Supporting information: The EICAT+ framework enables classification of positive impacts of alien taxa on native biodiversity [dataset]

Supporting information A in S1 File. Glossary of additional key terms. Supporting information B in S1 File. Table reporting contrasting arguments and approaches used to define how alien taxa are considered and should be managed in accordance with different conservation values/motivations. As multiple values/motivations exist and determine which entities we are interested in (see also Supporting information A), distinct conservation targets can be identified. Note that here, we only consider conservation values/motivations that are expressed regardless of any nature’s instrumental (utilitarian) value, i.e., regardless of nature’s contributions to human well-being (see “nature for itself” framing [9]). Also, note that such contrasting arguments and approaches are not necessarily mutually exclusive and have been occasionally combined to find a middle ground to achieve broader conservation goals [10–13]. Supporting information C in S1 File. Circumstances under which the prevention/mitigation of a decreasing change is considered as a positive change under EICAT+. In EICAT+, we also consider as positive impacts (i.e., increasing changes) cases in which an alien species prevents/mitigates decreasing changes, e.g., when the performance of a native individual, the size of a native population, or the occupancy of a native species would have decreased, or decreased to a greater extent, if the alien species had not been introduced. Although some of these positive impacts can be inferred, the prevention of a decreasing change should be assessed under EICAT+ only when there is convincing evidence that a certain biodiversity attribute (e.g., population size) would have decreased, or decreased to a greater extent, in the absence of the alien species. In the case of extinction prevention, for instance, it must be clear that (i) the population was locally heading toward extinction before the introduction of the alien; and (ii) the alien taxon prevented, through a specific impact mechanism, an extinction that would have occurred in its absence [41,42] (Fig 2b). Other cases where an alien species may prevent or mitigate decreasing changes are, for instance, those in which the abundance (i.e., a proxy for population size) of a native species declined in the uninvaded (i.e., control) plots but not, or to a lesser extent, in the plots invaded by the alien. Note that positive impacts associated with the prevention/mitigation of a decreasing change will generally be more difficult to study and identify than those associated with actual increasing changes, as the former require extensive data regarding the temporal trend of individual performance, population size, or area of occupancy. Supporting information D in S1 File. EICAT+ mechanisms and submechanisms by which an alien taxon can cause positive impacts on native biodiversity attributes and examples of positive impacts sourced from the literature and assessed under EICAT+ (ML+ = Minimal positive impact, MN+ = Minor positive impact, MO+ = Moderate positive impact, MR+ = Major positive impact, MV+ = Massive positive impact). Rationales behind the formulation of the mechanisms and submechanisms can be found in the main text and in Supporting information G, H, and J. Supporting information E in S1 File. Table reporting examples sourced from the literature and classified as information that cannot be classified under EICAT+, but that contain information about mechanisms and might set the stage for future studies. Although these studies described the existence of mechanisms by which alien taxa may cause positive impacts on native taxa, such literature is considered as nonrelevant, as it did not measure, or provide information on, biodiversity attributes used in EICAT+ (e.g., performance of individuals or population size). Rationales behind the formulation of the mechanisms and submechanisms can be found in the main text and in Supporting information G, H, and J. Supporting information F in S1 File. How to attribute a confidence score in EICAT+. Supporting information G in S1 File. Additional information around the rationale behind the formulation of the EICAT+ mechanisms and submechanisms. Supporting information H in S1 File. Additional information about how alien species can cause positive impacts on native biodiversity through overcompensation. Supporting information J in S1 File. Additional information about how alien species can cause positive impacts on native biodiversity through hybridization. Supporting information K in S1 File. References used in the Supporting information.Peer reviewe

The Evolution of Primate Short-Term Memory.

Short-term memory is implicated in a range of cognitive abilities and is critical for understanding primate cognitive evolution. To investigate the effects of phylogeny, ecology and sociality on short-term memory, we tested the largest and most diverse primate sample to date (421 non-human primates across 41 species) in an experimental delayed-response task. Our results confirm previous findings that longer delays decrease memory performance across species and taxa. Our analyses demonstrate a considerable contribution of phylogeny over ecological and social factors on the distribution of short-term memory performance in primates; closely related species had more similar short-term memory abilities. Overall, individuals in the branch of Hominoidea performed better compared to Cercopithecoidea, who in turn performed above Platyrrhini and Strepsirrhini. Interdependencies between phylogeny and socioecology of a given species presented an obstacle to disentangling the effects of each of these factors on the evolution of short-term memory capacity. However, this study offers an important step forward in understanding the interspecies and individual variation in short-term memory ability by providing the first phylogenetic reconstruction of this trait’s evolutionary history. The dataset constitutes a unique resource for studying the evolution of primate cognition and the role of short-term memory in other cognitive abilities.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Evolution of Primate Short-Term Memory

Short-term memory is implicated in a range of cognitive abilities and is critical for understanding primate cognitive evolution. To investigate the effects of phylogeny, ecology and sociality on short-term memory, we tested the largest and most diverse primate sample to date (421 non-human primates across 41 species) in an experimental delayed-response task. Our results confirm previous findings that longer delays decrease memory performance across species and taxa. Our analyses demonstrate a considerable contribution of phylogeny over ecological and social factors on the distribution of short-term memory performance in primates; closely related species had more similar short-term memory abilities. Overall, individuals in the branch of Hominoidea performed better compared to Cercopithecoidea, who in turn performed above Platyrrhini and Strepsirrhini. Interdependencies between phylogeny and socioecology of a given species presented an obstacle to disentangling the effects of each of these factors on the evolution of short-term memory capacity. However, this study offers an important step forward in understanding the interspecies and individual variation in short-term memory ability by providing the first phylogenetic reconstruction of this trait’s evolutionary history. The dataset constitutes a unique resource for studying the evolution of primate cognition and the role of short-term memory in other cognitive abilities

Increasing frailty is associated with higher prevalence and reduced recognition of delirium in older hospitalised inpatients: results of a multi-centre study

Purpose: Delirium is a neuropsychiatric disorder delineated by an acute change in cognition, attention, and consciousness. It is common, particularly in older adults, but poorly recognised. Frailty is the accumulation of deficits conferring an increased risk of adverse outcomes. We set out to determine how severity of frailty, as measured using the CFS, affected delirium rates, and recognition in hospitalised older people in the United Kingdom. Methods: Adults over 65 years were included in an observational multi-centre audit across UK hospitals, two prospective rounds, and one retrospective note review. Clinical Frailty Scale (CFS), delirium status, and 30-day outcomes were recorded. Results: The overall prevalence of delirium was 16.3% (483). Patients with delirium were more frail than patients without delirium (median CFS 6 vs 4). The risk of delirium was greater with increasing frailty [OR 2.9 (1.8–4.6) in CFS 4 vs 1–3; OR 12.4 (6.2–24.5) in CFS 8 vs 1–3]. Higher CFS was associated with reduced recognition of delirium (OR of 0.7 (0.3–1.9) in CFS 4 compared to 0.2 (0.1–0.7) in CFS 8). These risks were both independent of age and dementia. Conclusion: We have demonstrated an incremental increase in risk of delirium with increasing frailty. This has important clinical implications, suggesting that frailty may provide a more nuanced measure of vulnerability to delirium and poor outcomes. However, the most frail patients are least likely to have their delirium diagnosed and there is a significant lack of research into the underlying pathophysiology of both of these common geriatric syndromes

La stabilité intransitive s’effondre sous l’influence de compétiteurs dominants

International audienceIntransitive competition has received much attention over the past decade. Indeed, these cyclic arrangements of species interactions have the potential to promote and stabilise species coexistence. However, the importance of intransitive interactions in realworld species-rich communities containing a mixture of hierarchic and intransitive interactions remains unknown. Here, using simulations, we explore the behaviour of intransitive loops when they interact with outer competitors, as would be expected in real-world communities. Our results show that dominant competitors often cancel the beneficial effects of intransitive loops of inferior competitors. These results call for caution when inferring beneficial effects of intransitivity on species coexistence. Although intransitive loops are a frequent motif in competition networks, their positive effects on species coexistence may be less important than previously thought. The specific properties of a sub-network -such as stabilisation by intransitive loops -should thus not be interpreted outside the context of the global network.Au cours de la dernière décennie, la compétition intransitive a fait l’objet d’une grande attention. En effet, l’arrangement cyclique d’interactions entre espèces peut favoriser et stabiliser la coexistence des espèces. Cependant, on connaît encore mal l’importance de ces interactions intransitives dans les communautés naturelles, qui sont souvent riches en espèces, et qui contiennent un mélange d’interactions hiérarchiques et intransitives. Nous explorons ici, à l’aide de simulations, le comportement des boucles intransitives lorsqu’elles interagissent avec des compétiteurs extérieurs, ce qui est un scénario attendu dans des communautés naturelles. Nos résultats montrent que les compétiteurs dominants annulent souvent les effets bénéfiques des boucles intransitives des espèces inférieurs. Ces résultats incitent à la prudence lorsqu’il s’agit de déduire les effets bénéfiques de l’intransitivité sur la coexistence des espèces. Bien que les boucles intransitives soient fréquentes dans les réseaux de compétition, leurs effets bénéfiques sur la coexistence des espèces pourraient être moins importants qu’on ne le pensait. Les propriétés d’un sous-réseau—telles que la stabilisation par boucles intransitives—ne devraient donc pas être interprétées indépendamment du réseau global

Carbon Black Nanoparticles Selectively Alter Follicle-Stimulating Hormone Expression in vitro and in vivo in Female Mice

International audienceToxic effects of nanoparticles on female reproductive health have been documented but the underlying mechanisms still need to be clarified. Here, we investigated the effect of carbon black nanoparticles (CB NPs) on the pituitary gonadotropins, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), which are key regulators of gonadal gametogenesis and steroidogenesis. To that purpose, we subjected adult female mice to a weekly non-surgical intratracheal administration of CB NPs at an occupationally relevant dose over 4 weeks. We also analyzed the effects of CB NPs in vitro , using both primary cultures of pituitary cells and the LβT2 gonadotrope cell line. We report here that exposure to CB NPs does not disrupt estrous cyclicity but increases both circulating FSH levels and pituitary FSH β-subunit gene ( Fshb ) expression in female mice without altering circulating LH levels. Similarly, treatment of anterior pituitary or gonadotrope LβT2 cells with increasing concentrations of CB NPs dose-dependently up-regulates FSH but not LH gene expression or release. Moreover, CB NPs enhance the stimulatory effect of GnRH on Fshb expression in LβT2 cells without interfering with LH regulation. We provide evidence that CB NPs are internalized by LβT2 cells and rapidly activate the cAMP/PKA pathway. We further show that pharmacological inhibition of PKA significantly attenuates the stimulatory effect of CB NPs on Fshb expression. Altogether, our study demonstrates that exposure to CB NPs alters FSH but not LH expression and may thus lead to gonadotropin imbalance

Is sacral nerve modulation reprogramming effective after permanent implantation for faecal incontinence?

International audienc

The EICAT+ framework enables classification of positive impacts of alien taxa on native biodiversity

International audienceSpecies introduced through human-related activities beyond their native range, termed alien species, have various impacts worldwide. The IUCN Environmental Impact Classification for Alien Taxa (EICAT) is a global standard to assess negative impacts of alien species on native biodiversity. Alien species can also positively affect biodiversity (for instance, through food and habitat provisioning or dispersal facilitation) but there is currently no standardized and evidence-based system to classify positive impacts. We fill this gap by proposing EICAT+, which uses 5 semiquantitative scenarios to categorize the magnitude of positive impacts, and describes underlying mechanisms. EICAT+ can be applied to all alien taxa at different spatial and organizational scales. The application of EICAT+ expands our understanding of the consequences of biological invasions and can inform conservation decisions

Du Néolithique à l’âge du Bronze sur le littoral de la Manche et de la mer du Nord : le site d’Escalles « mont d’Hubert » (Pas-de-Calais)

International audienceLe site est implanté au sommet du mont d'Hubert (Escalles, Pas-de-Calais), à moins d'un kilomètre en retrait du cap Blanc Nez, qui forme la retombée crayeuse nord-occidentale de l'Artois. Depuis les hauteurs du mont d'Hubert, la vue enveloppe sans contrainte les paysages de la plaine maritime, du détroit du Pas-de-Calais et du sud-est de l'Angleterre, des falaises en grès du cap Gris-Nez. Ce panorama exerce, encore aujourd'hui, une fascination pour un milieu naturel où plusieurs formes paysagères se rencontrent et dessinent les contours de territoires aux qualités géologiques variées. Occupé du Néolithique moyen I à la fin de l'âge du Bronze, l'installation principale concerne une enceinte à fossés interrompus datée du Néolithique moyen 2. Elle se caractérise par le creusement de plusieurs segments enserrant un espace interne estimé à 4,5 ha. La diversité et les quantités de vestiges collectées lors de cette fouille sont impressionnantes associant au sein des mêmes contextes de rejets de la faune, du lithique, des ossements humains, de la céramique et des coquilles marines. Les comblements des différents fossés ont été abordés par une fouille fine. Cette stratégie a servi de base à l'étude des mobiliers et à la campagne de mesures radiocarbone ouvrant de nouvelles perspectives sur le rythme d'occupation du site. Aux activités traditionnellement identifiées, la présence, la répartition et la détermination des restes humains désarticulés, découpés et mêlés aux rejets alimentent la réflexion sur la fonction de ce gisement et des pratiques qui s'y sont déroulées. La relation Homme-Animal mérite aussi que l'on s'y attarde plus longuement en comparant le traitement des ossements humains et animaux (découpe, fracturation, exposition au feu...) afin de comprendre les rapports qui régissent ces événements et leurs rôles symboliques au sein de ces sociétés. Enfin, comment ne pas entrer dans le débat qui intéresse les chercheurs britanniques à propos de la néolithisation de la Grande-Bretagne, tant il apparaît évident que la position géographique et la datation de l'enceinte du mont d'Hubert suggèrent qu'elle a pu jouer un rôle dans la dernière colonisation néolithique de l'Europe notamment en établissant un contact avec les dernières communautés mésolithiques à la transition des Ve et IVe millénaire avant notre ère. A l'appui de cette hypothèse, des comparaisons sur les données matérielles et paléogénomiques sont intégrées à cette monographie