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Histopathological assessment of tissue samples after prolonged formalin fixation has been described previously, but currently there is only limited knowledge regarding the feasibility of molecular pathology on such tissue. In this pilot study, we tested routine molecular pathology methods (DNA isolation, DNA pyrosequencing/next-generation sequencing, DNA methylation analysis, RT-PCR, clonality analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization) on tissue samples from 11 tumor entities as well as non-neoplastic brain tissue from 43 body donors during the gross anatomy course at Ulm University (winter semester 2019/20 and 2020/21). The mean post mortem interval until fixation was 2.5 ± 1.6 days (range, 1-6 days). Fixation was performed with aqueous formaldehyde solution (formalin, 1.5-2%). The mean storage time of body donors was 12.8 ± 5.6 months (range, 7-25 months). While most diagnostic methods were successful, samples showed significant variability in DNA quality and evaluability. DNA pyrosequencing as well as next-generation sequencing was successful in all investigated samples. Methylation analyses were partially not successful in some extend due to limited intact DNA yield for these analyses. Taken together, the use of prolonged formalin-fixed tissue samples from body donors offers new avenues in research and education, as these samples could be used for morpho-molecular studies and the establishment of biobanks, especially for tissue types that cannot be preserved and studied in vivo. Pathological ward rounds, sample collection, and histopathological and molecular workup have been integrated in the gross anatomy course in Ulm as an integral part of the curriculum, linking anatomy and pathology and providing medical students early insight into the broad field of (molecular) pathology., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Pediatric liver transplantations generally represent advanced surgery for selected patients. In case of acute or chronic graft failure, biliary or vessel complications, a retransplantation (reLT) can be necessary. In these situations massive adhesions, critical patient condition or lack of good vessels for anastomosis often are problematic., Methods: Between 2008 and 2021, 208 pediatric patients received a liver transplantation at our center. Retrospectively, all cases with at least one retransplantation were identified and stored in a database. Indication, intra- and postoperative course and overall survival (OS) were analyzed., Results: Altogether 31 patients (14.9%) received a reLT. In 22 cases only one reLT was done, 8 patients received 2 reLTs and 1 patient needed a fourth graft. Median age for primary transplantation, first, second and third reLT was 14 (range: 1-192 months), 60.5 (range: 1-215 months), 58.5 (range: 14-131 months) and 67 months, respectively. Although biliary atresia (42%) and acute liver failure (23%) represented the main indications for the primary liver transplantation, acute and chronic graft failure (1st reLT: 36%, 2nd reLT: 38%), hepatic artery thrombosis (1st reLT: 29%, 2nd reLT: 25%, 3rd reLT: 100%) and biliary complications (1st reLT: 26%, 2nd reLT: 37%) were the most frequent indications for reLT. OS was 81.8% for patients with 1 reLT, 87.5% with 2 reLTs and 100% with 3 reLTs., Conclusion: Pediatric liver retransplantation is possible with a good outcome even after multiple retransplantations in specialized centers. Nevertheless, careful patient and graft selection, as well as good preoperative conditioning, are essential., (© 2024 The Authors. Pediatric Transplantation published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Wild bees are declining, mainly due to the expansion of urban habitats that have led to land-use changes. Effects of urbanization on wild bee communities are still unclear, as shown by contrasting reports on their species and functional diversities in urban habitats. To address this current controversy, we built a large dataset, merging 16 surveys carried out in 3 countries of Western Europe during the past decades, and tested whether urbanization influences local wild bee taxonomic and functional community composition. These surveys encompassed a range of urbanization levels, that were quantified using two complementary metrics: the proportion of impervious surfaces and the human population density. Urban expansion, when measured as a proportion of impervious surfaces, but not as human population density, was significantly and negatively correlated with wild bee community species richness. Taxonomic dissimilarity of the bee community was independent of both urbanization metrics. However, occurrence rates of functional traits revealed significant differences between lightly and highly urbanized communities, for both urbanization metrics. With higher human population density, probabilities of occurrence of above-ground nesters, generalist and small species increased. With higher soil sealing, probabilities of occurrence of above-ground nesters, generalists and social bees increased as well. Overall, these results, based on a large European dataset, suggest that urbanization can have negative impacts on wild bee diversity. They further identify some traits favored in urban environments, showing that several wild bee species can thrive in cities., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Competing Interests: None disclosed.

Agricultural landscapes are increasingly characterized by intensification and habitat losses. Landscape composition and configuration are known to mediate insect abundance and richness. In the context of global insect decline, and despite 75% of crops being dependent on insects, there is still a gap of knowledge about the link between pollinators and aromatic crops. Fennel ( Foeniculum vulgare ) is an aromatic plant cultivated in the South of France for its essential oil, which is of great economic interest. Using pan-traps, we investigated the influence of the surrounding habitats at landscape scale (semi-natural habitat proportion and vicinity, landscape configuration) and local scale agricultural practices (insecticides and patch size) on fennel-flower-visitor abundance and richness, and their subsequent impact on fennel essential oil yield. We found that fennel may to be a generalist plant species. We did not find any effect of intense local management practices on insect abundance and richness. Landscape configuration and proximity to semi-natural habitat were the main drivers of flying insect family richness. This richness positively influenced fennel essential oil yield. Maintaining a complex configuration of patches at the landscape scale is important to sustain insect diversity and crop yield.

Scientific competences as defined in the German competency framework describes the ability to think independently and act scientifically, and forms a central component of medical education. This report describes its integration into anatomical teaching. On the basis of the findings in dissection courses from two consecutive years, students worked on either a case report (n = 70) or an original work (n=6) in the format of a scientific poster while learning to use primary literature. Posters were evaluated by juror teams using standardized evaluation criteria. Student perception of the project was estimated by quantitative and qualitative data obtained from the faculty´s course evaluation and an online-survey. Overall, students worked collaboratively and invested extra-time (median [MD] 3.0 hours) in poster creation. Primary literature was integrated in 90.8% of the posters. Overall poster quality was satisfactory (46.3 ±8.5 [mean ±standard deviation] out of 72 points), but several insufficiencies were identified. Students integrated information gained from the donor´s death certificate, post-mortem full-body computer tomography (CT) scan (22.4%) and histopathological workup (31.6%) in their case reports. Students were positive about the experience of learning new scientific skills (MD 4 on a six-point Likert scale), but free text answers revealed that some students experienced the project as an extra burden in a demanding course. In summary, it was feasible to introduce students to science during the dissection course and to increase interest in science in approximately a third of the survey respondents. Further adjustments to ensure the posters´ scientific quality might be necessary in the future., (This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.)

In the context of global pollinator decline, little is known about the protection status and ecology of many species. This lack of knowledge is particularly important for Mediterranean protected areas that harbor diverse pollinator communities and are subject to considerable anthropogenic pressures. Calanques National Park (85 km2), which is located near Marseille (France), is dominated by Mediterranean low-vegetation habitats, such as phrygana and scrublands. These habitats offer favorable conditions for pollinator species due to the important amount of floral resources. Within a 10-yr period, we recorded bee (Hymenoptera: Apoidea: Anthophila), hover fly (Diptera: Syrphidae), and bee fly (Diptera: Bombyliidae) species and their interactions with the local flora through 10 field campaigns. We caught 250 pollinator species, including 192 bees, 38 hover flies, and 20 bee flies, for a total of 2,770 specimens. We recorded seven threatened bees (six near threatened and one endangered). Among the bee species, 47.9% were below-ground nesting species, and 54.7% were generalist species. Analysis of the pollination network showed that generalist and specialist pollinators do not share the same floral resources. The Cistaceae plant family (Malvales: Cistaceae) acted as a central node in the plant-pollinator network, interacting with 52 different pollinator species, which shows the importance of large open flowers that could be easily visited by both short and long-tongued pollinators in Mediterranean habitats. The occurrence of pollinator species and their ecological traits should strongly contribute to reinforcing the available information to provide or ameliorate the conservation statuses determined by IUCN Red List., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Entomological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

The third largest angiosperm family, Leguminosae, displays a broad range of reproductive strategies and has an exceptional practical value. Whereas annual legume species are mostly planted as crops, there is a significant interest in breeding and cultivating perennials. It is therefore of importance to compare reproductive traits, their interactions and the resulting productivity between related annual and perennial species. Two highly variable taxa were chosen for this purpose, the Fabeae tribe, including numerous temperate crops, and the largest angiosperm 'megagenus' Astragalus. A dataset of quantitative reproductive traits was composed of both originally obtained and previously published data. As a result of statistical analysis, we found that perennials in both groups tend to produce more flowers per axillary racemose inflorescence as well as more ovules per carpel. Perennial Astragalus also have larger flowers. Only a part of the developing flowers and ovules gives rise to mature pods and seeds. This difference is especially pronounced in small populations of rare and threatened perennials. Numerous reasons underlie the gap between potential and real productivity, which may be potentially bridged in optimal growing conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: Liver retransplantation (reLT) is the only option for pediatric patients experiencing graft loss. Despite recent advancements in surgical techniques and perioperative management, it remains a high-risk procedure. Our aim is to describe our experience in pediatric reLT, focusing on the technical aspects and surgical challenges. Methods: We systematically analyzed surgical reports from pediatric reLT performed at our center between 2006 and 2023 to identify recurrent intraoperative findings and specific surgical techniques. We focused on challenges encountered during different phases of reLT, including hepatectomy, vascular, and biliary reconstruction. Additionally, we compared patient and graft survival rates among different groups. Results: During the study period, 23 children underwent 25 reLT procedures at our center. Major surgical challenges included complex hepatectomy and vascular reconstructions, necessitating tailored approaches. Our analysis shows that patient and graft survival were significantly lower for reLT compared to primary transplantation (p = 0.002). Early reLT had a significantly lower graft survival compared to late reLT (p = 0.002), although patient survival was comparable (p = 0.278). Patient and graft survival rates were comparable between the first and second reLT (p = 0.300, p = 0.597). Patient survival tended to be higher after living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) compared to deceased-donor liver transplantation (DDLT), although the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.511). Conclusions: Pediatric reLT involves significant technical challenges and lower survival rates. Advances in perioperative management are crucial for improving outcomes. Further research is needed to optimize surgical strategies and evaluate the long-term benefits of LDLT in pediatric reLT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, biochars were produced from by-products of the herbal industry, specifically fennel seeds (Foeniculum vulgare), through direct activation by carbon dioxide at two different temperatures. The biochar samples were comprehensively analysed. Additionally, adsorption studies were conducted for methylene blue. The resulting adsorbents exhibited a specific surface area ranging from 2.29 to 14.60 m2/g. The resulting materials displayed a basic character on their surface. The constants for adsorption models were determined for each dye as well as thermodynamic parameters and the kinetics of the process. The sorption capacities of methylene blue for the samples exhibited a range of 22 to 43 mg/g. The adsorption kinetics of the dye on the biochar materials were found to follow a pseudo-second-order model, with the adsorption process best described by the Langmuir isotherm for the DA-800 sample and the Freundlich isotherm for the DA-750 sample. This indicates the development of a monolayer adsorbate on the biochar surfaces. The efficacy of the adsorption process in aqueous solutions of methylene blue was found to increase with rising temperature. Furthermore, based on thermodynamic studies, the adsorption process was found to be spontaneous and endothermic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant-pollinator interactions are crucial for ecosystem diversity and functionality. Although, these interactions are still less studied and known, a growing body of evidence is showing that pollinators populations across the world are declining and that affects severely these necessary interactions. This study investigates flowering plants and pollinators diversity, abundance and interactions in a Mediterranean cedar forest in Morocco using two common methods; pan traps and observation plots. From March to August 2023, 1627 insects were captured. Hymenoptera accounted for 35.34%, Diptera 40.14%, Coleoptera 22.62%, and Lepidoptera 1.90%. Bees comprised 85.57% of Hymenoptera, with Andrena, Lasioglossum, and Panyrgus as predominant genera. Beetles, mainly represented by Tropinota, Anthaxia, and Melanthaxia, showed fluctuating abundances within months. 1274 insect visits to 46 flowering plants were recorded, with solitary bees (24.73%), beetles (18.29%), Muscoid flies (10.20%), and honey bees (8.95%) being the most frequent visitors. The most visited plants were the Asteraceae's Mantisalca salamantica, Cardus nutans, and Bellis selvestris, the Brassicaceae's Brassica napus, Erysimum grandiforum and Isatis tinctoria, the cistaceae's Helianthemum hirtum, and the Fabaceae's Linaria sp. This study highlights the diverse plant and pollinators communities in a Mediterranean preserved area in Morocco and gives insights in the distribution of pollinators among flowering plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the ecological interaction between honeybees (Apis mellifera) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) plants, examining the mutual benefits of this relationship. Field experiments conducted in Egypt from December 2022 to May 2023 recorded diverse insect pollinators attracted to fennel flowers, especially honeybees. Assessing honeybee colonies near fennel fields showed improvements in sealed brood (357.5–772.5 cells), unsealed brood (176.3–343.8 cells), pollen collection (53.25–257.5 units), honey accumulation (257.5–877.5 units), and colony strength (7.75–10) over three weeks. Fennel exposure explained 88–99% of variability in foraging metrics. Comparing open versus self-pollinated fennel revealed enhanced attributes with bee pollination, including higher flower age (25.67 vs 19.67 days), more seeds per umbel (121.3 vs 95.33), bigger seeds (6.533 vs 4.400 mm), heavier seeds (0.510 vs 0.237 g/100 seeds), and increased fruit weight per umbel (0.619 vs 0.226 g). Natural variation in seed color and shape also occurred. The outcomes demonstrate the integral role of honeybees in fennel agroecosystems through efficient pollination services that improve crop productivity and quality. Fennel provides abundant nutritional resources that bolster honeybee colony health. This research elucidates the symbiotic bee-fennel relationship, underscoring mutualistic benefits and the importance of ecological conservation for sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of R.A.R.E - Association Roussillonnaise d'Entomologie is the property of Association Roussillonnaise d Entomologie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The use of coloured pan traps (bee bowls, Moericke traps) for sampling bees (and other pollinators) has continuously increased over the last two decades. Although a number of methodological studies and conceptual frameworks offer guidance on standardised sampling, pan trap setups vary widely in characteristics even when optimised for capturing bees. Moreover, some uncertainty persists as to how local flower abundance and diversity influence sampling. We systematically reviewed peer‐reviewed studies that used pan traps for bee collection and that were listed in the Web of Science core collection. To gauge methodological variation, we identified a set of relevant methodological criteria and assessed the studies accordingly. For obtaining evidence that pan trap samples and floral environment around traps are correlated, we screened the relevant studies for such correlations. While some aspects of pan trapping (e.g., trap coloration and elevation) were similar in the majority of studies, other aspects varied considerably (e.g., trap volume/diameter and sampling duration). Few studies used floral abundance and/or diversity as an explanatory variable in their analyses of bee samples. Among these studies, we found a considerable variation in key aspects of floral survey methods, such as time and space between vegetation surveys and pan trap sampling, abundance measures (quantitative, semi‐quantitative and presence–absence), and processing of raw data prior to analysis. Often studies did not find any correlation between the floral environment and bee samples. Reported correlations varied markedly across studies, even within groups of studies applying a similar method or analysing a similar group of bees. Our synthesis helps to identify key issues of further standardisation of pan trap methodology and of associated floral surveys. In addition to the few aspects that have been standardised over the past decades, we suggest methodological direction for future research using pan traps as a better standardised method for the collection of wild bees. We encourage further studies to illuminate if and how varying floral resources around traps bias bee samples from pan traps. More generally, our synthesis shows that trapping methodologies should be reviewed regularly when their use increases to ensure standardisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hoverflies are among the most important insect pollinators and there is documented evidence of a recent decline in their populations. To trace the past distributions of hoverfly species, verified records of historical collections are essential. New information: Here, we provide data on 1071 specimens of hoverflies collected or received by Jean Timon-David and hosted at the Marseille Natural History Museum, France. Most of the specimens were collected by Timon-David himself and come from south-eastern France, mainly from the Departments of Bouches-du-Rhône, Var and Hautes-Alpes. Most of these specimens were checked for the accuracy of their identification according to the latest identification keys. This resulted in 85 additions to the known fauna of the French Departments, mostly for Var and Bouches-du-Rhône. The taxonomy of all specimens was checked against the latest available checklists and updated names added whenever necessary. Specimens received from entomologists working in other continents may also be valuable, as these are historic testimonies of the fauna of their own respective regions of origin and may, therefore, also be used as reference material. One paratype specimen from Australia is present in the collection. The holotype of Cheilosia vangaveri Timon-David, 1937 is absent from the collection and should be considered as lost. All but two of the specimens with locality labels had their geographical coordinates of origin added in the dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flower colour polymorphisms are uncommon but widespread among angiosperms and can be maintained by a variety of balancing selection mechanisms. Anemone palmata is mostly yellow-flowered, but white-flowered plants coexist in some populations. We analysed the distribution of colour morphs of A. palmata across its range. We also characterised their colours and compared their vegetative and sexual reproductive traits, pollinator attention and fitness. The range of A. palmata is limited to the Western Mediterranean, while white-flowered plants are restricted to Portugal and SW Spain, where they occur at low proportions. Yellow flowers have a characteristic UV pattern, with a UV-absorbing centre and UV-reflecting periphery, which is absent in the white morph. Colour features of both morphs were highly delineated, making it easy for pollinators to distinguish them. Both morphs were protogynous, with the same duration of sexual stages, and the main floral traits related to pollinator attraction, apart from flower colour, were similar. Hymenoptera and Diptera were the main pollinators, showing preference for the yellow morph, clear partitioning of pollinator groups between the two colour morphs and a marked constancy to flower colour during foraging. Both morphs combined clonal propagation with sexual reproduction, but sexual reproductive potential was lower in white-flowered plants. Finally, female fitness was higher in the yellow morph. Pollinator partitioning and colour constancy could maintain this polymorphism, despite the lower visitation rate and fitness of white-flowered plants, which could facilitate their clonal propagation., (© 2024 The Author(s). Plant Biology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of German Society for Plant Sciences, Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.)

In this study, fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seeds were used as a precursor for obtaining nanostructured activated carbons by chemical activation with various reagents. The obtained activated carbons were characterized using nitrogen adsorption–desorption isotherms, ash content, Boehm titration and pH of water extracts. It was shown that the choice of activator had an important effect on the physicochemical and sorption properties of the obtained activated carbons. The specific surface area of the obtained adsorbents ranged from 345 to 1052 m2/g. Chemical activation of the starting material with potassium carbonate made it possible to obtain activated carbons with the strongest developed specific surface area and the best sorption capacity against the tested pollutants. 1 g of this carbon is able to adsorb 1215 mg of iodine and 454 mg of methylene blue. The least effective adsorbent turned out to be the carbon obtained by chemical activation of fennel seeds with sodium carbonate, whose sorption capacity toward the pollutants from aqueous solutions was 77 mg/g and 317 mg/g for methylene blue for iodine, respectively. The alkaline pH of the solution promotes effective adsorption of methylene blue on the surface of the obtained adsorbents. The reaction of the dye molecules adsorption on the activated carbons occurs according to the pseudo-second-order model. The Langmuir isotherm best described the process under study. In addition, it was shown that chemical activation of fennel seeds leads to carbon adsorbents with acidic surface character. The negative values of Gibbs free energy indicate the spontaneous character of the process. The study has shown that fennel seeds can be successfully used to obtain low-cost and effective nanostructured carbon adsorbents with good sorption capacity toward organic and inorganic contaminants, from the aqueous phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bulletin De La Societe Royale Belge d'Etomologie is the property of Societe Royale Belge d'Entomologie and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Physicians must be able to integrate knowledge across disciplines. Therefore, educators need to provide opportunities for students to cognitively integrate information across the medical school curriculum. Literature has shown that specifically pointing out these connections helps students create cause and effect models and ultimately improve their performance. The gross anatomy laboratory provides an excellent environment for students to integrate information by establishing structure and function relationships. This article presents simple steps to create modules which help students cognitively integrate physiology and anatomy at the session level in the gross anatomy laboratory. Driven by backward design, these steps include establishing objectives, creating assessments, and developing activities that can be implemented in a specific learning environment. An example of a flexible module which could be implemented in a number of gross anatomy lab settings (e.g., prosection, dissection, models, virtual) is presented along with a template for the design of future modules. This is followed by a discussion of challenges encountered by educators attempting to integrate structure and function in the gross anatomy lab. Each of these considerations will be addressed with potential solutions for educators seeking to implement these types of integrated activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As urbanization continues to increase, it is expected that two‐thirds of the human population will reside in cities by 2050. Urbanization fragments and degrades natural landscapes, threatening wildlife including economically important species such as bees. In this study, we employ whole genome sequencing to characterize the population genetics, metagenome and microbiome, and environmental stressors of a common wild bee, Ceratina calcarata. Population genomic analyses revealed the presence of low genetic diversity and elevated levels of inbreeding. Through analyses of isolation by distance, resistance, and environment across urban landscapes, we found that green spaces including shrubs and scrub were the most optimal pathways for bee dispersal, and conservation efforts should focus on preserving these land traits to maintain high connectivity across sites for wild bees. Metagenomic analyses revealed landscape sites exhibiting urban heat island effects, such as high temperatures and development but low precipitation and green space, had the highest taxa alpha diversity across all domains even when isolating for potential pathogens. Notably, the integration of population and metagenomic data showed that reduced connectivity in urban areas is not only correlated with lower relatedness among individuals but is also associated with increased pathogen diversity, exposing vulnerable urban bees to more pathogens. Overall, our combined population and metagenomic approach found significant environmental variation in bee microbiomes and nutritional resources even in the absence of genetic differentiation, as well as enabled the potential early detection of stressors to bee health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal pollination supports the production of a wide range of food crops fundamental to maintaining diverse and nutritionally balanced diets. Here, we present a global meta-analysis quantifying the contribution of pollination to multiple facets of crop quality, including both organoleptic and nutritional traits. In fruits and vegetables, pollinators strongly improve several commercially important attributes related to appearance and shelf life, whereas they have smaller effects on nutritional value. Pollination does not increase quality in stimulant crops, nuts, and spices. We report weak signals of a pollination deficit for organoleptic traits, which might indicate a potential service decline across agricultural landscapes. However, the deficit is small and non-significant at the α = 0.05 level, suggesting that pollen deposition from wild and/or managed pollinators is sufficient to maximise quality in most cases. As producing commercially suboptimal fruits can have multiple negative economic and environmental consequences, safeguarding pollination services is important to maintain food security. Animal pollination may not only contribute to crop yields, but also to food quality. This meta-analysis based on 190 studies shows that animal pollination improves food quality, both in terms of organoleptic properties and, to a lesser extent, nutritional values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinators are responsible for the reproduction of many plant and crop species and provide important diversity for food webs and cultural value. Despite the critical ecosystem services provided by pollinators, rapid pollinator declines are occurring in response to anthropogenic activities that cause the loss of suitable habitat. There is an opportunity for urban green space to support pollination ecosystem services locally and across the landscape. However, there is a lack of practical but evidence-based guidance on how urban green space can be designed effectively to provide floral resources and other habitat needs to a diverse assemblage of pollinators. We examine the existing pollinator research in this paper to address the following questions specific to insect pollinators in temperate urban settings: (1) Which pollinators can be the focus of efforts to increase pollinator ecosystem services in cities? (2) Which plants and what arrangements of plants are most attractive and supportive to urban pollinators? (3) What do urban pollinators need beyond floral resources? (4) How can the surrounding landscape inform where to prioritize new habitat creation within cities? Using these questions as a framework, we provide specific and informed management and planning recommendations that optimize pollinator ecosystem value in urban settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The COVID‐19 pandemic required adjustments and limitations in university teaching, thereby challenging teaching concepts in anatomy requiring in‐person contact, including the gross anatomy course. Therefore, the present study investigates the impact of COVID‐19‐associated adjustments on students' perception of the gross anatomy course's importance and quality, students' preferred learning setting and outcome, and their motivation to involve themselves in academic activities, including becoming a future peer‐teacher of the course. Using paper‐based questionnaires in Ulm, Germany, 397 (response rate: 82.3%) students of the winter term of 2020/2021 were surveyed using quantitative and qualitative items, which were compared with cohorts prior to the pandemic. Students reported a higher global rating on course quality during COVID‐19 (pre‐COVID‐19: 5.3 ± 0.9, during‐COVID‐19: 5.6 ± 0.7, p < 0.001; 1 = very bad, 6 = very good). Students' perceived importance of the gross anatomy course showed a small but significant increase (pre‐COVID‐19: 4.2 ± 0.6, during‐COVID‐19: 4.3 ± 0.6, p < 0.001; 1 = strongly disagree, 6 = strongly agree). Students' motivation to apply as a peer‐teacher remained stable, nevertheless, they reported less interest in transferring their knowledge to junior students. Finally, students reported that they spent significantly more learning time alone and their examination grades remained unchanged during the pandemic. Astonishingly, despite radical changes of the teaching environment due to COVID‐19, students appreciate the offered teaching and highly valued the gross anatomy course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1955, René Dubos famously expressed his "second thoughts on the germ theory", attributing infectious diseases to various "changing circumstances" that weaken the host by unknown mechanisms. He rightly stressed that only a small minority of individuals infected by almost any microbe develop clinical disease. Intriguingly, though, he did not mention the abundant and elegant findings reported from 1905 onward that unambiguously pointed to host genetic determinants of infection outcome in plants and animals, including human inborn errors of immunity. Diverse findings over the next 50 y corroborated and extended these earlier genetic and immunological observations that René Dubos had neglected. Meanwhile, the sequential advent of immunosuppression- and HIV-driven immunodeficiencies unexpectedly provided a mechanistic basis for his own views. Collectively, these two lines of evidence support a host theory of infectious diseases, with inherited and acquired immunodeficiencies as the key determinants of severe infection outcome, relegating the germ to an environmental trigger that reveals an underlying and preexisting cause of disease and death. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Widespread concerns about declines of wild pollinating insects has attracted considerable research interest, largely directed towards identifying key nectar sources and assessing the contribution of pollinators towards ecosystem services. However, previous work has almost exclusively focussed on bees and other diurnal invertebrate taxa. This study aimed to assess the relative contribution of diurnal and nocturnal insects to the pollination of bramble (Rubus fruticosus agg.), a common and widespread species aggregate across Europe, which has been identified as a key source of pollen and nectar for diurnal pollinators. Bramble flower visitation rates by diurnal and nocturnal insects were quantified by analysing over 380,000 interval photographs taken over a 3-day period across 10 sites. A pollinator exclusion experiment was also undertaken to assess the importance of diurnal and nocturnal insects for pollination by analysing pollen deposition on 480 bramble stigmas of nocturnally exposed, diurnally exposed and unvisited control flowers across all sites. Flower visitation was significantly higher during the day, comprising 83% of all visits made by a range of taxa. Nocturnal visitation was almost exclusively by moths. Crucially, pollen deposition rates of bramble were significantly higher during the night compared with the day. No relationship was detected between pollen counts and flower visitation rates, suggesting that moths are more efficient pollinators of bramble compared with diurnal insects. Overall, this work provides further evidence of the value of bramble as a resource for pollinators and demonstrates that moths likely play an important role in bramble pollination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Native bees are pollinators and bioindicators of ecosystem health but only little is known about its abundance, species distribution, and habitat range, especially in the Philippines. This study assessed the diversity and spatial distribution of native bees in Mt. Banahaw de Lucban (MBDL). Belt transect coupled with opportunistic sampling were used in the inventory of bees and their nests. Nests occurrence and 7 environmental predictor variables including; 1) annual mean temperature; 2) precipitation of warmest quarter; 3) elevation; 4) slope; 5) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); 6) distance to agricultural areas (m); and 7) distance to forested areas (m) were used for modeling species distribution by MaxEnt. A total of 16 species of native bees including representatives from genus Apis, Tetragonula, Lasioglossum, Halictus, Hylaeus and Megachile were identified. A total of 96 bee nests from 5 species were also recorded yielding a nests density of 234 nests per km2. Results showed medium diversity of solitary native bees with H' of 2.488. Most bee nests were found in lower elevations while the distance from agricultural areas and the distance from forest areas had the highest contributions to the nesting of Apis breviligula, A. cerana, and Tetragonula biroi. The mean distance from forest areas of all bee nests was 649.930 m and the mean extent of suitable area for these species was 5.340 km2. Hence, a landscape approach may be more appropriate to conserve native bees and sustain the ecosystem services they provide in MBDL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The presence of pollinating insects in crop fields is an essential factor for agricultural production and pollinator conservation. Agricultural intensification has been identified as a driver of pollinator decline over the last decades and challenges the efficiency of pollination. Several approaches are used to support pollinators and their ecosystem services, notably reward-based wildflower strips. 'Farming with Alternative Pollinators' (FAP) aims to attract and sustain pollinators using marketable habitat enhancement plants (MHEP) in the field borders instead of wildflowers. These MHEP are selected in conjunction with farmers. We tested here whether the FAP approach increases diversity and abundance of flower visitors in melon fields in a semi-arid landscape in Morocco. Moreover, we examined whether MHEP increase flower-visitor abundance in melon flowers. We recorded a total of 1330 insect specimens including 573 specimens of wild bees. Lasioglossum malachurum was the major flower visitor in melon and several MHEP. As flower-visitor abundance and diversity in FAP fields were higher than in control fields, we conclude that FAP can be a valuable approach for pollinator protection in agro-ecosystems; 16.5% of wild bees and wasps showed spillover from the field borders to the melon fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Functional Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Journal of Ecology is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) are important agricultural pollinators, and there is increasing demand for forage habitat for managed colonies. However, there is also evidence that pasturing honey bee colonies within natural landscapes may negatively affect wild bees through resource competition.To assess resource competition between managed honey bees and wild bees, we conducted repeated, short‐term deployments of honey bee colonies within Florida forests coinciding with seasonal wildflower bloom, and compared wild bee foraging with and without honey bee colonies present over multiple seasons.We recorded over 2000 bee visits including 196 pairwise bee–plant interactions. Deploying honey bee colonies was associated with a reduction in wild bee foraging rates, and honey bee and wild bee foraging rates were significantly, negatively correlated. Honey bees disproportionately visited resources with high floral density. Honey bee foraging preferences differed significantly from genera with small‐bodied (Lasioglossum, Perdita, Augochlorella), and/or specialist species (Perdita, Andrena), as well as with Megachile, but overlapped with genera including larger‐bodied (Bombus, Habropoda, Osmia, Xylocopa) and/or generalist species (Bombus, Xylocopa, Agapostemon). Deploying honey bee colonies did not significantly affect plant–pollinator network metrics.These results illustrate that short‐term honey bee colony deployment can negatively affect wild bee foraging and that competition may be greater for certain genera, particularly larger‐bodied bees or those with generalist diets though less for smaller‐bodied and/or specialist bees. Our short‐term, low‐density deployment treatments may have precluded significant effects on network metrics and likely underestimate the effects of typical higher density and longer‐term honey bee deployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollination services are a frequently overlooked component of urban ecosystems. As cities look to become more sustainable and incorporate more urban green spaces, these pollinator services are coming to the forefront, and educating the public about the habitat and foraging needs of urban pollinators is becoming more important. Increasingly popular features in urban gardens are "bug hotels", which are artificial structures that humans can install to create habitat or shelter for urban insect pollinators. In a college-level Urban Ecology class, we use a structured classroom activity to teach students about pollinator needs, but also place the activity in a larger context of a discussion about the value of urban landscapes, as well as the importance of evaluating sources of information. Here we describe the steps of a research activity that students undertake to design a "bug hotel", as well as suggestions for how to extend the activity beyond the classroom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research into pollinators in managed landscapes has recently combined approaches of pollination ecology and landscape ecology, because key stressors are likely to interact across wide areas. While laboratory and field experiments are valuable for furthering understanding, studies are required to investigate the interacting drivers of pollinator health and diversity across a broader range of landscapes and a wider array of taxa. Here, we use a network of 96 study landscapes in six topographically diverse regions of Britain, to test the combined importance of honeybee density, insecticide loadings, floral resource availability and habitat diversity to pollinator communities. We also explore the interactions between these drivers and the cover and proximity of semi-natural habitat. We found that among our four drivers, only honeybee density was positively related to wild pollinator abundance and diversity, and the positive association between abundance and floral resources depended on insecticide loadings and habitat diversity. By contrast, our exploratory models including habitat composition metrics revealed a complex suite of interactive effects. These results demonstrate that improving pollinator community composition and health is unlikely to be achieved with general resource enhancements only. Rather, local land-use context should be considered in fine-tuning pollinator management and conservation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Natural processes influencing pollinator health: from chemistry to landscapes'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the widespread use of pesticides and the lack of floral resources in many agricultural landscapes, beekeepers have moved numerous honey bee colonies in protected areas which could shelter an important diversity of wild bees. Here, we investigated the seasonal dynamics of the competition between honey bees and wild bees through a two‐year study of plant–bee networks in a Mediterranean protected area. We recorded the visitation rates of four bee groups: honey bees, small wild bees, large wild bees and bumblebees. Our study reveals that the competition for floral resources induced by honey bees is especially strong during the early spring and then decreases along the season for all groups of wild bees. We observed a competitive exclusion of all groups of wild bees illustrated by an avoidance of well‐flowered plant species in presence of honey bees. As a consequence, we detected a rewiring of large and small bee floral preferences linked to the presence of honey bees. In presence of honey bees, Rosmarinus officinalis and Cistus albidus were significantly less visited by large bees. This study underlines the need to mitigate the establishment of numerous honey bee colonies in protected areas as honey bees could strongly affect the foraging activity of wild bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop new high‐nutrient oil resources, eight Xanthium sibiricum seeds (XSs) are used as raw materials for the preparation of oil. The properties, chemical composition, and free radical scavenging capacity of XS oils (XSOs) are evaluated in this study. The characteristics of XSOs from different regions are also compared and analyzed. Results show that XSOs contains a high content of unsaturated fatty acids (up to 90.90%). XSOs are rich in phytochemicals, such as tocopherols (consisting of α‐, β‐, and γ‐tocopherols) and phytosterols (including β‐sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol). The contents of phytochemicals and free radical scavenging capacity in XSOs from Gansu are higher than those in other regions. Furthermore, the free radical scavenging capacities of XSOs are significantly (p < 0.05) affected by some minor components, especially in α‐tocopherol. XSOs generally have high nutritional value, and they could be used as a new alternative to nut oil. Practical applications: The excellent chemical composition and functional properties of XSOs indicate that it could be used as a new edible oil through proper processing. Due to its high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, XSOs is expected to become a functional oil for preventing cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. XSOs could also be developed as a new low‐cost "nut oil" with similar characteristics and higher active substance content. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Bees and other pollinators play a vital role in food production and natural ecosystems. Native bee populations are declining due in part to habitat loss. Individuals can help bees by landscaping with plants that provide pollen and nectar. Most information on bee-friendly plants concerns herbaceous ornamentals, but flowering trees and shrubs, too, can provide food for urban bees. Conservation organizations recommend landscaping mainly with native plants to support native bees, but some studies suggest that including some non-invasive non-native plants that bloom earlier or later than native plants can help support bees when resources from native plants are scarce. That strategy might backfire, however, if such plants disproportionately host invasive bee species. This study tested that hypothesis by identifying all non-native bees among 11,275 bees previously collected from 45 species of flowering woody plants across hundreds of urban sites. Besides the ubiquitous honey bee, six other non-native bee species comprised 2.9% of the total collection. Two alien species considered to have invasive tendencies by outcompeting native bees were more abundant on non-native plants. Planting their favored hosts might facilitate those bees' spread in urban areas. Pros and cons of non-native woody landscape plants for urban bee conservation warrant further study. Urban ecosystems can support diverse communities of wild native bees. Because bloom times are conserved by geographic origin, incorporating some non-invasive non-native plants in urban landscapes can extend the flowering season and help support bees and other pollinators during periods when floral resources from native plants are limiting. A caveat, though, is the possibility that non-native plants might disproportionately host non-native, potentially invasive bee species. We tested that hypothesis by identifying all non-native bees among 11,275 total bees previously collected from 45 species of flowering woody landscape plants across 213 urban sites. Honey bees, Apis mellifera L., accounted for 22% of the total bees and 88.6% of the non-native bees in the collections. Six other non-native bee species, accounting for 2.86% of the total, were found on 16 non-native and 11 native woody plant species. Non-Apis non-native bees in total, and Osmia taurus Smith and Megachile sculpturalis (Smith), the two most abundant species, were significantly more abundant on non-native versus native plants. Planting of favored non-native hosts could potentially facilitate establishment and spread of non-Apis non-native bees in urban areas. Our host records may be useful for tracking those bees' distribution in their introduced geographical ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Australian Proteaceous genus Persoonia is known to be pollinated by bees and have variable breeding systems that range from strictly self-incompatible to differing levels of self-compatibility. The endangered Persoonia hirsuta (Hairy Geebung) is a species currently in decline throughout its distribution, with many populations occurring in fragmented habitats comprising fewer than 10 plants or a single isolated individual. Despite its threatened status and recent population decline, the reproductive biology of P. hirsuta is unknown. In this study, we surveyed floral visitors and their foraging behaviour, and investigated the breeding system of P. hirsuta by conducting experimental hand-pollinations at two of the largest known populations. P. hirsuta was almost exclusively visited by native bees, including Leioproctus, Megachile and Tetragonula species. This study was the first to report Xylocopa bees and Zizinia butterflies visiting Persoonia flowers. On average, both foraging time per flower and the number of flowers visited per plant varied significantly among insect genera. Notably, Xylocopa bees visited more flowers per plant than did any other pollinator (22.1 ± 10.8 flowers). P. hirsuta has a breeding system that displays partial self-incompatibility with significantly higher fruit set in the cross- and open-pollination treatments at both populations (19.4 ± 10.8 to 44.8 ± 8.2%) than in the autogamy and selfed treatments (0.6 ± 0.6 to 9.0 ± 5.1%). The results of this study are critical to the future management of P. hirsuta, and suggest that its small and isolated populations may produce very few viable fruits in the absence of outcrossing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global changes are severely affecting pollinator insect communities worldwide, resulting in repeated patterns of species extirpations and extinctions. Whilst negative population trends within this functional group have understandably received much attention in recent decades, another facet of global changes has been overshadowed: species undergoing expansion. Here, we review the factors and traits that have allowed a fraction of the pollinating entomofauna to take advantage of global environmental change. Sufficient mobility, high resistance to acute heat stress, and inherent adaptation to warmer climates appear to be key traits that allow pollinators to persist and even expand in the face of climate change. An overall flexibility in dietary and nesting requirements is common in expanding species, although niche specialization can also drive expansion under specific contexts. The numerous consequences of wild and domesticated pollinator expansions, including competition for resources, pathogen spread, and hybridization with native wildlife, are also discussed. Overall, we show that the traits and factors involved in the success stories of expanding pollinators are mostly species specific and context dependent, rendering generalizations of 'winning traits' complicated. This work illustrates the increasing need to consider expansion and its numerous consequences as significant facets of global changes and encourages efforts to monitor the impacts of expanding insect pollinators, particularly exotic species, on natural ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance of natural protected areas for the preservation of locally adapted subspecies (or local genotype) of honey bees has been recently emphasized in the literature. In western Europe, initiatives have emerged to protect the native subspecies i.e., the Western European dark bee, Apis mellifera mellifera (Hymenoptera: Apidae). Here, we investigated the honey bee subspecies diversity in a Mediterranean protected area, Calanques National Park, near Marseille, France. We found that the population of honey bees is mainly composed of hybrids between Apis mellifera mellifera and Apis mellifera intermissa. These hybrids might have a better resistance to the Varroa mite and a better adaptation to arid Mediterranean climate. Before promoting the native honey bee subspecies, Apis mellifera mellifera, it appears essential to identify honey bee subspecies used by beekeepers in protected areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Megachile sculpturalis Smith 1853 is found for the first time on the island of Mallorca (Balearic Islands, Spain). This is the first time that this exotic bee is reported from an island and is the southernmost record in Europe so far. Specimens were found in five distant locations throughout the island, which points out the current broad distribution of this species within the island and suggests that the introduction of M. sculpturalis may have happened earlier than 2020 and went unnoticed. M. sculpturalis females were found mainly feeding and collecting pollen from Sophora japonica L. 1767 (= Styphnolobium japonicum (L.) Schott 1830) and Parkinsonia aculeata L. 1753, two exotic ornamental trees. Potential entry means and impacts of this exotic bee on local biodiversity are discussed. Island ecosystems are highly vulnerable to the negative impacts produced by exotic species. Judging from the evidence of negative effects described in the literature so far, we recommend that the invasive potential and the impact of this species on native plants and pollinators within the insular context of the Balearic Islands be addressed in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pollinators can mediate facilitative or competitive relationships between plant species, but the relative importance of these two conflicting phenomena in shaping community‐wide pollinator resource use remains unexplored. This article examines the idea that the arrangement of large samples of plant species in Hutchinsonian pollinator niche space (n‐dimensional hypervolume whose axes represent pollinator types) can help to evaluate the comparative importance of facilitation and competition as drivers of pollinator resource use at the community level. Pollinator composition data were gathered for insect‐pollinated plants from the Sierra de Cazorla mountains (southeastern Spain), comprising ~95% of widely distributed insect‐pollinated species. The following questions were addressed at regional (45 sites, 221 plant species) and local (1 site, 73 plant species) spatial scales: (1) Do plant species clusters occur in pollinator niche space? Four pollinator niche spaces differing in dimensionality were considered, the axes of which were defined by insect orders, families, genera, and species. (2) If all plant species form a single, indivisible cluster, are they overdispersed or underdispersed within the cluster relative to a random arrangement? "Clusterability" tests failed to reject the null hypothesis that there was only one pollinator‐defined plant species cluster in pollinator niche space, irrespective of spatial scale, pollinator niche space, or pollinator importance measurement (proportions of pollinator individuals or flowers visited by each pollinator type). Observed means of interspecific dissimilarity in pollinator composition were smaller than randomly simulated values in the order‐, family‐, and genus‐defined pollinator niche spaces. This finding revealed an underdispersed arrangement of plant species in each of these pollinator niche spaces. In the undisturbed montane habitats studied, arrangement of insect‐pollinated plant species in the various niche spaces defined by pollinator composition did not support a major role for interspecific competition as a force shaping community‐wide pollinator resource use by plants, but rather suggested a situation closer to the facilitation‐dominated extreme in a hypothetical competition‐facilitation gradient. Results also highlight the importance of investigations on complete or nearly complete insect‐pollinated plant communities for suggesting and testing novel hypotheses on the ecology and evolution of plant–pollinator systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bumble bees (Bombus spp.) are important pollinators, yet rapidly declining globally. In North America some species are thriving while others are nearing extinction. Recognizing subtle differences in species' biology and responses to environmental factors is required to illuminate key threats and to understand their different population trajectories. We intensively surveyed bumble bees in Ohio, USA, along the receding southern boundary of many species' ranges, to evaluate current conservation status of the state's species. In 318 90-min field surveys across two consecutive years we observed 23,324 bumble bees of 10 species visiting 170 plant species. Habitat, landscape, latitude, and their interactions significantly influenced bumble bee abundance, species richness, and community composition during peak season. Sites planted with flowers yielded more bumble bee individuals and species than did sites not planted with bee food plants. Bombus impatiens, B. griseocollis, and B. bimaculatus comprised 93% of all observations. Their abundances all peaked in habitats planted with wildflowers, but there were species-specific responses to local and landscape factors. Three less common species (B. fervidus, B. vagans, and B. perplexus) were more likely to be found in forested landscapes, particularly in the northeastern portion of the state. Bombus perplexus was also affiliated with planted urban wildflower patches. These results provide a strong starting point for future monitoring and conservation intervention that targets less common species. A quantitative synthesis of detailed state-level and regional datasets would allow additional insight into broad scale patterns of diversity in bumble bee communities and species conservation trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]