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The issue of mountain biodiversity gains more and more importance in the scientific community as well as in international organisations. The term ‘cold spot’ is employed for distinct low diversity areas, as opposed to the more familiar ‘hot spots’ of biodiversity. Rare examples of biodiversity studies in the Himalayas are confined to small plots, selected habitats or small sections of the altitudinal gradient, and mainly focused on montane forests. The chapter aims to analysing altitudinal and latitudinal diversity gradients of the Karakorum Divide, based on a large set of original data on vascular plant distribution. It provides baseline data of plant diversity for the Karakorum Divide. The chapter identifies patterns in large-scale altitudinal and periphery-central diversity gradients. It discusses their significance with respect to biogeography, environmental evolution and human impact. Minimum-maximum altitude distribution data were determined for vascular plant species of all study sites along the Karakorum transect.

We analysed pappus characters in 31 of the c. 34 accepted Leontopodium spp. (edelweiss). Micromorphological pappus character states were useful for discriminating between individual species and intrageneric groups. The pappus differs in number, length, breadth, surface structure, colour and the tips of the bristles. Several features characterize single species, for example a unique fan-like tip that is only found in L. franchetii. Leontopodium section Nobilia is supported by unusual pappus characters. Experimental evidence shows that the pappus of Leontopodium, previously thought to be caducous, is well suited for wind dispersal of the fruit. One clear trend is that species growing in sparsely vegetated, high-altitude regions often have more numerous and longer pappus bristles, particularly on the female flowers.

A taxonomic revision of Taraxacum sect. Borealia Hand.-Mazz. in Middle Asia and the Himalayas is presented. Ten species, mainly confined to relatively small mountain areas, are classified as members of this section in this region. All names that might pertain to sect. Borealia have been studied, and whenever possible, their type material was examined. Two new species are described: T. klimesianum from Ladakh, Jammu-Kashmir in India and T. cornucopiae from the Tian Shan in Kazakhstan. A preliminary world checklist of the section is provided.

Biurrun, Idoia/0000-0002-1454-0433; Rojo, Maria Pilar Rodriguez/0000-0001-5449-9386; Ermakov, Nikolai/0000-0001-7550-990X; De Sanctis, Michele/0000-0002-7280-6199; Svenning, Jens-Christian/0000-0002-3415-0862; Virtanen, Risto/0000-0002-8295-8217; Agrillo, Emiliano/0000-0003-2346-8346; Onyshchenko, Viktor/0000-0001-9079-7241; Marceno, Corrado/0000-0003-4361-5200; Willner, Wolfgang/0000-0003-1591-8386; Fernandez-Gonzalez, Federico/0000-0003-1234-4065; Jansen, Florian/0000-0002-0331-5185; Swacha, Grzegorz/0000-0002-6380-2954; Dengler, Jurgen/0000-0003-3221-660X; Guarino, Riccardo/0000-0003-0106-9416; Sopotlieva, Desislava/0000-0002-9281-7039; Venanzoni, Roberto/0000-0002-7768-0468; Chytry, Milan/0000-0002-8122-3075; Kuzemko, Anna/0000-0002-9425-2756; Danihelka, Jiri/0000-0002-2640-7867; Kuzemko, Anna/0000-0002-9425-2756; Venanzoni, Roberto/0000-0002-7768-0468; Gavilan, Rosario G./0000-0002-1022-445X; Jansen, Florian/0000-0002-0331-5185; Wohlgemuth, Thomas/0000-0002-4623-0894; Svenning, Jens-Christian/0000-0002-3415-0862; Sibik, Jozef/0000-0002-5949-862X; Casella, Laura/0000-0003-2550-3010; Lenoir, Jonathan/0000-0003-0638-9582; Attorre, Fabio/0000-0002-7744-2195; Kacki, Zygmunt/0000-0002-2241-1631; Jandt, Ute/0000-0002-3177-3669; Carni, Andraz/0000-0002-8909-4298; Jirousek, Martin/0000-0002-4293-478X; GARCIA-MIJANGOS, ITZIAR/0000-0002-6642-7782; Campos, Juan Antonio/0000-0001-5992-2753; Fanelli, Giuliano/0000-0002-3143-1212; Haveman, Rense/0000-0001-9127-4549; Acic, Svetlana/0000-0001-6553-3797; De Bie, Els/0000-0001-7679-743X; Font, Xavier/0000-0002-7253-8905; Moeslund, Jesper Erenskjold/0000-0001-8591-7149; Martynenko, Vasiliy/0000-0002-9071-3789; Jimenez-Alfaro, Borja/0000-0001-6601-9597; Ejrnaes, Rasmus/0000-0003-2538-8606; Carlon Ruiz, Luis/0000-0003-3442-8710; Angelini, Pierangela/0000-0002-5321-9757; Silc, Urban/0000-0002-3052-699X; Landucci, Flavia/0000-0002-6848-0384; Ewald, Jorg/0000-0002-2758-9324; Dziuba, Tetiana/0000-0001-8621-0890 WOS: 000368074600018 The European Vegetation Archive (EVA) is a centralized database of European vegetation plots developed by the IAVS Working Group European Vegetation Survey. It has been in development since 2012 and first made available for use in research projects in 2014. It stores copies of national and regional vegetation-plot databases on a single software platform. Data storage in EVA does not affect on-going independent development of the contributing databases, which remain the property of the data contributors. EVA uses a prototype of the database management software TURBOVEG 3 developed for joint management of multiple databases that use different species lists. This is facilitated by the SynBioSys Taxon Database, a system of taxon names and concepts used in the individual European databases and their corresponding names on a unified list of European flora. TURBOVEG 3 also includes procedures for handling data requests, selections and provisions according to the approved EVA Data Property and Governance Rules. By 30 June 2015, 61 databases from all European regions have joined EVA, contributing in total 1 027 376 vegetation plots, 82% of them with geographic coordinates, from 57 countries. EVA provides a unique data source for large-scale analyses of European vegetation diversity both for fundamental research and nature conservation applications. Updated information on EVA is available online at http://euroveg.org/eva-database. Czech Science Foundation (Centre of Excellence PLADIAS) [14-36079G] Our major thanks go to thousands of European vegetation scientists of several generations who collected the original vegetation-plot data in the field, published them or made their unpublished data available to others, and to those who spent myriad hours digitizing data and managing the contributing databases. EVA data management has been partly funded by the Czech Science Foundation (Centre of Excellence PLADIAS, 14-36079G).

Respiratory failure due to lung immaturity is a major cause of mortality in preterm infants. Although the use of intermittent positive pressure ventilation in neonates with respiratory failure saves lives, its use is associated with lung injury and chronic lung disease (CLD). A newer form of ventilation called high-frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) has been shown to result in less lung injury in experimental studies.The objective of this review is to determine the effect of the elective use of HFOV as compared to conventional ventilation (CV) on the incidence of CLD, mortality and other complications associated with prematurity and assisted ventilation in preterm infants who are mechanically ventilated for respiratory distress syndrome (RDS).Searches were made of the Oxford Database of Perinatal Trials, MEDLINE, EMBASE, previous reviews including cross-references, abstracts, conferences and symposia proceedings, expert informants, journal hand searching by the Cochrane Collaboration, mainly in the English language. The search was updated in January 2009.Randomized controlled trials comparing HFOV and CV in preterm or low birth weight infants with pulmonary dysfunction, mainly due to RDS, who required assisted ventilation. Randomization and commencement of treatment needed to be as soon as possible after the start of CV and usually in the first 12 h of life.The methodological quality of each trial was independently reviewed by the various authors. The standard effect measures are relative risk (RR) and risk difference (RD). From 1/RD the number needed to treat to produce one outcome were calculated. For all measures of effect, 95% confidence intervals were used. In subgroup analyses the 99% CIs are also given for summary RRs in the text. Meta-analysis was performed using a fixed effect model. Where heterogeneity was over 50%, the random effects RR is also given.Seventeen eligible studies of 3,652 infants were included. Meta-analysis comparing HFOV with CV revealed no evidence of effect on mortality at 28-30 days of age or at approximately term equivalent age. These results were consistent across studies and in subgroup analyses. The effect of HFOV on CLD in survivors at term equivalent gestational age was inconsistent across studies and the reduction was of borderline significance overall. The effect was similar in trials with a high lung volume strategy for HFOV targeting at very low FiO(2) and trials with a high lung volume strategy with somewhat higher or unspecified target FiO(2). Subgroups of trials showed a significant reduction in CLD with HFOV when no surfactant was used, when piston oscillators were used for HFOV, when lung protective strategies for CV were not used, when randomization occurred at two to six hours of age, and when inspiratory:expiratory ratio of 1:2 was used for HFOV. In the meta-analysis of all trials, pulmonary air leaks occurred more frequently in the HFOV group. In some studies, short-term neurological morbidity with HFOV was found, but this effect was not statistically significant overall. The subgroup of two trials not using a high-volume strategy with HFOV found increased rates of grade 3 or 4 intraventricular hemorrhage and of periventricular leukomalacia. An adverse effect of HFOV on long-term neurodevelopment was found in one large trial but not in the five other trials that reported this outcome. The rate of retinopathy of prematurity is reduced overall in the HFOV group.

Pimenov, M. G., Kljuykov, E. V., Dickore, W. B. & Miehe, G.: Four Himalayan Umbelliferae new to the flora of China, with critical notes on Tordyliopsis DC. and Keraymonia Farille. — Willdenowia 30: 361–367. 2000. — ISSN 0511-9618. Two genera of the Umbelliferae, Tordyliopsis and Keraymonia, previously not known from China, have been revealed on the basis of original collections made by German-Chinese expeditions to Xizang (Tibet) Autonomous Region and adjacent areas. Tordyliopsis brunonis, gathered on the Tibetan side of the Mt Everest massif, was known only from India and Nepal. The mature fruit of Tordylopsis is described from Nepalese material. Keraymonia cortiformis, found in the Tibetan part of Mt Xixabangma, belongs to a genus with its previously known distribution limited to the Nepalese Himalaya. Findings of two additional species from other genera, Chamaesium mallaeanum, from Xizang (Xixabangma), and Aulacospermum stylosum from Xinjiang (Karakorum, K2 North slope), are also new to the Ch...

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the major phospholipid of the hydrophobic gastric mucosal barrier and is chiefly released from mucous cells into the gastric mucus. Whereas the mucosa contains highly unsaturated PC, gastric mucus predominantly contains palmitoyl-oleoyl-PC and palmitoyl-linoleoyl-PC, indicating a selective release of these PC species into the gastric lumen. In order to understand gastric PC metabolism, we investigated synthesis and release of PC in cultivated porcine gastric mucous cells, using dual labelling with [methyl- 3 H]-choline and [1- 14 C]-palmitate, in the presence of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA), indomethacin and prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ). Linear incorporation of [methyl- 3 H]-choline and [1- 14 C]-palmitate into PC was achieved for at least 8h. In contrast to type II pneumocytes TPA increased PC synthesis in gastric mucous cells but not its release. Indomethacin did not influence PC synthesis, but it decreased the release of newly synthesized PC. PGE 2 antagonized the effect of indomethacin on PC release. We conclude that PC release by isolated porcine gastric mucous cells is regulated in a manner different from type II pneumocytes. PC release is impaired by indomethacin and this impairment is restored by PGE 2 .

intestinal malabsorption of both fat-soluble vitamins and nutrients. In this cross-sectional study, we tried to evaluate the nutritional status and determine the prevelance of fat-soluble vitamin deficiency in patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) in Turkey. Methods: We retrospectively analysed the data of fat-soluble vitamin levels, microbiological status, lung function tests and nutritional status of patients with CF who attend to Hacettepe University Department of Pediatric Pulmonology and Gastroenterology within three months. Results: We evaluated 130 patients; the mean age of the patients was 11.9±6.7 years and the mean duration of following time was 8.7 years. According to WHO BMI Z score, 10.7% of patients had malnutrition. The mean FEV1 was 75±26% and the mean FVC was 75±22%. Staphyloccus aureus was the most common microorganism isolated from sputum culture. Pancreatic insufficiency was detected in 99% of patients. Vitamin A and D deficiencies were the most common findings with 26% and 32% respectively in our cohort. In addition to multivitamin complex, 20% of patients were receiving extra vitamin A and 22.3% of patients were receiving extra vitamin E supplement. Conclusion: Fat-soluble vitamin testing and assessment of nutritional status are essential to identify deficiency in pancreatic-insufficient children who may be noncompliant to supplementation or require a higher supplement dose and nutritional support.

55 (including 13 women) of 110 starters of a 1000-km-ultra long distance run reached their goal after 20 days of daily running 50 km. As a consequence of the burden of running 500 km the flat feet form is diminished, which might be caused by an increased reactive muscular tonus. The increase of foot length and breadth measures between the 9th and 16th day, however, demonstrates the opposite effect, when a "physiological limit" of circa 500 km is exceeded.

Untersuchungsgegenstand sind die Veranderungen des anthropometrisch erfasten Muskelkompartiments und seiner Beziehungen zu den korrelierenden blutchemischen und ernahrungsphysiologischen Kenngrosen bei 42 Teilnehmern und 13 Teilnehmerinnen eines 1000-km-Ultralangstreckenlaufs, der in 20 Tagesetappen von jeweils 50 km zu bewaltigen war. Differenziert nach Korperfraktionen folgt auf einen initialen Muskelmasseanstieg eine Abflachung bis zum 12. Tag und bleibt dann stabil. Die aktive Korpersubstanz nimmt zunachst geringfugig ab und steigt nach Laufmitte wieder an. Bei Abnahme samtlicher korrigierter Muskeldurchmesser zeigte lediglich der Oberschenkeldurchmesser eine anabole Entwicklung, dessen hohe mechanische Belastung seinen Ausdruck im parallel erfolgenden CK- und CKMB-Anstiegen fand. Auch bei den klinischchemischen Parametern vollzieht sich die Laufadaptationsreaktion innerhalb der ersten Tage zwischen 1. und 6. Tag: Testosteron-, Kortisol- und Proteinspiegel steigen bei Laufbeginn an und fallen ab dem 3. Lauftag wieder ab, Harnstoffkonzentration und CK/CKMB-Aktivitat erst ab dem 6. Tag. Die konsekutive parallele Reduktion von Harnstoff- und Harnsaurespiegeln und vielen Muskelmasen ist moglicherweise als Clearance-Mechanismus zur Entfernung potentiell toxischer Substanzen zu verstehen. Aus den negativen Korrelationen zwischen kumulativer Proteinzufuhr und Veranderungen von Muskelmasen sowie der katabolen Stoffwechsellage kann gefolgert werden, das die absolute Proteinzufuhr von 1,7 g/kg Korpergewicht absolut zu erhohen ist, um den Muskelsubstanzverlust unter Ultra-Ausdauerbelastung einzudammen.

The small West Himalayan genus Decalepidanthus (Boraginaceae) is reviewed. Decalepidanthus was erroneously transferred to Pseudomertensia , although the former name antedates the latter by four years. Seven species of Decalepidanthus are accepted in this paper, D. echioides , D. elongatus , D. moltkioides , D. parviflorus , D. primuloides , D. racemosus and D. trollii . Two additional entities, D. flavescens and D. rosulatus are considered unresolved. A synopsis of the genus is provided, the necessary new combinations are made, and a dichotomous key and distribution maps to the accepted species are given. Lectotypes are designated for Lithospermum echioides , L. secundiflorum , Mertensia tibetica and M. nuristanica , and a neotype for Moltkia trollii . Mertensia lindelofioides and Pseudomertensia drummondii are excluded from Decalepidanthus and referred to the genus Lindelofia.

The corpse of a Late Neolithic individual found in a glacier in Oetztal is unusual because of the intact nature of all body parts that resulted from the characteristics of its mummification process and its protected geographical position with regard to glacier flow. Anthropological data indicate that the man was 25 to 40 years old, was between 156 and 160 centimeters in stature, had a cranial capacity of between 1500 and 1560 cubic centimeters, and likely died of exhaustion.

Damage to the respiratory tract caused by inhalation of toxic products of combustion with subsequent development of an acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is one of the main causes of death in burn patients. Treatment with an exogenous surfactant is a therapeutic option for which there has previously been no empirical data. We report on four severely burned patients with deep partial thickness and full thickness burns of between 40 and 70 per cent body surface area (BSA), and with inhalation injury complicated by ARDS. These patients were treated once or more than once with bovine surfactant replacement (Alveofact). In addition to biophysical and biochemical analysis, the influence of this substance on oxygenation and lung function were evaluated. After the limits of mechanical ventilation had been reached, bronchoscopic intrabronchial administration of surfactant was followed by temporarily improved gas exchange with an increase in arterial O2 partial pressure (PaO2), accompanied by a reduction in inspiratory O2 concentration (FiO2), and also improved lung compliance. All the patients survived in spite of an initially unfavourable prognosis. Replacement of exogenous surfactant in the treatment of inhalation traumatized severe burn patients with ARDS appears to show considerable promise as an approach to improving the survival chances of these high-risk patients.

Various drugs have been shown to stimulate surfactant phospholipid metabolism. Particularly beta-adrenergic agonists play an important role under physiologic conditions. For the first time we have studied whether nitrogen dioxide (NO2) inhalation alters beta-adrenergic regulation of surfactant phospholipid metabolism in the model of the isolated lung. Rats were continuously exposed in vivo to a 5 ppm NO2-containing atmosphere for 48 hr. The lungs were isolated and perfused in presence of the beta-adrenergic agonist dopexamine and surfactant metabolism was studied in three lung compartments: (1) lung lavage, (2) lung tissue, and (3) lavagable free alveolar cells. We found that (1) in normal rat lungs dopexamine increased the incorporation of palmitate and choline from the perfusate into lung lavage phospholipids. In nitrogen dioxide exposed rat lungs beta-adrenergic stimulation did not cause an increase in precursor incorporation. No significant difference in unstimulated precursor incorporation was found for normal and NO2-exposed rat lungs. (2) Lung tissue from rats exposed to NO2 showed a decreased precursor incorporation into disaturated phosphatidylcholine due to an augmented cellular pool size. (3) Lavagable alveolar cells showed an increased palmitate uptake after nitrogen dioxide inhalation and by beta-adrenergic stimulation. From these data we conclude that nitrogen dioxide inhalation impairs the beta-adrenergic regulation of surfactant phospholipid metabolism. Moreover these data underline the importance of beta-adrenergic agonists in surfactant metabolism.

The interphase nucleus of the normal rat hepatocyte has been studied in ultrathin frozen sections after glutaraldehyde fixation and the modification of various staining procedures known to be specific for DNA structures (Moyne's thallium stain, Gautier's osmium-ammine) or preferential for RNP carriers and basic proteins (regressive stains based on the use of EDTA or citrate, negatively charged colloidal iron). The results are comparable to those obtained after classical dehydration and embedding. Particular attention has been paid to the nucleolus and extranucleolar RNP components, such as perichromatin fibrils and granules, as well as interchromatin granules. A striking observation was the uneven size and the strongly increased number of perichromatin granules, and the appearance of a contiguous interchromatin net, containing nucleoproteins. Cryoultramicrotomy without embedding appears to be very useful for the exploration of the nucleus in thick sections which remain sufficiently transparent even with the usual accelerating voltages.

Twenty-one form measurements of different regions of the head and face have been determined in the case of 94 German families, to estimate their degree of genetic determination. Parental correlations were taken into consideration while analysing parent-child correlations. The degree of genetic determination for different variables varies considerably (0·25–0·66). In general the ear form is influenced preponderantly by environmental factors, while different anatomical structures of the ear have a relatively higher degree of genetic determination, which are followed by the measurements of nasal and interorbital breadth. In the case of indices of labial region, environmental factors are likely to play a dominating role. Furthermore, the data are analysed to see if dominance or X-linked loci are involved. The results do not provide sufficient indications for the participation of these two factors. The comparison with usual measurements of the head and face does not show that the investigated variables possess a higher coefficient of genetic determination.

In a cross-sectional study of 452 girls between 10 and 16 years of age 36 indices of physical and 50 of mental development were tested for their correlation with age at menarche and chronological age, as well as for their predictive power for estimating menarche by multiple regression analysis. Indices of physical maturity and body weight when adjusted for chronological age showed the highest partial correlation coefficients with age at menarche. Among mental characters which show lower intercorrelations with menarche occurred the highest correlation coefficients for a handmotor factor "Spurennachzeichnen" and a factor "Gruppenabhangigkeit" (which indicates a type of social motivation). In general physical and mental factors correlate higher with chronological age than with age at menarche. By multiple regression analysis we determined 14 physical and 25 mental predictors explaining 21% and 17% respectively of the variance of age at menarche. The error of the estimate predicting menarche on body weight without knowledge of onset of menarche is +/- 1 year. Using chronological age in a sample of girls before menarche the error of the estimate only is +/- 6 months. To compare the predictive power of chronological age combined with body weight or with skeletal age the time interval is calculated within which 95% of girls attain menarche. The range of prediction extends from 4.3 to 1 year on chronological age (11-16 years); using mean body weight it can be improved by 1.8 to 6 months, while using mean skeletal age an improvement of 0.2 to 3.9 months is possible compared with body weight. The correlations between age at menarche and physical and mental variables are attributed to a common hormonal influence on rate of development.

Microminiaturization for the production of modern large‐scale integrated circuits requires electron‐optical devices capable of recording more than 10 000 resolved lines per frame at a resolution of 0.1 μm. Magnetic demagnifying electron‐projection systems with compensated chromatic field aberrations are capable of recording up to 10 000 lines per frame. In our system, the optimum aperture for a maximal number of lines per frame depends only on the coefficients of field curvature, isotropic and anisotropic astigmatism, and on the electron wavelength. A theoretical expression for the maximal number of lines per frame indicates that the number of lines can be increased by using a small demagnification factor and by increasing the dimensions of the electron‐projection system.

Cette etude porte sur l'examen au microscope electronique de six tumeurs renales, provoquees chez le hamster mâle par l'implantation de propionate de diethylstilbestrol. De plus, les reins normaux de six hamsters adultes mâles et femelles et de sept hamsters nouveaux-nes ont ete examines. Il en resulte que les cellules tumorales offrent l'image de dedifferenciation structurale a des degres variables et des phenomenes de necrobiose. Par ailleurs, elles possedent frequemment une bordure ciliee hautement differenciee qui n'a pas ete trouvee dans les reins des controles du hamster ou chez d'autres mammiferes. L'ultrastructure des cils est identique a celle decrite par plusieurs auteurs chez des protozoaires et dans les epitheliums cilies d'especes variees. La signification de cette observation inhabituelle est discutee.