Atmospheric Observatory of Austral Patagonia

Background: Local specific biomarkers for MASLD risk stratification are urgently needed in Argentina. Aim: The aim of the study was to characterize the interaction of gut microbiome signatures and genetic and clinical risk factors for MASLD in patients with diabetes from different regions of Argentina. Materials and Methods: We recruited 214 patients with diabetes from different regions of Argentina. Anthropometric, clinical, and lifestyle data were obtained from all participants, who also underwent abdominal ultrasound for MASLD diagnosis and oral swabbing. The PNPLA3 gene was amplified by PCR from the swabs, and the rs738409 genotype was determined via bidirectional sequencing. To profile the MASLD-associated microbiome, stool was collected from 170 participants. V4 16S rRNA gene sequencing was performed, and reads were analyzed using QIIME2 2024.10.1. R Studio 2023.05.1 was used for statistical analyses. Results: MASLD prevalence was 77.9%, with similar rates of occurrence in all regions represented. FIB-4 scores < 1.3 and > 2.67 were detected in 55.3% and 7.4% of patients, respectively. Half of the diabetic patients had the PNPLA3 GG genotype, with the highest rates occurring in patients from Northwestern Argentina (64.9%; p = 0.02 vs. Buenos Aires). The PNPLA3 GG genotype was an independent risk factor for FIB-4 score (p = 0.0008) and a protective factor against glycated hemoglobin (p = 0.004), fasting plasma glucose (p = 0.008), and cholesterol levels (p = 0.02). Marked regional differences were observed in microbiota diversity and composition in Argentina. After adjusting for geographical region, Negativibacillus genus was exclusively detected in diabetic patients with MASLD and GG carriers. The Catenibacterium genus was related to FIB-4 > 2.67. Short-chain fatty acid-producing bacteria were linked to the absence of MASLD. Conclusions: Although some geographical regions of Argentina were not represented in this study and these results therefore cannot be generalized to the country as a whole, these specific signatures could be useful as biomarkers for MASLD risk stratification in Argentines with diabetes.

Abstract Introduction Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive disease leading to right ventricular (RV) dysfunction and right heart failure. RV adaptation to increased afterload is a key prognostic factor. Traditional echocardiographic parameters offer insight but may not fully capture RV remodeling complexity. Phenotypic classifications combining RV size, contractility, and ventricular-arterial coupling may improve risk stratification. Methods A multicenter prospective cohort study was conducted in patients with de novo diagnosis of PAH as part of the TREPostinil Subcutáneo a LARgo Plazo en Hipertensión Pulmonar registry (TREPAR-HP). Six right ventricular (RV) phenotypes (A–F) were evaluated based on the RV basal diameter, fractional area change (FAC), and the ratio of tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) to pulmonary artery systolic pressure (PASP). This classification ranges from a normal and adapted RV (phenotypes A–C) to severe dysfunction and dilation (phenotypes D–F). Results Figure 1 shows the distribution of phenotypes. In a cohort of 93 patients (mean age 46.7 years, 86% women), the most common etiology was idiopathic (57%). Most patients presented with functional class III (62.4%) and received dual therapy (86%). Height (p=0.002), right atrial area (p=0.001), RV basal diameter (p&amp;lt;0.001), and TAPSE (p&amp;lt;0.001) showed significant differences between groups. The median BNP was 290.27 pg/mL, and the average cardiac output was 4.38 L/min (p=0.012). These findings highlight the functional and hemodynamic burden of the cohort. Figure 2 shows the distribution of phenotypes with respect to risk classification according to REVEAL. Conclusion RV phenotypic classification reveals distinct adaptation patterns in PAH. Advanced phenotypes (D–F) showed worse functional class, larger right atrial areas, and greater RV dysfunction. This approach may enhance risk stratification and guide management, underscoring the importance of early detection of RV maladaptation Figure 1. Distribution of phenotypes. Figure 2. distribution of phenotypes with respect to risk classification according to REVEAL.

El Varillero Ala Amarilla (Agelasticus thilius) habita principalmente el Cono Sur de Sudamérica y, aunque ocurre regularmente en la Patagonia, este es el primer registro documentado dentro del Parque Nacional Monte León. Este hallazgo sugiere la necesidad de estudios más profundos en la zona para lograr comprender los patrones de distribución de la especie.

Tabletop simulation can be used to support and test system processes for clinical workflows. This paper will describe an innovative approach to testing change in clinical workflows for direct admissions to the operating room and interventional radiology departments in a 700-bed urban hospital in the Pacific Northwest and will highlight the specific benefits to nurse leaders. The simulation exercise involved key stakeholders and subject matter experts from various departments and aimed to evaluate the process workflow, provoke discussion on gaps, uncover improvement opportunities, and formulate recommendations. The simulation experience was broadly acknowledged by those involved as novel, engaging, suitable for complex process changes in health care settings and promoting valuable collaboration.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services' (CMS's) Transforming Clinical Practice Initiative (TCPi) was the largest national-scale practice transformation model. We analyzed the effect of TCPi on new enrollment into Medicare Alternative Payment Models (APMs) through January 2020 (3 months after program end), using 6958 physician practices enrolled in TCPi and a closely matched comparison group of 6958 practices. More TCPi practices enrolled in Medicare APMs and Medicare Advanced APMs relative to comparison practices overall and in subgroups, including rural, small, and specialty practices. Results suggest that large-scale technical assistance can boost participation in Medicare APMs for a diverse set of practices.

&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Drought causes hydroclimatic stress on terrestrial ecosystems and we see that these effects can have a long duration even when the drought is alleviated. The impacts of a drought are commonly dependent on the severity and duration of the hydrological drought event. At the same time, we see that the recovery from a severe drought is also impacted by catchment characteristics and regional climatology. In this study, we focus on Chile which has frequently experienced multi-drought periods with severe impacts.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;In this study, we quantify the recovery of discharge, vegetation productivity (kNDVI), and soil moisture after hydrological droughts to quantify the drought termination (DT) and drought termination duration (DTD). We used the CAMELS-CL data set from 1988-2020 to study drought recovery in natural catchments. Using a composite analysis we obtain the average response of discharge, vegetation, and soil moisture after severe drought events for catchments throughout Chile. We estimate the impact of different explanatory variables and catchment properties from the CAMELS-CL data on DT and DTD using lasso regression for discharge, vegetation productivity, and soil moisture without selecting strongly correlated variables.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt; &amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Our study demonstrates that the drought recovery of discharge can be explained by local characteristics while these relationships are less pronounced for vegetation and soil moisture droughts. Longer recovery times were found in environments with less precipitation and higher temperatures, with mainly shrub land cover. Shorter recovery times, at higher latitudes with increasing precipitation and lower temperatures under higher vegetation cover. The explanatory variables for discharge DT and DTD are associated with precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, and baseflow, or by a combination of them with catchment characteristics related to storage and release (e.g. land use). To that end, this work can help to identify drought vulnerability in regions where observations are lacking and help to predict drought recovery periods.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;

SummaryDrylands cover about 41% ofEarth's land surface, and 65% of their area supports domestic livestock that depends on the above‐ground net primary productivity (ANPP) of natural vegetation. Thus, understanding how biotic and abiotic factors controlANPPand related ecosystem functions can largely help to create more sustainable land‐use practices in rangelands, particularly in the context of ongoing global environmental change.We used 311 sites across a broad natural gradient in Patagonian rangelands to evaluate the relative importance of climate (temperature and precipitation) and vegetation structure (grass and shrub cover, species richness) as drivers ofANPP, precipitation‐use efficiency (PUE) and precipitation marginal response (PMR).Climatic variables explained 60%, 52% and 12% of the variation in grass cover, shrub cover and species richness, respectively. Shrub cover increased in areas with warmer, drier and winter rainfall climates, while the response observed for both grass cover and species richness was the opposite. Climate and vegetation structure explained 70%, 60% and 29% of the variation inANPP,PUEandPMR, respectively. These three variables increased with increasing vegetation cover, particularly grass cover. Species richness also increased withANPP,PUEandPMR.ANPPincreased, andPUEdecreased with increasing mean annual precipitation, whereasPMRincreased with the proportion of precipitation falling in spring–summer. Temperature had a strong negative effect onANPPandPUE, and a positive direct effect onPMR. Standardized total effects from structural equation modelling showed that vegetation structure and climate had similar strengths as drivers of ecosystem functioning. Grass cover had the highest total effect onANPP(0.58),PUE(0.55) andPMR(0.41). Among the climatic variables, mean annual precipitation had the strongest total effect onANPP(0.51) andPUE(−0.41), and the proportion of the precipitation falling in spring–summer was the most influential onPMR(0.36).Synthesis. Vegetation structure is as important as climate in shaping ecosystem functioning Patagonian rangelands. Maintaining and enhancing vegetation cover and species richness, particularly in grasses, could reduce the adverse effects of climate change on ecosystem functioning in these ecosystems.

The success of the reproductive process in trees depends on abiotic and biotic factors that determine the final outcome of natural regeneration. Silviculture alters biotic and abiotic factors and results in secondary forest structures. To effectively manage these forests, it is necessary to understand the bottlenecks in reproductive stages using a whole-cycle approach study. The aim of this study was to analyse flowering and seeding patterns in primary, secondary and silvopastoral managed Nothofagus antarctica forests, including investigating the pre-dispersion foraging of insects and birds, as well as abscised biomass production. A high percentage of female flowers produced fruits (95–96%) in which the main loss factor before seeding was the abscission of immature fruits (11–14%). Seeding was greater in secondary forests (11.4 million ha−1), but managed stands presented a higher percentage of flowers resulting in seeds (82%). However, secondary forests had a better seed quality (17% viable seeds), where the main loss factor was empty seeds in all treatments (39–50%). Biotic factors (foraging by insects and birds) were higher in disturbed than primary forests. Nothofagus antarctica produce large quantities of seeds, but abscised immature fruits and empty seeds due to self-incompatibility mechanisms appeared as the major loss factors.

Abstract The three known hydrates of manganese(II) oxalate, α‐MnC2O4 · 2H2O, γ‐MnC2O4 · 2H2O and MnC2O4 · 3H2O were synthesized by known procedures and characterized by X‐ray powder diffractometry. Their infrared (IR) and Raman spectra were recorded and discussed on the basis of its structural peculiarities allowing to establish some interesting relations between them and with other, previously investigated, oxalate complexes. The IR spectra of partially deuterated samples of α‐MnC2O4 · 2H2O were also discussed, reinforcing some of the performed assignments. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley &amp; Sons, Ltd.