Is it still necessary to continue to collect crop genetic resources in the Mediterranean area? a case study in Catalonia

© 2017 The New York Botanical Garden Crop genetic resources have been extensively collected in Europe in the last century, creating large, publicly available ex situ collections. While this huge genetic diversity is often underutilized, in recent decades, several initiatives have emerged at the local level to collect germplasm cultivated on farm. Uncoordinated actors often carry out these collecting missions without considering previously collected data. To explore whether new collecting missions are likely to be worthwhile, we studied the crop genetic resources conservation network in Catalonia by analyzing the passport data and geographical distribution of germplasm stored in seed banks. Moreover, to determine whether this germplasm was representative of the diversity cultivated on farm, we performed new collecting missions in four randomly selected areas in the European Union’s Natura 2000 network and compared the results with the ex situ databases. Seed banks currently hold a large germplasm collection (2931 accessions), although most materials are conserved in private collections without regulated systems for seed regeneration and are not present as duplicates in the National Inventory. One important shortcoming of the ex situ network is that the germplasm conserved ex situ shows a low geographical coverage, representing only 35.3% of the municipalities in Catalonia. Our new missions allowed us to collect 234 accessions, mostly tomatoes (17.5%) and beans (16.2%). The ecological indicators’ richness (both at species (S) and variety (V) levels), total abundance (A), and the Shannon-Weaver diversity index calculated at species (H2, considering the different accessions of each variety as a single population) and variety levels (H3, considering the intra-varietal genetic diversity) were higher in the newly collected germplasm than in the ex situ collections, suggesting that seed banks do not accurately represent the genetic diversity still cultivated on farm. Moreover, some important landraces from each area were absent or underrepresented in the ex situ collections. Thus, it is necessary to continue to devote efforts to collecting germplasm; better organization between actors and targeting specific species/varieties can increase the efficiency of new collecting missions. As a conclusion, we propose different criteria to guide new missions and to improve the network’s conservation activities.Postprint (updated version

The meteorology and its communication on Facebook. An applied analysis to the Spanish case

Actualmente Facebook sigue siendo la red social más empleada a nivel mundial. En el marco de las ciencias sociales, sobre todo, existen ya un buen número de trabajos que estudian diferentes aspectos relacionados con esta red, no habiendo tantos, en cambio, en el caso de otras ciencias. Esta investigación analiza, por primera vez, la presencia de la Meteorología y su comunicación en Facebook en el caso de España. Para ello se realiza un análisis cuantitativo y de contenido de las páginas existentes sobre esta disciplina en España, centrando la atención, en especial, en el "engagement" generado. Los resultados obtenidos muestran básicamente dos tipos de páginas: las de los servicios oficiales de Meteorología y las de los usuarios particulares o aficionados, con características diferenciadas en cada caso, observándose una mayor concentración en el ámbito de las regiones mediterráneas. El formato mayoritario de las publicaciones de dichas páginas es en forma de imágenes (62%). La investigación ha revelado un gran potencial de utilización y aplicación de la Meteorología en Facebook que todavía está por explotar, así como una ausencia manifiesta de estrategias planificadas de comunicación con los usuarios.Currently Facebook remains the most used social network worldwide. In the framework of the social sciences, above all, there are already a good number of papers that study different aspects related to this network, not having so many, in contrast, in the case of other sciences. The present research analyses, for the first time, the presence of Meteorology and its communication on Facebook in Spain. For this purpose, a quantitative and content analysis of the existing pages on this discipline in Spain is carried out, focusing attention, in particular, on the generated engagement. The results obtained show basically two types of pages: official meteorology services and those of private or amateur users, with different characteristics in each case, with a greater spatial concentration in the Mediterranean regions. The majority format of the publications of these pages is in the form of images (62%). The research has revealed a great potential of use and application of Meteorology in Facebook that is still to explode, as well as a manifest absence of planned strategies of communication with the users

Moradebrichthys vilasecae gen. et sp. nov., a new perleidid (Actinopterygii: Osteichthyes) from the Middle Triassic of Catalonia (NE Iberian Peninsula)

A new actinopterygian, Moradebrichthys vilasecae gen. et sp. nov., from the Middle Triassic (Late Ladinian) of Móra d'Ebre-Camposines (Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula) is erected on the basis of several, almost complete, articulated and well-preserved specimens. It is referred to the controversial family Perleididae based on the presence of a combination of features such as paried nasals, presence of rostral, vertical suspensorium, absence of interopercle, lack of coronoid in the mandible, basal and fringing fulcra on fins developed to different extents and an almost symmetrical caudal fin with epaxial fin rays. Comparisons to other well-known taxa usually assigned to the Perleididae family reveals that the new taxon presents many similarities with the genera Perleidus, Peltoperleidus, Aetheodontus and Meridensia, rather than other perleidids. Moreover, additional morphological characters, not shared with any of these genera are: a big half moon shaped infraorbital-2 and one elongate infraorbital-1, a narrow vertical preopercle with a prominent and pointed anterior maxillary process, a dentary covered by horizontally arranged ridges, a very big opercle and a much smaller subopercle, and the high level of lepidotrichia branching in the caudal fin. A comparison of Catalan Middle Triassic actinopterygian assemblages with other ones from Central European basins of coeval age (particularly Italian and Swiss localities) suggest some faunal similarities, being of special interest the potential correlation with the Besano Formation

Policy change and partisan politics : understanding family policy differentiation in two similar countries

This article looks at how different electoral competition dynamics can result in differentiated party positioning on childcare and family policy. Italy and Spain are compared using a most similar case design. The presence of women in politics,the socioeconomic profiles of the voters of the two main left-wing and right-wing Italian and Spanish parties, and opinions on traditional norms of motherhood explain different policy trajectories and higher incentives for the conservative party in Spain to converge toward the social democratic party in more progressive views of family policy

Copper-containing amine oxidases contribute to terminal polyamine oxidation in peroxisomes and apoplast of Arabidopsis thaliana

Polyamines (PAs) are oxidatively deaminated at their primary or secondary amino-groups by copper-containing amine oxidases (CuAOs) or FAD-dependent amine oxidases (PAOs), respectively. Both enzymes have long been considered to be apoplastic proteins. However, three out of five PAO isoforms in Arabidopsis thaliana are localized in peroxisomes, while the other two PAOs are predicted to be cytosolic. Interestingly, most of these PAOs do not contribute to terminal PA oxidation, but instead are involved in the back-conversion pathway, producing spermidine from spermine and putrescine from spermidine, which in turn is inhibited by putrescine. This opens the question as to whether PAs are catabolized in the apoplast of Arabidopsis and if the terminal oxidation occurs in the peroxisomes. The main objective of this study was to know if these catabolic processes are mediated by CuAOs. Results A. thaliana contains ten genes annotated as CuAOs, but only one (ATAO1) has been characterized at the protein level. Reported herein is the characterization of three genes encoding putative Arabidopsis CuAOs (AtCuAO1, AtCuAO2 and AtCuAO3). These genes encode functional CuAOs that use putrescine and spermidine as substrates. AtCuAO1, like ATAO1, is an extracellular protein, while AtCuAO2 and AtCuAO3 are localized in peroxisomes. The three genes present a different expression profile in response to exogenous treatments, such as application of abcisic acid, methyl jasmonate, salycilic acid, flagellin 22 and wounding. Conclusions PA catabolism in the Arabidopsis apoplast is mediated predominantly by CuAOs, while in peroxisomes the co-localization of CuAO-dependent terminal catabolism with PAO-back-conversion machineries might contribute to modulating putrescine-mediated inhibition of the back-conversion, suggesting the occurrence of a tight coordination between both catabolic pathways. The expression profile of AtCuAO1-3 in response to different exogenous treatments, together with the different localization of the corresponding proteins, provides evidence for the functional diversification of Arabidopsis CuAO proteins

Museu de Lluc (Sala de Arqueología)

El Museo de Lluc (Escorca, Mallorca), inaugurado en 1952, presenta nueve salas con colecciones de objetos variados relacionados con las tradiciones, la cultura y la historia de las Illes Balears. La primera sala corresponde a la arqueología. Sus seis primeras vitrinas incluyen objetos funerarios procedentes de la cueva de Sa Cometa dels Morts, cercana a Lluc, completados con un sarcófago de madera y una espada de bronce; pertenecen al Pretalayótico (hasta 1000/700 a. C.) y al Talayótico (1000/700 a. C a 123 a. C.). La séptima vitrina presenta objetos de la cultura púnica de Ibiza así como algunas piezas talayóticas, griegas y romanas. La octava contiene vajilla griega y clavos del entablamento de una nave hundida en el islote del Sec (Calvià, Mallorca). Observamos además la reproducción de un columbarium romano, con sus urnas, así como ánforas y lingotes de plomo procedentes de un pecio de Cabrera

Sensory characterization of the “Calçot” (Allium cepa L.), a necessary step for its breeding

Postprint (published version

Loose Morphology and High Dynamism of OSER Structures Induced by the Membrane Domain of HMG-CoA Reductase

The membrane domain of eukaryotic HMG-CoA reductase (HMGR) has the conserved capacity to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) proliferation and membrane association into Organized Smooth Endoplasmic Reticulum (OSER) structures. These formations develop in response to overexpression of particular proteins, but also occur naturally in cells of the three eukaryotic kingdoms. Here, we characterize OSER structures induced by the membrane domain of Arabidopsis HMGR (1S domain). Immunochemical confocal and electron microscopy studies demonstrate that the 1S:GFP chimera co-localizes with high levels of endogenous HMGR in several ER compartments, such as the ER network, the nuclear envelope, the outer and internal membranes of HMGR vesicles and the OSER structures, which we name ER-HMGR domains. After highpressure freezing, ER-HMGR domains show typical crystalloid, whorled and lamellar ultrastructural patterns, but with wide heterogeneous luminal spaces, indicating that the native OSER is looser and more flexible than previously reported. The formation of ER-HMGR domains is reversible. OSER structures grow by incorporation of ER membranes on their periphery and progressive compaction to the inside. The ER-HMGR domains are highly dynamic in their formation versus their disassembly, their variable spherical-ovoid shape, their fluctuating borders and their rapid intracellular movement, indicating that they are not mere ER membrane aggregates, but active components of the eukaryotic cell