The Butterfly Fauna Of The Italian Maritime Alps:Results Of The «Edit» Project

Bonelli, Simona, Barbero, Francesca, Casacci, Luca Pietro, Cerrato, Cristiana, Balletto, Emilio (2015): The butterfly fauna of the Italian Maritime Alps: results of the EDIT project. Zoosystema 37 (1): 139-167, DOI: 10.5252/z2015n1a6, URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.5252/z2015n1a

LTR Retrotransposons in Fungi

Transposable elements with long terminal direct repeats (LTR TEs) are one of the best studied groups of mobile elements. They are ubiquitous elements present in almost all eukaryotic genomes. Their number and state of conservation can be a highlight of genome dynamics. We searched all published fungal genomes for LTR-containing retrotransposons, including both complete, functional elements and remnant copies. We identified a total of over 66,000 elements, all of which belong to the Ty1/Copia or Ty3/Gypsy superfamilies. Most of the detected Gypsy elements represent Chromoviridae, i.e. they carry a chromodomain in the pol ORF. We analyzed our data from a genome-ecology perspective, looking at the abundance of various types of LTR TEs in individual genomes and at the highest-copy element from each genome. The TE content is very variable among the analyzed genomes. Some genomes are very scarce in LTR TEs (<50 elements), others demonstrate huge expansions (>8000 elements). The data shows that transposon expansions in fungi usually involve an increase both in the copy number of individual elements and in the number of element types. The majority of the highest-copy TEs from all genomes are Ty3/Gypsy transposons. Phylogenetic analysis of these elements suggests that TE expansions have appeared independently of each other, in distant genomes and at different taxonomical levels. We also analyzed the evolutionary relationships between protein domains encoded by the transposon pol ORF and we found that the protease is the fastest evolving domain whereas reverse transcriptase and RNase H evolve much slower and in correlation with each other

The mental health clinician’s role in advocacy for survivors of human trafficking: Treatment and management

Human trafficking (HT) affects a large number of populations worldwide, including men, women, and children. The traffickers exploit the vulnerability of the victims, including their poor socioeconomic status, political instabilities in their countries, and existing mental illness. They use fraud and coercion to involve these victims in forced labor or commercial sex. The victims encounter significant physical, emotional, and sexual trauma resulting in posttraumatic stress disorder along with depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder. Standard treatment protocols to man age the victims of HT do not exist. Trauma-informed care is key, as it provides the victims a sense of empowerment and safety while preventing retraumatization and enhancing treatment adherence. Mental health clinicians can play a significant role in providing services to the victims of HT. They can take the lead role in the integrated care model, which collaborates services with other stakeholders. They can also help provide training to other health care providers in identifying the victim, providing trauma-centered care, and establishing continuity of services. [Psychiatr Ann. 2021;51(8):373-377.]

Bioindikation luftgetragener Dioxine und Furane mit Hilfe von Fichtennadeln Studie

Ziel des Projektes ist es, die flaechenhafte Analyse der Luftbelastung mit Dioxinen und Furanen durch Fichtennadeln als Bioindikatoren auf ihre Eignung zu testen. Insbesondere von der Cuticula werden die lipophilen Schadstoffe-geloest, gasfoermig oder partikelgebunden transportiert - akkumuliert. Vier Standorte verschiedener Belastung (unbelastet, staedtisches Belastungsgebiet, nahe Muellverbrennungsanlage, ferntransport-belastetes Gebiet) in Bayern werden beprobt und die Gehalte an verschiedenen Dioxinen u. Furanen nach Extraktion ueber GC-MS-Kopplung bestimmt. Die Messungen geben den Belastungsgrad der Luft qualitativ gut wieder und ermoeglichen aufgrund des integrativen Sammelsystems Nadel und des Nadelalters auch die Beurteilung von Emissionsminderungsmassnahmen. Sie sind wesentlich einfacher durchfuehrbar als flaechendeckendes Monitoring mit herkoemmlichen luftanalytischen Verfahren. (UWA)The project aimed to test the suitability of spruce needles as biological indicators of atomspheric pollution with dioxins and furans in the monitoring of large areas. Especially their cuticula accumulate these lipophilic pollutants -whether in dissolved or gaseous form, or as particle-borne pollutants. From many sites exposed to different levels of pollution (non-polluted area, urban area of high pollution, area near a waste combustion plant, area of high pollution due to long-range transport) in Bavaria, samples are taken and the levels of different dioxins and furans are determined by extraction via gas chromatography coupled with mass spectroscopy. The measurements effectively indicate air pollution levels qualitatively, permitting moreover, because of the nature of needles as an integrative collecting system and because of the age of needles, to assess the effect of measures to control air pollution. Their execution is much easier than extensive monitoring using conventional methods of analysis. (UWA)SIGLEAvailable from TIB Hannover: RN 7632(74) / FIZ - Fachinformationszzentrum Karlsruhe / TIB - Technische InformationsbibliothekDEGerman