Cryptic Species? Patterns of Maternal and Paternal Gene Flow in Eight Neotropical Bats

Levels of sequence divergence at mitochondrial loci are frequently used in phylogeographic analysis and species delimitation though single marker systems cannot assess bi-parental gene flow. In this investigation I compare the phylogeographic patterns revealed through the maternally inherited mitochondrial COI region and the paternally inherited 7th intron region of the Dby gene on the Y-chromosome in eight common Neotropical bat species. These species are diverse and include members of two families from the feeding guilds of sanguivores, nectarivores, frugivores, carnivores and insectivores. In each case, the currently recognized taxon is comprised of distinct, substantially divergent intraspecific mitochondrial lineages suggesting cryptic species complexes. In Chrotopterus auritus, and Saccopteryx bilineata I observed congruent patterns of divergence in both genetic regions suggesting a cessation of gene flow between intraspecific groups. This evidence supports the existence of cryptic species complexes which meet the criteria of the genetic species concept. In Glossophaga soricina two intraspecific groups with largely sympatric South American ranges show evidence for incomplete lineage sorting or frequent hybridization while a third group with a Central American distribution appears to diverge congruently at both loci suggesting speciation. Within Desmodus rotundus and Trachops cirrhosus the paternally inherited region was monomorphic and thus does not support or refute the potential for cryptic speciation. In Uroderma bilobatum, Micronycteris megalotis and Platyrrhinus helleri the gene regions show conflicting patterns of divergence and I cannot exclude ongoing gene flow between intraspecific groups. This analysis provides a comprehensive comparison across taxa and employs both maternally and paternally inherited gene regions to validate patterns of gene flow. I present evidence for previously unrecognized species meeting the criteria of the genetic species concept but demonstrate that estimates of mitochondrial diversity alone do not accurately represent gene flow in these species and that contact/hybrid zones must be explored to evaluate reproductive isolation

A Lesson Plan For Sustainability In Higher Education

Much anxiety surrounds the future of higher education in the United States. With escalating costs, tuition, and class sizes, and the increasing exclusion of many poor and minority students, higher education needs to become more accessible and sustainable. This paper defines five “abilities” for the sustainability of higher education - availability, dependability, capability, affordability, and marketability. The literature indicates that components of each of these abilities are lacking at many institutions. To remedy this problem, the authors developed a framework for sustainability based on these five abilities, and a case study at a public university in the United States was used to validate the framework’s applicability to education

Design and applicability of DNA arrays and DNA barcodes in biodiversity monitoring

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The rapid and accurate identification of species is a critical component of large-scale biodiversity monitoring programs. DNA arrays (micro and macro) and DNA barcodes are two molecular approaches that have recently garnered much attention. Here, we compare these two platforms for identification of an important group, the mammals.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our analyses, based on the two commonly used mitochondrial genes cytochrome <it>c </it>oxidase I (the standard DNA barcode for animal species) and cytochrome b (a common species-level marker), suggest that both arrays and barcodes are capable of discriminating mammalian species with high accuracy. We used three different datasets of mammalian species, comprising different sampling strategies. For DNA arrays we designed three probes for each species to address intraspecific variation. As for DNA barcoding, our analyses show that both cytochrome <it>c </it>oxidase I and cytochrome b genes, and even smaller fragments of them (mini-barcodes) can successfully discriminate species in a wide variety of specimens.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study showed that DNA arrays and DNA barcodes are valuable molecular methods for biodiversity monitoring programs. Both approaches were capable of discriminating among mammalian species in our test assemblages. However, because designing DNA arrays require advance knowledge of target sequences, the use of this approach could be limited in large scale monitoring programs where unknown haplotypes might be encountered. DNA barcodes, by contrast, are sequencing-based and therefore could provide more flexibility in large-scale studies.</p

High frequency environmental DNA metabarcoding provides rapid and effective monitoring of fish community dynamics

Long‐term monitoring is critical to measure the response of biodiversity patterns and processes to human‐mediated environmental pressures. This is particularly pertinent in freshwaters, where recent estimates indicated a third of all fish species are threatened with extinction, making ongoing biomonitoring essential for conservation management. High frequency annual monitoring is critical for identifying temporal changes in fish community composition; however, traditional survey methods are typically less practical over such timeframes. While environmental (e)DNA measurement represents a potentially powerful tool for monitoring temporal community dynamics, studies are lacking. To address this deficit, we generated a high frequency time‐series dataset of entire fish communities using eDNA metabarcoding, to directly assess the repeatability and sensitivity of this method for detecting annual population trends. We targeted two differing environments (freshwater vs. intertidal) within the Thames catchment, UK, where detailed historical records from traditional monitoring were available for comparison. To test how robust eDNA data is for inferring the known community, we applied a hierarchical, nested design encompassing short and longer‐term variation in eDNA data. Our analyses showed that irrespective of environment, eDNA metabarcoding represented known seasonal shifts in fish communities, where increased relative read abundance of eDNA coincided with known migratory and spawning events, including those of the critically endangered native species Anguilla anguilla (European eel). eDNA species detections across a single year included over 75% of species recorded in a ca. 30‐year historical dataset, highlighting the power of eDNA for species detection. Our findings provide greater insight into the utility of eDNA metabarcoding for recovering temporal trends in fish communities from dynamic freshwater systems and insight into the potential best sampling strategy for future eDNA surveys

The effects of parameter choice on defining molecular operational taxonomic units and resulting ecological analyses of metabarcoding data

Copyright remains with the author(s) or their institution(s). Permission for reuse (free in most cases) can be obtained from RightsLink.This work was supported by a NSERC CREATE grant to M.E.C. and an Institutional Links grant 172726351 to E.L.C. under the Newton-Ungku Omar Fund, through the British Council in the UK and the Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology in Malaysia. The Newton Fund is Overseas Development Assistance administered through the UK Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS). For further information, please visitwww.newtonfund.ac.uk

Transcriptomes of parents identify parenting strategies and sexual conflict in a subsocial beetle

This work was funded by UK NERC grants to M.G.R. and A.J.M. an NERC studentship to D.J.P. the University of Georgia and a US NSF grant to A.J.M. and M.G.R.Parenting in the burying beetle Nicrophorus vespilloides is complex and, unusually, the sex and number of parents that can be present is flexible. Such flexibility is expected to involve specialized behaviour by the two sexes under biparental conditions. Here, we show that offspring fare equally well regardless of the sex or number of parents present. Comparing transcriptomes, we find a largely overlapping set of differentially expressed genes in both uniparental and biparental females and in uniparental males including vitellogenin, associated with reproduction, and takeout, influencing sex-specific mating and feeding behaviour. Gene expression in biparental males is similar to that in non-caring states. Thus, being ‘biparental’ in N. vespilloides describes the family social organization rather than the number of directly parenting individuals. There was no specialization; instead, in biparental families, direct male parental care appears to be limited with female behaviour unchanged. This should lead to strong sexual conflict.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

A Zyxin-Mediated Mechanism for Actin Stress Fiber Maintenance and Repair

SummaryTo maintain mechanical homeostasis, cells must recognize and respond to changes in cytoskeletal integrity. By imaging live cells expressing fluorescently tagged cytoskeletal proteins, we observed that actin stress fibers undergo local, acute, force-induced elongation and thinning events that compromise their stress transmission function, followed by stress fiber repair that restores this capability. The LIM protein zyxin rapidly accumulates at sites of strain-induced stress fiber damage and is essential for stress fiber repair and generation of traction force. Zyxin promotes recruitment of the actin regulatory proteins α-actinin and VASP to compromised stress fiber zones. α-Actinin plays a critical role in restoration of actin integrity at sites of local stress fiber damage, whereas both α-actinin and VASP independently contribute to limiting stress fiber elongation at strain sites, thus promoting stabilization of the stress fiber. Our findings demonstrate a mechanism for rapid repair and maintenance of the structural integrity of the actin cytoskeleton

Clinical risk factors for underlying gastrointestinal malignancy in iron deficiency anaemia–prospective validation of the IDIOM score

Objective: Ten percent of adults presenting with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) have underlying cancer. This study was undertaken to prospectively validate the observation in a previous retrospective study that three simple clinical parameters can usefully predict the likelihood of gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy on investigation of patients with IDA, and to screen for other potential clinical predictors of risk. Method: Observational study of a cohort of 643 subjects attending an IDA clinic at a District General Hospital between 2012 and 2015, with multivariable analysis of the predictive value of a series of clinical variables including sex, age and haemoglobin concentration ([Hb]) for underlying GI malignancy. Results: Analysis of the validation cohort data confirmed the original observation that sex, age, and Hb were associated with the risk of GI malignancy—the parsimonious model including only these variables yielded odds ratios of 1.9 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.1, 3.3) for males vs. females; 1.6 (95% CI: 0.9, 2.9) for age >70 vs. ≤70 years; and 2.9 (95% CI:1.2, 6.9) for [Hb] 112 g/l. Combining data from the observation and validation cohorts (total n = 1,363) identified sub-groups with cancer risks ranging from 0% to over 20%. No other predictive clinical variables were identified. Conclusions: Three simple and objective clinical parameters can be combined to provide a clinically useful cancer risk stratification model for subjects with IDA. This may assist with patient counselling and the prioritisation of investigational resources

Comparison of indoor contact time data in Zambia and Western Cape, South Africa suggests targeting of interventions to reduce Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission should be informed by local data.

BACKGROUND: In high incidence settings, the majority of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb) transmission occurs outside the household. Little is known about where people's indoor contacts occur outside the household, and how this differs between different settings. We estimate the number of contact hours that occur between adults and adult/youths and children in different building types in urban areas in Western Cape, South Africa, and Zambia. METHODS: Data were collected from 3206 adults using a cross-sectional survey, on buildings visited in a 24-h period, including building function, visit duration, and number of adults/youths and children (5-12 years) present. The mean numbers of contact hours per day by building function were calculated. RESULTS: Adults in Western Cape were more likely to visit workplaces, and less likely to visit shops and churches than adults in Zambia. Adults in Western Cape spent longer per visit in other homes and workplaces than adults in Zambia. More adults/youths were present at visits to shops and churches in Western Cape than in Zambia, and fewer at homes and hairdressers. More children were present at visits to shops in Western Cape than in Zambia, and fewer at schools and hairdressers. Overall numbers of adult/youth indoor contact hours were the same at both sites (35.4 and 37.6 h in Western Cape and Zambia respectively, p = 0.4). Child contact hours were higher in Zambia (16.0 vs 13.7 h, p = 0.03). Adult/youth and child contact hours were highest in workplaces in Western Cape and churches in Zambia. Compared to Zambia, adult contact hours in Western Cape were higher in workplaces (15.2 vs 8.0 h, p = 0.004), and lower in churches (3.7 vs 8.6 h, p = 0.002). Child contact hours were higher in other peoples' homes (2.8 vs 1.6 h, p = 0.03) and workplaces (4.9 vs 2.1 h, p = 0.003), and lower in churches (2.5 vs 6.2, p = 0.004) and schools (0.4 vs 1.5, p = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Patterns of indoor contact between adults and adults/youths and children differ between different sites in high M.tb incidence areas. Targeting public buildings with interventions to reduce M.tb transmission (e.g. increasing ventilation or UV irradiation) should be informed by local data