A New Species of Boubou (Malaconotidae: Laniarius) from the Albertine Rift

We describe Laniarius willardi, a new species of boubou shrike (Malaconotidae) from the Albertine Rift of Africa. The most conspicuous, distinguishing morphological feature of the species is a gray to blue-gray iris. This and external morphometric data indicate that L. willardi is diagnosable from other black or sooty boubous. Further, L. willardi is genetically diagnosable, and its closest relative is the Mountain Sooty Boubou (L. poensis camerunensis) from Cameroon. The Crimson-breasted Bush-shrike (L. atrococcineus) and the Lowland Sooty Boubou (L. leucorhynchus) are together the sister clade to L. willardi—L.p. camerunensis. Laniarius willardi and the geographically codistributed L. p. holomelas differ by 11.5% in uncorrected sequence divergence, and elevational data taken from museum specimens suggest the possibility of elevational segregation of the species at ∼2,000 m, withL. willardi occurring at lower elevations. Our broad sampling of black and sooty boubou taxa indicate that (1) races of Mountain Sooty Boubou (L. poensis) do not form a monophyletic clade; (2) L. p. camerunensismay represent multiple, nonsister lineages; and (3) at least one race of Fülleborn\u27s Black Boubou (L. fuelleborni usambaricus) is genetically distinct from other races of that species

Combining remote sensing techniques and field surveys for post‑earthquake reconnaissance missions

Remote reconnaissance missions are promising solutions for the assessment of earthquake induced structural damage and cascading geological hazards. Space-borne remote sensing can complement in-field missions when safety and accessibility concerns limit post-earthquake operations on the ground. However, the implementation of remote sensing techniques in post-disaster missions is limited by the lack of methods that combine different techniques and integrate them with field survey data. This paper presents a new approach for rapid post-earthquake building damage assessment and landslide mapping, based on Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data. The proposed texture-based building damage classification approach exploits very high resolution post-earthquake SAR data integrated with building survey data. For landslide mapping, a backscatter intensity-based landslide detection approach, which also includes the separation between landslides and flooded areas, is combined with optical-based manual inventories. The approach was implemented during the joint Structural Extreme Event Reconnaissance, GeoHazards International and Earthquake Engineering Field Investigation Team mission that followed the 2021 Haiti Earthquake and Tropical Cyclone Grace

Bacterial porin disrupts mitochondrial membrane potential and sensitizes host cells to apoptosis

The bacterial PorB porin, an ATP-binding beta-barrel protein of pathogenic Neisseria gonorrhoeae, triggers host cell apoptosis by an unknown mechanism. PorB is targeted to and imported by host cell mitochondria, causing the breakdown of the mitochondrial membrane potential (delta psi m). Here, we show that PorB induces the condensation of the mitochondrial matrix and the loss of cristae structures, sensitizing cells to the induction of apoptosis via signaling pathways activated by BH3-only proteins. PorB is imported into mitochondria through the general translocase TOM but, unexpectedly, is not recognized by the SAM sorting machinery, usually required for the assembly of beta-barrel proteins in the mitochondrial outer membrane. PorB integrates into the mitochondrial inner membrane, leading to the breakdown of delta psi m. The PorB channel is regulated by nucleotides and an isogenic PorB mutant defective in ATP-binding failed to induce delta psi m loss and apoptosis, demonstrating that dissipation of delta psi m is a requirement for cell death caused by neisserial infection

Spring temperature responses of oaks are synchronous with North Atlantic conditions during the last deglaciation

Paleoclimate proxies based on the measurement of xylem cell anatomy have rarely been developed across the temperature range of a species or applied to wood predating the most recent millennium. Here we describe wood anatomy-based proxies for spring temperatures in central North America from modern bur oaks (Quercus macrocarpa Michx.). The strong coherence of temperature signals across the species range supports the use of these proxies across thousands of years of climatic change. We also used 79 subfossil oak log cross sections from northern Missouri, ¹⁴C-dated to 9.9-13.63 ka (ka is 1000 cal yr BP), to assess the frequency of oak deposition into alluvial sediments and a subset of these oaks for a wood anatomy-based reconstruction of spring paleotemperatures. Temperatures during the Younger Dryas cold period (YD) were up to 3.5 degrees C lower than modern temperatures for that region, equivalent to or lower than those experienced at the northern edge of the modern species range. Compared to extant oaks growing at much higher [CO₂], subfossil oaks had greater vessel frequencies. Besides very low theoretical (or estimated) xylem conductivity near the beginning of the oak record near 13.6 ka, vessel frequencies greater than modern trees compensated for reduced vessel dimensions so that theoretical xylem conductivity was consistently above that of modern trees at the cold northern sites. Significant correlations were found between the frequency of ¹⁴C-dated oaks and either delta δ¹⁸O from the NGRIP (North Greenland Ice Core Project) ice core or from the Cariaco grayscale marine-sediment record from the southern Caribbean sea. Oak deposition into alluvial sediments during the YD was significantly lower than expected given the average sample depth of oaks from 9.9 to 13.6 ka. Reduced oak deposition during the YD suggests that an abrupt shift in climate reduced oak populations across the region and/or changed the rates of channel movement across drainages.Keywords: Pleistocene, Quercus macrocarpa, Holocene, Pre-Boreal, Younger Dryas, Radiocarbon, Wood anatomy, Great Plains\, USA, Phenology, Bolling-Allerod, Xylem, Bur oa

Smoking reduces surfactant protein D and phospholipids in patients with and without chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Pulmonary surfactant D (SP-D) has important regulatory functions for innate immunity and has been implicated as a biomarker for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). We hypothesized that COPD patients would have reduced bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid SP-D levels compared to healthy smoking and non-smoking controls.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>BAL SP-D and phospholipids were quantified and corrected for dilution in 110 subjects (65 healthy never smokers, 23 smokers with normal spirometry, and 22 smokers with COPD).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>BAL SP-D was highest in never smokers (mean 51.9 μg/mL ± 7.1 μg/mL standard error) compared to both smokers with normal spirometry (16.0 μg/mL ± 11.8 μg/mL) and subjects with COPD (19.1 μg/mL ± 12.9 μg/mL; P < 0.0001). Among smokers with COPD, BAL SP-D correlated significantly with FEV₁% predicted (R = 0.43; P < 0.05); however, the strongest predictor of BAL SP-D was smoking status. BAL SP-D levels were lowest in current smokers (12.8 μg/mL ± 11.0 μg/mL), intermediate in former smokers (25.2 μg/mL ± 14.2 μg/mL; P < 0.008), and highest in never smokers. BAL phospholipids were also lowest in current smokers (6.5 nmol ± 1.5 nmol), intermediate in former smokers (13.1 nmol ± 2.1 nmol), and highest in never smokers (14.8 nmol ± 1.1 nmol; P < 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These data suggest that smokers, and especially current smokers, exhibit significantly reduced BAL SP-D and phospholipids compared to nonsmokers. Our findings may help better explain the mechanism that leads to the rapid progression of disease and increased incidence of infection in smokers.</p

A dynamic leaf gas-exchange strategy is conserved in woody plants under changing ambient CO2: evidence from carbon isotope discrimination in paleo and CO2 enrichment studies

Rising atmospheric [CO2 ], ca , is expected to affect stomatal regulation of leaf gas-exchange of woody plants, thus influencing energy fluxes as well as carbon (C), water and nutrient cycling of forests. Researchers have proposed various strategies for stomatal regulation of leaf gas-exchange that include maintaining a constant leaf internal [CO2 ], ci , a constant drawdown in CO2 (ca - ci ), and a constant ci /ca . These strategies can result in drastically different consequences for leaf gas-exchange. The accuracy of Earth systems models depends in part on assumptions about generalizable patterns in leaf gas-exchange responses to varying ca . The concept of optimal stomatal behavior, exemplified by woody plants shifting along a continuum of these strategies, provides a unifying framework for understanding leaf gas-exchange responses to ca . To assess leaf gas-exchange regulation strategies, we analyzed patterns in ci inferred from studies reporting C stable isotope ratios (δ(13) C) or photosynthetic discrimination (∆) in woody angiosperms and gymnosperms that grew across a range of ca spanning at least 100 ppm. Our results suggest that much of the ca -induced changes in ci /ca occurred across ca spanning 200 to 400 ppm. These patterns imply that ca - ci will eventually approach a constant level at high ca because assimilation rates will reach a maximum and stomatal conductance of each species should be constrained to some minimum level. These analyses are not consistent with canalization towards any single strategy, particularly maintaining a constant ci . Rather, the results are consistent with the existence of a broadly conserved pattern of stomatal optimization in woody angiosperms and gymnosperms. This results in trees being profligate water users at low ca , when additional water loss is small for each unit of C gain, and increasingly water-conservative at high ca , when photosystems are saturated and water loss is large for each unit C gain. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Rising atmospheric [CO2], c(a), is expected to affect stomatal regulation of leaf gas-exchange of woody plants, thus influencing energy fluxes as well as carbon (C), water, and nutrient cycling of forests. Researchers have proposed various strategies for stomatal regulation of leaf gas-exchange that include maintaining a constant leaf internal [CO2], c(i), a constant drawdown in CO2 (c(a)-c(i)), and a constant c(i)/c(a). These strategies can result in drastically different consequences for leaf gas-exchange. The accuracy of Earth systems models depends in part on assumptions about generalizable patterns in leaf gas-exchange responses to varying c(a). The concept of optimal stomatal behavior, exemplified by woody plants shifting along a continuum of these strategies, provides a unifying framework for understanding leaf gas-exchange responses to c(a). To assess leaf gas-exchange regulation strategies, we analyzed patterns in c(i) inferred from studies reporting C stable isotope ratios (C-13) or photosynthetic discrimination () in woody angiosperms and gymnosperms that grew across a range of c(a) spanning at least 100ppm. Our results suggest that much of the c(a)-induced changes in c(i)/c(a) occurred across c(a) spanning 200 to 400ppm. These patterns imply that c(a)-c(i) will eventually approach a constant level at high c(a) because assimilation rates will reach a maximum and stomatal conductance of each species should be constrained to some minimum level. These analyses are not consistent with canalization toward any single strategy, particularly maintaining a constant c(i). Rather, the results are consistent with the existence of a broadly conserved pattern of stomatal optimization in woody angiosperms and gymnosperms. This results in trees being profligate water users at low c(a), when additional water loss is small for each unit of C gain, and increasingly water-conservative at high c(a), when photosystems are saturated and water loss is large for each unit C gain

iCLIP Predicts the Dual Splicing Effects of TIA-RNA Interactions

Transcriptome-wide analysis of protein-RNA interactions predicts the dual splicing effects of TIA proteins, showing that their local enhancing function is associated with diverse distal splicing silencing effects

Large-Scale Assessment of the Zebrafish Embryo as a Possible Predictive Model in Toxicity Testing

Background: In the drug discovery pipeline, safety pharmacology is a major issue. The zebrafish has been proposed as a model that can bridge the gap in this field between cell assays (which are cost-effective, but low in data content) and rodent assays (which are high in data content, but less cost-efficient). However, zebrafish assays are only likely to be useful if they can be shown to have high predictive power. We examined this issue by assaying 60 water-soluble compounds representing a range of chemical classes and toxicological mechanisms. Methodology/Principal Findings: Over 20,000 wild-type zebrafish embryos (including controls) were cultured individually in defined buffer in 96-well plates. Embryos were exposed for a 96 hour period starting at 24 hours post fertilization. A logarithmic concentration series was used for range-finding, followed by a narrower geometric series for LC 50 determination. Zebrafish embryo LC50 (log mmol/L), and published data on rodent LD50 (log mmol/kg), were found to be strongly correlated (using Kendall’s rank correlation tau and Pearson’s product-moment correlation). The slope of the regression line for the full set of compounds was 0.73403. However, we found that the slope was strongly influenced by compound class. Thus, while most compounds had a similar toxicity level in both species, some compounds were markedly more toxic in zebrafish than in rodents, or vice versa. Conclusions: For the substances examined here, in aggregate, the zebrafish embryo model has good predictivity for toxicit

Multi-ancestry GWAS of the electrocardiographic PR interval identifies 202 loci underlying cardiac conduction

The electrocardiographic PR interval reflects atrioventricular conduction, and is associated with conduction abnormalities, pacemaker implantation, atrial fibrillation (AF), and cardiovascular mortality. Here we report a multi-ancestry (N=293,051) genome-wide association meta-analysis for the PR interval, discovering 202 loci of which 141 have not previously been reported. Variants at identified loci increase the percentage of heritability explained, from 33.5% to 62.6%. We observe enrichment for cardiac muscle developmental/contractile and cytoskeletal genes, highlighting key regulation processes for atrioventricular conduction. Additionally, 8 loci not previously reported harbor genes underlying inherited arrhythmic syndromes and/or cardiomyopathies suggesting a role for these genes in cardiovascular pathology in the general population. We show that polygenic predisposition to PR interval duration is an endophenotype for cardiovascular disease, including distal conduction disease, AF, and atrioventricular pre-excitation. These findings advance our understanding of the polygenic basis of cardiac conduction, and the genetic relationship between PR interval duration and cardiovascular disease. On the electrocardiogram, the PR interval reflects conduction from the atria to ventricles and also serves as risk indicator of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Here, the authors perform genome-wide meta-analyses for PR interval in multiple ancestries and identify 141 previously unreported genetic loci.Peer reviewe

The CMS Phase-1 pixel detector upgrade

The CMS detector at the CERN LHC features a silicon pixel detector as its innermost subdetector. The original CMS pixel detector has been replaced with an upgraded pixel system (CMS Phase-1 pixel detector) in the extended year-end technical stop of the LHC in 2016/2017. The upgraded CMS pixel detector is designed to cope with the higher instantaneous luminosities that have been achieved by the LHC after the upgrades to the accelerator during the first long shutdown in 2013–2014. Compared to the original pixel detector, the upgraded detector has a better tracking performance and lower mass with four barrel layers and three endcap disks on each side to provide hit coverage up to an absolute value of pseudorapidity of 2.5. This paper describes the design and construction of the CMS Phase-1 pixel detector as well as its performance from commissioning to early operation in collision data-taking.Peer reviewe