Does polyploidy play a role in the onset of the Italian endemic flora?

ScienceDaily (May 22, 2012) ? Plants show a higher variation in chromosome numbers than animals do, mainly because of polyploidy -- the occurrence of more than two sets of chromosomes. In plants, polyploidy can cause reproductive isolation and the consequent onset of new species. Researchers now set out to estimate to what extent polyploidy is involved in the onset of the Italian endemic plants.

Besides the obvious differences between plants and animals, subtle ones lie concealed within the cell, even within the nucleus. In both plant and animal cells, the nucleus contains DNA, which condenses into chromosomes during cell division. Chromosomes can be counted at that stage, revealing the chromosome number for each species. Here comes a difference: while the chromosome number spans a relatively short range across animal species (2-296: 46 in man), some plant species have over 1000 chromosomes. The adder's-tongue Ophioglossum reticulatum, a fern ally from the tropics, has 1440 chromosomes in its vegetative cells.

High chromosome numbers are generally linked to polyploidy, i.e. the occurrence of more than two haploid sets of chromosomes. In this research, the chromosome number variation of endemic Italian plants was evaluated. Endemics are species that are unique to a defined geographic location, where they establish through some form of isolation -- geographic or reproductive -- from other species. As polyploidy can bring about reproductive isolation, it was interesting to study to what extent this process was involved in the evolutionary pathway leading to the endemic species of the Italian flora.

Using data from the online database "Chrobase.it," the researchers found that for about 55% of endemic species, the chromosome number is known. Statistical analyses of these chromosome numbers suggest that similar evolutionary trends acted upon endemics and species with wider distribution. Based on estimates for a subset of data, it was also shown that the vast majority (above 70%) of Italian endemics are diploid. The study was published in the open access journal Comparative Cytogenetics.

An intriguing result was obtained by comparing the number of species with even ploidy level (diploid, tetraploid, hexaploid, octoploid, etc.): it was discovered that those parameters are linked by an exponential function, implying that the higher the (even) ploidy level, the lower its frequency in terms of number of species.

The biological implications of this find are not yet clear and must be further investigated. To say the least, this phenomenon opens a new line of investigation in cytogenetics, aimed to clarify the evolutionary mechanisms giving rise to these constant relationships among increasing even ploidy levels.

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Journal Reference:

1. Gianni Bedini, Fabio Garbari, Lorenzo Peruzzi. Chromosome number variation of the Italian endemic vascular flora. State-of-the-art, gaps in knowledge and evidence for an exponential relationship among even ploidy levels. Comparative Cytogenetics, 2012; 6 (2): 191 DOI: 10.3897/CompCytogen.v6i2.3107

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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Fire beetles may revolutionize early-warning systems for forest fires

ScienceDaily (May 23, 2012) ? Black fire beetles of the genus Melanophila possess unusual infrared sensors. It seems that they use these to detect forest fires, even from great distances, since their wood-eating larvae can only develop in freshly burned trees. Scientists have been wondering for a long time how sensitive these biological IR sensors really are. Researchers from the University of Bonn and from the Forschungszentrum J?lich have concluded that the beetles' sensors might even be more sensitive that uncooled infrared sensors designed by humans. Having this natural model opens up new perspectives, such as for early warning systems for forest fires.

The results have been published in PLoS ONE, an online journal of the Public Library of Science.

Criminal cases can often only be solved using forensics to piece together physical evidence and reconstruct what happened. Prof. Dr. Helmut Schmitz from the Institute of Zoology at the University of Bonn and Dr. Her?bert Bousack from the Peter Gr?nberg Institut at the Forschungszentrum J?lich went through the same experience. Prof. Schmitz has been researching fire beetles of the genus Melanophila and their sophisticated IR sensors, which these pyrophilous insects use to detect forest fires, for many years. This is a very special ecological niche. "It allows the beetle larvae to freely eat their way through the wood because the trees, which have been killed by great heat, can no longer fight back, and there are hardly any predators that would eat them in freshly burned forests," the Bonn zoologist reported.

A tiny sphere senses changes in pressure due to heat

Meanwhile, with the help of the Forschungszentrum caesar in Bonn and the Technische Universit?t Dresden, the researchers have unraveled the functional principle of this so-called photo-mechanical beetle infrared sensor, and they have started to work on a technical reconstruction of this natural prototype. Tiny cuticula spheres of the beetles' IR receptors ? at 0.02 mm, smaller than the diameter of a fine hair ? are filled with water and absorb IR radiation very well. Due to the fact that they heat up, the water in particular expands suddenly, and the resulting change in pressure is immediately detected by highly sensitive mechano-sensitive sensory cells. "However, an important question had remained unanswered ? how sensitive is the sensor?" asked Prof. Schmitz. This question could be best answered by equipping Melanophila beetles with mini transmitters on their search for forest fires. "Then we would be able to log the distance flown to the burnt area and, based on this distance, calculate the minimum required heat radiation the beetles are attracted by," explained the zoologist. But at a length of about 1 cm, the beetles are too small to carry a transmitter for long distances.?

In 1925, a blaze destroyed a large oil storage facility in California

The resourceful scientists turned to a past event, which proved helpful. In August 1925, a large oil depot in Coalinga, California, went up in flames. "Reports from that era mentioned that the huge blaze attracted masses of charcoal beetles (Melanophila consputa)," explained Prof. Schmitz. Since the fire location was in the forest-less Central Valley of California, the beetles must have flown in from a great distance. Most likely, they came from large forests on the western foothills of the Sierra Nevada about 130 kilometers away, where there had been large forest fires in the two preceding years. "On such burnt areas, beetles multiply en masse, and after they emerged, they went to look for forest fires in the subsequent summers," said Prof. Schmitz. A forested area about 28 kilo?meters from the burning oil tanks in the San Benito Mountain Natural Area north of Coalinga seems rather unlikely as the source of the beetles since forest fires had not been reported in this area prior to 1925.

Based on a model from fire protection technology

Dr. Herbert Bousack, an engineer from the Peter Gr?nberg Institut at the Forschungszentrum J?lich performed the calculations for modeling the sensitivity of the sensor. "The Coalinga fire is a good match for this simulation," Dr. Bousack reported. First however, many parameters had to be researched painstakingly, such as the size of the fire, or the weather conditions. "More than 85 years after the event, such data was hard to obtain." The engineer based his mathematical simulation on various fire models such as are used in assessing of fire risks for storage tank facilities. "We adapted these technical guidelines for our purposes, which allowed us to fall back on proven experiences," said the engineer.

According to the math, the beetle sensor is incredibly sensitive

The result was amazing. "According to our calculations, the infrared sensors of Melanophila beetles should be able to sense signals even if they are below the level of thermal noise," reported Dr. Bousack. Obviously, the beetles rely on stochastic resonance. "This method enables them to detect weak periodic signals that are normally superimposed by the noise," explained the engineer. According to the results of the calculations, the sensors can detect the tiniest amounts of heat - roughly comparable to the energy resolution of radio telescopes. "Our simulations and calculations make it seem quite probable that the IF sensors of pyrophilous Melanophila beetles are more sensitive than uncooled infrared sensors currently available in the market," Prof. Schmitz summarized the outcome. "Additional efforts to implement this natural prototype technologically will be required." So, they might be able to revolutionize early-warning systems for forest fires.

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Note: Materials may be edited for content and length. For further information, please contact the source cited above.

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Journal Reference:

1. Helmut Schmitz, Herbert Bousack. Modelling a Historic Oil-Tank Fire Allows an Estimation of the Sensitivity of the Infrared Receptors in Pyrophilous Melanophila Beetles. PLoS ONE, 2012; 7 (5): e37627 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0037627

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

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93% Marvel's The Avengers

'The Avengers'. An absolute blast from start to finish! Whedon has pulled off the ultimate Summer blockbuster!Superhero ensemble films are never easy to get right, and even the best of them to date, like X-Men: First Class, though thoroughly enjoyable, still fall flat in parts, with their throwaway, not-so-fleshed out characters. The sheer scope of The Avengers is insane. The Hulk, Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Nick Fury and Phil. Dear old Phil. What's crazy is that this thing works SO well.Massive props to Joss Whedon. His direction was fantastic, but that screenplay [along with Zak Penn], just genius. He's no doubt had some help with the Marvel films of the last few years doing most of the character background and intros, but he uses what we know about each of these characters and mixes it all expertly into a giant pot of awesome.Time and time again, with Tony Stark mostly acting as catalyst, we're treated to hilarious exchanges between the superheroes. The dynamics could have gone so wrong. Instead, Whedon nails it every time.What's better is that the characters we don't know so well become fully realised. When I first saw the trailer, and that ridiculous shot of all the Avengers grouped together, Hawkeye with bow in hand, and Black Widow reloading a pistol, I thought, "Oh good lord, they feel so out of place". They never do, even though they may be outclassed on the powers front. How Hawkeye and Black Widow are handled especially in the first half of the film works very well.HULK. SMASH. Tony Stark may have the lines and that ridiculously amazing tech, but he ain't nothing on that big ol' lovable green bundle of joy!The Hulk elevates The Avengers to a whole other level. Every moment he's on screen is magic, and the really big moments of the film that had the audience cheering involved the big guy. Elegantly wreaking havoc while delivering abrupt humour is all in a day's work for the mild-mannered Bruce Banner. Again, there were grumbles, and I had my doubts about Ruffalo; they were alleviated instantly, all while in Bruce Banner mode. This is easily the best version of the Hulk brought to the screen.How much of my soul would I have to give for a Damon Lindelof and Joss Whedon co-scripted and directed Hulk film?One little moment of geeksqueal was the Iron Man repulsor ray that Captain America deflects with his shield to take out a bunch of henchman. The sequel needs more awesome teamwork sequences like this!

April 25, 2012

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MPAA Head Thinks Piracy Shouldn't Be Called "Theft" [Piracy]

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Career choices for Massage Therapists | Acupuncture Online School

David | May 21, 2012 | Comments 0 | 28 views

I doubt whether anyone would object me saying that a soothing massage is among the best tonic for relaxation. Nearly u. s. agree to that, Fail to we? With that, Here?s a matter for you. All of us agree with the fact that there are numerous takers for massages, But what about individuals who are actually giving them? Perhaps you have given that a thought? Surely thousands of masseurs and masseuses must be in great demand, true? yeah, You might be absolutely right, They are indeed successful. A recently conducted career survey revealed that a large amount of people are increasingly turning towards massage therapy as a career option. For people who wish to join the bandwagon of masseurs and masseuses, Read on to understand jobs in this field.
At a time where one works hard and parties even harder, It is important that the body and mind gets adequate rest and relaxation. It is here that massage therapy plays a huge role as a stress buster and as a way of relaxation and rejuvenation. A newcomer should first undergo a exercise program in massage therapy in order to get acquainted with all the related subjects such as physiology, Body structure, Kinesiology as well as the acquiring massages and their techniques. Once you have completed your training program and have become a certified masseur, You can look at the following jobs.
Generally, You have two options in search engine optimization of career. You could either work as an employee or you could begin your own massage parlor business. Masseurs and masseuses are in great demand in the below places:
Holiday resortsLuxury liners and cruise liners
Beauty and health and health salons
Dining establishments
Health clubs and fitness gyms
Sporting teams
A masseur can work on a staff member basis at all the above-Referred to places. A newly trained masseur could set off by joining a local massage parlor. Working in tandem with other experienced masseurs can be beneficial as it would help newbies to deal with various situations, Clients and learn the trade secrets. After gaining sufficient amount of expertise, The masseur can think of selling it to something bigger, Such as a health and fitness center or a holiday resort. Holiday destinations, Cruise liners, And so on, Can be a very good option for masseurs from the standpoint of career growth and money. People at a holiday resort or on a sail have only one thing on their minds ? relaxation. These are places where a masseur is always operational. In addition to, One can get handsome tips as well. Almost always, Masseurs are paid on hourly basis and the hourly rate could be anything from 10 to 70 dollars, Centered your skill set, Experience and customer happiness skills. What meaning is, A competent masseuse who is well-Versed with some other massage techniques such as Swedish massage, Aromatherapy, Hot stone rub, Shiatsu, reiki, Thai stimulation, In addition to, Would make a lot greater expense than say a trainee masseuse.
Those interested in sports have the option of dedicated sports massages. Doing so could hand them over opportunities to be part of the training and support staff of various sports teams. Those interested in exploring the medicinal healing properties of massage could consider joining hospitals, Personalised clinics, Nursing homes or treatment centers as masseurs. However, It could also be a good home based home internet online home business wherein you could start your own home-Based massage parlor and convert it into a profitable home business. Such kinds of jobs are a great idea if you are looking for well-Having part-Enough experience jobs.
and, Conditions who until now were a bit apprehensive about the future of this career, Feel comfortable knowing.

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