Gene expression during larval caste determination and differentiation in intermediately eusocial bumblebees, and a comparative analysis with advanced eusocial honeybees

The queen-worker caste system of eusocial insects represents a prime example of developmental polyphenism (environmentally-induced phenotypic polymorphism) and is intrinsic to the evolution of advanced eusociality. However, the comparative molecular basis of larval caste determination and subsequent differentiation in the eusocial Hymenoptera remains poorly known. To address this issue within bees, we profiled caste-associated gene expression in female larvae of the intermediately eusocial bumblebee Bombus terrestris. In B. terrestris, female larvae experience a queen-dependent period during which their caste fate as adults is determined followed by a nutrition-sensitive period also potentially affecting caste fate but for which the evidence is weaker. We used mRNA-seq and qRT-PCR validation to isolate genes differentially expressed between each caste pathway in larvae at developmental stages before and after each of these periods. We show that differences in gene expression between caste pathways are small in totipotent larvae, then peak after the queen-dependent period. Relatively few novel (i.e. taxonomically-restricted) genes were differentially expressed between castes, though novel genes were significantly enriched in late-instar larvae in the worker pathway. We compared sets of caste-associated genes in B. terrestris with those reported from the advanced eusocial honeybee, Apis mellifera, and found significant but relatively low levels of overlap of gene lists between the two species. These results suggest both the existence of low numbers of shared toolkit genes and substantial divergence in caste-associated genes between Bombus and the advanced eusocial Apis since their last common eusocial ancestor

Relatório de estágio em farmácia comunitária

Relatório de estágio realizado no âmbito do Mestrado Integrado em Ciências Farmacêuticas, apresentado à Faculdade de Farmácia da Universidade de Coimbr

Data Centre Monitoring System Change for Company X

Company X needs an up-to-date monitoring system to replace the current aging data centre monitoring system. More automation and less manual work is needed, as well as more visibility to present to customers. There are several contenders, both open source and commercial, which have been introduced in this thesis report, their features have been compared to each other, after which one of them is recommended for implementation. Licenses and prices, as well as hardware costs for the monitoring system, are beyond the scope and have not been considered and focus will be on suitability for the required tasks. The scope includes data centre and application monitoring whereas network monitoring is out of scope and though mentioned has not been considered. The monitoring systems were compared to each other by several features, for which sufficient information was available in the documentation. The result is that they are almost equal with regard to features. In conclusion, within the narrow scope of this comparison, Nagios and CA UIM were found to have some immature parts, while Zabbix and BMC TrueSight seem quite mature and ready for large scale deployment. It can also be seen that there is no inherent advantage or disadvantage to a system being developed commercially or as open source

Correlated selection responses in animal domestication : the behavioural effects of a growth QTL in chickens

Studying animal domestication offers an opportunity to understand the mechanisms of evolution. Domestication is associated with a change in selection pressures; selection for production traits is introduced, and animals are faced with larger and denser social groups. It is not unexpected then that domestication produces a simultaneous change in a number of traits, both physiological and behavioural. This correlated change in traits, e.g. egg production and social behaviour has been termed the “domestic phenotype”. However, it has been shown that selection for one trait alone among the many associated with the domestic phenotype can lead to simultaneous changes in others. This may be a result of such traits being inherited together because of pleiotropy or close linkage of several genes affecting different traits. A chicken growth QTL has previously been found in an intercross between White Leghorn layers (WL) and their main wild ancestor, the red junglefowl (RJF). This QTL has also been found to influence explorative and social behaviours. This thesis aims to characterize this QTL further with respect to social and emotional behaviours, and tries to clarify whether pleiotropy or linkage is responsible for the many observed effects. This is done using behavioural phenotyping, genetic marker genotyping, QTL- and gene expression analysis of an intercross line between RJF and WL, and to some extent of the parental RJF and WL lines themselves. The results show that domestication in these chickens has led to increased social tolerance to unfamiliar conspecifics and a tendency to a decrease in the propensity of chickens to explore the environment, and that these effects are partly explained by the previously described growth QTL. The results also indicate that close linkage of genes, rather than pleiotropy, may be responsible for the multiple effect of the QTL, as different traits to some extent seem to be influenced by different areas within the larger QTL region. This information, in combination with that of other studies and with existing and upcoming genetic research techniques, may be used in the design of future breeding programs that take animal behaviour and welfare as well as production traits into account. Findings like these may also be of use in directing research in human psychiatric genetics

Domestication-related variation in social preferences in chickens is affected by genotype on a growth QTL Domestication related variation in social preferences in chickens is affected by genotype on a growth QTL

Abstract: 248 word

Effects of nitrogen fertilization on the abundance of enchytraeids and microarthropods in Scots pine forests

The effect on the abundance of enchytraeids and microarthropods of the nitrogen fertilizers, ammonium nitrate and urea, was studied. The experimental sites were three Scots pine stands in central and northern Sweden. Doses of fertilizers were similar to those used in practical forestry in Sweden but the effects of different doses of ammonium nitrate were also investigated. A significant decrease in the abundance of Enchytraeidae, Collembola and Cryptostigmata after ammonium nitrate fertilization was observed in one of the experiments. On the basis of this study and previous investigations, the following patterns of response to nitrogen fertilizers are discussed: 1) A shortterm effect with decreased abundance owing to ammonium toxicity or a "salt effect". 2) A long-term effect with increasing abundance resulting from increased food supply

Domestication-related variation in social preferences in chickens is affected by genotype on a growth QTL

A growth-related QTL on chicken chromosome 1 has previously been shown to influence domestication behaviour in chickens. In this study, we used Red Junglefowl (RJF) and White Leghorn (WL) as well as the intercross between them to investigate whether stress affects the way birds allocate their time between familiar and unfamiliar conspecifics in a social preference test (‘social support seeking’), and how this is related to genotype at specific loci within the growth QTL. Red Junglefowl males spent more time with unfamiliar chickens before the stressful event compared to the other birds, whereas all birds except WL males tended to spend less time with unfamiliar ones after stress. A significant QTL locus was found to influence both social preference under undisturbed circumstances and social support seeking. The WL allele at this QTL was associated not only with a preference for unfamiliar individuals but also with a shift towards familiar ones in response to stress (social support seeking). A second, suggestive QTL also affected social support seeking, but in the opposite direction; the WL allele was associated with increased time spent with unfamiliar individuals. The region contains several possible candidate genes, and gene expression analysis of a number of them showed differential expression between RJF and WL of AVPR2 (receptor for vasotocin), and possibly AVPR1a (another vasotocin receptor) and NRCAM (involved in neural development) in the lower frontal lobes of the brains of RJF and WL animals. These three genes continue to be interesting candidates for the observed behavioural effects

Earth-field Compensation Coils for the Vertical Cryostat in FREIA

We describe the design and construction of coils to compensate the Earth magnetic field in the vertical cryostat in FREIA

Retro-Fitting Earth-Field Compensation Coils to the Vertical Cryostat GERSEMI in FREIA

We describe the design and construction of coils to compensate the Earth’s magnetic field in the vertical cryostat GERSEMI in the FREIA laboratory at Uppsala University

Earth-field Compensation Coils for the Vertical Cryostat in FREIA

We describe the design and construction of coils to compensate the Earth magnetic field in the vertical cryostat in FREIA