Decreasing pH impairs sexual reproduction in a Mediterranean coral transplanted at a CO2 vent

Ocean acidification, due to the increase of carbon dioxide (CO2) concentration in the atmosphere and its absorption by the oceans, affects many aspects of marine calcifying organisms' biology, including reproduction. Most of the available studies on low pH effects on coral reproduction have been conducted on tropical species under controlled conditions, while little information is reported for either tropical or temperate species in the field. This study describes the influence of decreasing pH on sexual reproduction of the temperate non-zooxanthellate colonial scleractinian Astroides calycularis, transplanted in four sites along a natural pH gradient at the underwater volcanic crater of Panarea Island (Tyrrhenian Sea, Italy). The average pH values of each site (range: pHTS 8.07–7.40) match different scenarios of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) for the end of the century. After 3 months under experimental conditions, the reproductive parameters of both oocytes and spermaries (abundance, gonadal index, and diameters) seem to be unaffected by low pH. However, a delay in spermary development in the pre-fertilization period and a persistence of mature oocytes in the fertilization period were observed in the most acidic site. Furthermore, no embryos were found in colonies from the two most acidic sites, suggesting a delay or an interruption of the fertilization process due to acidified conditions. These findings suggest a negative effect of low pH on A. calycularis sexual reproduction. However, long-term experiments, including the synergistic impact of pH and temperature, are needed to predict if this species will be able to adapt to climate change over the next century

Analysis of swallowing after partial frontolateral laryngectomy with epiglottic reconstruction for glottic cancer

The aim of the study was to evaluate swal- lowing using a reproducible objective methodology and to seek preoperative factors that could influence swallowing outcomes in patients operated on for partial laryngectomy. Twenty-four patients who underwent partial frontolateral laryngectomy with epiglottic reconstruction for T1bN0 or T2N0 glottic carcinoma between 2008 and 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. Using fiberoptic endoscopic and videofluoroscopic evaluation, early (15 days postopera- tively) and late (2 months postoperatively) scores were obtained for all patients to quantify their swallowing skills. Eighty-three percent of patients achieved at least partial oral feeding at time of hospital discharge and 87.5 % achieved exclusive oral feeding within 2 months postop- eratively. Early score was good or excellent in 50 %, average in 4.2 % and poor in 41.8 %. Regarding late scores, 63 % were classified as having a good or excellent late score, 7 patients (29 %) were classified as ''middle result'' because their time to recover was longer (i.e. between 1 and 2 months postoperatively), and two patients had a poor late score. Finally, at last follow-up, only one patient was partially fed by gastrostomy (180 days after surgery). T stage (p=0.04) was the only factor influenc- ing early swallowing outcomes and length of hospital stay was longer for poor scores than for good late results (p=0.02). Our findings show good outcomes in terms of postoperative swallowing. Objective assessment of deglu- tition is essential for a better understanding of the mecha- nisms of postoperative swallowing disorders and for patient selection

Les mutations de la famille agricole

La famille agricole suscite un intérêt majeur au sein des politiques agricoles. Ce numéro traite principalement de l'origine des revenus dans les exploitations agricoles et plus spécifiquement de la pluriactivité. Il aborde la place de la femme en agriculture, la mutation des modèles de succession et ses effets sur les politiques de développement agricole et rural. Quelle a été l'évolution du rôle de la femme sur l'exploitation ? Comment mieux connaître la situation économique des ménages agricoles ? Pourquoi la pluriactivité se développe t-elle ? Ce choix peut-il assainir la situation financière de l'exploitation ? Enfin, à partir d'une analyse des modèles de succession en Ecosse, quelles vont être les conséquences sur les politiques de développement local ?Toutes ces questions font l'objet de récentes analyses sur les mutations de la famille agricole

Pollination ecosystem services: A comprehensive review of economic values, research funding and policy actions

Economic valuation of crop pollination services, including potential monetary losses in agricultural production induced by insufficient pollination, is a strategy to quantify the impacts of this critical ecosystem service on food production, food security and the global economy, and to drive policy actions. We examined how the economic valuation of crop pollination services has been investigated across the ecological and economics literature and review estimates of monetary values of crop pollination services, as well as the investments (research funding/grants) and policy actions associated with pollinators and pollination. We documented an increase in the number of economic valuation studies on pollination services in the last two decades, with a substantial growth over the last five years, which represented 54% of all publications. However, we emphasize that there is a marked lack of data on regionally important commercial crops that are essential for the food security of many millions of people, particularly in developing countries. Estimated global values of the crop pollination service, adjusted for inflation in March/2020, range widely from US$195 billion to ~US$387 (US$267–657) billion annually — due to methodology, input data and a historical increase in production costs of pollinator-dependent crops. There is an increasing trend over time in the values of crop pollination service estimates for the full set of main globally-grown crops, although estimates for specific crops are widely variable at local to regional scales. Research funding on pollination/pollinators is mainly in developed countries, which have published all the reviewed policy papers on the economic value of crop pollination services. Although the valuation of pollination services, and associated economics and policy remain embryonic areas of research, animal-mediated pollination is clearly a high-value environmental service, which greatly strengthens conservation arguments worldwide