A Cladistic Analysis of \u3cem\u3endh\u3c/em\u3eF Sequences from Representative Species of \u3cem\u3eSaintpaulia\u3c/em\u3e and \u3cem\u3eStreptocarpus\u3c/em\u3e Subgenera and \u3cem\u3eStreptocarpella\u3c/em\u3e (Gesneriaceae)

Two African genera of the Gesneriaceae, Saintpaulia and Streptocarpus, are similar in many respects. Both genera have blue to purple flowers, pollen of similar shape and exine sculpting, embryos with one-celled uninucleate chalazal haustoria, shared vegetative structures among some species, and are among the few genera in the Gesneriaceae which include species with chromosome count of n=15. Similarity of these features has indicated that the two genera are likely to be closely related. This study examines the sequences of the chloroplast gene ndhF among several representative Saintpaulia and representatives of Streptocarpus subgenera Streptocarpella and Streptocarpus. The results of this analysis are congruent with those of previous analysis based on the nuclear ribosomal region, ITS. Saintpaulia was found to be nested within Streptocarpus and Streptocarpella. The results raise the possibility of the taxonomic revision of these genera, and this is discussed. Comparisons between the data sets are made regarding utility of the two regions, sample size and outgroup

Geologic structure map of the northwestern Illinois zinc-lead district

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Sex Ratio at Birth and Mortality Rates Are Negatively Related in Humans

Evolutionary theory posits that resource availability and parental investment ability could signal offspring sex selection, in order to maximize reproductive returns. Non-human studies have provided evidence for this phenomenon, and maternal condition around the time of conception has been identified as most important factor that influence offspring sex selection. However, studies on humans have reported inconsistent results, mostly due to use of disparate measures as indicators of maternal condition. In the present study, the cross-cultural differences in human natal sex ratio were analyzed with respect to indirect measures of condition namely, life expectancy and mortality rate. Multiple regression modeling suggested that mortality rates have distinct predictive power independent of cross-cultural differences in fertility, wealth and latitude that were earlier shown to predict sex ratio at birth. These findings suggest that sex ratio variation in humans may relate to differences in parental and environmental conditions

Boys are more stunted than girls in Sub-Saharan Africa: a meta-analysis of 16 demographic and health surveys

BACKGROUND: Many studies in sub-Saharan Africa have occasionally reported a higher prevalence of stunting in male children compared to female children. This study examined whether there are systematic sex differences in stunting rates in children under-five years of age, and how the sex differences in stunting rates vary with household socio-economic status. METHODS: Data from the most recent 16 demographic and health surveys (DHS) in 10 sub-Saharan countries were analysed. Two separate variables for household socio-economic status (SES) were created for each country based on asset ownership and mothers' education. Quintiles of SES were constructed using principal component analysis. Sex differentials with stunting were assessed using Student's t-test, chi square test and binary logistic regressions. RESULTS: The prevalence and the mean z-scores of stunting were consistently lower amongst females than amongst males in all studies, with differences statistically significant in 11 and 12, respectively, out of the 16 studies. The pooled estimates for mean z-scores were -1.59 for boys and -1.46 for girls with the difference statistically significant (p < 0.001). The stunting prevalence was also higher in boys (40%) than in girls (36%) in pooled data analysis; crude odds ratio 1.16 (95% CI 1.12–1.20); child age and individual survey adjusted odds ratio 1.18 (95% CI 1.14–1.22). Male children in households of the poorest 40% were more likely to be stunted compared to females in the same group, but the pattern was not consistent in all studies, and evaluation of the SES/sex interaction term in relation to stunting was not significant for the surveys. CONCLUSION: In sub-Saharan Africa, male children under five years of age are more likely to become stunted than females, which might suggest that boys are more vulnerable to health inequalities than their female counterparts in the same age groups. In several of the surveys, sex differences in stunting were more pronounced in the lowest SES groups

β-Carbonic Anhydrases Play a Role in Fruiting Body Development and Ascospore Germination in the Filamentous Fungus Sordaria macrospora

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is among the most important gases for all organisms. Its reversible interconversion to bicarbonate (HCO3−) reaches equilibrium spontaneously, but slowly, and can be accelerated by a ubiquitous group of enzymes called carbonic anhydrases (CAs). These enzymes are grouped by their distinct structural features into α-, β-, γ-, δ- and ζ-classes. While physiological functions of mammalian, prokaryotic, plant and algal CAs have been extensively studied over the past years, the role of β-CAs in yeasts and the human pathogen Cryptococcus neoformans has been elucidated only recently, and the function of CAs in multicellular filamentous ascomycetes is mostly unknown. To assess the role of CAs in the development of filamentous ascomycetes, the function of three genes, cas1, cas2 and cas3 (carbonic anhydrase of Sordaria) encoding β-class carbonic anhydrases was characterized in the filamentous ascomycetous fungus Sordaria macrospora. Fluorescence microscopy was used to determine the localization of GFP- and DsRED-tagged CAs. While CAS1 and CAS3 are cytoplasmic enzymes, CAS2 is localized to the mitochondria. To assess the function of the three isoenzymes, we generated knock-out strains for all three cas genes (Δcas1, Δcas2, and Δcas3) as well as all combinations of double mutants. No effect on vegetative growth, fruiting-body and ascospore development was seen in the single mutant strains lacking cas1 or cas3, while single mutant Δcas2 was affected in vegetative growth, fruiting-body development and ascospore germination, and the double mutant strain Δcas1/2 was completely sterile. Defects caused by the lack of cas2 could be partially complemented by elevated CO2 levels or overexpression of cas1, cas3, or a non-mitochondrial cas2 variant. The results suggest that CAs are required for sexual reproduction in filamentous ascomycetes and that the multiplicity of isoforms results in redundancy of specific and non-specific functions

The bii4africa dataset of faunal and floral population intactness estimates across Africa’s major land uses

Sub-Saharan Africa is under-represented in global biodiversity datasets, particularly regarding the impact of land use on species’ population abundances. Drawing on recent advances in expert elicitation to ensure data consistency, 200 experts were convened using a modified-Delphi process to estimate ‘intactness scores’: the remaining proportion of an ‘intact’ reference population of a species group in a particular land use, on a scale from 0 (no remaining individuals) to 1 (same abundance as the reference) and, in rare cases, to 2 (populations that thrive in human-modified landscapes). The resulting bii4africa dataset contains intactness scores representing terrestrial vertebrates (tetrapods: ±5,400 amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals) and vascular plants (±45,000 forbs, graminoids, trees, shrubs) in sub-Saharan Africa across the region’s major land uses (urban, cropland, rangeland, plantation, protected, etc.) and intensities (e.g., large-scale vs smallholder cropland). This dataset was co-produced as part of the Biodiversity Intactness Index for Africa Project. Additional uses include assessing ecosystem condition; rectifying geographic/ taxonomic biases in global biodiversity indicators and maps; and informing the Red List of Ecosystems

Defining and predicting surgeon utilization at forward surgical teams in Afghanistan

Background: The forward surgical team (FST) is the US Army’s smallest surgical element. These teams have supported current conflicts since 2001. The purpose of this study was to determine if surgeon utilization varied at two different FSTs and to determine factors that may predict the need for a surgeon. Method: Data from two FSTs were reviewed. A t-test was used to compare the military injury severity scores (mISS) and the revised trauma scores (RTS). χ2 analysis was used to compare types and mechanisms of injury and to compare life- or limb-saving surgeries (LLSS) and life-saving interventions among the FSTs. Logistic regression was used to determine if mISS, RTS, physiologic parameters, or laboratory values predicted the need for LLSS or life-saving intervention. Results: The 541st FST treated a larger volume of patients than the 772nd FST (n = 761 versus n = 311). The 772nd FST performed a significantly higher percentage of LLSS; however, absolute number of LLSS was 31 at both FSTs. The mISS among operative patients were similar, but RTS were significantly different (772nd FST = 7.28 versus 541st FST = 7.58, P = 0.008). The 772nd FST saw a higher percentage of motor vehicle collision and rocketpropelled grenade injuries and thoracic and neurologic injuries, and the 541st FST saw a higher percentage of blast and gunshot wound injuries and abdominal injuries. Lactate level was the most significant predictor of the need for LLSS. Conclusion: Although percentage of surgical interventions varied between the two FSTs, the absolute number of needed surgical interventions was the same and was small. Lactate level predicted the need for surgical intervention in our population

Evolution of \u3cem\u3eCyrtandra\u3c/em\u3e (Gesneriaceae) in the Pacific Ocean: The Origin of a Supertramp Clade

Cyrtandra comprises at least 600 species distributed throughout Malesia, where it is known for many local endemics and in Polynesia and Micronesia, where it is present on most island groups, and is among the most successfully dispersing genera of the Pacific. To ascertain the origin of the oceanic Pacific island species of Cyrtandra, we sequenced the internal transcribed spacers of nuclear ribosomal DNA of samples from throughout its geographical range. Because all oceanic Pacific island species form a well-supported clade, these species apparently result from a single initial colonization into the Pacific, possibly by a species from the eastern rim of SE Asia via a NW-to-SE stepping stone migration. Hawaiian species form a monophyletic group, probably as a result of a single colonization. The Pacific island clade of Cyrtandra dispersed across huge distances, in contrast to the apparent localization of the SE Asian clades. Although highly vagile, the Pacific clade is restricted to oceanic islands. Individual species are often endemic to a single island, characteristic of the supertramp life form sensu Diamond (1974, Science 184: 803–806). The evolution of fleshy fruit within Cyrtandra provided an adaptation for colonization throughout the oceanic Pacific via bird dispersal from a single common ancestor

Delimitación de especies y origen de poblaciones en representantes insulares de Phylica (Rhamnaceae)

Relationships between the closely related island species of Phylica (Rhamnaceae) and a mainland species,P. paniculata, were elucidated using ampli?ed fragment length polymorphisms (AFLPs). Parsimony, neighbor joining,and principal coordinate (PCO) analyses indicated that each of the species studied is distinct. AFLPs were also usefulin elucidating the genetic relationships and possible infraspeci?c origins of different island populations in the Atlanticand Indian Oceans. Phylica nitida on Re´union is likely to have been derived from P. nitida on Mauritius. Althoughthe sampling on New Amsterdam is not extensive, the data are also consistent with the hypothesis that P. arborea onNew Amsterdam was derived from a single colonization of P. arborea from Gough Island. Similarly, the Gough Islandpopulation appears to have been derived from a single colonization event, but it is so distinct from those on Tristanda Cunha, that there may have been two separate dispersals to Gough and Tristan/Nightingale from different lines ofthe mainland progenitor. There is also evidence of a recolonization from Gough to Tristan da Cunha. Thus, Phylicaarborea is capable of repeated long distance dispersal, up to 8000 km, even though the fruits and seeds are not of atype normally associated with this phenomenon