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Summary Past climatic fluctuations have played a major role in shaping the current plant biodiversity. Although harbouring an exceptional biota, oceanic islands have received little attention in studies on species demographic history and past vegetation patterns. We investigated the impact of past climatic changes on the effective population size of a tree (Coffea mauritiana) that is endemic to Reunion Island, located in the south‐western Indian Ocean (SWIO). Demographic changes were inferred using summary statistics calculated from genomic data. Using ecological niche modelling and the current distribution of genetic diversity, the paleodistribution of the species was also assessed. A reduction in the effective population size of C. mauritiana during the last glaciation maximum was inferred. The distribution of the species was reduced on the western side of the island, due to low rainfall. It appeared that a major reduction in rainfall and a slight temperature decrease prevailed in the SWIO. Our findings indicated that analyses on the current patterns of intraspecific genetic variations can efficiently contribute to past climatic changes characterisation in remote islands. Identifying area with higher resilience in oceanic islands could provide guidance in forest management and conservation faced to the global climate change.

Abstract Synchronous cultures of the fission yeast Schizosaccharomyces pombe 972 h −1 are most sensitive to killing by 15 min, 49 °C pulses during a stage stretching from nuclear division through short G1 and S phases to a point early in G2. In this work the cell cycle position of the S phase has been altered by growing the cells in the presence of 2-phenylethanol. The heat sensitivity of these cells was greater at all stages of the cell cycle compared with the cells grown without 2-phenylethanol. However, the position of the most heat sensitive stage in the cell cycle was unaltered. This heat sensitive stage did not include S phase in the cells grown with 2-phenylethanol.

AbstractA new approach for the replacement of heart valves consists of obtaining an acellular matrix from animal aortic valves that performs mechanically, is nonantigenic, and is free from calcification and fibroblast proliferation. Novel biochemical treatments must be developed for this purpose. In this work, we focus on the characterization of collagen in acellular bovine cardiovascular tissues, fresh or glutaraldehyde treated, and stored in different solutions [phosphate‐buffered saline (PBS), ethanol, octanol, and glutaraldehyde], to determine whether the resulting fibrous material is structurally preserved. The preservation of the triple helical structure of collagen is checked by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), which is a well suited technique to analyze thermal transitions in proteins, such as denaturation. To get insight into the molecular dynamics of collagen in the nanometric range, we used thermally stimulated currents, a dielectric technique running at low frequency, that measure the dipolar reorientations in proteins submitted to a static electrical field. The combined use of these two techniques allowed us to evaluate the physical structure and conformation of collagen after the different chemical treatments. We have found that the glutaraldehyde treatment followed by octanol storage preserves the triple helical conformation of the polypeptidic chains of collagen, contrary to the ethanol and PBS storage that induce drastic changes in the thermal and dielectric behavior of the protein. Moreover, this particular chemical treatment stabilizes the collagen structure (shift toward high temperature of the collagen denaturation and stiffening of the chains by a cross‐linking action) when compared to the control sample, and so could provide interesting fibrous material for the conception of bioprosthetic heart valve. © 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., J Biomed Mater Res 64A: 330–338, 2003

AbstractEcologists are increasingly aware of the importance of environmental variability in natural systems. Climate change is affecting both the mean and the variability in weather and, in particular, the effect of changes in variability is poorly understood. Organisms are subject to selection imposed by both the mean and the range of environmental variation experienced by their ancestors. Changes in the variability in a critical environmental factor may therefore have consequences for vital rates and population dynamics. Here, we examine ≥90‐year trends in different components of climate (precipitation mean and coefficient of variation (CV); temperature mean, seasonal amplitude and residual variance) and consider the effects of these components on survival and recruitment in a population of Eurasian beavers (n = 242) over 13 recent years. Within climatic data, no trends in precipitation were detected, but trends in all components of temperature were observed, with mean and residual variance increasing and seasonal amplitude decreasing over time. A higher survival rate was linked (in order of influence based on Akaike weights) to lower precipitation CV (kits, juveniles and dominant adults), lower residual variance of temperature (dominant adults) and lower mean precipitation (kits and juveniles). No significant effects were found on the survival of nondominant adults, although the sample size for this category was low. Greater recruitment was linked (in order of influence) to higher seasonal amplitude of temperature, lower mean precipitation, lower residual variance in temperature and higher precipitation CV. Both climate means and variance, thus proved significant to population dynamics; although, overall, components describing variance were more influential than those describing mean values. That environmental variation proves significant to a generalist, wide‐ranging species, at the slow end of the slow‐fast continuum of life histories, has broad implications for population regulation and the evolution of life histories.

Urea is the most common nitrogen (N) fertilizer in agriculture, due to its cheaper price and high N content. Although the reciprocal influence between NO3- and NH4+ nutrition are well known, urea (U) interactions with these N-inorganic forms are poorly studied. Here, the responses of two tomato genotypes to ammonium nitrate (AN), U alone or in combination were investigated. Significant differences in root and shoot biomass between genotypes were observed. Under AN+U supply, Linosa showed higher biomass compared to UC82, exhibiting also higher values for many root architectural traits. Linosa showed higher Nitrogen Uptake (NUpE) and Utilization Efficiency (NUtE) compared to UC82, under AN+U nutrition. Interestingly, Linosa exhibited also a significantly higher DUR3 transcript abundance. These results underline the beneficial effect of AN+U nutrition, highlighting new molecular and physiological strategies for selecting crops that can be used for more sustainable agriculture. The data suggest that translocation and utilization (NUtE) might be a more important component of NUE than uptake (NUpE) in tomato. Genetic variation could be a source for useful NUE traits in tomato; further experiments are needed to dissect the NUtE components that confer a higher ability to utilize N in Linosa.

The fast decay in PEM fuel cells of a highly active, high performance, but unstable Fe/N/C catalyst like our NC_Ar + NH3 follows a chemical, not an electrochemical, demetallation mechanism for its ORR active FeN4 sites in the catalyst micropores.

Abstract In a trial, 10 cucumber plants ( Cucumis sativus , variety ‘Virgo’ F 1 hybrids) were exposed continuously to a concentration of negative air ions exceeding 50 000/c.c. for a period of 40 days. The yield and productivity of the treated plants were compared with those of a control group of 10 plants in a matched-pairs experiment. An Index of Initial Vigour was developed to allow the subsequent production of the previously nursery-grown young plants to be related to their condition at the beginning of the trial. No effect on the total production or productivity at the end of the 40-day period was discerned, but the interim results (e.g. for the 10th day) are consistent with a model of reaction to stress governed by a negative-feedback mechanism. No harmful effects of the use of negatively ionised air were detected.

Implementing a circular economy aimed at reusing resources is becoming increasingly important for industry. Microalgae fit within a circular economy by being able to bioremediate nutrient waste and as a source of biomass for several commercial applications. Here, we report a novel validation of a circular economy concept using microalgae at a relevant industrial scale with a new two-phase process. During the first phase biomass was grown autotrophically, biomass was then concentrated using membrane technology for the second phase where mixotrophic conditions were applied to boost growth further. Microalgae cultures were able to grow (13.8 g/L), uptake and bioremediate nutrients (Nitrogen > 134 mg/L/day) from an anaerobic digestion side-stream (digestate), obtaining high quality microalgae biomass (>45% protein content) suitable for use as animal feed, closing the circular economy loop for industrial applications.