Substrate preference and settlement behaviour of the megalopa of the invasive crab Percnon gibbesi (Decapoda, Percnidae) in the Mediterranean Sea

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Do Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) and track two processes support transboundary marine conservation? Lessons from six case studies of maritime disputes

By definition, marine protected areas (MPAs) and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs) address spatial aspects of the ecological processes and marine features. Such a requirement is especially challenging in areas where there is no clearly defined jurisdiction. However, in these areas, assigning sovereignty and rights can be achieved through bilateral or multilateral agreements, or with the use of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) tools such as mediation and arbitration. In some cases, states may engage in transboundary marine conservation initiatives to provide an entry point to enable wider collaboration. These processes can also evolve into a form of ‘environmental peacebuilding’ while ideally maintaining ecosystem functioning and resilience as a core goal. Conversely, MPAs and OECMs can also be used to assert maritime sovereignty rights over disputed waters, under the pretext of conserving marine habitats. This paper identifies emerging issues of conflict resolution and their interaction with transboundary marine conservation. While ADR focuses on negotiations and facilitated processes between state representatives (“track one diplomacy”), we also discuss other forms and levels of marine environmental peacebuilding and dispute resolution, particularly those between civil society organizations (“track two diplomacy”). The six case studies presented highlight areas of recent maritime conflict or border disputes in the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the West Indian Ocean, the Korean West Sea and the South China Sea. In all cases, high ecological value, vulnerable ecosystems, and the need to conserve ecosystem services provide a shared interest for cooperation despite on-going diplomatic difficulties. The strategies used in these cases are analyzed to determine what lessons might be learned from cross-border collaborative marine initiatives in situations of territorial dispute. The use of ADR tools and their ability to support joint marine initiatives are examined, as well as how such initiatives contribute to formal border negotiations. Other forms of inter-state dialogue and cooperation between local or civil organizations, circumventing formal treaties and negotiations between state leaders (‘track two’) are also investigated. Finally, other influencing factors, including third-party involvement, stakeholder interests, power dynamics, economic context, and socio-cultural aspects, are considered.European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST):15121info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The effects of an invasive seaweed on native communities vary along a gradient of land-based human impacts

The difficulty in teasing apart the effects of biological invasions from those of other anthropogenic perturbations has hampered our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the global biodiversity crisis. The recent elaboration of global-scale maps of cumulative human impacts provides a unique opportunity to assess how the impact of invaders varies among areas exposed to different anthropogenic activities. A recent meta-analysis has shown that the effects of invasive seaweeds on native biota tend to be more negative in relatively pristine than in human-impacted environments. Here, we tested this hypothesis through the experimental removal of the invasive green seaweed, Caulerpa cylindracea, from rocky reefs across the Mediterranean Sea. More specifically, we assessed which out of land-based and sea-based cumulative impact scores was a better predictor of the direction and magnitude of the effects of this seaweed on extant and recovering native assemblages. Approximately 15 months after the start of the experiment, the removal of C. cylindracea from extant assemblages enhanced the cover of canopy-forming macroalgae at relatively pristine sites. This did not, however, result in major changes in total cover or species richness of native assemblages. Preventing C. cylindracea re-invasion of cleared plots at pristine sites promoted the recovery of canopyforming and encrusting macroalgae and hampered that of algal turfs, ultimately resulting in increased species richness. These effects weakened progressively with increasing levels of land-based human impacts and, indeed, shifted in sign at the upper end of the gradient investigated. Thus, at sites exposed to intense disturbance from land-based human activities, the removal of C. cylindracea fostered the cover of algal turfs and decreased that of encrusting algae, with no net effect on species richness. Our results suggests that competition from C. cylindracea is an important determinant of benthic assemblage diversity in pristine environments, but less so in species-poor assemblages found at sites exposed to intense disturbance from landbased human activities, where either adverse physical factors or lack of propagules may constrain the number of potential native colonizers. Implementing measures to reduce the establishment and spread of C. cylindracea in areas little impacted by land-based human activities should be considered a priority for preserving the biodiversity of Mediterranean shallow rocky reefs

Lidar and true-orthorectification of infrared aerial imagery of high Pinus sylvestris forest in mountainous relief

Combination of various data sources has been demonstrated more effective than using them separately. Information retrieval is significantly improved by synergies between laser scanner and optical imagery. Digital photography relies on traditional methods for orthorectification in order to accomplish an accurate correspondence with Lidar. We investigated combinatorial techniques in a high pine forest situated in mountainous relief in the Guadarrama Range (Spain). Results have shown critical inaccuracies in the integration of these data, even when obtained simultaneously. We propose the use of Lidar-derived Digital Surface Model in the process of orthorectification of aerial imagery. We hypothesised that the use of true-orthophoto techniques for improving the planimetric accuracy of VHR can be reliable for forestry applications. The methodology slightly improved the geometrical results obtained, though radiometric results might be meaningless. Consequently, other possible solutions are also discussed

In Vitro Evaluation of Antioxidant Potential of the Invasive Seagrass Halophila stipulacea

none10Marine organisms with fast growth rates and great biological adaptive capacity might have biotechnological interests, since ecological competitiveness might rely on enhanced physiological or biochemical processes’ capability promoting protection, defense, or repair intracellular damages. The invasive seagrass Halophila stipulacea, a non-indigenous species widespread in the Mediterranean Sea, belongs to this category. This is the premise to investigate the biotechnological interest of this species. In this study, we investigated the antioxidant activity in vitro, both in scavenging reactive oxygen species and in repairing damages from oxidative stress on the fibroblast human cell line WI-38. Together with the biochemical analysis, the antioxidant activity was characterized by the study of the expression of oxidative stress gene in WI-38 cells in presence or absence of the H. stipulacea extract. Concomitantly, the pigment pool of the extracts, as well as their macromolecular composition was characterized. This study was done separately on mature and young leaves. Results indicated that mature leaves exerted a great activity in scavenging reactive oxygen species and repairing damages from oxidative stress in the WI-38 cell line. This activity was paralleled to an enhanced carotenoids content in the mature leaf extracts and a higher carbohydrate contribution to organic matter. Our results suggest a potential of the old leaves of H. stipulacea as oxidative stress damage protecting or repair agents in fibroblast cell lines. This study paves the way to transmute the invasive H. stipulacea environmental threat in goods for human health.openClementina Sansone; Christian Galasso; Marco Lo Martire; Tomás Vega Fernández; Luigi Musco; Antonio Dell’Anno; Antonino Bruno; Douglas M. Noonan; Adriana Albini; Christophe BrunetSansone, Clementina; Galasso, Christian; Lo Martire, Marco; Vega Fernández, Tomás; Musco, Luigi; Dell’Anno, Antonio; Bruno, Antonino; Noonan, Douglas M.; Albini, Adriana; Brunet, Christoph

Pain reduction and tolerance of type II undenatured collagen in patients with knee osteoarthritis

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of pain and disability in adults. Dietary supplements such as undenatured type II collagen (UC-II) have shown to have some benefits in OA treatment. This study aimed to assess changes in pain levels among knee OA patients treated with UC-II for 6 months. Methods: Patients with knee OA of any grade were given a daily 40 mg dose of UC-II (CondroArtil®) as a dietary supplement for 6 months. Pain levels were measured using the visual analog scale (VAS) before starting UC-II 6 months thereafter. A total of 100 patients (62/38: male/female) with a mean age of 46.3±13.8 years participated in the study. Most patients (60%) had mild to moderate OA (grade I or II). Results: The UC-II supplementation was shown to significantly reduce pain levels (p<0.001) with a negative correlation between pain reduction and age (p=0.006) and BMI (p=0.049). The OA severity also affected pain reduction (p=0.011), with grade II OA experiencing higher pain levels. Previous physical therapy and food supplements had a significant impact on pain reduction (p=0.017 and p=0.012, respectively). Conclusions: The study suggests that UC-II is an effective treatment for reducing pain in patients with knee OA

Criterios de evaluación ONE 2005. Ciencias Naturales 1º Ciclo EGB

Tablas de criterios de evaluación: Capacidades y desempeños por año y área evaluados en los ONE 2005

New, Fully Implantable Device for Selective Clearance of CSF-Target Molecules: Proof of Concept in a Murine Model of Alzheimer’s Disease

[EN] We have previously proposed a radical change in the current strategy to clear pathogenic proteins from the central nervous system (CNS) based on the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-sink therapeutic strategy, whereby pathogenic proteins can be removed directly from the CNS via CSF. To this aim, we designed and manufactured an implantable device for selective and continuous apheresis of CSF enabling, in combination with anti-amyloid-beta (Aβ) monoclonal antibodies (mAb), the clearance of Aβ from the CSF. Here, we provide the first proof of concept in the APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Devices were implanted in twenty-four mice (seventeen APP/PS1 and seven Wt) with low rates of complications. We confirmed that the apheresis module is permeable to the Aβ peptide and impermeable to mAb. Moreover, our results showed that continuous clearance of soluble Aβ from the CSF for a few weeks decreases cortical Aβ plaques. Thus, we conclude that this intervention is feasible and may provide important advantages in terms of safety and efficacy.This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, under Grant DTS19-00071 to M.M.-G. and by the Fundación para el Fomento en Asturias de la Investigación Científica Aplicada y la Tecnología (FICYT), under Grant AYUD/2021/57540, to C.T.-Z