Invasive alien species have widespread impacts on native biodiversity and ecosystem services. Since the number of introductions worldwide is continuously rising, it is essential to prevent the entry, ...establishment and spread of new alien species through a systematic examination of future potential threats. Applying a three-step horizon scanning consensus method, we evaluated non-established alien species that could potentially arrive, establish and cause major ecological impact in Spain within the next 10 years. Overall, we identified 47 species with a very high risk (e.g. Oreochromis niloticus, Popillia japonica, Hemidactylus frenatus, Crassula helmsii or Halophila stipulacea), 61 with high risk, 93 with moderate risk, and 732 species with low risk. Many of the species categorized as very high or high risk to Spanish biodiversity are either already present in Europe and neighbouring countries or have a long invasive history elsewhere. This study provides an updated list of potential invasive alien species useful for prioritizing efforts and resources against their introduction. Compared to previous horizon scanning exercises in Spain, the current study screens potential invaders from a wider range of terrestrial, freshwater, and marine organisms, and can serve as a basis for more comprehensive risk analyses to improve management and increase the efficiency of the early warning and rapid response framework for invasive alien species. We also stress the usefulness of measuring agreement and consistency as two different properties of the reliability of expert scores, in order to more easily elaborate consensus ranked lists of potential invasive alien species.
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•Horizon scan is important for prioritizing management efforts•We identified 108 species with high or very high risk of becoming invasive in Spain•Many prioritized species are already present in neighbouring countries•Agreement and consistency statistics inform about the reliability of experts scores
SUMMARY
Background
Mexican children are characterized by a high‐starch intake diet and high prevalence of obesity.
Objectives
To investigate the association of AMY1A/AMY2A copy numbers (CNs) and ...AMY1/AMY2 serum enzymatic activity with childhood obesity in up to 427 and 337 Mexican cases and controls.
Methods
Anthropometric and dietary starch intake data were collected. CN of AMY1A/AMY2A and AMY1/AMY2 serum enzymatic activity were determined using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) and enzymatic colorimetry, respectively. An individual participant level data meta‐analysis of association between AMY1A CNVs and obesity was also performed.
Results
A positive association between AMY1A/AMY2A CNs and their corresponding AMY1/AMY2 serum enzyme activity was observed in children with normal weight and obesity. The serum enzyme activity of AMY1 and AMY2 was negatively associated with childhood obesity risk, and the association was restricted to kids eating medium/high amount of starch (Pinteraction = .004). While no association between AMY1A and AMY2A CNs and childhood obesity was observed in our sample, we confirmed a significant association between AMY1A CN and obesity in a meta‐analysis of 3100 Mexican children.
Conclusions
Our data suggest that genetically determined salivary and pancreatic amylase activity can increase/decrease the risk of obesity in Mexican children, this effect being blunted by a low‐starch diet.
