Shift in proximate causes of mortality for six large migratory raptors over a century

Delayed maturity and low reproductive rate make raptors naturally sensitive to high mortality rates, yet a wide variety of human-related threats negatively affect their population dynamics and persistence over time. We modelled the variability in the proximate causes of mortality associated with six species of large migratory raptors characterized by different ecological traits. We tested the hypothesis that species-specific mortality signals occur owing to differential exposure to threats in space and time. We relied on an unprecedently large dataset of ring (band) recovery (31269 records) over a period of > 100 years. Our findings suggested that mortality of these birds has declined dramatically since the late 1970s. We found species-specific seasonal patterns of mortality, with higher mortality rates during early life-stages. For Black Kite, Common Buzzard, and Osprey, mortality increased with distance travelled and decreased with distance from migratory bottlenecks. Human-related mortality was higher than natural mortality (47% vs 5.6%), but after 1979 indirect anthropogenic factors increased, while direct ones decreased. Raptors showed differential specific exposure to mortality causes (direct human: Honey Buzzard, Marsh Harrier; indirect human: Common Buzzard, Black Kite; direct and indirect human: Osprey; natural: Montagu\u2019s Harrier). Conservation efforts and international laws have helped lower mortality caused directly by humans, but new emerging human-related threats are impacting migratory raptors and call for advanced conservation efforts. In a fast-changing world, anticipating future threats is key to stemming losses and boosting future preservation

Should we throw the baby out with the bathwater? No, as far as long-term retrospective studies from large dataset are informative

Conservation biologists are increasingly facing the dilemma of how to provide the public with valuable information obtained from long-term historical datasets, both with the aim of driving future research by encouraging others to make use of existing data, and motivating data contributors to continue their activities. Indeed, such datasets (e.g. ringing datasets) are often collected voluntarily by field researchers and/or citizen scientists, and require extensive manpower. These efforts have regularly provided conservation scientists with valuable information, even if not always analysed within a strict probabilistic framework (e.g. Martinez et al., 2016; Clewley et al., 2018). The \u201cconditional\u201d framework for long time-series analysis, which we adopted to analyse one of these extensive datasets, provided sound conclusions in line with those of relevant scientific literature (e.g. Klaasen et al. 2014 ; Molina-L\uf3pez et al., 2011), supporting the value of our results to the scientific community and wider general public, thus making our results fully worth reporting and timely. The possible issues that related to hidden processes when estimating mortality, highlighted by XXXX, along with concerns about the power of the results obtained from conservation studies on mortality that do not adopt a strict probabilistic framework are, of course, worthy of consideration. We strongly welcome and support the widespread invitation to use CMRR models for the estimation of population parameters, especially when appropriate data are available. However, opportunistic historical ringing datasets, collected without ad-hoc probabilistic sampling design, are intrinsically affected by a series of biases that go beyond the ones listed by XXXX, and that sometimes even CMRR model assumptions may struggle with (Lebreton et al. 1992; Thorup et al., 2014)

Serum anti-Müllerian hormone, inhibin B, and total inhibin levels in women with hypothalamic amenorrhea and anorexia nervosa.

Objective: To evaluate whether neuroendocrine forms of secondary amenorrhea (hypothalamic nervosa (HA) and anorexia nervosa (AN)) affect serum anti-Mllerian hormone (AMH), inhibin B, and total inhibin levels. Methods: Amenorrheic women (n = 82) (aged between 16 and 35 years old) according to diagnosed with neuroendocrine forms of amenorrhea: HA (n = 64), AN (n = 18), and healthy women (n = 41) (control group) were enrolled. Serum AMH, inhibin B, and total inhibin levels were measured by specific ELISA. Results: No statistically significant difference of AMH serum levels between women with HA, AN, and control group was observed. Serum inhibin B and total inhibin levels in women with HA (p < 0.0001), AN (p < 0.05) resulted significantly lower than in control healthy women. Conclusion: The present data showed that neuroendocrine forms of amenorrhea are associated with an impaired inhibin secretion while not AMH. These data indirectly support that AMH is an excellent marker of ovarian reserve and its secretion is not influenced by the hypothalamic-ovarian axis activity

Impaired CRH and urocortin expression and function in eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis

7sireservedContext: Women with endometriosis have altered endometrial function. CRH and urocortin (Ucn) are neuropeptides produced by human endometrium and modulate endometrial decidualization. Objective: To evaluate endometrial mRNA expression of CRH and Ucn, their role in in vitro decidualization of cultured human endometrial stromal cells (HESCs) in patients with endometriosis, and the role of CRH receptors (CHR-Rs). Design: Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Siena. Patients: Endometrial specimens were obtained from patients with and without endometriosis. Interventions: Endometrial biopsy obtained at both phases of menstrual cycle. In vitro decidualization of HESCs collected from endometriosis or control was done in the presence of CRH, Ucn, or CRH receptor type 1 (CRH-R1, antalarmin) or type 2 (CRH-R2, astressin 2b) antagonists. Outcome Measures: Endometrial mRNA expression of CRH and Ucn during endometrial cycle; prolactin, CRH-R1, and CRH-R2 mRNA expression during in vitro decidualization. Results: In healthy women CRH and Ucn expression were significantly higher (P < 0.05) in secretory than in proliferative phase; no differences were observed in endometriotic women. During in vitro decidualization, prolactinmRNAexpressionandrelease inendometriosiswaslowerthanincontrol(P< 0.001). CRHandUcnwereabletosignificantly increase (P<0.01) prolactin releaseonlyin controlgroup; moreover, in this group antalarmin reduced prolactin release (P < 0.01). CRH-R1 mRNA expression increased during in vitro decidualization of HESCs in control (P < 0.01) but not in endometriosis. Conclusions: Women with endometriosis show an impaired endometrial expression of CRH and Ucn mRNA,andtheseneuropeptidesarenomoreactive inmodulatingthein vitrodecidualizationofHESCs, associated with a reduced expression of CRH-R1 mRNA. Copyright © 2011 by The Endocrine Society.mixedNovembri, R.;Borges, L.E.;Carrarelli, P.;Rocha, A.L.;De Pascalis, F.;Florio, P.;Petraglia, F.Novembri, R.; Borges, L. E.; Carrarelli, P.; Rocha, A. L.; De Pascalis, F.; Florio, P.; Petraglia, F

Urocortin in amniotic fluid and Down syndrome.

In conclusion, low amniotic Ucn concentrations in pregnant women carrying a Down fetus may be associated with an augmented susceptibility of the fetal brain to neurological injuries mediated by apoptosis and oxidative stress pathways

Activin-A and Myostatin Response and Steroid Regulation in Human Myometrium: Disruption of Their Signalling in Uterine Fibroid

Activin and myostatin act on human myometrium and are regulated by steroids; their expression and follistatin-related gene FLRG and Cripto expression is increased in fibroids