Anatomical and chemical characterization of leaves from <em>Oreopanax</em> spp. (Araliaceae), the Mexican xoco tamale food complex

Background: Based on the concept of “plant species complex,”, defined as a group sharing local names and morphological, aromatic, and curative properties, we analyzed the leaves of three species of the genus Oreopanax that are used as wrappers for tamales called “xocos” or “chocos” in Veracruz, Mexico, searching for common traits. Question: Do leaves of the genus Oreopanax form an ethnobotanical food complex sharing chemical and anatomical characteristics? Studied species / data description: Leaves from three species of the genus Oreopanax: O. capitatus, O. echinops, and O. flaccidus. Study site and dates: Leaves of O. capitatus and O. echinops were recollected on January 25 and 26, 2021, in the Clavijero Botanic Garden of the Instituto de Ecología, A. C. in Xalapa, Veracruz; leaves of O. flaccidus were recollected in Atapalchico, Tlacolulan, Veracruz. Methods: Chemical analyses consisted of oil extraction of the studied species' leaves, which were then injected into a gas chromatographer coupled to a mass spectrometer (GC-MS). Anatomical analyses included: fixation, paraffin sectioning, and staining of leaf sections of the three species. Observations were performed with a compound microscope using a bright field or UV light. Results: For the first time, we are reporting major volatile compounds common in the three analyzed species (several aliphatic and aromatic alcohols, and terpenoids). The three species present resin canals in the mesophyll and the cortex of the midrib of the leaf. Conclusions: The studied Oreopanax species form an ethnobotanical food complex since they share similar uses, smells, and tastes

Determinación de los estímulos del hospedero (Juglans regia L.) y señales intraespecíficas involucrados en el comportamiento sexual de Rhagoletis zoqui Bush y Rhagoletis completa Cresson (Diptera: Tephritidae)

La presente investigación tuvo como objetivo estudiar el papel de los estímulos físicos y químicos provenientes del fruto hospedero ( Juglans regia L.), así como las señales químicas utilizadas por hembras y machos de las moscas del nogal..

The rffect of einter lLength on duration of dormancy and survival of Rhagoletis completa (Diptera: Tephritidae) and associated parasitoids from Northeastern Mexico

The walnut husk fly Rhagoletis completa (Cresson), native to the Midwestern United States and Mexico, is invasive in California and Europe. It is one of the most important pests of walnuts in areas gathering 30% of the world production. Knowledge of life-history regulation is important for the design of management strategies. Research on dormancy has been performed on invasive populations, and not on populations at the southern extreme of its native range. Here, we examined the effect of winter length on fly and parasitoid emergence, survival, and duration of dormancy. Percent emergence was higher for chill periods at 5°C ranging from 8 to 20 wk. No or insufficient chill resulted in low emergence and a significant proportion of individuals in prolonged dormancy (>1 yr). Duration of dormancy was longer for pupae at constant temperatures and a 4-wk chill period than longer winter durations. Dormancy was longer for Mexican than that reported for U.S. populations, suggesting the existence of a latitudinal cline where populations at southern latitudes have evolved slower metabolic rates. Three parasitoid species were found associated with R. completa (Aganaspis alujai (Wharton and Ovruski) (Hymenoptera: Figitidae), Diachasmimorpha juglandis Muesebeck, and Diachasmimorpha mellea Gahan)  (Hymenoptera: Braconidae). Results suggest that rearing of R. completa is possible by subjecting pupae to chill periods between 8 and 20 wk. Overwintering mortality of flies and A. alujai could be further reduced above 5°C. Our findings can contribute for the accurate development of predictive models on invasion potential, development, fly and parasitoid rearing, and biological control.Fil: Rull Gabayet, Juan Antonio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Lasa, Rodrigo. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología. Instituto de Ecología; MéxicoFil: Guillén, Larissa. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología. Instituto de Ecología; MéxicoFil: Aluja, Martin. Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología. Instituto de Ecología; Méxic

Comparison of the Host Searching and Oviposition Behaviors of the Tephritid (Diptera) Parasitoids Aganaspis pelleranoi and Odontosema anastrephae (Hymenoptera: Figitidae, Eucoilinae)

We compared the host-searching and oviposition behaviors of two Neotropical figitid parasitoids (Hymenoptera) that exploit the same resource: ripe fruit infested by fruit fly larvae (Tephritidae) that have fallen to the ground. Sexually mature Aganaspis pelleranoi (Brèthes) and Odontosema anastrephae Borgmeier females were exposed individually, under no choice conditions, to four types of fruit: 1) Clean, intact guavas, Psidium guajava L. (no fruit fly larvae, no perforations); 2) clean, with artificial perforations; 3) artificially infested (with larvae), no perforations; 4) infested with artificial perforations. A behavioral transition matrix and sequence diagram of the following behaviors was constructed: walking on fruit, detection of larvae via the antennae, tarsi or aculeus, fruit perforation and penetration, and oviposition. Overall, we found that infested fruit (intact and with artificial perforations) elicited the most activity in the females of both species and that A. pelleranoi females exhibited a significantly more diverse behavioral repertoire (i.e., more transitions) and were significantly more active than O. anastrephae females. Females of both species penetrated the fruit in search of larvae by biting through the epi- and mesocarp, but O. anastrephae remained inside for significantly longer periods (up to eight hours). A. pelleranoi females used both their antennae and tarsi to detect larvae but the use of these structures varied depending on in infested fruit tarsi were used preferentially (usually while standing still) while in uninfested fruit, antennae were mainly used (usually while walking). In the case of O. anastrephae females the reverse pattern was usually observed with antennae most commonly used to detect larvae in infested fruit. We discuss our findings in light of their evolutionary, ecological and practical implications.Fil: Aluja, Martín. Instituto de Ecología; MéxicoFil: Ovruski Alderete, Sergio Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Guillén, Larissa. Instituto de Ecología; MéxicoFil: Oroño, Luis Eduardo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Sivinski, John. United States Department of Agriculture; Estados Unido

Enseñanza semipresencial y tecnologías del aprendizaje y la comunicación (TAC): Un proyecto piloto en el Máster en Inglés y Español para Fines Específicos (MIEFE)

Este proyecto de Redes de Investigación en Docencia (4177) tiene por objetivos: (1) la realización de un proyecto piloto sobre la viabilidad de la enseñanza semipresencial en el programa de máster universitario MIEFE, en especial en la docencia de créditos teóricos de las asignaturas. (2) La exploración de las tecnologías del aprendizaje y la comunicación (TAC) disponibles en el recientemente creado Instituto de Humanidades Digitales en la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Alicante, para adaptar la enseñanza de los contenidos teóricos de una muestra de asignaturas a un formato de enseñanza semipresencial. (3) La creación asistida por TAC de materiales para la enseñanza semipresencial de créditos teóricos en una selección de asignaturas del programa de máster universitario MIEFE. Finalmente, con este proyecto se pretende, en suma, mejorar la calidad de la enseñanza en el programa de máster mencionado, potenciando el aprendizaje responsable y autónomo (“aprender a aprender”) del discente (Railton & Watson 2005: 179-181; Romero López 2017: 1505-1512), y facilitando el acceso del alumnado que curse másteres oficiales reglados, trabaje, o no tenga su domicilio en Alicante. Lo anterior puede contribuir a hacer de MIEFE un programa de máster más flexible, competitivo, y rentable

Enseñanza semipresencial y tecnologías del aprendizaje y la comunicación (TAC): Un proyecto piloto en el Máster en Inglés y Español para Fines Específicos (MIEFE)

Este proyecto de Redes de Investigación en Docencia (4177) tiene por objetivos: (1) la realización de un proyecto piloto sobre la viabilidad de la enseñanza semipresencial en el programa de máster universitario MIEFE, en especial en la docencia de créditos teóricos de las asignaturas. (2) La exploración de las tecnologías del aprendizaje y la comunicación (TAC) disponibles en el recientemente creado Instituto de Humanidades Digitales en la Facultad de Filosofía y Letras de la Universidad de Alicante, para adaptar la enseñanza de los contenidos teóricos de una muestra de asignaturas a un formato de enseñanza semipresencial. (3) La creación asistida por TAC de materiales para la enseñanza semipresencial de créditos teóricos en una selección de asignaturas del programa de máster universitario MIEFE. Finalmente, con este proyecto se pretende, en suma, mejorar la calidad de la enseñanza en el programa de máster mencionado, potenciando el aprendizaje responsable y autónomo (“aprender a aprender”) del discente (Railton & Watson 2005: 179-181; Romero López 2017: 1505-1512), y facilitando el acceso del alumnado que curse másteres oficiales reglados, trabaje, o no tenga su domicilio en Alicante. Lo anterior puede contribuir a hacer de MIEFE un programa de máster más flexible, competitivo, y rentable

Electroantennographic Responses of Wild and Laboratory-Reared Females of Xyleborus affinis Eichhoff and Xyleborus ferrugineus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Scolytinae) to Ethanol and Bark Volatiles of Three Host-Plant Species

Chemical ecology studies on ambrosia beetles are typically conducted with either wild or laboratory-reared specimens. Unlike laboratory-reared insects, important aspects that potentially influence behavioral responses, such as age, physiological state, and prior experience are unknown in wild specimens. In this study, we compared the electroantennographic (EAG) responses of laboratory-reared and wild X. affinis and X. ferrugineus to 70% ethanol and bark odors (host kairomones) of Bursera simaruba, Mangifera indica, and Persea schiedeana aged for 2, 24, and 48 h. Chemical analyses of each odor treatment (bark species x length of aging) were performed to determine their volatilome composition. EAG responses were different between laboratory-reared and wild X. ferrugineus when exposed to ethanol, whereas wild X. affinis exhibited similar EAG responses to the laboratory-reared insects. Ethanol elicited the strongest olfactory responses in both species. Among the bark-odors, the highest responses were triggered by B. simaruba at 48 h in X. affinis, and P. schiedeana at 24 and 48 h in X. ferrugineus. Volatile profiles varied among aged bark samples; 3-carene and limonene were predominant in B. simaruba, whereas &alpha;-copaene and &alpha;-cubebene were abundant in P. schiedeana. Further studies are needed to determine the biological function of B. simaruba and P. schiedeana terpenes on X. affinis and X. ferrugineus, and their potential application for the development of effective lures

Influence of Sunlight Incidence and Fruit Chemical Features on Oviposition Site Selection in Mango by Anastrepha obliqua: Implications for Management

With the aim of identifying key factors that determine oviposition decisions by Anastrepha obliqua for management purposes, we conducted a behavioral study under natural/semi-natural field conditions to identify where exactly in the fruit (upper, middle, or lower sections) females preferred to lay eggs in a highly susceptible mango cultivar (&ldquo;Criollo&rdquo;), and whether sunlight incidence and fruit chemical compounds influenced oviposition site selection by this pestiferous fly. Females oviposited in shaded, upper fruit sections where pulp had higher total carbohydrate concentrations but similar total protein, lipid, and polyphenol concentrations than non-oviposited sections. Peel had higher overall nutrient and mangiferin/quercetin-3-D-galactoside (polyphenols) concentrations. An untargeted metabolomic analysis of oviposited and non-oviposited fruit sections identified abscisic acid (ABA) and dihydrophaseic acid glucoside, a by-product of ABA catabolism, as potential chemical markers that could play a role in fruit acceptance behaviors by female flies. We conclude that females preferentially oviposit in fruit sections with optimal chemical and environmental conditions for larval development: more carbohydrates and antioxidants such as mangiferin and ferulic acid and lesser sunlight exposure to avoid lethal egg/larval desiccation/overheating. We make specific recommendations for A. obliqua management based on female host selection behavior, a tree pruning scheme exposing fruit to direct sunlight, application of a host marking pheromone, and the use of egg sinks in the orchard

Complex regulation of Hsf1-Skn7 activities by the catalytic subunits of PKA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: experimental and computational evidences

Background. The cAMP-dependent protein kinase regulatory network (PKA-RN) regulates metabolism, memory, learning, development, and response to stress. Previous models of this network considered the catalytic subunits (CS) as a single entity, overlooking their functional individualities. Furthermore, PKA-RN dynamics are often measured through cAMP levels in nutrient-depleted cells shortly after being fed with glucose, dismissing downstream physiological processes. Results Here we show that temperature stress, along with deletion of PKA-RN genes, significantly affected HSE-dependent gene expression and the dynamics of the PKA-RN in cells growing in exponential phase. Our genetic analysis revealed complex regulatory interactions between the CS that influenced the inhibition of Hsf1/Skn7 transcription factors. Accordingly, we found new roles in growth control and stress response for Hsf1/Skn7 when PKA activity was low (cdc25Δ cells). Experimental results were used to propose an interaction scheme for the PKA-RN and to build an extension of a classic synchronous discrete modeling framework. Our computational model reproduced the experimental data and predicted complex interactions between the CS and the existence of a repressor of Hsf1/Skn7 that is activated by the CS. Additional genetic analysis identified Ssa1 and Ssa2 chaperones as such repressors. Further modeling of the new data foresaw a third repressor of Hsf1/Skn7, active only in theabsence of Tpk2. By averaging the network state over all its attractors, a good quantitative agreement between computational and experimental results was obtained, as the averages reflected more accurately the population measurements. Conclusions The assumption of PKA being one molecular entity has hindered the study of a wide range of behaviors. Additionally, the dynamics of HSE-dependent gene expression cannot be simulated accurately by considering the activity of single PKA-RN components (i.e., cAMP, individual CS, Bcy1, etc.). We show that the differential roles of the CS are essential to understand the dynamics of the PKA-RN and its targets. Our systems level approach, which combined experimental results with theoretical modeling, unveils the relevance of the interaction scheme for the CS and offers quantitative predictions for several scenarios (WT vs. mutants in PKA-RN genes and growth at optimal temperature vs. heat shock).Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Department ofMedicine, Faculty ofNon UBCReviewedFacult