The genomes of two key bumblebee species with primitive eusocial organization

Background: The shift from solitary to social behavior is one of the major evolutionary transitions. Primitively eusocial bumblebees are uniquely placed to illuminate the evolution of highly eusocial insect societies. Bumblebees are also invaluable natural and agricultural pollinators, and there is widespread concern over recent population declines in some species. High-quality genomic data will inform key aspects of bumblebee biology, including susceptibility to implicated population viability threats. Results: We report the high quality draft genome sequences of Bombus terrestris and Bombus impatiens, two ecologically dominant bumblebees and widely utilized study species. Comparing these new genomes to those of the highly eusocial honeybee Apis mellifera and other Hymenoptera, we identify deeply conserved similarities, as well as novelties key to the biology of these organisms. Some honeybee genome features thought to underpin advanced eusociality are also present in bumblebees, indicating an earlier evolution in the bee lineage. Xenobiotic detoxification and immune genes are similarly depauperate in bumblebees and honeybees, and multiple categories of genes linked to social organization, including development and behavior, show high conservation. Key differences identified include a bias in bumblebee chemoreception towards gustation from olfaction, and striking differences in microRNAs, potentially responsible for gene regulation underlying social and other traits. Conclusions: These two bumblebee genomes provide a foundation for post-genomic research on these key pollinators and insect societies. Overall, gene repertoires suggest that the route to advanced eusociality in bees was mediated by many small changes in many genes and processes, and not by notable expansion or depauperation

Minimal information for studies of extracellular vesicles (MISEV2023): From basic to advanced approaches

Extracellular vesicles (EVs), through their complex cargo, can reflect the state of their cell of origin and change the functions and phenotypes of other cells. These features indicate strong biomarker and therapeutic potential and have generated broad interest, as evidenced by the steady year-on-year increase in the numbers of scientific publications about EVs. Important advances have been made in EV metrology and in understanding and applying EV biology. However, hurdles remain to realising the potential of EVs in domains ranging from basic biology to clinical applications due to challenges in EV nomenclature, separation from non-vesicular extracellular particles, characterisation and functional studies. To address the challenges and opportunities in this rapidly evolving field, the International Society for Extracellular Vesicles (ISEV) updates its 'Minimal Information for Studies of Extracellular Vesicles', which was first published in 2014 and then in 2018 as MISEV2014 and MISEV2018, respectively. The goal of the current document, MISEV2023, is to provide researchers with an updated snapshot of available approaches and their advantages and limitations for production, separation and characterisation of EVs from multiple sources, including cell culture, body fluids and solid tissues. In addition to presenting the latest state of the art in basic principles of EV research, this document also covers advanced techniques and approaches that are currently expanding the boundaries of the field. MISEV2023 also includes new sections on EV release and uptake and a brief discussion of in vivo approaches to study EVs. Compiling feedback from ISEV expert task forces and more than 1000 researchers, this document conveys the current state of EV research to facilitate robust scientific discoveries and move the field forward even more rapidly

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Collapse of genetic division of labour and evolution of autonomy in pellicle biofilms

Closely related microorganisms often cooperate, but the prevalence and stability of cooperation between different genotypes remain debatable. Here, we track the evolution of pellicle biofilms formed through genetic division of labour and ask whether partially deficient partners can evolve autonomy. Pellicles of Bacillus subtilis rely on an extracellular matrix composed of exo-polysaccharide (EPS) and the fibre protein TasA. In monocultures, Delta eps and Delta tasA mutants fail to form pellicles, but, facilitated by cooperation, they succeed in co-culture. Interestingly, cooperation collapses on an evolutionary timescale and Delta tasA gradually outcompetes its partner Delta eps. Pellicle formation can evolve independently from division of labour in Delta eps and Delta tasA monocultures, by selection acting on the residual matrix component, TasA or EPS, respectively. Using a set of interdisciplinary tools, we unravel that the TasA producer (Delta eps) evolves via an unconventional but reproducible substitution in TasA that modulates the biochemical properties of the protein. Conversely, the EPS producer (Delta tasA) undergoes genetically variable adaptations, all leading to enhanced EPS secretion and biofilms with different biomechanical properties. Finally, we revisit the collapse of division of labour between Delta eps and Delta tasA in light of a strong frequency versus exploitability trade-off that manifested in the solitarily evolving partners. We propose that such trade-off differences may represent an additional barrier to evolution of division of labour between genetically distinct microorganisms

VizieR Online Data Catalog: Stellar kinematics in CALIFA survey (Falcon-Barroso+, 2017)

This study is based on observations of 300 galaxies drawn from the CALIFA mother and extended samples1, which are part of the photometric catalog of the seventh data release (Abazajian et al., 2009ApJS..182..543A) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS). (1 data file)

Glossari il·lustrat de morfologia botànica bàsica. Racons verds: aportació al coneixement morfològic dels espermatòfits

Els resultats s’emmarquen en el projecte d’innovació docent «Innovació en l’ambientalització curricular de la Botànica en el grau de Farmàcia: Jardins per a la Salut» (codi 2018PID-UB/034) del Grup d’Innovació Docent de Botànica Aplicada a les Ciències Farmacèutiques (GIBAF).Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmàcia. Assignatura: Botànica farmacèutica. Curs: 2017-2018. Coordinadors: Cèsar Blanché, Carles Benedí, Maria Bosc i Joan SimonProjecte: 2018PID-UB/034Es presenta a continuació un glossari il·lustrat realitzat per 35 estudiants de l’assignatura Botànica Farmacèutica del grau de Farmàcia. Els resultats s’emmarquen en el projecte d’innovació docent «Innovació en l’ambientalització curricular de la Botànica en el grau de Farmàcia: Jardins per a la Salut» (codi 2018PID-UB/034) del Grup d’Innovació Docent de Botànica Aplicada a les Ciències Farmacèutiques (GIBAF). El glossari s’ha il·lustrat a partir de fotografies dels estudiants sobre detalls morfològics de les espècies del jardí de la Facultat de Farmàcia que s’ha inclòs en els «Racons Verds de la UB». El resultat ha estat la descripció i il·lustració de 80 caràcters d’organografia vegetativa i reproductora i constitueixen un nou recurs docent en obert realitzat pels propis estudiants. El treball dut a terme s’ha realitzat de forma voluntària, tutoritzada i restringida en tres grups de teoria (M2, M3 i T3) de l'assignatura troncal de Botànica Fermacèutica del grau de Farmàcia. Els resultats hanrepercutit fins a 0,5 punts sobre la nota final un cop s’ha superat l’assignatura.Grup d'Innovació Docent en Botànica Aplicada a les Ciències Farmacèutiques (GIBAF

Glossari il·lustrat de morfologia botànica bàsica. Racons verds: aportació al coneixement morfològic dels espermatòfits

Els resultats s’emmarquen en el projecte d’innovació docent «Innovació en l’ambientalització curricular de la Botànica en el grau de Farmàcia: Jardins per a la Salut» (codi 2018PID-UB/034) del Grup d’Innovació Docent de Botànica Aplicada a les Ciències Farmacèutiques (GIBAF).Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmàcia. Assignatura: Botànica farmacèutica. Curs: 2017-2018. Coordinadors: Cèsar Blanché, Carles Benedí, Maria Bosc i Joan SimonProjecte: 2018PID-UB/034Es presenta a continuació un glossari il·lustrat realitzat per 35 estudiants de l’assignatura Botànica Farmacèutica del grau de Farmàcia. Els resultats s’emmarquen en el projecte d’innovació docent «Innovació en l’ambientalització curricular de la Botànica en el grau de Farmàcia: Jardins per a la Salut» (codi 2018PID-UB/034) del Grup d’Innovació Docent de Botànica Aplicada a les Ciències Farmacèutiques (GIBAF). El glossari s’ha il·lustrat a partir de fotografies dels estudiants sobre detalls morfològics de les espècies del jardí de la Facultat de Farmàcia que s’ha inclòs en els «Racons Verds de la UB». El resultat ha estat la descripció i il·lustració de 80 caràcters d’organografia vegetativa i reproductora i constitueixen un nou recurs docent en obert realitzat pels propis estudiants. El treball dut a terme s’ha realitzat de forma voluntària, tutoritzada i restringida en tres grups de teoria (M2, M3 i T3) de l'assignatura troncal de Botànica Fermacèutica del grau de Farmàcia. Els resultats hanrepercutit fins a 0,5 punts sobre la nota final un cop s’ha superat l’assignatura.Grup d'Innovació Docent en Botànica Aplicada a les Ciències Farmacèutiques (GIBAF

VizieR Online Data Catalog: CALIFA DR2 (Garcia-Benito+, 2015)

The 200 DR2 galaxies, which include the first 100 galaxies of DR1, were observed in both spectral setups from the start of observations in June 2010 until December 2013. (1 data file)

The wide-field, multiplexed, spectroscopic facility WEAVE : Survey design, overview, and simulated implementation

WEAVE, the new wide-field, massively multiplexed spectroscopic survey facility for the William Herschel Telescope, saw first light in late 2022. WEAVE comprises a new 2-deg field-of-view prime-focus corrector system, a nearly 1000-multiplex fibre positioner, 20 individually deployable 'mini' integral field units (IFUs), and a single large IFU. These fibre systems feed a dual-beam spectrograph covering the wavelength range 366-959nm at R similar to 5000, or two shorter ranges at . After summarizing the design and implementation of WEAVE and its data systems, we present the organization, science drivers, and design of a five- to seven-year programme of eight individual surveys to: (i) study our Galaxy's origins by completing Gaia's phase-space information, providing metallicities to its limiting magnitude for similar to 3 million stars and detailed abundances for similar to 1.5 million brighter field and open-cluster stars; (ii) survey similar to 0.4 million Galactic-plane OBA stars, young stellar objects, and nearby gas to understand the evolution of young stars and their environments; (iii) perform an extensive spectral survey of white dwarfs; (iv) survey similar to 400 neutral-hydrogen-selected galaxies with the IFUs; (v) study properties and kinematics of stellar populations and ionized gas in z < 0.5 cluster galaxies; (vi) survey stellar populations and kinematics in field galaxies at 0.3 less than or similar to z less than or similar to 0.7; (vii) study the cosmic evolution of accretion and star formation using >1 million spectra of LOFAR-selected radio sources; and (viii) trace structures using intergalactic/circumgalactic gas at z > 2. Finally, we describe the WEAVE Operational Rehearsals using the WEAVE Simulator