Intraspecific variation of thermal tolerance along elevational gradients: the case of a widespread diving beetle (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae).

Species distributed across wide elevational gradients are likely to experience local thermal adaptation and exhibit high thermal plasticity, as these gradients are characterised by steep environmental changes over short geographic distances (i.e., strong selection differentials).

Testing metabolic cold adaptation and the climatic variability hypothesis in two latitudinally distant populations of a supratidal water beetle.

Temperature significantly impacts ectotherm physiology, with thermal tolerance and metabolic traits typically varying with latitude across species ranges. The drivers of this variation remain unclear, however, despite obvious consequences for population persistence and conservation in the face of ongoing global change. This study explored local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of metabolic rates and thermal limits in the supratidal rockpool beetle Ochthebius lejolisii.

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.

Thermal tolerance does not explain the altitudinal segregation of lowland and alpine aquatic insects.

Elevation gradients provide powerful study systems for examining the influence of environmental filters in shaping species assemblages. High-mountain habitats host specific high-elevation assemblages, often comprising specialist species adapted to endure pronounced abiotic stress, while such harsh conditions prevent lowland species from colonizing or establishing. While thermal tolerance may drive the altitudinal segregation of ectotherms, its role in structuring aquatic insect communities remains poorly explored.

Role of climatic variability in shaping intraspecific variation of thermal tolerance in Mediterranean water beetles.

The climatic variability hypothesis (CVH) predicts that organisms in more thermally variable environments have wider thermal breadths and higher thermal plasticity than those from more stable environments. However, due to evolutionary trade-offs, taxa with greater absolute thermal limits may have little plasticity of such limits (trade-off hypothesis). The CVH assumes that climatic variability is the ultimate driver of thermal tolerance variation across latitudinal and altitudinal gradients, but average temperature also varies along such gradients.

Perfectionistic Environments and Irrational Beliefs on the Transition to Elite Athletic Performance: A Longitudinal Study.

This study aimed to longitudinally evaluate talented athletes' levels of perfectionism, irrational beliefs, and motivations with regard to their athletic careers. A total of 390 athletes from U14, U16, and junior categories ( = 15.42) answered shortened versions of the Sport-MPS2, iPBI, and BRSQ during two consecutive seasons, along with questions referring to their current and predicted prioritization of sports and education.

Climatic stability, not average habitat temperature, determines thermal tolerance of subterranean beetles.

The climatic variability hypothesis predicts the evolution of species with wide thermal tolerance ranges in environments with variable temperatures, and the evolution of thermal specialists in thermally stable environments. In caves, the extent of spatial and temporal thermal variability experienced by taxa decreases with their degree of specialization to deep subterranean habitats. We use phylogenetic generalized least squares to model the relationship among thermal tolerance (upper lethal limits), subterranean specialization (estimated using ecomorphological traits), and habitat temperature in 16 beetle species of the tribe Leptodirini (Leiodidae).

Plasticity of thermal performance curves in a narrow range endemic water beetle.

Thermal history can plastically alter the response of ectotherms to temperature, and thermal performance curves (TPCs) are powerful tools for exploring how organismal-level performance varies with temperature. Plasticity in TPCs may be favoured in thermally variable habitats, where it can result in fitness benefits. However, thermal physiology remains insufficiently studied for freshwater insects despite freshwater biodiversity being at great risk under global change.

Beyond survival experiments: using biomarkers of oxidative stress and neurotoxicity to assess vulnerability of subterranean fauna to climate change.

Accurate assessments of species vulnerability to climate change need to consider the physiological capacity of organisms to deal with temperature changes and identify early signs of thermally induced stress. Oxidative stress biomarkers and acetylcholinesterase activity are useful proxies of stress at the cellular and nervous system level. Such responses are especially relevant for poor dispersal organisms with limited capacity for behavioural thermoregulation, like deep subterranean species.

Distribution Levels of Particulate Matter Fractions (<2.5 µm, 2.5-10 µm and >10 µm) at Seven Primary Schools in a European Ceramic Cluster.

This study addresses the concentration of particulate matter and their size using a statistical analysis of data obtained inside seven schools located in the towns of Castellón (S1, S2, and S3), Alcora (S4, S5, and S6) and Lucena (S7) in northeast Spain. Samples were taken for five to eight hours, depending on school hours, to obtain a monthly sample for each school. The main goal of this study is to assess the differences depending on the type of location and the sampling point to be able to design corrective measures that improve the habitability and safety of the teaching spaces analyzed.

Cuticle Hydrocarbons Show Plastic Variation under Desiccation in Saline Aquatic Beetles.

In the context of aridification in Mediterranean regions, desiccation resistance and physiological plasticity will be key traits for the persistence of aquatic insects exposed to increasing desiccation stress. Control of cuticular transpiration through changes in the quantity and composition of epicuticular hydrocarbons (CHCs) is one of the main mechanisms of desiccation resistance in insects, but it remains largely unexplored in aquatic ones. We studied acclimation responses to desiccation in adults of two endemic water beetles from distant lineages living in Mediterranean intermittent saline streams: (Hydrophilidae) and (Dytiscidae).

Can Multi-Item Measures and Single-Item Measures be Trusted to Assess Self-Determination Theory Constructs in the Elderly?

Background: Measuring complex constructs, such as those from self-determination theory models, is challenging in the elderly due to the response process, particularly in collective data gathering. In order to examine this construct in physical activity settings we aimed at determining whether single-item measures were as good as pre-existing multi-item measures. For that reason, we developed seven single-item measures targeting perceived interpersonal styles, basic needs satisfaction, and well-being.

Morphological Characterization of Indoor Airborne Particles in Seven Primary Schools.

This paper focuses on a study of fine (less than 2.5 µm) airborne particles collected inside seven primary schools located on a coastal Mediterranean area which has a significant industrial hub for the processing of clays and other minerals as raw materials. Of the seven schools, three are located in an urban area 20 km away from the main industrial hub, three are in a town located next to the industrial estate, and one is in a rural location, 30 km from the industrial area.

Heat tolerance and acclimation capacity in subterranean arthropods living under common and stable thermal conditions.

Cave-dwelling ectotherms, which have evolved for millions of years under stable thermal conditions, could be expected to have adjusted their physiological limits to the narrow range of temperatures they experience and to be highly vulnerable to global warming. However, most of the few existing studies on thermal tolerance in subterranean invertebrates highlight that despite the fact that they show lower heat tolerance than most surface-dwelling species, their upper thermal limits are generally not adjusted to ambient temperature. The question remains to what extent this pattern is common across subterranean invertebrates.

The relationship between indoor and outdoor levels of PM10 and its chemical composition at schools in a coastal region in Spain.

PM10 levels and its chemical composition were studied inside and outdoor of seven primary schools (3 in urban environment, 3 in industrial environment, 1 in rural environment) located in the Mediterranean coast in an area with an important industrial nucleus dedicated to the treatment of raw mineral materials. The main objective of this work is a comparison between these levels obtained inside and outside schools and also asses the influence of various natural and anthropogenic emission sources on particles concentrations found inside. The indoor airborne samples were collected using RespiCon TM.

Role of cuticle hydrocarbons composition in the salinity tolerance of aquatic beetles.

Salinity tolerance has enabled the colonization of inland saline waters and promoted species diversification in some lineages of aquatic insects. However, the mechanisms behind this tolerance, particularly the role of cuticle hydrocarbons (CHCs), are not well-known. We characterized the CHC profile of eight species of two water beetle genera (Nebrioporus, Adephaga: Dytiscidae and Enochrus, Polyphaga: Hydrophilidae), which span the fresh-hypersaline gradient, to: i) determine the interspecific variation of CHC composition in relation to species' salinity tolerance; ii) explore plastic adjustments in CHC profiles in response to salinity changes at the intraspecific level in saline-tolerant species.

Effects of salinity changes on aquatic organisms in a multiple stressor context.

Under global change, the ion concentration of aquatic ecosystems is changing worldwide. Many freshwater ecosystems are being salinized by anthropogenic salt inputs, whereas many naturally saline ones are being diluted by agricultural drainages. This occurs concomitantly with changes in other stressors, which can result in additive, antagonistic or synergistic effects on organisms.

Insect communities in saline waters consist of realized but not fundamental niche specialists.

Considering how organisms adapt to stress is essential if we are to anticipate biological responses to global change in ecosystems. Communities in stressful environments can potentially be assembled by specialists (i.e.

The chicken or the egg? Adaptation to desiccation and salinity tolerance in a lineage of water beetles.

Transitions from fresh to saline habitats are restricted to a handful of insect lineages, as the colonization of saline waters requires specialized mechanisms to deal with osmotic stress. Previous studies have suggested that tolerance to salinity and desiccation could be mechanistically and evolutionarily linked, but the temporal sequence of these adaptations is not well established for individual lineages. We combined molecular, physiological and ecological data to explore the evolution of desiccation resistance, hyporegulation ability (i.

Cuticle hydrocarbons in saline aquatic beetles.

Hydrocarbons are the principal component of insect cuticle and play an important role in maintaining water balance. Cuticular impermeability could be an adaptative response to salinity and desiccation in aquatic insects; however, cuticular hydrocarbons have been poorly explored in this group and there are no previous data on saline species. We characterized cuticular hydrocarbons of adults and larvae of two saline aquatic beetles, namely (Dytiscidae) and (Hydrophilidae), using a gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer.

Aquatic insects in a multistress environment: cross-tolerance to salinity and desiccation.

Exposing organisms to a particular stressor may enhance tolerance to a subsequent stress, when protective mechanisms against the two stressors are shared. Such cross-tolerance is a common adaptive response in dynamic multivariate environments and often indicates potential co-evolution of stress traits. Many aquatic insects in inland saline waters from Mediterranean-climate regions are sequentially challenged with salinity and desiccation stress.

Aquatic insects dealing with dehydration: do desiccation resistance traits differ in species with contrasting habitat preferences?

Background: Desiccation resistance shapes the distribution of terrestrial insects at multiple spatial scales. However, responses to drying stress have been poorly studied in aquatic groups, despite their potential role in constraining their distribution and diversification, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.

Methods: We examined desiccation resistance in adults of four congeneric water beetle species (Enochrus, family Hydrophilidae) with contrasting habitat specificity (lentic vs.