Plant speciation in the face of recurrent climate changes in the Alps

The main, continuous mountain range of the European Alpine System (i.e., the Alps) hosts a diversified pool of species whose evolution has long been investigated. The legacy of past climate changes on the distribution of high-elevation plants as well as taxa differentially adapted to the mosaic of edaphic conditions (i.e., surmised ecotypes on calcareous, siliceous, serpentine bedrocks) and the origin of new species are here discussed based on available evidence from endemic taxa across the Alps. The integration of main spatial and ecological patterns within and among species supports speciation driven by spatial isolation in main glacial refugia where plant populations survived during cold phases and hindered by intense gene flow along main expansion pathways during warm phases. Despite patterns of genetic differentiation matching environmental heterogeneity, processes underlying the dynamics of distribution ranges likely promoted recurrent homogenization of incipient divergence and generally hindered the completion of speciation (except for cases of hybrid speciation). Even intense selective pressures on toxic bedrocks such as serpentine seemingly fail to support the completion of speciation. Accordingly, typical scenarios of ecological speciation whereby local adaptation to environmental heterogeneity initiates and supports long-term reduction of gene flow may rarely be at the origin of stable species in the Alps. Although consistent with neutral processes whereby spatial isolation driven by past climate changes promoted reproductive isolation and yielded limited diversification, mechanisms at the origin of new species across heterogeneous landscapes of the Alps remain insufficiently known. Necessary advances to reliably understand the evolution of biodiversity in the Alps and identify possible museums or cradles of variation in face of climate changes are discussed

Postglacial recolonisation of plants in the western Alps of Switzerland

Parisod C. 2008. Postglacial recolonisation of plants in the western Alps of Switzerland. Bot. Helv. 118: 1 - 12. During the Quaternary glaciations, alpine plants could only persist in scattered icefree areas located either within the Alps or at their periphery. From there, species recolonised the Alps after the retreat of glaciers, and efforts have been made to reconstruct the main migration pathways using either floristic information (i.e. patterns of species distribution) or studies of infraspecific genetic variation (i.e. distribution patterns of genotypes or lineages). This review article compiles floristic and molecular information about the recolonisation of the western Swiss Alps. Three main pathways of recolonisation have been suggested in the literature: the Rhodanian pathway (from south-western refugia, along the Rhone valley), the transalpine southern pathway (from southern refugia, crossing the line of main summits through high-altitude passes), and the transalpine eastern pathway (from eastern refugia, along the Rhine valley and across the northern Alps). Floristic data mainly support the Rhodanian pathway, as many western Alpine species occur along this route, as well as the transalpine southern pathway, as some southern species occur in the vicinity of the relevant passes. In contrast, few species show distribution patterns consistent with the transalpine eastern pathway. Recent molecular studies have supported the floristic patterns. In particular, distinct genetic lineages of the widespread alpine species Biscutella laevigata were distributed along the Rhodanian pathway and transalpine southern pathway, and genetic diversity was especially high in the central area, where these recolonisation pathways met. Knowledge about past migration routes of plants is essential to understand the response of species to climate change and the present patterns of biodiversity within the Alp

A Health game as an intervention to support tobacco-related health literacy among early adolescents

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the feasibility of a health game intervention supporting tobacco-related health literacy in 10 to 13-year-old early adolescents. The study had two phases. During the development phase, we explored the determinants of tobacco-related health literacy with a qualitative descriptive study with early adolescents (n=39, focus groups, data analyzed using thematic analysis). We also conducted a review of reviews (n=15, narrative synthesis) of existing evidence on health games among children and adolescents. Furthermore, we explored the views of (n=39, focus groups and n=83, online questionnaire, thematic analysis) and collected feedback from adolescents (n=10+44 questionnaires, statistical analysis) while producing a health game called Fume. In the second phase, we evaluated feasibility (demand, acceptability, short-term effectiveness) of Fume using validated instruments, questionnaires and by tracking its actual use. We conducted the study with 151 early adolescents using a single-blind, three-armed cluster randomized design. The McNemar, Fisher exact, and non-parametric tests were used to test differences within and between groups. The results gathered during the development phase suggest that supporting tobacco-related health literacy among early adolescents requires being aware of the multidimensional nature of the determining factors, and paying attention to the mediating role of the interpretation process of health messages. Based on existing literature health games hold potential among children and adolescents, but further research is needed. The adolescent participants pointed several aspects regarding the acceptability of Fume during its development process, including the game’s positive approach to tobacco non-use, and its high-quality graphics. The feasibility study with the game showed that, compared to a non-gamified website, there was a higher usage rate for Fume during the two-week study period (P ≤ 0.001 for all the values) as well as greater interest in Fume (P ≤ 0.001). The opinions of adolescents about the interventions did not differ in a statistically significant way. Favorable changes were found within the Fume group regarding positive (P=0.002) and negative (P=0.02) smoking outcome expectations and attitudes towards cigarette smoking (P=0.01). We did not find statistically significant differences in the changes of the theory-based determinants of tobacco-related health literacy between the Fume, website and control groups. The gathered results highlight several aspects of tobacco-related health literacy as well as of health games. Fume was found to be more feasible among early adolescents than the non-gamified website, but there is still room for improvement.Terveyspeli tupakkaan liittyvää terveydenlukutaitoa tukevana interventiona varhaisnuorilla Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kehittää ja arvioida terveyspeliä tupakkaan liittyvää terveydenlukutaitoa tukevana interventiona 10–13 -vuotiailla varhaisnuorilla. Tutkimus toteutettiin kaksivaiheisena. Kehittämisvaiheessa tarkastelimme varhaisnuorten (n=39, fokusryhmähaastattelut) näkökulmasta tupakkaan liittyvää terveydenlukutaitoa määrittäviä tekijöitä laadullisella kuvailevalla tutkimuksella. Koostimme yhteenvedon kirjallisuuskatsauksissa (n=15) esitetystä tutkimusnäytöstä koskien terveyspelejä lasten ja nuorten terveyden edistämisen menetelmänä. Lisäksi tarkastelimme nuorten näkemyksiä (n=39, fokusryhmähaastattelu ja n=83, kysely, temaattinen analyysi) ja keräsimme nuorilta palautetta (n=10+44 kyselyt, tilastolliset analyysimenetelmät) terveyspelin nimeltä Fume kehitysprosessin aikana. Tutkimuksen toisessa vaiheessa arvioimme Fumen soveltuvuutta (käyttö, hyväksyntä, lyhytaikainen vaikuttavuus) terveysohjauksen menetelmänä. Osatutkimus toteutettiin ryppäittäin satunnaistetulla, kokeellisella tutkimusasetelmalla. Tähän osatutkimukseen osallistui 151 varhaisnuorta. McNemar, Fisher´s exact ja ei-parametrisiä testejä käytettiin ryhmien välisten ja sisäisten erojen analysointiin. Kehittämisvaiheen tulosten perusteella tupakkaan liittyvän terveydenlukutaidon tukeminen edellyttää terveydenlukutaitoa määrittävien tekijöiden monimuotoisuuden ja terveysviestien tulkintaprosessin roolin huomioimista. Terveyspelit osoittautuivat aiemman kirjallisuuden perusteella potentiaalisiksi lapsilla ja nuorilla, mutta tutkimusta tarvitaan lisää. Nuorten näkemykset toivat esille, että Fumen kehittämisessä huomiota tulee kiinnittää muun muassa tupakoimattomuuden positiivisten puolien korostamiseen ja korkealaatuisiin peligrafiikoihin. Soveltuvuustutkimuksessa kahden viikon ajanjaksona Fumen käyttö (P ≤ 0.001 kaikille arvioille) ja nuorten kiinnostus Fumea kohtaan (P ≤ 0.001) olivat suurempaa verrattuna eipelillistettyyn internetsivustoon. Varhaisnuorten mielipiteet interventioista eivät eronneet toisistaan tilastollisesti merkitsevästi. Havaitsimme myönteisiä muutoksia Fumea käyttäneessä ryhmässä seuraavissa muuttujissa: positiiviset (P=0.002) ja negatiiviset (P=0.02) savukkeisiin liittyvät mielikuvat ja asenteet savukkeiden polttamista kohtaan (P=0.01). Emme havainneet tilastollisesti merkitseviä eroja tapahtuneissa muutoksissa Fume-, internetsivusto- ja kontrolliryhmien välillä. Tutkimus tuotti uutta tietoa tupakkaan liittyvän terveydenlukutaidon tukemisesta ja terveyspeleistä. Tutkimus osoitti, että Fume on soveltuvampi interventio varhaisnuorilla kuin ei-pelillistetty internetsivusto, mutta peli vaatii jatkokehitystä

Divergent selection in trailing- versus leading-edge populations of Biscutella laevigata

Background and Aims Knowledge on how climate-induced range shifts might affect natural selection is crucial to understand the evolution of species ranges. Methods Using historical demographic perspectives gathered from regional-scale phylogeography on the alpine herb Biscutella laevigata, indirect inferences on gene flow and signature of selection based on AFLP genotyping were compared between local populations persisting at the trailing edge and expanding at the leading edge. Key Results Spatial autocorrelation revealed that gene flow was two times more restricted at the trailing edge and genome scans indicated divergent selection in this persisting population. In contrast, no pattern of selection emerged in the expanding population at the leading edge. Conclusions Historical effects may determine different architecture of genetic variation and selective patterns within local populations, what is arguably important to understand evolutionary processes acting across the species range

Glacial in situ survival in the Western Alps and polytopic autopolyploidy in Biscutella laevigata L. (Brassicaceae).

Past climatic changes and especially the ice ages have had a great impact on both the distribution and the genetic composition of plant populations, but whether they promoted speciation is still controversial. The autopolyploid complex Biscutella laevigata is a classical example of polyploidy linked to glaciations and is an interesting model to explore migration and speciation driven by climate changes in a complex alpine landscape. Diploid taxa survived the last glacial maximum in several never-glaciated areas and autotetraploids are clearly dominant in the central parts of the Alps; however, previous range-wide studies failed to identify their diploid ancestor(s). This study highlights the phylogeographical relationships of maternal lineages in the Western Alps and investigates the polyploidy process using plastid DNA sequences (trnS-trnG and trnK-intron) combined with plastid DNA length polymorphism markers, which were transferable among Brassicaceae species. Twenty-one distinct plastid DNA haplotypes were distinguished in 67 populations densely sampled in the Western Alps and main lineages were identified by a median-joining network. The external Alps harboured high levels of genetic diversity, while the Central Alps contained only a subset of haplotypes due to postglacial recolonization. Several haplotypes were restricted to local peripheral refugia and evidence of in situ survival in central nunataks was detected by the presence of highly differentiated haplotypes swamped by frequent ones. As hierarchical genetic structure pointed to an independent evolution of the species in different biogeographical districts, and since tetraploids displayed haplotypes belonging to different lineages restricted to either the northern or the southern parts of the Alpine chain, polytopic autopolyploidy was also apparent in the Western Alps

Mise en place des outils de médiation et de communication autour du jeu vidéo à la bibliothèque de Prilly

La réalisation de ce travail de mémoire a été attribuée par la bibliothèque de la Ville de Prilly, qui cherche à intégrer le jeu vidéo dans son offre. La bibliothèque est intéressée par toutes informations pouvant mener à la mise en place d’une forme d’un service liée à ce domaine. Premièrement, ce travail couvre les possibilités de médiations qu’une bibliothèque de lecture publique peut offrir par rapport au média du jeu vidéo, en termes de services, de types d’animations ainsi que de positionnement général. Dans un second temps, ce mémoire dresse les publics que la bibliothèque peut attendre pour un tel service et propose des segmentations à considérer pour ses services. Le public de la bibliothèque de Prilly sera également analysé dans ce chapitre afin de pouvoir cerner ses attentes et ses besoins concernant le média du jeu vidéo. La troisième partie concerne la communication. Elle passe en revue les canaux possibles, des méthodes pour toucher les publics visés et construire sa ligne éditoriale. Il y est également question de préparer l’arrivée d’un nouveau service et de prévoir les a prioris que les usagers peuvent avoir par rapport aux jeux vidéo. La quatrième partie aborde l’aspect méthodologique ; quels sont les éléments importants qui peuvent aider une bibliothèque novice à se lancer dans le domaine ; créer des animations, choisir ses jeux, cataloguer, créer des outils pour aider l’usager ou les bibliothécaires … Enfin, ce travail se termine sur les recommandations destinées à la bibliothèque de Prilly, à la lumière de ce qui a été observé et discuté plus haut