Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Nucleic Acids Res 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Medicinal Chemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.

ASCE ATPases include ring-translocases such as cellular helicases and viral DNA packaging motors (terminases). These motors have conserved Walker A and B motifs that bind Mg2+-ATP and a catalytic carboxylate that activates water for hydrolysis. Here we demonstrate that Glu179 serves as the catalytic carboxylate in bacteriophage λ terminase and probe its mechanistic role. Read More

PLoS One 2018 12;13(12):e0208945. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

U. S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Environmental Microbiology and Food Safety Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland, United States of America.

Water conservation and economics dictate that fresh produce processors reuse/recirculate the process water. However, the ensuing accumulation of organic matter in water depletes the chlorine sanitizer required for food safety. In this study, we comprehensively investigated chemical compounds that are responsible for water quality in relation to chemical oxygen demand (COD) and chlorine demand (CLD), the two most critical factors associated with water treatment and chlorine replenishment. Read More

PLoS One 2018 12;13(12):e0209022. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research - Atmospheric Environmental Research, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

It has been hypothesized that the energy balance closure problem of single-tower eddy-covariance measurements is linked to large-scale turbulent transport. In order to shed light on this problem, we investigate the functional dependence of the normalized residual for the potential temperature and humidity conservation equations, i.e. Read More

PLoS One 2018 12;13(12):e0208771. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-bioresources/Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetic Improvement of Horticultural Crops (South China) in Ministry of Agriculture, College of Horticulture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.

Litchi (Litchi chinesis Sonn.) is the most economically significant member of Sapindaceae family, especially in sub-tropical regions. However, its tall tree body often brings many inconveniences to production management. Read More

PLoS One 2018 12;13(12):e0208621. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, United States of America.

Quantitative models describing environmentally-mediated disease transmission rarely focus on the independent contribution of recruitment and the environment on the force of infection driving outbreaks. In this study we attempt to investigate the interaction between external factors and host's population dynamics in determining the outbreaks of some indirectly transmitted diseases. We first built deterministic and stochastic compartmental models based on anthrax which were parameterized using information from literature and complemented with field observations. Read More

PLoS One 2018 12;13(12):e0207936. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America.

Species are shifting their ranges due to climate change, many moving to cooler and higher locations. However, with elevation increase comes oxygen decline, potentially limiting a species' ability to track its environment depending on what mechanisms it has available to compensate for hypoxic stress. Pikas (Family Ochotonidae), cold-specialist small mammal species, are already undergoing elevational range shifts. Read More

PLoS One 2018 12;13(12):e0208535. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Zoology, Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Vanemuise, Tartu, Estonia.

Finding standard cost-effective methods for monitoring biodiversity is challenging due to trade-offs between survey costs (including expertise), specificity, and range of applicability. These trade-offs cause a lack of comparability among datasets collected by ecologists and conservationists, which is most regrettable in taxonomically demanding work on megadiverse inconspicuous taxon groups. We have developed a site-scale survey method for diverse sessile land organisms, which can be analyzed over multiple scales and linked with ecological insights and management. Read More

PLoS One 2018 12;13(12):e0208057. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, California, United States of America.

Despite the popular use of hummingbird feeders, there are limited studies evaluating the effects of congregation, sharing food resources and increased contact when hummingbirds visit feeders in urban landscapes. To evaluate behavioral interactions occurring at feeders, we tagged 230 individuals of two species, Anna's and Allen's Hummingbirds, with passive integrated transponder tags and recorded their visits with RFID transceivers at feeders. For detecting the presence of tagged birds, we developed an RFID equipped feeding station using a commercially available antenna and RFID transceiver. Read More

PLoS One 2018 12;13(12):e0207678. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

The Nature Conservancy, Las Vegas, Nevada, United States of America.

In 2010, The Nature Conservancy completed the Mojave Desert Ecoregional Assessment, which characterizes conservation values across nearly 130,000 km2 of the desert Southwest. Since this assessment was completed, several renewable energy facilities have been built in the Mojave Desert, thereby changing the conservation value of these lands. We have completed a new analysis of land use to reassess the conservation value of lands in two locations in the Mojave Desert where renewable energy development has been most intense: Ivanpah Valley, and the Western Mojave. Read More

PLoS One 2018 12;13(12):e0207640. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Graduate Institute of Environmental Education, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei City, Taiwan, ROC.

Terrestrial hermit crabs play a significant role in coastal ecology. For example, as seed dispersers and debris scavengers in coastal forests, they accelerate the decomposition of organic substances. In the Indo-Pacific Ocean, Coenobita rugosus, C. Read More

J Proteome Res 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Scop3D is a tool that automatically annotates protein structure with sequence conservation starting from a set of protein sequence variants. Here, we present a complete upgrade and rewrite of Scop3D. We have included a DNA module that allows the analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms in relation to the structural context of the protein. Read More

Int J Syst Evol Microbiol 2018 Dec 12. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

1​State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Resources, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510275, PR China.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, rod-shaped bacterium, designated strain C8-1, was isolated from the rhizosphere soil of Nicotiana tabacum L. collected from Kunming, south-west China. The cells showed oxidase-positive and catalase-positive reactions. Read More

Neotrop Entomol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

State Key Lab for Conservation and Utilization of Biological Resources in Yunnan, College of Plant Protection, Yunnan Agricultural Univ, Kunming, 650201, China.

The potato tuberworm moth (PTM) Phthorimaea operculella (Zeller) (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae) is one of the most damaging pests of potato Solanum tuberosum L. in warm temperate and subtropical areas. Our previous experiment showed that extracts of larval frass of PTM deterred oviposition of conspecific females. Read More

Environ Monit Assess 2018 Dec 11;191(1):11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Water Resources Engineering, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Tehran University, Tehran, Iran.

Droughts and pressure on soil and water resources in arid climatic condition call for integrated managements of existing resources. In this research, the sustainability of water resources was analyzed and an agricultural land potential assessment and water demand determination model were proposed. The capabilities of the model were illustrated with sample results for basins at the Kurdistan Province, Iran. Read More

Front Vet Sci 2018 27;5:296. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Royal New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Auckland, New Zealand.

Increasingly, human activities, including those aimed at conserving species and ecosystems (conservation activities) influence not only the survival and fitness but also the welfare of wild animals. Animal welfare relates to how an animal is experiencing its life and encompasses both its physical and mental states. While conservation biology and animal welfare science are both multi-disciplinary fields that use scientific methods to address concerns about animals, their focus and objectives sometimes appear to conflict. Read More

AoB Plants 2018 Dec 22;10(6):ply060. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Rice Research Institute, Yunnan Agriculture University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.

Reproductive isolation is generally regarded as the essence of the speciation process. Studying closely related species is convenient for understanding the genetic basis of reproductive isolation. Therefore, the present review is restricted to the species and subspecies of the complex, which includes the two domestic rice cultivars and six wild species. Read More

Curr Zool 2018 Dec 27;64(6):755-764. Epub 2018 Jan 27.

Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Calle de José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2, Madrid, Spain.

Genetic characterization of species using phylogeographic approaches represents a basic reference to understand their evolutionary history as well as to identify conservation priorities to protect areas of particular interest regarding evolutionary potential. Even in well-studied regions such information is lacking for the majority of species, including many endemic species with reduced distribution ranges. We investigate the phylogeographic pattern of the Iberian frog , an endemic amphibian restricted to Central and North-Western Iberian Peninsula. Read More

Curr Zool 2018 Dec 9;64(6):671-679. Epub 2018 Jan 9.

Biogeography, Diversity and Conservation Lab, Department of Animal Biology, Universidad de Málaga, Spain.

Observed species richness (OSR) is a widely used and well-studied biodiversity metric. However, non-observed species in favorable ecosystems are also relevant. Two metrics that include observed and potential species were recently defined: potential biodiversity (hereafter potential species richness-PSR) and geometric mean of favorabilities (GMF). Read More

Front Plant Sci 2018 27;9:1755. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China.

Potassium (K) distribution is horizontally heterogeneous under the conservation agriculture approach of no-till with strip fertilization. The root foraging strategy of wheat for K heterogeneity is poorly understood. In this study, WinRHIZO, microarray, Non-invasive Micro-test Technology (NMT) and a split-root system were performed to investigate root morphology, gene expression profiling and fluxes of K and O under K heterogeneity and homogeneity conditions. Read More

Front Microbiol 2018 27;9:2915. Epub 2018 Nov 27.

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, United States.

Lipid-modified cupredoxin azurin (Laz) is involved in electron transport in and proposed to act as an electron donor to the surface-displayed nitrite reductase AniA. We identified Laz in cell envelopes and naturally elaborated membrane vesicles in proteomic investigations focused on discovering new vaccine and therapeutic targets for this increasingly difficult to treat pathogen. Its surface exposure in suggested Laz could be a vaccine candidate for . Read More

J Mammal 2018 Dec 21;99(6):1510-1521. Epub 2018 Sep 21.

The Hawkesbury institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia.

Flying foxes (family Pteropodidae) have distinct life histories given their size, characterized by longevity, low reproductive output, and long gestation. However, they tend to decouple the age at which sexual maturity is reached from the age at which they reach adult dimensions. We examined growth, maturation, and reproduction in the Critically Endangered Christmas Island flying fox () to determine the timing of sex-specific life cycle events and patterns of growth. Read More

Nat Commun 2018 12 11;9(1):5329. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Aachen Institute for Advanced Study in Computational Engineering Science (AICES), RWTH Aachen University, Aachen 52062, Germany.

The original version of this Article incorrectly omitted an affiliation of Sebastian Volz: 'LIMMS/CNRS-IIS(UMI2820) Institute of Industrial Science, University of Tokyo 4-6-1 Komaba, Meguro-ku Tokyo 153-8505 JAPAN'. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article. Read More

BMC Genomics 2018 Dec 11;19(1):902. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Section of Virology, Department of Medicine, St Mary's Hospital, Imperial College London, London, W2 1PG, UK.

Background: Intrinsic structural disorder is a common property of many proteins, especially in eukaryotic and virus proteomes. The tendency of some proteins or protein regions to exist in a disordered state usually precludes their structural characterisation and renders them especially difficult for experimental handling after recombinant expression.

Results: A new intuitive, publicly-available computational resource, called BASILIScan, is presented here. Read More

Sci Total Environ 2018 Dec 4;657:200-212. Epub 2018 Dec 4.

Morigenos - Slovenian Marine Mammal Society, Kidričevo nabrežje 4, 6330 Piran, Slovenia.

Marine top predators, including marine mammals, are known to bio-accumulate persistent pollutants such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), a serious conservation concern for these species. Although PCBs declined in European seas since the 1970s-1980s ban, considerable levels still persist in European and Mediterranean waters. In cetaceans, stranded animals are a valuable source of samples for pollutant studies, but may introduce both known and unknown biases. Read More

Environ Microbiol 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Department of Plant Pathology, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory of Microbial Signals and Disease Control, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.

The fungal pathogen Sporisorium scitamineum causes sugarcane smut disease. The formation and growth of dikaryotic hypha after sexual mating is critical for S. scitamineum pathogenicity, however regulation of S. Read More

Plant J 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

The Laboratory of Seed Science and Technology, State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, PR China.

Seed germination is a complex trait determined by both quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and environmental factors and also their interactions. In this study, we mapped one major QTL qSE3 for seed germination and seedling establishment under salinity stress in rice. To understand the molecular basis of this QTL, we isolated qSE3 by map-based cloning and found that it encodes a K transporter gene, OsHAK21. Read More

Pest Manag Sci 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Institut de Chimie des Milieux et des Matériaux de Poitiers (IC2MP), Unité Mixte de Recherche CNRS 7285, Université de Poitiers, 4 rue Michel Brunet, TSA 51106, F-86073 Poitiers cedex 9 France.

Systemicity of agrochemicals is an advantageous property for controlling phloem sucking insects, as well as pathogens and pests not accessible to contact products. After the penetration of the cuticle, the plasma membrane constitutes the main barrier to the entry of an agrochemical into the sap flow. The current strategy for developing systemic agrochemicals is to optimize the physicochemical properties of the molecules so that they can cross the plasma membrane by simple diffusion or ion trapping mechanisms. Read More

Anim Genet 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Department of Animal Science, College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA.

Proteins 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

High Pressure and Synchrotron Radiation Physics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India.

The proline-specific M24B peptidases that cleave Xaa-Pro iminopeptide bond in dipeptides are called prolidases while those that preferentially cleave this bond at the N-termini of longer peptides are called aminopeptidases-P. Escherichia coli and other bacteria have small aminopeptidases-P (36-39 kDa) which are considerably diverged from the canonical aminopeptidase-P of E. coli (50 kDa). Read More

J Anim Ecol 2018 Nov 22. Epub 2018 Nov 22.

Department of Biology, Research Group Phycology - Bioinformatics & Evolutionary Genomics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium.

The spatial configuration and size of patches influence metapopulation dynamics by altering colonisation-extinction dynamics and local density dependency. This spatial forcing as determined by the metapopulation typology then imposes strong selection pressures on life-history traits, which will in turn feed back on the ecological metapopulation dynamics. Given the relevance of metapopulation persistence for biological conservation, and the potential rescuing role of evolution, a firm understanding of the relevance of these eco-evolutionary processes is essential. Read More

J Anim Breed Genet 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security, The University of Edinburgh, Midlothian, Edinburgh, UK.

Ex situ collections offer the potential to reduce extinction risks, affording option to society in maintaining future breeding opportunities for productivity and heritage traits. However, how much should we be seeking to collect and conserve in gene banks, and where? We developed a mathematical model to optimize logistical decisions of breed conservation choices and to evaluate alternative scenarios for efficiently re-allocating genetic materials currently stored in different European gene banks, allowing for cross-country collections, cost and cryogenic capacity differentials. We show how alternative allocations for the breeds that are currently stored in 11 European gene banks could reduce overall conservation costs by around 20% by selecting cryogenic banks that have relatively lower combination of fixed and collection costs, and are geographically closer to collection regions. Read More

J Med Primatol 2018 Dec 9. Epub 2018 Dec 9.

Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts.

Background: The aim of this study was to longitudinally investigate the prevalence and characterization of Campylobacter spp. from non-human primates primate (NHP) with a history of endemic diarrhea housed at Como Park Zoo.

Methods: Fecal samples from 33 symptom-free NHP belonging to eight different species were collected weekly for 9 weeks. Read More

Physiol Plant 2018 Dec 8. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (Middle and Lower Reaches of Yangtze River), Ministry of Agriculture; Microelement Research Center, College of Resources and Environment, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, 430070, China.

Sheath rot disease (ShR) caused by Sarocladium oryzae (S. oryzae) infection is an emerging disease that causes severe yield loss by restricting the translocation of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC). Potassium (K) nutrition plays a critical role in disease resistance and the exportation of NSC. Read More

Mol Ecol 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avda. Americo Vespucio 26, Sevilla, 41092, Spain.

The high relevance of host-switching for the diversification of highly host-specific symbionts (i.e., those commonly inhabiting a single host species) demands a better understanding of host-switching dynamics at an ecological scale. Read More

Glob Chang Biol 2018 Dec 7. Epub 2018 Dec 7.

Agricultural & Biological Engineering Department, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA.

Efforts to limit global warming to below 2°C in relation to the pre-industrial level are under way, in accordance with the 2015 Paris Agreement. However, most impact research on agriculture to date has focused on impacts of warming >2°C on mean crop yields, and many previous studies did not focus sufficiently on extreme events and yield interannual variability. Here, with the latest climate scenarios from the Half a degree Additional warming, Prognosis and Projected Impacts (HAPPI) project, we evaluated the impacts of the 2015 Paris Agreement range of global warming (1. Read More

Ecol Lett 2018 Dec 9. Epub 2018 Dec 9.

Université Lyon 1, CNRS, UMR 5558, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France.

The current extinction and climate change crises pressure us to predict population dynamics with ever-greater accuracy. Although predictions rest on the well-advanced theory of age-structured populations, two key issues remain poorly explored. Specifically, how the age-dependency in demographic rates and the year-to-year interactions between survival and fecundity affect stochastic population growth rates. Read More

Learn Behav 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK.

We recently identified a strong, positive relationship between group size and individual cognitive performance, and a strong, positive relationship between female cognitive performance and reproductive success (Ashton, Ridley, Edwards, & Thornton in Nature, 554, 364-367, 2018). An opinion piece by Smulders (Learning & Behavior, https://doi.org/10. Read More

Primates 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.

Evaluating the genetic diversity of natural populations of endangered species is important for conservation. Although the genetic analysis of wildlife usually requires collecting DNA non-invasively, the variety of non-invasive DNA sampling methods is limited for each species. We present a method to obtain DNA of an endangered species, the bonobo (Pan paniscus), in which the pith of the terrestrial herbaceous vegetation (THV) that they consumed was newly utilized. Read More

Environ Manage 2018 Dec 9. Epub 2018 Dec 9.

Department of Biology, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Indiana, Pennsylvania, USA.

Environmental conservation actions conducted by private landowners are critically important for conservation efforts worldwide. Incentive programs are used to engage landowners in voluntary conservation, but outcomes after landowners exit these programs are poorly understood. Previous research identified several pathways, including landowner motivations, cognitions, and resources, which could sustain or undermine continued conservation management behavior after incentive program participation. Read More

Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2018 Dec 8. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China.

Trace elements contamination in sediment is regarded as the global crisis with a large share in developing countries like China. Water and sediment samples were collected during (2016) from Qingshui Stream and analyzed for major physicochemical properties and trace elements by using ICP-MS. Our result of sediments showed that studied trace elements (except Pb, Cd, Co) had a concentration higher than Chinese sediment guideline as well as stream water data for studied trace elements (except Cr, Pb, Cd, Cu, and Zn) had a higher concentration than the maximum permissible safe limit of WHO. Read More

Plant Mol Biol 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

College of Life Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, 030006, China.

Key Message: This research demonstrated the conservation and diversification of the functions of the O-acetylserine-(thiol) lyase gene family genes in Solanum lycopersicum L. Cysteine is the first sulfur-containing organic molecule generated by plants and is the precursor of many important biomolecules and defense compounds. Cysteine and its derivatives are also essential in various redox signaling-related processes. Read More

Bot Stud 2018 Dec 10;59(1):29. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Singapore Botanic Gardens, National Parks Board, 1 Cluny Road, Singapore, 259569, Singapore.

Background: Sapria is a distinctive and narrowly host-specific holoparasitic genus belonging to the Rafflesiaceae. Sapria himalayana, rare throughout its range from NE India, SW China, Thailand to Vietnam, is a little-understood species first recorded for Vietnam in 1959, and only recollected there over half a century later in February 2017. This has facilitated an assessment of its taxonomic identity and our understanding of its morphology and natural history aspects. Read More

Exp Suppl 2018 ;109:351-375

MIVEGEC, IRD, CNRS, University of Montpellier, Montpellier, France.

Diseases caused by protozoan parasites have a major impact on world health. These early branching eukaryotes cause significant morbidity and mortality in humans and livestock. During evolution, protozoan parasites have evolved toward complex life cycles in multiple host organisms with different nutritional resources. Read More

Theor Appl Genet 2018 Dec 8. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

SVQV UMR-A 1131, INRA, Université de Strasbourg, 68000, Colmar, France.

Key Message: In grapevine interspecific hybrids, meiotic recombination is suppressed in homeologous regions and enhanced in homologous regions of recombined chromosomes, whereas crossover rate remains unchanged when chromosome pairs are entirely homeologous. Vitis rotundifolia, an American species related to the cultivated European grapevine Vitis vinifera, has a high level of resistance to several grapevine major diseases and is consequently a valuable resource for grape breeding. However, crosses between both species most often lead to very few poorly fertile hybrids. Read More

J Insect Sci 2018 Nov 1;18(6). Epub 2018 Nov 1.

Molecular evolution and Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Biological and Environmental Science, Shizuoka University, Japan.

Odorant coreceptor (Orco) represents one of the essential genes in the insect olfactory system, which facilitates signal transduction and heterodimerization with different odorant receptors (Ors) in the insect antennal dendritic membrane. Evolutionary analysis by detecting positive selection is important to examine the functional flexibility of Orco that potentially supports insect survival. The maximum likelihood codon substitution model was applied using CODEML program as implemented in PAML ver 4. Read More

Syst Biol 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Chicago Botanic Garden, Glencoe, USA.

Sequencing of target-enriched libraries is an efficient and cost-effective method for obtaining DNA sequence data from hundreds of nuclear loci for phylogeny reconstruction. Much of the cost of developing targeted sequencing approaches is associated with the generation of preliminary data needed for the identification of orthologous loci for probe design. In plants, identifying orthologous loci has proven difficult due to a large number of whole-genome duplication events, especially in the angiosperms (flowering plants). Read More

Endocrinology 2018 Dec 6. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ.

Approximately one-third of women experience hysterectomy, or the surgical removal of the uterus, by age 60, with most surgeries occurring prior to the onset of natural menopause. The ovaries are retained in about half of these surgeries while, for the other half, hysterectomy occurs concurrently with oophorectomy. The dogma is that the non-pregnant uterus is dormant. Read More

Gigascience 2018 Dec 10. Epub 2018 Dec 10.

Background: Lacerta viridis and L. bilineata are sister species of European green lizards (eastern and western clades respectively), which until recently were grouped together as the L. viridis complex. Read More

Genome Biol Evol 2018 Dec 11. Epub 2018 Dec 11.

Genome Evolution Laboratory, Department of Biology, Maynooth University, Maynooth, Kildare, Ireland.

The oomycetes are a class of microscopic, filamentous eukaryotes within the stramenopiles-alveolates-rhizaria (SAR) eukaryotic supergroup. They include some of the most destructive pathogens of animals and plants, such as Phytophthora infestans, the causative agent of late potato blight. Despite the threat they pose to worldwide food security and natural ecosystems, there is a lack of tools and databases available to study oomycete genetics and evolution. Read More

Integr Comp Biol 2018 Dec;58(6):1111-1117

Bishop Museum, Honolulu, HI 96817, USA.

How biodiversity is changing in our time represents a major concern for all organismal biologists. Anthropogenic changes to our planet are decreasing species diversity through the negative effects of pollution, habitat destruction, direct extirpation of species, and climate change. But major biotic changes-including those that have both increased and decreased species diversity-have happened before in Earth's history. Read More