Hatching phenology and voltinism of Heterocypris barbara (Crustacea: Ostracoda) from Lampedusa (Sicily, Italy)

The persistence of crustacean populations in ephemeral ponds requires appropriate adaptations in life history strategies (e.g. in hatching phenology). Organisms take advantage of pond filling when it occurs and hedge their bets for the possibility to complete one or more life cycles or to produce resting stages that ensure that the population will not go extinct. We carried out laboratory experiments to investigate the dynamics of a sexual population of Heterocypris barbara from a vernal pool in Lampedusa Island (Sicily). Experimental organisms were obtained hydrating sediments from Aria Rossa temporary pond. Recruitment from resting eggs, voltinism, mean body size and sex ratio were observed in microcosms at different conductivities (high 2.0-2.7 mS cm-1, intermediate 1.0-1.1 mS cm-1 and low 0.5-0.6 mS cm-1). Microcosms were kept in laboratory controlled conditions: constant (24°C 12:12 L:D and 16°C 10:14 L:D photoperiod) or fluctuating thermal regimes. The experiment lasted 7 months. Resting and non-resting egg production and up to a bivoltine life cycle were observed. Recruitment events from egg bank and voltinism varied by thermal regime and conductivity. A prolonged recruitment phase occurred in conditions that could be considered a proxy of a rainy season (16°C, 10:14 L:D and low conductivity) or of long hydroperiods (spring thermal fluctuating regime and intermediate conductivity). At 24°C, age at reproduction of females from resting eggs almost doubled at low conductivity (in comparison with high conductivity). Low conductivity also reduced hatching time of resting eggs while it increased development time and age at maturity. In thermal fluctuating regime, degree-days to reproduction were about double than at constant 24°C. Males, observed in all microcosms, reached maturity faster and had a shorter life span than females. Males initially outnumbered females, but later in the experiments females became dominant. We also evaluated the effect of conductivity and thermal regimes on other traits like recruitment from egg bank, voltinism and sex ratio. We discuss whether our observations on a small population from temporary pools could be considered part of a diversified bet-hedging strategy

Integrali di cammino in meccanica quantistica

In questa tesi viene presentato il metodo dell'integrale di cammino di Feynman come alternativa alla formulazione canonica hamiltoniana della meccanica quantistica. Partendo dall'articolo originale di Dirac, viene sviluppata la teoria delle trasformazioni di contatto e la sua trattazione corretta per arrivare a definire una ampiezza di probabilità di transizione tra i punti dello spazio tempo (x'',t) e (x'',t). Tale ampiezza di probabilità (il nucleo di Feynman) viene poi usata per costruire una funzione d'onda, che si dimostra essere soluzione dell'equazione di Schroedinger (provando in questo modo l'equivalenza tra i due formalismi). Il numero di sistemi risolvibili con questo strumento, dimostratisi valido, è ampliato dall'implementazione di una teoria per la trattazione perturbativa del potenziale. Quanto esposto precedentemente è poi applicato alla trattazione di due sistemi fondamentali della meccanica: la particella libera e l'oscillatore armonico. Sono esposti due diversi metodi di risoluzione, applicabili in generale alle lagrangiane quadratiche. Infine, si generalizza la definizione di integrale di cammino per superfici curve a coordinate arbitrarie e per coordinate sferiche e si usa quanto appreso per risolvere il sistema dell'oscillatore armonico radiale

Moduli stars in the non relativistic limit

We study the possibility of formation of moduli oscillons analitically in the non relativistic regime. We start by introducing moduli as the scalar fields that arise in string theory and see how they can be stabilized in the KKLT scenario. We then consider the possibility of moduli coming together to form compact objects known as moduli stars and place them in the broader landscape of boson stars, taking into consideration also their formation mechanisms and possible experimental signals. The first step to do so is the construction of the non relativistic effective field theory, which we perform through the means of a non local operator that enables us to compute non relativistic corrections in a systematic way. This result is not present in the literature, so we check it by computing the NREFT via the traditional method of diagram matching: the two results turn out to be related by a field redefinition and are therefore equivalent low energy descriptions. Next, we turn to the corresponding effective Hamiltonian, looking for minima and maxima that would represent stable and unstable configurations. By studying it in different regimes we conclude that, in the absence of gravity, the only extremal point is a maximum non compatible with a bound state

Memory for symmetry and perceptual binding in patients with schizophrenia

The present study investigated the use of perceptual binding processes in schizophrenic (SC) patients and matched healthy controls, by examining their performance on the recall of symmetrical (vertical, horizontal and diagonal) and asymmetrical patterns varying in length between 2 and 9 items. The results showed that, although SC patients were less accurate than controls in all conditions, both groups recalled symmetrical patterns better than asymmetrical ones. The impairment of SC patients was magnified with supra-span symmetrical arrays, and they were more likely to reproduce symmetrical patterns as asymmetrical, particularly at medium and high length levels. Hierarchical regression analyses further indicated that the between-group differences in the recall of supra-span vertical and horizontal arrays, which require a greater involvement of visual pattern processes, remained significant after removing the variance associated with performance on asymmetrical patterns, which primarily reflects intrafigural spatial processes. It is proposed that schizophrenia may be associated with a specific deficit in the formation and retrieval of the global visual images of studied patterns and in the use of the on-line information about the type of symmetry being tested to guide retrieval processes. © 2013 Elsevier B.V

Reproduction of Daphnia pulex in a Northern Italy pond

This paper reports on the occurrence of Daphnia pulex in a small fishless water body of Northern Italy (Bodrio del pastore III) and describes its population dynamics. Bodrio is a typical water body originated by erosion from the old Po river-bed surface. During a three year study (2011-2013), D. pulex population showed an increase in density from spring to early summer, it declined in July-August and did not recover, presumably from ephippia, until the following spring. The seasonal dynamics was related to the species thermal tolerance and to invertebrate predation by Chaoborus that resulted in juvenile high mortality and in adaptive predator-avoidance cyclomorphosis. Seasonal variation was observed in the frequency of individuals, most juveniles, showing neckteeth. D. pulex population reproduces by cyclical parthenogenesis and showed a very early investment in sexual reproduction, independent of population density. Males and ephippial females appeared at the beginning of growth season before the density peak according to a typical feature of Daphnia populations from temporary habitats. This suggests a lower influence of the environmental factors on sex determination compared to populations inhabiting more permanent habitats. Lineages that produce males and ephippial females early in the season had lower growth rate than parthenogenetic ones but may preserve from selection pressure by predators a significant percentage of genetic variation linked to sex allocation so that evolution proceeds toward earlier and increased sexual reproduction. Our results suggest further investigation to verify whether the current population is the last remnant of a once much larger metapopulation eventually reduced by anthropogenic disturbances or if it represents the invasion of North American strains

Life history traits in Darwinula stevensoni (Crustacea: Ostracoda) from Southern European populations under controlled conditions and their relationship with genetic features

We describe life history traits of the ostracod Darwinula stevensoni through laboratory experiments. This small (about 0.7 mm), ancient, obligate parthenogenetic species appeared to be particulary difficult to handle as its long life cycle (up to 3-4 years) has made lab experiments over several generations very difficult. D. stevensoni is an eurythermal and euryhaline species with low variability in size and shape (both of the carapace and the soft parts). Its genetic variability has also been found to be very low. Survival, clutch size, deposition timing and hatching were evaluated in acclimated and non-acclimated females from seven populations: six from Northern Italy and one from Spain. The samples were collected from three different habitats: four lakes, two streams and one spring. A genetic survey using starch gel electrophoresis had previously revealed that only Glucose phosphate isomerase (Gpi) locus was polymorphic. A clone, homozygous at Gpi locus, is the most common in lacustrine and spring habitats in the whole biogeographic range. Surprisingly, two heterozygous clones dominate in Northern Italian lotic environments. Enzymatic activity of heterozygous and homozygous genotypes at Gpi locus was assayed in order to evaluate the relationship between Gpi activity and fitness. Survival and developmental time were not affected by acclimation, while reproductive potential decreased in acclimated females. In females from running waters, reproduction started later and lasted for a shorter time, clutch size was smaller, and hatching percentage lower than females from lakes. These differences are not directly correlated with differences in enzymatic activities at Gpi locus. This does not rule out an overall genetic control of these characteristics since, in a parthenogenetic species, the whole genome is transmitted without recombination. We stress the intriguing case of D. stevensoni in relation to the concept of the "general purpose genotype"

HDAC1 inhibition by MS-275 in mesothelial cells limits cellular invasion and promotes MMT reversal

Peritoneal fibrosis is a pathological alteration of the peritoneal membrane occurring in a variety of conditions including peritoneal dialysis (PD), post-surgery adhesions and peritoneal metastases. The acquisition of invasive and pro-fibrotic abilities by mesothelial cells (MCs) through induction of MMT, a cell-specific form of EMT, plays a main role in this process. Aim of this study was to evaluate possible effects of histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors, key components of the epigenetic machinery, in counteracting MMT observed in MCs isolated from effluent of PD patients. HDAC inhibitors with different class/isoform selectivity have been used for pharmacological inhibition. While the effect of other inhibitors was limited to a partial E-cadherin re-expression, MS-275, a HDAC1-3 inhibitor, promoted: (i) downregulation of mesenchymal markers (MMP2, Col1A1, PAI-1, TGFβ1, TGFβRI) (ii) upregulation of epithelial markers (E-cadherin, Occludin), (iii) reacquisition of an epithelial-like morphology and (iv) marked reduction of cellular invasiveness. Results were confirmed by HDAC1 genetic silencing. Mechanistically, MS-275 causes: (i) increase of nuclear histone H3 acetylation (ii) rescue of the acetylation profile on E-cadherin promoter, (iii) Snail functional impairment. Overall, our study, pinpointing a role for HDAC1, revealed a new player in the regulation of peritoneal fibrosis, providing the rationale for future therapeutic opportunities

Comparative analysis of plant genomes allows the definition of the "Phytolongins": a novel non-SNARE longin domain protein family

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Subcellular trafficking is a hallmark of eukaryotic cells. Because of their pivotal role in the process, a great deal of attention has been paid to the SNARE proteins. Most R-SNAREs, or "longins", however, also possess a highly conserved, N-terminal fold. This "longin domain" is known to play multiple roles in regulating SNARE activity and targeting via interaction with other trafficking proteins. However, the diversity and complement of longins in eukaryotes is poorly understood.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our comparative genome survey identified a novel family of longin-related proteins, dubbed the "Phytolongins" because they are specific to land plants. Phytolongins share with longins the N-terminal longin domain and the C-terminal transmembrane domain; however, in the central region, the SNARE motif is replaced by a novel region. Phylogenetic analysis pinpoints the Phytolongins as a derivative of the plant specific VAMP72 longin sub-family and allows elucidation of Phytolongin evolution.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>"Longins" have been defined as R-SNAREs composed of both a longin domain and a SNARE motif. However, expressed gene isoforms and splice variants of longins are examples of non-SNARE motif containing longins. The discovery of Phytolongins, a family of non-SNARE longin domain proteins, together with recent evidence on the conservation of the longin-like fold in proteins involved in both vesicle fusion (e.g. the Trs20 tether) and vesicle formation (e.g. σ and μ adaptin) highlight the importance of the longin-like domain in protein trafficking and suggest that it was one of the primordial building blocks of the eukaryotic membrane-trafficking machinery.</p

Daphnia diversity in water bodies of the Po River Basin

Shallow water bodies dominate the areal extent of continental waters and host a proportion of biodiversity higher than the percentage of Earth's surface they cover. Daphnia is a key component of small aquatic ecosystems food webs. Here we present the result of a survey in 24 ponds located in the core of Po river Basin, to assess the actual spreading of Daphnia species in one of the most productive areas of the Northern hemisphere. By using diagnostic genetic markers (12S rRNA and ND5 genes) we identified five Daphnia species: D. ambigua, D. curvirostris, D. longispina, D. obtusa and D. pulex in fourteen ponds. Additional analyses of two nuclear genes (LdhA and Rab4) revealed that D. pulex in the study area is native European strain. In opposite, D. ambigua shared haplotype with the North-Eastern American lineage that was introduced to Europe by long-distance dispersal. In the Po river Basin we identified a highly divergent lineage of D. longispina group that formed a clade with individuals from northern European Russia and might represent a new Daphnia species. Daphnia species in the Cremona province have European origin, except for D. ambigua which is a North American species spreading across Europe. Future attention will require monitoring of invasive species, particularly D. ambigua and the North American invasive clone of D. pulex that is already present in Northern Italy. </p