Annual phenology and nictemeral activity of the Hymenoptera (Insecta) in a Mediterranean mixed forest

El Parque de Collserola es un espacio natural adyacente a la ciudad de Barcelona que recientemente ha sido declarado Parque Natural. El presente estudio se centra en las familias de Hymenoptera muestreadas en un bosque mixto mediterráneo de Pinus-Quercus. Desde mayo de 2009 hasta abril de 2010 se muestreó en el dosel y sotobosque del sitio de estudio: los himenópteros fueron el segundo grupo en abundancia por detrás de los dípteros. Se discute la fenología anual y la actividad nictemeral de las familias más abundantes de Hymenoptera. Un total de 7796 especímenes (6933 en trampa Malaise del sotobosque; 863 en trampa Malaise entre sotobosque y dosel) fueron capturados durante el estudio, repartidos en 37 familias. El sotobosque resultó ser el estrato donde tiene lugar la mayor parte de la actividad de los himenópteros (88,9%). La mayor parte de familias capturadas resultaron ser endo- o ectoparasitoides de un amplio espectro de hospedadores. Aunque la tendencia de los himenópteros sea presentar una mayor actividad durante los meses más cálidos del año, las distintas familias mostraron curvas de actividad particulares, con picos que oscilan entre junio y agosto a excepción de los Xyelidae, que fueron recolectados en febrero. Diapriidae resultó ser la familia más abundante en ambos muestreos, con un total de 2507 especímenes, seguida de los Braconidae (1025). Diapriidae mostró una preferencia por la actividad crepuscular y nocturna de mayo a agosto, mientras que en los Braconidae existe una evolución de su actividad pasando de ser vespertina y crepuscular en mayo a diurna en agosto.Collserola is a natural area adjacent to the city of Barcelona, and has recently declared Natural Park. This study focuses on Hymenoptera families sampled in a Mediterranean mixed forest of Pinus-Quercus. From May 2009 to April 2010 were sampled in the canopy and understory, being Hymenoptera the second group in abundance behind the Diptera. We discuss the annual phenology and nictemeral activity of the most abundant families. A total of 7,796 specimens (6,933 with Malaise trap in the understory; 863 with Malaise trap in the canopy) were captured during the study, divided into 37 families. Understory was the layer where we observed increased activity of the Hymenoptera (88. 9%). Most families were found to be endo or ectoparasitoids with a wide range of guests. Although the trend of the Hymenoptera is present greater activity during the warmer months of the year, the different families showed specific activity curves, with peaks ranging between June and August except for Xyelidae that were collected in February. Diapriidae proved to be the most abundant family in both samples, with a total of 2,507 specimens, followed by Braconidae (1,025). Diapriidae showed a preference for crepuscular and nocturnal activity from May to August, while Braconidae shows an evolution in the activity, changing from evening and crepuscular in May, to diurnal in August

A new cramer-shoup like methodology for group based provably secure encryption schemes

Proceedings of: TCC 2005: Theory of Cryptography Conference, 10-12 February 2005, Cambridge, MA, USA.A theoretical framework for the design of - in the sense of IND-CCA - provably secure public key cryptosystems taking non-abelian groups as a base is given. Our construction is inspired by Cramer and Shoup's general framework for developing secure encryption schemes from certain language membership problems; thus all our proofs are in the standard model, without any idealization assumptions. The skeleton we present is conceived as a guiding tool towards the construction of secure concrete schemes from finite non-abelian groups (although it is possible to use it also in conjunction with finite abelian groups)

In search of mathematical primitives for deriving universal projective hash families

We provide some guidelines for deriving new projective hash families of cryptographic interest. Our main building blocks are so called group action systems; we explore what properties of this mathematical primitives may lead to the construction of cryptographically useful projective hash families. We point out different directions towards new constructions, deviating from known proposals arising from Cramer and Shoup's seminal work

Atlantic mammal traits: a dataset of morphological traits of mammals in the atlantic forest of south America

Measures of traits are the basis of functional biological diversity. Numerous works consider mean species-level measures of traits while ignoring individual variance within species. However, there is a large amount of variation within species and it is increasingly apparent that it is important to consider trait variation not only between species, but also within species. Mammals are an interesting group for investigating trait-based approaches because they play diverse and important ecological functions (e.g., pollination, seed dispersal, predation, grazing) that are correlated with functional traits. Here we compile a data set comprising morphological and life history information of 279 mammal species from 39,850 individuals of 388 populations ranging from −5.83 to −29.75 decimal degrees of latitude and −34.82 to −56.73 decimal degrees of longitude in the Atlantic forest of South America. We present trait information from 16,840 individuals of 181 species of non-volant mammals (Rodentia, Didelphimorphia, Carnivora, Primates, Cingulata, Artiodactyla, Pilosa, Lagomorpha, Perissodactyla) and from 23,010 individuals of 98 species of volant mammals (Chiroptera). The traits reported include body mass, age, sex, reproductive stage, as well as the geographic coordinates of sampling for all taxa. Moreover, we gathered information on forearm length for bats and body length and tail length for rodents and marsupials. No copyright restrictions are associated with the use of this data set. Please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications. We also request that researchers and teachers inform us of how they are using the data.Fil: Gonçalves, Fernando. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Bovendorp, Ricardo S.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Beca, Gabrielle. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Bello, Carolina. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Costa Pereira, Raul. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Muylaert, Renata L.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Rodarte, Raisa R.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Villar, Nacho. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Souza, Rafael. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Graipel, Maurício E.. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; BrasilFil: Cherem, Jorge J.. Caipora Cooperativa, Florianopolis; BrasilFil: Faria, Deborah. Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz; BrasilFil: Baumgarten, Julio. Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz; BrasilFil: Alvarez, Martín R.. Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz; BrasilFil: Vieira, Emerson M.. Universidade do Brasília; BrasilFil: Cáceres, Nilton. Universidade Federal de Santa María. Santa María; BrasilFil: Pardini, Renata. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Leite, Yuri L. R.. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Costa, Leonora Pires. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Mello, Marco Aurelio Ribeiro. Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais; BrasilFil: Fischer, Erich. Universidade Federal do Mato Grosso do Sul; BrasilFil: Passos, Fernando C.. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Varzinczak, Luiz H.. Universidade Federal do Paraná; BrasilFil: Prevedello, Jayme A.. Universidade do Estado de Rio do Janeiro; BrasilFil: Cruz-Neto, Ariovaldo P.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; BrasilFil: Carvalho, Fernando. Universidade do Extremo Sul Catarinense; BrasilFil: Reis Percequillo, Alexandre. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Paviolo, Agustin Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; ArgentinaFil: Duarte, José M. B.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasil. Fundación Oswaldo Cruz; BrasilFil: Bernard, Enrico. Universidade Federal de Pernambuco; BrasilFil: Agostini, Ilaria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú | Universidad Nacional de Misiones. Instituto de Biología Subtropical. Instituto de Biología Subtropical - Nodo Puerto Iguazú; ArgentinaFil: Lamattina, Daniela. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentina. Ministerio de Salud de la Nación; ArgentinaFil: Vanderhoeven, Ezequiel Andres. Ministerio de Salud de la Nación; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Nordeste; Argentin

Haptoglobin Phenotype, Preeclampsia Risk and the Efficacy of Vitamin C and E Supplementation to Prevent Preeclampsia in a Racially Diverse Population

Haptoglobin's (Hp) antioxidant and pro-angiogenic properties differ between the 1-1, 2-1, and 2-2 phenotypes. Hp phenotype affects cardiovascular disease risk and treatment response to antioxidant vitamins in some non-pregnant populations. We previously demonstrated that preeclampsia risk was doubled in white Hp 2-1 women, compared to Hp 1-1 women. Our objectives were to determine whether we could reproduce this finding in a larger cohort, and to determine whether Hp phenotype influences lack of efficacy of antioxidant vitamins in preventing preeclampsia and serious complications of pregnancy-associated hypertension (PAH). This is a secondary analysis of a randomized controlled trial in which 10,154 low-risk women received daily vitamin C and E, or placebo, from 9-16 weeks gestation until delivery. Hp phenotype was determined in the study prediction cohort (n = 2,393) and a case-control cohort (703 cases, 1,406 controls). The primary outcome was severe PAH, or mild or severe PAH with elevated liver enzymes, elevated serum creatinine, thrombocytopenia, eclampsia, fetal growth restriction, medically indicated preterm birth or perinatal death. Preeclampsia was a secondary outcome. Odds ratios were estimated by logistic regression. Sampling weights were used to reduce bias from an overrepresentation of women with preeclampsia or the primary outcome. There was no relationship between Hp phenotype and the primary outcome or preeclampsia in Hispanic, white/other or black women. Vitamin supplementation did not reduce the risk of the primary outcome or preeclampsia in women of any phenotype. Supplementation increased preeclampsia risk (odds ratio 3.30; 95% confidence interval 1.61-6.82, p<0.01) in Hispanic Hp 2-2 women. Hp phenotype does not influence preeclampsia risk, or identify a subset of women who may benefit from vitamin C and E supplementation to prevent preeclampsia

Reduced expression of the murine HLA-G homolog Qa-2 is associated with malignancy, epithelialmesenchymal transition and stemness in breast cancer cells.

Qa-2 is believed to mediate a protective immune response against cancer; however, little is known about the role of Qa-2 in tumorigenesis. Here, we used 4T1 breast cancer cells to study the involvement of Qa-2 in tumor progression in a syngeneic host. Qa-2 expression was reduced during in vivo tumor growth and in cell lines derived from 4T1-induced tumors. Tumor-derived cells elicited an epithelialmesenchymal transition associated with upregulation of Zeb1 and Twist1/2 and enhanced tumor initiating and invasive capacities. Furthermore, these cells showed increased stem characteristics, as demonstrated by upregulation of Hes1, Sox2 and Oct3/4, and enrichment of CD44high/CD24median/low cells. Remarkably, Qa-2 cell-surface expression was excluded from the CD44high/CD24median/low subpopulation. Tumor-derived cells showed increased Src activity, and treatment of these cells with the Src kinase inhibitor PP2 enhanced Qa-2 but reduced Sox2 and CD44high/CD24median/low expression levels, suggesting that Src signaling, while positively associated with stemness, negatively regulates Qa-2 expression in breast cancer. Finally, overexpression of the Qa-2 family member Q7 on the cell surface slowed down in vivo tumor growth and reduced the metastatic potential of 4T1 cells. These results suggest an anti-malignant role for Qa-2 in breast cancer development, which appears to be absent from cancer stem cells.post-print2122 K

Profibrotic role of inducible heat shock protein 90α isoform in systemic sclerosis

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease that affects skin and multiple internal organs. TGF-β, a central trigger of cutaneous fibrosis, activates fibroblasts with the involvement of the stress-inducible chaperone heat shock protein 90 isoform α (Hsp90α). Available evidence supports overexpression and secretion of Hsp90α as a feature in profibrotic pathological conditions. The aim of this work is to investigate the expression and function of Hsp90α in experimental models of skin fibrosis such as human fibroblasts, C57BL/6 mice, and in human SSc. For this purpose, we generated a new experimental model based on doxorubicin administration with improved characteristics with respect to the bleomycin model. We visualized disease progression in vivo by fluorescence imaging. In this work, we obtained Hsp90α mRNA overexpression in human skin fibroblasts, in bleomycin- and doxorubicin-induced mouse fibrotic skin, and in lungs of bleomycin- and doxorubicin-treated mice. Hsp90α-deficient mice showed significantly decreased skin thickness compared with wild-type mice in both animal models. In SSc patients, serum Hsp90α levels were increased in patients with lung involvement and in patients with the diffuse form of SSc (dSSc) compared with patients with the limited form of SSc. The serum Hsp90α levels of patients dSSc were correlated with the Rodnan score and the forced vital capacity variable. These results provide new supportive evidence of the contribution of the Hsp90α isoform in the development of skin fibrosis. In SSc, these results indicated that higher serum levels were associated with dSSc and lung fibrosis.This work was supported by Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Gobierno de España Grant RTI2018-095214-B-I00, as well as by the Instituto de Formación e Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla IDIVAL (InnVal 17/22; InnVal 20/34), 2020UCI22-PUB-0003 Gobierno de Cantabria (to A.V.V.), SAF2016-75195-R (to J.M.), SAF2017-82905-R (to R.M.), and (NextVal 18/14) to A.P

Combined Raman spectroscopic and Rietveld analyses as a useful and nondestructive approach to studying flint raw materials at prehistoric archaeological sites

Artículo sobre análisis de espectroscopía