Breastfeeding, breast milk and viruses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>There is seemingly consistent and compelling evidence that there is no association between breastfeeding and breast cancer. An assumption follows that milk borne viruses cannot be associated with human breast cancer.</p> <p>We challenge this evidence because past breastfeeding studies did not determine "exposure" of newborn infants to colostrum and breast milk.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We conducted a prospective review of 100 consecutive births of infants in the same centre to determine the proportion of newborn infants who were "exposed" to colostrum or breast milk, as distinct from being fully breast fed. We also report a review of the breastfeeding practices of mothers of over 87,000 newborn infants in the Australian State of New South Wales.</p> <p>This study was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the University of New South Wales (Sydney, Australia). Approval 05063, 29 September 2005.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Virtually all (97 of 100) newborn infants in this centre were "exposed" to colostrum or breast milk whether or not they were fully breast fed. Between 82.2% to 98.7% of 87,000 newborn infants were "exposed" to colostrum or breast milk.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In some Western communities there is near universal exposure of new born infants to colostrum and breast milk. Accordingly it is possible for the transmission of human milk borne viruses. This is contrary to the widespread assumption that human milk borne viruses cannot be associated with breast cancer.</p

A bioinventory of select terrestrial insects at Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve (Will County, Illinois)

We conducted an inventory of select terrestrial insect groups at Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve in 2011 and 2012. A total of 823 unique species, representing 19 orders of Hexapods, were recorded using a variety of sampling methods (including: light trapping, pitfall trapping, sweep net, vacuum sample, litter sample, soil core, wine rope, visual transect). Intensive studies focused on springtails (Collembola), grasshoppers, crickets and katydids (Orthoptera), true bugs (Hemiptera: Heteroptera), leafhoppers and kin (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha), ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) and butterflies and macromoths (Lepidoptera). We estimate that our records comprise around 11% of the total fauna of Hexapoda that occur at this 315--‐acre site. We evaluated sampling completeness for each group and compared, richness, diversity and evenness across habitat types. Special attention was focused on midwestern remnant dependent species, conservative prairie and savanna insects of the Chicago Wilderness region, and species that appear on Illinois' list of species in greatest need of conservation. We provide the Forest Preserve District of Will County with management recommendations relating to the terrestrial for this site, as well as a large collection of images covering many of the species we encountered. Braidwood Dunes and Savanna Nature Preserve contains a variety of rare and understudied species, some of which have only infrequently been encountered. These animals play a Cover photo: Papaipema speciosissima (Noctuidae), the Osmunda Borer Moth 3 wide variety of roles within the ecosystem and various habitats, and warrant special consideration and appreciation not only by land managers but also by the members of the public with an interest in the natural world.unpublishednot peer reviewe

Time-calibrated phylogenetic trees establish a lag between polyploidisation and diversification in Nicotiana (Solanaceae)

We investigate the timing of diversification in allopolyploids of Nicotiana (Solanaceae) utilising sequence data of maternal and paternal origin to look for evidence of a lag phase during which diploidisation took place. Bayesian relaxed clock phylogenetic methods show recent allopolyploids are a result of several unique polyploidisation events, and older allopolyploid sections have undergone subsequent speciation at the polyploid level (i.e. a number of these polyploid species share a singular origin). The independently formed recent polyploid species in the genus all have mean age estimates below 1 million years ago (Ma). Nicotiana  section Polydicliae (two species) evolved 1.5 Ma, N. section Repandae (four species) formed 4 Ma, and N. section Suaveolentes (*35 species) is about 6 million years old. A general trend of higher speciation rates in older polyploids is evident, but diversification dramatically increases at approximately 6 Ma (in section Suaveolentes). Nicotiana sect. Suaveolentes has spectacularly radiated to form 35 species in Australia and some Pacific islands following a lag phase of almost 6 million years. Species have filled new ecological niches and undergone extensive diploidisation (e.g. chromosome fusions bringing the ancestral allotetraploid number, n = 24, down to n = 15 and ribosomal loci numbers back to diploid condition). Considering the progenitors of Suaveolentes inhabit South America, this represents the colonisation of Australia by polyploids that have subsequently undergone a recent radiation into new environments. To our knowledge, this study is the first report of a substantial lag phase being investigated below the family level

The Effect of Inappropriate Calibration: Three Case Studies in Molecular Ecology

Time-scales estimated from sequence data play an important role in molecular ecology. They can be used to draw correlations between evolutionary and palaeoclimatic events, to measure the tempo of speciation, and to study the demographic history of an endangered species. In all of these studies, it is paramount to have accurate estimates of time-scales and substitution rates. Molecular ecological studies typically focus on intraspecific data that have evolved on genealogical scales, but often these studies inappropriately employ deep fossil calibrations or canonical substitution rates (e.g., 1% per million years for birds and mammals) for calibrating estimates of divergence times. These approaches can yield misleading estimates of molecular time-scales, with significant impacts on subsequent evolutionary and ecological inferences. We illustrate this calibration problem using three case studies: avian speciation in the late Pleistocene, the demographic history of bowhead whales, and the Pleistocene biogeography of brown bears. For each data set, we compare the date estimates that are obtained using internal and external calibration points. In all three cases, the conclusions are significantly altered by the application of revised, internally-calibrated substitution rates. Collectively, the results emphasise the importance of judicious selection of calibrations for analyses of recent evolutionary events

Cratocorydalopsis Jepson & Heads, 2016, gen. nov.

Genus: &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis&lt;/i&gt; gen. nov. &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Etymology.&lt;/b&gt; Genus-group name formed from a combination of Crato, after the Crato Formation, &lt;i&gt;corydal&lt;/i&gt; from &lt;i&gt;Corydalus&lt;/i&gt; an extant genus of Corydalidae, and &lt;i&gt;&mdash;opsis&lt;/i&gt; (from ὄ&psi;&iota;&sigmav;) which means appearance.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Type species.&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis brasiliensis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. et sp. nov.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Diagnosis.&lt;/b&gt; &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; differs from other genera of Corydalidae by a combination of the following characters: elongate forewing: length 26 mm; wing colouration: dark apex and base, pale centre; broad hind wing; free branch of MA in hind wing, long, forming a long cell between it and R; crossveins within Rs and M regularly spaced forming two gradate series; MA forked near wing margin; MP1 forked; CuA deeply forked at midpoint; long sinuous cua-cup crossvein; No tibial spur.&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt; &lt;b&gt;Comparison.&lt;/b&gt; The absence of a bilobed 4th tarsomere in &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; separates it from taxa in Sialidae and Corydasialidae. &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; can be separated from Parasialidae and further separated from Sialidae by its general wing venation. &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; has a medium length forewing, which is larger than &lt;i&gt;Cretochaulus&lt;/i&gt;: 10 mm, &lt;i&gt;Lithocorydalus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt;: 17 mm, but smaller than &lt;i&gt;Eochauliodes&lt;/i&gt;: 30 mm, and &lt;i&gt;Jurachauliodes&lt;/i&gt;: 35 mm. Its wing coloration differs from &lt;i&gt;Cretochaulus&lt;/i&gt; (which is dark), &lt;i&gt;Lithocorydalus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov&lt;/b&gt;, (which is very dark), &lt;i&gt;Eochauliodes&lt;/i&gt;, which is hyaline with dark stripes, and &lt;i&gt;Jurachauliodes&lt;/i&gt;, which has a possible wing colouration pattern of hyaline with some dark patches. &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; has the majority of Rs branches simple, the posterior branch of Rs in the forewing is not fully preserved (all branches are simple in hind wing), &lt;i&gt;Lithocorydalus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; has Rs branches all poorly preserved in forewing (terminations not preserved) and all simple in hind wing, &lt;i&gt;Cretochaulus&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Eochauliodes&lt;/i&gt; have Rs branches that are all forked, and &lt;i&gt;Jurachauliodes&lt;/i&gt; has Rs branches that are all forked in the forewing, and in the hind wing all but one is forked. The broad hind wing in &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; is shared with all other fossil genera except &lt;i&gt;Lithocorydalus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt;, which has a more elongate hind wing. The free branch of MA is present in the other fossil genera except &lt;i&gt;Eochauliodes&lt;/i&gt; (possibly not preserved), which appears absent. The crossveins are numerous and irregularly spaced in &lt;i&gt;Eochauliodes&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Jurachauliodes&lt;/i&gt;, in &lt;i&gt;Cretochaulus&lt;/i&gt; they are poorly preserved. The forking of MA near the wing margin in &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; differs from &lt;i&gt;Cretochaulus&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Lithocorydalus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt;, which have a simple MA. MP 1 in &lt;i&gt;Lithocorydalus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; is simple, in &lt;i&gt;Cretochaulus&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Eochauliodes&lt;/i&gt; it is forked, and &lt;i&gt;Jurachauliodes&lt;/i&gt; differs by its MP1 forking twice. The structure of CuA is similar to &lt;i&gt;Cretochaulus&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Jurachauliodes&lt;/i&gt;, but differs from &lt;i&gt;Eochauliodes&lt;/i&gt;, which forks more distally. The cua-cup crossvein in &lt;i&gt;Cretochaulus&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Lithocorydalus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; is unknown, and in &lt;i&gt;Eochauliodes&lt;/i&gt; it is absent, &lt;i&gt;Jurachauliodes&lt;/i&gt; has two cua-cup crossveins, with one of the cua-cup crossveins being sinuous. The absence of a tibial spur in &lt;i&gt;Cratocorydalopsis&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt; is also observed in &lt;i&gt;Lithocorydalus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;b&gt;gen. nov.&lt;/b&gt;, in &lt;i&gt;Cretochaulus&lt;/i&gt; it is unknown, in &lt;i&gt;Eochauliodes&lt;/i&gt; and &lt;i&gt;Jurachauliodes&lt;/i&gt; it is present.&lt;/p&gt;Published as part of &lt;i&gt;Jepson, James E. &amp; Heads, Sam W., 2016, Fossil Megaloptera (Insecta: Neuropterida) from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil, pp. 134-144 in Zootaxa 4098 (1)&lt;/i&gt; on page 136, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4098.1.5, &lt;a href="http://zenodo.org/record/265539"&gt;http://zenodo.org/record/265539&lt;/a&gt

Lithocorydalus fuscata

Lithocorydalus fuscata gen. et sp. nov. Figure 2 2007 Megaloptera gen. et sp. nov.: Martins-Neto et al. p 331, 339, fig. 11.69 c. Etymology. From fuscous meaning ‘dark’ in reference to the dark wings of the specimen. Type material. SMNS 66000 - 248, almost complete insect preserved ventral side up, from the Crato Formation, Brazil, Lower Cretaceous, Aptian. Diagnosis. As for genus. Description. Forewing: 17.9 mm long, 5.5 mm wide. C complete, 15 subcostal veinlets, costal area narrows distally. Sc and R 1 close together throughout length, most likely fusing distally towards wing apex (fusion not preserved). Rs+MA at acute angle from R 1. Rs poorly preserved, termination of Rs 1, Rs 2 not preserved. MA continues at acute angle, simple for most of its length, termination not preserved. Two rs 1 -ma crossveins preserved. MP deeply forked, MP 1, MP 2 simple. One ma-mp 1 crossvein preserved. CuA poorly preserved. CuP and anal veins not preserved. Hind wing: 17.6 mm preserved length. C complete, costal area narrow with 15 subcostal veinlets preserved. Sc and R 1 close together throughout length, fusing distally, fusion not preserved. Three rs-r 1 crossveins preserved. Rs originating distally before mid point of wing, fusing with MA after very short distance. Rs with three branches One crossvein preserved in radial sector. Free branch of MA long, forming a long narrow cell between it and R. RS+MA at acute angle, MA continues at same angle, straight and simple. Two nygmata present between MA and MP, before fork of MP and at mid point of vein between MA and MP. MP deeply forked before midpoint of vein. MP 1, MP 2 simple. Three ma-mp 1 crossveins preserved. Cu deeply forked (fork not preserved); CuA and CuP poorly preserved. One mp-cua crossvein preserved. Anal veins not preserved. Body. Preserved ventral side up. Head 3 mm long, 3.3 mm wide. Eyes 1.3 mm long, 0.6 mm wide. Antennae partially preserved, 15 flagellomeres on the right and 13 on the left. Scape preserved, 0.3 mm long, 0.4 mm wide. Mouthparts, Mandibles preserved with serrated edge, 0.9 mm long, 0.8 mm wide. Prothorax incomplete, 1.8 mm long, 2.9 mm wide. Mesothorax 2.3 mm long, 4.3 mm wide. Metathorax 1.7 mm wide, 4.3 mm wide. Legs poorly preserved. Femur incomplete, tibia 2.3 mm long, no tibial spur, 4 th tarsal segment simple. Abdomen 8.3 mm long.Published as part of Jepson, James E. & Heads, Sam W., 2016, Fossil Megaloptera (Insecta: Neuropterida) from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil, pp. 134-144 in Zootaxa 4098 (1) on page 141, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4098.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/26553

Cratocorydalopsis brasiliensis

Cratocorydalopsis brasiliensis gen. et sp. nov. Figure 1 2007 Megaloptera gen. et sp. nov.: Martins-Neto et al. p 331, 339, fig. 11.69 b. Etymology. After Brazil, the location of the Crato Formation. Type material. SMNS 66000 - 247, almost complete insect preserved in ventral view, from the Crato Formation, Brazil, Lower Cretaceous, Aptian. Diagnosis. As for genus. Description. Forewing: length 25 mm, width 8.2 mm. C complete, 11 simple subcostal veinlets preserved. Costal area narrows towards wing apex. Sc and R 1 fused distally. Rs origin not preserved; four rs-r 1 crossveins preserved. Rs four branched, Rs 1 poorly preserved termination not observed. MA incomplete, origin and termination not preserved. MP deeply forked, termination of both branches not preserved. Cu poorly preserved. CuA forked at mid-length of vein. CuP very partially preserved. Anal veins not preserved. Hind wing: Broad, basally widened; length 23.5 mm, width 8.3 mm. C complete, costal area narrow throughout length, 12 simple subcostal veinlets preserved. Sc fusing with R 1 distally. Rs origin preserved, three rs-r 1 crossveins preserved. Rs with four branches. Four crossveins preserved within radial sector. Three rs 1 -ma crossveins preserved. Crossveins in radial sector and MA forming two gradate series. Free branch of MA long, forming long narrow cell between it and R. MA forking distally. MP deeply forked, MP 1 forked distally, MP 2 simple. Two ma-mp 1, one mp 1 -mp 2 crossveins preserved. Cu deeply forked into CuA and CuP, CuA forked at mid-length of vein, CuP simple. Two mp-cua crossveins preserved. Long sinuous cua-cup crossvein. Anal veins not preserved. Body preserved ventral surface up. Head 4.4 mm long, 5.6 mm wide. Eyes, large 2 mm long, 1 mm wide. Antennae filiform, partially preserved, four flagellomeres on left, eight flagellomeres on right. Mouthparts partially preserved; clypeus, labrum and maxillary palp present. Prothorax 3 mm long, 4 mm wide (at widest point) tapering slightly toward metathorax. Mesothorax 2 mm long, 5.4 mm wide, metathorax 2.2 mm long, 5.4 mm wide. Legs poorly preserved, most fragmentary, right mesothoarcic leg 6 mm long, tibia partially preserved, no tibial spur, tarsus with 4 th tarsal segment simple. Abdomen poorly preserved, 9.2 mm long, structures difficult to ascertain.Published as part of Jepson, James E. & Heads, Sam W., 2016, Fossil Megaloptera (Insecta: Neuropterida) from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil, pp. 134-144 in Zootaxa 4098 (1) on pages 138-139, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4098.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/26553

Fossil Megaloptera (Insecta: Neuropterida) from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil

Jepson, James E., Heads, Sam W. (2016): Fossil Megaloptera (Insecta: Neuropterida) from the Lower Cretaceous Crato Formation of Brazil. Zootaxa 4098 (1): 134-144, DOI: http://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4098.1.