of Fe(III)-(hydro)oxides under alternating redox conditions. Bulk regolith is isotopically heavier than both the bedrock and the exchangeable fraction (δ26Mgregolith − bedrock = + 0.03 to + 0.47‰), consistent with the preferential incorporation of heavy 26Mg into secondary minerals with some exchange of sorbed Mg with isotopically lighter pore water. Magnesium concentrations in the stream show a typical dilution behaviour during a storm event, but the [Mg] − δ26Mg pattern cannot be explained by mixing of rain and pore water; the data are best explained by a steady state fractionation model with α = 1.00115. During baseflow the stream has δ26Mg = + 0.01‰, higher than any of the water samples or the bedrock. In-situ analysis of the Mg isotopic composition of bedrock minerals points at the dissolution of Mg-rich chlorite (δ26Mg = + 0.19‰) as the most likely source of this isotopically heavy Mg, with mass balance calculations indicating chlorite dissolution is also the main source of Mg to the stream. Overall, our study highlights the importance of atmospheric input of nutrients to the vegetation in tropical areas covered by thick, highly leached regolith, whereas the Mg flux and Mg isotopic signature of watershed exports are dominated by bedrock dissolution delivered to the stream through deeper, usually un-sampled critical zone pathways.
Publication date: Available online 29 December 2016 Source:International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife Author(s): D. Selechnik, L.A. Rollins, G.P. Brown, C. Kelehear, R. Shine Brought to Australia in 1935 to control agricultural pests (from French Guiana, via Martinique, Barbados, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and Hawai'i), repeated stepwise translocations of small numbers of founders enabled the cane toad (Rhinella marina) to escape many parasites and pathogens from its native range. However, the infective organisms that survived the journey continue to affect the dynamics of the toad in its new environment. In Australia, the native-range lungworm Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala decreases its host's cardiac capacity, as well as growth and survival, but not rate of dispersal. The lungworm is most prevalent in long-colonised areas within the toads' Australian range, and absent from the invasion front. Several parasites and pathogens of Australian taxa have host-shifted to cane toads in Australia; for example, invasion-front toads are susceptible to spinal arthritis caused by the soil bacterium, Ochrobactrum anthropi. The pentastome Raillietiella frenata has host-shifted to toads and may thereby expand its Australian range due to the continued range expansion of the invasive toads. Spill-over and spill-back of parasites may be detrimental to other host species; however, toads may also reduce parasite loads in native taxa by acting as terminal hosts. We review the impact of the toad's parasites and pathogens on the invasive anuran's biology in Australia, as well as collateral effects of toad-borne parasites and pathogens on other host species in Australia. Both novel and co-evolved pathogens and parasites may have played significant roles in shaping the rapid evolution of immune system responses in cane toads within their invaded range. Graphical abstract
Publication date: 15 January 2017 Source:Solar Energy, Volume 142 Author(s): Aitor Makibar, Luis Narvarte, Eduardo Lorenzo PV power fluctuations caused by clouds are leading operators of grids with high renewable energy penetration rates to impose ramp rate limitations. Costly battery energy storage systems are used for fulfilling these regulations but the question of the power and energy requirements for accomplishing them has not been fully answered. This work analyses the effects of reducing the size of a battery designed to absorb every fluctuation by taking into consideration, both, the fluctuation occurrence and the penalties in case of non-compliance of a given prescribed ramp-rate limitation. A theoretical analysis was carried out in order to assess the relation between size reduction and ramp rate compliance, obtaining as result a model for predicting the probability of non-compliances with a reduced battery. Additionally, the battery size reduction analysis was applied to the particular grid code currently proposed for Puerto Rico, creating new tools for selecting a battery with reduced power and energy capacity.
Publication date: Available online 23 December 2016 Source:Genomics Data Author(s): Ricky Padilla-Del Valle, Carlos Rios-Velazquez In Puerto Rico, the microbial diversity of the thermal spring (ThS) in Coamo have never been studied using metagenomics. The focus of our research was to generate a metagenomic library from the ThS of Coamo, Puerto Rico and explore the microbial and functional diversity. The metagenomic library from the ThS waters was generated using direct DNA isolation. High molecular weight (40 kbp) DNA was end-repaired, electro eluted and ligated into a fosmid vector (pCCFOS1); then transduced into Escherichia coli EPI300-T1R using T1 bacteriophages. The library consisted of approximately 6,000 clones, 90% containing metagenomic DNA. Next-Generation-Sequencing technology (Illumina MiSeq) was used to process the ThS metagenome. After removing the cloning vector, 122,026 sequences with 33.10 Mbps size and 64% of G+C content were annotated and analyzed using the MG-RAST online server. Bacteria showed to be the most abundant domain (95.84%) followed by unidentified sequences (2.28%), viruses (1.67%), eukaryotes (0.15%), and archaea (0.01%). The most abundant phyla were Proteobacteria (95.03%), followed by unidentified (2.28%), unclassified from viruses (1.74%), Firmicutes (0.20%) and Actinobacteria (0.18%). The most abundant species were Escherichia coli, Polaromonas naphthalenivorans, Albidiferax ferrireducens and Acidovorax sp. Subsystem functional analysis showed that 20% of genes belong to transposable elements, 10% to clustering-based subsystems, and 8% to the production of cofactors. Functional analysis using NOG annotation showed that 82.79% of proteins are poorly characterized indicating the possibility of novel microbial functions and with potential biomedical and biotechnological applications. Metagenomic data was deposited into the NCBI database under the accession number SAMN06131862.
Publication date: January 2017 Source:Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, Volume 118, Issue 1 Author(s): Brock H. Medsker, Bronwyn K. Brew, Erick Forno, Henrik Olsson, Cecilia Lundholm, Yueh-Ying Han, Edna Acosta-Pérez, Glorisa J. Canino, Catarina Almqvist, Juan C. Celedón Background Little is known about the joint effects of maternal asthma and maternal depression on childhood asthma. Objective To examine whether maternal depression and maternal asthma lead to greater risk of childhood asthma than maternal asthma alone. Methods Cross-sectional studies of children (6–14 years old) in San Juan, Puerto Rico (n = 655) and Sweden (n = 6,887) were conducted. In Puerto Rico, maternal depressive symptoms were defined using the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D) questionnaire. In Sweden, maternal physician-diagnosed depression was derived from national registries, and maternal depressive symptoms were defined using an abbreviated CES-D questionnaire. Childhood asthma was defined as physician-diagnosed asthma plus current wheeze (in Puerto Rico) or plus medication use (in Sweden). Logistic regression was used for multivariable analysis. Results Compared with Puerto Rican children whose mothers had neither asthma nor depressive symptoms, those whose mothers had asthma but no depressive symptoms had 3.2 times increased odds of asthma (95% confidence interval [CI] = 2.1–4.8) and those whose mothers had asthma and depressive symptoms had 6.5 times increased odds of asthma (95% CI = 3.3–13.0). Similar results were obtained for maternal depression and maternal asthma in the Swedish cohort (odds ratio for maternal asthma without maternal depression = 2.8, 95% CI = 2.1–3.7; odds ratio for maternal asthma and maternal depression = 4.0, 95% CI = 1.7–9.6). Although the estimated effect of maternal asthma on childhood asthma was increased when maternal depressive symptoms (Puerto Rico) or maternal depression (Sweden) was present, there were no statistically significant additive interactions. Conclusion Maternal depression can further increase the risk of asthma in children whose mothers have a history of asthma.
Publication date: Available online 18 December 2016 Source:Marine Genomics Author(s): Ingrid C. Ortiz-González, Ramón E. Rivera-Vicéns, Nikolaos V. Schizas The hydrocoral Millepora is found in shallow tropical/subtropical regions around the globe and is considered an important reef-building organism. Millepora alcicornis is the most common species in the Atlantic Ocean, and can be found from 0.5 to 50m deep. It is distributed from the tropical/subtropical eastern western Atlantic Ocean, including Bermuda, Brazil, and on the east in Tenerife of the Canary Islands, the Cape Verde Archipelago and Ascension Island. No genomic information is available for this ecologically important group. Here, we report de novo transcriptome assembly of M. alcicornis sampled from Puerto Rico, Caribbean. We used paired-end sequencing (Illumina HiSeq4000, 2×150bp) and obtained 76,518,693 reads. Transcriptome assembly was performed using Trinity, producing a total of 479,982 transcripts with an average size of 553bp and a N50 of 749. Data was normalized using RSEM and filtered by a TPM of 3. Open reading frames (ORFs) from the filtered transcripts were obtained by TransDecoder using the hydrozoan Hydra vulgaris protein sequences as reference, generating 16,024 putative ORFs. Blast searches showed that 25.8% (4137) of the ORFs matched H. vulgaris and 24.6% matched other anthozoan cnidarians (i.e. Nematostella vectensis =1621, Exaiptasia pallida =1280, Acropora digitifera =1050). Gene ontology generated by Blast2GO resulted in a total of 7220 ORFs associated with molecular function, 4917 with biological processes, and 2989 with cellular components. A general overview will be presented of the first assembled M. alcicornis transcriptome with emphasis on shared genes among Hydrozoans and Scyphozoans.
Publication date: Available online 18 December 2016 Source:The American Journal of Cardiology Author(s): Eleonora Pagan, Liliane Chatenoud, Teresa Rodriguez, Cristina Bosetti, Fabio Levi, Matteo Malvezzi, Carlo La Vecchia, Eva Negri, Paola Bertuccio Until the past century, mortality trends from coronary heart disease (CHD) and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) were less favorable in Latin than in North America. We calculated age-standardized mortality rates using data from the World Health Organization database over the period 1980-2013. To identify significant changes in trends we performed joinpoint analysis. Since the early 2000’s, CHD mortality rates declined by about 35% in the USA and Canada in both sexes; similar declines were observed in some Latin American countries (i.e., Ecuador, Puerto Rico and Chile), while the declines were smaller in the other countries. In 2011-2013, the highest rates were in Venezuela (114.4/100 000 men) and Colombia (86.1/100 000 men), and the lowest ones (apart from Ecuador) in Panama, Chile and Argentina (between 41-46/100 000 men and between 18-19/100 000 women). For CVD mortality, a decline by about 30% was observed in Argentina, Panama and Uruguay plus Colombia for women, in addition to the USA and Canada. Smaller declines were observed in the other Latin American countries (from 23% in Colombian men to 5% in Venezuelan men). Throughout the period, rates in Latin America remained appreciably higher than those in North America. The highest CVD rates were observed in Brazil (51.6/100 000 men), and the lowest ones in Canada (12.9/100 000 women). In conclusion, trends in CHD and CVD mortality continue to be less favorable in Latin America than in Canada and the USA. The marked excess of CVD mortality is partly or largely attributable to inadequate control of dyslipidemia and hypertension.
Publication date: March 2017 Source:Ecological Indicators, Volume 74 Author(s): Amelia Smith, Susan H. Yee, Marc Russell, Jill Awkerman, William S. Fisher Policies to protect coastal resources may lead to greater social, economic, and ecological returns when they consider potential co-benefits and trade-offs on land. In Guánica Bay watershed, Puerto Rico, a watershed management plan is being implemented to restore declining quality of coral reefs due to sediment and nutrient runoff. However, recent stakeholder workshops indicated uncertainty about benefits for the local community. A total of 19 metrics were identified to capture stakeholder concerns, including 15 terrestrial ecosystem services in the watershed and 4 metrics in the coastal zone. Ecosystem service production functions were applied to quantify and map ecosystem service supply in 1) the Guánica Bay watershed and 2) a highly engineered upper multi-watershed area connected to the lower watershed via a series of reservoirs and tunnels. These two watersheds were compared to other watersheds in Puerto Rico. Relative to other watersheds, the Upper Guánica watershed had high air pollutant removal rates, forest habitat area, biodiversity of charismatic and endangered species, but low farmland quality and low sediment retention. The Lower Guánica watershed had high rates of denitrification and high levels of marine-based recreational and fishing opportunities compared to other watersheds, but moderate to low air pollutant removal, soil carbon content, sediment and nutrient retention, and terrestrial biodiversity. Our results suggest that actions in the watershed to protect coral reefs may lead to improvements in other ecosystem services that stakeholders care about on land. Considering benefits from both coastal and terrestrial ecosystems in making coastal management decisions may ultimately lead to a greater return on investment and greater stakeholder acceptance, while still achieving conservation goals.
Publication date: Available online 7 December 2016 Source:Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta Author(s): Art F. White, Marjorie S. Schulz, Corey R. Lawrence, Davison V. Vivit, David A. Stonestrom Four pairs of fresh and partly-weathered granitoids, obtained from well-characterized watersheds—Merced River, CA, USA; Panola, GA, USA; Loch Vale, CO, USA, and Rio Icacos, Puerto Rico—were reacted in columns under ambient laboratory conditions for 13.8 yrs, the longest running experimental weathering study to date. Low total column mass losses (<1 wt. %), correlated with the absence of pitting or surface roughening of primary silicate grains. BET surface area (SBET) increased, primarily due to Fe-oxyhydroxide precipitation. Surface areas returned to within factors of 2 to 3 of their original values after dithionite extraction. Miscible displacement experiments indicated homogeneous plug flow with negligible immobile water, commonly cited for column experiments. Fresh granitoid effluent solute concentrations initially declined rapidly, followed by much slower decreases over the next decade. Weathered granitoid effluent concentrations increased modestly over the same time period, indicating losses of natural Fe-oxide and/or clay coatings and the increased exposure of primary mineral surfaces. Corresponding (fresh and weathered) elemental effluent concentrations trended toward convergence during the last decade of reaction. NETPATH/PHREEQC code simulations indicated non-stoichiometric dissolution involving Ca release from disseminated calcite and excess K release from interlayer biotite. Effluent 87Sr/85Sr ratios reflected a progressive weathering sequence beginning and ending with 87Sr/85Sr values of plagioclase with an additional calcite input and a radiogenic biotite excursion proportional to the granitoid ages. Effluents became thermodynamically saturated with goethite and gibbsite, slightly under-saturated with kaolinite and strongly under-saturated with plagioclase, consistent with kinetically-limited weathering in which solutes such as Na varied with column flow rates. Effluent Na concentrations showed no clear trend with time during the last decade of reaction (fresh granitoids) or increased slowly with time (weathered granitoids). Analysis of cumulative Na release indicated that plagioclase dissolution achieved steady state in 3 of the 4 fresh granitoids during the last decade of reaction. Surface-area normalized plagioclase dissolution rates exhibited a narrow range (0.95 to 1.26 10-13 moles m-2 s-1), in spite of significant stoichiometric differences (An0.21 to An0.50). Rates were an order of magnitude slower than previously reported in shorter duration experiments but generally 2 to 3 orders of magnitude faster than corresponding natural analogs. CrunchFlow simulations indicated that more than a hundredfold decrease in column flow rates would be required to produce near-saturation reaction affinities that would start to slow plagioclase weathering to real-world levels. Extending simulations to approximate long term weathering in naturally weathered profiles required additional decreases in the intrinsic plagioclase dissolution and kaolinite precipitation rates and relatively large decreases in the fluid flow rate, implying that exposure to reactive mineral surfaces is significantly limited in the natural environment compared to column experiments.
Publication date: 2017 Source:Chemistry and Water Author(s): M.C. Larsen Forested watersheds provide critically important ecosystem services as sources of high-quality water for drinking, agriculture, and industry. Montane forested watersheds provide additional services and benefits, including hydroelectric energy, wood products, recreation, esthetic values, and hazard mitigation. However, landowners in most countries are compensated at minimal rates, if at all, for these services to society, with a result that services are not provided at optimal levels. In some countries, including the US, modest public and private programs offer payments to landowners and serve to maintain and restore these ecosystem services. The provision of ecosystem services is further challenged by climate change and global urbanization, particularly in regions of rapid economic growth, where, in some cases, a lack of effective stewardship of river floodplains and upstream forests compromises water, food, hydroelectric energy, wood products, carbon sequestration, maintenance of biodiversity, and a less well-studied but important ecosystem service: reduction of natural hazard and vulnerability. Examples of ecosystem services and their valuation are presented for areas of the US, Panama, and Puerto Rico.
Publication date: March 2017 Source:Ecological Economics, Volume 133 Author(s): Alejandra M. González-Mejía, Xin (Cissy) Ma Emergy analysis quantifies the direct and indirect contributions of nature to human systems providing a sustainability assessment framework, which couples economic growth within biophysical constraints. In this study, Puerto Rico's sustainability was assessed with emergy flow dynamics from 1960 to 2013. During this period, the island shifted from an agriculture-based economy to an industrial base of manufacture and services (1960–1970). The emergy analysis indicated an exponential decline in sustainability during this period. From 1975 to 1992, the island became more industrialized and imported more goods and services. Since 1998, although more renewable production such as forest regeneration occurred, the rapid industrialization heavily relied on imported fossil fuels, goods, and services, resulting in a system that has not been self-sufficient, nor sustainable. The latest economic crisis and the most recently passed financial rescue bill represent an opportunity to redirect Puerto Rico towards a sustainable path with policies that decrease the ratio of imported y to exported emergy, and strategies that encourage efficient use of resources and local production based on the utilization of renewable sources within this U.S. territory.
Publication date: Available online 29 November 2016 Source:Antiviral Research Author(s): Wen-Tao Yang, Gui-Lian Yang, Qian Wang, Hai-Bin Huang, Yan-Long Jiang, Chun-Wei Shi, Jian-Zhong Wang, Ke-Yan Huang, Yu-Bei Jin, Chun-Feng Wang The influenza A (H1N1) virus is a highly contagious acute respiratory disease affecting pigs and humans. This disease causes severe economic loss in many countries, and developing mucosal vaccines is an efficient strategy to control the influenza virus. The neonatal Fc receptor (FcRn) plays an important role in transferring IgG across polarized epithelial cells. In the present study, an oral vaccine was developed using Lactobacillus plantarum to deliver the internal influenza viral protein M2e fused to an IgG Fc fragment. Oral vaccination with recombinant L. plantarum expressing 3M2e-Fc elicited Peyer's patch (PP) DC activation, improved the number of gamma interferon (IFN-γ)-producing T cells and increased the frequency of CD8+IFN-γ+ cells in the mesenteric lymph nodes (MLNs). In addition, the recombinant L. plantarum can induce PP B220+IgA+ expression and enhance specific sIgA secretion and the shaping of growth centers (GCs) in PPs. Furthermore, the data demonstrated that immunization with recombinant L. plantarum expressing 3M2e-Fc markedly reduced the viral load in the lung and protected against H1N1 influenza virus and mouse-adapted H9N2 avian influenza virus (AIV) challenge in BALB/c mice. Collectively, the data also showed that this vaccine strategy provided effective protective immunity against infection with homologous and heterologous influenza viruses in a mouse model and may be useful for future influenza vaccine development.
Publication date: Available online 22 November 2016 Source:Agricultural Systems Author(s): C. Hwang, M.J. Correll, S.A. Gezan, L. Zhang, M.S. Bhakta, C.E. Vallejos, K.J. Boote, J.A. Clavijo-Michelangeli, J.W. Jones The next generation of gene-based crop models offers the potential of predicting crop vegetative and reproductive development based on genotype and weather data as inputs. Here, we illustrate an approach for developing a dynamic modular gene-based model to simulate changes in main stem node numbers, time to first anthesis, and final node number on the main stem of common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). In the modules, these crop characteristics are functions of relevant genes (quantitative trait loci (QTL)), the environment (E), and QTL×E interactions. The model was based on data from 187 recombinant inbred (RI) genotypes and the two parents grown at five sites (Citra, FL; Palmira, Colombia; Popayan, Colombia; Isabela Puerto Rico; and Prosper, North Dakota). The model consists of three dynamic QTL effect models for node addition rate (NAR, No. d−1), daily rate of progress from emergence toward flowering (RF), and daily maximum main stem node number (MSNODmax), that were integrated to simulate main stem node number vs. time, and date of first flower using daily time steps. Model evaluation with genotypes not used in model development showed reliable predictions across all sites for time to first anthesis (R2 =0.75) and main stem node numbers during the linear phase of node addition (R2 =0.93), while prediction of the final main stem node number was less reliable (R2 =0.27). The use of mixed-effects models to analyze multi-environment data from a wide range of genotypes holds considerable promise for assisting development of dynamic QTL effect models capable of simulating vegetative and reproductive development.
