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New insights into plants coexistence in species-rich communities: the pollination interaction perspective
No full textQuestions: In animal-mediated pollination, pollinators can be regarded as a limiting resource for which entomophilous plant species might interact to assure pollination, an event pivotal for their reproduction and population maintenance. At community level, spatially aggregated co-flowering
species can thus be expected to exhibit suitable suites of traits to avoid competition and ensure pollination. We explored the problem by answering the following questions: (i) are co-flowering species specialized on different guilds of pollinators? (ii) do co-flowering pollinator-sharing species
segregate spatially? (iii) do co-flowering pollinator-sharing species that diverge in anther position spatially aggregate more than those that converge in anther position?
Study site: Euganean Hills (NE Italy).
Methods: Plant composition, flowering phenology and interactions between each entomophilous plant species and pollinating insects were monitored every fifteen days in 40 permanent plots placed in an area of 16 ha. We quantified the degree of flowering synchrony, pollinator-sharing and spatial
aggregation between each pair of entomophilous species. We then tested the relationship between the degree of co-flowering, pollinator-sharing and spatial aggregation, and between spatial aggregation and anther position.
Results: Entomophilous species converged, at least partially in flowering time, and the phenological synchronization of flowering was significantly associated with the sharing of pollinator guilds. Coflowering pollinator-sharing species segregated spatially. Furthermore, co-flowering pollinatorsharing
species that diverged in anther position aggregated more than those that converged in anther position.
Conclusions: Reproductive traits that facilitate the coexistence of co-flowering species include specialization on different pollinator guilds and a phenological displacement of the flowering time. Furthermore, in circumstances of increased competition due to phenological synchronization,
pollinator sharing and spatial aggregation, the chance of an effective pollination might depend on differences in anther position, resulting in a divergent pollen placement on pollinators’ body. One of the most interesting results we obtained is that the presence of one mechanism does not preclude the
operation of others and each plant species can simultaneously exhibit different strategies. Although more studies are needed, our results can provide additional information about plant-plant interactions and add new insights into mechanisms allowing the coexistence of a high number of plant species into
local communities
"Considerations on Planning the Theme, ‘Translating Taiwan: 1947–1987–2017’, the 14th Annual Conference of the European Association of Taiwan Studies (EATS), Venice, Italy, 2–4 March 2017"
No full textReview of Justin R. Ritzinger, Anarchy in the Pure Land: Reinventing the Cult of Maitreya in Modern Chinese Buddhism
No full textThe automotive industry and the increasing relevance of a consumer perspective: a research agenda
No full textThe deep transformations occurring in transports and mobility call for automakers and other actors in the automotive industry to gain further insights on the mechanisms underpinning behaviours of commuters, which represent the key-actor in determining the success or failure of any industrial initiative or public policy in the sector. The present article provides a detailed overview of the state-of-the-art of research on the determinants of car use, identifying relevant gaps of knowledge and advancing a research agenda to overcome the limitations of current studies hindering their effectiveness in providing a valuable informational background on which to build sound strategies
La ricezione medievale del Devisement dou monde (secoli XIV-XV)
No full textLa recente monografia di Christine Gadrat-Ouerfelli, Lire Marco Polo au Moyen Age (Brepols, 2015) si segnala negli studi poliani per la sua ricchezza informativa e per l’originalità dell’impostazione: dopo gli studi di Luigi Foscolo Benedetto (1928) e di Consuelo W. Dutschke (1993), si tratta del primo volume che ambisca a dare conto della totalità della tradizione manoscritta del Devisement dou monde, e ad analizzare la storia della tradizione in termini di ricezione.
L’articolo discute le ipotesi presentate dall’autrice, proponendo una riflessione di carattere metodologico e soffermandosi su alcuni esempi specifici in cui la prospettiva genealogica permette una più efficace mise au point delle dinamiche ricezionali.
The recent monograph by Christine Gadrat-Ouerfelli, Lire Marco Polo au Moyen Age (Brepols, 2015), represents a relevant contribution in Polian studies, due to its informative richness and to the originality of its approach. After the studies provided by Luigi Foscolo Benedetto (1928) and Consuelo W. Dutschke (1993), this is the first work that aims to combine an analysis of the Devisement dou monde manuscript tradition from a reception perspective with an overview of its transmission history during the Middle Ages.
The article discusses the hypotheses presented by the author and proposes a methodological reflection, focusing on some specific examples which show how a genealogical approach allows a more effective mise au point of reception dynamics
Near real-time forecasting for cholera decision making in Haiti after Hurricane Matthew
No full textComputational models of cholera transmission can provide objective insights into the course of an ongoing epidemic and aid decision making on allocation of health care resources. However, models are typically designed, calibrated and interpreted post-hoc. Here, we report the efforts of a team from academia, field research and humanitarian organizations to model in near real-time the Haitian cholera outbreak after Hurricane Matthew in October 2016, to assess risk and to quantitatively estimate the efficacy of a then ongoing vaccination campaign. A rainfall-driven, spatially-explicit meta-community model of cholera transmission was coupled to a data assimilation scheme for computing short-term projections of the epidemic in near real-time. The model was used to forecast cholera incidence for the months after the passage of the hurricane (October-December 2016) and to predict the impact of a planned oral cholera vaccination campaign. Our first projection, from October 29 to December 31, predicted the highest incidence in the departments of Grande Anse and Sud, accounting for about 45% of the total cases in Haiti. The projection included a second peak in cholera incidence in early December largely driven by heavy rainfall forecasts, confirming the urgency for rapid intervention. A second projection (from November 12 to December 31) used updated rainfall forecasts to estimate that 835 cases would be averted by vaccinations in Grande Anse (90% Prediction Interval [PI] 476-1284) and 995 in Sud (90% PI 508-2043). The experience gained by this modeling effort shows that state-of-the-art computational modeling and data-assimilation methods can produce informative near real-time projections of cholera incidence. Collaboration among modelers and field epidemiologists is indispensable to gain fast access to field data and to translate model results into operational recommendations for emergency management during an outbreak. Future efforts should thus draw together multi-disciplinary teams to ensure model outputs are appropriately based, interpreted and communicated
Directed evolution of broadly crossreactive chemokine-blocking antibodies efficacious in arthritis
No full textChemokine receptors typically have multiple ligands. Consequently, treatment with a blocking antibody against a single chemokine is expected to be insufficient for efficacy. Here we show single-chain antibodies can be engineered for broad crossreactivity toward multiple human and mouse proinflammatory ELR+ CXC chemokines. The engineered molecules recognize functional epitopes of ELR+ CXC chemokines and inhibit neutrophil activation ex vivo. Furthermore, an albumin fusion of the most crossreactive single-chain antibody prevents and reverses inflammation in the K/BxN mouse model of arthritis. Thus, we report an approach for the molecular evolution and selection of broadly crossreactive antibodies towards a family of structurally related, yet sequence-diverse protein targets, with general implications for the development of novel therapeutics
