Die Recurrent airway obstruction (RAO), im deutschen auch als „Dämpfigkeit“ be-zeichnet, ist eine weltweit anerkannte und weit verbreitete Erkrankung der Luftwege beim Pferd, die durch eine hypersensitiv-vermittelte Entzündung der Atemwege und begleitende Neutrophilie charakterisiert ist. Ausgelöst durch ungünstige Umweltbedingungen umfasst der klassische Phänotyp dieses Krankheitsbildes Husten, Nasenausfluss, Dyspnoe und Leistungsabfall. Die pathophysiologischen Vorgänge äußern sich in Bronchialobstruktion, Schleimhypersekretion, Hyperreaktivität und Umbauvorgängen (Airway remodelling) der Atemwege. In der Literatur existieren bisher noch keine genaueren Daten zur sympathischen und parasympathischen Lungeninnervation beim Pferd. Die vorliegende Arbeit liefert erstmalig eine umfangreichere immunhistochemische Analyse der Nervenäste in der equinen Lunge. Durch Immunfluoreszenz-Markierungen von ChAT und TH wurden sympathische und parasympathische Fasern detektiert. Die hierfür eingesetzten hochgereinigten Antikörper haben sich hierbei als geeignete Marker für cholinerge bzw. katecholaminerge Zellstrukturen erwiesen. Hierbei gab es keinen Hinweis darauf, dass sich die Immunreaktivität im Faserverlauf ändert oder von kranial nach kaudal schwächer wird. Auffällig war die starke Immunreaktivität der ChAT in den untersuchten Gewebeschnitten eines an RAO erkrankten Pferdes, die auf eine Hochregulation des Parasympathikus im Verlauf dieser Lungenerkrankung deutet. Die zusätzliche Detektion weiterer neuronaler Marker wie z.B. MAP2 oder NF-L sowie von Mikroglia und Astrozyten erlaubte den Nachweis weiterer Veränderungen im Krankheitsverlauf. Die validierte Koexpression von katecholaminergen bzw. cholinergen Markerenzymen deutet auf eine autonome Regulationsweise mit dem Potential einer variablen Reaktion auf Umwelteinflüsse. Die in der vorliegenden Arbeit etablierte Immunfluoreszenz-Doppelmarkierung von cholinergen und katecholaminergen Zellstrukturen bildet eine solide Grundlage für weitere Untersuchungen in Pferdegeweben unter physiologischen und pathologischen Bedingungen.

Agriculture and food security are interlinked. New technologies and instruments are making the agricultural system easy to operate and increasing the food production. Remote sensing technology is widely used as a non-destructive method for crop growth monitoring, climate analysis, and forecasting crop yield. The objectives of this study are to (1) monitor crop growth remotely, (2) identify climate impacts on crop yield, and (3) forecasting crop yield. This study proposed methods to improve crop growth monitoring and yield predictions by using remote sensing technology. In this study, we developed crop vegetative growth metrics (VGM) from the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) 250m NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) and EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index) data. We developed 19 NDVI and EVI based VGM metrics for soybean crop from a time series of 2000 to 2018, but the methods are applicable to other crops as well. We found VGMmax, VGM70, VGM85, VGM98T are about 95% crop yield predictable. However, these metrics are independent of climatic events. We modelled the climatic impacts on soybean crop from the time series data from1980-2019 collected from NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC). Therefore, we estimated the impacts of increase and decrease of temperature (maximum, mean, and minimum) and precipitation (average) pattern on crop yields which will be helpful to monitor climate change impacts on crop production. Lastly, we made crop yield forecasting statistical model across different climatic regions in USA using Google Earth Engine. We used remotely sensed MODIS Terra surface reflectance 8-day global 250m data to calculate VGM metrics (e.g. VGM70, VGM85, VGM98T, VGM120, VGMmean, and VGMmax), MODIS Terra land surface temperature and Emissivity 8-Day data for average day-time and night-time temperature and CHIRPS (Climate Hazards Group Infra-red Precipitation with station data) data for precipitation, from a time series data of 2000-2019. Our predicted models showed a NMPE (Normalized Mean Prediction error) with in a range of -0.002 to 0.007. These models will be helpful to get an overall estimate of crop production and aid in national agricultural strategic planning. Overall, this study will benefit farmers, researchers, and management system of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

No description available.

No description available.

In this thesis I review how Sargassum muticum (Yendo) Fensholt, an invasive alga from Asia, has spread globally due to human activities and describe how this species can affect seagrass ecosystems. Abiotic factors such as nutrient and substratum availability may facilitate the spread of S. muticum into Zostera marina L. meadows, but analyses of seawater nutrients, and sediment particle size and % organic content revealed no significant differences between experimental quadrats in seagrass meadows either with, or without the presence of S. muticum. Phenolic compounds were examined because they form the basis of defensive mechanisms in plants and algae, therefore any change in phenolic content may affect the ability of Z. marina to protect itself from disease, herbivory and invasive species through allelopathic interactions. Results from a four year field study and multiple annual laboratory experiments showed significant reductions (p = 0.034 and p = 0.002, respectively) in the caffeic and tannic acids equivalents content of Z. marina when in the presence of S. muticum. As the abundance of S. muticum increases, other changes in the physiology of Z. marina may occur including variations in growth rates, nutrient partitioning and chlorophyll fluorescence, but data from multiple laboratory experiments illustrated no significant differences in growth. Chlorophyll fluorescence analyses revealed significant differences between treatments with and without S. muticum (p = 0.008), but pairwise comparisons indicated these differences only occurred in 2008 (p < 0.001). Significant differences were also found in nutrient partitioning amongst functional regions of the shoots (p = 0.024), but pairwise comparisons detected these differences between a biomass control treatment (ZZ: Zostera + Zostera) and the ZS (with S. muticum) and ZM (Z. marina on its own at a lower biomass per replicate) treatments (p = 0.013 and p = 0.019, respectively), but not between ZS and ZM. Previous in situ research has found negative effects of S. muticum presence on densities of kelp and other algae. Results from the long-term field study indicated significantly lower mean in situ Z. marina densities within the ZS treatment (p < 0.001). Epibiota found living on the blades of Z. marina provide food for organisms within seagrass ecosystems and also create microhabitats for other species to occupy. Alterations in the abundances of epibiota and microhabitats formed could further modify seagrass ecosystems through shifts in timing of food availability, food preferences and microhabitats created. The long-term field study data revealed significantly lower epibiota abundances within the ZS treatment (p = 0.019), but differences in biomass between treatments were not detected. Changes in the biochemistry, physiology, vegetative physiognomy and epibiota assemblages of Z. marina revealed during experimental manipulations are presented and considered within the context of long-term seagrass survival in light of increasing S. muticum invasion.

Le coma, l’état végétatif et l’état de conscience minimale sont classés comme « troubles de la conscience ». La caractéristique commune à ces diagnostics est un état de conscience altéré. La technologie permet désormais de maintenir en vie les individus affligés de ces diagnostics. La nature même de leur condition et les soins disponibles pour ces patients conduisent à des dilemmes médicaux et éthiques importants. Ce mémoire propose une brève introduction des troubles de la conscience suivie d’une recension des écrits sur les enjeux éthiques et sociaux en lien avec ces diagnostics. Force est de constater que certains enjeux perdurent depuis des années comme le retrait de traitement. D’autres sont apparus plus récemment, comme l’enjeu lié à l’usage de la neuroimagerie. Un deuxième volet présente les résultats d’une étude qualitative examinant les perspectives et l’expérience des professionnels de la santé face aux enjeux éthiques lors de la prise en charge des patients atteints de troubles de la conscience. Cette étude a été réalisée par le biais d’un court questionnaire et d’entrevues semi-dirigées qui furent enregistrées puis analysées à l’aide du logiciel Nvivo. Les résultats démontrent entre autres que les répondants éprouvent un niveau de certitude élevé face au diagnostic bien qu’il soit souvent signalé comme un défi important dans la littérature. Le pronostic représente un enjeu crucial, y compris sa divulgation aux proches. Enfin, la relation avec la famille est un élément clé dans la prise en charge des patients et celle-ci est teintée par de multiples facteurs. / Coma, the vegetative state and the minimally conscious state are classified as “disorders of consciousness”. The common characteristic of these diagnoses is an altered state of consciousness. Technological advances now allow us to keep people afflicted with these diagnoses alive. The very nature of their condition and the type of care available to them has lead to important medical and ethical dilemmas. First, this thesis proposes a literature review of the ethical and social issues related to disorders of consciousness. Certain issues have persisted for years and others have emerged more recently as that relating to the use of neuroimaging. The second part proposes a qualitative study examining the perspectives and experiences of healthcare professionals dealing with ethical issues in the management of these patients; these aspects are so far poorly documented. We conducted this study using a short questionnaire and semi-directed interviews. The interviews were taped and analyzed using qualitative analysis software Nvivo. Our study showed that our participants experienced a high degree of certainty about the diagnosis, although the latter is often reported as a major challenge in the literature. The prognosis is a critical challenge, including its disclosure to relatives. Finally, the relationship with the family is a key element in the care of patients and it is influenced by multiple factors.

Microclimatic gradients may have large influence on individual vital rates and population growth rates of species, and limit their distributions. Therefore, I focused on the influence of microclimate on individual performance and distribution of species. Further, I examined differences in how microclimate affect species with contrasting distributions or different ecophysiological traits, and populations within species. More specifically, I investigated the performance of northern and southern distributed forest bryophytes that were transplanted across microclimatic gradients, and the timing of vegetative and reproductive development among northern, marginal and more southern populations of a forest herb in a common garden. Also, I compared the landscape and continental distributions across forest bryophytes and vascular plants and, thus, their distribution limiting factors at different spatial scales. Lastly, I examined the population dynamics across microclimatic gradients of transplants from northern and southern populations of a forest moss. The effects of microclimatic conditions on performance differed among bryophytes with contrasting distributions. There were no clear differences between northern and southern populations in the timing of development of a forest herb or in the population dynamics of a moss. However, within each region there was a differentiation of the forest herb populations, related to variation in local climatic conditions and in the south also to proportion of deciduous trees. The continental distributions of species were reflected in their landscape distributions and vice versa, in terms of their occurrence optima for climatic variables. The variation in landscape climatic optima was, however, larger than predicted, which limit the precision for predictions of microrefugia. Probably, the distributions of vascular plants were more affected by temperature than the distributions of bryophytes. Bryophytes are sensitive to moisture conditions, which was demonstrated by a correlation between evaporation and the population growth rate of a forest moss. We might be able to predict species’ landscape scale distributions by linking microclimatic conditions to their population growth rates, via their vital rates, and infer larger scale distribution patterns. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p> / EkoKlim

O presente trabalho teve como objetivo principal avaliar a estrutura genética e demográfica de Diospyros hispida Alph. D. C., de modo a gerar informações que possibilitem ações quanto a sua conservação e manejo. Como D. hispida possui ampla distribuição no Cerrado, duas áreas com fisionomias distintas foram escolhidas: Estação Ecológica de Itirapina, Itirapina SP (EEI) e a Floresta Estadual de Assis, Assis SP (FEA), ambas administradas pelo Instituto Florestal do Estado de São Paulo, representando alguns dos últimos remanescentes de Cerrado no estado. Em ambas as localidades foram mapeados 100 indivíduos mais próximos, já que o estudo teve como uma das hipóteses verificar se a agregação dos indivíduos é devido à existência de propagação vegetativa. Para a realização do trabalho foram desenvolvidos marcadores moleculares para a espécie. Os sete marcadores revelaram a existência de 27 genetes para a população da EEI e 15 para a população da FEA, excesso de heterozigotos e significativo índice de fixação para a EEI ( f = -0,376) e FEA ( f = -0,512), mesmo quando avaliados somente os genetes de ambas as populações, o índice de fixação manteve-se negativo para a EEI( f = -0,209) e FEA ( f = -0,115). Em ambas as populações foram detectadas pequena estrutura genética espacial (EGE) nas menores classes de distância para o conjunto de genetes e rametes. Os resultados da EGE e da heterogeneidade clonal mostraram que os genótipos estão amplamente distribuídos e que os agrupamentos são formados por diferentes genótipos. Os valores da coancestria revelaram a existência de reprodução sexuada em ambas as populações, porém pode-se observar alguns indícios da propagação vegetativa. Esse resultado corrobora com diversos trabalhos que incitam a predominância da alogamia, reforçando, portanto, a importância do desenvolvimento de mais primers para a espécie. Estudos sobre o sistema reprodutivo da espécie também são importantes para elucidar essas questões, além de fornecer dados sobre agregação espacial dos indivíduos, que pode ser resultado da dispersão de sementes. A coleta de sementes visando à conservação deve ser realizada em indivíduos com genótipos diferentes. Um meio de evitar a seleção de indivíduos com alguma carga genética que venha diminuir o sucesso reprodutivo das plantas no banco de germoplasma é através da cuidadosa seleção de mudas, nesse caso devem-se excluir mudas albinas, que exibem má-formação e com crescimento lento, atentando-se em maximizar a diversidade genética e manter o tamanho efetivo mínimo para garantir que os indivíduos tenham condições de sobreviver a possíveis fatores estocásticos. / This study aimed to evaluate the genetic and demographic structure of Diospyros hispida Alph. D. C. in order to generate informations that could enable its conservation and management. Considering that D. hispida has a wide population distribution all over Cerrado, two areas with different physiognomies were chosen for studying. These places were Ecological Station Itirapina, Itirapina - SP (EEI) and Assis State Forest, Assis - SP (FEA), both managed by Forest Institute State of São Paulo, representing some of the last remaining areas of Cerrado in the state. In these both locations were sampled 100 closeindividuals, since the study was to verify a hypothesis that the aggregation of them is due to the existence of vegetative propagation. Specific microsatellites were developed to carry out the work. The seven markers revealed the existence of 27 genets for the population from EEI and 15 genets for the population from FEA. There were significant excess of heterozygotes and fixation index for the EEI ( f = -0.376) and FEA ( f = -0.512). Even when only genets of both populations were evaluated, the fixation index remained negative for the EEI ( f = -0.209) and FEA ( f = -0.115). In both populations were detected little spatial genetic structure (SGS) over the shortest distances considering the set of genets and ramets. The results of the SGS and clonal heterogeneity showed that the genotypes are widely distributed and that the clusters are formed by different genotypes. The values of coancestry revealed the existence of sexual reproduction in both populations, but we can observe some evidence of vegetative propagation. This result concurs with several studies that encourage the predominance of outcrossing, reinforcing thus the importance of developing more primers for the species. Studies on the reproductive system of the specie are also important to clarify these issues, and provide data on spatial aggregation of individuals, which may result from seed dispersal. The collection of seeds for conservation should be carried in individuals with different genotypes. One way to avoid the selection of individuals with a genetic background that may reduce the reproductive success of plants in the germplasm bank is through the careful selection of plants. In this case albino plants, baddeveloped plants and slow-growth plants should be excluded, to maximize genetic diversity and maintain the minimum effective size to ensure that individuals are able to survive in likely randomized factors.

As relações hídricas e fisiológicas em plantas de lima ácida ‘Tahiti’ sob estresse hídrico foram estudadas tendo-se como principais objetivos: (a) verificar a sazonalidade da evapotranspiração e o coeficiente de cultivo com o uso de lisímetro de pesagem baseado em célula de carga eletrônica, (b) determinar o limite crítico da água disponível em função da evapotranspiração, trocas gasosas e potencial de água na folha durante um período de estresse hídrico e (c) avaliar o efeito da supressão da irrigação durante diferentes períodos fenológicos sobre o desenvolvimento vegetativo, na produtividade e qualidade do fruto. Este experimento foi conduzido na Fazenda Areão do Departamento de Engenharia Rural da ESALQ/USP, em Piracicaba, SP, em um pomar de 1 hectare no espaçamento de 7 X 4 m com lima ácida ‘Tahiti’ (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) enxertadas em citrumelo ‘Swingle’ [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. x C. paradisi Macf.] irrigadas por gotejamento. Para as medidas fisiológicas, foram utilizados equipamentos portáteis como a câmara de pressão e analisador de gases por infravermelho além de medidas do desenvolvimento vegetativo e produtivo. O monitoramento da água solo foi realizado por tensiômetros e sondas de TDR. A Evapotranspiração de Referência foi obtida com uma estação agrometeorológica automatizada presente na área. Verificou-se um efeito sazonal na evapotranspiração, com uma redução superior a 50% no período verãoinverno, possibilitando a economia da irrigação no período. A evapotranspiração, trocas gasosas e potencial da água na folha ao amanhecer foram diminuídos pelo esgotamento de 40% da água disponível do solo por ocasião do final do período de inverno. A supressão da irrigação no período de Setembro a Março diminuiu o potencial matricial do solo e promoveu um estresse leve nas plantas não-irrigadas, não se observando efeitos negativos no desenvolvimento vegetativo, produtivo e na qualidade dos frutos formados. Recomenda-se o potencial da água no folha ao amanhecer para manejo da irrigação, mantendo-o maior que -0,6 MPa, para evitar o estresse hídrico em plantas de limeira ácida ‘Tahiti’. / Water and physiologic relations in acid lime trees under water stress were studied with the following purposes: (a) to verify the seasonal effect of evapotranspiration and the crop coefficient in non-stressed trees by weighing lysimeter; (b) to determine the critical soil water depletion for evapotranspiration, gas exchange as well as the leaf water potential during a stage of growing of the trees and (c) to determine the effect of the irrigation suppression on growth, yield and fruit quality during different phenological periods. The experiment was carried out an experimental farm at College of Agriculture Luiz de Queiroz (ESALQ), in Piracicaba and performed from 2003 to 2005 in a 1 hectare orchard planted with ‘Tahiti’ (Citrus latifolia Tanaka) grafted on ‘Swingle’ [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf. x C. paradisi Macf. ] rootstock. The trees were spaced 7 x 4 m apart and drip-irrigated. For physiologic measurements were used portable equipments such as a pressure chamber and an infrared gas analyzer as well measurements of vegetative and productive growth. The soil water status was monitored by tensiometers and TDR probes. The reference evapotranspiration was obtained by an automatic weather station presented on the area. There was a seasonal effect on evapotranspiration with a reduction higher than 50% forward to summer-winter, being able to water savings in the period. The evapotranspiration, gas exchange and leaf water potential at predawn were decreased when the soil water available was depleted by 40% in the end of winter. The irrigation suppression from September and March decreased the soil matric potential and promoted a light stress level in non-irrigated trees, but without negative effects on vegetative, productive and fruit quality. We recommend the leaf water potential at predawn for irrigation scheduling, keeping higher than -0.6 MPa for avoid water stress in acid lime trees.

A presença de sistemas subterrâneos em plantas do Cerrado é uma característica que há algum tempo vem atraindo a atenção de pesquisadores. Suas funções adaptativas e ecológicas já são bem conhecidas, mas devido à diversidade de tipos a denominação desses órgãos nem sempre é aplicada corretamente, já que muitas vezes são realizados apenas estudos morfológicos que se mostram insuficientes. Portanto, análises anatômicas representam uma ferramenta indispensável na correta aplicação terminológica dessas estruturas. A família Asteraceae, muito bem representada no Cerrado paulista, apresenta grande quantidade de espécies que possuem sistemas subterrâneos espessados com capacidade gemífera e que acumulam frutanos como fonte de reservas. Essas características permitem a sobrevivência das plantas nesse ecossistema garantindo a regeneração da parte aérea que é eliminada devido a episódios de fogo ou seca prolongada, fenômenos comuns no Cerrado, ressaltando a importância desses órgãos subterrâneos na contribuição para o banco de gemas. Em sistemas subterrâneos espessados de Asteraceae, apesar de haver poucos estudos que enfoquem este assunto, observa-se a ocorrência de estruturas secretoras com valor diagnóstico que auxiliam estudos taxonômicos da família e possuem importante papel ecológico, já que constituem estratégia de defesa contra herbivoria. No entanto, devido à realização de análises incompletas verificada na literatura, muitas vezes os espaços secretores internos são genericamente denominados como canais, quando em observações em secções longitudinais, verifica-se que na verdade não são estruturas alongadas ou sua formação ocorre de maneira diversa. Alguns sistemas subterrâneos permitem a propagação vegetativa das plantas e podem constituir importante estratégia adaptativa no Cerrado. A relação entre a taxa germinativa e a capacidade de propagar-se vegetativamente explica os diferentes resultados obtidos em ensaios de germinação de sementes de espécies que possuem ou não a capacidade de reprodução clonal através de suas estruturas subterrâneas. O conjunto de informações obtidas, não só contribui para ampliar o conhecimento da flora do Cerrado, mas também fornece argumentos que justifiquem a sua conservação. / It has some time that the presence of underground systems in plants from Cerrado is a feature that has been attracting the researchers attention. Their ecological and adaptive functions are already well-known, but due to the diversity of underground organs types the denomination of these organs is not always correctly applied, since many times only morphological studies are performed what have shown unsatisfactory. Therefore anatomical analyses represent an essential tool to the correct terminological application of these structures. The family Asteraceae, very well represented in the Cerrado of the São Paulo state, exhibit great amount of species that possess bud bearing thickened underground systems that accumulate fructans of the inulin type as reserve compounds. These features allow the plants survival in this ecosystem assuring the regeneration of the aerial part that is eliminated due to fire episodes or extended dry, common phenomenon in Cerrado, reinforcing in this way the importance of these underground organs in the contribution to the bud bank. In thickened underground systems of Asteraceae in spite of having few studies which focus this subject, it is observed the occurrence of secretory structures with diagnosis value that aid taxonomic studies of the family and possess important ecological role since they constitute protection strategy against herbivory. Nevertheless due to the achievement of incomplete analysis as verified in the literature, many times the internal secretory spaces are generically named as canals, while in longitudinal sections observations it is verified that they are not actually elongated structures or their formation occurs of diverse way. Some underground systems allow the vegetative propagation of the plants and they can constitute important adaptation strategy in Cerrado. The relation between the germination rates and the vegetative propagation capacity explains the different results obtained in seed germination experiments of species that possess or not clonal reproduction capacity through their underground structures. The whole of information obtained contribute to extend the knowledge about the Cerrado flora and also provides arguments that justify its conservation.