Circuit-selective cell-autonomous regulation of inhibition in pyramidal neurons by Ste20-like kinase

Maintaining an appropriate balance between excitation and inhibition is critical for neuronal information processing. Cortical neurons can cell-autonomously adjust the inhibition they receive to individual levels of excitatory input, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear. We describe that Ste20-like kinase (SLK) mediates cell-autonomous regulation of excitation-inhibition balance in the thalamocortical feedforward circuit, but not in the feedback circuit. This effect is due to regulation of inhibition originating from parvalbumin-expressing interneurons, while inhibition via somatostatin-expressing interneurons is unaffected. Computational modeling shows that this mechanism promotes stable excitatory-inhibitory ratios across pyramidal cells and ensures robust and sparse coding. Patch-clamp RNA sequencing yields genes differentially regulated by SLK knockdown, as well as genes associated with excitation-inhibition balance participating in transsynaptic communication and cytoskeletal dynamics. These data identify a mechanism for cell-autonomous regulation of a specific inhibitory circuit that is critical to ensure that a majority of cortical pyramidal cells participate in information coding

Participation in biocultural diversity conservation : insights from five Amazonian examples

Unidad de excelencia María de Maeztu CEX2019-000940-MThe past three decades have seen the emergence of myriads of initiatives focused on conserving, revitalizing, and maintaining Indigenous and Local Knowledge (ILK) as part of biocultural approaches to conservation. However, the extent to which these efforts have been participatory has been often overlooked. In this chapter, we focus on five prominent ILK conservation initiatives in the Amazon Basin to examine the participation of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs) in ILK conservation. Our review illustrates several examples of ILK conservation initiatives offering substantial opportunities for meaningful IPLC participation over the long term. Overall, our case studies suggest that the development of robust and inclusive decision-making processes is essential to optimize IPLC participation in ILK conservation, thereby increasing the legitimacy of these initiatives. Our review is not an exhaustive account of the breadth and depth of all initiatives promoting participatory biocultural conservation in this region, but it illustrates that there are many strategies that can help foster IPLC engagement and lead the participatory turn in biocultural conservation

Revision of Tympanopleura Eigenmann (Siluriformes: Auchenipteridae) with description of two new species

The Neotropical catfish genus Tympanopleura, previously synonymized within Ageneiosus, is revalidated and included species are reviewed. Six species are recognized, two of which are described as new. Tympanopleura is distinguished from Ageneiosus by having an enlarged gas bladder not strongly encapsulated in bone; a prominent pseudotympanum consisting of an area on the side of the body devoid of epaxial musculature where the gas bladder contacts the internal coelomic wall; short, blunt head without greatly elongated jaws; and smaller adult body size. Species of Tympanopleura are distinguished from each other on the basis of unique meristic, morphometric, and pigmentation differences. Ageneiosus melanopogon and Tympanopleura nigricollis are junior synonyms of Tympanopleura atronasus. Tympanopleura alta is a junior synonym of Tympanopleura brevis. A lectotype is designated for T. brevis. Ageneiosus madeirensis is a junior synonym of Tympanopleura rondoni. Tympanopleura atronasus, T. brevis, T. longipinna, and T. rondoni are relatively widespread in the middle and upper Amazon River basin. Tympanopleura cryptica is described from relatively few specimens collected in the upper portion of the Amazon River basin in Peru and the middle portion of that basin in Brazil. Tympanopleura piperata is distributed in the upper and middle Amazon River basin, as well as in the Essequibo River drainage of Guyana

Proposta de um modelo referencial de gestão de indicadores de qualidade na instituição universitária Propuesta de un modelo de referencia para la gestión de indicadores de calidad en la universidad A reference model proposal for management of the quality indicators at universities

O presente artigo procura desenvolver um modelo referencial de gestão que capte os determinantes da qualidade na universidade, uma vez que esta, cada vez mais tem sido desafiada, a demonstrar qualidade no seu desempenho. Do ponto de vista do problema, a pesquisa se caracteriza como predominantemente qualitativa e do ponto de vista dos seus objetivos como exploratória e descritiva. Quanto ao ponto de vista da linha de raciocínio, o procedimento foi a construção de um modelo, sendo que as técnicas utilizadas, enquanto conjunto de procedimentos práticos da pesquisa, foram a pesquisa bibliográfica e documental. Os dados foram obtidos a partir de fontes secundárias, estando a pesquisa centrada no estudo de doze modelos de qualidade na universidade, relatados na literatura, nos quais buscaram-se as semelhanças entre um conjunto de universidades e, ao mesmo tempo, tentou-se entender suas singularidades. O processo de coleta e análise dos dados permitiu identificar a ocorrência de eventos associados à qualidade nas instituições pesquisadas, bem como obter uma descrição dos indicadores essenciais ao desenho de um modelo de gestão universitária mais próximo da realidade. O modelo desenvolvido é orientado pelos elementos característicos da qualidade e, pactuado no diálogo, potencializa a avaliação como elo de feedback para a garantia e melhoria da qualidade. De formato simples, o modelo propicia uma forma eficaz de agir sobre a qualidade.<br>Este artículo tiene por objeto desarrollar un modelo de referencia de gestión que recoge los factores determinantes de la calidad en las universidades, ya que, cada vez más ha sido desafiada a demostrar calidad en su desempeño. Desde el punto de vista del problema, la búsqueda se caracteriza por ser predominantemente cualitativa y en términos de sus objetivos como exploratoria y descriptiva. A partir de una línea de razonamiento, el procedimiento fue la construcción de un modelo, y las técnicas utilizadas como un conjunto de procedimientos prácticos de la pesquisa, la búsqueda bibliográfica y documental. Los datos se obtuvieron a partir de fuentes secundarias, y la búsqueda se centró en el estudio de doce modelos de calidad en la universidad relatados en la literatura en que se buscó a las similitudes entre una serie de universidades, si bien se trató de comprender sus singularidades. El proceso de recopilación y análisis de datos ha identificado la ocurrencia de sucesos relacionados con la calidad en las instituciones encuestadas, y obtener una descripción de los principales indicadores para diseñar un modelo de gestión universitaria más cercana a la realidad. El modelo desarrollado se ve impulsado por los elementos característicos de la calidad y, se acordó en el diálogo, potencia enlace en la evaluación y retroalimentación para la seguridad y la mejora de la calidad. Con un formato simple el modelo proporciona una forma eficaz de actuar en calidad.<br>This article seeks to develop a management role model that captures the determinants of quality in universities, since they have increasingly been challenged to demonstrate quality in their performance. In the problems point of view, the research is characterized as predominantly qualitative and in terms of its goals as exploratory and descriptive. From a line of reasoning, the procedure was to create a model in which the bibliographic and documental research techniques were used as practical procedures. Data were obtained from secondary sources, and the research was focused on the study of twelve models of quality in universities reported in the literature, which sought out similarities in a group of universities, while attempts were made to understand their singularities. The data collecting and analyses process has allowed us to identify some events related to quality in the institutions surveyed, and also to get a description of the essential indicators to design an university management model closer to reality. The model developed is led by quality elements, that together with the dialogue, makes evaluation a potential feedback link for the security and improvement of quality. The simple format model provides an effective way to act on quality

Quantifying shortfalls in the knowledge on Neotropical Auchenipteridae fishes

The Neotropics harbour the greatest diversity of freshwater fish on Earth. Despite recent advances in characterizing the fish fauna, the total number of species, distributional range, evolution and ecological traits remain uncertain. Thus, we quantify shortfalls in the knowledge of taxonomy (Linnean shortfall), geographic distribution (Wallacean shortfall), evolutionary relationships (Darwinian shortfall) and feeding habits (Raunkiæran shortfall) of Auchenipteridae driftwood catfishes, one of the most representative groups of the Siluriformes family in the Neotropics. We find a steep increase in the historical accumulation of valid species over time, suggesting that 45% of the total number predicted remains to be described. Auchenipterids also remain under-collected; only 45% of the ecoregions and less than 3% of the one-degree grid cells covering the Neotropics are reasonably sampled. The topologies of recent phylogenies are more similar to each other than former ones, showing a tendency towards a robust phylogenetic hypothesis for this family. Current knowledge on feeding habits is biased towards a few genera and species and is still expanding with every new published study. Our study highlights specific knowledge gaps that need to be addressed: a considerable number of Auchenipteridae species remain to be described; and most of valid species lack reliable information on their geographic distribution and feeding habitat. It implies that research on fish systematic biology needs to advance and it will require a concerted effort of taxonomists, ecologists and biogeographers to reduce these gaps.This work was financially supported by grants from the Brazilian Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES—Finance Code 001; TMSF—23038.042984/2008‐30); and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq; PDM—308694/2015‐5; LFAM—302406/2019‐0; JH—PVE 314523/2014‐6, JS—Post‐Doctoral fellowship 434391/2016‐6). JS also benefited from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska‐Curie Action (grant agreement 843234; project: TAXON‐TIME); and LFAM from the PROCAD (UFPA/UFG/UNESP: Ecologia, Genética e Conservação do Cerrado, Amazônia e Mata Atlântica)