The impact of diet treatment on reproduction and thermophysiological processes in the land snails Cornu aspersum and Helix pomatia

Resource acquisition and allocation is a basic task of all animals. Organisms often encounter environmental heterogeneity in space and time, and may adapt their life histories that have been described as heritable set of rules determining allocation to growth or storage for survival versus reproduction. In Cornu aspersum reproductive strategy depended on seasonal time constraints and investment in reproduction was influenced by the energy available in the environment. Nutrients available in food, like lipids, were deposited in eggs, and a mixed calcium source affected the thickness of egg shell. This might enhance offspring survival. Bacteria in food or soil could be responsible for low supercooling ability and might persist during hibernation in the gut. In Helix pomatia that is used recently in low input snail farms in Germany to maintain this endangered species as a regional specialty under the name Albschneck®, showed low reproductive success even with high energy food compared to an Italian farm population. Helix pomatia preserved a rich bacterial community in the gut probably with ice nucleating bacteria and accumulated cryprotectants, like amino acids, triglycerides and glycerol, to enhance cold hardiness during hibernation. However mortality could be related to perpetual physiological adjustments to high temperature variations and extreme weather situations like dryness, but also be due to limited resource allocation to survival maintaining processes. Protection measures of this species should therefore include the preservation of refuge possibilities in the natural or artificial habitat

Qualified majority voting and flexible integration for a more effective CFSP? A critical examination of the EU's options

The idea of qualified majority voting in the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) is not new, but its momentum has been boosted by the growing international challenges facing the EU. The German government argues that abolishing the unanimity principle would make the EU a stronger foreign policy actor in face of rising transatlantic tensions, a resurgent Russia and an expansive China. But short of an overall treaty amendment the legal possibilities are limited. Qualified majority voting in the CFSP is also problematic if it weakens the EU’s internal legitimacy and external credibility. A dual approach is necessary: in the medium term strengthening the CFSP through flexible integration; in the long term supporting the development of a shared strategic culture through the establishment of collective European threat analysis and intelligence. (Autorenreferat

First record of Vallonia costata (O. F. Müller, 1774) (Gastropoda, Eupulmonata, Valloniidae) from British Columbia, Canada, confirmed by partial-COI gene sequence

The minute terrestrial snail Vallonia costata (O. F. Müller, 1774) is reported for the first time from the province of British Columbia, Canada. The identification was based on shell morphology and confirmed by COI gene data. This species is presumed to be introduced to the province

Mehrheitsentscheidungen und Flexibilisierung in der GASP: ein kritischer Blick auf Instrumente für eine effektivere EU-Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik

Die Einführung von Mehrheitsentscheidungen in der Gemeinsamen Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik (GASP) ist kein neues Thema. Aufgrund wachsender internationaler Herausforderungen an die EU nimmt die Diskussion jedoch wieder Fahrt auf. Befürworter plädieren dafür, das Einstimmigkeitsprinzip abzuschaffen, um die GASP effektiver zu machen. Allerdings sind die rechtlichen Möglichkeiten dafür ohne Vertragsänderung begrenzt. Mehrheitsentscheidungen in der GASP sind zudem dann problematisch, wenn sie die Legitimität der EU nach innen und ihre Glaubwürdigkeit nach außen schwächen. Hier böte sich ein doppelter Ansatz an: Mittelfristig ließe sich die EU-Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik durch Flexibilisierung stärken. Langfristig könnte die Entwicklung einer gemeinsamen strategischen Kultur durch den Aufbau europäischer Analysefähigkeiten unterstützt werden. (Autorenreferat

Neue Initiativen für eine gelähmte Union: nach der Ankündigungswelle braucht die EU einen politikfeldübergreifenden Reformansatz

Die Europäische Union ist gezeichnet von einem Jahrzehnt der Krisen. Diskussionen über Reformen in zentralen Politikfeldern sind blockiert. Die neue Kommissions­präsidentin Ursula von der Leyen hat nun für 2020 ambitionierte Vorhaben versprochen, die Klima und Digitalisierung ebenso betreffen wie die globale Positionierung der EU. Zugleich soll eine Konferenz zur Zukunft der EU ins Leben gerufen werden. Wahrscheinlich ist jedoch, dass die fortschreitende Fragmentierung im Europäischen Parlament sowie verhärtete Fronten zwischen Mitgliedstaaten und instabile Machtverhältnisse in mehreren dieser Staaten nur wenige konkrete Fortschritte erlauben. Statt eines neuen (geopolitischen) Auftretens der Union ist eine zusehends stärkere Ausdifferenzierung ihrer Handlungsfähigkeit nach Politikfeldern zu beobachten. Die deutsche Ratspräsidentschaft könnte dem entgegenwirken, indem sie die Suche nach "Paketlösungen" über einen ressortgetriebenen Ansatz in der EU-Politik priorisiert. (Autorenreferat

Response of wild bee diversity, abundance, and functional traits to vineyard inter-row management intensity and landscape diversity across Europe

Agricultural intensification is a major driver of wild bee decline. Vineyards may be inhabited by plant and animal species, especially when the inter-row space is vegetated with spontaneous vegetation or cover crops. Wild bees depend on floral resources and suitable nesting sites which may be found in vineyard inter-rows or in viticultural landscapes. Inter-row vegetation is managed by mulching, tillage, and/or herbicide application and results in habitat degradation when applied intensively. Here, we hypothesize that lower vegetation management intensities, higher floral resources, and landscape diversity affect wild bee diversity and abundance dependent on their functional traits. We sampled wild bees semi-quantitatively in 63 vineyards representing different vegetation management intensities across Europe in 2016. A proxy for floral resource availability was based on visual flower cover estimations. Management intensity was assessed by vegetation cover (%) twice a year per vineyard. The Shannon Landscape Diversity Index was used as a proxy for landscape diversity within a 750 m radius around each vineyard center point. Wild bee communities were clustered by country. At the country level, between 20 and 64 wild bee species were identified. Increased floral resource availability and extensive vegetation management both affected wild bee diversity and abundance in vineyards strongly positively. Increased landscape diversity had a small positive effect on wild bee diversity but compensated for the negative effect of low floral resource availability by increasing eusocial bee abundance. We conclude that wild bee diversity and abundance in vineyards is efficiently promoted by increasing floral resources and reducing vegetation management frequency. High landscape diversity further compensates for low floral resources in vineyards and increases pollinating insect abundance in viticulture landscapes.AustrianScienceFund,Grant/AwardNumber:I2044-B25;BundesministeriumfürBildungundForschung;UnitateaExecutivapentruFinantareaInvatamantuluiSuperior,aCercetarii,DezvoltariisiInovarii;MinisteriodeEconomíayCompetitividad;AgenceNationaledelaRecherchePeer Reviewe

Mural cell-derived chemokines provide a protective niche to safeguard vascular macrophages and limit chronic inflammation

Maladaptive, non-resolving inflammation contributes to chronic inflammatory diseases such as atheroscle-rosis. Because macrophages remove necrotic cells, defective macrophage programs can promote chronic inflammation with persistent tissue injury. Here, we investigated the mechanisms sustaining vascular mac-rophages. Intravital imaging revealed a spatiotemporal macrophage niche across vascular beds alongside mural cells (MCs)-pericytes and smooth muscle cells. Single-cell transcriptomics, co-culture, and genetic deletion experiments revealed MC-derived expression of the chemokines CCL2 and MIF, which actively pre-served macrophage survival and their homeostatic functions. In atherosclerosis, this positioned macro-phages in viable plaque areas, away from the necrotic core, and maintained a homeostatic macrophage phenotype. Disruption of this MC-macrophage unit via MC-specific deletion of these chemokines triggered detrimental macrophage relocalizing, exacerbated plaque necrosis, inflammation, and atheroprogression. In line, CCL2 inhibition at advanced stages of atherosclerosis showed detrimental effects. This work presents a MC-driven safeguard toward maintaining the homeostatic vascular macrophage niche

Influence of Ocean Acidification on a Natural Winter-to-Summer Plankton Succession : First Insights from a Long-Term Mesocosm Study Draw Attention to Periods of Low Nutrient Concentrations

Every year, the oceans absorb about 30% of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) leading to a re-equilibration of the marine carbonate system and decreasing seawater pH. Today, there is increasing awareness that these changes-summarized by the term ocean acidification (OA)-could differentially affect the competitive ability of marine organisms, thereby provoking a restructuring of marine ecosystems and biogeochemical element cycles. In winter 2013, we deployed ten pelagic mesocosms in the Gullmar Fjord at the Swedish west coast in order to study the effect of OA on plankton ecology and biogeochemistry under close to natural conditions. Five of the ten mesocosms were left unperturbed and served as controls (similar to 380 mu atm pCO(2)), whereas the others were enriched with CO2-saturated water to simulate realistic end-of-the-century carbonate chemistry conditions (mu 760 mu atm pCO(2)). We ran the experiment for 113 days which allowed us to study the influence of high CO2 on an entire winter-to-summer plankton succession and to investigate the potential of some plankton organisms for evolutionary adaptation to OA in their natural environment. This paper is the first in a PLOS collection and provides a detailed overview on the experimental design, important events, and the key complexities of such a "long-term mesocosm" approach. Furthermore, we analyzed whether simulated end-of-the-century carbonate chemistry conditions could lead to a significant restructuring of the plankton community in the course of the succession. At the level of detail analyzed in this overview paper we found that CO2-induced differences in plankton community composition were non-detectable during most of the succession except for a period where a phytoplankton bloom was fueled by remineralized nutrients. These results indicate: (1) Long-term studies with pelagic ecosystems are necessary to uncover OA-sensitive stages of succession. (2) Plankton communities fueled by regenerated nutrients may be more responsive to changing carbonate chemistry than those having access to high inorganic nutrient concentrations and may deserve particular attention in future studies.Peer reviewe

Der Einfluss der Ernährung auf die Fortpflanzung und auf thermo-physiologische Prozesse bei den Landschnecken Cornu aspersum und Helix pomatia

Resource acquisition and allocation is a basic task of all animals. Organisms often encounter environmental heterogeneity in space and time, and may adapt their life histories that have been described as heritable set of rules determining allocation to growth or storage for survival versus reproduction. In Cornu aspersum reproductive strategy depended on seasonal time constraints and investment in reproduction was influenced by the energy available in the environment. Nutrients available in food, like lipids, were deposited in eggs, and a mixed calcium source affected the thickness of egg shell. This might enhance offspring survival. Bacteria in food or soil could be responsible for low supercooling ability and might persist during hibernation in the gut. In Helix pomatia that is used recently in low input snail farms in Germany to maintain this endangered species as a regional specialty under the name Albschneck®, showed low reproductive success even with high energy food compared to an Italian farm population. Helix pomatia preserved a rich bacterial community in the gut probably with ice nucleating bacteria and accumulated cryprotectants, like amino acids, triglycerides and glycerol, to enhance cold hardiness during hibernation. However mortality could be related to perpetual physiological adjustments to high temperature variations and extreme weather situations like dryness, but also be due to limited resource allocation to survival maintaining processes. Protection measures of this species should therefore include the preservation of refuge possibilities in the natural or artificial habitat

La gestion de la reserve ‘Tall Grass Prairie’ au Manitoba (Canada) du point de vue des gastéropodes

National audienc