Over one-fourth of the world's land area is dedicated to agriculture, and these lands provide important ecosystem services (ES). Trees are a key component of agricultural ecosystems' ability to provide ES, especially in tropical regions. Agricultural landowners' evaluation of the ES provided by trees influences management decisions, impacting tree cover at large scales. Using a case study approach, we conducted semi-structured interviews with four types of agricultural landowners in southern Costa Rica to better understand how they value ES provided by trees. We used a socio-cultural valuation method, which revealed that landowners highly valued regulating and provisioning ES provided by trees and that the number and type of ES identified was influenced by the principle economic activity. Those farmers with larger amounts of forests on their properties more often identified cultural ES. The socio-cultural valuation methods revealed that respondents valued trees as wildlife habitat, coupling supporting and cultural services with both material (e.g., tourism) and non-material benefits (e.g., beauty). Few farmers in the study benefited from payment for ecosystem services programs, but the high value farmers placed on trees indicates there are other opportunities to increase tree cover on farms, such as promotion of live fencing and expanded riparian corridors. Results from this work can help improve conservation outcomes by shifting the focus of ecosystem service valuation to the needs and concerns of small-scale farmers in the development of outreach programs, management plans, and policies aimed at increasing tree cover on private lands in agricultural landscapes.
The optimal timing of the implantation of acemented hemiarthroplasty in the management of displaced medial femoral neck fractures is still the subject of current research. According to the current recommendations, these cases should be surgically treated within 24 h. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the timing of surgery on operation-specific and nonspecific complications, intensive care treatment as well as mortality.
Overall, 152cases were retrospectively investigated regarding several parameters (demographic data, comorbidities, surgery time, duration of hospital stay, intensive care treatment, general, bleeding, operation-specific and nonspecific complications). The statistical analysis was performed using the χ
-test and the unpaired Student's t‑test as well as logistic regression analyses.
Atotal of 152patients were included and 71.1% of the operations were performed within 24 h and the remaining 28.9% after 24 h. All groups showed asimilar profile of comorbidities. The analysis of the intensive care treatment showed no significant differences between the individual groups. The rate of postoperative pneumonia was moderately higher among the patients with aprocedure after 24 h; however, with no severe courses. There were no significant differences regarding all other complications and the mortality rate between the individual time points of surgery.
The present study demonstrated that patients operated on after 24 h showed no disadvantages regarding other complications, intensive care treatment or mortality, except from an increased postoperative pneumonia rate. These results could be taken into consideration for the next update of the treatment guidelines.
The present study demonstrated that patients operated on after 24 h showed no disadvantages regarding other complications, intensive care treatment or mortality, except from an increased postoperative pneumonia rate. These results could be taken into consideration for the next update of the treatment guidelines.The high-throughput DNA sequencing (HTS) method is used to identify microbes in cheese and their potential functional properties. The technique can be applied to the microbiota of the cheese processing environment, raw milk, curd, whey, and starter cultures, and be used to improve the quality, safety, and other physicochemical properties of the final product. The HTS method is also utilized to study the microbiota shift of different types of cheeses during processing, as the composition and functional properties of the microbiome provide unique characteristics to different cheeses. Although there are several reviews that focused on microbiota of various types of cheeses, this review focuses on evaluating the microbiota shift of different types of cheese production and highlights key bacteria in each step of the processing as well as microbiota of various types of cheeses. KEY POINTS • High-throughput sequencing can be applied to identify microbiota in cheese. • Microbiota in cheese is changed during making process and aging. • Starter culture plays an important role to establish microbiota in cheese.
Biochemical bone turnover markers are useful tools to assess bone remodeling. C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (ß-CTX) has been recommended as a reference marker for bone resorption in research studies.
We describe the results of a multicenter study for routine clinical laboratory assays for ß-CTX in serum and plasma. https://www.selleckchem.com/products/sgi-1027.html Four centers (Athens GR, CopenhagenDK, LiegeBE and Sheffield UK) collected serum and plasma (EDTA) samples from 796 patients presenting to osteoporosis clinics. Specimens were analyzed in duplicate with each of the available routine clinical laboratory methods according to the manufacturers' instructions. Passing-Bablok regressions, Bland-Altman plots, V-shape evaluation method, and Concordance correlation coefficient for ß-CTX values between serum and plasma specimens and between methods were used to determine the agreement between results. A generalized linear model was employed to identify possible variables that affected the relationship between the methods. Two pools of serum w explanations. More studies should be undertaken to overcome this problem. Until harmonization is achieved, we recommend measuring ß-CTX by the same assay on EDTA plasma, especially for research purposes in large pharmacological trials where samples can be stored for long periods before they are assayed.
Our results show large within- and between-assay variation for ß-CTX measurement, particularly in serum. Stability of the analyte could be one of the explanations. More studies should be undertaken to overcome this problem. Until harmonization is achieved, we recommend measuring ß-CTX by the same assay on EDTA plasma, especially for research purposes in large pharmacological trials where samples can be stored for long periods before they are assayed.