Role of floral strips and semi-natural habitats as enhancers of wild bee functional diversity in intensive agricultural landscapes

Los autores de la UAM pertenecen al Terrestrial Ecology Group, Department of EcologyInstalling patches of flowering plants is a commonly used strategy to enhance refuge and food resources for pollinators in intensive agricultural landscapes. Here, we evaluated how floral strips and semi-natural habitats impact the taxonomic and functional diversity of wild bees in intensively farmed sunflower fields. Pan traps were used to assess bee richness and functional diversity at 22 sampling sites (11 sites were positioned in sunflower fields with floral strips, and 11 control sites were adjacent to semi-natural habitats). Five sampling levels were established in each field, positioned at different distances from the flower strip or semi-natural habitat. Wild bee species richness and functional richness were significantly higher inside floral strips and semi-natural habitats compared to sunflower fields. Functional redundancy was significantly higher inside agricultural fields compared to inside floral strips and semi-natural habitats. Sunflower fields with floral strips had lower Rao values compared to sunflower fields adjacent to semi-natural habitats. The community-weighted mean (CWM) of intertegular distance (distance between where wings attach to body) of wild bees was significantly higher in sunflower fields adjacent to semi-natural habitats. In comparison, the CWM of wing length varied across sampling levels in sunflower fields with semi-natural habitats. Our results show it is essential to have semi-natural habitats within intensive agricultural landscapes to ensure the conservation of wild bee diversity, while the installation of floral strips offers a partial substitute to enhance wild bee diversity when semi-natural habitats are scarce or absentFinancial support was provided by the European Union FEDER INTERREG SUDOE Program (SOE1/P5/E0129). CPC was supported by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (PSG293) and the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence EcolChange

Sensitivity of Modern Lighting Technologies to Rapid Voltage Changes

Rapid Voltage Changes (RVCs) are one of the Power Quality disturbances that are recently receiving a lot of attention from the point of view of international standards. However, although they can cause or contribute to flicker, IEC 61000-4-15 only addresses periodic amplitude fluctuations and more effort is needed to regulate the occurrence of RVCs, according to their effect on flicker perceptibility. Alongside, flicker perception is challenged by the integration of modern lighting technology, whose response is different from the traditional incandescent lamp. This paper studies the connection between the increasing importance of RVCs and the evolution of illumination technologies. Sensitivity of modern lighting technologies to RVCs is studied by measuring flicker with a high precision light flickermeter. A large set of modern lamps is tested and the relationship between RVCs parameters and flicker perceptibility is analyzed

ACYL-ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN DESATURASE2 and 3 are responsible for making omega-7 fatty acids in the Arabidopsis aleurone

Omega-7 monounsaturated fatty acids (ω-7s) are specifically enriched in the aleurone of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seeds. We found significant natural variation in seed ω-7 content and used a Multiparent Advanced Generation Inter-Cross population to fine-map a major quantitative trait loci to a region containing ACYL-ACYL CARRIER PROTEIN DESATURASE1 (AAD1) and AAD3. We found that AAD3 expression is localized to the aleurone where mutants show an approximately 50% reduction in ω-7 content. By contrast, AAD1 is localized to the embryo where mutants show a small reduction in ω-9 content. Enzymatic analysis has previously shown that AAD family members possess both stearoyl- and palmitoyl-ACP Δ9 desaturase activity, including the predominant isoform SUPPRESSOR OF SALICYLIC ACID INSENSITIVE2. However, aad3 ssi2 aleurone contained the same amount of ω-7s as aad3. Within the AAD family, AAD3 shares the highest degree of sequence similarity with AAD2 and AAD4. Mutant analysis showed that AAD2 also contributes to ω-7 production in the aleurone, and aad3 aad2 exhibits an approximately 85% reduction in ω-7s. Mutant analysis also showed that FATTY ACID ELONGASE1 is required for the production of very long chain ω-7s in the aleurone. Together, these data provide genetic evidence that the ω-7 pathway proceeds via Δ9 desaturation of palmitoyl-ACP followed by elongation of the product. Interestingly, significant variation was also identified in the ω-7 content of Brassica napus aleurone, with the highest level detected being approximately 47% of total fatty acids

A new host for a new Rossomyrmex minuchae population

Social parasites usually rely on chemical cues (cuticular hydrocarbons) to successfully invade and coexist with their hosts. Most ants that are obligate social parasites (slave-makers) can parasitize several related host species with different levels of chemical similarity although there are few exceptions where there is only a single host species. An example of the latter is Rossomyrmex minuchae, which was known to be only associated with Proformica longiseta. However, a recent discovery of a new R. minuchae population revealed that it can parasitize P. nasuta, a species with a separate distribution to P. longiseta. Chemical analyses of cuticular hydrocarbons show local adaptation of the parasite to its host in this new population, being more similar to P. nasuta than to other R. minuchae populations. In addition, genetic analyses evidence differences from the other known populations, from which it split 1.21 Mya during glacial and interglacial periods of the Pleistocene and remained separated to the present day. This historical genetic isolation and the chemical differences found between parasite populations may evidence a speciation process and support the local host–parasite coevolutionM Silvestre and FM Azcárate received administrative and fnancial support from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Project CGL2014-53789-R). Sierra de Guadarrama National Park provided the permits for the sampling (ref 10/101642.9/16). This work was also partially funded by the University of Jaén through the “Plan Operativo de Apoyo a la Investigación 2021-2022

Genome wide analysis of fatty acid desaturation and its response to temperature

Plants modify the polyunsaturated fatty acid content of their membrane and storage lipids in order to adapt to changes in temperature. In developing seeds, this response is largely controlled by the activities of the microsomal ω-6 and ω-3 fatty acid desaturases, FAD2 and FAD3. Although temperature regulation of desaturation has been studied at the molecular and biochemical levels, the genetic control of this trait is poorly understood. Here, we have characterized the response of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seed lipids to variation in ambient temperature and found that heat inhibits both ω-6 and ω-3 desaturation in phosphatidylcholine, leading to a proportional change in triacylglycerol composition. Analysis of the 19 parental accessions of the multiparent advanced generation intercross (MAGIC) population showed that significant natural variation exists in the temperature responsiveness of ω-6 desaturation. A combination of quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using the MAGIC population suggests that ω-6 desaturation is largely controlled by cis-acting sequence variants in the FAD2 5′ untranslated region intron that determine the expression level of the gene. However, the temperature responsiveness of ω-6 desaturation is controlled by a separate QTL on chromosome 2. The identity of this locus is unknown, but genome-wide association studies identified potentially causal sequence variants within ∼40 genes in an ∼450-kb region of the QTL

Análisis y evaluación de las prácticas pedagógicas y de gestión mediadas por tecnologías en la Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación de la UNER: El Programa EduVirtual

La FCEDU-UNER con una investigación basada en diseño orientada hacia la innovación educativa cuya característica fundamental consiste en la introducción de un elemento nuevo para transformar una situación. mediante un proceso de desarrollo sistémico a través de continuos círculos de retroalimentación entre las dimensiones institucionales, organizativas, comunicacionales. El objetivo de este tipo de estudio es crear modelos que favorezcan la implementación de proyectos. Se trata, en definitiva, del diseño y desarrollo de una intervención como una solución (innovadora) a un problema complejo, y en consecuencia el punto de partida son problemas educativos para los que no existen -o sólo se dispone de unos pocos- principios validados para estructurar y apoyar dichas actividades de diseño y desarrollo. Esta investigación intentó explorar sobre los proyectos de educación con TIC, con énfasis en las dimensiones diagnósticas, de diseño, desarrollo, de implementación y evaluación. Se generaron diagnósticos y se implementaron actividades y proyectos que aportaron a las dimensiones institucionales, académicas, pedagógicas, comunicacionales y tecnológicas de la FCEDU-UNER. Dichas pautas colaboraron en la construcción de escenarios educativos acordes a los contextos socio-culturales de referencia, y a través de acciones de mediano plazo y largo alcance. ARK/CAICYT: http://id.caicyt.gov.ar/ark:/s22504559/djgdr6rq

Protein Kinase A Regulatory Subunits in Human Adipose Tissue: Decreased R2B Expression and Activity in Adipocytes From Obese Subjects

OBJECTIVE—In human adipocytes, the cAMP-dependent pathway mediates signals originating from β-adrenergic activation, thus playing a key role in the regulation of important metabolic processes, i.e., lipolysis and thermogenesis. Cyclic AMP effects are mainly mediated by protein kinase A (PKA), whose R2B regulatory isoform is the most expressed in mouse adipose tissue, where it protects against diet-induced obesity and fatty liver development. The aim of the study was to investigate possible differences in R2B expression, PKA activity, and lipolysis in adipose tissues from obese and nonobese subjects

Photoproduction of D∗±D^{*\pm} mesons associated with a leading neutron

The photoproduction of $D^{*\pm} (2010)$ mesons associated with a leading neutron has been observed with the ZEUS detector in $ep$ collisions at HERA using an integrated luminosity of 80 pb$^{-1}$. The neutron carries a large fraction, {$x_L>0.2$}, of the incoming proton beam energy and is detected at very small production angles, {$\theta_n<0.8$ mrad}, an indication of peripheral scattering. The $D^*$ meson is centrally produced with pseudorapidity {$|\eta| 1.9$ GeV}, which is large compared to the average transverse momentum of the neutron of 0.22 GeV. The ratio of neutron-tagged to inclusive $D^*$ production is $8.85\pm 0.93({\rm stat.})^{+0.48}_{-0.61}({\rm syst.})\%$ in the photon-proton center-of-mass energy range {$130 <W<280$ GeV}. The data suggest that the presence of a hard scale enhances the fraction of events with a leading neutron in the final state.Comment: 28 pages, 4 figures, 2 table

GEPAS, a web-based tool for microarray data analysis and interpretation

Gene Expression Profile Analysis Suite (GEPAS) is one of the most complete and extensively used web-based packages for microarray data analysis. During its more than 5 years of activity it has continuously been updated to keep pace with the state-of-the-art in the changing microarray data analysis arena. GEPAS offers diverse analysis options that include well established as well as novel algorithms for normalization, gene selection, class prediction, clustering and functional profiling of the experiment. New options for time-course (or dose-response) experiments, microarray-based class prediction, new clustering methods and new tests for differential expression have been included. The new pipeliner module allows automating the execution of sequential analysis steps by means of a simple but powerful graphic interface. An extensive re-engineering of GEPAS has been carried out which includes the use of web services and Web 2.0 technology features, a new user interface with persistent sessions and a new extended database of gene identifiers. GEPAS is nowadays the most quoted web tool in its field and it is extensively used by researchers of many countries and its records indicate an average usage rate of 500 experiments per day. GEPAS, is available at http://www.gepas.org