In situ observations of a possible skate nursery off the western Antarctic Peninsula.

A dense aggregation of skate egg cases was imaged during a photographic survey of the sea floor along the western Antarctic Peninsula in November 2013. Egg cases were noted in a narrow band between 394 and 443 m depth. Although some skate species in other oceans are known to utilize restricted areas to deposit eggs in great numbers, such nurseries have not been described in the Southern Ocean.

One hundred questions of importance to the conservation of global biological diversity.

We identified 100 scientific questions that, if answered, would have the greatest impact on conservation practice and policy. Representatives from 21 international organizations, regional sections and working groups of the Society for Conservation Biology, and 12 academics, from all continents except Antarctica, compiled 2291 questions of relevance to conservation of biological diversity worldwide. The questions were gathered from 761 individuals through workshops, email requests, and discussions. Voting by email to short-list questions, followed by a 2-day workshop, was used to derive the final list of 100 questions. Most of the final questions were derived through a process of modification and combination as the workshop progressed. The questions are divided into 12 sections: ecosystem functions and services, climate change, technological change, protected areas, ecosystem management and restoration, terrestrial ecosystems, marine ecosystems, freshwater ecosystems, species management, organizational systems and processes, societal context and change, and impacts of conservation interventions. We anticipate that these questions will help identify new directions for researchers and assist funders in directing funds.

Seizure disorders and trace metals: manganese tissue levels in treated epileptics.

We determined the concentrations of manganese in whole blood and hair in 52 epileptics, 6 blood relatives, and 24 normal controls. Blood, and possibly hair manganese content, was significantly lower in treated epileptics than in controls (p less than 0.002). Although not all patients showed reduced tissue manganese levels, most of those with frequent seizures had manganese levels falling below the lowest control level, suggesting a relationship between manganese tissue levels and high seizure activity. These differences in manganese levels were not correlated with the type, dose, or plasma levels of anticonvulsant medication. Reduced manganese availability at the neuronal level, where Mn++ stabilizes membrane excitability, may affect epileptogenic lesions to increase the likelihood of seizure activity.