TRUSTED CONSENT AND RESEARCH BIOBANKS: TOWARDS A ‘NEW ALLIANCE’ BETWEEN RESEARCHERS AND DONORS

We argue that, in the case of research biobanks, there is a need to replace the currently used informed consent with trusted consent. Accordingly, we introduce a proposal for the structure of the latter. Further, we discuss some of the issues that can be addressed effectively through our proposal. In particular, we illustrate: i) which research should be authorized by donors; ii) how to regulate access to information; iii) the fundamental role played by a Third Party Authority in assuring compliance with the reciprocal expectations and obligations of donors and scientists. Finally, we briefly analyse two issues that might represent important elements of a ‘new alliance’ between researchers and donors to which the trusted consent could pave the way: i) the correlations between needs and rights of the two parties, and ii) possible economic transactions.     

Song-type function during territorial encounters in male Cetti's Warblers Cettia cetti

During undisturbed singing, male Cetti's Warblers Cettia cetti sing constantly the same song type (S-song), which is stereotyped individually but differs between individuals. When facing a territorial dispute, males may start to sing a distinct song type (I-song) used only in this context. To evaluate the functional significance of these two song types in the communication system of Cetti's Warbler, two series of playback experiments were performed. When exposed to repeated S-songs of an extraneous male, most of the ten birds tested ceased to sing S-songs and used I-songs, generally while displaying aggressive reactions. After a while, they started to sing S-songs again but at a higher rate than before the playback. In a second series of experiments, seven birds were first exposed to a playback of S-songs and then to a second stimulation with three I-songs or with three further S-songs. The birds tended to approach the speakers in response to the first playback but, in most cases, withdrew from them after the second one. No significant differences in the reactions of the test birds were found between the trials using S-songs and those with I-songs. The present results indicate that the two song types constitute two signals associated with territorial behaviour; the song type emitted is probably dependent on the singer's level of aggressiveness.     

ON THE PLAUSIBILITY OF HOMEOPATHIC ‘SIMILITUDE’

The homeopathic principle of similitude is not based on the principle of vaccination but on the more general principle of inversion of effects, a widespread medical phenomenon. Based on the systemic networks which play an important role in response to stress, this principle concerns the reorganization of regulation systems, through a coherent response to the medicine. This model is backed by a large number of published studies from our laboratory and others, by toxicological evidence such as the emerging fields of ‘hormesis’, of neuropharmacology, and of systems biology. The immune system is just one example of the possible application of this law of similitude, which constitutes the true ‘heart’ of the homeopathic idea, and again ethically justifies the attempt to apply it to experimental pharmacology.     

SPECIFIC ANOSMIA TO ISOBUTYRALDEHYDE: THE MALTY PRIMARY ODOR

About 36% of human subjects are specifically anosmic to theodor of isobutyraldehyde. Odor threshold measurements on 14aliphatic aldehydes and related compounds were made with panelsof specific anosmics and normal observers. The anosmia was mostpronounced with isobutyraldehyde, isovaleraldehyde and 2-methylbutanal.It is suggested that this specific anosmia corresponds withthe absence of a new olfactory primary, the ‘malty’odor. Isobutyraldehyde and its congeners occur in a wide varietyof foodstuffs, where they may serve as indicators for the availabilityof the indispensable amino acids valine, leucine and isoleucine. ^*Permanent address: Istituto di Industrie Agrarie della Universitàdegli St'udi, Pisa, Italy.     

Phylogeography of Parnassius apollo: hints on taxonomy and conservation of a vulnerable glacial butterfly invader

Parnassius apollo (Linnaeus, 1758) is probably the most renowned Eurasian montane butterfly. Its specialized ecology makes it very sensitive to habitat and climate changes, so that it is now experiencing range contraction and local extinction across most of its range. We sequenced 869 bp of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome oxidase I gene in 78 P. apollo populations (201 individuals) in order to: (1) assess the phylogeographic pattern of the species; (2) shed light on the historical biogeographic processes that shaped the distribution of the species; and (3) identify geographic population units of special value for the conservation of the species' genetic diversity. Our analyses revealed a very strong phylogeographic structure in P. apollo, which displays a number of distinctive mtDNA lineages populating geographically distinct areas. Overall sequence divergence is relatively shallow, and is consistent with a recent (late Pleistocene) colonization of most of the range. We propose that P. apollo is best viewed as an atypical glacial invader in southern and western Europe, the isolated, montane populations of which, threatened by climate warming, retain a large fraction of the species evolutionary heritage. © 2010 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2010, 101 , 169–183.     

Long‐term breeding demography and density dependence in an increasing population of Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos

Few studies have quantified the dynamics of recovering populations of large raptors using long‐term, spatially explicit studies. Using data collected over 37 years in the western Italian Alps, we assessed the trends in distribution, abundance, fecundity and breeding population structure of Golden Eagles Aquila chrysaetos. Using the spatial distribution of territory centroids in 2007, we found that the spatial distribution of eagle territories was over‐dispersed up to 3 km. Although population size and total productivity increased from 1972 to 2008, the proportion of pairs that laid eggs showed a strong decline, falling to no more than 50% after 2003. On average, 15% of successful nests produced two fledglings, and productivity also declined over time. No significant relationship between population growth rate and total population size was detected, but the percentage of pairs that bred and breeding success showed evidence of density dependence, as they declined significantly with increasing density. Our results suggest that density dependence, operating across heterogeneous habitats, is currently regulating this population, while the carrying capacity may still be increasing. This may explain the apparent paradox of reduced breeding effort despite increasing total productivity.