Macroecological patterns in flower colour are shaped by both biotic and abiotic factors

There is a wealth of research on the way interactions with pollinators shape flower traits. However, we have much more to learn about influences of the abiotic environment on flower colour. We combine quantitative flower colour data for 339 species from a broad spatial range covering tropical, temperate, arid, montane and coastal environments from 9.25ºS to 43.75ºS with 11 environmental variables to test hypotheses about how macroecological patterns in flower colouration relate to biotic and abiotic conditions. Both biotic community and abiotic conditions are important in explaining variation of flower colour traits on a broad scale. The diversity of pollinating insects and the plant community have the highest predictive power for flower colouration, followed by mean annual precipitation and solar radiation. On average, flower colours are more chromatic where there are fewer pollinators, solar radiation is high, precipitation and net primary production are low, and growing seasons are short, providing support for the hypothesis that higher chromatic contrast of flower colours may be related to stressful conditions. To fully understand the ecology and evolution of flower colour, we should incorporate the broad selective context that plants experience into research, rather than focusing primarily on effects of plant–pollinator interactions

Expression of bacterial virulence factors and cytokines during in vitro macrophage infection by enteroinvasive Escherichia coli and Shigella flexneri: a comparative study

Enteroinvasive Escherichia coli (EIEC) and Shigellaspp cause bacillary dysentery in humans by invading and multiplying within epithelial cells of the colonic mucosa. Although EIEC and Shigellashare many genetic and biochemical similarities, the illness caused by Shigellais more severe. Thus, genomic and structure-function molecular studies on the biological interactions of these invasive enterobacteria with eukaryotic cells have focused on Shigella rather than EIEC. Here we comparatively studied the interactions of EIEC and of Shigella flexneriwith cultured J774 macrophage-like cells. We evaluated several phenotypes: (i) bacterial escape from macrophages after phagocytosis, (ii) macrophage death induced by EIEC and S. flexneri, (iii) macrophage cytokine expression in response to infection and (iv) expression of plasmidial (pINV) virulence genes. The results showed thatS. flexneri caused macrophage killing earlier and more intensely than EIEC. Both pathogens induced significant macrophage production of TNF, IL-1 and IL-10 after 7 h of infection. Transcription levels of the gene invasion plasmid antigen-C were lower in EIEC than in S. flexneri throughout the course of the infection; this could explain the diminished virulence of EIEC compared to S. flexneri.FAPES

Humanismo Y mestizaje cultural en la Nueva España del siglo XVI los Diàlogos latinos de Francisco Cervantes De Salazar, en 1554.

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo ahondar en el tema del Humanismo y el mestizaje cultural en la Nueva España del siglo XVI. Me propongo estudiar lo anterior con base en dos ejes rectores: a. el humanismo europeo llegado a la Nueva España, y b. El debate sobre la conquista y el consecuente humanismo filantrópico que ahí se evidencia. Mi trabajo se concentra en una obra de Francisco Cervantes de Salazar, Diálogos en 1554: estos se refieren a tres diálogos en los cuales el autor describió poéticamente y con detallada viveza tanto la recién fundada Universidad de México como la misma Ciudad de México, en su interior y panorámicamente desde las afueras: esto lo realiza mediante tres personajes que interactúan dialécticamente. Estos diálogos han sido general y principalmente interpretados desde tres perspectivas: por una parte, en tanto su importancia histórica al representar una primera descripción urbanística detallada de la mencionada Ciudad. Por otra parte, desde su valiosa función como documento de enseñanza de la lengua latina entre los estudiantes de aquellos años. Y tercero, desde el punto de vista del Diálogo literario propio del siglo XVI. En mi trabajo, propongo que dichos Diálogos no solamente pueden interpretarse bajo las tres perspectivas mencionadas, sino que, asimismo, puede entreverse en ellos una gran carga ideológico-política. Lo anterior pudo haber dado pauta a que, en los primeros años de funcionamiento de la Real y Pontificia Universidad de México, se hayan utilizado dichos Diálogos latinos también como instrumento retórico de adoctrinamiento al clero secular en proceso de formación académica, futuros potenciales gobernantes de la Nueva España. Los textos a utilizar son: el original latino con traducción al español de Joaquín García Icazbalceta, en 1875; y la versión de Edmundo O´Gorman, de1962

Measuring functional ability in healthy ageing: a nationwide cross-sectional survey in the Philippine older population

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the empirical support of the functional ability concept in the healthy ageing framework developed by the WHO in a sample of the Philippine older population. According to this framework, environmental factors may enhance or hinder functional ability, which is the person's ability to do what they value, broadly represented by subjective well-being. Moreover, this network of relationships may be moderated by personal characteristics such as gender. DESIGN: Cross-sectional observational study. SETTING: Philippines, general population. PARTICIPANTS: Respondents of the 2016 National Disability Prevalence Survey/Model Functioning Survey aged 50+ (N=2825). PRIMARY AND SECONDARY OUTCOME MEASURES: Latent (unobserved) measures of functional ability, environmental factors (physical environmental factors and social network and support) and subjective well-being (positive affect, negative affect and evaluative well-being) were obtained from different items from the survey questionnaire using a SEM framework. RESULTS: We found that the relationship between environmental factors and the three components of subjective well-being considered in this study was partially explained by differences in functional ability. The portion of those effects accounted for by functional ability was comparatively larger for the physical than for the social environmental factors. We found no evidences of gender differences in this network of relationships. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest the relevance of functional ability at explaining the relationship between environmental factors and subjective well-being in older adults. Future studies may replicate these findings longitudinally and including other relevant measures as the person's objective level of intrinsic capacity

Yeast immobilization systems for second-generation ethanol production: actual trends and future perspectives

Yeast immobilization with low-cost carrier materials is a suitable strategy to optimize the fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates for the production of second-generation (2G) ethanol. It is defined as the physical confinement of intact cells to a certain region of space (the carrier) with the preservation of their biological activity. This technological approach facilitates promising strategies for second-generation bioethanol production due to the enhancement of the fermentation performance that is expected to be achieved. Using immobilized cells, the resistance to inhibitors contained in the hydrolysates and the co-utilization of sugars are improved, along with facilitating separation operations and the reuse of yeast in new production cycles. Until now, the most common immobilization technology used calcium alginate as a yeast carrier but other supports such as biochar or multispecies biofilm membranes have emerged as interesting alternatives. This review compiles updated information about cell carriers and yeast-cell requirements for immobilization, and the benefits and drawbacks of different immobilization systems for second-generation bioethanol production are investigated and compared. © 2021 The Authors. Biofuels, Bioproducts and Biorefining published by Society of Industrial Chemistry and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.publishedVersio

Examining Spatiotemporal Trends Of Drought In The Conterminous United States Using Self-Organizing Maps

Droughts can inflict long-lasting devastation on natural ecosystems and socio-economic sectors. In this study, we examine the spatiotemporal trends of drought using self-organizing maps (SOM), SOMs are a competitive learning subset of artificial neural networks (ANN) requiring unsupervised training of inputs. We used monthly Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) values to identify existing clusters of wetting and drying patterns from 1895-2016. We created cartographic visualizations of the SOM output and conducted a subsequent time-series analysis to link with our spatial observations. Across most SOM patterns, we identified no significant changes of drying or wetting patterns over the last century for the greater part of the CONUS., however, we noted a statistically significant increase in drought patterns in Southwestern and Western U.S. over the study period. Our findings inform novel methods for quantification of historical drought and further support the notion that drought is region-specific

Optimisation of the Schizosaccharomyces pombe urg1 expression system

The ability to study protein function in vivo often relies on systems that regulate the presence and absence of the protein of interest. Two limitations for previously described transcriptional control systems that are used to regulate protein expression in fission yeast are: the time taken for inducing conditions to initiate transcription and the ability to achieve very low basal transcription in the "OFF-state". In previous work, we described a Cre recombination-mediated system that allows the rapid and efficient regulation of any gene of interest by the urg1 promoter, which has a dynamic range of approximately 75-fold and which is induced within 30-60 minutes of uracil addition. In this report we describe easy-to-use and versatile modules that can be exploited to significantly tune down P urg1 "OFF-levels" while maintaining an equivalent dynamic range. We also provide plasmids and tools for combining P urg1 transcriptional control with the auxin degron tag to help maintain a null-like phenotype. We demonstrate the utility of this system by improved regulation of HO-dependent site-specific DSB formation, by the regulation Rtf1-dependent replication fork arrest and by controlling Rhp18(Rad18)-dependent post replication repair

Molecular basis of FIR-mediated c-myc transcriptional control

The far upstream element (FUSE) regulatory system promotes a peak in the concentration of c-Myc during cell cycle. First, the FBP transcriptional activator binds to the FUSE DNA element upstream of the c-myc promoter. Then, FBP recruits its specific repressor (FIR), which acts as an on/off transcriptional switch. Here we describe the molecular basis of FIR recruitment, showing that the tandem RNA recognition motifs of FIR provide a platform for independent FUSE DNA and FBP protein binding and explaining the structural basis of the reversibility of the FBP-FIR interaction. We also show that the physical coupling between FBP and FIR is modulated by a flexible linker positioned sequentially to the recruiting element. Our data explain how the FUSE system precisely regulates c-myc transcription and suggest that a small change in FBP-FIR affinity leads to a substantial effect on c-Myc concentration.MRC Grant-in-aid U11757455

Assessing Internet addiction using the parsimonious Internet addiction components model - a preliminary study [forthcoming]

Internet usage has grown exponentially over the last decade. Research indicates that excessive Internet use can lead to symptoms associated with addiction. To date, assessment of potential Internet addiction has varied regarding populations studied and instruments used, making reliable prevalence estimations difficult. To overcome the present problems a preliminary study was conducted testing a parsimonious Internet addiction components model based on Griffiths’ addiction components (2005), including salience, mood modification, tolerance, withdrawal, conflict, and relapse. Two validated measures of Internet addiction were used (Compulsive Internet Use Scale [CIUS], Meerkerk et al., 2009, and Assessment for Internet and Computer Game Addiction Scale [AICA-S], Beutel et al., 2010) in two independent samples (ns = 3,105 and 2,257). The fit of the model was analysed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results indicate that the Internet addiction components model fits the data in both samples well. The two sample/two instrument approach provides converging evidence concerning the degree to which the components model can organize the self-reported behavioural components of Internet addiction. Recommendations for future research include a more detailed assessment of tolerance as addiction component

Computer-supported collaborative learning with digital video cases in teacher education: the impact of teaching experience on knowledge convergence

Case-based learning is ascribed high potential with respect to the education of pre-service teachers as well as the further education of experienced in-service teachers, as it can provide opportunities for the application of professional knowledge to authentic classroom situations. In addition to the application and acquisition of knowledge, the aspect of knowledge convergence (i.e., increasing similarity of collaborative learners with respect to their knowledge) should be taken into account when homogeneous benefits are desired for all participants of a case-based training. A field study with 29 pre-service teachers and 24 in-service teachers from adult education was conducted to examine effects of different levels of teaching experience on knowledge application, knowledge acquisition, and knowledge convergence in a computer-supported collaborative case-based learning environment. An innovative approach to measuring knowledge convergence was introduced, using the positions of annotations (i.e., flags placed on the timeline of the case video) made by learners during their case analyses as an indicator of their shared focus of attention. This measure was found to positively correlate with the application and acquisition of professional knowledge. Teaching experience affected both processes and outcomes of case-based learning, suggesting different means of instructional support for pre-service and in-service teachers