Effects of Directive 2010/63/EU on research on wild-sourced animals: a review of publication trends in studies on captive wild mice ( sp.).

Most animals used in experimentation are small mammals. In the EU, Directive 2010/63/EU regulates the use of laboratory animals for experimental purposes. However, there are few guidelines for the use of wild-sourced animals, which cover permits, experimentation, transport, maintenance, and setting free after experiments.

Species-Specific Traits Shape Genetic Diversity During an Expansion-Contraction Cycle and Bias Demographic History Reconstruction.

Species ranges are dynamic, experiencing expansions, contractions or shifts in response to habitat changes driven by extrinsic factors such as climate change or human activities. While existing research examines the genetic consequences of spatial processes, few studies integrate species-specific traits to analyse how habitat changes affect co-existing species. In this study, we address this gap by investigating how genetic diversity patterns vary among species with different traits (such as generation length, population density and dispersal) experiencing similar habitat changes.

Undescribed diversity in Iberian Mutillidae (Hymenoptera): a new species of Smicromyrme Thomson, 1870 from Portugal.

Mutillid wasps (Mutillidae) are relatively inconspicuous ectoparasitoid Hymenoptera, distributed worldwide, with ca. 150 species known from Europe. Compared to other areas in the continent (e.

A new tool to quantify biodiversity change under landscape transformation.

Identifying how species richness or diversity changes with different proportions of natural and anthropized environments in the landscape is important for landscape management for conservation. Here, we propose a new method to assess biodiversity changes in landscapes with varying proportions of habitat types. The algorithm is based on the resampling of individuals recorded in different habitats considering both the proportion occupied by each habitat in the landscape and the number of individuals recorded in each habitat.

New findings of terrestrial arthropods from the Azorean Islands.

The knowledge on taxonomic diversity of arthropods is key to better understanding the biodiversity patterns and processes and guiding sustainable conservation strategies and practices. In the Azores, terrestrial arthropods are relatively well-inventoried following the publication of comprehensive checklists that have been regularly updated. Nevertheless, every year, new species are found as a result of new arrivals to the Archipelago and from addressing specific taxonomic lacunae.

Top 10+1 indicators for assessing forest ecosystem conditions: A five-decade fragmentation analysis.

Globally, land use change has consistently resulted in greater losses than gains in aboveground biomass (AGB). Forest fragmentation is a primary driver of biodiversity loss and the depletion of natural capital. Measuring landscape characteristics and analyzing changes in forest landscape patterns are essential for accounting for the contributions of forest ecosystems to the economy and human well-being.

Pathogenicity potential of enterococci isolated from a Veterinary Biological Isolation and Containment Unit.

Introduction: are considered an important genus in terms of Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs), which means that their characterization regarding resistance and virulence profiles in the hospital environment is of extreme importance. This article addresses this issue through the characterization of enterococci collected from a Veterinary Biological Isolation and Containment Unit (BICU).

Methods: A total of 73 isolates, collected from different surfaces of a Veterinary BICU, were identified as through PCR at species level, after which 34 isolates were selected as representatives using (GTG) fingerprinting.

Assessment of the microbial contamination in "Do It Yourself" (DIY) stores - a holistic approach to protect workers' and consumers' health.

Introduction: In "Do-It-Yourself" (DIY) stores, workers from the wood department are considered woodworkers. Given the health risks associated with woodworking, particularly from fungi and their metabolites, this study aims to assess microbial contamination and health risks for both workers and customers.

Methods: The study was developed in 13 DIY stores in Lisbon Metropolitan Area, Portugal.

Fish community composition in the tropical archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Understanding species distribution across habitats and environmental variables is important to inform area-based management. However, observational data are often lacking, particularly from developing countries, hindering effective conservation design. One such data-poor area is the Gulf of Guinea, an understudied and biodiverse region where coastal waters play a critical role in coastal livelihoods.

A molecular mechanism for bright color variation in parrots.

Parrots produce stunning plumage colors through unique pigments called psittacofulvins. However, the mechanism underlying their ability to generate a spectrum of vibrant yellows, reds, and greens remains enigmatic. We uncover a unifying chemical basis for a wide range of parrot plumage colors, which result from the selective deposition of red aldehyde- and yellow carboxyl-containing psittacofulvin molecules in developing feathers.

Impact of nature-based solutions on sustainable development goals in Mediterranean agroecosystems: A meta-analysis.

Mediterranean agroecosystems' vulnerability to hydroclimatic extremes threatens their resilience and sustainability. Nature-based Solutions present a sustainable strategy to address global challenges. This meta-analysis of 70 studies developed in Mediterranean climates identified solutions to improve soil health and water quality in agroecosystems by estimating their effects on soil organic matter, organic carbon, water, erosion, and Kjeldahl nitrogen, total nitrogen, nitrate, total phosphorus, phosphate, and suspended solids, respectively.

New Phytol Derivatives with Increased Cosmeceutical Potential.

Natural compounds are widely incorporated into cosmetic products for many purposes. Diterpenes often function as fragrances, enhancing the sensory experience of these formulations. However, current trends in cosmetic science aim to develop multifunctional products, where compounds traditionally used for texture or fragrance also possess biological activities that contribute to the product's efficacy.

Wolbachia strengthens the match between pre-mating and early post-mating isolation in spider mites.

Endosymbiotic reproductive manipulators are widely studied as sources of post-zygotic isolation in arthropods, but their effect on pre-zygotic isolation between genetically differentiated populations has garnered less attention. We tested this using two partially isolated populations of the red and green colour forms of Tetranychus urticae, either uninfected or infected with different Wolbachia strains, one inducing cytoplasmic incompatibility and the other not. We first investigated male and female preferences, and found that, in absence of infection, females were not choosy, but all males preferred red-form females.

Larval growth rate is not a major determinant of adult wing shape and eyespot size in the seasonally polyphenic butterfly .

Background: Insects often show adaptive phenotypic plasticity where environmental cues during early stages are used to produce a phenotype that matches the environment experienced by adults. Many tropical satyrine butterflies (Nymphalidae: Satyrinae) are seasonally polyphenic and produce distinct wet- and dry-season form adults, providing tight environment-phenotype matching in seasonal environments. In studied Mycalesina butterflies, dry-season forms can be induced in the laboratory by growing larvae at low temperatures or on poor food quality.

Interspecific interactions among parasites in multiple infections.

Individual hosts and populations frequently harbour multiple parasite species simultaneously. Despite their commonness, the consequences of interspecific interactions among parasites for determining infection outcomes are still poorly understood. We review and propose several expectations for multiple infections involving different species.

Assessing the burden of submicroscopic Plasmodium infections in a pre-elimination malaria setting in sub-Saharan Africa, Guinea-Bissau.

Background: Submicroscopic Plasmodium infections can be a source of persistent malaria transmission. The aim of this study was to assess their frequency, distribution, morbidity and associated factors in a pre-elimination malaria setting in sub-Saharan Africa, Guinea-Bissau, where the Plasmodium falciparum is the predominant Plasmodium species.

Methods: Dried fingerprick whole blood samples from 601 participants in the 2017 national, household-based, cross-sectional survey to estimate malaria prevalence were subjected to DNA extraction.

Antimicrobial, Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Activities of the Mucus of the Tropical Sea Slug .

(Sacoglossa, Gastropoda) is a tropical sea slug known for its ability to incorporate functional chloroplasts from a variety of green macroalgae, a phenomenon termed kleptoplasty. This sea slug, amenable to laboratory cultivation, produces mucus, a viscous secretion that serves diverse purposes including protection, locomotion, and reproduction. In this study, we profiled the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities of the mucus of this sea slug.

Infection of In Vivo and In Vitro Pines with the Pinewood Nematode Bursaphelenchus xylophilus and Isolation of Induced Volatiles.

The pinewood nematode (PWN) is a phytoparasite that causes pine wilt disease (PWD) in conifer species. This plant parasitic nematode has heavily contributed to pine deforestation in Asian countries, e.g.

Evolution and Plasticity of Gene Expression Under Progressive Warming in Drosophila subobscura.

Understanding the molecular mechanisms of thermal adaptation is crucial to predict the impacts of global warming. However, there is still a lack of research on the effects of rising temperatures over time and of studies involving different populations from the same species. The present study focuses on these two aspects, which are of great importance in understanding how organisms cope and adapt to ongoing changes in their environment.

The global loss of avian functional and phylogenetic diversity from anthropogenic extinctions.

Humans have been driving a global erosion of species richness for millennia, but the consequences of past extinctions for other dimensions of biodiversity-functional and phylogenetic diversity-are poorly understood. In this work, we show that, since the Late Pleistocene, the extinction of 610 bird species has caused a disproportionate loss of the global avian functional space along with ~3 billion years of unique evolutionary history. For island endemics, proportional losses have been even greater.