Evidence That Ultraviolet Radiation May Depress Short-Term Photosynthetic Rates of Intertidal Ulva lactuca and Consumption by a Generalist Feeder (Clibanarius vittatus)

This article considers the impact of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) on the photosynthesis and consumption of intertidal Ulva lactuca, an important producer and food resource in many coastal ecosystems. Algal fragments were exposed in the laboratory to either UVR and PAR (photosynthetically active radiation) simultaneously or PAR alone. The rates of photosynthesis and consumption by a generalist feeder, the stripped hermit crab (Clibanarius vittatus), were then compared between the two treatments. In both experiments, the biological weighted values for UVR in the laboratory indicate that the experimental set-up provided a level of UVR exposure that would occur in the field. The results show that UVR exposure depresses the photosynthetic rates of U. lactuca at light intensities between 1118 and 2206 μmol m-2 s-1. UVR also reduced the grazing intensity of C. vittatus on U. lactuca with non-UVR-exposed algal pieces supporting about five times more consumption than exposed pieces. The relevance and implications of this study, however, are limited because the results have been obtained with short-term, simple experiments. Studies encompassing a longer time scale and the community of consumers (e.g. exposing both the algae and main consumers simultaneously to experimental UVR levels) are needed to elucidate whether the algae can offset UVR-deleterious effects through the induction of protective compounds and how these compounds and UVR exposure affects the activity of consumers

Early stages of divergence: phylogeography, climate modeling, and morphological differentiation in the South American lizard Liolaemus petrophilus (Squamata: Liolaemidae)

This study examines the phylogeographic structure within the Patagonian lizard Liolaemus petrophilus and tests for patterns of between-clade morphological divergence and sexual dimorphism as well as demographic and niche changes associated with Pleistocene climate changes. We inferred intra-specific relationships, tested hypotheses for historical patterns of  population expansion, and incorporated ecological niche modeling (ENM) with standard  morphological and geometric morphometric analyses to examine between-clade divergence as indirect evidence for adaptation to different niches. The two inferred haploclades diverged during the early Pleistocene with the Southern clade depicting the genetic signature of a recent population increase associated with expanding niche envelope, whereas the Northern clade shows stable populations in a shrinking niche envelope. The combination of molecular evidence for post-isolation demographic change and ENM, suggest that the two haploclades have responded differently to Pleistocene climatic events.Fil: Fontanella, Frank M.. Morehead State University; Estados UnidosFil: Feltrin, Natalia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Avila, Luciano Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Sites, Jack W.. University Brigham Young; Estados UnidosFil: Morando, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

The management of acute venous thromboembolism in clinical practice. Results from the European PREFER in VTE Registry

Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in Europe. Data from real-world registries are necessary, as clinical trials do not represent the full spectrum of VTE patients seen in clinical practice. We aimed to document the epidemiology, management and outcomes of VTE using data from a large, observational database. PREFER in VTE was an international, non-interventional disease registry conducted between January 2013 and July 2015 in primary and secondary care across seven European countries. Consecutive patients with acute VTE were documented and followed up over 12 months. PREFER in VTE included 3,455 patients with a mean age of 60.8 ± 17.0 years. Overall, 53.0 % were male. The majority of patients were assessed in the hospital setting as inpatients or outpatients (78.5 %). The diagnosis was deep-vein thrombosis (DVT) in 59.5 % and pulmonary embolism (PE) in 40.5 %. The most common comorbidities were the various types of cardiovascular disease (excluding hypertension; 45.5 %), hypertension (42.3 %) and dyslipidaemia (21.1 %). Following the index VTE, a large proportion of patients received initial therapy with heparin (73.2 %), almost half received a vitamin K antagonist (48.7 %) and nearly a quarter received a DOAC (24.5 %). Almost a quarter of all presentations were for recurrent VTE, with >80 % of previous episodes having occurred more than 12 months prior to baseline. In conclusion, PREFER in VTE has provided contemporary insights into VTE patients and their real-world management, including their baseline characteristics, risk factors, disease history, symptoms and signs, initial therapy and outcomes

The James Webb Space Telescope Mission

Twenty-six years ago a small committee report, building on earlier studies, expounded a compelling and poetic vision for the future of astronomy, calling for an infrared-optimized space telescope with an aperture of at least $4m$. With the support of their governments in the US, Europe, and Canada, 20,000 people realized that vision as the $6.5m$ James Webb Space Telescope. A generation of astronomers will celebrate their accomplishments for the life of the mission, potentially as long as 20 years, and beyond. This report and the scientific discoveries that follow are extended thank-you notes to the 20,000 team members. The telescope is working perfectly, with much better image quality than expected. In this and accompanying papers, we give a brief history, describe the observatory, outline its objectives and current observing program, and discuss the inventions and people who made it possible. We cite detailed reports on the design and the measured performance on orbit.Comment: Accepted by PASP for the special issue on The James Webb Space Telescope Overview, 29 pages, 4 figure

The Science Performance of JWST as Characterized in Commissioning

This paper characterizes the actual science performance of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), as determined from the six month commissioning period. We summarize the performance of the spacecraft, telescope, science instruments, and ground system, with an emphasis on differences from pre-launch expectations. Commissioning has made clear that JWST is fully capable of achieving the discoveries for which it was built. Moreover, almost across the board, the science performance of JWST is better than expected; in most cases, JWST will go deeper faster than expected. The telescope and instrument suite have demonstrated the sensitivity, stability, image quality, and spectral range that are necessary to transform our understanding of the cosmos through observations spanning from near-earth asteroids to the most distant galaxies.Comment: 5th version as accepted to PASP; 31 pages, 18 figures; https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1538-3873/acb29

INTEGRATED SPECIES DELIMITATION OF THE RINGNECK SNAKE DIADOPHIS PUNCTATUS IN A BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT**

The California Floristic Province (CFP) is considered one of the world’s 25 most biologically rich and endangered terrestrial ecoregions harboring more plant species than the central and northeastern United States and Canada combined, as well as over 30% of the known insect species north of Mexico. Widespread species in the CFP also show pronounced fine-scale genetic differences among populations, possibly resulting from the adaptation of populations to local environments and other species. Species are fundamental units of study in evolutionary biology, ecology, and conservation research. Inaccurate understanding of species diversity may lead to errors in analyses that use species as units (e.g., phylogenetic community structure analyses), and may hinder conservation efforts. Throughout California, seven sub-species have been traditionally recognized within the ringneck snake genus Diadophis based on morphological characters. Recent molecular studies using mitochondrial DNA recognized three distinct lineages within the CFP, leading many herpetologists to abandon the traditional morphologically-based subspecies. In this study, we take an integrative approach to species delimitation by combining genetic data from two mitochondrial genes, 6 nuclear loci and continuous morphological characters to assess the species diversity within the ringneck snake genus Diadophis distributed throughout the CFP. We jointly analyzed morphological and molecular data in a common coalescent Bayesian framework using the program iBPP. This method has been shown to improve the accuracy of species delimitation by integrating phenotypic and genetic data. The iBPP analysis was performed with and without mtDNA data to maximize the signal derived from phenotypic variation and to evaluate the influence of mtDNA sequence data on this integrated analysis. Our results provide new insights into the biodiversity of Diadophis within the CFP, and we highlight the importance of combining traditional character-based descriptions with computational genetic methods for species delimitation

Molecular dating and diversification of the South American lizard genus Liolaemus (subgenus Eulaemus) based on nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences

The temperate South American lizard genus Liolaemus is the one of the most widely distributed and species-rich genera of lizards on earth. The genus is divided into two subgenera, Liolaemus sensu stricto (the 'Chilean group') and Eulaemus (the 'Argentino group'), a division that is supported by recent molecular and morphological data. Owing to a lack of reliable fossil data, previous studies have been forced to use either global molecular clocks, a standardized mutation rate adopted from previous studies, or the use of geological events as calibration points. However, simulations indicate that these types of assumptions may result in less accurate estimates of divergence times when clock-like models or mutation rates are violated. We used a multilocus data set combined with a newly described fossil to provide the first calibrated phylogeny for the crown groups of the clade Eulaemus, and derive new fossil-calibrated substitution rates (with error) of both nuclear and mtDNA gene regions for Eulaemus specifically. Divergence date estimates for each of the crown groups and appropriate rate estimates will provide the foundation for understanding rates of speciation, historical biogeography, and phylogeographical history for various clades in one of the most diverse lizard genera in the poorly studied Patagonian region.Fil: Fontanella, Frank M.. Morehead State University; Estados UnidosFil: Olave, Melisa. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Avila, Luciano Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Sites, Jack W.. University Brigham Young; Estados UnidosFil: Morando, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; Argentin

CRYPTIC SPECIATION IN A BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOT: AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO SPECIES DELIMITATION IN THE RINGNECK SNAKE DIADOOPHIS PUNCTATUS

Earth’s biodiversity is in trouble. Global changes, from habitat loss and invasive species to anthropogenic climate change, have initiated the sixth great mass extinction event in Earth’s history. Conservation management is compromised by the absence of information on species presence or absence, abundance, ecology, and biogeography and has a direct impact on how state and federal governments utilize limited funding. The California Floristic Province (CFP) is a “biodiversity hotspot” containing more than 1500 endemic vascular plant species and greater than 70% habitat loss. Biodiversity hotspots face the highest threats because their resources and species cannot be replicated or found in any other regions on the planet. Studies of widespread species throughout the CFP have inferred pronounced fine-scale genetic differences among populations resulting from the adaptation to local environment. Since species are fundamental units of study, inaccurate assessments of species diversity may lead to errors in analyses that use species as units and hinder conservation efforts. Throughout California, seven sub-species have been traditionally recognized within the ringneck snake genus Diadophis based on morphological characters. Recent molecular studies using mitochondrial DNA recognized three distinct lineages within the CFP, leading many herpetologists to abandon the traditional morphologically-based subspecies. In this study, we take an integrative approach to species delimitation by combining genetic, morphological, and ecological data to assess the species diversity within the ringneck snake genus Diadophis distributed throughout the California Floristic Province. We utilized present-day climate models to project changes in endemic species\u27 range sizes, distribution, and diversity under future climate scenarios. Our results provide new insights into the biodiversity of Diadophis within the CFP and identify potential future range contractions or shifts due to climate change. These results can be used to inform conservation status assessments, prioritize habitat reserves, corridors, and essential microrefugia for conservation

Characterization of 10 polymorphic microsatellite loci in the South American lizard Liolaemus fitzingerii with cross-amplification in L. chehuachekenk

We describe the characterization of ten polymorphic microsatellite loci from the Liolaemus fitzingerii species complex with cross-amplification for nine of the 10 loci in L. chehuachekenk. The number of alleles within L. fitzingerii ranged from 7 to 24 and the observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.311 to 0.956 for 45 individuals. Nine of the ten loci conformed to Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and we did not detect linkage disequilibrium between loci in L. fitzingerii. Cross-species amplification in L. chehuachekenk was successful for nine of the ten loci with polymorphisms detected for each successfully amplified locus. These microsatellite loci are the first developed for the Eulaemus clade of the genus, and will aid in both ongoing and future studies focusing on gene flow, historical divergence and population structure within the Liolaemus fitzingerii species complex.Fil: Hanna, Nathan. University Brigham Young; Estados UnidosFil: Brown, Doug. University Brigham Young; Estados UnidosFil: Avila, Luciano Javier. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Sites Jr., Jack W.. University Brigham Young; Estados UnidosFil: Morando, Mariana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico; ArgentinaFil: Fontanella, Frank M.. University Brigham Young; Estados Unido

LpictusSeqNoGapAIS

Input file for the software Alleles In Spac