Soil arthropod biodiversity in plain and hilly olive orchard agroecosystems, in Crete, Greece

Μελετήθηκε η βιοποικιλότητα της εδαφόβιας πανίδας αρθροπόδων σε 24 ελαιώνες, οι οποίοι βρίσκονται σε οκτώ διαφορετικές τοποθεσίες στην περιοχή της Μεσσαράς, Κρήτη, και καλύπτουν τις κύριες αγροοικολογικές ζώνες της ελαιοπαραγωγής, πεδινή και λοφώδη. Οι μετρήσεις της εδαφόβιας πανίδας περιλάμβαναν πέντε εβδομαδιαίες δειγματοληψίες σε κάθε εποχή του έτους, με χρήση παγίδων παρεμβολής εδάφους (pitfall traps). Επίσης, ορίστηκαν ομάδες λειτουργικής πανίδας, που αφορούν την βιολογική καταπολέμηση των εχθρών της ελιάς και την ανακύκλωση των θρεπτικών συστατικών του αγροοικοσυστήματος των ελαιώνων. Έγινε σύγκριση μεταξύ των διαφορετικών αγροοικολογικών ζωνών, όσον αφορά την αφθονία και την ποικιλότητα των εδαφόβιων αρθροπόδων και των λειτουργικών τους ομάδων. Στις ταξινομικές ομάδες με μεγάλη αφθονία απαντώνται τα Coleoptera (39.52%), η οικογένεια Formicidae (27.3%), τα Araneae (8.77%) και τα Collembola (5.32%). Η λοφώδης αγροοικολογική ζώνη παρουσίασε υψηλότερη ολική ποικιλότητα αρθροπόδων, ωστόσο χαμηλότερη αφθονία, λόγω της παρουσίας της οικογένειας Tenebrionidae. Ο πλούτος των ταξινομικών ομάδων δεν διέφερε μεταξύ των αγροοικολογικών ζωνών. Η ολική λειτουργική πανίδα αντιπροσώπευσε ένα μεγάλο ποσοστό της ολικής βιοποικιλότητας (76.7%) ενώ παρουσίασε μια τάση υψηλότερης σχετικής αφθονίας στους λοφώδεις ελαιώνες, με εποχικές στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές. Ο δείκτης βιοποικιλότητας Shannon υπέδειξε υψηλότερη βιοποικιλότητα στους λοφώδεις ελαιώνες, με στατιστικά σημαντικές διαφορές την άνοιξη. Γενικά, η λιγότερο εντατική ελαιοπαραγωγή των λοφωδών ελαιώνων φάνηκε να ευνοεί την βιοποικιλότητα της εδαφόβιας πανίδας αρθροπόδων.Soil arthropod biodiversity was monitored in 24 olive orchards located in eight different sites in Messara, Crete, covering the two main agroecological zones of olive oil production, hilly and plain. Monitoring was done weekly for five weeks per season, from autumn 2011 to summer 2012, using pitfall traps. Subgroups of functional taxa were defined with respect to services of biological pest control and of nutrient cycling. Comparison of the different agroecological zones in terms of abundance and diversity of soil arthropods and functional subgroups was performed. Coleoptera (39.52%), Formicidae (27.3%), Araneae (8.77%) and Collembola (5.32%) were the most abundant taxa found in the olive orchards. Hilly orchards presented higher total arthropod diversity, but lower abundance due to family Tenebrionidae. Arthropod richness did not differ between agroecological zones. Functional arthropods were a major part of total abundance (76.7%) and presented a trend of higher catches abundance in the hilly orchards arthropods with seasonally statistically significant differences. Shannon Index of Diversity showed higher arthropod diversity in the hilly orchards, being significantly higher in spring. The less intensive olive production in hilly areas appeared to favour soil arthropod diversity

Pharmacological And Genetic Reversal Of Age-Dependent Cognitive Deficits Attributable To Decreased Presenilin Function

Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) is the leading cause of cognitive loss and neurodegeneration in the developed world. Although its genetic and environmental causes are not generally known, familial forms of the disease (FAD) are attributable to mutations in a single copy of the Presenilin (PS) and amyloid precursor protein genes. The dominant inheritance pattern of FAD indicates that it may be attributable to gain or change of function mutations. Studies of FAD-linked forms of presenilin (psn) in model organisms, however, indicate that they are loss of function, leading to the possibility that a reduction in PS activity might contribute to FAD and that proper psn levels are important for maintaining normal cognition throughout life. To explore this issue further, we have tested the effect of reducing psn activity during aging in Drosophila melanogaster males. We have found that flies in which the dosage of psn function is reduced by 50% display age-onset impairments in learning and memory. Treatment with metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) antagonists or lithium during the aging process prevented the onset of these deficits, and treatment of aged flies reversed the age-dependent deficits. Genetic reduction of Drosophila metabotropic glutamate receptor (DmGluRA), the inositol trisphosphate receptor (InsP(3)R), or inositol polyphosphate 1-phosphatase also prevented these age-onset cognitive deficits. These findings suggest that reduced psn activity may contribute to the age-onset cognitive loss observed with FAD. They also indicate that enhanced mGluR signaling and calcium release regulated by InsP(3)R as underlying causes of the age-dependent cognitive phenotypes observed when psn activity is reduced

The Drosophila DmGluRA is required for social interaction and memory

Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) have well-established roles in cognition and social behavior in mammals. Whether or not these roles have been conserved throughout evolution from invertebrate species is less clear. Mammals have eight mGluRs whereas Drosophila has a single DmGluRA, which has both Gi and Gq coupled signaling activity. We have utilized Drosophila to examine the role of DmGluRA in social behavior and various phases of memory. We have found that flies that are homozygous or heterozygous for loss of function mutations of DmGluRA have impaired social behavior in male Drosophila. Futhermore, flies that are heterozygous for loss of function mutations of DmGluRA have impaired learning during training, immediate-recall memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory as young adults. This work demonstrates a role for mGluR activity in both social behavior and memory in Drosophila

PDE-4 inhibition rescues aberrant synaptic plasticity in Drosophila and mouse models of fragile X syndrome.

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading cause of both intellectual disability and autism resulting from a single gene mutation. Previously, we characterized cognitive impairments and brain structural defects in a Drosophila model of FXS and demonstrated that these impairments were rescued by treatment with metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) antagonists or lithium. A well-documented biochemical defect observed in fly and mouse FXS models and FXS patients is low cAMP levels. cAMP levels can be regulated by mGluR signaling. Herein, we demonstrate PDE-4 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy to ameliorate memory impairments and brain structural defects in the Drosophila model of fragile X. Furthermore, we examine the effects of PDE-4 inhibition by pharmacologic treatment in the fragile X mouse model. We demonstrate that acute inhibition of PDE-4 by pharmacologic treatment in hippocampal slices rescues the enhanced mGluR-dependent LTD phenotype observed in FXS mice. Additionally, we find that chronic treatment of FXS model mice, in adulthood, also restores the level of mGluR-dependent LTD to that observed in wild-type animals. Translating the findings of successful pharmacologic intervention from the Drosophila model into the mouse model of FXS is an important advance, in that this identifies and validates PDE-4 inhibition as potential therapeutic intervention for the treatment of individuals afflicted with FXS

Level of patient and operator dose in the largest cardiac centre in Greece

The objective of this study was to investigate the patient and staff doses in the most frequent interventional cardiology (IC) procedures performed in Onassio, the largest Cardiac Centre in Greece. Data were collected from three digital X-ray systems for 212 coronary angiographies, 203 percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties (PTCA) and 134 various electrophysiological studies. Patient skin dose was measured using suitably calibrated slow radiotherapy films and cardiologist dose using suitably calibrated thermoluminescent dosemeters placed on left arm, hand and foot. Patient median dose area product (DAP) (all examinations) ranged between 6.7 and 83.5 Gy cm2. Patient median skin dose in PTCA was 799 mGy (320-1660 mGy) and in RF ablation 160 mGy (35-1920 mGy). Median arm, hand and foot dose to the cardiologist were 12.6, 27 and 13 μSv, respectively, per procedure. The great range of radiation doses received by both patients and operators confirms the need for continuous monitoring of all IC techniques. © The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved

PDE-4 Inhibition Rescues Aberrant Synaptic Plasticity in Drosophila and Mouse Models of Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading cause of both intellectual disability and autism resulting from a single gene mutation. Previously, we characterized cognitive impairments and brain structural defects in a Drosophila model of FXS and demonstrated that these impairments were rescued by treatment with metabotropic glutamate receptor (mGluR) antagonists or lithium. A well-documented biochemical defect observed in fly and mouse FXS models and FXS patients is low cAMP levels. cAMP levels can be regulated by mGluR signaling. Herein, we demonstrate PDE-4 inhibition as a therapeutic strategy to ameliorate memory impairments and brain structural defects in the Drosophila model of fragile X. Furthermore, we examine the effects of PDE-4 inhibition by pharmacologic treatment in the fragile X mouse model. We demonstrate that acute inhibition of PDE-4 by pharmacologic treatment in hippocampal slices rescues the enhanced mGluR-dependent LTD phenotype observed in FXS mice. Additionally, we find that chronic treatment of FXS model mice, in adulthood, also restores the level of mGluR-dependent LTD to that observed in wild-type animals. Translating the findings of successful pharmacologic intervention from the Drosophila model into the mouse model of FXS is an important advance, in that this identifies and validates PDE-4 inhibition as potential therapeutic intervention for the treatment of individuals afflicted with FXS