55 research outputs found
Flower orientation influences floral temperature, pollinator visits and plant fitness
Effective insect pollination requires appropriate responses to internal and external environmental cues in both the plant and the pollinator. Helianthus annuus, a highly outcrossing species, is marked for its uniform eastward orientation of mature pseudanthia, or capitula. Here we investigate how this orientation affects floral microclimate and the consequent effects on plant and pollinator interactions and reproductive fitness.
We artificially manipulated sunflower capitulum orientation and temperature in both field and controlled conditions and assessed flower physiology, pollinator visits, seed traits and siring success.
East-facing capitula were found to have earlier style elongation, pollen presentation and pollinator visits compared with capitula manipulated to face west. East-facing capitula also sired more offspring than west-facing capitula and under some conditions produced heavier and better-filled seeds. Local ambient temperature change on the capitulum was found to be a key factor regulating the timing of style elongation, pollen emergence and pollinator visits.
These results indicate that eastward capitulum orientation helps to control daily rhythms in floral temperature, with direct consequences on the timing of style elongation and pollen emergence, pollinator visitation, and plant fitness.University of Virginia;
Division of Integrative Organismal Systems;
University of California Berkeley;
US Department of Agriculture-National Institute of Food and Agriculture.http://www.newphytologist.comhj2022Plant Production and Soil Scienc
Optoelectronic and Excitonic Properties of Oligoacenes: Substantial Improvements from Range-Separated Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory
The optoelectronic and excitonic properties in a series of linear acenes
(naphthalene up to heptacene) are investigated using range-separated methods
within time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT). In these rather simple
systems, it is well-known that TDDFT methods using conventional hybrid
functionals surprisingly fail in describing the low-lying La and Lb valence
states, resulting in large, growing errors for the La state and an incorrect
energetic ordering as a function of molecular size. In this work, we
demonstrate that the range-separated formalism largely eliminates both of these
errors and also provides a consistent description of excitonic properties in
these systems. We further demonstrate that re-optimizing the percentage of
Hartree-Fock exchange in conventional hybrids to match wavefunction-based
benchmark calculations still yields serious errors, and a full 100%
Hartree-Fock range separation is essential for simultaneously describing both
of the La and Lb transitions. Based on an analysis of electron-hole transition
density matrices, we finally show that conventional hybrid functionals
overdelocalize excitons and underestimate quasiparticle energy gaps in the
acene systems. The results of our present study emphasize the importance of
both a range-separated and asymptotically-correct contribution of exchange in
TDDFT for investigating optoelectronic and excitonic properties, even for these
simple valence excitations.Comment: Accepted by the Journal of Chemical Theory and Computatio
Limits to reproduction and seed size-number trade-offs that shape forest dominance and future recovery
International audienceThe relationships that control seed production in trees are fundamental to understanding the evolution of forest species and their capacity to recover from increasing losses to drought, fire, and harvest. A synthesis of fecundity data from 714 species worldwide allowed us to examine hypotheses that are central to quantifying reproduction, a foundation for assessing fitness in forest trees. Four major findings emerged. First, seed production is not constrained by a strict trade-off between seed size and numbers. Instead, seed numbers vary over ten orders of magnitude, with species that invest in large seeds producing more seeds than expected from the 1:1 trade-off. Second, gymnosperms have lower seed production than angiosperms, potentially due to their extra investments in protective woody cones. Third, nutrient-demanding species, indicated by high foliar phosphorus concentrations, have low seed production. Finally, sensitivity of individual species to soil fertility varies widely, limiting the response of community seed production to fertility gradients. In combination, these findings can inform models of forest response that need to incorporate reproductive potential
Limits to reproduction and seed size-number tradeoffs that shape forest dominance and future recovery
The relationships that control seed production in trees are fundamental to understanding the evolution of forest species and their capacity to recover from increasing losses to drought, fire, and harvest. A synthesis of fecundity data from 714 species worldwide allowed us to examine hypotheses that are central to quantifying reproduction, a foundation for assessing fitness in forest trees. Four major findings emerged. First, seed production is not constrained by a strict trade-off between seed size and numbers. Instead, seed numbers vary over ten orders of magnitude, with species that invest in large seeds producing more seeds than expected from the 1:1 trade-off. Second, gymnosperms have lower seed production than angiosperms, potentially due to their extra investments in protective woody cones. Third, nutrient-demanding species, indicated by high foliar phosphorus concentrations, have low seed production. Finally, sensitivity of individual species to soil fertility varies widely, limiting the response of community seed production to fertility gradients. In combination, these findings can inform models of forest response that need to incorporate reproductive potential
Genomic reconstruction of the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic in England.
The evolution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus leads to new variants that warrant timely epidemiological characterization. Here we use the dense genomic surveillance data generated by the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium to reconstruct the dynamics of 71 different lineages in each of 315 English local authorities between September 2020 and June 2021. This analysis reveals a series of subepidemics that peaked in early autumn 2020, followed by a jump in transmissibility of the B.1.1.7/Alpha lineage. The Alpha variant grew when other lineages declined during the second national lockdown and regionally tiered restrictions between November and December 2020. A third more stringent national lockdown suppressed the Alpha variant and eliminated nearly all other lineages in early 2021. Yet a series of variants (most of which contained the spike E484K mutation) defied these trends and persisted at moderately increasing proportions. However, by accounting for sustained introductions, we found that the transmissibility of these variants is unlikely to have exceeded the transmissibility of the Alpha variant. Finally, B.1.617.2/Delta was repeatedly introduced in England and grew rapidly in early summer 2021, constituting approximately 98% of sampled SARS-CoV-2 genomes on 26 June 2021
Exploring the potential of gametic reconstruction of parental genotypes by F1 hybrids as a bridge for rapid introgression
Interspecific hybridization and genetic introgression are commonly observed in natural populations of many species, especially trees. Among oaks, gene flow between closely-related species has been well documented. And yet, hybridization does not lead to a ‘melting pot’, i.e. the homogenization of phenotypic traits. Here, we explore how the combination of several common reproductive traits and genomic biology could create an avenue for interspecific gene flow that partially explains this apparent paradox. During meiosis, F1 hybrids will produce approximately (½)The accepted manuscript in pdf format is listed with the files at the bottom of this page. The presentation of the authors' names and (or) special characters in the title of the manuscript may differ slightly between what is listed on this page and what is listed in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript; that in the pdf file of the accepted manuscript is what was submitted by the author
Increased concentration of an apparently identical cellular protein in cells transformed by either Abelson murine leukemia virus or other transforming agents
Efficacy and age-related effects of nitric oxide-releasing aspirin on experimental restenosis
Restenosis after percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty is caused by neointimal hyperplasia, which involves impairment of nitric oxide (NO)-dependent pathways, and may be further exacerbated by a concomitant aging process. We compared the effects of NO-releasing-aspirin (NCX-4016) and aspirin (ASA) on experimental restenosis in both adult and elderly rats. Moreover, to ascertain the efficacy of NCX-4016 during vascular aging, we fully characterized the release of bioactive NO by the drug. Sprague–Dawley rats aged 6 and 24 months were treated with NO releasing-aspirin (55 mg/kg) or ASA (30 mg/kg) for 7 days before and 21 days after standard carotid balloon injury. Histological examination and immunohistochemical double-staining were used to evaluate restenosis. Plasma nitrite and nitrate and S-nitrosothiols were determined by a chemiluminescence-based assay. Electron spin resonance was used for determining nitrosylhemoglobin. Treatment of aged rats with NCX-4016 was associated with increased bioactive NO, compared with ASA. NO aspirin, but not ASA, reduced experimental restenosis in old rats, an effect associated with reduced vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation. NCX-4016, but not ASA, was well tolerated and virtually devoid of gastric damage in either adult or old rats. Thus, impairment of NO-dependent mechanisms may be involved in the development of restenosis in old rats. We suggest that an NCX-4016 derivative could be an effective drug in reducing restenosis, especially in the presence of aging and/or gastrointestinal damage
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