Are the Stellar Winds in IC1613 stronger than expected?

In this poster we present the results of our analyses of three early massive stars in IC 1613, whose spectra have been observed with VIMOS and analyzed with CMFGEN and FASTWIND. One of the targets resulted a possible LBV and the other two are Of stars with unexpectedly strong winds. The Of stars seem to be strongly contaminated by CNO products. Our preliminary results may represent a challenge for the theory of stellar atmospheres, but they still have to be confirmed by the analysis of more objects and a more complete coverage of the parameter space.Comment: 2 pages. Poster contribution to the proceedings of the IAU272 "Active OB Stars: structure, evolution, mass loss and critical limits

Red Supergiants as Cosmic Abundance Probes: massive star clusters in M83, and the mass-metallicity relation of nearby galaxies

We present an abundance analysis of seven super-star clusters in the disk of M83. The near-infrared spectra of these clusters are dominated by Red Supergiants, and the spectral similarity in the J-band of such stars at uniform metallicity means that the integrated light from the clusters may be analysed using the same tools as those applied to single stars. Using data from VLT/KMOS we estimate metallicities for each cluster in the sample. We find that the abundance gradient in the inner regions of M83 is flat, with a central metallicity of [Z] = 0.21$\pm$0.11 relative to a Solar value of $Z_\odot$=0.014, which is in excellent agreement with the results from an analysis of luminous hot stars in the same regions. Compiling this latest study with our other recent work, we construct a mass-metallicity relation for nearby galaxies based entirely on the analysis of RSGs. We find excellent agreement with the other stellar-based technique, that of blue supergiants, as well as with temperature-sensitive (`auroral' or `direct') \hii-region studies. Of all the HII-region strong-line calibrations, those which are empirically calibrated to direct-method studies (N2 and O3N2) provide the most consistent results

Integrated pest management of Tuta absoluta: practical implementations across different world regions

The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta (Meyrick) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), has invaded most Afro-Eurasian countries and is threatening worldwide tomato production. Various strategies have been developed and implemented to manage this pest. Here, we present a timely review on the up-to-date development and practical implementation of integrated pest management (IPM) programs for tomato crops across different world regions infested by T. absoluta. While insecticide resistance is a growing concern, biological control via releasing or conserving arthropod natural enemies and sex pheromone-based biotechnical control are the most successful management practices. Agronomic control-related research is an emerging area where the soil fertilization and/or irrigation, as well as breeding of resistant cultivars, has the potential to enhance IPM effectiveness. Grower survey responses in the native areas (i.e., South America), early-invaded areas (i.e., first report between 2006 and 2012) and newly invaded areas (i.e., first report after 2012) showed that the control programs evolved along with the areas and time since invasion. Growers in the early-invaded areas shifted more rapidly from chemical control to biological control compared to those from the native area. In all concerned regions, the pest control failure risk following chemical insecticide applications and the high cost associated with either biological or biotechnical control methods have been the greatest concerns for growers. The information gathered from the native and/or early-invaded areas may help achieve a more effective management in newly invaded areas. Lastly, researchers are expected to break the bottlenecks of some key issues that would enable lowering application cost of novel biorational alternative management options

Can interactions among predators alter the natural regulation of an herbivore in a climate change scenario? The case of Tetranychus urticae and its predators in citrus

Climate change can dramatically affect the food web configuration of arthropod communities through its effects on species interactions. We have studied whether these effects could alter the probability of local extinction of three predatory mites naturally associated with the two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae, in citrus in Spain and, therefore, disrupt the biological control of this phytophagous mite. Laboratory and semi-field results provide evidence that the natural regulation of T. urticae in citrus can be seriously disrupted in a warmer future. On the one hand, T. urticae populations at conditions representative of future hotter and drier summers, could reach higher population densities than forecasted according to its demographic parameters. On the other hand, T. urticae regulation provided by its predators depended on the environmental conditions, was species-specific, and was affected by interspecific interactions. In some cases, one of the predatory mite species in the system could not be recovered. Because there is evidence that the composition of the community under scrutiny is highly sensitive to local habitat conditions, our results can be taken as evidence that local extinctions may occur more frequently in a warmer future and further contribute to an increasingly higher frequency of T. urticae outbreaks

A cellular reporter to evaluate CRM1 nuclear export activity: functional analysis of the cancer-related mutant E571K

A patent application on the SRV100 biosensor has been submitted by the University of the Basque Country UPV/EHUThe exportin CRM1 binds nuclear export signals (NESs), and mediates active transport of NES-bearing proteins from the nucleus to the cytoplasm. Structural and biochemical analyses have uncovered the molecular mechanisms underlying CRM1/NES interaction. CRM1 binds NESs through a hydrophobic cleft, whose open or closed conformation facilitates NES binding and release. Several cofactors allosterically modulate the conformation of the NES-binding cleft through intramolecular interactions involving an acidic loop and a C-terminal helix in CRM1. This current model of CRM1-mediated nuclear export has not yet been evaluated in a cellular setting. Here, we describe SRV100, a cellular reporter to interrogate CRM1 nuclear export activity. Using this novel tool, we provide evidence further validating the model of NES binding and release by CRM1. Furthermore, using both SRV100-based cellular assays and in vitro biochemical analyses, we investigate the functional consequences of a recurrent cancer-related mutation, which targets a residue near CRM1 NES-binding cleft. Our data indicate that this mutation does not necessarily abrogate the nuclear export activity of CRM1, but may increase its affinity for NES sequences bearing a more negatively charged C-terminal end.This work is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy (Grant SAF2014-57743-R to SB and JAR), and by the University of the Basque Country (UFI 11/20). IG-S is a recipient of a postdoctoral fellowship from the Department of Education of the Basque Country Government

Primeiro registro da ocorrência de Cirrospilus floridensis Evans (Hymenoptera) como parasitóide de Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera) no Brasil First record of occurrence of Cirrospilus floridensis Evans (Hymenoptera) as a parasitoid of Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (Lepidoptera) in Brazil

Este estudo relata o primeiro registro de Cirrospilus floridensis Evans no Brasil. Este Eulophidae foi obtido de pupas de Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (minador-das-folhas-dos-citros) presentes em folhas de bergamoteiras da variedade Montenegrina (Citrus deliciosa) e do híbrido tangor Murcott (C. sinesnis x C. reticulata) coletadas de julho de 2001 a junho de 2003 em Montenegro, RS, Brasil. Foram registrados adultos, machos e fêmeas de C. floridensis.<br>This study reports the first record of Cirrospilus floridensis Evans in Brazil. This Eulophidae was obtained from pupae of Phyllocnistis citrella Stainton (citrus-leafminer) present in infested leaves of the Montenegrina variety (Citrus deliciosa) and the hybrid tangor Murcott (C. sinensis x C. reticulata) collected from July of 2001 to June of 2003 in Montenegro, RS, Brazil. Adults, males and females of C. floridensis were registered

Induction of plant defenses: the added value of zoophytophagous predators

Several biological control agents of the hemipteran insect families Miridae, Anthocoridae and Pentatomidae, as well as mites of the family Phytoseiidae are known as zoophytophagous predators, a subset of omnivores, which are primarily predaceous but also feed on plants. It has been recently demonstrated that zoophytophagous predators are capable of inducing defenses in plants through their phytophagy. Despite the vast fundamental knowledge on plant defense mechanisms in response to herbivores, our understanding of defense induction by zoophytophagous predators and applied implications is relatively poor. In this review, we present the physiological basis of the defense mechanisms that these predators activate in plants. Current knowledge on zoophytophagous predator-induced plant defenses is summarized by groups and species for the predators of economic importance. Within each group, feeding habits and the effects of their induced-plant defenses on pests and natural enemies are detailed. Also, the ecological implications of how the induction of defenses mediated by zoophytophagous predators can interact with other plant interactors such as beneficial soil microorganisms and plant viruses are addressed. Based on the above, we propose three approaches to exploit zoophytophagous predator-induced defenses in crop protection and to guide future research. These include using predators as vaccination agents, employing biotechnological approaches, as well as applying elicitors to elicit/mimic predator-induced defenses