Spring migration phenology is shifting towards earlier dates as a response to climate change in many bird species. However, the patterns of change might not be the same for all species, populations, ...sex and age classes. In particular, patterns of change could differ between species with different ecology. We analyzed 18 years of standardized bird capture data at a spring stopover site on the island of Ponza, Italy, to determine species-specific rates of phenological change for 30 species following the crossing of the Mediterranean Sea. The advancement of spring passage was more pronounced in species wintering in Northern Africa (i.e. short-distance migrants) and in the Sahel zone. Only males from species wintering further South in the forests of central Africa advanced their passage, with no effect on the overall peak date of passage of the species. The migration window on Ponza broadened in many species, suggesting that early migrants within a species are advancing their migration more than late migrants. These data suggest that the cues available to the birds to adjust departure might be changing at different rates depending on wintering location and habitat, or that early migrants of different species might be responding differently to changing conditions along the route. However, more data on departure time from the wintering areas are required to understand the mechanisms underlying such phenological changes.
We detected Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in a Hyalomma rufipes nymph collected from a whinchat (Saxicola rubetra) on the island of Ventotene in April 2017. Partial genome sequences suggest ...the virus originated in Africa. Detection of the genome of this virus in Italy confirms its potential dispersion through migratory birds.
A brief history about the ALPI project Pedrini, Paolo; Spina, Fernando
Rivista italiana di ornitologia,
12/2021, Letnik:
91, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Conceived by the National Ringing Centre ISPRA and MUSE (Trento, formerly MTSN), the Alps Project was launched in 1997 in order to understand the post-breeding migration strategies of birds across ...the Italian Alps. The project is realized thanks to the support offered by MUSE and several institutions at a local scale, not to mention the collaboration of over one hundred ringers. In more than twenty years, 40 stations located in sites of passage (alpine and pre-alpine passes) and stop-over (valley floors and slopes) have taken part in the project, leading to a dataset of 666,471 ringed individuals and 191 species (as to 2017). After a first exploratory phase (1997-2002), in which the migration was investigated in its many aspects of specific composition and spatial-temporal variation, the project has been restricted to a smaller number of stations since 2007. Those stations are characterized by working in a standardized and continuous way during the whole period (August-November) or during the migration period of the intra-Palearctic species (end of September-October). In this paper we describe the aims, protocols and organizational aspects of the project, with a special focus on monitoring trends and changes in the long-term phenology. This ongoing project (2021) is part of the ISPRA national ringing plan to monitor bird migration across the country.
Article in Italian
The actual contribution of migratory birds in spreading West Nile (WNV) and Usutu virus (USUV) across Europe and from Africa to old countries is still controversial. In this study, we reported the ...results of molecular and serological surveys on migrating birds sampled during peaks of spring and autumn migration at 11 Italian sites located along important flyways, from 2012 to 2014. A total of 1335 specimens made of individual or pooled sera, and organs from 275 dead birds were tested for WNV and USUV RNA by real time PCR (RT-PCR). Furthermore, sera were tested by serum neutralization assay for detecting WNV and USUV neutralizing antibodies. Molecular tests detected WNV lineage 2 RNA in a pool made of three Song Thrush (
) sera sampled in autumn, and lineage 1 in kidneys of six trans-Saharan birds sampled in spring. Neutralizing antibodies against WNV and USUV were found in 5.80% (
= 72; 17 bird species) and 0.32% (
= 4; 4 bird species) of the tested sera, respectively. Our results do not exclude the role of migratory birds as potential spreaders of WNV and USUV from Africa and Central Europe to Mediterranean areas and highlight the importance of a more extensive active surveillance of zoonotic viruses.
Constantin von Economo´s 90th death anniversary Teive, Hélio Afonso Ghizoni; Tensini, Fernando Spina; Lima, Plínio Garcia ...
Arquivos de neuro-psiquiatria,
11/2021, Letnik:
79, Številka:
11
Journal Article
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ABSTRACT The year of 2021 marks 90 year since the death of the neuroscientist Constantin von Economo, whose research in various areas was extremely relevant for the field of neurology. He described ...lethargic epidemic encephalitis, published an atlas of the cytoarchitecture of the human cerebral cortex, and conducted multiple studies in neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, and clinical neurology. Von Economo's genius extended into other nonmedical fields such as aeronautics, and he had renowned artistic skills.
RESUMO O ano de 2021 marca o 90° aniversário da morte do neurocientista Constantin von Economo, ou Constantin Freiherr (Barão) von Economo. Von Economo realizou várias pesquisas de grande relevo na área da neurologia, com a descrição da encefalite letárgica epidêmica, a publicação do atlas sobre a citoarquitetura do córtex cerebral humano, além dos seus múltiplos estudos em neuroanatomia, neurofisiologia, bem como na neurologia clínica. A genialidade de von Economo se estendeu para outras áreas não médicas, com o seu grande interesse em aeronáutica, como piloto de avião, além dos seus reconhecidos dotes artísticos.
Objective. To describe the clinical characteristics of cutaneous adverse reactions and cross‐sensitivity induced by antiseizure medications and compare the pattern of use of antiseizure medications ...in patients with epilepsy according to skin rash history.
Methods. We analysed patients with a history of skin rash presenting for up to 12 weeks after initiating antiseizure medication. The history of skin rash was verified by medical charts, interviews, and identification of skin lesions by patients based on illustrative images. The minimum follow‐up period was eight months. The control group comprised epilepsy patients with regular antiseizure medication use for at least 12 weeks without skin rash. We included 109 cases and 99 controls.
Results. The median (interquartile range) period from the index rash was six years (2–11). Carbamazepine was the trigger medication in 48% of cases and induced skin rashes in all patients with cross‐sensitivity and carbamazepine exposure. Stevens‐Johnson syndrome, toxic epidermal necrolysis, or drug reactions with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms affected 36% of cases. Carbamazepine‐ or oxcarbazepine‐induced maculopapular exanthema occurred earlier (median: one week) than that induced by other antiseizure medications (median: three weeks) (p=0.006). Cross‐sensitivity was more common in patients with at least one episode of Stevens‐Johnson syndrome (29%) and Stevens‐Johnson/toxic epidermal necrolysis overlap (50%) than in patients with maculopapular exanthema (8%) (p=0.01). Although most cases were mild, the pattern of antiseizure medication use differed from that of controls, with a lower proportion of antiseizure medication typically associated with severe cutaneous adverse reactions (carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital, primidone, oxcarbazepine, and lamotrigine) (p<0.001). Most cases exposed to high‐risk medication, however, did not develop cross‐sensitivity.
Significance. Cutaneous adverse reaction history may influence antiseizure medication use. Cross‐sensitivity is more common in severe cases and most patients are affected by mild, self‐limited skin rashes. Further research should consider the relevance of mild skin rashes in lifelong epilepsy treatment.
The study of the timing of migration is fundamental to the understanding of the ecology of many bird species and their response to climate change, and it has important conservation and management ...implications e.g., for assessing the hunting seasons according to the EU Directive 2009/147/EC (Birds Directive).
We developed a new method for the analysis of ringing data (both first capture and re-encounters) and citizen science observations, to assess the timing of pre- and post-nuptial migration of birds. This method was tested on the Song Thrush Turdus philomelos, using i) the Bird Ringing Database hosted by the ISPRA Italian Ringing Centre from the whole Italian peninsula, the three closest large islands (Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica), and Canton Ticino (Switzerland) and ii) the eBird data for the same study area.
The results from both datasets consistently showed that pre-nuptial migration starts during the first 10-day period of January (Jan 1) in some central and southern areas of the Italian peninsula, in central Sicily, southern Sardinia, and Corsica. The onset of migration occurs on Jan 2 in the rest of central and southern Italy, Sicily and Sardinia, and western Liguria, while it starts later in the north-eastern Alps, up to Mar 3. The end of post-nuptial migration is more synchronous, occurring on Nov 1 across most of Italy, slightly earlier (Oct 3) in northern Italy and later (Nov 2) in Sicily. The uncertainty of the estimated dates was < 2 days in most cases.
This method represents a novel and valuable tool for the analyses of the timing of migration using ringing and citizen science data and provides an important contribution to the Key Concepts Document of the EU Birds Directive, where migration timings are considered and used to define the hunting period of birds.
Europe has a well‐established network of breeding bird monitoring that is used to produce supranational indices of population trends for many species. However, a comparison of breeding bird censuses ...with other methods may be beneficial to confirm the validity of such indices. The aim of this study was to assess the value of standardized capture data of migratory birds at migration bottlenecks as an indicator of the effective breeding populations. One limitation to this method is that several populations are co‐occurring at these bottlenecks and their catchment areas need to be clearly identified to allow extrapolation of population indices. Here, we used standardized trends in capture numbers of 30 species on the island of Ponza, a migration bottleneck in the central Mediterranean, and compared them to population trends estimated in the putative catchment breeding areas between 2005 and 2016. The catchment areas were identified through the analysis of ring recoveries during the breeding season of birds passing through Ponza. Our results show an agreement between the population trends observed on Ponza and those in the breeding areas in 15 out of 30 species. The correlations were strongest in species with a more robust definition of the catchment areas, that is, species with more than 10 recoveries, and for which the recoveries were most likely of breeding birds. The main reason for disagreement between the two indices in the remaining species might be related to different intensity of sampling in different areas. This issue can be solved by further developing monitoring projects in underrepresented countries, as well as by intensifying monitoring through ringing, both in the breeding grounds and at migration bottlenecks. These results show that spring migration monitoring at bottlenecks has the potential to provide a valuable complement and an independent control of breeding bird surveys, allowing raising early warnings of population declines and contributing to their conservation.
We compared trends of 30 migrant Passerine bird species on passage through a migration hotspot with population trends in their breeding areas. We found good agreement between trends in half of the species. This shows how integrating different count methods could benefit monitoring and conservation.
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