Effects of Natura 2000 on nontarget bird and butterfly species based on citizen science data.

The European Union's Natura 2000 (N2000) is among the largest international networks of protected areas. One of its aims is to secure the status of a predetermined set of (targeted) bird and butterfly species. However, nontarget species may also benefit from N2000. We evaluated how the terrestrial component of this network affects the abundance of nontargeted, more common bird and butterfly species based on data from long-term volunteer-based monitoring programs in 9602 sites for birds and 2001 sites for butterflies. In almost half of the 155 bird species assessed, and particularly among woodland specialists, abundance increased (slope estimates ranged from 0.101 [SD 0.042] to 3.51 [SD 1.30]) as the proportion of landscape covered by N2000 sites increased. This positive relationship existed for 27 of the 104 butterfly species (estimates ranged from 0.382 [SD 0.163] to 4.28 [SD 0.768]), although most butterflies were generalists. For most species, when land-cover covariates were accounted for these positive relationships were not evident, meaning land cover may be a determinant of positive effects of the N2000 network. The increase in abundance as N2000 coverage increased correlated with the specialization index for birds, but not for butterflies. Although the N2000 network supports high abundance of a large spectrum of species, the low number of specialist butterflies with a positive association with the N2000 network shows the need to improve the habitat quality of N2000 sites that could harbor open-land butterfly specialists. For a better understanding of the processes involved, we advocate for standardized collection of data at N2000 sites.

Efectos de Natura 2000 sobre las Especies No Focales de Aves y Mariposas con Base en Datos de Ciencia Ciudadana Resumen La red Natura 2000 (N2000) de la Unión Europea está entre las redes internacionales más grandes de áreas protegidas. Uno de sus objetivos es asegurar el estado de un conjunto predeterminado de especies de aves y mariposas (focales). Sin embargo, las especies no focales también pueden beneficiarse con la N2000. Evaluamos cómo el componente terrestre de esta red afecta la abundancia de las especies de aves y mariposas no focales más comunes con base en los datos de programas de monitoreo voluntario a largo plazo en 9,602 sitios para aves y en 2,001 sitios para mariposas. En casi la mitad de las 155 especies de aves evaluadas, particularmente entre aquellas especies especialistas en zonas boscosas, la abundancia incrementó (los estimaciones de la pendiente variaron desde 0.101 [DS 0.042] hasta 3.51 [DS 1.30]) conforme incrementó la proporción del paisaje cubierto por sitios de la N2000. Esta relación positiva existió en 27 de las 104 especies de mariposas (con una variación de estimaciones desde 0.382 [DS 0.163] hasta 4.28 [DS 0.768]), aunque la mayoría de las especies de mariposas fueron generalistas. Cuando se consideraron las covarianzas de cobertura de suelo estas relaciones positivas no fueron evidentes para la mayoría de las especies, lo que significa que la cobertura de suelo puede ser una determinante de los efectos positivos de la red N2000. El incremento en la abundancia conforme aumentó la cobertura de la N2000 estuvo correlacionado con el índice de especialización de las aves, pero no el de las mariposas. Aunque la red N2000 sostiene la abundancia alta de un espectro amplio de especies, el bajo número de mariposas especialistas con una asociación positiva a la red N2000 demuestra la necesidad de mejorar la calidad del hábitat de los sitios N2000 que podrían albergar a mariposas especialistas de campo abierto. Para un mejor entendimiento de los procesos involucrados, promovemos una recolección estandarizada de datos en los sitios de la red N2000.

Importance of B2 microglobulin in primary bronchial cancer.

We have performed B2 microglobulin determination in 18 non-cancer and in 38 cancer cases. We found a higher value in the control group in 11% (2 cases) and a pathologic value in 43.5% (17 cases) in the group of patients with primary bronchial cancer.

[CO2-production of circulating lymphocytes in the presence of a sarcoidosis extract in patients with sarcoidosis (author's transl)]. / Steigerung der Kohlendioxydproduktion zirkulierender Lymphozyten bei Sarkoidosepatienten durch Zugabe eines Sarkoidose-Extraktes.

The CO2-production of circulating lymphocytes of patients with sarcoidosis and other diseases was investigated in presence of an sarcoidosis extract and without it. In 32 of 36 patients with sarcoidosis an elevated CO2-production of the lymphocytes was observed in presence of a sarcoid extract, whereas it happened only in 3 of 26 cases of a control group.

[The dynamics of the diseases of hilar and mediastinal lymph nodes as seen by fluorography (author's transl)]. / Dynamik der Erkrankungen der Hilus- und Mediastinallymphknoten im Spiegel der Schirmbildaufnahmen.

Fluorographic anamnesis of patients with sarcoidosis and lymphogranulomatosis was studied. The fluorograms carried out prior to the discovery of diagnosis of sarcoidosis were found normal in 21 out of 25 cases, they showed signs of pathologic changes in 4 patients. On the other hand, in patients with Hodgkins disease the preliminary fluorogram was normal in 13 cases, abnormal in 13 patients. Differences were found in the form of radiologic picture as well: sarcoidosis caused symmetrical enlargement of the hilar lymph nodes, in lymphogranulomatosis enlargement of the paratracheal ones could be observed.

[Incidence of lung fibrosis in Hungary]. / Häufigkeit der Lungenfibrose in Ungarn.

Epidemiological data of patients with lung fibrosis being registered in dispensaries are demonstrated. Three groups of fibrosis patients are registered: lung fibrosis of known origin, lung fibrosis associated with systemic disease and lung fibrosis of unknown origin. In 1984 prevalence was 22.7/100,000. Incidence was the lowest in systemic diseases and the highest in lung fibrosis of unknown origin.

[The present and future of the campaign against tuberculosis in Hungary]. / Gegenwart und Zukunft des Kampfes gegen die Tuberkulose in Ungarn.

The situation of the fight against tuberculosis in Hungary is analysed. It is found that the steady decrease of incidence was temporary. The consequent application of the different measures of the fight against tuberculosis will lead to a further decline of the incidence.

Spatial genetic structure in a metapopulation of the land snail Cepaea nemoralis (Gastropoda: Helicidae).

Habitat fragmentation is a major force affecting demography and genetic structure of wild populations, especially in agricultural landscapes. The land snail Cepaea nemoralis (L.) was selected to investigate the impact of habitat fragmentation on the spatial genetic structure of an organism with limited dispersal ability. Genetic and morphological patterns were investigated at a local scale of a 500 m transect and a mesoscale of 4 x 4 km in a fragmented agricultural landscape while accounting for variation in the landscape using least-cost models. Analysis of microsatellite loci using expected heterozygosity (HE), pairwise genetic distance (FST/1-FST) and spatial autocorrelograms (Moran's I) as well as shell characteristics revealed spatial structuring at both scales and provided evidence for a metapopulation structure. Genetic diversity was related to morphological diversity regardless of landscape properties. This pointed to bottlenecks caused by founder effects after (re)colonization. Our study suggests that metapopulation structure depended on both landscape features and the shape of the dispersal function. A range of genetic spatial autocorrelation up to 80 m at the local scale and up to 800 m at the mesoscale indicated leptokurtic dispersal patterns. The metapopulation dynamics of C. nemoralis resulted in a patchwork of interconnected, spatially structured subpopulations. They were shaped by gene flow which was affected by landscape features, the dispersal function and an increasing role of genetic drift with distance.

[Measurement of sputum viscosity with the Jenssen viscometer]. / Sputumviskositätsmessungen mit dem Jenssen-Viskosimeter.

The authors measured the viscosity of sputum with a Jenssen type capillary viscometer. The repeated assessment of the viscosity of the same sample of sputum showed that the results are reproducible and the instrument does not disrupt markedly the structure of the sputum. After measuring the viscosity of 35 patients with different types of pulmonary disease the authors state, in accordance with the data found in literature, that the measurement of the viscosity of sputum by itself cannot help in the differential diagnosis of pulmonary diseases. The authors suggest the determination of the Biochemical constituents of sputum to supplement the measurement of the viscosity of sputum.

[Differences in the levels of serum immunoglobulin E determined by the competitive radio-immuno-sorbent and the paper-radioimmuno-sorbent methods: Removal of these differences by pretreatment of sera with polyethylene glycol (author's transl)]. / Unterschiede für Immunglobulin E im Serum, bestimmt mit kompetitivem bzw. Papier-Radio-immunosorbenttest: Beseitigung durch Vorbehandlung mit Polyethylenglycol.

The serum IgE of patients with chronic nonspecific lung diseases was determined with the competitive radio-immuno-sorbent and the paper-radio-immuno-sorbent methods (Phadebas). Some samples showed markedly higher values with the competitive radio-immuno-sorbent than with the paper-radio-immuno-sorbent method. These discrepancies were abolished by pretreatment of the sera: polyethylene glycol 6000 (final concentration 35 g/l) was added, followed by centrifugation at 0 degrees C for 30 min at 20 000 g, and IgE was determined in the supernatant. This treatment had no effect on the values of the paper-radio-immuno-sorbent method, but the values of the competitive radio-immuno-sorbent method were decreased so that the two values agreed within the experimental confidence limits.