Importance of scrub–pastureland mosaics for wild-living cats occurrence in a Mediterranean area: implications for the conservation of the wildcat (Felis silvestris)

The European wildcat (Felis silvestris) is a threatened species in Europe. Suitable management of forests has been considered crucial for its conservation in Europe. However, this recommendation may not be general due to the lack of studies that test these hypotheses in the Mediterranean area, where landscapes are very different from those of central-north Europe. In this study, wild-living cat habitat associations were analyzed by means of scat surveys in 78 areas distributed in the four main vegetation types of the Mediterranean area of central Spain, where feral cat populations are probably scarce and restricted. Results show higher occurrences of wild-living cats in landscapes covered by scrub–pastureland mosaics rather than forests. Several applied recommendations are given: (1) to include the scrub–pastureland mosaics as protected habitats for wildcats; (2) to encourage further studies about the importance of this habitat in other areas; (3) to avoid the extensive scrubland removal associated with management practices against fires or infrastructure development; and (4) to promote land management practices that enhance these mosaics, and to use shrub species in the reforestation programmes founded by the European Agricultural Policy.     

Simulation of the distribution and diffusion of a rigid amphipathic particle embedded in a model membrane.

We simulate, by Brownian dynamics, the distribution, orientation and diffusion of a rigid molecule, represented as a dumbbell, with amphipathic nature, embedded in a model membrane. The significant features of a biological membrane are reproduced by means of a Maier-Saupe orienting potential, an enclosing potential and a lipophobic potential. We also evaluate the equilibrium quantities, such as order parameter, and dynamic features, such as rotational or translational diffusivity, of the embedded molecule in terms of the system parameters and compare the obtained results with those obtained from model independent theory.     

Cytochrome oxidase induction after oxidative stress induced by adriamycin in liver of rats fed with dietary olive oil.

The influence of different kinds of dietary fat (8%) and of endogenous lipid peroxidation with regard to cytochrome c oxidase activity and cytochrome a + a3 concentrations in mitochondria from rat liver has been investigated. It was possible to confirm that the dietary fat induced higher phospholipid degradation in mitochondrial membranes; moreover an endogenous oxidative stress induced by adriamycin was able to increase the peroxidative effects. We have found that the peroxidative effects could sometimes induce an apparent enhancement of cytochrome oxidase activity due to a significant increase of cytochrome a + a3 content. This finding lets us suppose that both changes in the lipid environment and some peroxidation damage could occur in the membrane as a consequence of the fat assumed. Furthermore we should suggest that an induction of the synthesis of cytochrome a + a3 might be related to an enhanced production of peroxides at membrane level.