A shared genetic basis of mimicry across swallowtail butterflies points to ancestral co-option of doublesex

Uncovering whether convergent adaptations share a genetic basis is consequential for understanding the evolution of phenotypic diversity. This information can help us understand the extent to which shared ancestry or independent evolution shape adaptive phenotypes. In this study, we first ask whether the same genes underlie polymorphic mimicry in Papilio swallowtail butterflies. By comparing signatures of genetic variation between polymorphic and monomorphic species, we then investigate how ancestral variation, hybridization, and independent evolution contributed to wing pattern diversity in this group. We report that a single gene, doublesex (dsx), controls mimicry across multiple taxa, but with species-specific patterns of genetic differentiation and linkage disequilibrium. In contrast to widespread examples of phenotypic evolution driven by introgression, our analyses reveal distinct mimicry alleles. We conclude that mimicry evolution in this group was likely facilitated by ancestral polymorphism resulting from early co-option of dsx as a mimicry locus, and that evolutionary turnover of dsx alleles may underlie the wing pattern diversity of extant polymorphic and monomorphic lineages

Turbulence and mixing by internal waves in the Celtic Sea determined from ocean glider microstructure measurements

We present a new series of data from a 9-day deployment of an ocean microstructure glider (OMG) in the Celtic Sea during the summer of 2012. The OMG has been specially adapted to measure shear microstructure and coincident density structure from which we derive the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy (ε) and diapycnal diffusion rates (K). The methods employed to provide trustworthy turbulent parameters are described and data from 766 profiles of ε, temperature, salinity and density structure are presented. Surface and bottom boundary layers are intuitively controlled by wind and tidal forcing. Interior dynamics is dominated by a highly variable internal wave-field with peak vertical displacements in excess of 50 m, equivalent to over a third of the water depth. Following a relatively quiescent period internal wave energy, represented by the available potential energy (APE), increases dramatically close to the spring tide flow. Rather than follow the assumed spring-neap cycle however, APE is divided into two distinct peak periods lasting only one or two days. Pycnocline ε also increases close to the spring tide period and similar to APE, is distinguishable as two distinct energetic periods, however the timing of these periods is not consistent with APE. Pycnocline mixing associated with the observed ε is shown to be responsible for the majority of the observed reduction in bottom boundary layer density suggesting that diapycnal exchange is a key mechanism in controlling or limiting exchange between the continental shelf and the deep ocean. Results confirm pycnocline turbulence to be highly variable and difficult to predict however a log-normal distribution does suggest that natural variability could be reproduced if the mean state can be accurately simulated

Glider observations of enhanced deep water upwelling at a shelf break canyon: a mechanism for cross-slope carbon and nutrient exchange

Using underwater gliders we have identified canyon driven upwelling across the Celtic Sea shelf-break, in the vicinity of Whittard Canyon. The presence of this upwelling appears to be tied to the direction and strength of the local slope current, which is in itself highly variable. During typical summer time equatorward flow, an unbalanced pressure gradient force and the resulting disruption of geostrophic flow can lead to upwelling along the main axis of two small shelf break canyons. As the slope current reverts to poleward flow, the upwelling stops and the remnants of the upwelled features are mixed into the local shelf water or advected away from the region. The upwelled features are identified by the presence of sub-pycnocline high salinity water on the shelf, and are upwelled from a depth of 300 m on the slope, thus providing a mechanism for the transport of nutrients across the shelf break onto the shelf

Implementing the Five-A Model of technical refinement: Key roles of the sport psychologist

There is increasing evidence for the significant contribution provided by sport psychologists within applied coaching environments. However, this rarely considers their skills/knowledge being applied when refining athletes’ already learned and well-established motor skills. Therefore, this paper focuses on how a sport psychologist might assist a coach and athlete to implement long-term permanent and pressure proof refinements. It highlights key contributions at each stage of the Five-A Model—designed to deliver these important outcomes—providing both psychomotor and psychosocial input to the support delivery. By employing these recommendations, sport psychologists can make multiple positive contributions to completion of this challenging task

Incidence and risk factors for injury in non-elite netball.

This paper identifies the risk and protective factors for injury in non-elite netball. Three hundred and sixty eight non-elite netballers completed a baseline questionnaire at the commencement of the 1997 preseason. Participants were telephoned each month during the 1997 and 1998 playing seasons to provide details of their exposure at training and games and any injury experiences in the previous four weeks. The incidence of injury in this study was 14 injuries per 1000 player hours. The risk factors for injury were identified as: not warming up before a game (IRR 1.11, 95% CI 1.00 - 1.23) and not being open to new ideas (IRR 1.04, 95% CI 1.00 - 1.07). Training for four or more hours per week (IRR 0.66, 95% CI 0.45 - 0.98) and not sustaining an injury in the previous 12 months (IRR 0.58, 95% CI 0.43 - 0.79) were found to be protective against injury. The risk and protective factors for injury identified in this study can be used as the basis for the development of evidence-based injury prevention strategies that seek to reduce the risk of injury in sport. Injury prevention strategies should focus on the development of effective training programs that include netball-specific skills, activities and movements. Further investigation into the mechanisms associated with the risk and protective factors identified would provide further understanding of why these factors increase or decrease the risk of injury

Three-Charge Supertubes in a Rotating Black Hole Background

The low velocity scattering of a D0-F1 supertube in the background of a BMPV black hole has been investigated in the moduli space approximation by Marolf and Virmani. Here we extend the analysis to the case of the D0-D4-F1 supertube of Bena and Kraus. We find that, similarly to the two-charge case, there is a critical value of the supertube circumferential angular momentum; above this value an adiabatic merger with the black hole cannot occur. By reconsidering the calculation of supertube angular momentum in the transverse direction, correspondence between the worldvolume and supergravity descriptions is established. We also examine dynamical mergers and discuss their implications.Comment: 38 pages, 9 figures. New discussion of moduli space approximation vs. exact DBI action, references adde

A ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complex disrupts actin cytoskeleton assembly and blocks cytokinesis

The dinuclear Ru(II) complex [(Ru(phen) 2 ) 2 (tpphz)] 4+ (phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, tpphz = tetrapyridophenazine) “RuRuPhen” blocks the transformation of G-actin to F-actin filaments with no disassembly of pre-formed F-actin. Molecular docking studies indicate multiple RuRuPhen molecules bind to the surface of G-actin but not the binding pockets of established actin polymerisation inhibitors. In cells, addition of RuRuPhen causes rapid disruption to actin stress fibre organisation, compromising actomyosin contractility and cell motility, due to this effect RuRuPhen interferes with late-stage cytokinesis. Immunofluorescent microscopy reveals that RuRuPhen causes cytokinetic abscission failure by interfering with ESCRT complex recruitmen

Metastable States in Spin Glasses and Disordered Ferromagnets

We study analytically M-spin-flip stable states in disordered short-ranged Ising models (spin glasses and ferromagnets) in all dimensions and for all M. Our approach is primarily dynamical and is based on the convergence of a zero-temperature dynamical process with flips of lattice animals up to size M and starting from a deep quench, to a metastable limit. The results (rigorous and nonrigorous, in infinite and finite volumes) concern many aspects of metastable states: their numbers, basins of attraction, energy densities, overlaps, remanent magnetizations and relations to thermodynamic states. For example, we show that their overlap distribution is a delta-function at zero. We also define a dynamics for M=infinity, which provides a potential tool for investigating ground state structure.Comment: 34 pages (LaTeX); to appear in Physical Review

Tomato: a crop species amenable to improvement by cellular and molecular methods

Tomato is a crop plant with a relatively small DNA content per haploid genome and a well developed genetics. Plant regeneration from explants and protoplasts is feasable which led to the development of efficient transformation procedures. In view of the current data, the isolation of useful mutants at the cellular level probably will be of limited value in the genetic improvement of tomato. Protoplast fusion may lead to novel combinations of organelle and nuclear DNA (cybrids), whereas this technique also provides a means of introducing genetic information from alien species into tomato. Important developments have come from molecular approaches. Following the construction of an RFLP map, these RFLP markers can be used in tomato to tag quantitative traits bred in from related species. Both RFLP's and transposons are in the process of being used to clone desired genes for which no gene products are known. Cloned genes can be introduced and potentially improve specific properties of tomato especially those controlled by single genes. Recent results suggest that, in principle, phenotypic mutants can be created for cloned and characterized genes and will prove their value in further improving the cultivated tomato.