Embryonic gene expression of Coregonus palaea (whitefish) under pathogen stress as analyzed by high-throughput RNA-sequencing.

Most fishes produce free-living embryos that are exposed to environmental stressors immediately following fertilization, including pathogenic microorganisms. Initial immune protection of embryos involves the chorion, as a protective barrier, and maternally-allocated antimicrobial compounds. At later developmental stages, host-genetic effects influence susceptibility and tolerance, suggesting a direct interaction between embryo genes and pathogens. So far, only a few host genes could be identified that correlate with embryonic survival under pathogen stress in salmonids. Here, we utilized high-throughput RNA-sequencing in order to describe the transcriptional response of a non-model fish, the Alpine whitefish Coregonus palaea, to infection, both in terms of host genes that are likely manipulated by the pathogen, and those involved in an early putative immune response. Embryos were produced in��vitro, raised individually, and exposed at the late-eyed stage to a virulent strain of the opportunistic fish pathogen Pseudomonas fluorescens. The pseudomonad increased embryonic mortality and affected gene expression substantially. For example, essential, upregulated metabolic pathways in embryos under pathogen stress included ion binding pathways, aminoacyl-tRNA-biosynthesis, and the production of arginine and proline, most probably mediated by the pathogen for its proliferation. Most prominently downregulated transcripts comprised the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids, the citrate cycle, and various isoforms of b-cell transcription factors. These factors have been shown to play a significant role in host blood cell differentiation and renewal. With regard to specific immune functions, differentially expressed transcripts mapped to the complement cascade, MHC class I and II, TNF-alpha, and T-cell differentiation proteins. The results of this study reveal insights into how P. fluorescens impairs the development of whitefish embryos and set a foundation for future studies investigating host pathogen interactions in fish embryos.

The scope of Baker's law.

656 I. 657 II. 658 III. 660 IV. 661 V. 663 VI. 663 VII. 664 VIII. 664 665 References 665 SUMMARY: Baker's law refers to the tendency for species that establish on islands by long-distance dispersal to show an increased capacity for self-fertilization because of the advantage of self-compatibility when colonizing new habitat. Despite its intuitive appeal and broad empirical support, it has received substantial criticism over the years since it was proclaimed in the 1950s, not least because it seemed to be contradicted by the high frequency of dioecy on islands. Recent theoretical work has again questioned the generality and scope of Baker's law. Here, we attempt to discern where the idea is useful to apply and where it is not. We conclude that several of the perceived problems with Baker's law fall away when a narrower perspective is adopted on how it should be circumscribed. We emphasize that Baker's law should be read in terms of an enrichment of a capacity for uniparental reproduction in colonizing situations, rather than of high selfing rates. We suggest that Baker's law might be tested in four different contexts, which set the breadth of its scope: the colonization of oceanic islands, metapopulation dynamics with recurrent colonization, range expansions with recurrent colonization, and colonization through species invasions.

Anxiety, depression, and attachment before and after the first-trimester screening for Down syndrome: comparing couples who undergo ART with those who conceive spontaneously.

OBJECTIVES: This study's aim was to describe the emotional status of parents to be before and after the first-trimester combined prenatal screening test. METHODS: One hundred three couples participated, of which 52 had undergone an in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection treatment [assisted reproductive technology (ART)] and 51 had conceived spontaneously. Participants completed the state scale of the State-trait Anxiety Inventory, the Edinburgh Depression Scale, and the Maternal and Paternal Antenatal Attachment Questionnaire before the first-trimester combined prenatal screening test at around 12 weeks of gestational age (T1) and just after receiving the results at approximately 14 weeks of gestational age (T2). RESULTS: We observed a significant decrease in anxiety and depression symptoms and a significant increase in attachment from T1 to T2. Results showed no differences between groups at either time point, which suggests that ART parents are more similar to than different from parents conceiving spontaneously. Furthermore, given the importance of anxiety during pregnancy, a subsample of women with clinical anxiety was identified. They had significantly higher rates of clinical depression and lower attachment. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that, regardless of whether conception was through ART or spontaneous, clinical anxiety in women over the prenatal testing period is associated with more vulnerability during pregnancy (i.e. clinical depression and less attachment to fetus). �� 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evolution of reduced post-copulatory molecular interactions in Drosophila populations lacking sperm competition.

In many species with internal fertilization, molecules transferred in the male ejaculate trigger and interact with physiological changes in females. It is controversial to what extent these interactions between the sexes act synergistically to mediate the female switch to a reproductive state or instead reflect sexual antagonism evolved as a by product of sexual selection on males. To address this question, we eliminated sexual selection by enforcing monogamy in populations of Drosophila melanogaster for 65 generations and then measured the expression of male seminal fluid protein genes and genes involved in the female response to mating. In the absence of sperm competition, male and female reproductive interests are perfectly aligned and any antagonism should be reduced by natural selection. Consistent with this idea, males from monogamous populations showed reduced expression of seminal fluid protein genes, 16% less on average than in polygamous males. Further, we identified 428 genes that responded to mating in females. After mating, females with an evolutionary history of monogamy exhibited lower relative expression of genes that were up regulated in response to mating and higher expression of genes that were down-regulated - in other words, their post-mating transcriptome appeared more virgin-like. Surprisingly, these genes showed a similar pattern even before mating, suggesting that monogamous females evolved to be less poised for mating and the accompanying receipt of male seminal fluid proteins. This reduced investment by both monogamous males and females in molecules involved in post-copulatory interactions points to a pervasive role of sexual conflict in shaping these interactions.

Determinants of male fitness: disentangling intra- and inter-sexual selection.

Both intra- and inter-sexual selection may crucially determine a male's fitness. Their interplay, which has rarely been experimentally investigated, determines a male's optimal reproductive strategy and thus is of fundamental importance to the understanding of a male's behaviour. Here we investigated the relative importance of intra- and inter-sexual selection for male fitness in the common lizard. We investigated which male traits predict a male's access to reproduction allowing for both selective pressures and comparing it with a staged mating experiment excluding all types of intra-sexual selection. We found that qualitatively better males were more likely to reproduce and that sexual selection was two times stronger when allowing for both selective pressures, suggesting that inter- and intra-sexual selection determines male fitness and confirming the existence of multi-factorial sexual selection. Consequently, to optimize fitness, males should trade their investment between the traits, which are important for inter- and intra-sexual selection.

Effects of artisanal fisheries on the scorpaenids (Scorpaena spp.) reproduction in the marine protected area of Cap de Creus (NW Mediterranean)

Rockfish species are considered important to the ecology of rocky-reef communities which constitute a key habitat in many coastal marine protected areas (MPAs). These species, which are commercially valuable for artisanal fisheries in the Mediterranean, display particular biological traits that could render them vulnerable to fishing. In this study we monitored the artisanal fisheries of scorpaenids (Scorpaena spp.) in the MPA of Cap de Creus (northwestern Mediterranean) in order to estimate the status of their populations, to link captures with the reproduction of these species, and to evaluate the potential impact that artisanal fishing may have on them. Data from onboard sampling with artisanal fishermen and from fisheries statistics (total landings) were used. Total landings and catch per unit of effort (CPUE) follow a clearly seasonal cycle, with a prominent peak during the summer months coinciding with their spawning season, which may be due to mating behavior prior to fertilization. Although maximum sizes are bigger inside the MPA than in non-protected areas situated close by, a significant percentage of individuals caught inside the MPA are below their size at sexual maturity. Although rockfish seem to be favored by the partial protection of the MPA, the allowed artisanal fisheries are probably impacting the reproduction of these species

Varia����o qu��mica do ��leo essencial de Hyptis suaveolens (L.) Poit., sob condi����es de cultivo

This study was performed to establish the correlation between the growth conditions and essential oil composition of Hyptis suaveolens from Alfenas (MG), Brazil. The plants were grown in a greenhouse, four treatments were used and they were harvested at two different periods of time (60 and 135-day-old plants). The essential oil composition was determined by GC-MS analysis. The terpenes spathulenol, globulol, dehydroabietol, a-cadinol and beta-phellandrene were the major constituents found in the essential oil. Oxygenated sesquiterpenes represented the main group of constituents in most of the treatments. The major changes in the essential oil composition were found in 135-day-old plants grown under NPK deficiency. We also identified three groups of volatile components that have not been previously described in H suaveolens.

Efecto de los usos del suelo en la emisi��n de di��xido de carbono del suelo a la atm��sfera en un agroecosistema semi��rido del Valle del Ebro

Los cambios en los usos del suelo han contribuido de manera importante al incremento de gases de efecto invernadero en la atm��sfera, especialmente de di��xido de carbono, aumentando sus emisiones desde 1970 en un 80%. Estos cambios causan la alteraci��n de los suelos provocando un impacto sobre el ciclo del carbono, aumentando las tasas de descomposici��n de la fracci��n org��nica creando as�� un flujo de CO2 a la atmosfera. Entre las recomendaciones del Panel Intergubernamental de expertos sobre el Cambio Clim��tico (IPCC, en ingl��s), y contemplado en el Protocolo de Kyoto, se encuentra el proceso de secuestro de carbono en suelos, que implica la eliminaci��n del CO2 atmosf��rico por parte de las plantas y su almacenamiento como materia org��nica del suelo. Para poder favorecer dicho proceso, en un determinado tipo de ecosistema, es fundamental conocer cu��les son los factores que gobiernan la respiraci��n del suelo y el impacto que tienen los diferentes usos en la emisi��n de CO2. En el presente trabajo se han estudiado 4 usos del suelo representativos del secano aragon��s: un monocultivo de cebada en siembra directa (NT), un suelo abandonado labrado (AC), un suelo abandonado no alterado (AU) y un suelo forestal (FR) con el objetivo de conocer sus tasas de respiraci��n, la influencia de diferentes par��metros ed��ficos en ellas, y proponer cambios en el uso del suelo que ayuden a mitigar estas emisiones. Adem��s, se ha dedicado un apartado para conocer c��mo influyen diferentes t��cnicas de fertilizaci��n nitrogenada (mineral y org��nica) en la respiraci��n de un monocultivo de cebada en siembra directa. En cuanto a los usos, los resultados obtenidos tanto in situ como en laboratorio muestran una mayor respiraci��n en AC, siendo los valores m��s bajos los de NT y FR. Una de las principales conclusiones es que la supresi��n del laboreo y del periodo de barbecho largo, as�� como la conversi��n de tierras abandonadas y marginales a cultivos y zonas forestales se presentan en este tipo de ecosistemas como pr��cticas de secuestro de carbono. En el estudio de aplicaci��n de fertilizantes, no se observ�� ning��n cambio en la respiraci��n del suelo despu��s de la aplicaci��n de nitr��geno mineral. En cambio, el suelo fertilizado con pur��n s�� que mostr�� picos de emisi��n durante las siguientes horas a la incorporaci��n de ��ste, debido fundamentalmente a su alto contenido de carbono l��bil.

Rhizodeposition of organic carbon by plants with contrasting traits for resource acquisition: responses to different fertility regimes

Background and aims Rhizodeposition plays an important role in mediating soil nutrient availability in ecosystems. However, owing to methodological difficulties (i.e., narrow zone of soil around roots, rapid assimilation by soil microbes) fertility-induced changes in rhizodeposition remain mostly unknown. Methods We developed a novel long-term continuous 13C labelling method to address the effects of two levels of nitrogen (N) fertilization on rhizodeposited carbon (C) by species with different nutrient acquisition strategies. Results Fertility-induced changes in rhizodeposition were modulated by root responses to N availability rather than by changes in soil microbial biomass. Differences among species were mostly related to plant biomass: species with higher total leaf and root biomass also had higher total rhizodeposited C, whereas species with lower root biomass had higher specific rhizodeposited C (per gram root mass). Experimental controls demonstrated that most of the biases commonly associated with this type of experiment (i.e., long-term steady-state labelling) were avoided using our methodological approach. Conclusions These results suggest that the amount of rhizodeposited C from plants grown under different levels of N were driven mainly by plant biomass and root morphology rather than microbial biomass. They also underline the importance of plant characteristics (i.e., biomass allocation) as opposed to traits associated with plant resource acquisition strategies in predicting total C rhizodeposition.

Nitrato de am��nio oclu��do em ze��lita 4A: lixivia����o e absor����o de nitrog��nio no cultivo de milho

Systematic studies were undertaken in the intra zeolitic media to better understand the ability of zeolite type LTA in occluded nitrogen used in fertilizer and soil conditioning. We have measured the dry matter production from the cultivation of corn in a greenhouse for about 40 days, and also the amounts of nitrogen absorbed, retained and lost by leaching. The dry matter production in the cultivation with different concentrations of nitrogen occluded in the zeolite, was more efficient than the traditional fertilizer, which demonstrated better use of nitrogen to reduce leaching losses, which implies a possible reduction of costs for nitrogen.

Avalia����o do potencial de uso da hidroxiapatita para fertiliza����o de solos

Plants absorb phosphorus from the soil, which has low levels of this element due to the poor solubility of these compounds in soil and high adsorption capacity of the element by soil particles. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to assess, using hydroxyapatite nanoparticles synthesized in the laboratory, the amount of phosphorus available under different conditions. The results showed that the phosphorus compound had highest solubility in hydroxyapatite sintered at 300��C in an oven for 2h and diluted to 0.05M with MilliQ water, corroborating the theory that the stronger the agglomeration of the nanoparticles, the fewer the pores and the poorer their solubility.

EMISS��ES DE ��XIDO NITROSO E METANO DO SOLO EM ��REAS DE RECUPERA����O DE PASTAGENS NA AMAZ��NIA MATOGROSSENSE

AbstractThis study evaluates the chemical processes responsible for the nitrous oxide (N2O) and methane (CH4) fluxes in the managed pasture (PM) and unmanaged pasture (PNM). In addition, the impact of nitrogen fertilization on the N2O and CH4 fluxes was assessed. The experiments were conducted on three farms in Alta Floresta city in the state of Mato Grosso. Both regular and intensive samples were collected from PM, PNM, and forest areas for each of the properties. The gases were sampled using static chambers in the morning. Higher N2O fluxes were recorded in the PMs, whereas the CH4 fluxes showed no influence of nitrogen fertilization in both regular and intensive samples. Low fertilizer levels resulted in low N2O emissions.

M��larpoeten Ellen Thesleff : teknik och konstn��rligt uttryck

The aim of this thesis has been to illustrate the multifaceted talent in Ellen Thesleff's (1869 - 1954) work with particular emphasis on her technique and artistic expression. Why did Ellen Thesleff work withso many techniques? How did the technique affect the expression and what characterizes it? It would also be of interest to gather some idea of Ellen Thesleff's position among other artists. The investigation covers a representative selection of about 60 pictures, using nine different techniques, primarily as oils, woodcuts and monumental painting. The pictures illustrate three periods of time, the natural (1890 - 1905), the colourful (1906 - 1927) and the free period (1928 -1950). I describe the pictures in regard to their conception and subject matter and scrutinize their formal creation. Thereafter, I investigate the painting technique and artistic expression of each picture and position it, where applicable, in relation to other art. Ellen Thesleff's artistic quality is discussed in relation to her techniques and expression. Thesleff consciously chooses different techniques for related subjects in order to vary the expression. The progressing evolution within individual techniques and a cross-fertilization between them has evidently contributed to raising her artistic quality. I have studied how the techniques influence expression and found it possible to identify certain characteristic styles during the three periods: first a natural painting technique which reminds one of both French realism, paintings reflecting the Nordic mood and atmosphere, and symbolism, ascetism and synthetism; later an expressive Thesleff colourism with brilliant over- and underpainting in contrasting colours and last a free decorative painting in lines, with symbolistic undertones. Most characteristic is the lyrical expression which seems to be a common theme throughout Thesleff's entire artistry. I have found that Ellen Thesleff in her works had herown personal style compared to her contemporaries. Despite deep knowledge of styles and techniques she continually creates art from her inner self and with her own personal brush signature.

Volume do recipiente, aduba����o e sua forma de mistura ao substrato no crescimento inicial de Peltophorum dubium (sprengel) taubert em viveiro

O ensaio comparou tr��s volumes de recipientes, tr��s tipos de aduba����o e duas formas de mistura do fertilizante ao substrato, no crescimento inicial de pl��ntulas de Peltophorum dubium (Sprengel) Taubert (canaf��stula) em viveiro, num esquema fatorial 3 x 3 x 2. Foram utilizados tubetes de 100 e 180 cm�� preenchidos com substrato comercial e sacos pl��sticos de 10 x 15 cm cheios com mistura de solo e vermiculita em partes iguais, fertilizados com fertilizante de libera����o lenta (FLL) nas dosagens de 1,75 e 3,5 kg m-3 e com formula����o NPK a 1,0 kg m-3 de substrato. As formas de misturas adotadas foram aquelas com base por metro c��bico de substrato ou individualmente para cada recipiente. Na an��lise destrutiva realizada 12 semanas ap��s a emerg��ncia, avaliaram-se o n��mero de folhas, a altura da planta, o di��metro do coleto e as massas secas da parte a��rea, o sistema radicular e o total. Os resultados indicaram que a redu����o no volume do recipiente causou diminui����o na massa seca, di��metro e altura. O n��mero de folhas, a massa seca da parte a��rea e a massa seca total foram semelhantes nas pl��ntulas sob fertiliza����o com NPK, independentemente do volume do recipiente, o que n��o ocorreu naquelas sob FLL, onde esse par��metro diminuiu com o volume do recipiente. O c��lculo do ��ndice de Dickson ap��s 12 semanas indicou valores superiores em mudas com a forma de mistura convencional em rela����o �� individual e maior naquelas sob fertiliza����o com NPK, em compara����o com as sob FLL.

Caracter��sticas morfofisiol��gicas associadas �� qualidade de mudas de Eucalyptus urophylla produzidas em diferentes substratos

Neste estudo foram avaliados os efeitos de diferentes combina����es de substratos sobre caracter��sticas morfol��gicas e fisiol��gicas relacionadas �� qualidade de mudas de Eucalyptus urophylla. O experimento foi conduzido em um viveiro florestal a pleno sol, no qual foram produzidas mudas em tubetes de 54 cc e irrigadas por microaspers��o. Empregou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado com 12 tratamentos e quatro repeti����es. Os tratamentos foram baseados nas seguintes combina����es de substratos: dois substratos comerciais (Vivatto Slim Plus e Mecplant), esterco bovino, p�� de casca de coco, vermiculita e uma combina����o utilizada por uma empresa do ramo florestal. Em todos os tratamentos foi adicionado Osmocote, fertilizante mineral de suprimento controlado de NPK. Foram avaliadas as seguintes caracter��sticas: ��ndice de Velocidade de Emerg��ncia (IVE), Emerg��ncia Total de Pl��ntulas (EMER), ��ndice de Qualidade Dickson (IQD), ��ndice SPAD e Potencial de Regenera����o de Ra��zes (PRR). Em geral, os melhores resultados foram obtidos nos tratamentos que continham esterco bovino e p�� de casca de coco nas combina����es de substratos. Para a qualifica����o das mudas, os valores de IQD mostraram-se, quase sempre, relacionados positivamente aos de PRR, exceto o substrato 100% da Vivatto Slim Plus, em que os maiores valores de IQD estiveram associados a valores mais baixos de PRR. A combina����o de 40% de esterco bovino, 20% de p�� de casca de coco e 40% de vermiculita resultou nas maiores m��dias do ��ndice SPAD. A combina����o de 70% de esterco bovino e 30% de p�� de casca de coco proporcionou a produ����o de mudas com os maiores valores de PRR, as quais apresentaram qualidade superior �� das demais combina����es de substratos, com base nas caracter��sticas avaliadas.