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Las abejas son fundamentales para nuestra seguridad alimentaria y la polinización de las plantas silvestres y cultivadas. Sin embargo, algunas poblaciones y especies están en riesgo de desaparecer. Nuestro conocimiento de los factores que causan estas disminuciones es limitado, en parte porque carecemos de datos suficientes sobre la distribución de las especies que nos sirvan para predecir cambios en su rango geográfico bajo escenarios de cambio climático. Además, carecemos de datos adecuados sobre las características morfológicas y comportamentales que podrían influir en la vulnerabilidad de las abejas a los cambios ambientales inducidos por el hombre, como la pérdida de hábitat y el cambio climático. Afortunadamente, se puede extraer una gran cantidad de información a partir de los especímenes depositados en colecciones entomológicas. Acá presentamos este proyecto, el cual incluye 13 instituciones y es financiado por la Fundación Nacional de Ciencias de los EE. UU. (NSF, por sus siglas en Ingles). En el transcurso de tres años, crearemos más de un millón de imágenes (2D y 3D) de alta resolución de especímenes de abejas que representan alrededor de 1⁄4 de la diversidad mundial. También desarrollaremos herramientas para medir los rasgos de las abejas a partir de las imágenes. La información generada estará disponible a través de un portal de datos abierto Symbiota-Light llamado Bee Library. Además, los datos de interacción biótica y asociación de especies se compartirán a través de Global Biotic Interactions. Presented by Victor Hugo Gonzalez at the XII Congreso Mesoamericano de Abejas Nativas, Centro de Investigaciones Apícolas Tropicales (CINAT), Universidad Nacional, Costa Rica, Nov. 20-21, 2021

Cancer cells show altered antioxidant defense systems, dysregulated redox signaling, and increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Targeting cancer cells through ROS-mediated mechanisms has emerged as a significant therapeutic strategy due to its implications in cancer progression, survival, and resistance. Extensive research has focused on selective generation of H2O2 in cancer cells for selective cancer cell killing by employing various strategies such as metal-based prodrugs, photodynamic therapy, enzyme-based systems, nano-particle mediated approaches, chemical modulators, and combination therapies. Many of these H2O2-amplifying approaches have demonstrated promising anticancer effects and selectivity in preclinical investigations. They selectively induce cytotoxicity in cancer cells while sparing normal cells, sensitize resistant cells, and modulate the tumor microenvironment. However, challenges remain in achieving selectivity, addressing tumor heterogeneity, ensuring efficient delivery, and managing safety and toxicity. To address those issues, H2O2-generating agents have been combined with other treatments leading to optimized combination therapies. This review focuses on various chemical agents/approaches that kill cancer cells via H2O2-mediated mechanisms. Different categories of compounds that selectively generate H2O2 in cancer cells are summarized, their underlying mechanisms and function are elucidated, preclinical and clinical studies as well as recent advancements are discussed, and their prospects as targeted therapeutic agents and their therapeutic utility in combination with other treatments are explored. By understanding the potential of these compounds, researchers can pave the way for the development of effective and personalized cancer treatments.

While bees are critical to sustaining a large proportion of global food production, as well as pollinating both wild and cultivated plants, they are decreasing in both numbers and diversity. Our understanding of the factors driving these declines is limited, in part, because we lack sufficient data on the distribution of bee species to predict changes in their geographic range under climate change scenarios. Additionally lacking is adequate data on the behavioral and anatomical traits that may make bees either vulnerable or resilient to human-induced environmental changes, such as habitat loss and climate change. Fortunately, a wealth of associated attributes can be extracted from the specimens deposited in natural history collections for over 100 years.Extending Anthophila Research Through Image and Trait Digitization (Big-Bee) is a newly funded US National Science Foundation Advancing Digitization of Biodiversity Collections project. Over the course of three years, we will create over one million high-resolution 2D and 3D images of bee specimens (Fig. 1), representing over 5,000 worldwide bee species, including most of the major pollinating species. We will also develop tools to measure bee traits from images and generate comprehensive bee trait and image datasets to measure changes through time. The Big-Bee network of participating institutions includes 13 US institutions (Fig. 2) and partnerships with US government agencies. We will develop novel mechanisms for sharing image datasets and datasets of bee traits that will be available through an open, Symbiota-Light (Gilbert et al. 2020) data portal called the Bee Library. In addition, biotic interaction and species association data will be shared via Global Biotic Interactions (Poelen et al. 2014). The Big-Bee project will engage the public in research through community science via crowdsourcing trait measurements and data transcription from images using Notes from Nature (Hill et al. 2012). Training and professional development for natural history collection staff, researchers, and university students in data science will be provided through the creation and implementation of workshops focusing on bee traits and species identification. We are also planning a short, artistic college radio segment called "the Buzz" to get people excited about bees, biodiversity, and the wonders of our natural world.This poster was prepared for TDWG 2021 virtual conference.

Simple Summary: Cancer cells grow and divide so rapidly that they are literally engaged in a metabolic marathon—leading to the formation of high levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS). The altered redox balance in cancer cells offers therapeutic opportunities for targeting cancer. Some ROS-targeting strategies attempt to enhance ROS production to inflict lethal cell damage or trigger apoptosis, while other anticancer agents inhibit enzymes that are essential to maintain the redox potential of the cell. One type of ROS that shows potential to be utilized as a treatment mechanism is hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), which can be generated by numerous mechanisms, including metal-based prodrugs, photodynamic therapy, enzymes, nanoparticles, chemical modulators, and various combinations thereof. This review focuses on various chemical agents that induce H2O2-mediated cancer cell death, including their mechanism of function, preclinical and clinical studies, recent advancements, and potential applications as a new and exciting avenue for targeted and efficacious cancer treatment. Cancer cells show altered antioxidant defense systems, dysregulated redox signaling, and increased generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Targeting cancer cells through ROS-mediated mechanisms has emerged as a significant therapeutic strategy due to its implications in cancer progression, survival, and resistance. Extensive research has focused on selective generation of H2O2 in cancer cells for selective cancer cell killing by employing various strategies such as metal-based prodrugs, photodynamic therapy, enzyme-based systems, nano-particle mediated approaches, chemical modulators, and combination therapies. Many of these H2O2-amplifying approaches have demonstrated promising anticancer effects and selectivity in preclinical investigations. They selectively induce cytotoxicity in cancer cells while sparing normal cells, sensitize resistant cells, and modulate the tumor microenvironment. However, challenges remain in achieving selectivity, addressing tumor heterogeneity, ensuring efficient delivery, and managing safety and toxicity. To address those issues, H2O2-generating agents have been combined with other treatments leading to optimized combination therapies. This review focuses on various chemical agents/approaches that kill cancer cells via H2O2-mediated mechanisms. Different categories of compounds that selectively generate H2O2 in cancer cells are summarized, their underlying mechanisms and function are elucidated, preclinical and clinical studies as well as recent advancements are discussed, and their prospects as targeted therapeutic agents and their therapeutic utility in combination with other treatments are explored. By understanding the potential of these compounds, researchers can pave the way for the development of effective and personalized cancer treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With international exams (PISA and TIMSS) producing results every three or four years, there is near continual talk of East Asian dominance in mathematics education. Beyond the reporting of scores, some studies have compared mathematics teaching in these countries with U.S. instruction. However, researchers are not (usually) grade school math teachers and are often interested in different issues and see different things than teachers. In all these discussions of scores and findings, little interaction has occurred between U.S. math teachers and East Asian math teachers, an interaction that could provide another level of insight in these conversations. In this article, U.S. teachers describe effective professional development that they experienced in Japan and how their teaching has been illuminated through continued collaboration with Japanese colleagues.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ahj.2008.04.004 Byline: Benjamin W. Van Tassell (a), Matthew T. Rondina (b), Franklin Huggins (a), Edward M. Gilbert (b), Mark A. Munger (a)(b) Abstract: [alpha].sub.1-Adrenergic receptor ([alpha].sub.1-AR) stimulation produces smooth muscle contraction, vasoconstriction, and myocyte hypertrophy, suggesting a potential therapeutic role for [alpha].sub.1-AR antagonists to reduce cardiac workload and myocardial hypertrophy. Preliminary reports suggest that vascular [alpha].sub.1-ARs are desensitized in heart failure (HF) in a manner similar to myocardial [beta].sub.1-ARs. We examined [alpha].sub.1-AR signal transduction by repeat phenylephrine (PE) infusions in patients with HF receiving chronic carvedilol therapy. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Pharmacotherapy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (b) Department of Medicine, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT Article History: Received 12 February 2008; Accepted 1 April 2008 Article Note: (footnote) Funding: GlaxoSmithKline Investigator Initiated Trials., Conflict of interest: Benjamin W. Van Tassell, none; Matthew Rondina, none; Franklin Huggins, none; Mark A. Munger, GlaxoSmithKline Speakers Bureau and Research Grant Support; Edward M. Gilbert, GlaxoSmithKline Speakers Bureau and Research Grant Support.