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Freshwater ecosystems provide irreplaceable services for both nature and society. The quality and quantity of freshwater affect biogeochemical processes and ecological dynamics that determine biodiversity, ecosystem productivity, and human health and welfare at local, regional and global scales. Freshwater ecosystems and their associated riparian habitats are amongst the most biologically diverse on Earth, and have inestimable economic, health, cultural, scientific and educational values. Yet human impacts to lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands and groundwater are dramatically reducing biodiversity and robbing critical natural resources and services from current and future generations. Freshwater biodiversity is declining rapidly on every continent and in every major river basin on Earth, and this degradation is occurring more rapidly than in terrestrial ecosystems. Currently, about one third of all global freshwater discharges pass through human agricultural, industrial or urban infrastructure. About one fifth of the Earth’s arable land is now already equipped for irrigation, including all the most productive lands, and this proportion is projected to surpass one third by midcentury to feed the rapidly expanding populations of humans and commensal species, especially poultry and ruminant livestock. Less than one fifth of the world’s preindustrial freshwater wetlands remain, and this proportion is projected to decline to under one tenth by midcentury, with imminent threats from water transfer megaprojects in Brazil and India, and coastal wetland drainage megaprojects in China. The Living Planet Index for freshwater vertebrate populations has declined to just one third that of 1970, and is projected to sink below one fifth by midcentury. A linear model of global economic expansion yields the chilling prediction that human utilization of critical freshwater resources will approach one half of the Earth’s total capacity by midcentury. Although the magnitude and growth of the human freshwater footprint are greater than is generally understood by policy makers, the news media, or the general public, slowing and reversing dramatic losses of freshwater species and ecosystems is still possible. We recommend a set of urgent policy actions that promote clean water, conserve watershed services, and restore freshwater ecosystems and their vital services. Effective management of freshwater resources and ecosystems must be ranked amongst humanity’s highest priorities.

In this article, the ways in which dendritic-cell nomenclature has evolved are discussed, focusing on the new trend to specifically define a dendritic cell not only by its phenotypic maturation state but also by its function. A common view supposes that dendritic cells (DCs) exist in two basic functional states: immature DCs induce tolerance to self, whereas mature DCs induce immunity to foreign antigens. However, the term 'mature' is often used not only functionally to designate immunogenic DCs but also as a phenotypic description of DCs expressing high levels of MHC, adhesion and co-stimulatory molecules. The recent realization that DCs can express such markers under non-immunogenic conditions raises the question of whether the two connotations of the term 'mature' should continue to be used interchangeably. Here, I discuss the origins of the maturation model and how terminology is evolving to better accommodate our current understanding of the function of DCs.

During inflammation, the lymph node stromal compartment is shown to accommodate high numbers of infiltrating lymphocytes by relaxing the cytoskeleton of fibroblastic reticular cells, allowing the latter to stretch and the lymph node to expand. The mechanism of lymph node expansion Lymph nodes are dynamic structures that must respond rapidly to large cellular influxes provoked by local inflammation. However, how the lymph node stromal compartment reacts to accommodate lymph node expansion remains unclear. This study shows that the lymph node stromal compartment can accommodate large numbers of infiltrating lymphocytes by relaxing the cytoskeleton of fibroblastic reticular cells, allowing the cells to stretch and the lymph node to expand. This lymph node remodelling reaction is driven by the interaction of CLEC-2 protein on incoming antigen-presenting dendritic cells with podoplanin on fibroblastic reticular cells. After immunogenic challenge, infiltrating and dividing lymphocytes markedly increase lymph node cellularity, leading to organ expansion 1 , 2 . Here we report that the physical elasticity of lymph nodes is maintained in part by podoplanin (PDPN) signalling in stromal fibroblastic reticular cells (FRCs) and its modulation by CLEC-2 expressed on dendritic cells. We show in mouse cells that PDPN induces actomyosin contractility in FRCs via activation of RhoA/C and downstream Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK). Engagement by CLEC-2 causes PDPN clustering and rapidly uncouples PDPN from RhoA/C activation, relaxing the actomyosin cytoskeleton and permitting FRC stretching. Notably, administration of CLEC-2 protein to immunized mice augments lymph node expansion. In contrast, lymph node expansion is significantly constrained in mice selectively lacking CLEC-2 expression in dendritic cells. Thus, the same dendritic cells that initiate immunity by presenting antigens to T lymphocytes 3 also initiate remodelling of lymph nodes by delivering CLEC-2 to FRCs. CLEC-2 modulation of PDPN signalling permits FRC network stretching and allows for the rapid lymph node expansion—driven by lymphocyte influx and proliferation—that is the critical hallmark of adaptive immunity.

We present a combined molecular and morphological phylogenetic analysis of the Loricariinae, with emphasis on the Harttiini ( Cteniloricaria , Harttia , and Harttiella ) and Farlowellini ( Aposturisoma , Farlowella , Lamontichthys , Pterosturisoma , Sturisoma , and Sturisomatichthys ). Character sampling comprised seven molecular markers (the mitochondrial Cytb, nd2, 12S and 16S, and the nuclear MyH6, RAG1 and RAG2) and 196 morphological characters. A total of 1,059 specimens, and 159 tissue samples were analized, representing 100 species. A Bayesian Inference analysis was performed using the concatenated data matrix, which is comprised of 6,819 characters. The Loricariinae were found to comprise the tribes (Hartiini (Loricariini, Farlowellini)), the latter two elevated from subtribes. A Maximum Parsimony analysis was also performed using the same data matrix in order to reveal phenotypical synapomorphies to diagnose each clade. Two MP trees were found with a length of 14,704 steps, consistency index of 0.29 and retention index of 0.61, which were summarized in a strict consensus tree. Harttiini includes ( Harttiella ( Cteniloricaria , Harttia ), and Farlowellini includes ( Lamontichthys ( Pterosturisoma ( Sturisoma ( Sturisomatichthys , Farlowella ))). Aposturisoma was recovered nested within Farlowella and is synonymyzed to the latter. Sturisoma was corroborated as strictly cis-Andean, while Sturisomatichthys encompasses, besides the valid species already included in the genus, the trans-Andean species once belonging to Sturisoma sensu lato . Identification keys and phylogenetic diagnoses of family-group taxa and genera of both the Harttiini and the Farlowellini are provided.

O objetivo deste artigo, construído por meio de dados secundários, foi identificar as visões de futuro mais relevantes acerca da gestão de projetos e sua relação com a sustentabilidade organizacional. Caracterizar o momento como turbulento é no mínimo um eufemismo, e para muitos, vivemos diante de uma degradação progressiva do tecido social, gerenciando um imenso wicked problem. Estamos convivendo atualmente com os resquícios de uma pandemia, com uma guerra com potencial nuclear, problemas diversos no abastecimento global, produzindo insegurança alimentar, miséria e todo o tipo de crise possível, além da omissão acerca das questões climáticas.  A partir daí, exploramos cinco perspectivas de futuro para a gestão de projetos: (i) um futuro enevoado e turbulento (ii) um futuro tecnológico e disruptivo, (iii) um futuro repleto de novas habilidades, (iv) um futuro para construir a sustentabilidade e (v) um futuro desafiador para a diversidade.

The need for pulp and paper has risen significantly due to exponential population growth, industrialization, and urbanization. Most paper manufacturing industries use wood fibers to meet pulp and paper requirements. The shortage of fibrous wood resources and increased deforestation are linked to the excessive dependence on wood for pulp and paper production. Therefore, non-wood substitutes, including corn stalks, sugarcane bagasse, wheat, and rice straw, cotton stalks, and others, may greatly alleviate the shortage of raw materials used to make pulp and paper. Non-woody raw materials can be pulped easily using soda/soda-AQ (anthraquinone), organosolv, and bio-pulping. The use of agricultural residues can also play a pivotal role in the development of polymeric membranes separating different molecular weight cut-off molecules from a variety of feedstocks in industries. These membranes range in applications from water purification to medicinal uses. Considering that some farmers still burn agricultural residues on the fields, resulting in significant air pollution and health issues, the use of agricultural residues in paper manufacturing can eventually help these producers to get better financial outcomes from the grown crop. This paper reviews the current trends in the technological pitch of pulp and paper production from agricultural residues using different pulping methods, with an insight into the application of membranes developed from lignocellulosic materials.

O objetivo deste artigo, construído por meio de dados secundários, foi identificar as visões de futuro mais relevantes acerca da gestão de projetos e sua relação com a sustentabilidade organizacional. Caracterizar o momento como turbulento é no mínimo um eufemismo, e para muitos, vivemos diante de uma degradação progressiva do tecido social, gerenciando um imenso wicked problem. Estamos convivendo atualmente com os resquícios de uma pandemia, com uma guerra com potencial nuclear, problemas diversos no abastecimento global, produzindo insegurança alimentar, miséria e todo o tipo de crise possível, além da omissão acerca das questões climáticas. A partir daí, exploramos cinco perspectivas de futuro para a gestão de projetos: (i) um futuro enevoado e turbulento (ii) um futuro tecnológico e disruptivo, (iii) um futuro repleto de novas habilidades, (iv) um futuro para construir a sustentabilidade e (v) um futuro desafiador para a diversidade.

DNGR-1 (CLEC9A) is a receptor for necrotic cells required by DCs to cross-prime CTLs against dead cell antigens in mice. It is currently unknown how DNGR-1 couples dead cell recognition to cross-priming. Here we found that DNGR-1 did not mediate DC activation by dead cells but rather diverted necrotic cell cargo into a recycling endosomal compartment, favoring cross-presentation to CD8(+) T cells. DNGR-1 regulated cross-priming in non-infectious settings such as immunization with antigen-bearing dead cells, as well as in highly immunogenic situations such as infection with herpes simplex virus type 1. Together, these results suggest that DNGR-1 is a dedicated receptor for cross-presentation of cell-associated antigens. Our work thus underscores the importance of cross-priming in immunity and indicates that antigenicity and adjuvanticity can be decoded by distinct innate immune receptors. The identification of specialized receptors that regulate antigenicity of virus-infected cells reveals determinants of antiviral immunity that might underlie the human response to infection and vaccination.

Virus infection in mammals elicits a variety of defense responses that are initiated by signals from virus-sensing receptors expressed by the host. These receptors include the ubiquitously expressed RIG-l-like receptor (RLR) family of RNA helicases. RLRs are cytoplasmic proteins that act in cell-intrinsic antiviral defense by recognizing RNAs indicative of virus presence. Here, we highlight recent progress in understanding how RLRs discriminate between the RNA content of healthy versus virus-infected cells, functioning as accurate sensors of virus invasion.