Ancestral mitogenome capture of the Southeast Asian banded linsang

Utilising a reconstructed ancestral mitochondrial genome of a clade to design hybridisation capture baits can provide the opportunity for recovering mitochondrial sequences from all its descendent and even sister lineages. This approach is useful for taxa with no extant close relatives, as is often the case for rare or extinct species, and is a viable approach for the analysis of historical museum specimens. Asiatic linsangs (genus Prionodon) exemplify this situation, being rare Southeast Asian carnivores for which little molecular data is available. Using ancestral capture we recover partial mitochondrial genome sequences for seven banded linsangs (P. linsang) from historical specimens, representing the first intraspecific genetic dataset for this species. We additionally assemble a high quality mitogenome for the banded linsang using shotgun sequencing for time-calibrated phylogenetic analysis. This reveals a deep divergence between the two Asiatic linsang species (P. linsang, P. pardicolor), with an estimated divergence of ~12 million years (Ma). Although our sample size precludes any robust interpretation of the population structure of the banded linsang, we recover two distinct matrilines with an estimated tMRCA of ~1 Ma. Our results can be used as a basis for further investigation of the Asiatic linsangs, and further demonstrate the utility of ancestral capture for studying divergent taxa without close relatives

Inventarisatie van projecten relevant voor MEP Winning Suppletiezand 2014 - 2017

In de Noordzee wordt jaarlijks een grote hoeveelheid zand gewonnen om de Nederlandse kust door middel van suppleties te beschermen tegen overstroming. Voor het winnen van het zand is een vergunning nodig in het kader van de Ontgrondingenwet. MERs dienen ter onderbouwing van vergunningaanvragen. Ten behoeve van het MEP Winning Suppletiezand 2013 – 2017 hebben Rijkswaterstaat, Stichting LaMer en het Hoogheemraadschap Hollands Noorderkwartier aan IMARES gevraagd een inventarisatie te maken van lopende onderzoeks- en monitoringprojecten waarvan de uitkomsten relevant kunnen zijn voor de invulling van het MEP. Indien gesignaleerde kennisleemtes al in andere projecten worden ingevuld kan het MEP zandwinning zich beter richten op kennislacunes die nog niet geadresseerd worden in andere studies. Ook kan samenwerking gezocht worden met andere studies op basis van de inventarisatie

Contrasting influences of inundation and land use on the rate of floodplain restoration

This study examined the assisted natural restoration of native vegetation in an Australian floodplain wetland where flows were reinstated and the river was reconnected to the floodplain, following cessation of agricultural cultivation. Extant vegetation was surveyed three times during an inundation event at plots with different land‐use histories. Restoration rate was more influenced by past land use than long‐term inundation frequency and success decreased with antecedent land‐use intensity. Prolonged land‐use history (>3 years cultivation) restricted restoration success. Sites with longer cultivation histories tended to have fewer aquatic species, more terrestrial species and exotic species. For example, amphibious responders with floating leaves were found only in reference plots and less frequently in farmed treatment plots. In this scenario, increased persistence of exotics and dryland species suggested alternative trajectories. Fields with a short land‐use history (1–3 years of clearing and cultivation) resembled undisturbed floodplain communities, consistent with a ‘field of dreams’ hypothesis. Although river–floodplain reconnections can restore wetlands, legacy effects of past land use may limit the pace and outcomes of restoration.Australian Postgraduate AwardAustralian Research Council. Grant Number: DE120102221ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions Australian Research Council Linkage Project. Grant Number: LP088416

A case study evaluation of competitors undertaking an antarctic ultra-endurance event: nutrition, hydration and body composition variables

Background: The nutritional demands of ultra-endurance racing are well documented. However, the relationship between nutritional consumption and performance measures are less obvious for athletes competing in Polar conditions. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate dietary intake, hydration status, body composition and performance times throughout an 800-km Antarctic race. Methods: The event organisers declared that 17 competitors would participate in the South Pole race. Of the 17 competitors, pre-race data were collected from 13 participants (12 males and 1 female (M±SD): age: 40.1±8.9 years; weight 83.9±10.3kg; and body fat percentage: 21.9±3.8%). Dietary recall, body composition and urinary osmolarity were assessed pre-race, midway checkpoint and end race. Data were compared on the basis of fast finishers (the Norwegian team (n=3) who won in a record of 14 day) and slower finishers (the remaining teams (n=10) reaching the South Pole between 22 and 28 days). Results: The percentage contribution of macronutrients to daily energy intake for all participants was as follows: carbohydrate (CHO) - 23.7% (221±82 g.day-1), fat = 60.6% (251±127g.day-1) and protein = 15.7% (117±52g.day-1). Energy demands were closer met by faster finishers compared to slower finishers (5,332±469 vs. 3,048±1,140kcal.day-1, p=0.02). Average reduction in body mass throughout the race was 8.3±5.5kg, with an average loss of lean mass of 2.0±4.1kg. There as a significant negative correlation between changes in lean mass and protein intake (p=0.03), and lean mass and energy intake (p=0.03). End-race urinary osmolarity was significantly elevated for faster finishers compared to slower finishers and control volunteers (faster finishers: 933±157mOsmol.L-1; slower finishers: 543±92mOsmol.L-1; control: 515±165mOsmol.L-1, p+0.04). Conclusions: Throughout the race, both groups were subjected to a negative change in energy balance which partly explained reduced body mass. Carbohydrate availability was limited inferring a greater reliance on fat and protein metabolism. Consequently, loss in fat-free mass was more prevalent with insufficient protein and caloric intake, which may relate to performance

A western route of prehistoric human migration from Africa into the Iberian Peninsula

Being at the western fringe of Europe, Iberia had a peculiar prehistory and a complex pattern of Neolithization. A few studies, all based on modern populations, reported the presence of DNA of likely African origin in this region, generally concluding it was the result of recent gene flow, probably during the Islamic period. Here, we provide evidence of much older gene flow from Africa to Iberia by sequencing whole genomes from four human remains from northern Portugal and southern Spain dated around 4000 years BP (from the Middle Neolithic to the Bronze Age). We found one of them to carry an unequivocal sub-Saharan mitogenome of most probably West or West-Central African origin, to our knowledge never reported before in prehistoric remains outside Africa. Our analyses of ancient nuclear genomes show small but significant levels of sub-Saharan African affinity in several ancient Iberian samples, which indicates that what we detected was not an occasional individual phenomenon, but an admixture event recognizable at the population level. We interpret this result as evidence of an early migration process from Africa into the Iberian Peninsula through a western route, possibly across the Strait of Gibraltar

Rancang Bangun Sistem Simulasi Denyut Nadi Pergelangan Tangan pada Vital Sign Simulator sebagai Media Pembelajaran Keterampilan Medik Mahasiswa Kedokteran

Salah satu kompetensi yang harus dikuasai oleh mahasiswa kedokteran/calon dokter adalah keterampilan klinik. Komponen keterampilan klinik ini meliputi pemeriksaan fisik berupa tanda vital (vital sign) dari seorang pasien. Diperlukan pelatihan keterampilan pemeriksaan tanda vital khususnya denyut nadi untuk meningkatkan kompetensi calon dokter tersebut. Oleh karena itu perlu dikembangkan simulator denyut nadi pada pergelangan tangan/artery radialis berbasis simulasi pasien berupa jaket/kaos menset yang dilengkapi “sistem pintar”. Dengan demikian mahasiswa kedokteran dapat berlatih pengukuran tanda vital dengan tetap memperhatikan etika komunikasi dan profesionalisme. Pada penelitian ini rancang bangun sistem simulasi denyut nadi dengan menggunakan mikrokontroller ATMega16 dan aktuator berupa katup solenoid serta pompa udara. Data yang ditampilkan di LCD berupa pencacah denyut nadi, set point jumlah denyut nadi, dan timer.Dari penelitian ini dihasilkan rancang bangun alat simulasi denyut nadi pada pergelangan tangan/artery radialis dengan rentang 0-180 denyut/menit dan memiliki tingkat akurasi sebesar 99,98% dari metode Palpasi dan 99,95% dari metode penggunaan sensor piezoelectric

The genetic legacy of extreme exploitation in a polar vertebrate

Understanding the effects of human exploitation on the genetic composition of wild populations is important for predicting species persistence and adaptive potential. We therefore investigated the genetic legacy of large-scale commercial harvesting by reconstructing, on a global scale, the recent demographic history of the Antarctic fur seal (Arctocephalus gazella), a species that was hunted to the brink of extinction by 18th and 19th century sealers. Molecular genetic data from over 2,000 individuals sampled from all eight major breeding locations across the species’ circumpolar geographic distribution, show that at least four relict populations around Antarctica survived commercial hunting. Coalescent simulations suggest that all of these populations experienced severe bottlenecks down to effective population sizes of around 150–200. Nevertheless, comparably high levels of neutral genetic variability were retained as these declines are unlikely to have been strong enough to deplete allelic richness by more than around 15%. These findings suggest that even dramatic short-term declines need not necessarily result in major losses of diversity, and explain the apparent contradiction between the high genetic diversity of this species and its extreme exploitation history

Multi-omics for studying and understanding polar life

Polar ecosystems are experiencing amongst the most rapid rates of regional warming on Earth. Here, we discuss ‘omics’ approaches to investigate polar biodiversity, including the current state of the art, future perspectives and recommendations. We propose a community road map to generate and more fully exploit multi-omics data from polar organisms. These data are needed for the comprehensive evaluation of polar biodiversity and to reveal how life evolved and adapted to permanently cold environments with extreme seasonality. We argue that concerted action is required to mitigate the impact of warming on polar ecosystems via conservation efforts, to sustainably manage these unique habitats and their ecosystem services, and for the sustainable bioprospecting of novel genes and compounds for societal gain