30 research outputs found

    Input of Invertebrate Biomass following Storm Events Links Aboveground and Belowground Systems

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    Madison Britton and Natalie Clay are a apart of the School of Biological Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. Courtney Siegert and Katy Limpert are a part of the Department of Forestry at Mississippi State University

    Bark Beetle Influence on Diversity of Leaf Litter Communities

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    The abstract for this presentation can be downloaded by clicking on the blue download button

    Ant and Detrital Communities Impacted by Bluestain Fungi (Ascomycota: Ophiostomatoid) Inoculation in Coarse Woody Debris

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    Casey Morin is a graduate student in the School of Biological Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. Juliet Tang is a member of the Forest Service in the United States Department of Agriculture. Courtney Siegert is in the College of Forest Resources at Mississippi State University. Nathan Little is a part of the USDA Forest Service in the Forest Products Laboratory, in the Durability and Wood Protection department, in Starkville, MS. John Riggins is in the department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, Entomology, & Plant Pathology at Mississippi State University. Natalie Clay is in the School of Biological Sciences at Louisiana Tech University. To view the abstract for their presentation Ant and Detrital Communities Impacted by Bluestain Fungi (Ascomycota: Ophiostomatoid) Inoculation in Coarse Woody Debris click on the blue download button

    Cómo afrontar los retos del intercambio de datos sobre el ADN

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    Las barreras administrativas y éticas del intercambio de datos sobre el ADN para la identificación de los migrantes encontrados a lo largo de la frontera entre Estados Unidos y México evidencian lo necesarias que son unas soluciones a largo plazo y unos procesos sostenibles

    The ClinGen Epilepsy Gene Curation Expert Panel—Bridging the divide between clinical domain knowledge and formal gene curation criteria

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    The field of epilepsy genetics is advancing rapidly and epilepsy is emerging as a frequent indication for diagnostic genetic testing. Within the larger ClinGen framework, the ClinGen Epilepsy Gene Curation Expert Panel is tasked with connecting two increasingly separate fields: the domain of traditional clinical epileptology, with its own established language and classification criteria, and the rapidly evolving area of diagnostic genetic testing that adheres to formal criteria for gene and variant curation. We identify critical components unique to the epilepsy gene curation effort, including: (a) precise phenotype definitions within existing disease and phenotype ontologies; (b) consideration of when epilepsy should be curated as a distinct disease entity; (c) strategies for gene selection; and (d) emerging rules for evaluating functional models for seizure disorders. Given that de novo variants play a prominent role in many of the epilepsies, sufficient genetic evidence is often awarded early in the curation process. Therefore, the emphasis of gene curation is frequently shifted toward an iterative precuration process to better capture phenotypic associations. We demonstrate that within the spectrum of neurodevelopmental disorders, gene curation for epilepsy-associated genes is feasible and suggest epilepsy-specific conventions, laying the groundwork for a curation process of all major epilepsy-associated genes

    Clinical validity assessment of genes frequently tested on intellectual disability/autism sequencing panels.

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    [en] PURPOSE: Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), such as intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), exhibit genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, making them difficult to differentiate without a molecular diagnosis. The Clinical Genome Resource Intellectual Disability/Autism Gene Curation Expert Panel (GCEP) uses systematic curation to distinguish ID/ASD genes that are appropriate for clinical testing (ie, with substantial evidence supporting their relationship to disease) from those that are not. METHODS: Using the Clinical Genome Resource gene-disease validity curation framework, the ID/Autism GCEP classified genes frequently included on clinical ID/ASD testing panels as Definitive, Strong, Moderate, Limited, Disputed, Refuted, or No Known Disease Relationship. RESULTS: As of September 2021, 156 gene-disease pairs have been evaluated. Although most (75%) were determined to have definitive roles in NDDs, 22 (14%) genes evaluated had either Limited or Disputed evidence. Such genes are currently not recommended for use in clinical testing owing to the limited ability to assess the effect of identified variants. CONCLUSION: Our understanding of gene-disease relationships evolves over time; new relationships are discovered and previously-held conclusions may be questioned. Without periodic re-examination, inaccurate gene-disease claims may be perpetuated. The ID/Autism GCEP will continue to evaluate these claims to improve diagnosis and clinical care for NDDs

    Interspecific differences in canopy-derived water, carbon, and nitrogen in upland oak-hickory forest

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    Oaks (Quercus) are a dominant forest species throughout much of the eastern United States. However, oak regeneration failure due to a myriad of issues (e.g., suppression of natural fire, excess nitrogen deposition, pressure from herbivore activity) is leading to a decline in oak dominance. This change may alter forest hydrology and nutrients through variation in species characteristics. Throughfall (TF) and stemflow (SF) quantity and chemistry were sampled during storm events under oak and non-oak (hickory, Carya) species to quantify differences in canopy-derived water and nutrients from an upland oak-hickory forest in Mississippi. Stemflow partitioning was 86% higher in hickory species compared to oak species (394.50 L m−2; p < 0.001). Across all species, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was 1.5 times greater in throughfall (p = 0.024) and 8.7 times greater in stemflow (p < 0.001) compared to rainfall. White oak DOC concentrations (TF: 22.8 ± 5.5 mg L−1; SF: 75.1 ± 9.5 mg L−1) were greater compared to hickory species (TF: 21.0 ± 18.3 mg L−1; SF: 34.5 ± 21.0 mg L−1) (p = 0.048). Results show that while smoother-barked hickory species generate more stemflow volume, rougher-barked oak species generate stemflow that is more enriched in nutrients, which is a function of the canopy characteristics of each species. Within a single stand, this study demonstrates how variable water and nutrient fluxes may be and provide insights into species-level variability in oak-hickory forest types that may be undergoing compositional changes
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