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Abstract: On 1st August 2016 and 23th July 2017 two specimens of the shamefaced crab Calappa granulata (Linnaeus, 1758) were caught in the northernmost area of the Adriatic Sea and represent the second and third offi cial record, respectively. More recently the records of this commercial species start to be no more unusual in this northern region. It is too early to express any reliable comment regarding whether or not this species established a breeding population in this area, however we could consider its northward extension as another consequence of global warming.
Keywords: shamefaced crab, northern Adriatic, global warming
Published in DiRROS: 07.08.2024; Views: 271; Downloads: 174
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Abstract: The chemical industry is the leading sector in the EU in terms of added value. However, contaminants pose a major threat and significant costs to the environment and human health. While EU legislation and international conventions aim to reduce this threat, regulators struggle to assess and manage chemical risks, given the vast number of substances involved and the lack of data on exposure and hazards. The European Green Deal sets a ‘zero pollution ambition for a toxic free environment’ by 2050 and the EU Chemicals Strategy calls for increased monitoring of chemicals in the environment. Monitoring of contaminants in biota can, inter alia: provide regulators with early warning of bioaccumulation problems with chemicals of emerging concern; trigger risk assessment of persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic substances; enable risk assessment of chemical mixtures in biota; enable risk assessment of mixtures; and enable assessment of the effectiveness of risk management measures and of chemicals regulations overall. A number of these purposes are to be addressed under the recently launched European Partnership for Risk Assessment of Chemicals (PARC). Apex predators are of particular value to biomonitoring. Securing sufficient data at European scale implies large-scale, long-term monitoring and a steady supply of large numbers of fresh apex predator tissue samples from across Europe. Natural science collections are very well-placed to supply these. Pan-European monitoring requires effective coordination among field organisations, collections and analytical laboratories for the flow of required specimens, processing and storage of specimens and tissue samples, contaminant analyses delivering pan-European data sets, and provision of specimen and population contextual data. Collections are well-placed to coordinate this. The COST Action European Raptor Biomonitoring Facility provides a well-developed model showing how this can work, integrating a European Raptor Biomonitoring Scheme, Specimen Bank and Sampling Programme. Simultaneously, the EU-funded LIFE APEX has demonstrated a range of regulatory applications using cutting-edge analytical techniques. PARC plans to make best use of such sampling and biomonitoring programmes. Collections are poised to play a critical role in supporting PARC objectives and thereby contribute to delivery of the EU’s zero-pollution ambition.
Keywords: zero pollution, biomonitoring, chemicals of emerging concern, Apex predator, raptor, marine mammal, otter
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 296; Downloads: 199
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Abstract: The increasing and rapid development in technologies, infrastructures, computational power, data availability and information flow has enabled rapid scientific advances. These entail transdisciplinary collaborations that maximize sharing of data and knowledge and, consequently, results, and possible technology transfer. However, in emerging scientific fields it is sometimes difficult to provide all necessary expertise within existing collaborative circles. This is especially true for marine biotechnology that directly addresses global societal challenges. This article describes the creation of a platform dedicated to facilitating the formation of short or mid-term collaborative networks in marine biotechnology. This online platform (https://www.ocean4biotech.eu/map/) enables experts (researchers and members of the marine biotechnology community in general) to have the possibility to showcase their expertise with the aim of being integrated into new collaborations/consortia on the one hand, or to use it as a search tool to complement the expertise in planned/running collaborations, on the other. The platform was created within the Ocean4Biotech (European transdisciplinary networking platform for marine biotechnology) Action, funded under the framework of the European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST). To build the platform, an inquiry was developed to identify experts in marine biotechnology and its adjunct fields, to define their expertise, to highlight their infrastructures and facilities and to pinpoint the main bottlenecks in this field. The inquiry was open to all experts in the broad field of marine biotechnology, including non-members of the consortium. The inquiry (https://ee.kobotoolbox.org/single/UKVsBNtD) remains open for insertion of additional expertise and the resulting interactive map can be used as a display and search tool for establishing new collaborations.
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 297; Downloads: 194
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Abstract: Insights into the dynamics of immune responses in immune-privileged tissues such as the central nervous system (CNS) are critical to understanding the etiology of autoimmune diseases. Essential in this field is understanding the ways immune cells access and traffic across different types of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), and how the therapeutics alter these processes (see excellent review by Mapunda et al.). The current Research Topic brought into attention a diverse panel of original research papers and two reviews on the immune cells involved in CNS pathophysiology, including dendritic cells (DC), mucosal-associated invariant T (MAIT) cells, neutrophils, and pathogenic Th17 cells, as well as a different aspects of that pathophysiology, including molecular signaling pathways (PP2Cδ) and the role of signaling complexes, known as supramolecular organizing centers (SMOCs), therapeutic interventions (STAT3-specific nanobody, treatment of rheumatoid meningitis with intravenous immunoglobulin - IVIg), possible new forms of autoantigens (neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus - NPSLE), and assessment of correlation between inflammatory markers and severity of autoimmune encephalitis (AE).
Keywords: CNS pathophysiology, dendritic cells, mucosal-associated invariant T cells, STAT3, Th17 cells, PP2Cδ, supramolecular organizing centers (SMOCs), neutrophil extracellular traps, cytology
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 266; Downloads: 113
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Abstract: Shallow environments and transitional habitats are among the world’s most productive ecosystems (Odum, 1983; Cloern et al., 2014) where light penetration to the bottom and nutrient availability fuel multiple primary producers including phytoplankton, benthic microalgae, macroalgae and seagrasses (Kirk, 2000; Sundbäck et al., 2000; Sala et al., 2012; Papathanasiou et al., 2015; Orfanidis et al., 2021) that sustain higher trophic levels and provide important ecosystem services (Barbier et al., 2011; Queirós et al., 2019). In these ecosystems, pelagos and benthos have been classically studied as distinct domains of the marine environment, although they cannot be considered as separate entities (Boero et al., 1996; Marcus & Boero, 1998). The compartmentalization of these ecosystems into their benthic and pelagic components in experimental studies and models often limits our understanding of the scope and strength of interactions between these habitats, their role in maintaining the ecosystem function, and their sensitivity to future change (Griffiths et al., 2017). The benthic–pelagic coupling involves all those processes that connect the bottom and water column habitats through the exchange of mass, energy, and nutrients. Matter and energy flow between the two domains in both directions, along food webs, involving the movement of planktonic and benthic organisms at different life stages (Kiljunen et al., 2020). Indeed, many physical, chemical and biological processes bind these two domains, where benthic-pelagic coupling concurs to maintain high rates of primary production and decomposition (Kennish et al., 2014). While primary producers compete for the same resources (light and nutrients), benthic filter feeders are well adapted to efficiently filter bacteria, phytoplankton and zooplankton, dissolved organic matter (Hughes et al., 2005; Karuza et al., 2016), as well as pollutants from the water column (Giandomenico et al., 2016). An in-depth knowledge of the life cycles of meroplanktonic species is an indispensable prerequisite for understanding the functioning of the ecosystem in shallow areas. Besides this, benthic primary producers and invertebrates provide several ecosystem services and drive important processes such as nutrient cycling, bio-irrigation and organic matter decomposition in coastal areas (Bremner et al., 2006; Olsgard et al., 2008).
Keywords: coastal areas, new perspectives, benthic-pelagic coupling, editorial
Published in DiRROS: 06.08.2024; Views: 276; Downloads: 165
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