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While urbanization is often associated to a loss of biodiversity, non-native animal species are strikingly successful in urban landscapes. As biological invasions are recognized to have detrimental environmental, social and economic impacts, extensive understanding of the interactions between invasive species and the abiotic and biotic environment is necessary for effective prevention and management strategies. However, the mechanisms underlying the success of invasive animals in urban environments are still poorly understood. We provide a first conceptual review of the role of urbanization in the introduction, establishment, and potential spread of non-native animal species. We summarize and discuss the mechanisms enhancing biological invasive potential of non-native animals in urban environments, by both isolating and interlinking the abiotic and biotic drivers involved. Following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA 2020) process, this systematic review covers a total of 124 studies comprehensive of all taxonomic groups, albeit with an evident publication bias for avian and terrestrial invertebrate species (22.1% and 19.8% of literature respectively). High-income regions also represent a larger bulk of the literature (Europe: 26.7%, North America: 23.7%). The most common reported factors facilitating species invasions in urban areas are reduced biotic resistance, and the competitive and urban-compatible ecological and/or behavioural traits of non-native animals allowing urban exploitation and aiding invasion. Finally, we identify important knowledge gaps, such as the scarcity of studies investigating socio-economic spatial patterns in the presence and abundance of invasive species, as well as the adaptive evolution of non-native animal species in urban areas.

Urban environments are expanding globally, presenting novel ecological challenges to which species might not be well adapted. Understanding whether species responses to urban living are adaptive or maladaptive is critical to predicting the future impacts of urbanisation on biodiversity. Urban breeding birds exhibit reduced reproductive investment (clutch size) compared to neighbouring non-urban populations. However, whether this reduction is an adaptive response or a result of physiological constraints is unclear. Here, we investigated the ability of urban and forest blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) to lay new eggs following an egg removal manipulation. Consistent with the expectation that constraints limit clutch size, egg removal did not induce urban females to lay replacement eggs. Meanwhile, forest birds laid approximately two replacement eggs after egg removal. Additionally, we found that the size of replacement eggs from forest females declined over the lay sequence, a pattern not observed in urban clutches. Hatchlings from experimental nests were lighter in both habitats, with lighter hatchlings having reduced survival. Furthermore, as urban blue tits did not lay replacement eggs, egg removal resulted in a brood reduction in the city and nestlings from urban experimental nests had higher survival than those from urban control nests. Overall, our results suggest cities place constraints on egg production in urban birds. Urban females may experience energetic or nutrient limitations that restricts egg formation and/or exacerbates the trade-off between survival and egg production. Additionally, females may be misjudging urban habitat quality, due to time constraints when laying, and produce a clutch too large to be sustained in the city.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.

The worldwide use of prone position (PP) for invasively ventilated patients with COVID-19 is progressively increasing from the first pandemic wave in everyday clinical practice. Among the suggested treatments for the management of ARDS patients, PP was recommended in the Surviving Sepsis Campaign COVID-19 guidelines as an adjuvant therapy for improving ventilation. In patients with severe classical ARDS, some authors reported that early application of prolonged PP sessions significantly decreases 28-day and 90-day mortality. Since January 2021, the COVID19 Veneto ICU Network research group has developed and implemented nationally and internationally the \"PROVENT-C19 Registry\", endorsed by the Italian Society of Anesthesia Analgesia Resuscitation and Intensive Care…'(SIAARTI). The PROVENT-C19 Registry wishes to describe 1. The real clinical practice on the use of PP in COVID-19 patients during the pandemic at a National and International level; and 2. Potential baseline and clinical characteristics that identify subpopulations of invasively ventilated patients with COVID-19 that may improve daily from PP therapy. This web-based registry will provide relevant information on how the database research tools may improve our daily clinical practice. This multicenter, prospective registry is the first to identify and characterize the role of PP on clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients. In recent years, data emerging from large registries have been increasingly used to provide real-world evidence on the effectiveness, quality, and safety of a clinical intervention. Indeed observation-based registries could be effective tools aimed at identifying specific clusters of patients within a large study population with widely heterogeneous clinical characteristics. The registry was registered (ClinicalTrial.Gov Trials Register NCT04905875) on May 28,2021.