A novel view of biologically active electromagnetic fields

Over the past decades, strong evidence has accumulated that low-frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can be useful in treating human pathologies, such as bone fractures, soft tissue illnesses, and pain. Common strategies for the design of commercial therapeutic devices are to generate EMFs that simulate body endogenous EMFs, or EMFs that resonate with a particular biological process, such as the natural motions of ions. We recently came across a biologically active commercial EMF signal that seems to be different. The signal is generated by summing the fundamental frequencies and harmonics of several periodic base signals which remain proprietary to the company. When first examined in the time domain, the signal resembled electronic noise; however, when critically analyzed, the signal is not identical with noise. Rather, it is a highly complex waveform exhibiting a very wide range of values for the time derivative of the magnetic field density (dB/dt) and a beat frequency in the Extremely Low-Frequency range. In this paper, we speculate on the mechanism of action of this and similar signals. We consider it less likely that cells, or cell components, act like filters to extract and couple with individual signals that make up the complex EMF signal. Consequently, we favor the possibility that with the signal discussed here cells respond to the very complex signal and that the biological response can be modified by the presence of a beat in the signal, in this case a low-frequency beat. More generally, this would suggest the hypothesis that biological processes can be regulated by noise-like signals and that the effects of a noisy signal can be modified by the presence of signal repetition patterns, such as beats. Given the very small energy that signals like these can transduce into a biological system, biological effects can be expected only when the molecular processes involved are poised so that the available energy leads to molecular reactions that achieve the activation state for the reaction.     

Paving the Way for Invasive Species: Road Type and the Spread of Common Ragweed (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Ambrosia artemisiifolia</Emphasis>)

Roads function as prime habitats and corridors for invasive plant species. Yet despite the diversity of road types, there is little research on the influence of these types on the spread of invaders. Common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia), a plant producing large amounts of allergenic pollen, was selected as a species model for examining the impact of road type on the spread of invasive plants. We examined this relationship in an agricultural region of Quebec, Canada. We mapped plant distribution along different road types, and constructed a model of species presence. Common ragweed was found in almost all sampling sites located along regional (97%) and local paved (81%) roads. However, verges of unpaved local roads were rarely (13%) colonized by the plant. A model (53% of variance explained), constructed with only four variables (paved regional roads, paved local roads, recently mown road verges, forest cover), correctly predicted (success rate: 89%) the spatial distribution of common ragweed. Results support the hypothesis that attributes associated with paved roads strongly favour the spread of an opportunistic invasive plant species. Specifically, larger verges and greater disturbance associated with higher traffic volume create propitious conditions for common ragweed. To date, emphasis has been placed on controlling the plant in agricultural fields, even though roadsides are probably a much larger seed source. Strategies for controlling the weed along roads have only focused on major highways, even though the considerable populations along local roads also contribute to the production of pollen. Management prioritizations developed to control common ragweed are thus questionable.     

Using Mediterranean shrubs for the phytoremediation of a soil impacted by pyritic wastes in Southern Spain: a field experiment

Re-vegetation is the main aim of ecological restoration projects, and in Mediterranean environments native plants are desirable to achieve successful restoration. In 1998, the burst of a tailings dam flooded the Guadiamar river valley downstream from Aznalcóllar (Southern Spain) with sludges that contained elevated concentrations of metals and metalloids, polluting soils and waters. A phytoremediation experiment to assess the potential use of native shrub species for the restoration of soils affected by the spillage was performed from 2005 to 2007, with soils divided into two groups: pH < 5 and pH > 5. Four native shrubs (Myrtus communis, Retama sphaerocarpa, Rosmarinus officinalis and Tamarix gallica) were planted and left to grow without intervention. Trace element concentrations in soils and plants, their extractability in soils, transfer factors and plant survival were used to identify the most-interesting species for phytoremediation. Total As was higher in soils with pH < 5. Ammonium sulphate-extractable zinc, copper, cadmium and aluminium concentrations were higher in very-acid soils, but arsenic was extracted more efficiently when soil pH was >5. Unlike As, which was either fixed by Fe oxides or retained as sulphide, the extractable metals showed significant relationships with the corresponding total soil metal concentration and inverse relationships with soil pH. T. gallica, R. officinalis and R. sphaerocarpa survived better in soils with pH > 5, while M. communis had better survival at pH < 5. R. sphaerocarpa showed the highest survival (30%) in all soils. Trace element transfer from soil to harvestable parts was low for all species and elements, and some species may have been able to decrease trace element availability in the soil. Our results suggest that R. sphaerocarpa is an adequate plant species for phytostabilising these soils, although more research is needed to address the self-sustainability of this remediation technique and the associated environmental changes.     

Assessing farming eco-efficiency: a Data Envelopment Analysis approach

This paper assesses farming eco-efficiency using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) techniques. Eco-efficiency scores at both farm and environmental pressure-specific levels are computed for a sample of Spanish farmers operating in the rain-fed agricultural system of Campos County. The determinants of eco-efficiency are then studied using truncated regression and bootstrapping techniques. We contribute to previous literature in this field of research by including information on slacks in the assessment of the potential environmental pressure reductions in a DEA framework. Our results reveal that farmers are quite eco-inefficient, with very few differences emerging among specific environmental pressures. Moreover, eco-inefficiency is closely related to technical inefficiencies in the management of inputs. Regarding the determinants of eco-efficiency, farmers benefiting from agri-environmental programs as well as those with university education are found to be more eco-efficient. Concerning the policy implications of these results, public expenditure in agricultural extension and farmer training could be of some help to promote integration between farming and the environment. Furthermore, Common Agricultural Policy agri-environmental programs are an effective policy to improve eco-efficiency, although some doubts arise regarding their cost-benefit balance.     

Analyzing the Social Factors That Influence Willingness to Pay for Invasive Alien Species Management Under Two Different Strategies: Eradication and Prevention

Biological invasions occur worldwide, and have been the object of ecological and socio-economic research for decades. However, the manner in which different stakeholder groups identify the problems associated with invasive species and confront invasive species management under different policies remains poorly understood. In this study, we conducted an econometric analysis of the social factors influencing willingness to pay for invasive alien species management under two different regimes: eradication and prevention in the Doñana Natural Protected Area (SW Spain). Controlling for the participation of local residents, tourists and conservationists, email and face-to-face questionnaires were conducted. Results indicated that respondents were more willing to pay for eradication than prevention; and public support for invasive alien species management was influenced by an individual’s knowledge and perception of invasive alien species, active interest in nature, and socio-demographic attributes. We concluded that invasive alien species management research should confront the challenges to engage stakeholders and accept any tradeoffs necessary to modify different conservation policies to ensure effective management is implemented. Finally, our willingness to pay estimates suggest the Department of Environment of Andalusian Government has suitable social support to meet the budgetary expenditures required for invasive alien species plans and adequate resources to justify an increase in the invasive alien species management budget.     

A GIS-Based Multicriteria Evaluation for Aiding Risk Management <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus pinaster</Emphasis> Ait. Forests: A Case Study in Corsican Island,Western Mediterranean Region

Forest management can benefit from decision support tools, including GIS-based multicriteria decision-aiding approach. In the Mediterranean region, Pinus pinaster forests play a very important role in biodiversity conservation and offer many socioeconomic benefits. However, the conservation of this species is affected by the increase in forest fires and the expansion of Matsucoccus feytaudi. This paper proposes a methodology based on commonly available data for assessing the values and risks of P. pinaster forests and to generating maps to aid in decisions pertaining to fire and phytosanitary risk management. The criteria for assessing the values (land cover type, legislative tools for biodiversity conservation, environmental tourist sites and access routes, and timber yield) and the risks (fire and phytosanitation) of P. pinaster forests were obtained directly or by considering specific indicators, and they were subsequently aggregated by means of GIS-based multicriteria analysis. This approach was tested on the island of Corsica (France), and maps to aid in decisions pertaining to fire risk and phytosanitary risk (M. feytaudi) were obtained for P. pinaster forest management. Study results are used by the technical offices of the local administration—Corsican Agricultural and Rural Development Agency (ODARC)—for planning the conservation of P. pinaster forests with regard to fire prevention and safety and phytosanitary risks. The decision maker took part in the evaluation criteria study (weight, normalization, and classification of the values). Most suitable locations are given to target the public intervention. The methodology presented in this paper could be applied to other species and in other Mediterranean regions.     

Geographic,population, and seasonal patterns in the reproductive parameters of the sea urchin <Emphasis Type="Italic">Paracentrotus lividus</Emphasis>

Generalized additive models were used to synthesize the data from 52 publications on the gonad growth and spawning seasonality of Paracentrotus lividus and identify spatial and temporal patterns in the reproductive processes. According to our results, Atlantic populations spawn in spring and develop large gonads (6.4 ± 0.2% of fresh body weight (mean ± SE)), which increase in size toward higher latitudes. While in the Mediterranean, the gonads are smaller (3.1 ± 0.1%), possibly as the result of successive spawnings which impede nutrients accumulating in the gonads. Differences were also observed between habitats: gonad production was higher in seagrass meadows in the Mediterranean and in subtidal rocky substrates in the Atlantic. Food availability might cause these variations as well as the negative correlation observed between depth and the gonad index for rocky substrates. Sex and body size do not seem to influence greatly gonad growth.     

Assessing Cd,Pb, Zn human bioaccessibility in smelter-contaminated agricultural topsoils (northern France)

The extractability of Cd, Pb, and Zn was investigated in contaminated agricultural topsoils located in an area highly affected by the past atmospheric emissions of two smelters in northern France in order to assess their mobility and human bioaccessibility. The determination of Cd, Pb, and Zn bioaccessibility (Unified Barge Method, in vitro test) was made to evaluate the absolute trace element (TE) bioavailability. The results highlighted differences in bioaccessibility between Cd, Pb, and Zn (Cd > Pb > Zn). The mean values of the bioaccessible fractions of Cd, Pb, and Zn during the gastric phase were 82, 55, and 33%, respectively, of the pseudototal concentrations, whereas during the gastrointestinal phase, the bioaccessible fractions of metals decreased to 45, 20, and 10%, respectively. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that human bioaccessibility was affected by various physicochemical parameters (i.e., sand, carbonates, organic matter, assimilated P, free Al oxides, and pseudototal Fe contents). Sequential extractions were performed as an indication of the TE availability in these soils. Cadmium occurred in the more available fractions, Pb was mostly present as bound by oxides, and a significant contribution to the pseudototal Zn concentration was defined as the unavailable residual form related to the crystalline structures of minerals. The concepts of bioavailability and bioaccessibility are important for quantifying the risks associated with exposure to environmental pollutants and providing more realistic information for human health.     

Interaction rules affect species coexistence in intransitive networks

Intransitive communities, those in which species' abilities cannot be ranked in a hierarchy, have been the focus of theoretical and empirical research, as intransitivity could help explain the maintenance of biodiversity. Here we show that models for intransitive competition embedding slightly different interaction rules can produce opposite patterns. In particular, we find that interactions in which an individual can be outcompeted by its neighbors, but cannot outcompete its neighbors, produce negative frequency dependence that, in turn, promotes coexistence. Whenever the interaction rule is modified toward symmetry (the individual and the neighbors can outcompete each other) the negative frequency dependence vanishes, producing different coexistence levels. Macroscopically, we find that asymmetric interactions yield highest biodiversity if species compete globally, while symmetric interactions favor highest biodiversity if competition takes place locally.     

Carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus elemental stoichiometry in aquacultured and wild-caught fish and consequences for pelagic nutrient dynamics

The elemental carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) compositions of the whole-body and gut content of wild marine fish inhabiting the Bay of Biscay (Northeast Atlantic) were studied. Furthermore, the literature was examined for studies of aquacultured fish, reporting the elemental composition of the whole-body fish, that of their food, and nutrient assimilation and gross growth efficiencies (GGE). In both wild-caught and aquacultured fish, significant differences in C, N and P elemental composition were found between species, with P being the most variable component. Differences among species in terms of C, N and P content could be explained by varying proportions of storage compounds in whole-body fish, and varying degrees of ossification. Aquacultured fish feces were found to be P-rich, because of a lower P assimilation efficiency, compared to C or N assimilation efficiencies. Examination of aquacultured fish literature also revealed that C, N and P GGE and nutrient resupply ratios agreed with basic principles of homeostatic regulation of whole-body fish elemental composition. Extrapolation of the results to broader marine systems indicated that fish may be important for conveying nutrients toward the ocean interior.