Dynamical transitions in a pollination--herbivory interaction

Plant-pollinator associations are often seen as purely mutualistic, while in reality they can be more complex. Indeed they may also display a diverse array of antagonistic interactions, such as competition and victim--exploiter interactions. In some cases mutualistic and antagonistic interactions are carried-out by the same species but at different life-stages. As a consequence, population structure affects the balance of inter-specific associations, a topic that is receiving increased attention. In this paper, we developed a model that captures the basic features of the interaction between a flowering plant and an insect with a larval stage that feeds on the plant's vegetative tissues (e.g. leaves) and an adult pollinator stage. Our model is able to display a rich set of dynamics, the most remarkable of which involves victim--exploiter oscillations that allow plants to attain abundances above their carrying capacities, and the periodic alternation between states dominated by mutualism or antagonism. Our study indicates that changes in the insect's life cycle can modify the balance between mutualism and antagonism, causing important qualitative changes in the interaction dynamics. These changes in the life cycle could be caused by a variety of external drivers, such as temperature, plant nutrients, pesticides and changes in the diet of adult pollinators. Abstract Keywords: mutualism, pollination, herbivory, insects, stage-structure, oscillationsComment: 20 pages, 7 main figures, 2 appendix figure

Y-balance-test in soccer players according to the competition level

El presente estudio pretende mostrar de forma descriptiva los rangos de normalidad del Y-Balance-Test (YBT) para 173 jugadores de fútbol masculino, agrupados en 5 categorías (Cadetes: n= 48; edad= 14.18 ± 2.02 años; Juveniles: n= 62; edad= 18.20 ± 2.04 años; 3ª División: n = 21; edad = 25.42 ± 4.52 años; 2ª División B: n = 19; edad = 25.68 ± 3.00 años; 1ª División: n = 23; edad = 32.91 ± 3.04 años) y diferenciando la posición específica (portero, lateral, defensa central, centrocampista, extremo y delanteros). Los resultados del presente estudio se presentan en medias y desviaciones típicas, con el fin de poder mostrar el alcance normalizado (pierna dominante, no dominante) y las asimetrías entre extremidades (promedio ± DE; Total d» ± 4 y % del total en cm). Aunque es un estudio descriptivo, los datos que aquí se encuentran, parecen mostrar una mejora en los rangos del YBT a medida que aumentan la categoría para todas las medidas evaluadas. De forma complementaria, podemos sugerir que los delanteros de todas las categorías presentan déficit en la medida posteromedial (PM) y los jugadores de categoría cadete y juvenil, concretamente en la posición de centrocampistas, poseen grandes déficits en la totalidad de las medidas con respecto a los demás participantes del estudio. En conclusión, los resultados obtenidos nos permitirán obtener un amplio espectro de medidas en el YBT para diferentes categorías, que hasta donde alcanza nuestro conocimiento no existe en la literatura, para así ser más precisos en su evaluación. Además, nos ayudará a conocer con más precisión los rangos de normalidad de cada uno de los grupos, valorando en cada momento como la edad de estos influye en las asimetrías que podemos encontrar en nuestros futbolistas, permitiéndonos actuar en el deportista y establecer programas preventivos individualizados y preventivos más eficientes.The aim of this study is to show the ranges of normality for soccer players in different categories evaluated by Y-Balance-Test (YBT). A total of 173 soccer players were evaluated and grouped in 5 different categories (U16: n= 48; age= 14.18 ± 2.02 age; U19: n= 62; age = 18.20 ± 2.04 age; Third Division: n = 21; age = 25.42 ± 4.52 age; Second Division B: n = 19; age = 25.68 ± 3.00 age; First Division: n = 23; age = 32.91 ± 3.04 age) according to their specific positions (goalkeeper, full backs, central defenders, center midfielders, wingers, and center forwards). The results of this research consist in the means and standard deviation for the YBT, with the purpose of explaining the standardized reach (dominant and non-dominant legs) and asymmetries between limbs (average ± DE; Total d» ± 4 and % of the total in cm). While the nature of this study is purely observational, an increase in the scores for all the measurements can be noted from lower to higher categories. At all categories, center forwards present a deficit in the posteromedial movement (PM), whereas center midfielder from U16 and U19 is the position with the highest deficits. The knowledge of the YBT scores is essential to understand with greater precision how categories influence the asymmetries, and consequently to create more effective preventive programs

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

ECOLOGÍA Y EVOLUCIÓN DE LA ENDOZOOCORIA

La dispersión de semillas por animales juega un papel muy importante en el mantenimiento de la viabilidad de las poblaciones de plantas. Una de sus formas mas conspicuas es la endozoocoria, es decir la dispersión de semillas por frugívoros. En este trabajo construimos un modelo dinámico que considera varios aspectos esenciales de la endozoocoria, tales como el ciclo de vida de las plantas, y las características de consumo de los frugívoros. Con este modelo, encontramos que la supervivencia de las semillas a la frugivoría tiene una influencia desproporcionadamente grande sobre la abundancia vegetal. También encontramos que factores de regulación denso-dependientes hacen que los beneficios de la endozoocoria sean limitados. Tomando en consideración que las adaptaciones para la endozoocoria involucran costos para la planta, usamos nuestro modelo para estudiar la evolución de rasgos destinados a atraer animales. En condiciones de selección denso-independiente, la endozoocoria tiende a ser desfavorable si los costos involucrados son altos. En condiciones de selección denso-dependiente, la endozoocoria es favorable incluso cuando los costos son altos. Escenarios especiales de mortalidad denso-independientes y denso-dependientes, y de fisiología sensorial de los animales, contribuyen a la diversificación evolutiva de la endozoocoria

Effects of foraging adaptation (<i>ν</i> rows) and inter-specific competition (<i>c</i> columns) on plant coexistence under scenario II (variation on initial plant densities and preferences).

<p><i>P</i>₂(0) = 50 − <i>P</i>₁(0) and <i>A</i>(0) = 2). Initial conditions in red and green result in extinction of plant 1 or 2, respectively. Initial conditions in pink and white result in coexistence or community extinction respectively.</p

Parameters of Model (1a) and Eq (4).

<p>Parameters of <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0160076#pone.0160076.e001" target="_blank">Model (1a)</a> and <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0160076#pone.0160076.e009" target="_blank">Eq (4)</a>.</p

Model (1a) dynamics with fixed pollinator preferences.

<p>Population densities are represented by: green squares = plant 1, red diamonds = plant 2 and pink circles = pollinator. Panels (a) <i>K</i>_<i>i</i> = 60, <i>u</i>₁ = 0.8, <i>c</i>_<i>i</i> = 0.4, (b) <i>K</i>_<i>i</i> = 60, <i>c</i>_<i>i</i> = 1.2, <i>u</i>₁ = 0.605, (c) <i>K</i>_<i>i</i> = 60, <i>c</i>_<i>i</i> = 1.2, <i>u</i>₁ = 0.607 and (d) <i>K</i>_<i>i</i> = 35, <i>u</i>₁ = 0.4, <i>c</i>_<i>i</i> = 0.8 correspond to positions of points ⓐ, ⓑ, ⓒ and ⓓ in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0160076#pone.0160076.g002" target="_blank">Fig 2</a>. Other parameters as in <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0160076#pone.0160076.t001" target="_blank">Table 1</a>.</p