With the majority of Canada’s population concentrated in cities, it is important to determine what people consider important in urban nature. The concept of values can help illustrate what people consider important in urban nature beyond utilitarian considerations. This is the case for urban forests. However, many studies about public opinion on urban forests do not capture expressions of importance, focus on all the trees of the city, or provide respondents with a direct experience of urban forests. In Canada, most assumptions about Canadian urban forest values are based on results from the United States. In this study researchers present and analyze urban forest values data gathered with a sidewalk interception survey in the cities of Fredericton, New Brunswick; Halifax, Nova Scotia; and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, to address some of these limitations. Respondents were asked to rate the level of importance of urban forests and mention the reasons. Results show that respondents rate the urban forest at a high level of importance and the reasons for this are aesthetics, air quality, shade, and naturalness, among other themes. There was a tendency for older people, women, and non-students to rate urban forests at a higher level of importance. Weather, related to time of year of survey delivery, has a discernible influence on the way value themes are distributed in the data. The study authors infer that this method helps capture data on respondents’ psychological states instead of their intellectual awareness as to what they consider important about urban forests.

Climate adaptation is being embraced by many municipalities worldwide. An element of this is the planting and protection of urban trees. However, the fact that climate change will also have an impact on urban trees has been largely overlooked. We argue that climate vulnerability assessments are necessary for addressing climate adaptation in urban forests and contribute to successful climate adaptation in cities. We review and integrate the literature on climate vulnerability and urban forests to explore how the general notion of urban forest vulnerability to climate change can be developed into an operational framework for undertaking a vulnerability assessment. The framework characterizes climate exposure, impact, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity, as well as nonclimatic drivers and factors, in urban forests. The most important themes in this discussion include urban tree species selection and diversity, naturalization, resource access, social awareness and engagement, budget and economic valuation, liability issues, and governance structures. Climate change vulnerability assessments help us understand how and why urban forests are vulnerable to climate change, identify future areas for research, and determine what adaptation measures could be included in urban forest management. These assessments help bring climate change to the forefront of the decision-making process and contribute to successful urban adaptation to climate change.

Abstract: Sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction is associated with increased oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction. Current evidence suggests a protective role of thioredoxin-1 (Trx1) in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. However, it is unknown yet a putative role of Trx1 in sepsis-induced myocardial dysfunction, in which oxidative stress is an underlying cause. Transgenic male mice with Trx1 cardiac-specific overexpression (Trx1-Tg) and its wild-type control (wt) were subjected to cecal ligation and puncture or sham surgery. After 6, 18, and 24 h, cardiac contractility, antioxidant enzymes, protein oxidation, and mitochondrial function were evaluated. Trx1 overexpression improved the average life expectancy (Trx1-Tg: 36, wt: 28 h; p=0.0204). Sepsis induced a decrease in left ventricular developed pressure in both groups, while the contractile reserve, estimated as the response to ?-adrenergic stimulus, was higher in Trx1-Tg in relation to wt, after 6 h of the procedure. Trx1 overexpression attenuated complex I inhibition, protein carbonylation, and loss of membrane potential, and preserved MnSOD activity at 24 h. Ultrastructural alterations in mitochondrial cristae were accompanied by reduced Optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) fusion protein, and activation of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) (fission protein) in wt mice at 24 h, suggesting mitochondrial fusion/fission imbalance. PGC-1? gene expression showed a 2.5-fold increase in Trx1-Tg at 24 h, suggesting mitocondrial biogenesis induction. Autophagy, demonstrated by electron microscopy and increased LC3-II/LC3-I ratio, was observed earlier in Trx1-Tg. In conclusion, Trx1 overexpression extends antioxidant protection, attenuates mitochondrial damage, and activates mitochondrial turnover (biogenesis and mitophagy), preserves contractile reserve and prolongs survival during sepsis. Resumen: La disfunción miocárdica inducida por sepsis está asociada con estrés oxidativo y disfuncion mitocontrial. La evidencia actual sugiere un rol protector de thiorredoxina 1 en la patogénesis de la enfermedad cardiovascular. Sin embargo, es desconocido su papel en la disfunción miocárdica inducida por sepsis, en el cual el estrés oxidativo es una causa subyacente. Ratones transgénicos machos con sobreexpresión específica en músculo cardiaco (Trx1-Tg) y su control (wt) fueron sujetos a ligadura punción cecal o técnica de laparotomía sin ligadura y punción (sham). Después de 6, 18,y 24h, contractilidad cardiaca, enzimas antioxidantes, oxidación de proteínas, y función mitocondrial fueron evaluados. Sobre-expresión de Trx1 mejoró la esperanza de vida media (Trx1-Tg: 36, wt: 28 h; p = 0.0204). Sepsis indujo una reducción en la presión desarrollada del ventrículo izquierdo en ambos grupos, mientras la reserva contráctil, estimada como la respuesta al estímulo β-adrenérgico, fue superior en Trx1-Tg en relación a wt, posterior a 6 h del procedimiento. La sobre-expresión de Trx1 atenuó la inhibición del complejo I, carbonilación de proteínas, y pérdida de potencial de membrana, y preservó la actividad de la superóxido dismutasa-Mn a las 24 h. Alteraciones ultra estructurales en las crestas mitocondriales fueron acompañadas por una reducción en OPA1 y activación de Drp1 en ratones wt a las 24 h, sugiriendo un imbalance fusión/fisión mitocondrial. La expresión de PGC-1-α incrementó 2.5 veces en Trx1-Tg a las 24 h, sugiriendo inducción de biogénesis mitocondrial. Autofagia, demostrada por microscopia electrónica e incremento en la razón LC3-II/LC3-I, fue observado más tempranamente en Trx1-Tg. En conclusión, la sobre-expresión de Trx1 extiende protección antioxidante, atenúa el daño mitocondrial y activa el recambio mitocondrial (mitofagia y biogénesis), preserva la reserva contráctil y prolonga la sobrevida durante la sepsis.

Living in groups is usually driven by predation and competition for resources. River dolphins do not have natural predators but inhabit dynamic systems with predictable seasonal shifts. These ecological features may provide some insight into the forces driving group formation and help us to answer questions such as why river dolphins have some of the smallest group sizes of cetaceans, and why group sizes vary with time and place.We analyzed observations of group size for Inia and Sotalia over a 9 yr period. In the Amazon, largest group sizes occurred in main rivers and lakes, particularly during the low water season when resources are concentrated; smaller group sizes occurred in constricted waters (channels, tributaries, and confluences) that receive an influx of blackwaters that are poor in nutrients and sediments. In the Orinoco, the largest group sizes occurred during the transitional water season when the aquatic productivity increases. The largest group size of Inia occurred in the Orinoco location that contains the influx of two highly productive whitewater rivers. Flood pulses govern productivity and major biological factors of these river basins. Any threats to flood pulses will likely have an effect on the functionality of these ecosystems and the species living in them.

"Urban forests are an integral part of urban ecosystems and quality of city life. The urban forest in Canada is highly valued, underscoring the importance of devising schemes for sustainable urban forest management. During the last decade, many urban forest management plans (UFMPs) have been prepared. This study analyses 14 Canadian UFMPs published in this period. We found that most of the UFMPs are dominated by an approach that relies on single-tree maintenance, canopy-cover enhancement, tree-diversity enhancement, and planting-oriented educational programmes. These activities dominate the operational features of the plans, while other ecological, social, and economic considerations lack specificity and operational clarity. A suite of best management practices based on UFMP documentation is included here."