BRST gauge fixing and the algebra of global supersymmetry

A global supersymmetry (SUSY) in supersymmetric gauge theory is generally broken by gauge fixing. A prescription to extract physical information from such SUSY algebra broken by gauge fixing is analyzed in path integral framework. If $\delta_{SUSY}\delta_{BRST}\Psi = \delta_{BRST}\delta_{SUSY}\Psi$ for a gauge fixing ``fermion'' $\Psi$, the SUSY charge density is written as a sum of the piece which is naively expected without gauge fixing and a BRST exact piece. If $\delta_{SUSY}\delta_{SUSY}\delta_{BRST}\Psi = \delta_{BRST}\delta_{SUSY}\delta_{SUSY}\Psi$, the equal-time anti-commutator of SUSY charge is written as a sum of a physical piece and a BRST exact piece. We illustrate these properties for N=1 and N=2 supersymmetric Yang-Mills theories and for a D=10 massive superparticle (or ``D-particle'') where the $\kappa$-symmetry provides extra complications.Comment: 18 pages, Latex, analysis of N=2 SYM is adde

Generic boundaries in subtribe Saussureinae (Compositae: Cardueae): Insights from Hyb-Seq data

The subtribe Saussureinae is a highly speciose group with more than 600 species distributed in the Northern Hemisphere and is particularly species-rich at the high mountains of central and eastern Asia. Saussurea and Jurinea are the two main genera described within the subtribe. However, up to 15 satellite genera are recognized in some recent taxonomic treatments with an analytical viewpoint. For the first time, we carried out a complete sampling to clarify generic boundaries based on a well-resolved phylogeny of Saussureinae. We employed a Hyb-Seq technique that targets 1061 nuclear conserved ortholog loci designed for Compositae. After a filtering of potential paralogs, 588 loci were retained to infer phylogenetic trees under concatenation and coalescence approaches. High branch support resolution was recovered at the generic level, but a non-monophyletic pattern was detected for most of the genera as they are currently circumscribed. Accordingly, we propose a new generic delimitation based on the three main clades recovered in the backbone tree, which are also in agreement with morphological evidence: Dolomiaea, Saussurea, and Jurinea. Following this classification into three genera, 18 new combinations are proposed. This new genus delineation will be used as a basis for future evolutionary studies in the Saussureinae.Financial support from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Project CGL2015-66703-P MINECO/FEDER, UE and Ph.D. grant to Sonia Herrando-Moraira) and the Catalan government (“Ajuts a grups consolidats” 2017-SGR1116) is also greatly acknowledged. This study has been performed under the Ph.D. program “Plant Biology and Biotechnology” of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB)INTRODUCTION MATERIALS AND METHODS RESULTS DISCUSSION TAXONOMIC IMPLICATIONS NOTE ADDED IN PROOF AUTHOR CONTRIBUTIONS ACKNOWLEDGMENT

Impact of the climatic changes in the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition on Irano-Turanian species. The radiation of genus Jurinea (Compositae)

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UABThe Irano-Turanian region is one of the world's richest floristic regions and the centre of diversity for numerous xerophytic plant lineages. However, we still have limited knowledge on the timing of evolution and biogeographic history of its flora, and potential drivers of diversification remain underexplored. To fill this knowledge gap, we focus on the Eurasian genus Jurinea (ca. 200 species), one of the largest plant radiations that diversified in the region. We applied a macroevolutionary integrative approach to explicitly test diversification hypotheses and investigate the relative roles of geography vs. ecology and niche conservatism vs. niche lability in speciation processes. To do so, we gathered a sample comprising 77% of total genus richness and obtained data about (1) its phylogenetic history, recovering 502 nuclear loci sequences; (2) growth forms; (3) ecological niche, compiling data of 21 variables for more than 2500 occurrences; and (4) paleoclimatic conditions, to estimate climatic stability. Our results revealed that climate was a key factor in the evolutionary dynamics of Jurinea. The main diversification and biogeographic events that occurred during past climate changes, which led to colder and drier conditions, are the following: (1) the origin of the genus (10.7 Ma); (2) long-distance dispersals from the Iranian Plateau to adjacent regions (∼7-4 Ma); and (3) the diversification shift during Pliocene-Pleistocene Transition (ca. 3 Ma), when net diversification rate almost doubled. Our results supported the pre-adaptation hypothesis, i.e., the evolutionary success of Jurinea was linked to the retention of the ancestral niche adapted to aridity. Interestingly, the paleoclimatic analyses revealed that in the Iranian Plateau long-term climatic stability favoured old-lineage persistence, resulting in current high species richness of semi-arid and cold adapted clades; whereas moderate climate oscillations stimulated allopatric diversification in the lineages distributed in the Circumboreal region. In contrast, growth form lability and high niche disparity among closely related species in the Central Asian clade suggest adaptive radiation to mountain habitats. In sum, the radiation of Jurinea is the result of both adaptive and non-adaptive processes influenced by climatic, orogenic and ecological factors

Traditional knowledge of wild edible plants with special emphasis on medicinal uses in Southern Shan State, Myanmar

Abstract Background Myanmar is one of the hotspots of biodiversity and is a rapidly developing country. Performing floristic research in Myanmar is an urgent issue, and ethnobotanical studies of wild edible plants (WEPs) will provide new information on natural plant resources. Method Ethnobotanical data were collected in three villages with different historical backgrounds in Southern Shan State, Myanmar. A total of 19 key informants were interviewed, and specimens were collected in the fields with the participation of key informants in June–July 2015. Group discussions were organized during 2016 and 2017 to reinforce the information on use of WEPs. DNA barcoding was used to facilitate species identification. Results A total of 83 species from 44 families of angiosperms were recorded as WEPs. Most of the species were used as wild vegetables (47 species), followed by fruits and nuts (31 species). Eighteen WEPs were consumed as medicinal foods. Differences in use of WEPs between the communities of the villages were observed. The age class of 30–39 years was more familiar with the environments where they could collect WEPs and had more knowledge of WEPs than did the older groups. The use of Elaeocarpus floribundus as an edible oil is a very interesting tradition. Conclusion WEPs play an important role in the livelihood of local communities. The indigenous society has maintained traditional knowledge of the WEPs. Historical background, land use system and surrounding vegetation could have effects on the variation in the traditional uses of WEPs. Increasing awareness of the importance of WEPs will encourage the conservation of traditional knowledge of indigenous populations