Developing ecosystem service indicators: experiences and lessons learned from sub-global assessments and other initiatives

People depend upon ecosystems to supply a range of services necessary for their survival and well-being. Ecosystem service indicators are critical for knowing whether or not these essential services are being maintained and used in a sustainable manner, thus enabling policy makers to identify the policies and other interventions needed to better manage them. As a result, ecosystem service indicators are of increasing interest and importance to governmental and inter-governmental processes, including amongst others the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Aichi Targets contained within its strategic plan for 2011-2020, as well as the emerging Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). Despite this growing demand, assessing ecosystem service status and trends and developing robust indicators is o!en hindered by a lack of information and data, resulting in few available indicators. In response, the United Nations Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), together with a wide range of international partners and supported by the Swedish International Biodiversity Programme (SwedBio)*, undertook a project to take stock of the key lessons that have been learnt in developing and using ecosystem service indicators in a range of assessment contexts. The project examined the methodologies, metrics and data sources employed in delivering ecosystem service indicators, so as to inform future indicator development. This report presents the principal results of this project

Simian Varicella Virus Infection of Rhesus Macaques Recapitulates Essential Features of Varicella Zoster Virus Infection in Humans

Simian varicella virus (SVV), the etiologic agent of naturally occurring varicella in primates, is genetically and antigenically closely related to human varicella zoster virus (VZV). Early attempts to develop a model of VZV pathogenesis and latency in nonhuman primates (NHP) resulted in persistent infection. More recent models successfully produced latency; however, only a minority of monkeys became viremic and seroconverted. Thus, previous NHP models were not ideally suited to analyze the immune response to SVV during acute infection and the transition to latency. Here, we show for the first time that intrabronchial inoculation of rhesus macaques with SVV closely mimics naturally occurring varicella (chickenpox) in humans. Infected monkeys developed varicella and viremia that resolved 21 days after infection. Months later, viral DNA was detected only in ganglia and not in non-ganglionic tissues. Like VZV latency in human ganglia, transcripts corresponding to SVV ORFs 21, 62, 63 and 66, but not ORF 40, were detected by RT-PCR. In addition, as described for VZV, SVV ORF 63 protein was detected in the cytoplasm of neurons in latently infected monkey ganglia by immunohistochemistry. We also present the first in depth analysis of the immune response to SVV. Infected animals produced a strong humoral and cell-mediated immune response to SVV, as assessed by immunohistology, serology and flow cytometry. Intrabronchial inoculation of rhesus macaques with SVV provides a novel model to analyze viral and immunological mechanisms of VZV latency and reactivation

Land use and climate change interaction triggers contrasting trajectories of biological invasion

Global change drivers such as land use and climate changes are known to interact in their effects on biodiversity. The impact of these drivers on global biodiversity is increasingly evident in many forms including the spread of invasive species. Climate and land use changes affect introduction, colonization and spread of invasive species by affecting niche availability and dispersal potential. We tested the combined effects of land use and climate changes on the current and future habitat suitability of Rhododendron ponticum in Wales using a MaxEnt-based ecological niche model. We used two policy-driven land use change projections for Wales, in combination with two General Circulation Models and two Representative Concentration Pathways to derive eight different land use and climate change scenarios. In seven out of eight scenarios, the habitat suitability for R. ponticum is likely to reduce by 2030. However, in the eighth scenario representing an extreme where land use change and greenhouse gas emissions both accelerate, the interaction of land use and climate change forces an increase of habitat suitability of R. ponticum. The study highlights the importance of considering the combined effect of land use and climate change and including regional policy-based land use change projections to test the potential of an invasive species to expand or retreat in futur

Complex regional pain syndrome - phenotypic characteristics and potential biomarkers

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) is a pain condition that usually affects a single limb, often following an injury. The underlying pathophysiology seems to be complex and probably varies between patients. Clinical diagnosis is based on internationally agreed-upon criteria, which consider the reported symptoms, presence of signs and exclusion of alternative causes. Research into CRPS biomarkers to support patient stratification and improve diagnostic certainty is an important scientific focus, and recent progress in this area provides an opportunity for an up-to-date topical review of measurable disease-predictive, diagnostic and prognostic parameters. Clinical and biochemical attributes of CRPS that may aid diagnosis and determination of appropriate treatment are delineated. Findings that predict the development of CRPS and support the diagnosis include trauma-related factors, neurocognitive peculiarities, psychological markers, and local and systemic changes that indicate activation of the immune system. Analysis of signatures of non-coding microRNAs that could predict the treatment response represents a new line of research. Results from the past 5 years of CRPS research indicate that a single marker for CRPS will probably never be found; however, a range of biomarkers might assist in clinical diagnosis and guide prognosis and treatment

Secretion of Interferon-gamma by interleukin-2-activated natural killer cells after coincubation with L.pneumophila-infected monocytes

Legionella pneumophila führt zu einer Reduktion der MHC-Klasse-I-Expression auf humanen Monozyten. Eine Funktion einer veränderten MHC-Klasse-I-Expression besteht in einer unspezifischen Stimulation von natürlichen Killerzellen. Es wurde untersucht, ob es bei einem in-vitro Infektionsmodell zu einer Stimulation von NK-Zellen kommt und ob diese Stimulation mit dem Grad der MHC-Klasse-I-Reduktion korreliert. Dazu wurde die Stimulation von durch Interleukin-2 aktivierten NK-Zellen durch L.pneumophila infizierte Monozyten anhand des Effektorzytokins Interferon gamma mittels eines intrazellulären Zytokinassays untersucht und mit Versuchen nicht humanpathogenen Legionellenspezies verglichen. Es konnte gezeigt werden, dass IL-2-aktivierte NK-Zellen durch Koinkubation mit L.pneumophila-infizierten Monozyten zur Produktion von IFN-gamma stimuliert werden. Analog zur MHC-Klasse-I-Reduktion waren die Stimulationswerte nach 48 Stunden Infektionsdauer im Vergleich zur 24-Stunden-Infektion stärker und bei Infektion mit nicht humanpathogenen Legionellenspezies schwächer. Die Ergebnisse unterstreichen die Bedeutung von NK-Zellen als IFN-gamma-Produzent während der frühen Phase einer Legionelleninfektion.Legionella pneumophila down-regulates MHC class I expression of human monocytes. One known mechanism consists of an unspecific activation of natural killercells by an altered MHC class I expression. In this study the stimulation of Interleukin-2 activated NK cells after Coincubation with L.pneumophila infected monocytes and the correlation with the reduction of the MHC class I is analyzed by means of an in-vitro infection model. The stimulation of the IL-2 activated NK cells is determined by measuring the Interferon gamma expression in an intracellular cytokin assay. It could be demonstrated that IL-2 activated NK cells were stimulated by coincubation with L.pneumophila infected monocytes. Just as the downregulation of the MHC class I: stimulation was stronger after 48 hours of infection compared to the 24 hours infection and less after infection with avirulent legionella species. The results underline the significance of NK cells as a source of IFN gamma during the early phase of a Legionella infection