Identification of potential invasive alien species in Spain through horizon scanning

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.

CropPol: a dynamic, open and global database on crop pollination

Seventy five percent of the world's food crops benefit from insect pollination. Hence, there has been increased interest in how global change drivers impact this critical ecosystem service. Because standardized data on crop pollination are rarely available, we are limited in our capacity to understand the variation in pollination benefits to crop yield, as well as to anticipate changes in this service, develop predictions, and inform management actions. Here, we present CropPol, a dynamic, open and global database on crop pollination. It contains measurements recorded from 202 crop studies, covering 3,394 field observations, 2,552 yield measurements (i.e. berry weight, number of fruits and kg per hectare, among others), and 47,752 insect records from 48 commercial crops distributed around the globe. CropPol comprises 32 of the 87 leading global crops and commodities that are pollinator dependent. Malus domestica is the most represented crop (32 studies), followed by Brassica napus (22 studies), Vaccinium corymbosum (13 studies), and Citrullus lanatus (12 studies). The most abundant pollinator guilds recorded are honey bees (34.22% counts), bumblebees (19.19%), flies other than Syrphidae and Bombyliidae (13.18%), other wild bees (13.13%), beetles (10.97%), Syrphidae (4.87%), and Bombyliidae (0.05%). Locations comprise 34 countries distributed among Europe (76 studies), Northern America (60), Latin America and the Caribbean (29), Asia (20), Oceania (10), and Africa (7). Sampling spans three decades and is concentrated on 2001-05 (21 studies), 2006-10 (40), 2011-15 (88), and 2016-20 (50). This is the most comprehensive open global data set on measurements of crop flower visitors, crop pollinators and pollination to date, and we encourage researchers to add more datasets to this database in the future. This data set is released for non-commercial use only. Credits should be given to this paper (i.e., proper citation), and the products generated with this database should be shared under the same license terms (CC BY-NC-SA). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Multimodal cues provide redundant information for bumblebees when the stimulus is visually salient, but facilitate red target detection in a naturalistic background

Our understanding of how floral visitors integrate visual and olfactory cues when seeking food, and how background complexity affects flower detection is limited. Here, we aimed to understand the use of visual and olfactory information for bumblebees (Bombus terrestris terrestris L.) when seeking flowers in a visually complex background. To explore this issue, we first evaluated the effect of flower colour (red and blue), size (8, 16 and 32 mm), scent (presence or absence) and the amount of training on the foraging strategy of bumblebees (accuracy, search time and flight behaviour), considering the visual complexity of our background, to later explore whether experienced bumblebees, previously trained in the presence of scent, can recall and make use of odour information when foraging in the presence of novel visual stimuli carrying a familiar scent. Of all the variables analysed, flower colour had the strongest effect on the foraging strategy. Bumblebees searching for blue flowers were more accurate, flew faster, followed more direct paths between flowers and needed less time to find them, than bumblebees searching for red flowers. In turn, training and the presence of odour helped bees to find inconspicuous (red) flowers. When bees foraged on red flowers, search time increased with flower size; but search time was independent of flower size when bees foraged on blue flowers. Previous experience with floral scent enhances the capacity of detection of a novel colour carrying a familiar scent, probably by elemental association influencing attention.

Long term effects of aversive reinforcement on colour discrimination learning in free-flying bumblebees

The results of behavioural experiments provide important information about the structure and information-processing abilities of the visual system. Nevertheless, if we want to infer from behavioural data how the visual system operates, it is important to know how different learning protocols affect performance and to devise protocols that minimise noise in the response of experimental subjects. The purpose of this work was to investigate how reinforcement schedule and individual variability affect the learning process in a colour discrimination task. Free-flying bumblebees were trained to discriminate between two perceptually similar colours. The target colour was associated with sucrose solution, and the distractor could be associated with water or quinine solution throughout the experiment, or with one substance during the first half of the experiment and the other during the second half. Both acquisition and final performance of the discrimination task (measured as proportion of correct choices) were determined by the choice of reinforcer during the first half of the experiment: regardless of whether bees were trained with water or quinine during the second half of the experiment, bees trained with quinine during the first half learned the task faster and performed better during the whole experiment. Our results confirm that the choice of stimuli used during training affects the rate at which colour discrimination tasks are acquired and show that early contact with a strongly aversive stimulus can be sufficient to maintain high levels of attention during several hours. On the other hand, bees which took more time to decide on which flower to alight were more likely to make correct choices than bees which made fast decisions. This result supports the existence of a trade-off between foraging speed and accuracy, and highlights the importance of measuring choice latencies during behavioural experiments focusing on cognitive abilities.

Future employment among homeless single mothers: the effects of full-time work experience and depressive symptomatology

This study examines the relationship between work and depressive symptomatology for extremely destitute single mothers-mothers who have experienced an episode of homelessness. Using longitudinal data collected from 294 respondents who became homeless in 1992 and were followed for approximately two years, we find that a history of full-time work is the best predictor of whether a woman will find full-time employment in the aftermath of an episode of homelessness. Even an extensive history of part-time or informal work was not predictive of finding employment after leaving a homeless shelter. A woman's level of depressive symptomatology at the onset of homelessness predicted her strategy in dealing with the shelter bureaucracy. Women with full-time work histories who experienced high levels of depressive moods at the onset of a shelter episode were likely to leave the shelter quickly. Those with lower levels of depressive symptomatology stayed and were more likely than others to complete an education or job training program. Both types of women with full-time work histories were more likely than others to find full-time employment after a homeless episode. These findings suggest that policy makers must focus on providing full-time, and not part-time, work for impoverished mothers and take depressive symptomatology into account when offering assistance to homeless mothers.

Dense deposit disease in association with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance

Several renal pathologic entities have been reported in patients with lymphoplasmacytic disorders with their typical excess immunoglobulin production. We report dense deposit disease in a patient who was discovered to have an IgG kappa monoclonal protein without clinical evidence of underlying lymphoplasmacytic malignancy during investigation for chronic renal failure with associated nephrotic range proteinuria. This case is unusual since dense deposit disease occurs only rarely in older patients and has not been reported in association with monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance. Because of the diversity of renal lesions associated with lymphoplasmacytic disorders, renal biopsy is necessary to assess the type of renal lesion in this patient population.

Influence of systemic hypothermia on systolic and diastolic functional recovery after continuous warm antegrade blood cardioplegia

Experimental observations in our laboratory indicate that myocardial recovery is similar following warm or cold antegrade blood cardioplegia when the core temperature is maintained at 37 degrees C. To determine the effects of hypothermia on myocardial recovery, 15 adult mongrel dogs were randomized to normothermic or hypothermic bypass (28 degrees C) during 60 min of continuous warm antegrade blood cardioplegia. The hypothermic group was rewarmed after releasing the aortic cross-clamp and bypass was discontinued at 30 min in both groups. Myocardial recovery was assessed at 60, 90, and 120 min after the arrest. Core temperature was maintained in the normothermic group but gradually decreased after bypass in the hypothermic group, reaching a low of 33.8 +/- 1 degrees C at 120 min. Myocardial functional recovery was preserved after normothermic bypass. The decrease in core temperature, however, that was observed after systemic hypothermia, was paralleled by significant decreases in the maximum rate of left ventricular pressure rise (dp/dt), the maximum elastance of the left ventricle, and preload recruitable stroke work. Diastolic function decreased slightly, but not significantly, during reperfusion following systemic hypothermia but was unaltered after normothermic bypass. Myocardial oxygen consumption was unchanged in both groups. Myocardial ultrastructure was preserved after normothermic bypass. In contrast, cellular oedema and mild ultrastructural changes were evident after systemic hypothermia. We therefore conclude that the use of systemic hypothermia during bypass is associated with lower core temperatures during early recovery which results in impaired functional recovery.

Glomerular calcinosis in sarcoidosis

Glomerular lesions secondary to calcium deposition in sarcoidosis have not been previously described, to our knowledge. Five renal biopsy specimens from four patients with sarcoidosis were studied by light, electron, and immunofluorescence microscopy. In addition to interstitial granulomatous nephritis and nephrocalcinosis, which were seen in all cases, segmental glomerular lesions characterized by marked thickening and wrinkling of the glomerular capillary walls and basophilic appearance of the altered basement membranes were present in three of the cases. Electron microscopic examination of the lesions revealed dramatic alteration of the glomerular ultrastructure. Numerous single and coalescent calcific microspherules were present within the basement membrane, the paramesangial zone, and the mesangium. The findings of immunofluorescence were noncontributory. The structural alterations caused by calcinosis of the glomerulus may be responsible for some of the frequent renal function abnormalities seen in sarcoidosis.

Effect of high-volume cardioplegia on small-amplitude electrical activity during cardioplegia arrest

The effects of high-volume cardioplegia on the presence of small-amplitude electrical activity during cardioplegia arrest were investigated in 19 mongrel dogs. The animals were randomly assigned to receive either high-volume crystalloid cardioplegia (HV-plege) or crystalloid cardioplegia guided by continuous electrical monitoring (V-plege). Cardiac index, left ventricular stroke work index dp/dt, and myocardial oxygen consumption were measured before bypass and following 90 min ischemia and 45 min reperfusion. Biopsies were taken for measurement of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and examination of myocardial ultrastructure. Nine animals received HV-plege, while the remaining 10 animals received cardioplegia guided by voltage criteria. Small-amplitude electrical potentials were recorded within 10-15 min after the infusion of cardioplegia in all animals receiving cardioplegia guided by voltage criteria. Electrical activity, however, was immediately abolished by reinfusion of cardioplegia. HV-plege reduced the incidence of small-amplitude electrical activity during cardioplegia arrest but did not prevent electrical activity. Left ventricular function and myocardial ultrastructure were better preserved when cardioplegia was guided by electrical monitoring. ATP decreased similarly in both groups following cardioplegic arrest, but myocardial oxygen consumption was significantly higher following the arrest in the V-plege group.

CONCLUSIONS

HV-plege does not prevent small-amplitude electrical activity and may have adverse effects on myocardial metabolic and functional recovery.

Crescentic IgA nephropathy as a manifestation of human immune deficiency virus infection

A 37-year-old Caucasian male homosexual presented with hematuria and rapidly progressive acute renal failure. He was found to have proteinuria and microscopic hematuria as well as RBC casts. Investigations revealed polyclonal gammopathy with five times normal serum IgA levels as well as elevated serum IgG. Renal biopsy showed evidence of crescentic IgA nephropathy with ultrastructural changes of tubuloreticular inclusions described in HIV nephropathy. He was found to be positive for human immunodeficiency viral antibodies. Renal function improved during follow-up after two doses of 1 g each of methylprednisone. In our opinion, this is the first case of HIV-related crescentic IgA nephropathy. HIV testing should be performed more frequently in patients presenting with acute glomerular diseases.

Solitary condylomatous papilloma of the bronchus

Two case reports of solitary bronchial papillomas are presented. The histologic features of the lesions are those of squamous papillomas exhibiting prominent condylomatous changes. Immunoperoxidase stains revealed the presence of human papillomavirus antigens in the koilocytotic cells. Ultrastructural studies demonstrated possible intranuclear viral-size particles. Solitary condylomatous papillomas of the bronchus should be distinguished from solitary bronchial squamous papillomas that do not have condylomatous features. The rationale for this separation is the likelihood of a viral origin for these condylomatous papillomas and their potential for malignant change.

Prevention of myocardial electrical activity during ischemic arrest with verapamil cardioplegia

The effect of potassium cardioplegia and potassium cardioplegia containing verapamil hydrochloride on myocardial preservation and electrical activity during prolonged aortic occlusion was examined in 40 adult mongrel dogs. Twenty-four animals (Group 1) received potassium cardioplegia, and 16 animals (Group 2) received potassium verapamil cardioplegia. Potassium or potassium verapamil cardioplegia, 10 ml per kilogram of body weight, was administered after application of the aortic cross-clamp and at 30-minute intervals during the 90-minute arrest. Myocardial temperature was maintained within a range of 8 degrees to 10 degrees C with topical ice saline solution, and electrical activity was monitored with specially designed plunge electrodes. Plunge electrode activity was recorded from the myocardium during arrest in 16 of the 24 animals in Group 1; no electrical activity was present in the animals in Group 2 (p less than .001). The addition of verapamil to potassium cardioplegia increased the tolerance of the myocardium to prolonged ischemia and resulted in less depletion of high-energy phosphate stores and better preservation of mitochondrial ultrastructure and left ventricular function. These data suggest that verapamil augments the preservation provided by potassium cardioplegia by initiating and maintaining a more complete electrical arrest.

Effect of small-amplitude electrical activity on myocardial preservation in the cold potassium-arrested heart

Recent reports indicate that small-amplitude electrical activity may be present in the cold potassium-arrested heart. Twenty-four mongrel dogs were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass and cooled to a rectal temperature of 26 degrees C. Myocardial preservation was provided with a combination of systemic hypothermia 26 degrees C. potassium (20 mEq/L) crystalloid cardioplegic solution (10 ml/kg) infused initially and every 30 minutes during 90 minutes of ischemic arrest, and topical hypothermia. Myocardial temperature was maintained between 8 degrees and 10 degrees C. Electrical activity and transmural myocardial temperature were monitored with specially designed plunge electrodes. Left ventricular stroke work index, cardiac index, and maximum rate of rise of left ventricular pressure were measured before bypass and 45 minutes after ischemic arrest. Biopsy specimens were taken before bypass and at 15 and 45 minutes after ischemic arrest. The specimens were used to measure adenosine triphosphate and to analyze electron microscopic ultrastructure. Small-amplitude electrical activity was present in 16 of 24 animals during cardioplegic arrest. Cardiac index decreased 18 ml/min/kg (not significant), left ventricular stroke work index fell by 0.28 +/- 0.1 gm-m/beat/kg (p less than 0.007), and maximum rate of rise of left ventricular pressure decreased 409 mm Hg/sec (p less than 0.01) in the eight animals without small-amplitude electrical activity. Adenosine triphosphate concentration was unchanged and electron microscopic ultrastructure was well preserved. In contrast, small-amplitude electrical activity (16 animals) resulted in a decrease in cardiac index of 67 ml/min/kg (p less than 0.001), a decrease in left ventricular stroke work index of 0.79 +/- 0.8 gm-m/beat/kg (p less than 0.001), and a fall in maximum rate of rise of left ventricular pressure of 775 mm Hg/sec (p less than 0.001). Adenosine triphosphate concentration decreased from 25 to 21 mumol/gm (p less than 0.04) and electron microscopic ultrastructure was poorly preserved (p less than 0.001). This study demonstrates that small-amplitude electrical activity in the cardioplegia-arrested heart at 10 degrees C impairs myocardial preservation.

Is a left ventricular vent necessary for coronary artery bypass operations performed with cardioplegic arrest?

The need for ventricular venting with hypothermic cardioplegic arrest is controversial. We report an evaluation of the need for left ventricular venting in a canine model that closely simulates conditions during routine coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Thirty-five dogs were placed on cardiopulmonary bypass for 60 minutes of hypothermic cardioplegic arrest (18 vented, 17 nonvented) and then reperfused for 30 minutes. Myocardial temperature and left atrial pressure (LAP) were recorded continuously. Before and 30 minutes after hypothermic cardioplegic arrest, left ventricular function curves were generated (six vented, six nonvented), and biopsy specimens of the left ventricle were taken for adenosine triphosphate (ATP) determinations (11 vented, 10 nonvented) and semiquantitative grading of mitochondrial ultrastructure (six vented, six nonvented). LAP in nonvented dogs was 7.4 mm Hg during hypothermic cardioplegic arrest and 5.0 mm Hg during reperfusion. Temperature during hypothermic cardioplegic arrest was 12.3 degrees C in vented dogs and 11.3 degrees C in nonvented dogs (p = 0.5). There were no differences in left ventricular function or preservation of mitochondrial ultrastructure between vented and nonvented dogs. ATP after hypothermic cardioplegic arrest was 96.6% of control (4.30 microM/gm) in vented dogs and 94.6% (4.37 microM/gm) in nonvented dogs (p = 0.7). The absence of left ventricular venting did not lead to ventricular distention or more rapid rewarming. These data in vented dogs and nonvented dogs strongly support the belief that left ventricular venting is not necessary during routine CABG.

Malakoplakia of kidney simulating renal neoplasm

In a nine-year-old girl with renal hypertension and a urinary infection, angiographic studies of the left kidney suggested an intrarenal pheochromocytoma. After nephrectomy, the kidney was found to contain only a cystic lesion characterized by multiple small, friable excrescences. Under the light microscope these appeared to be formed by granulovacuolated macrophages. Electron microscopy showed intracytoplasmic inclusion identified as Michaelis-Gutmann bodies in various stages of formation. Images suggestive of degraded bacteria were also observed within phagolysosomes.

Ultrastructure of proteoglycans in human renal arteries from end stage renal disease

Although glycosaminoglycans, particularly proteoglycans, have been characterized biochemically in normal and diseased arteries, little is known regarding their ultrastructural characteristics in human arteries. The observations reported here were made in renal arteries from nephrectomy specimens from patients with endstage kidney disease and hypertension. By light microscopy, the diffusely thick intima is characterized by small, slender smooth muscle cells embedded in a finely fibrillar, strongly alcian-blue positive, intercellular matrix. Ultrastructurally, there is a loose meshwork of collagen fibrils, elastic units and abundant fibrillogranular units staining strongly with ruthenium red and identified as proteoglycans. These consist of ovoid or diamond-shaped electron-dense granules about 300-500 A in diameter, having fine filamentous processes.

Effect of thiouracil upon canine arterial elastic tissue

Unlike some other mammalian species, the dog is relatively resistant to the development of elevated levels of serum cholesterol after prolonged cholesterol feeding. This may be overcome by suppressing thyroid activity with thiouracil. Information regarding possible activity of thiouracil itself upon the arterial tissues is almost nonexistent. The present investigation was undertaken to test whether this drug has any such action, especially upon the arterial elastic tissues. Destructive changes were observed in arterial elastic tissues in dogs given thiouracil for three and six months. The changes consisted of accentuation of the elastic fibrillar components, formation and subsequent coalescence of clefts, and fragmentation and ultimate "dissolution" of the elastic elements. The results suggest that thiouracil may exert a damaging effect upon the arterial elastic fibers; thus, it is possible that one of the mechanisms by which thiouracil and cholesterol administration induces experimental atherosclerosis in the dog is by elastic tissue destruction, possibly promoting the subsequent lipid accumulation in the arterial wall.

The granulovesicular bodies of the arterial wall

Small, round, membrane-bound electron-dense bodies were observed in the smooth muscle cells and the intimal and medial intercellular spaces of arteries in the dog, rat, and pig under normal and various experimental conditions. These structures, referred to as granulovesicular bodies (GVB), measured from 0.2 to 0.5 mum. in diameter and contained an inner core of granular and vesicular subunits. The intercellular and extracellular forms of the GVB were structurally similar, and in the interstitial spaces they appeared to have a definite spatial relation to the elements of elastic tissue. The GVB were more numerous under experimental than under normal conditions. It is speculated that the GVB are secretory in nature, originating from the smooth muscle cells, and may play a role in the remodeling of arterial elastic fibers.