Monitoring of species' genetic diversity in Europe varies greatly and overlooks potential climate change impacts.

Genetic monitoring of populations currently attracts interest in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity but needs long-term planning and investments. However, genetic diversity has been largely neglected in biodiversity monitoring, and when addressed, it is treated separately, detached from other conservation issues, such as habitat alteration due to climate change. We report an accounting of efforts to monitor population genetic diversity in Europe (genetic monitoring effort, GME), the evaluation of which can help guide future capacity building and collaboration towards areas most in need of expanded monitoring. Overlaying GME with areas where the ranges of selected species of conservation interest approach current and future climate niche limits helps identify whether GME coincides with anticipated climate change effects on biodiversity. Our analysis suggests that country area, financial resources and conservation policy influence GME, high values of which only partially match species' joint patterns of limits to suitable climatic conditions. Populations at trailing climatic niche margins probably hold genetic diversity that is important for adaptation to changing climate. Our results illuminate the need in Europe for expanded investment in genetic monitoring across climate gradients occupied by focal species, a need arguably greatest in southeastern European countries. This need could be met in part by expanding the European Union's Birds and Habitats Directives to fully address the conservation and monitoring of genetic diversity

Induction of autophagy by spermidine promotes longevity.

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Monitoring of species’ genetic diversity in Europe varies greatly and overlooks potential climate change impacts

Genetic monitoring of populations currently attracts interest in the context of the Convention on Biological Diversity but needs long-term planning and investments. However, genetic diversity has been largely neglected in biodiversity monitoring, and when addressed, it is treated separately, detached from other conservation issues, such as habitat alteration due to climate change. We report an accounting of efforts to monitor population genetic diversity in Europe (genetic monitoring effort, GME), the evaluation of which can help guide future capacity building and collaboration towards areas most in need of expanded monitoring. Overlaying GME with areas where the ranges of selected species of conservation interest approach current and future climate niche limits helps identify whether GME coincides with anticipated climate change effects on biodiversity. Our analysis suggests that country area, financial resources and conservation policy influence GME, high values of which only partially match species’ joint patterns of limits to suitable climatic conditions. Populations at trailing climatic niche margins probably hold genetic diversity that is important for adaptation to changing climate. Our results illuminate the need in Europe for expanded investment in genetic monitoring across climate gradients occupied by focal species, a need arguably greatest in southeastern European countries. This need could be met in part by expanding the European Union’s Birds and Habitats Directives to fully address the conservation and monitoring of genetic diversity

Validation of the Italian version of the singing voice handicap index

Singers constitute a specific population that is particularly sensitive to vocal disability, which may have a higher impact on their quality of life compared to non-singers. A specific questionnaire, the Singing Voice Handicap Index (SVHI), was created and validated aimed to measure the physical, social, emotional and economic impacts of voice problems on the lives of singers. The aim of this study was to validate the Italian version of the SVHI. The validated English version of the SVHI was translated into Italian and then discussed with several voice care professionals. The Italian version of the SVHI was administered to 214 consecutive singers (91 males and 123 females, mean age: 32.62 +/- A 10.85). Voice problem complaints were expressed by 97 of the singers, while 117 were healthy and had no voice conditions. All subjects underwent a phoniatric consultation with videolaryngostroboscopy to ascertain the condition of the vocal folds. Internal consistency of the Italian version of the SVHI showed a Cronbach's alpha of 0.97. The test-retest reliability was assessed by comparing the responses obtained by all subjects in two different administrations of the questionnaire; the difference was not significant (p = ns). The SVHI scores in healthy singers was significantly lower than the one obtained in the group of singers with a vocal fold abnormality (29.26 +/- A 25.72 and 45.62 +/- A 27.95, p < 0.001, respectively). The Italian version of the SVHI was successfully validated as an instrument with proper internal consistency and reliability. It is a suitable instrument for the self-evaluation of handicaps related to voice problems in the context of singing

Experimental and Numerical Analysis of Natural Gas and Pyrolysis Syngas Combustion in a Microturbine Combustor

This paper describes the experimental and numerical analysis carried out on a commercial micro-gas turbine to investigate the possibility to fuel it with biomass derived fuels. In particular, the aim is to introduce in the microturbine the syngas obtained with pyrolysis of solid biomass, in the framework of a Integrated Pyrolysis Regenerated Plant. A preliminary experimental campaign on the microturbine operation with natural gas has been performed, with variable output power. Results of the measurements are presented and used in this study to tune the subsequent numerical investigation. The synthesis gas shows significant differences in comparison with natural gas that could affect the combustion process and the machine operation. Numerical simulation of the combustion process have been used to identify the flame behaviour and main changes in pollutants arising when using these gases. The combustion process has been simulated with different numerical models and chemical schemes, used both for methane and syngas fuels, in order to identify the main differences

Normal and low molecular weight heparins: interaction with human platelets

Abstract. Porcine mucosal heparin was chemically depolymerized. The depolymerization was stopped at different steps to obtain two low molecular weight (LMW) heparins with a molecular weight of 10 000 and 6000, respectively. The LMW heparins were tested in vitro for anti-clotting activities and for platelet serotonin release in different systems in comparison with normal heparins, dermatan and heparan sulphate. After addition of various amounts of heparin preparations to washed platelets, no significant release was observed for all tested heparins. On the contrary, different heparins showed an inhibition of serotonin-release induced by collagen in platelet rich plasma, whereas the ADP-induced release was increased. The effect on the platelet release appears related to the molecular weight. In fact, it is significant only for normal heparins whereas it is not for LMW heparins. A good relation was observed, also, between anti-activated factor X activity/antiglobal clotting activity (Xa/APTT) ratio of different heparins and the effect on platelet release

Soil moisture estimation in Ferlo region (Senegal) using radar (ENVISAT/ASAR) and optical (SPOT/VEGETATION) data

The sensitivity of the radar signal to the seasonal dynamics in the Sahel region is a considerable asset for monitoring surface parameters including soil moisture. Given the sensitivity of the radar signal to vegetation mass production, roughness and soil moisture, the main problem has been to estimate the contribution of these three parameters to the signal. This study aims to circumvent this problem by combining radar with optical data. The DMP (Dry Mater Product) extracted from SPOT data allowed to estimate vegetation mass production. Surface roughness was estimated from radar data during the dry season. Because during the dry season, radar signal is only conditioned by soil roughness in this region a Radiative Transfer Model (RTM) was used: it consists in a microwave scattering model of layered vegetation based on the first-order solution of the radiative transfer equation and it accounts for multiple scattering within the canopy, surface roughness of the soil, and the interaction between canopy surface and soil. This model was designed to account for the branch size distribution, leaf orientation distribution, and branch orientation distribution for each size. In this study, the RTM has been calibrated with ESCAT (European Radar Satellite Scatterometer) data, and has been used in order to estimate soil moisture. The results obtained have allowed to track the spatial and temporal dynamics of soil moisture on the one hand, and on the other hand the influence of geology and morphopedology on the spatial dynamics of the soil moisture variability. These results are promising despite the fact that the inversed RTM often faces difficulties to interpret the signal for saturated soils, giving an aberrant value of soil moisture more often than not