Climate change poses negative impacts on plant species, particularly for those of restricted ecology and distribution range. Rosa arabica Crép., an exclusive endemic species to Saint Catherine ...Protectorate in Egypt, has severely declined and become critically endangered in the last years. In this paper, we applied the maximum-entropy algorithm (MaxEnt) to predict the current and future potential distribution of this species in order to provide a basis for its protection and conservation. In total, 32 field-based occurrence points and 22 environmental variables (19 bioclimatic and three topographic) were used to model the potential distribution area under current and two future representative concentration pathways (RCP2.6 and RCP8.5) for the years 2050 and 2070. Annual temperature, annual precipitation and elevation were the key factors for the distribution of R. arabica. The response curves showed that this species prefers habitats with an annual temperature of 8.05–15.4 °C, annual precipitation of 36 to 120 mm and elevation range of 1571 to 2273 m a.s.l. Most of the potential current suitable conditions were located at the middle northern region of Saint Catherine. Prediction models under two future climate change scenarios displayed habitat range shifts through the disappearance of R. arabica in sites below 1500 m a.s.l., an altitudinal range contraction at 1500–2000 m and possible expansions towards higher elevation sites (2000–2500 m a.s.l.). Our findings can be used to define the high priority areas for reintroduction or for protection against the expected climate change impacts and future modifications.
•MaxEnt modeling is a key guide for predicting current and future distribution of endangered species.•The ecological niche of Rosa arabica is mainly affected by annual temperature, annual precipitation and elevation.•R. arabica favors high elevated and cold moist sites within St. Catherine Protectorate of South Sinai in Egypt.•At global warming scenarios (CCSM4: RCP2.6 and RCP8.5), R. arabica displayed habitat range shift.•Reinforcements of the extant populations and assisted migrations can be planned
Smouldering multiple sclerosis: the ‘real MS’ Giovannoni, Gavin; Popescu, Veronica; Wuerfel, Jens ...
Therapeutic Advances in Neurological Disorders,
01/2022, Letnik:
15
Book Review, Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Using a philosophical approach or deductive reasoning, we challenge the dominant clinico-radiological worldview that defines multiple sclerosis (MS) as a focal inflammatory disease of the central ...nervous system (CNS). We provide a range of evidence to argue that the ‘real MS’ is in fact driven primarily by a smouldering pathological disease process. In natural history studies and clinical trials, relapses and focal activity revealed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in MS patients on placebo or on disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) were found to be poor predictors of long-term disease evolution and were dissociated from disability outcomes. In addition, the progressive accumulation of disability in MS can occur independently of relapse activity from early in the disease course. This scenario is underpinned by a more diffuse smouldering pathological process that may affect the entire CNS. Many putative pathological drivers of smouldering MS can be potentially modified by specific therapeutic strategies, an approach that may have major implications for the management of MS patients. We hypothesise that therapeutically targeting a state of ‘no evident inflammatory disease activity’ (NEIDA) cannot sufficiently prevent disability accumulation in MS, meaning that treatment should also focus on other brain and spinal cord pathological processes contributing to the slow loss of neurological function. This should also be complemented with a holistic approach to the management of other systemic disease processes that have been shown to worsen MS outcomes.
Aims
We examined the importance of litter quality and microclimate on early-stage litter mass loss, analysed the importance of interactions among environmental factors in determining key ...decomposition parameters and compared the variation in decomposition rates in vegetation types and sites with similar climate.
Methods
Following the Tea-Bag Index approach, 464 tea-bags were incubated in the soil in 79 sites, distributed across Italy, which included six vegetation types and a broad range of microclimatic conditions.
Results
Litter type exerted a stronger control on mass loss compared to climatic factors. The effects of soil moisture were not the same for high and lower quality litter. In addition, the effects of temperature on the decomposition rate depended on soil moisture. The stabilization factor was strongly temperature-dependent, but the influence of temperature differed among vegetation types: those dominated by small-size plants showed a strong decrease in the potential amount of plant material entering into the soil stock under warmer temperatures. The lowest variation in decomposition rate was found in sites characterised by low temperatures, and, among the vegetation types, in alpine snowbeds.
Conclusions
The role of litter quality and of the interactions among environmental conditions can potentially determine significant shifts in the expected patterns of ecosystem carbon fluxes.
The Mediterranean flora is characterized by a high number of narrow endemic plant species that are often restricted to a few small populations. One of these species, Valeriana amazonum, a perennial ...plant occurring only in the Supramontes region of central eastern Sardinia, is categorized as Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List because of its restricted range, small population size and an inferred decline caused by several threats. During 2007–2022, we monitored all mature individuals of this plant annually and surveyed ecologically suitable sites for the species. We identified two previously unknown populations and also learnt of two successful translocations carried out independently by an unknown local citizen. As our monitoring data indicate there has been no decline in the number of mature individuals over the period of monitoring, the species’ conservation status requires reassessment. We recommend that V. amazonum should be recategorized as Near Threatened as it seems to be poorly known rather than highly threatened. This could also be the case with other narrow Mediterranean endemics, especially those that grow in inaccessible habitats for which long-term studies are needed to assess conservation status.
Demographic analysis of plant populations represents an essential conservation tool allowing to identify the population trends both at global and at the local level. In this study, the population ...dynamics of
Helianthemum caput-felis
(Cistaceae) was investigated at the local level by monitoring six populations distributed in Sardinia, Balearic Islands and Ibero-Levantine coast (Alicante). Demographic data for each population were analysed by performing Integral Projection Models (IPMs). Our results showed that, although the local trend of the main basic demographic functions was similar, vital rates and demographic dynamics varied among populations indicating high variability. In fact, asymptotic growth rate in Spanish populations widely varied both between years and populations (some populations growth, decline or strongly decline), while Sardinian populations showed greater equilibrium or a slight increase. Also, the typical pattern of a long-lived species was not supported by the results at the local scale. These results indicated that different populations of the same species can present extremely different population dynamics and support the belief that, for conservation needs, local studies are more informative than global ones: the conservation status of
H. caput-felis
could notably vary at a small spatial scale and, accordingly, the conservation efforts must be planned at the population level and supported by local analysis.
From the perspective of precision medicine, the challenge for the future is to improve the accuracy of diagnosis, prognosis, and prediction of therapeutic responses through the identification of ...biomarkers. In this framework, the
sciences (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics) and their combined use represent innovative approaches for the exploration of the complexity and heterogeneity of multiple sclerosis (MS). This review examines the evidence currently available on the application of omics sciences to MS, analyses the methods, their limitations, the samples used, and their characteristics, with a particular focus on biomarkers associated with the disease state, exposure to disease-modifying treatments (DMTs), and drug efficacies and safety profiles.
Due to the impelling urgency of plant conservation and the increasing availability of high resolution spatially interpolated (e.g. climate variables) and categorical data (e.g. land cover and ...vegetation type), many recent studies have examined relationships among plant species distributions and a diversified set of explanatory factors; nevertheless, global and regional patterns of endemic plant richness remain in many cases unexplained. One such pattern is the 294 endemic vascular plant taxa recorded on a 1 km resolution grid on the environmentally heterogeneous island of Sardinia. Sixteen predictors, including topographic, geological, climatic and anthropogenic factors, were used to model local (number of taxa inside each 1 km grid cell) Endemic Vascular Plant Richness (EVPR). Generalized Linear Models were used to evaluate how each factor affected the distribution of local EVPR. Significant relationships with local EVPR and topographic, geological, climatic and anthropogenic factors were found. In particular, elevation explained the larger fraction of variation in endemic richness but other environmental factors (e.g. precipitation seasonality and slope) and human-related factors (e.g. the Human Influence Index (HII) and the proportion of anthropogenic land uses) were, respectively, positively and negatively correlated with local EVPR. Regional EVPR (number of endemic taxa inside each 100 m elevation interval) was also measured to compare local and regional EVPR patterns along the elevation gradient. In contrast to local, regional EVPR tended to decrease with altitude partly due to the decreasing area covered along altitude. The contrasting results between local and regional patterns suggest that local richness increases as a result of increased interspecific aggregation along altitude, whereas regional richness may depend on the interaction between area and altitude. This suggests that the shape and magnitude of the species-area relationship might vary with elevation. This work provides-for the first time in Sardinia-a comprehensive analysis of the influence of environmental factors on the pattern of EVPR in the entire territory, from sea level to the highest peaks. Elevation, as well as other environmental and human-related variables, were confirmed to be influencing factors. In addition, variations of EVPR patterns at regional-to-local spatial scales inspire next investigations on the possible interaction between elevation and area in explaining patterns of plant species richness.
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. Sardinia, an Italian island, is one of the areas with the highest global prevalence of MS. Genetic factors have been ...widely explored to explain this greater prevalence among some populations; the genetic makeup of the Sardinians appears to make them more likely to develop autoimmune diseases. A strong association between MS and some infections have been reported globally. The most robust evidence indicating the role of infections is MS development concerns the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). Anti-EBV antibodies in patients once infected by EBV are associated with the development of MS years later. These features have also been noted in Sardinian patients with MS. Many groups have found an increased expression of the Human endogenous retroviruses (HERV) family in patients with MS. A role in pathogenesis, prognosis, and prediction of treatment response has been proposed for HERV. A European multi-centre study has shown that their presence was variable among populations, ranging from 59% to 100% of patients, with higher HERV expression noted in Sardinian patients with MS. The
(MAP) DNA and antibodies against MAP2694 protein were found to be associated with MS in Sardinian patients. More recently, this association has also been reported in Japanese patients with MS. In this study, we analysed the role of infectious factors in Sardinian patients with MS and compared it with the findings reported in other populations.
Multiple sclerosis (MS), neuromyelitis optica (NMO) and myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody disease (MOGAD) are inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system (CNS) with a ...multifactorial aetiology. Environmental factors are important for their development and microorganisms could play a determining role. They can directly damage the CNS, but their interaction with the immune system is even more important. The possible mechanisms involved include molecular mimicry, epitope spreading, bystander activation and the dual cell receptor theory. The role of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) in MS has been definitely established, since being seropositive is a necessary condition for the onset of MS. EBV interacts with genetic and environmental factors, such as low levels of vitamin D and human endogenous retrovirus (HERV), another microorganism implicated in the disease. Many cases of onset or exacerbation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) have been described after infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, EBV and human immunodeficiency virus; however, no definite association with a virus has been found. A possible role has been suggested for Helicobacter pylori, in particular in individuals with aquaporin 4 antibodies. The onset of MOGAD could occur after an infection, mainly in the monophasic course of the disease. A role for the HERV in MOGAD has been hypothesized. In this review, we examined the current understanding of the involvement of infectious factors in MS, NMO and MOGAD. Our objective was to elucidate the roles of each microorganism in initiating the diseases and influencing their clinical progression. We aimed to discuss both the infectious factors that have a well-established role and those that have yielded conflicting results across various studies.
In Mediterranean-climate areas, wildfires have an important ecological role, selecting organisms, influencing species composition and structure of vegetation, and shaping landscapes. However, the ...increase in frequency and severity of fires can cause, among others, progressive vegetation degradation, biodiversity, and ecosystem services loss. Under the climate change scenario, the frequency and severity of wildfires are expected to increase, especially in the Mediterranean Basin, recognized as among the most affected by the intensification of droughts and heat waves in the future. Therefore, from the perspective of adaptation, it is important not only to assess the sudden effects after a fire but also to investigate the ecological changes and vegetation response over time. In this framework, this study investigates the effects and the short-term vegetation response in an area struck by a megafire. The vegetation response one year after a fire has been assessed in semi-natural grasslands, shrublands, and woodlands at the landscape scale through spectral indices, and at the field scale through floristic and vegetation surveys. Our results showed that after a severe wildfire, although some areas did not exhibit vegetation regrowth, the response of natural vegetation was notable after one year. In the study area, the most resilient vegetation type was semi-natural grasslands, suggesting that this type of vegetation can be crucial for landscape recovery. The other vegetation types showed different response patterns that also prefigure possible changes in species composition and loss of plant diversity over the medium term. This study highlights the value of combining remote sensing spectral analyses and detailed floristic and vegetation surveys for understanding the direction of the early stages of post-fire vegetation dynamics.
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