Ascertaining Key Factors Behind the Coexistence of the Native Ant Species Plagiolepis pygmaea with the Invasive Argentine Ant Linepithema humile (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

The Argentine ant, Linepithema humile, is a world-wide invasive ant species. Its presence has a strong negative impact on ant diversity. The present study attempts to highlight the reasons for the coexistence of this highly dominant species with Plagiolepis pygmaea, the only native ant species that has proved able to resist the invasion in a natural ecosystem in the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula. To quantify the aggressiveness level of both species we performed aggressiveness tests on workers in different areas: a) Argentine ant workers from areas with P. pygmaea, b) Argentine ant workers from areas without P. pygmaea, c) P. pygmaea from a non-invaded area and d) P. pygmaea from an invaded area. We also confronted Argentine ant workers with P. pallidula and T. nigerrimum. These aggressiveness tests showed that the coexistence of these two species of ants was not due to a habituation process, since the aggressiveness level observed between the four kinds of confrontations were fairly similar. We also found a lack of aggressiveness between Argentine ant workers and P. pygmaea, and highly submissive behavior in the latter when confronted with the invader. The peaceful character of P. pygmaea together with its markedly submissive behavior may be the main factors behind the coexistence of these species in the study area

Population structure in a highly pelagic seabird, the Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea): an examination of genetics, morphology and ecology

Increasing evidence suggests oceanic traits may play a key role in the genetic structuring of marine organisms. Whereas genetic breaks in the open ocean are well known in fishes and marine invertebrates, the importance of marine habitat characteristics in seabirds remains less certain. We investigated the role of oceanic transitions versus population genetic processes in driving population differentiation in a highly vagile seabird, the Cory"s shearwater, combining molecular, morphological and ecological data from 27 breeding colonies distributed across the Mediterranean (Calonectris diomedea diomedea) and the Atlantic (C. d. borealis). Genetic and biometric analyses showed a clear differentiation between Atlantic and Mediterranean Cory"s shearwaters. Ringing-recovery data indicated high site fidelity of the species, but we found some cases of dispersal among neighbouring breeding sites (<300 km) and a few long distance movements (>1000 km) within and between each basin. In agreement with this, comparison of phenotypic and genetic data revealed both current and historical dispersal events. Within each region, we did not detect any genetic substructure among archipelagos in the Atlantic, but we found a slight genetic differentiation between western and eastern breeding colonies in the Mediterranean. Accordingly, gene flow estimates suggested substantial dispersal among colonies within basins. Overall, genetic structure of the Cory"s shearwater matches main oceanographic breaks (Almería-Oran Oceanic Front and Siculo-Tunisian Strait), but spatial analyses suggest that patterns of genetic differentiation are better explained by geographic rather than oceanographic distances. In line with previous studies, genetic, phenotypic and ecological evidence supported the separation of Atlantic and Mediterranean forms, suggesting the 2 taxa should be regarded as different species.

Emergency Management in the United States of America

Core capabilities are under the above mission areas as outlined in the National Preparedness Goal. Planning, Public Information and Warning, and Operational Coordination cut across all five mission areas. Without these three cross-cutting capabilities, the other capabilities might not be achieved or could be weakened. Other core capabilities are aligned under a specific mission area, based on where it had the most relevance. Core capabilities alignment: Prevention capabilities focus on things related to preventing an imminent terrorist attack; by imminent, we mean an attack that is about to happen ; Protection capabilities focus on security— making sure things, systems, and people are protected ; Mitigation capabilities focus on risk, resilience and building a culture of preparedness; Response capabilities focus on meeting a community’s immediate needs when disaster strikes and finally, recovery capabilities focus on getting communities back on their feet.

Language recovery and evidence of residual deficits after nonthalamic subcortical stroke: A 1 year follow-up study

A variety of language disturbances including aphasia have been described after subcortical stroke but less is known about the factors that influence the long-term recovery of stroke-induced language dysfunction. We prospectively examined the role of the affected hemisphere and the lesion site in the occurrence and recovery of language deficits in nonthalamic subcortical stroke. Forty patients with unilateral basal gangliastroke underwent language assessment within 1 week, 3 months and 1 year after stroke. Disturbances in at least one language domain were observed in 35 patients during the first week post stroke including aphasia diagnosed in 11 patients. Importantly, the appearance of deficits after stroke onset and the improvement of language function were not determined by the site of subcortical lesion, but instead were critically influenced by the affected hemisphere. In fact, the language impairments following left and right basal ganglia stroke mirrored the language dysfunction observed after cortical lesions in the same hemisphere. A significant overall language improvement was observed at 3 months after stroke, although residual deficits in languageexecutive function were the most commonly observed impairment at 1 year follow-up. Although a substantial improvement of language function can be expected after nonthalamic subcortical stroke, our findings suggest that language recovery may not be fully achieved at 1 year post

Las habilidades motrices básicas en educación primaria: aspectos de su desarrollo = Key motor skills in primary education: developmental aspects

The physical education curriculum stresses the importance of improving students’ key motor skills. This idea agrees with the contributions of research into motor development concerning the important role these skills play in child development. In order to facilitate this improvement is essential to know the different basic aspects of how these key motor skills evolve as well as the essential factors related to the characteristics and conditions of educational practice