Cost-effectiveness of managing Natura 2000 sites: an exploratory study for Finland,Germany, the Netherlands and Poland

Natura 2000 sites are expected to assure the long-term survival of Europe’s most valuable and threatened species and habitats. It follows that successful management of the sites is of great importance. Next to goal attainment, cost-effectiveness is increasingly recognised as a key requirement for gaining social and political acceptance for costly conservation measures. We identify and qualitatively examine issues of cost-effectiveness related to the design and implementation of management measures in Natura 2000 sites in Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Given the wide variety of management design and implementation options within the four countries, our study is purely of an exploratory nature. We derive recommendations for improving the cost-effectiveness of management in Natura 2000 sites and for future research. Examples of policy recommendations include guaranteeing the availability of funds for longer periods, and ensuring the appropriate allocation of funds between the different tasks of designing and implementing management plans. Further research should examine the cost-effectiveness of controversial suggestions such as, for example, more tailored payment schemes for conservation measures that result in higher ecological outputs but are costly to administer. Moreover, more research is needed to better understand how rules for administrations, as well as rules and governance structures for tasks within administrations, should be designed.     

Antiovulatory antagonists of LHRH related to antide

We report 104 analogues of the potent antiovulatory antagonist of LHRH, N-Ac-D -Nal-D -Cpa-D -Pal-Ser-Lys(Nic)-D -Lys(Nic)-Leu-Ilys-Pro-D -Ala-NH₂, Antide. We replaced the Nic group in Antide with other acyl substituents to modulate size, hydrophilicity or basicity of the molecule, we also replaced th Lys residues with shorter basic amino acids, and made cyclic 5/6 analogues as well as position 5 or 6 dimers. We substituted Ilys⁸ with other alkyl groups and acyl derivatives. When injected in 0.1% DMSO in water in a typical antiovulatory (AO) assay, Antide gives six rats ovulating out of eight (6/8) at 2 μg, 4/8 at 4 μg, and the histamine release assay (HRA), ED₅₀ is >300 μg/ml; [Lys(N-Isobutyl)⁸]Antide gave 2/8 at 2 μg/rat; [Lys (8-Qis)⁵]Antide gave 1/8 at 1 μg, and 0/8 at 2 μg, and in the HRA ED₅₀, 22 μg/ml; [D -Lys(8-Qis)⁶]Antide gave 4/8 at 1 μg and 0/8 at 2 μg, and in the HRA, ED₅₀ was 27 μg/ml; [Lys(8-Qic)⁸] gave 5/8 at 1 μg, 1/8 at 2 μg/ [Lys(2-Pyc)⁵]Antide gave 5/8 at 1 μg and 0/8 at 2 μg, and in the HRA ED₅₀ was 116 μg/ml; [D -Lys (2-Pyc)⁶]Antide gave 3/8 at 1 μg, and in the HRA, ED₅₀ was 100 - >300 μg/ml; [Lys(2-Pyc)⁵,D -Lys(2-Pyc)⁶]Antide gave 2/8 at 1 μg. The substitutions of the Nic groups of Antide at Lys⁵ or D -Lys⁶ with 8-Qis or with 2-Pyc groups seem to give highly potent antiovulatory antagonists of LHRH and constitute significant new leads to generate potent antiovulatory compounds endowed with moderate or low histamine release.     

Identification of Relationships Between Interleukin 15 mRNA and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor II mRNA Levels With Formal Components of Temperament in Asthmatic Patients

Asthma is a chronic inflammatory and heterogeneous disease developing mostly through allergic inflammation, which modifies the expression of various cytokines and neurotrophins. Previous studies suggest the involvement of interleukin (IL)-15 in the regulation of immune response in asthma. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) II plays an important role as a regulator of development and survival of neurons as well as maintenance of their physiological activity. Chronic stress associated with asthma and elevated IL-15 mRNA and BDNFII mRNA levels may affect the mood and a subjective sensation of dyspnoea-inducing anxiety. Psychopathological variables and numerous cytokine/neurotrophin interactions influence the formation of temperament and strategies of coping with stress. The aim of the study was to identify the role of IL-15 mRNA and BDNFII mRNA expressions and their effect on components of temperament and strategies of coping with stress in asthmatics. A total of 352 subjects (176 healthy volunteers and 176 asthmatic patients) participated in the study. The Formal Characteristic of Behaviour-Temperament Inventory (FCB-TI), Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS), Beck Depression Inventory, State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) Scale were applied in all the subjects. The expression of IL-15 and BDNFII gene was measured using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Different levels of IL-15 and BDNFII expressions between healthy volunteers and patients were revealed in the study. IL-15 enhanced the BDNFII mRNA expression among patients with bronchial asthma. The depression level negatively correlated with the BDNFII mRNA expression. This neurotrophin modified the temperament variable. BDNFII significantly affected (proportional relationship) the level of briskness in asthmatic patients. BDNFII might influence the level and style of coping with stress (emotion-oriented style). This hypothesis requires further studies on protein functional models. The obtained data confirms the role of IL-15 and BDNFII in the pathomechanisms of depression and formation of selected traits defining the temperament in asthmatics.     

On the song resumption, polyterritorial behaviour and their population context in the Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus

Mating tactics in species with facultative polygyny seem to be very flexible and to depend on local environmental conditions. We analysed the habitat and population contexts of territorial behaviour, associated with polygyny, in a population of Sedge Warblers Acrocephalus schoenobaenus inhabiting natural wetlands. Nearly one-third of all breeding males (46 individuals) resumed song after completing their mating with the first female, in order to attract another one. Resuming males were usually the earliest arrivals. There was a continuity in the territorial behaviour between resuming song on first territory and polyterritorial behaviour. Fifty-nine percent of resuming males set up second territories, clearly separated from the first. The second territory was usually located close to the primary female activity area. The quality of the first and second territories were correlated, with second territories being significantly inferior. However, their quality was not significantly different from the territories of non-breeding males. The quality of the second territories was also negatively related to the distance from the first territories. Polyterritorialism was influenced by population numbers: the higher the number of territorial males, the lower the number of second territories settled and the lower their average quality. Although the polygyny frequency in the studied population was very low, polyterritorial males were significantly more likely to be polygynous. We concluded that polygyny frequency can be significantly influenced by population numbers, which might be one of the main factors responsible for the variability in the mating system in this species.