The role of the tantalus monkey (Chlorocebus tantalus tantalus) in forest restoration via seed dispersal in a West African montane forest.

Many of the world's tropical forests are under threat, with anthropogenic deforestation and degradation occurring at an alarming rate. Seed dispersal in an important process in forest restoration and regeneration, however seed rain is often low in degraded habitats, hindering reforestation efforts. Up to 90% of tropical fruit are dispersed by vertebrates, animal seed dispersers are incredibly important in maintaining forest health. Additionally, frugivores that disperse seeds into degraded areas may be of great importance in aiding natural reforestation. I therefore, investigated the potential role of the frugivorous monkey, Chlorocebus tantalus tantalus, in forest regeneration via seed dispersal. I assessed its patterns of habitat use, the quality and quantity of seed dispersal it provides, the effectiveness of current conservation management actions and the density of C. t. tantalus at Ngel Nyaki Forest Reserve. I found C. t. tantalus utilised forest, edge and grassland habitats, and dispersed seeds of 28 pioneer and forest edge species into these habitats. Moreover, the number of seeds dispersed per faeces was significantly higher in the grassland than the forest with means of 16.4 +/- 6.1 and 3.4 +/- 0.97 seeds >2 mm in these habitats respectively. Germination of C. t. tantalus dispersed seeds was highest in grazed grassland and lowest in grassland protected from grazing and fire, suggesting the current practice of fencing off grassland to protect from cattle grazing may not be sufficient on its own, due to seed-seedling conflict in habitat suitability. These findings combined with an estimated density of 28 +/- 10.8 C. t. tantalus individuals km⁻² suggests C. t. tantalus may benefit forest regeneration via its role as a seed disperser, provided appropriate management actions are implemented. This and other frugivorous species may play similar roles in other locations but such roles need to be investigated in order to implement management actions that ensure their seed dispersal benefits are maximised for forest restoration and regeneration

Assessing the impact of temporary housing sites on urban socio-spatial performance: the case of the Central Italy earthquake

This paperadvocatesa performance-based approach to the planningof temporary housing sites after sudden urban disasters. A “functionally graded”configurational analysis method is usedto assess,quantitatively and qualita-tively,thesocio-spatial impact of government-led housing assistance provisionacrossthe regional,urbanandneighbourhoodscales. To highlight the differentoutcomes achieved in different urban contextsby apparently similar housing re-covery plans, adiachronic comparative studyof four epicentral historic townshit by the 2016-2017Central Italyearthquakesis performed.The researchanalysestheconfigurationalpropertiesof these settlements at four critical points in time: before the disaster; right after it(emergency phase); during disaster recovery; after the reconstruction is completed. This paper builds on previous research on rapid urban modelling and economic spatial analysis workflows to respond to potential implementationchallenges,which include time constraints and geo-data availabilityissues after disasters. By using a real case scenario,this study seeks to demonstratethe potential benefitsof adopting the proposed multidimensional spatialanalysis methodto foster the delivery of integrated housing recovery so-lutions, which contribute to sustainable urban developmentTheseencompassin-forming, timely updating,and coordinatingstrategic, management,and opera-tional decisions related to the design and planningof temporary housing sites

Stable isotope food-web analysis and mercury biomagnification in polar bears ( Ursus maritimus )

Mercury (Hg) biomagnification occurs in many ecosystems, resulting in a greater potential for toxicological effects in higher-level trophic feeders. However, Hg transport pathways through different food-web channels are not well known, particularly in high-latitude systems affected by the atmospheric Hg deposition associated with snow and ice. Here, we report on stable carbon and nitrogen isotope ratios, and Hg concentrations, determined for 26, late 19th and early 20th century, polar bear ( Ursus maritimus ) hair specimens, collected from catalogued museum collections. These data elucidate relationships between the high-latitude marine food-web structure and Hg concentrations in polar bears. The carbon isotope compositions of polar bear hairs suggest that polar bears derive nutrition from coupled food-web channels, based in pelagic and sympagic primary producers, whereas the nitrogen isotope compositions indicate that polar bears occupy > fourth-level trophic positions. Our results show a positive correlation between polar bear hair Hg concentrations and δ 15 N. Interpretation of the stable isotope data in combination with Hg concentrations tentatively suggests that polar bears participating in predominantly pelagic food webs exhibit higher mercury concentrations than polar bears participating in predominantly sympagic food webs.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73930/1/j.1751-8369.2009.00114.x.pd

A systematic review of methods used to study fish in saltmarsh flats

There is a growing body of research highlighting the importance of saltmarshes as habitats for fish for feeding, refuge from predation and reproduction. However, more work is needed on fish on vegetated marsh flats (or surfaces). We reviewed 60 studies that used 21 methods to sample fish assemblages on saltmarsh flats. Drop samplers, fyke nets and pop nets were most frequently employed, with considerably more studies being conducted in graminoid than succulent marsh. Reporting of sampling temporal and tidal details, environmental variables and fish attributes was inconsistent. Most of the papers focussed on one or more of conservation management, comparisons among habitat types, and the use of saltmarsh (including fish activity type or residency status). Important potential areas of research include the relationships between the fish assemblages of saltmarsh flats and coastal fisheries, the effects of invasive plant species and marsh restoration efforts in areas outside the United States, and the potential effects of sea-level rise on vegetated flats as fish habitat. Sampling methods that provide density measures are likely to be most useful for most of this research. Thus, drop samplers and pop nets are an appropriate choice, the former in graminoid saltmarshes and the latter in succulent saltmarshes

When does the co-evolution of technology and science overturn into technoscience?

In this paper, the relations between science and technology, intervention and representation, the natural and the artificial are analysed on the background of the formation of modern science in the sixteenth century. Due to the fact that technique has been essential for modern science from its early beginning, modern science is characterised by a hybridisation of knowledge and intervention. The manipulation of nature in order to measure its properties has steadily increased until artificial things have been produced, such as laser beams, chemical compounds, elementary particles. Furthermore, the structural bracing of natural science, technological development, and industrial exploitation of nature go also back to the foundation of modern science. In order to strengthen the debate on technoscience against this background, the specific characteristics of technoscientific objects have to be clarified as have the specific characteristics of the social organisation of technoscience and its performance

Additive value of [18F]PI-2620 perfusion imaging in progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome

Purpose: Early after [18F]PI-2620 PET tracer administration, perfusion imaging has potential for regional assessment of neuronal injury in neurodegenerative diseases. This is while standard late-phase [18F]PI-2620 tau-PET is able to discriminate the 4-repeat tauopathies progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal syndrome (4RTs) from disease controls and healthy controls. Here, we investigated whether early-phase [18F]PI-2620 PET has an additive value for biomarker based evaluation of 4RTs. Methods: Seventy-eight patients with 4RTs (71 ± 7 years, 39 female), 79 patients with other neurodegenerative diseases (67 ± 12 years, 35 female) and twelve age-matched controls (69 ± 8 years, 8 female) underwent dynamic (0-60 min) [18F]PI-2620 PET imaging. Regional perfusion (0.5-2.5 min p.i.) and tau load (20-40 min p.i.) were measured in 246 predefined brain regions [standardized-uptake-value ratios (SUVr), cerebellar reference]. Regional SUVr were compared between 4RTs and controls by an ANOVA including false-discovery-rate (FDR, p < 0.01) correction. Hypoperfusion in resulting 4RT target regions was evaluated at the patient level in all patients (mean value - 2SD threshold). Additionally, perfusion and tau pattern expression levels were explored regarding their potential discriminatory value of 4RTs against other neurodegenerative disorders, including validation in an independent external dataset (n = 37), and correlated with clinical severity in 4RTs (PSP rating scale, MoCA, activities of daily living). Results: Patients with 4RTs had significant hypoperfusion in 21/246 brain regions, most dominant in thalamus, caudate nucleus, and anterior cingulate cortex, fitting to the topology of the 4RT disease spectrum. However, single region hypoperfusion was not specific regarding the discrimination of patients with 4RTs against patients with other neurodegenerative diseases. In contrast, perfusion pattern expression showed promise for discrimination of patients with 4RTs from other neurodegenerative diseases (AUC: 0.850). Discrimination by the combined perfusion-tau pattern expression (AUC: 0.903) exceeded that of the sole tau pattern expression (AUC: 0.864) and the discriminatory power of the combined perfusion-tau pattern expression was replicated in the external dataset (AUC: 0.917). Perfusion but not tau pattern expression was associated with PSP rating scale (R = 0.402; p = 0.0012) and activities of daily living (R = - 0.431; p = 0.0005). Conclusion: [18F]PI-2620 perfusion imaging mirrors known topology of regional hypoperfusion in 4RTs. Single region hypoperfusion is not specific for 4RTs, but perfusion pattern expression may provide an additive value for the discrimination of 4RTs from other neurodegenerative diseases and correlates closer with clinical severity than tau pattern expression

BUILDING BRIDGES FOR INNOVATION IN AGEING : SYNERGIES BETWEEN ACTION GROUPS OF THE EIP ON AHA

The Strategic Implementation Plan of the European Innovation Partnership on Active and Healthy Ageing (EIP on AHA) proposed six Action Groups. After almost three years of activity, many achievements have been obtained through commitments or collaborative work of the Action Groups. However, they have often worked in silos and, consequently, synergies between Action Groups have been proposed to strengthen the triple win of the EIP on AHA. The paper presents the methodology and current status of the Task Force on EIP on AHA synergies. Synergies are in line with the Action Groups' new Renovated Action Plan (2016-2018) to ensure that their future objectives are coherent and fully connected. The outcomes and impact of synergies are using the Monitoring and Assessment Framework for the EIP on AHA (MAFEIP). Eight proposals for synergies have been approved by the Task Force: Five cross-cutting synergies which can be used for all current and future synergies as they consider overarching domains (appropriate polypharmacy, citizen empowerment, teaching and coaching on AHA, deployment of synergies to EU regions, Responsible Research and Innovation), and three cross-cutting synergies focussing on current Action Group activities (falls, frailty, integrated care and chronic respiratory diseases).Peer reviewe