Visual ecology of aphids – a critical review on the role of colours in host finding

We review the rich literature on behavioural responses of aphids (Hemiptera: Aphididae) to stimuli of different colours. Only in one species there are adequate physiological data on spectral sensitivity to explain behaviour crisply in mechanistic terms. Because of the great interest in aphid responses to coloured targets from an evolutionary, ecological and applied perspective, there is a substantial need to expand these studies to more species of aphids, and to quantify spectral properties of stimuli rigorously. We show that aphid responses to colours, at least for some species, are likely based on a specific colour opponency mechanism, with positive input from the green domain of the spectrum and negative input from the blue and/or UV region. We further demonstrate that the usual yellow preference of aphids encountered in field experiments is not a true colour preference but involves additional brightness effects. We discuss the implications for agriculture and sensory ecology, with special respect to the recent debate on autumn leaf colouration. We illustrate that recent evolutionary theories concerning aphid–tree interactions imply far-reaching assumptions on aphid responses to colours that are not likely to hold. Finally we also discuss the implications for developing and optimising strategies of aphid control and monitoring

Adaptation of the Emotional Contagion Scale (ECS) and gender differences within the Greek cultural context

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Influence of FTO rs9939609 and Mediterranean diet on body composition and weight loss: a randomized clinical trial

Background The Mediterranean diet (MeD) plays a key role in the prevention of obesity. Among the genes involved in obesity, the Fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO) is one of the most known, but its interaction with MeD remained uncertain so far. Methods We carried out a study on a sample of 188 Italian subjects, analyzing their FTO rs9939609 alleles, and the difference in body composition between the baseline and a 4-weeks nutritional intervention. The sample was divided into two groups: the control group of 49 subjects, and the MeD group of 139 subjects. Results We found significant relations between MeD and both variation of total body fat (ΔTBFat) (p = 0.00) and gynoid body fat (p = 0.04). ∆TBFat (kg) demonstrated to have a significant relation with the interaction diet-gene (p = 0.04), whereas FTO was associated with the variation of total body water (p = 0.02). Conclusions MeD demonstrated to be a good nutritional treatment to reduce the body fat mass, whereas data about FTO remain uncertain. Confirming or rejecting the hypothesis of FTO and its influence on body tissues during nutritional treatments is fundamental to decide whether its effect has to be taken into consideration during both development of dietetic plans and patients monitoring. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Id: NCT01890070. Registered 01 July 2013, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT0189007

Lack of cortico-limbic coupling in bipolar disorder and schizophrenia during emotion regulation

Bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia (Sz) share dysfunction in prefrontal inhibitory brain systems, yet exhibit distinct forms of affective disturbance. We aimed to distinguish these disorders on the basis of differential activation in cortico-limbic pathways during voluntary emotion regulation. Patients with DSM-IV diagnosed Sz (12) or BD-I (13) and 15 healthy control (HC) participants performed a well-established emotion regulation task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging. The task required participants to voluntarily upregulate or downregulate their subjective affect while viewing emotionally negative images or maintain their affective response as a comparison condition. In BD, abnormal overactivity (hyperactivation) occurred in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC) during up- and downregulation of negative affect, relative to HC. Among Sz, prefrontal hypoactivation of the right VLPFC occurred during downregulation (opposite to BD), whereas upregulation elicited hyperactivity in the right VLPFC similar to BD. Amygdala activity was significantly related to subjective negative affect in HC and BD, but not Sz. Furthermore, amygdala activity was inversely coupled with the activity in the left PFC during downregulation in HC (r=−0.76), while such coupling did not occur in BD or Sz. These preliminary results indicate that differential cortico-limbic activation can distinguish the clinical groups in line with affective disturbance: BD is characterized by ineffective cortical control over limbic regions during emotion regulation, while Sz is characterized by an apparent failure to engage cortical (hypofrontality) and limbic regions during downregulation

Bottom-Water Conditions in a Marine Basin after the Cretaceous–Paleogene Impact Event: Timing the Recovery of Oxygen Levels and Productivity

An ultra-high-resolution analysis of major and trace element contents from the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary interval in the Caravaca section, southeast Spain, reveals a quick recovery of depositional conditions after the impact event. Enrichment/depletion profiles of redox sensitive elements indicate significant geochemical anomalies just within the boundary ejecta layer, supporting an instantaneous recovery –some 102 years– of pre-impact conditions in terms of oxygenation. Geochemical redox proxies point to oxygen levels comparable to those at the end of the Cretaceous shortly after impact, which is further evidenced by the contemporary macrobenthic colonization of opportunistic tracemakers. Recovery of the oxygen conditions was therefore several orders shorter than traditional proposals (104–105 years), suggesting a probable rapid recovery of deep-sea ecosystems at bottom and in intermediate waters.This research was supported by Projects CGL2009-07603, CGL2008-03007, CGL2012-33281 and CGL2012-32659 (Secretaría de Estado de I+D+I, Spain), Projects RNM-3715 and RNM 05212, and Research Groups RNM-178 and 0179 (Junta de Andalucía)

Pavlovian Reward Prediction and Receipt in Schizophrenia: Relationship to Anhedonia

Reward processing abnormalities have been implicated in the pathophysiology of negative symptoms such as anhedonia and avolition in schizophrenia. However, studies examining neural responses to reward anticipation and receipt have largely relied on instrumental tasks, which may confound reward processing abnormalities with deficits in response selection and execution. 25 chronic, medicated outpatients with schizophrenia and 20 healthy controls underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging using a Pavlovian reward prediction paradigm with no response requirements. Subjects passively viewed cues that predicted subsequent receipt of monetary reward or non-reward, and blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal was measured at the time of cue presentation and receipt. At the group level, neural responses to both reward anticipation and receipt were largely similar between groups. At the time of cue presentation, striatal anticipatory responses did not differ between patients and controls. Right anterior insula demonstrated greater activation for nonreward than reward cues in controls, and for reward than nonreward cues in patients. At the time of receipt, robust responses to receipt of reward vs. nonreward were seen in striatum, midbrain, and frontal cortex in both groups. Furthermore, both groups demonstrated responses to unexpected versus expected outcomes in cortical areas including bilateral dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Individual difference analyses in patients revealed an association between physical anhedonia and activity in ventral striatum and ventromedial prefrontal cortex during anticipation of reward, in which greater anhedonia severity was associated with reduced activation to money versus no-money cues. In ventromedial prefrontal cortex, this relationship held among both controls and patients, suggesting a relationship between anticipatory activity and anhedonia irrespective of diagnosis. These findings suggest that in the absence of response requirements, brain responses to reward receipt are largely intact in medicated individuals with chronic schizophrenia, while reward anticipation responses in left ventral striatum are reduced in those patients with greater anhedonia severity

Produtividade de híbridos de abobrinha italiana cultivados sob diferentes coberturas de solo Yield of italian hibrid squash on different soil coverings

Um experimento foi realizado na empresa Sakata Seed Sudamerica Ltda., em Bragança Paulista-SP, de 22 de agosto a 11 de outubro de 2006, com o objetivo de avaliar diferentes tipos de materiais para cobertura do solo e seu efeito na ocorrência de frutos com sintomas de viroses e na produtividade de dois híbridos de abobrinha. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi de blocos casualizados, com quatro repetições. Os tratamentos foram arranjados em esquema de parcelas subdivididas, sendo as parcelas constituídas por seis tipos de cobertura de solo (polietileno preto, polietileno prata, polietileno branco, polipropileno preto, casca de arroz e solo descoberto); as sub-parcelas foram constituídas de dois híbridos de abobrinha [Novita Plus (cv. tipo caserta) e Samira (cv. tipo libanesa)]. Observou-se que a técnica de cobertura de solo com plástico, independentemente da coloração utilizada, mostrou-se superior ao solo descoberto para todas as características avaliadas. Entre os tipos de materiais coube o destaque para o polietileno prata que promoveu a maior produtividade e menor infecção de viroses, em relação às demais coberturas de solo. Entre os híbridos, Novita Plus foi superior a Samira para as características de pegamento de frutos, número de frutos por planta e produtividade, além de apresentar 12% a menos de frutos com sintomas de viroses em relação à Samira. Para o híbrido Novita Plus, cabe destacar que a detecção da ocorrência de sintomas de viroses nos frutos teve início somente a partir da oitava colheita nos tratamentos com polietileno prata, branco e casca de arroz. Para 'Samira', os sintomas nos frutos começaram já na segunda colheita nos tratamentos com solo descoberto e polipropileno preto, e a partir da quarta para as outras coberturas de solo.<br>The experiment was carried out in an area of Sakata Seed Sudamerica Ltda. in Bragança Paulista, Brazil, from August 22nd to October 11th, 2006, to evaluate different types of materials for soil covering and its effect on fruits with virus symptoms and on the yield of two hybrids of squash. The experimental design was randomized blocks, with four replications. The treatments followed a split-plot cheme, evaluating six soil coverings (black, silver and white polyethylene, black polypropylene, rice husk and bare soil) and two hybrids [(Novita Plus (cv. type Caserta) and Samira (cv. type Libanese)]. The technique of plastic soil covering, independently of the material used, was superior to bare soil. Among the materials the treatments using silver polyethylene promoted the highest yield and the lowest percentage of fruits with viruses in comparison to the other soil coverings. Among the hybrids, Novita Plus was superior to Samira in relation to the characteristics of fruit set, number of fruits per plants and yield, besides presenting 12% less fruits with virus symptoms in relation to Samira. For 'Novita Plus', the occurrence of virus symptoms began only at the eighth harvest on the treatments using silver and white polyethylene and rice husk. For 'Samira' the symptoms started at the second harvest on plants submitted to bare soil or black polypropylene and at fourth harvest on the other treatments

Wing Dimorphism in Aphids

Many species of insects display dispersing and nondispersing morphs. Among these, aphids are one of the best examples of taxa that have evolved specialized morphs for dispersal versus reproduction. The dispersing morphs typically possess a full set of wings as well as a sensory and reproductive physiology that is adapted to flight and reproducing in a new location. In contrast, the nondispersing morphs are wingless and show adaptations to maximize fecundity. In this review, we provide an overview of the major features of the aphid wing dimorphism. We first provide a description of the dimorphism and an overview of its phylogenetic distribution. We then review what is known about the mechanisms underlying the dimorphism and end by discussing its evolutionary aspects