Developing and testing alien species indicators for Europe

Alien species indicators provide vital information to the biodiversity policy sector on the status-quo and trends of biological invasions and on the efficacy of response measures. Applicable at different geographical scales and organizational levels, alien species indicators struggle with data availability and quality. Based on policy needs and previous work on the global scale, we here present a set of six alien species indicators for Europe, which capture complementary facets of biological invasions in Europe: (a) an combined index of invasion trends, (b) an indicator on pathways of invasions, (c) the Red List Index of Invasive Alien Species (IAS), (d) an indicator of IAS impacts on ecosystem services, (e) trends in incidence of livestock diseases and (f) an indicator on costs for alien species management and research. Each of these indicators has its particular strengths and shortcomings, but combined they allow for a nuanced understanding of the status and trends of biological invasions in Europe. We found that the scale and impact of biological invasions are steadily increasing across all impact indicators, although societal response in recent years has increased. The Red List Index is fit-for-purpose and demonstrates that overall extinction risks (here shown for amphibians in Europe) are increasing. Introduction pathway dynamics have changed, with some pathways decreasing in relevance (e.g., biological control agents) and others increasing (e.g., horticultural trade) providing a leverage for targeted policy and stakeholder response. The IAS indicators presented here for the first time on a continental basis serve as a starting point for future improvements, and as a basis for monitoring the efficacy of the recent EU legislation of IAS. This will need a better workflow for data collection and management. To achieve this, all main actors must work toward improving the interoperability among existing databases and between data holders.     

Are research efforts on Animalia in the South Pacific associated with the conservation status or population trends?

Analyses of knowledge gaps can highlight imbalances in research, encouraging greater proportionality in the distribution of research efforts. In this research we used generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) with the aim to determine if research efforts for the period 2005–2015 for terrestrial vertebrates of Amphibia, Aves, Mammalia and Reptilia in the South Pacific region were correlated with conservation status (critically endangered (CR), endangered (EN), vulnerable (VU), least concern (LC) and near threatened (NT)) or population trends (increasing, stable, decreasing and unknown) through the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) database. Our results showed that research distribution was uneven across different classes. Out of 633623 investigated papers, the average number of publications per species was 43.7, 306.7, 717.6 and 115.3 for Amphibia (284 species), Aves (1306 species), Mammalia (243 species) and Reptilia (400 species), respectively. Consistently, the lower publication effort on Amphibia compared to other taxonomic classes was revealed as significant by GLMM analysis. There was no significant differences in research effort among levels of conservation status. However, we found significantly different publication efforts among population trends of all examined species in that species with “unknown” population trends gained significantly lower researchers’ attention compared to species with “decreasing” trend. Results also indicated that, although it was not significant, the highest attention is given to species with “increasing” population trend over all taxonomic classes. Using the Information Theoretic approach we also generated a set of competing models to identify most important factors influencing research efforts, revealing that the highest ranked model included taxonomic class and population trend.     

Alteration of division polarity and preprophase band orientation in stomatogenesis by light

We have developed an experimental system in which the irradiation with a red light pulse induces stomatal disorientation in the hypocotyl epidermis ofCucumis sativus L. In this system, the orientation of the division plane in guard mother cells was not defined correctly. Preprophase bands formed in these cells but their orientation was abnormal.     

Does elevated pCO2 affect reef octocorals?

Increasing anthropogenic pCO₂ alters seawater chemistry, with potentially severe consequences for coral reef growth and health. Octocorals are the second most important faunistic component in many reefs, often occupying 50% or more of the available substrate. Three species of octocorals from two families were studied in Eilat (Gulf of Aqaba), comprising the zooxanthellate Ovabunda macrospiculata and Heteroxenia fuscescens (family Xeniidae), and Sarcophyton sp. (family Alcyoniidae). They were maintained under normal (8.2) and reduced (7.6 and 7.3) pH conditions for up to 5 months. Their biolological features, including protein concentration, polyp weight, density of zooxanthellae, and their chlorophyll concentration per cell, as well as polyp pulsation rate, were examined under conditions more acidic than normal, in order to test the hypothesis that rising pCO₂ would affect octocorals. The results indicate no statistically significant difference between the octocorals exposed to reduced pH values compared to the control. It is therefore suggested that the octocorals' tissue may act as a protective barrier against adverse pH conditions, thus maintaining them unharmed at high levels of pCO₂.     

First Characterization of 6-Hydroxytryptamine in the Rat Midbrain by Using Specific Antibodies

The visualization of serotonin, 5-methoxytryptamine, and tryptamine in the rat midbrain has been made possible by the development of antibodies raised against these conjugated molecules. It has been suggested that 6-hydroxytryptamine (6-HT) might also be a neurotransmitter in this region. To test this hypothesis, 6-HT was synthesized and antibodies were raised in the rabbit. The high avidity (IC50 = 5 x 10(-9) M) and specificity [cross-reactivity ratio between 6-HT-glutaraldehyde (G)-bovine serum albumin (BSA) and 5-HT-G-BSA, the most immunoreactive compound, was 1,500] rendered these antibodies reliable tools for specific molecular detection of 6-HT in the G-fixed tissues. In the dopaminergic region, 6-HT immunoreactivity was noted in the substantia nigra but was particularly intense in the red nuclei, where it seems to be localized in the magnocellular division in the form of large 6-HT neurons. In contrast, there were few 6-HT neurons in the raphe nuclei. Thus, 6-HT may be a new putative neurotransmitter existing in the red nuclei, in addition to the other neurotransmitters already described in this region, in the nigro-rubral pathway, and in the rubral projection from the dorsal raphe nuclei. 6-HT is possibly implicated in motor control and might exert hallucinogenic properties as do other 6-hydroxylated indoleamines.     

Effects of antioxidants and haemoglobin status on the t-butyl hydroperoxide-induced oxygen uptake by red blood cells

Oxygen uptake by erythrocytes exposed to t-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP) exhibited an induction period. The rate of oxygen consumption can be reduced by antioxidants and blood plasma. The induction time was not appreciably modified by the antioxidants tested, however, plasma increased it by a factor of two. The in vivo pretreatment with diethyl maleate (0.6 g kg-1) produced increased rates of oxygen uptake without changes in the induction period, while vitamin E (12.5 mg kg-1) elicited lower oxygen consumption rates and longer induction times, compared to those observed in cells from control rats upon addition of the hydroperoxide. These results suggest that the antioxidants tested on the t-BHP lipid peroxidation in erythrocyte suspensions act as inhibitors and/or retarders of the process. Furthermore, lipid peroxidation induced in these conditions seems to depend upon the haemoglobin status of the cells as oxygen uptake, malondialdehyde production and chemiluminescence were significantly higher in methaemoglobin-containing cells than in those containing oxyhaemoglobin.     

Glutathione reductase activity and pyridoxine (pyridoxamine) phosphate oxidase activity in the red cell

The red-cell enzymes, glutathione reductase (FAD-dependent) and pyridoxine (pyridoxamine) phosphate oxidase (FMN-dependent), were studied in control subjects. The wide range the glutathione reductase activity correlated inversely with the percentage stimulation by FAD added in vitro, and with pyridoxine (pyridoxamine) phosphate oxidase activity. Both enzymes were stimulated after ingestion of riboflavin. The results support the suggestion that the rate of metabolism of riboflavin in the red cell controls the activity of both enzymes, and the rate of red-cell metabolism of vitamin B-6.     

Seasonal variation in the positional behavior of red howling monkeys (Alouatta seniculus)

Recent studies on the positional behavior of primates reveal that significant seasonal variation occurs in both locomotion and postures that is related to changes in diet and foraging techniques. Howling monkeys (genusAlouatta), which also have a seasonally varied diet, are predicted to have correspondingly varied positional behaviors. Two groups of red howling monkeys were studied in a primary rain forest in French Guinana during the dry and wet seasons. During the dry season, when howler diet is based mainly on leaves, howlers traveled more frequently by quadrupedal walking on large supports, a mode of progression that is probably inexpensive energetically and relatively stable. During feeding, quadrupedal and tripedal stand contributed considerably, a posture probably associated with the equal distribution of leaves within a tree crown. In contrast, during the wet season, when fruit was abundant, howlers fed very frequently by sitting on large supports, probably because fruit consumption required more time for special manipulation. However, most seasonal changes in feeding postures, and in travel and feeding locomotion, were difficult to associate directly with dietary shifts. These behavioral changes may be more highly correlated with slight modifications in microhabitat use (horizontal and vertical daily ranges, similar and alternative arboreal pathways) that are not considered in this paper.     

Influence of red pepper and capsaicin on body composition and lipogenesis in rats

Inclusion of red pepper or its active principle ‘capsaicin’ in the diet led to a lowering of total lipids, particularly triglycerides in the liver. The total body fat was lowered in animals fed red pepper or capsaicin but not in animals fed paprika powder which had negligible capsaicin content. Hyperlipogensis and hypertriglyceridemia caused by fructose feeding were significantly were decreased in capsaicin-fed animals. Activities of the key lipogenic enzymes were reduced as reflected by decreased lipogenesis.