Mulinum ulicinum (Azorelloideae, Apiaceae), nueva cita para Chile

Mulinum ulicinum is recorded for the first time in Chile. This species and M. crassifolium are the only two species of the genus growing in the Region of Antofagasta. A description and illustration of M. ulicinum is provided, as well as a key to differentiate it from M. crassifolium

Revisión taxonómica del género sudamericano Mulinum (Azorelloideae, Apiaceae)

The genus Mulinum is endemic to southern South America and is ecologically important because of its dominance in the vegetation of the high Andes and the Patagonian steppe. We present a treatment in which 10 species and 3 new varieties are accepted. A diagnostic key to the species is included, and lists of synonyms, morphological descriptions, observations on the morphological affinities between species, review of the relevant literature, illustrations, and distribution maps are provided. We also analyze and resolve nomenclatural problems, and we provide a list of dubious names and excluded names. Six new synonyms are recognized, including the names M. axilliflorum and M. echinus. Mulinum famatinense is considered here a variety of M. triacanthum. The other two varieties recognized are M. spinosum var. hirsutum and M. spinosum var. zechii. The area of distribution for M. crassifolium, M. leptacanthum, M. spinosum, M. triacanthum, and M. ulicinum has been extended. In addition, 27 lectotypes and one neotype are designated.El género Mulinum es endémico del sur de Sudamérica, donde es ecológicamente importante por su dominancia en la vegetación de regiones elevadas de los Andes y la estepa patagónica. Presentamos un tratamiento en el que se aceptan 10 especies y 3 variedades nuevas. Se aportan una clave para su reconocimiento, listas de sinónimos, descripciones, observaciones sobre afinidades morfológicas entre las especies, discusión de datos bibliográficos, ilustraciones y mapas de distribución. También se analizan y resuelven problemas nomenclaturales, a la vez que se adjuntan listas de nombres dudosos y nombres excluidos. Se reconocen 6 sinónimos nuevos, que incluyen los nombres M. axilliflorum y M. echinus. Mulinum famatinense es considerado aquí una variedad de M. triacanthum. Las otras dos variedades reconocidas son M. spinosum var. hirsutum y M. spinosum var. zechii. Se ha visto ampliada el área de distribución de M. crassifolium, M. leptacanthum, M. spinosum, M. triacanthum y M. ulicinum. Además, se designan 27 lectotipos y un neotipo

Local Extinction and Unintentional Rewilding of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis) on a Desert Island

Bighorn sheep ( Ovis canadensis) were not known to live on Tiburón Island, the largest island in the Gulf of California and Mexico, prior to the surprisingly successful introduction of 20 individuals as a conservation measure in 1975. Today, a stable island population of ∼500 sheep supports limited big game hunting and restocking of depleted areas on the Mexican mainland. We discovered fossil dung morphologically similar to that of bighorn sheep in a dung mat deposit from Mojet Cave, in the mountains of Tiburón Island. To determine the origin of this cave deposit we compared pellet shape to fecal pellets of other large mammals, and extracted DNA to sequence mitochondrial DNA fragments at the 12S ribosomal RNA and control regions. The fossil dung was 14C-dated to 1476-1632 calendar years before present and was confirmed as bighorn sheep by morphological and ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis. 12S sequences closely or exactly matched known bighorn sheep sequences; control region sequences exactly matched a haplotype described in desert bighorn sheep populations in southwest Arizona and southern California and showed subtle differentiation from the extant Tiburón population. Native desert bighorn sheep previously colonized this land-bridge island, most likely during the Pleistocene, when lower sea levels connected Tiburón to the mainland. They were extirpated sometime in the last ∼1500 years, probably due to inherent dynamics of isolated populations, prolonged drought, and (or) human overkill. The reintroduced population is vulnerable to similar extinction risks. The discovery presented here refutes conventional wisdom that bighorn sheep are not native to Tiburón Island, and establishes its recent introduction as an example of unintentional rewilding, defined here as the introduction of a species without knowledge that it was once native and has since gone locally extinct

Anàlisi del desenvolupament floral d'un arbust mediterrani, la Globularia alypum, en poblacions costaneres i continentals

En aquest projecte s'ha estudiat la fenologia de floració de nou poblacions de G.alypum, un arbust de fulla perenne típic dels ambients termòfils de l'oest de l'Àrea Mediterrània, situades en diferents localitats de Catalunya. Aquesta espècie té una fenologia de la floració molt variable entre poblacions, ja que poden florir des de l'estiu tardà - tardor primerenca fins a la primavera següent depenent de la població. Es distingeixen dos grups de població, el de floració primerenca i el floració tardana. Les poblacions primerenques creixen, majoritàriament, a les localitats costaneres i floreixen des de setembre fins a novembre. Les poblacions tardanes creixen a les localitats d'interior i floreixen des de febrer fins a abril. En aquest treball es pretén millorar la comprensió sobre les diferències geogràfiques dels patrons de la fenologia floral entre les poblacions de G. alypum. Unes diferències que ja es manifesten al juliol, quan el desenvolupament floral es troba en els seus estadis preliminars. Alhora, en els mesos posteriors, l'increment del desenvolupament floral de les poblacions de G. alypum s'ha correlacionat positivament amb la temperatura mínima del mes de desembre. En aquest projecte també es pretén aprofundir en el coneixement sobre el desenvolupament floral d'aquesta espècie, descriure'n els diferents estadis i trobar un indicador adient per realitzar anàlisis estadístics. Uns aspectes gens banals tenint en compte la importància ecològica de la floració, sobretot en la seva sincronització amb el cicle vital dels pol·linitzadors així com en la seva importància adaptativa.En el presente proyecto se realiza un seguimiento del desarrollo floral de un arbusto de hoja perenne típico de los ambientes termófilos del oeste mediterraneo, Globularia alypum, en distintas localidades de Cataluña. Dicha especie tiene una fenología de la floración muy variable entre poblaciones, pues su floración varía desde finales de verano-principios de otoño hasta a la primavera siguiente en función de la población. A grandes rasgos se distingue entre el grupo de poblaciones de floración temprana y el grupo de floración tardana. Las poblaciones tempranas crecen, mayoritariamente, en las localidades de la costa y florecen desde septiembre hasta noviembre. Las poblaciones tardanas crecen en las localidades continentales y florecen desde febrero hasta abril. En este trabajo se pretende mejorar la comprensión sobre las diferencias geográficas de los patrones de la fenología floral entre las poblaciones de Globularia alypum. Unas diferencias que ya se manifiestan en julio, cuando el desarrollo aún se encuentra en sus estadios preliminares. En este trabajo también se ha encontrado una correlación positiva entre el incremento de fase del desarrollo floral y la temperatura mínima del mes de diciembre. Así mismo se pretende profundizar en el conocimiento sobre el desarrollo floral de la especie, describir sus distintos estadios y encontrar un indicador adecuado para realizar análisis estadísticos. Unos aspectos nada despreciables teniendo en cuenta la importancia ecológica de la floración, sobretodo en su sincronización con el ciclo vital de los polinizadores así como en su importancia adaptativa.In this project nine populations of G.alypum, a perennial shrub typical of western Mediterranean thermophilous shrublands, located in different localities of Catalonia, were surveyed for flowering phenology. This specie has a variable flowering phenology and flowering time spans from the late summer-early fall to the next spring depending on the populations. There are two groups of populations, early and late flowering. Early populations grow mostly on coastal localities and flowered from September to November. Late flowering populations grow in inland localities and flowered from February to April. In this project we pretend to improve the understanding about the geographical differences for patterns of flowering phenology between populations of G.alypum. Differences which appear in july, when floral development is at a preliminary stage. Also, in the following months, the floral development increasing of different populations of G. alypum correlated with minimal temperature of December. This project also aims to increase knowledge about floral development, describing the stages of development and find a suitable indicator to perform statistical analysis. Those aspects must not be underestimated considering the ecological importance of flowering, especially in its synchronization with pollinators as well as in its adaptive importance

Aberrant Splicing Events Associated to CDH23 Noncanonical Splice Site Mutations in a Proband with Atypical Usher Syndrome 1

Aims: The aim of this study was the genetic diagnosis by next generation sequencing (NGS) of a patient diagnosed with Usher syndrome type 2 and the functional evaluation of the identified genetic variants to establish a phenotype-genotype correlation. Methods: Whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis identified two heterozygous intronic variants in CDH23, a gene responsible of Usher syndrome type 1. Evaluation of the putative splicing effects was performed in vivo, in whole blood samples, and in vitro, by transfection of midigene constructs in HEK293T cells. Results: Two intronic variants were identified in intron 45 of CDH23-one novel, c.6050-15G>A, and the other, c.6050-9G>A, already reported as a noncanonical splice site (NCSS) mutation-with partial functional characterization. In vivo and in vitro analyses showed aberrant transcripts by the addition of 13 and 7 nucleotides to exon 46, respectively. Transcript degradation by nonsense mediated decay (NMD) in blood cells could only be prevented by cycloheximide treatment. Midigene constructs showed that the two variants contributed to exon skipping and generated aberrantly spliced transcripts. Conclusions: A combination of in vivo and in vitro assays provided a comprehensive view of the physiological effects of NCSS variants, which in this case led to a clinical reassignment of the proband as affected with atypical USH1 syndrome

Feeding spectra and activity of the freshwater crab Trichodactylus kensleyi (Decapoda: Brachyura: Trichodactylidae) at La Plata basin

Background: In inland water systems, it is important to characterize the trophic links in order to identify the ‘trophic species’ and, from the studies of functional diversity, understand the dynamics of matter and energy in these environments. The aim of this study is to analyze the natural diet of Trichodactylus kensleyi of subtropical rainforest streams and corroborate the temporal variation in the trophic activity during day hours. Results: A total of 15 major taxonomic groups were recognized in gut contents. The index of relative importance identified the following main prey items in decreasing order of importance: vegetal remains, oligochaetes, chironomid larvae, and algae. A significant difference was found in the amount of full stomachs during day hours showing a less trophic activity at midday and afternoon. The index of relative importance values evidenced the consumption of different prey according to day moments. Results of the gut content indicate that T. kensleyi is an omnivorous crab like other trichodactylid species. Opportunistic behavior is revealed by the ingestion of organisms abundant in streams such as oligochaetes and chironomid larvae. The consumption of allochthonous plant debris shows the importance of this crab as shredder in subtropical streams. However, the effective assimilation of plant matter is yet unknown in trichodactylid crabs. Conclusions: This research provides knowledge that complements previous studies about trophic relationships of trichodactylid crabs and supported the importance of T. kensleyi in the transference of energy and matter from benthic community and riparian sources to superior trophic levels using both macro- and microfauna.Fil: Williner, Verónica. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias; ArgentinaFil: de Azevedo Carvalho, Debora. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; ArgentinaFil: Collins, Pablo Agustin. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto Nacional de Limnología. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Instituto Nacional de Limnología; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Litoral. Facultad de Bioquímica y Ciencias Biológicas; Argentin

Internal migration dynamics in Spain: Winners and losers from the recent economic recession

This paper analyses the impact of the 2008 economic crisis on the spatial distribution of interprovincial migration in Spain, with a particular focus on changes in provinces' relative attractiveness. First, the paper examines the distribution of the net migration rate across provinces over the period 2002-2013. Next, by comparing the precrisis (2002-2007) and crisis (2008-2013) periods, the paper investigates which provinces became more attractive locations for migrants during the crisis and explores some of the factors behind it. The empirical evidence unveils two key results. First, major changes took place in spatial patterns of migration flows in Spain in the wake of the 2008 recession. Second, the rich provinces that best weathered the economic downturn, especially those with a relatively small construction sector and a good performance of industry and services, became appealing destinations during the crisis

The Human Oocyte Preservation Experience (HOPE) a phase IV, prospective, multicenter, observational oocyte cryopreservation registry

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>It has been recommended by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the American Society of Reproductive Medicine that options to preserve fertility be presented at the outset of treatment for cancer. This recommendation may have arisen, in part, to the increasing survival of patients with cancer and the realization that certain forms of cancer treatment can lead to infertility. One option for these patients, particularly those with ethical or religious objections to freezing embryos is oocyte cryopreservation. However universal acceptance of these procedures has yet to be established, most likely due to a poor history of success and concerns that there has yet to be a comprehensive approach to evaluating these techniques. In light of this, a registry of patients undergoing oocyte cryopreservation, called the HOPE registry, is being implemented.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>The intent of the HOPE Registry is to enroll approximately 400 women of reproductive age who will undergo thawing/warming of oocytes and subsequent transfer. Data from the patients enrolled will be collected via a uniform, standardized form and will document important parameters such as demographics, laboratory procedures and outcomes, including following the outcomes of babies born for one year after birth. The results of the registry will be published on a yearly basis.</p> <p>Summary</p> <p>A patient registry has been established in order to systematically document the techniques and outcomes of oocyte cryopreservation procedures. The results will be published in order to provide a widely accessible resource that will allow patients who are considering these procedures validated information in order to make informed decisions as to how their treatment will proceed.</p

Dual TNFα-induced effects on NRF2 mediated antioxidant defence in astrocyte-rich cultures: role of protein kinase activation

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) is a pleiotropic molecule that can have both protective and detrimental effects in neurodegeneration. Here we have investigated the temporal effects of TNFα on the inducible Nrf2 system in astrocyte-rich cultures by determination of glutathione (GSH) levels, γglutamylcysteine ligase (γGCL) activity, the protein levels of Nrf2, Keap1, the catalytic and modulatory subunit of γGCL (γGCL-C and γGCL-M respectively). Astrocyte-rich cultures were exposed for 24 or 72 h to different concentrations of TNFα. Acute exposure (24 h) of astrocyte-rich cultures to 10 ng/mL of TNFα increased GSH, γGCL activity, the protein levels of γGCL-M, γGCL-C and Nrf2 in parallel with decreased levels of Keap1. Antioxidant responsive element (ARE)-mediated transcription was blocked by inhibitors of ERK1/2, JNK and Akt whereas inactivation of p38 and GSK3β further enhanced transcription. In contrast treatment with TNFα for 72 h decreased components of the Nrf2 system in parallel with an increase of Keap1. Stimulation of the Nrf2 system by tBHQ was intact after 24 h but blocked after 72 h treatment with TNFα. This down-regulation after 72 h correlated with activation of p38 MAPK and GSK3β, since inhibition of these signalling pathways reversed this effect. The upregulation of the Nrf2 system by TNFα (24 h treatment) protected the cells from oxidative stress through elevated γGCL activity whereas the down-regulation (72 h treatment) caused pronounced oxidative toxicity. One of the important implications of the results is that in a situation where Nrf2 is decreased, such as in Alzheimer’s disease, the effect of TNFα is detrimental.Fil: Correa, Fernando Gabriel. University Goteborg; Suecia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Mallard, Carina. University Goteborg; SueciaFil: Nilsson, Michael. University Goteborg; SueciaFil: Sandberg, Mats. University Goteborg; Sueci