Genomic, morphological and physiological data support fast ecotypic differentiation and incipient speciation in an alpine diving beetle.

An intricate interplay between evolutionary and demographic processes has frequently resulted in complex patterns of genetic and phenotypic diversity in alpine lineages, posing serious challenges to species delimitation and biodiversity conservation planning. Here we integrate genomic data, geometric morphometric analyses and thermal tolerance experiments to explore the role of Pleistocene climatic changes and adaptation to alpine environments on patterns of genomic and phenotypic variation in diving beetles from the taxonomically complex Agabus bipustulatus species group. Genetic structure and phylogenomic analyses revealed the presence of three geographically cohesive lineages, two representing trans-Palearctic and Iberian populations of the elevation-generalist A. bipustulatus and another corresponding to the strictly-alpine A. nevadensis, a narrow-range endemic taxon from the Sierra Nevada mountain range in southeastern Iberia. The best-supported model of lineage divergence, along with the existence of pervasive genetic introgression and admixture in secondary contact zones, is consistent with a scenario of population isolation and connectivity linked to Quaternary climatic oscillations. Our results suggest that A. nevadensis is an alpine ecotype of A. bipustulatus, whose genotypic, morphological and physiological differentiation likely resulted from an interplay between population isolation and local altitudinal adaptation. Remarkably, within the Iberian Peninsula, such ecotypic differentiation is unique to Sierra Nevada populations and has not been replicated in other alpine populations of A. bipustulatus. Collectively, our study supports fast ecotypic differentiation and incipient speciation processes within the study complex and points to Pleistocene glaciations and local adaptation along elevational gradients as key drivers of biodiversity generation in alpine environments.

Habitat preference and diversification rates in a speciose lineage of diving beetles.

The long-term geological stability of aquatic habitats has been demonstrated to be a determinant in the evolution of macroinvertebrate fauna, with species in running (lotic) waters having lower dispersal abilities, smaller ranges and higher gene flow between populations than species in standing (lentic) environments. Lotic species have been hypothesized to be more specialised, but the diversification dynamics of both habitat types have not been studied in detail. Using a speciose lineage of water beetles we test here whether diversification rates are related to the habitat preference of the species and its consequences on turnover, which we expect to be higher for lotic taxa. Moreover, we tested whether life in lotic environments is acting as an evolutionary dead-end as it is considered an ecological specialisation. We built a comprehensive molecular phylogeny with 473 terminals representing 421 of the 689 known species of the tribe Hydroporini (Coleoptera, Dytiscidae), using a combination of sequences from four mitochondrial and two nuclear genes plus 69 mitogenomes obtained with NGS. We found a general pattern of gradual acceleration of diversification rate with time, with 2-3 significant diversification shifts. However, habitat is not the main factor driving diversification in Hydroporini based on SecSSE analyses. The most recent common ancestor of Hydroporini was reconstructed as a lotic species, with multiple shifts to lentic environments. Most frequent transitions were estimated from lentic and lotic habitats to the category "both", followed by transitions from lotic to lentic and lentic to lotic respectively, although with very similar rates. Contrary to expectations, we found little evidence for differences in diversification dynamics between habitats, with lotic environments clearly not acting as evolutionary dead-ends in Hydroporini.

Climate matching drives spread rate but not establishment success in recent unintentional bird introductions.

Understanding factors driving successful invasions is one of the cornerstones of invasion biology. Bird invasions have been frequently used as study models, and the foundation of current knowledge largely relies on species purposefully introduced during the 19th and early 20th centuries in countries colonized by Europeans. However, the profile of exotic bird species has changed radically in the last decades, as birds are now mostly introduced into the invasion process through unplanned releases from the worldwide pet and avicultural trade. Here we assessed the role of the three main drivers of invasion success (i.e., event-, species-, and location-level factors) on the establishment and spatial spread of exotic birds using an unprecedented dataset recorded throughout the last 100 y in the Iberian Peninsula. Our multimodel inference phylogenetic approach showed that the barriers that need to be overcome by a species to successfully establish or spread are not the same. Whereas establishment is largely related to event-level factors, apparently stochastic features of the introduction (time since first introduction and propagule pressure) and to the origin of introduced species (wild-caught species show higher invasiveness than captive-bred ones), the spread across the invaded region seems to be determined by the extent to which climatic conditions in the new region resemble those of the species' native range. Overall, these results contrast with what we learned from successful deliberate introductions and highlight that different management interventions should apply at different invasion stages, the most efficient strategies being related to event-level factors.

Matches and mismatches between conservation investments and biodiversity values in the European Union.

Recently, the European Commission adopted a new strategy to halt the loss of biodiversity. Member states are expected to favor a more effective collection and redistribution of European Union (EU) funds under the current Multiannual Financial Framework for 2014-2020. Because of the large spatial variation in the distribution of biodiversity and conservation needs at the continental scale, EU instruments should ensure that countries with higher biodiversity values get more funds and resources for the conservation than other countries. Using linear regressions, we assessed the association between conservation investments and biodiversity values across member states, accounting for a variety of conservation investment indicators, taxonomic groups (including groups of plants, vertebrates, and invertebrates), and indicators of biodiversity value. In general, we found clear overall associations between conservation investments and biodiversity variables. However, some countries received more or less investment than would be expected based on biodiversity values in those countries. We also found that the extensive use of birds as unique indicators of conservation effectiveness may lead to biased decisions. Our results can inform future decisions regarding funding allocation and thus improve distribution of EU conservation funds.

Tempo and mode of the multiple origins of salinity tolerance in a water beetle lineage.

Salinity is one of the most important drivers of the distribution, abundance and diversity of organisms. Previous studies on the evolution of saline tolerance have been mainly centred on marine and terrestrial organisms, while lineages inhabiting inland waters remain largely unexplored. This is despite the fact that these systems include a much broader range of salinities, going from freshwater to more than six times the salinity of the sea (i.e. >200 g/L). Here, we study the pattern and timing of the evolution of the tolerance to salinity in an inland aquatic lineage of water beetles (Enochrus species of the subgenus Lumetus, family Hydrophilidae), with the general aim of understanding the mechanisms by which it was achieved. Using a time-calibrated phylogeny built from five mitochondrial and two nuclear genes and information about the salinity tolerance and geographical distribution of the species, we found that salinity tolerance appeared multiple times associated with periods of global aridification. We found evidence of some accelerated transitions from freshwater directly to high salinities, as reconstructed with extant lineages. This, together with the strong positive correlation found between salinity tolerance and aridity of the habitats in which species are found, suggests that tolerance to salinity may be based on a co-opted mechanism developed originally for drought resistance.

Effects of infant cereals with different carbohydrate profiles on colonic function--randomised and double-blind clinical trial in infants aged between 6 and 12 months--pilot study.

Infant cereals are often the elected foodstuff for beginning complementary feeding and provide carbohydrates which are different to those found in maternal milk. The objective of this preliminary study was to ascertain the colonic effects of two infant cereals, with different carbohydrate profiles, in a randomised and double-blind trial in healthy infants. Nineteen term infants between 6.3 and 9.8 months of age were enrolled, after written informed consent was obtained from parents. Ten subjects were allocated to take infant cereal A and nine, infant cereal B. An intervention period was 2 months, with five visits every 15 days, to take anthropometric measurements and faeces samples for the analysis of microbiota, short-chain fatty acids concentration (SCFA), pH value and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA). An adequate growth and stool frequency was registered in both intervention groups. Faecal counts of Bifidobacterium, Lactobacillus, Enterobacteriaceae, Enterococcus, Clostridium and Bacteroides did not show any statistical differences. However, a significantly (P < 0.05) higher butyric acid and sIgA, and lower faecal pH were observed in infants who had ingested infant cereal A, with a higher ratio complex/simple carbohydrates. In conclusion, small changes in the carbohydrate profile of infant cereals could lead to significant differences in parameters related to fermentative activity of intestinal microbiota.

Teachers' Professional Development and Intelligent Ways of Coping with It: A Systematic Review in Elementary and Middle School Education.

This research addresses teacher training at different generational stages, with the aim of analysing the training actions developed by school teachers and the intentionality of linking them to their professional development, in order to offer a broad perspective of the paradigm of smart schools, allowing for the adjustment of the quality of training to real demands. To this end, a systematic review of articles published between 2012 and 2022 in the main databases (WoS, Scopus, Eric, Dialnet, and Google Scholar) was carried out. After applying the inclusion criteria, 56 articles were selected and analysed following the PRISMA 2020 statement. The findings showed the interest and importance of initial, continuous, and lifelong learning among teachers as a driver of professional development. The results also showed that research is mostly focused on novice teachers and qualitative methodologies predominate, although this is limited to certain countries and specialised publications. However, generational differences were observed. While younger teachers are more highly trained in ICT, older teachers have a higher level of competence at a processual and relational level in the classroom. In conclusion, it should be noted that teacher training linked to professional development has an impact on school improvement, especially if it is carried out from an intergenerational collaborative perspective, and the acquisition of new skills.

Geographic location and phylogeny are the main determinants of the size of the geographical range in aquatic beetles.

BACKGROUND: Why some species are widespread while others are very restricted geographically is one of the most basic questions in biology, although it remains largely unanswered. This is particularly the case for groups of closely related species, which often display large differences in the size of the geographical range despite sharing many other factors due to their common phylogenetic inheritance. We used ten lineages of aquatic Coleoptera from the western Palearctic to test in a comparative framework a broad set of possible determinants of range size: species' age, differences in ecological tolerance, dispersal ability and geographic location. RESULTS: When all factors were combined in multiple regression models between 60-98% of the variance was explained by geographic location and phylogenetic signal. Maximum latitudinal and longitudinal limits were positively correlated with range size, with species at the most northern latitudes and eastern longitudes displaying the largest ranges. In lineages with lotic and lentic species, the lentic (better dispersers) display larger distributional ranges than the lotic species (worse dispersers). The size of the geographical range was also positively correlated with the extent of the biomes in which the species is found, but we did not find evidence of a clear relationship between range size and age of the species. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that range size of a species is shaped by an interplay of geographic and ecological factors, with a phylogenetic component affecting both of them. The understanding of the factors that determine the size and geographical location of the distributional range of species is fundamental to the study of the origin and assemblage of the current biota. Our results show that for this purpose the most relevant data may be the phylogenetic history of the species and its geographical location.

Atlas of Iberian water beetles (ESACIB database).

The ESACIB ('EScarabajos ACuáticos IBéricos') database is provided, including all available distributional data of Iberian and Balearic water beetles from the literature up to 2013, as well as from museum and private collections, PhD theses, and other unpublished sources. The database contains 62,015 records with associated geographic data (10×10 km UTM squares) for 488 species and subspecies of water beetles, 120 of them endemic to the Iberian Peninsula and eight to the Balearic Islands. This database was used for the elaboration of the "Atlas de los Coleópteros Acuáticos de España Peninsular". In this dataset data of 15 additional species has been added: 11 that occur in the Balearic Islands or mainland Portugal but not in peninsular Spain and an other four with mainly terrestrial habits within the genus Helophorus (for taxonomic coherence). The complete dataset is provided in Darwin Core Archive format.

Response of biotic communities to salinity changes in a Mediterranean hypersaline stream.

BACKGROUND: This study investigates the relationship between salinity and biotic communities (primary producers and macroinvertebrates) in Rambla Salada, a Mediterranean hypersaline stream in SE Spain. Since the 1980's, the mean salinity of the stream has fallen from about 100 g L(-1) to 35.5 g L(-1), due to intensive irrigated agriculture in the watershed. Furthermore, large dilutions occur occasionally when the water irrigation channel suffers cracks. RESULTS: Along the salinity gradient studied (3.5-76.4 g L(-1)) Cladophora glomerata and Ruppia maritima biomass decreased with increasing salinity, while the biomass of epipelic algae increased. Diptera and Coleoptera species dominated the community both in disturbed as in re-established conditions. Most macroinvertebrates species found in Rambla Salada stream are euryhaline species with a broad range of salinity tolerance. Eight of them were recorded in natural hypersaline conditions (approximately 100 g L(-1)) prior to important change in land use of the watershed: Ephydra flavipes, Stratyomis longicornis, Nebrioporus ceresyi, N. baeticus, Berosus hispanicus, Enochrus falcarius, Ochthebius cuprescens and Sigara selecta. However, other species recorded in the past, such as Ochthebius glaber, O. notabilis and Enochrus politus, were restricted to a hypersaline source or absent from Rambla Salada. The dilution of salinity to 3.5-6.8 g L(-1) allowed the colonization of species with low salininty tolerance, such as Melanopsis praemorsa, Anax sp., Simulidae, Ceratopogonidae and Tanypodinae. The abundance of Ephydra flavipes and Ochthebius corrugatus showed a positive significant response to salinity, while Anax sp., Simulidae, S. selecta, N. ceresyi, N. baeticus, and B. hispanicus showed significant negative correlations. The number of total macroinvertebrate taxa, Diptera and Coleoptera species, number of families, Margalef's index and Shannon's diversity index decreased with increasing salinity. However, the rest of community parameters, such as the abundance of individuals, evenness and Simpson's index, showed no significant response to changes in salinity. Classification and ordination analysis revealed major differences in macroinvertebrate community structure between hypersaline conditions (76.4 g L(-1)) and the rest of the communities observed at the lower salinity levels, and revealed that below approximately 75 g L(-1), dissimilarities in the communities were greater between the two habitats studied (runs and pools) than between salinity levels. CONCLUSION: Salinity was the first factor determining community composition and structure in Rambla Salada stream followed by the type of habitat.

Oxidative stress status in an institutionalised elderly group after the intake of a phenolic-rich dessert.

The elderly population undergoes a series of physiological and sociological changes common to old age with a high probability of suffering degenerative illness and malnutrition. A dessert rich in phenolic compounds has been designed by using concentrated juices of grape, cherry, blackberry, blackcurrant and raspberry with the aim of it being used as a complementary food in adulthood. In the present study, we investigated the effect of the intake of this dessert (a jar of 200 g daily for a period of 2 weeks), with an antioxidant activity equivalent to ten servings of fruits and vegetables, on several markers of oxidative and antioxidant status in DNA and plasma in a group of elderly individuals. Non-smoking institutionalised elderly subjects were recruited from a pool of volunteers in an old-age home in Murcia (Spain). Twenty-two subjects (six men and sixteen women) participated in the study. The study was designed as a randomised intervention trial with a period of 2 weeks. At days 1 and 15, blood samples were collected to analyse total antioxidant capacity, biochemical parameters, antioxidant vitamins, LDL peroxidation, and DNA damage in peripheral blood lymphocytes. The conclusion of the present study is that a 2-week intervention with our dessert enriched with natural polyphenol compounds in elderly individuals does not give enough time to find changes in the antioxidant and oxidative status. Also, the view that the marked antioxidant ability of polyphenols in vitro does not translate to analogous effects in vivo was confirmed. Moreover, a highly oxidative stress status during ageing was confirmed, together with the need to perform follow-up nutritional studies to improve this situation.