Ecological Restoration Treatments Increase Butterfly Richness and Abundance: Mechanisms of Response

Few ecosystem restoration studies evaluate whether arthropods are important components of ecosystem recovery. We tested the hypothesis that ponderosa pine restoration treatments would increase adult butterfly species richness and abundance as a direct result of increased understory diversity and abundance. To examine mechanisms that potentially affect adult butterfly distribution, we quantified host plant frequency, nectar plant abundance, and insolation (light intensity) in restoration treatment and control forests. This study is unique, because this is the first invertebrate monitoring in ponderosa pine forest restoration treatments in the U.S. Southwest and also because these treatments are the first replicated ponderosa pine restoration treatments at a landscape scale. Three patterns emerged: (1) butterfly species richness and abundance were 2 and 3 times greater, respectively, in restoration treatment units than in paired control forests 1 year after treatment, and 1.5 and 3.5 times greater, respectively, 2 years after treatment, ordination of control and treatment sampling units using butterfly assemblages showed significant separation of control and restoration treatment units after restoration treatment; (2) host plant and nectar plant species richness showed little difference between treated and control forests even 2 years after treatment; and (3) insolation (light intensity) was significantly greater in treated forests after restoration. We suggest that changes in the butterfly assemblage may occur due to light intensity effects before plant community changes occur or can be detected. Butterfly assemblage differences will have additional cascading effects on the ecosystem as prey for higher trophic levels and through plant interactions including herbivory and pollination.     

Newer anticonvulsants: Lamotrigine, topiramate and gabapentin

BACKGROUND The second generation antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), which include lamotrigine, topiramate, and gabapentin, have been introduced during the past 20 years. Because the newer AEDs differ in their pharmacokinetics from the first generation AEDs, it is hoped that the second generation AEDs will be less teratogenic. METHODS The findings in pregnancy cohorts and case-control studies concerning lamotrigine, topiramate and gabapentin-exposed pregnancies have been analyzed. RESULTS The rate of all malformations in lamotrigine monotherapy-exposed pregnancies has been between 2.0 and 5.6%, in comparison to baseline rates of 1.1 to 3.6% in two unexposed comparison groups. Compared to reference populations, a higher risk (0.4%) of isolated oral clefts has been observed in one cohort of 1562 lamotrigine-exposed pregnancies, but the risk was lower (0.1%) in other studies. In topiramate-exposed pregnancies, the rate of all malformations has been 4.2 to 4.9%, with an increase in oral clefts with and without other anomalies. The limited information available now for gabapentin has shown no evidence of teratogenicity. Concerning other developmental effects of these drugs, young children exposed to lamotrigine in utero have shown no deficits in cognitive function. Prenatal exposure to topiramate has been associated with an elevated frequency of small size for gestational age newborns. CONCLUSIONS The information available suggests an increased risk of oral clefts in infants exposed to topiramate, and perhaps lamotrigine, early in pregnancy, and of growth retardation for topiramate-exposed infants. Larger sample sizes are needed to clarify the questions that have been raised. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 94:599-606, 2012. ? 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Newer Melanogenesis Control and Melanoma Eradication

Further advances leading to more sophisticated and effective suppression of melanogenesis and melanoma growth based on clarification and utilization of common vital factors involved in both processes are reviewed. Induction of depigmentation has been achieved by both glycosylation and its processing inhibitors, which have been found to be critical for the maturation and transport of tyrosinase from ribosomes through GERL-coated vesicles into premelanosomes. Kojic acid, a copper chelating melanogenic inhibitor, can induce inhibition of isolated tyrosinase activity as well as melanization in living pigment cells in in vitro and in vivo systems. This depigmenting effect was found to be due to a concurrent decrease in both eu- and pheomelanin formation. Malignant melanoma principally has accentuated melanosome genesis, which has been utilized to accumulate selectively ¹⁰B into melanoma cells using ¹⁰B-dopa analogue. Subsequent thermal neutron irradiation induces ¹⁰B(n, α)⁷Li reaction which releases high LET particles within a range of 10–14 μm thus erradicating selectively melanoma at the cellular level. This new therapy has been applied to a human melanoma lesion for the first time, and a successful therapeutic effect on melanoma has been obtained.