Similar patterns of linkage disequilibrium and nucleotide diversity in native and introduced populations of the pea aphid, Acyrthosiphon pisum

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The pea aphid, <it>Acyrthosiphon pisum</it>, is an emerging genomic model system for studies of polyphenisms, bacterial symbioses, host-plant specialization, and the vectoring of plant viruses. Here we provide estimates of nucleotide diversity and linkage disequilibrium (LD) in native (European) and introduced (United States) populations of the pea aphid. Because introductions can cause population bottlenecks, we hypothesized that U.S. populations harbor lower levels of nucleotide diversity and higher levels of LD than native populations.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We sampled four non-coding loci from 24 unique aphid clones from the U. S. (12 from New York and 12 from California) and 24 clones from Europe (12 alfalfa and 12 clover specialists). For each locus, we sequenced approximately 1 kb from two amplicons spaced ~10 kb apart to estimate both short range and longer range LD. We sequenced over 250 kb in total. Nucleotide diversity averaged 0.6% across all loci and all populations. LD decayed slowly within ~1 kb but reached much lower levels over ~10 kb. Contrary to our expectations, neither LD nor nucleotide diversity were significantly different between native and introduced populations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Both introduced and native populations of pea aphids exhibit low levels of nucleotide diversity and moderate levels of LD. The introduction of pea aphids to North America has not led to a detectable reduction of nucleotide diversity or increase in LD relative to native populations.</p

The Holy Spirit in Christianity and in the world

This study begins with a search for the Christian understanding of the Holy Spirit as found in the Scriptures and in the writings of the Fathers of the Early Church. It examines the exclusive nature of the Church's understanding of the activity of the Holy Spirit and reflects upon what it means for a Christian to live a life "in the Spirit". Selected documents of the Vatican II Council are examined in order to underline the shift in the Church's understanding of the Holy Spirit from an exclusive to an inclusive view of the Holy Spirit. This study is discussed within the framework of the terms exclusivism, inclusivism and pluralism which have come into use since Vatican II. It seeks to clarify the possible and probable position that the Holy Spirit is active in other World Faiths

Structure of the sialylated L3 lipopolysaccharide of Neisseria meningitidis.

The L3 immunotype lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Neisseria meningitidis was subjected to degradation procedures, which produced a number of different oligosaccharide fragments. The high resolution 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopic analyses of these oligosaccharides yielded structural information on a number of different regions of the LPS. For example, from one oligosaccharide, it was found that the endogenous sialylation of the meningococcal LPS occurs at O-3 of the terminal beta-D-galactopyranosyl residue of its lacto-N-neotetraose antenna in the alpha-D-configuration. From another, it was also established that the dominant structural feature responsible for L3 epitope specificity is the presence of a phosphorylethanolamine substituent at O-3 of the penultimate heptopyranosyl residue of its other antenna. In addition from information obtained with another oligosaccharide the structure of the 3-deoxy-D-manno-octulosonic acid disaccharide region of the L3 LPS was also elucidated. From all the above cumulative data plus some published data, it was then possible to reconstruct the complete structure of the entire native L3 LPS

Natural genetic variation in transcriptome reflects network structure inferred with major effect mutations: insulin/TOR and associated phenotypes in Drosophila melanogaster

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>A molecular process based genotype-to-phenotype map will ultimately enable us to predict how genetic variation among individuals results in phenotypic alterations. Building such a map is, however, far from straightforward. It requires understanding how molecular variation re-shapes developmental and metabolic networks, and how the functional state of these networks modifies phenotypes in genotype specific way. We focus on the latter problem by describing genetic variation in transcript levels of genes in the InR/TOR pathway among 72 <it>Drosophila melanogaster </it>genotypes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We observe tight co-variance in transcript levels of genes not known to influence each other through direct transcriptional control. We summarize transcriptome variation with factor analyses, and observe strong co-variance of gene expression within the dFOXO-branch and within the TOR-branch of the pathway. Finally, we investigate whether major axes of transcriptome variation shape phenotypes expected to be influenced through the InR/TOR pathway. We find limited evidence that transcript levels of individual upstream genes in the InR/TOR pathway predict fly phenotypes in expected ways. However, there is no evidence that these effects are mediated through the major axes of downstream transcriptome variation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>In summary, our results question the assertion of the 'sparse' nature of genetic networks, while validating and extending candidate gene approaches in the analyses of complex traits.</p

Egc: A Time-Frequency Augmented Template-Based Method For Gravitational Wave Burst Search In Ground-Based Interferometers

The detection of burst-type events in the output of ground gravitational wave detectors is particularly challenging. The potential variety of astrophysical waveforms, as proposed by simulations and analytic studies in general relativity and the discrimination of actual signals from instrumental noise both are critical issues. Robust methods that achieve reasonable detection performances over a wide range of signals are required. We present here a hybrid burst-detection pipeline related to time–frequency transforms while based on matched filtering to provide robustness against noise characteristics. Studies on simulated noise show that the algorithm has a detection efficiency similar to other methods over very different waveforms and particularly good timing even for low amplitude signals: no bias for most tested waveforms and an average accuracy of 1.1 ms (down to 0.1 ms in the best case). Time–frequency-type parameters, useful for event classification, are also derived for noise spectral densities unfavourable to standard time–frequency algorithms

Parameter identification of the STICS crop model, using an accelerated formal MCMC approach

This study presents a Bayesian approach for the parameters’ identification of the STICS crop model based on the recently developed Differential Evolution Adaptive Metropolis (DREAM) algorithm. The posterior distributions of nine specific crop parameters of the STICS model were sampled with the aim to improve the growth simulations of a winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) culture. The results obtained with the DREAM algorithm were initially compared to those obtained with a Nelder-Mead Simplex algorithm embedded within the OptimiSTICS package. Then, three types of likelihood functions implemented within the DREAM algorithm were compared, namely the standard least square, the weighted least square, and a transformed likelihood function that makes explicit use of the coefficient of variation (CV). The results showed that the proposed CV likelihood function allowed taking into account both noise on measurements and heteroscedasticity which are regularly encountered in crop modellingPeer reviewe

An elliptical tiling method to generate a 2-dimensional set of templates for gravitational wave search

Searching for a signal depending on unknown parameters in a noisy background with matched filtering techniques always requires an analysis of the data with several templates in parallel in order to ensure a proper match between the filter and the real waveform. The key feature of such an implementation is the design of the filter bank which must be small to limit the computational cost while keeping the detection efficiency as high as possible. This paper presents a geometrical method which allows one to cover the corresponding physical parameter space by a set of ellipses, each of them being associated to a given template. After the description of the main characteristics of the algorithm, the method is applied in the field of gravitational wave (GW) data analysis, for the search of damped sine signals. Such waveforms are expected to be produced during the de-excitation phase of black holes -- the so-called 'ringdown' signals -- and are also encountered in some numerically computed supernova signals.Comment: Accepted in PR

Annexin-A5 assembled into two-dimensional arrays promotes cell membrane repair

Eukaryotic cells possess a universal repair machinery that ensures rapid resealing of plasma membrane disruptions. Before resealing, the torn membrane is submitted to considerable tension, which functions to expand the disruption. Here we show that annexin-A5 (AnxA5), a protein that self-assembles into two-dimensional (2D) arrays on membranes upon Ca2+ activation, promotes membrane repair. Compared with wild-type mouse perivascular cells, AnxA5-null cells exhibit a severe membrane repair defect. Membrane repair in AnxA5-null cells is rescued by addition of AnxA5, which binds exclusively to disrupted membrane areas. In contrast, an AnxA5 mutant that lacks the ability of forming 2D arrays is unable to promote membrane repair. We propose that AnxA5 participates in a previously unrecognized step of the membrane repair process: triggered by the local influx of Ca2+, AnxA5 proteins bind to torn membrane edges and form a 2D array, which prevents wound expansion and promotes membrane resealing

Brainstem Respiratory Oscillators Develop Independently of Neuronal Migration Defects in the Wnt/PCP Mouse Mutant looptail

The proper development and maturation of neuronal circuits require precise migration of component neurons from their birthplace (germinal zone) to their final positions. Little is known about the effects of aberrant neuronal position on the functioning of organized neuronal groups, especially in mammals. Here, we investigated the formation and properties of brainstem respiratory neurons in looptail (Lp) mutant mice in which facial motor neurons closely apposed to some respiratory neurons fail to migrate due to loss of function of the Wnt/Planar Cell Polarity (PCP) protein Vangl2. Using calcium imaging and immunostaining on embryonic hindbrain preparations, we found that respiratory neurons constituting the embryonic parafacial oscillator (e-pF) settled at the ventral surface of the medulla in Vangl2Lp/+ and Vangl2Lp/Lp embryos despite the failure of tangential migration of its normally adjacent facial motor nucleus. Anatomically, the e-pF neurons were displaced medially in Lp/+ embryos and rostro-medially Lp/Lp embryos. Pharmacological treatments showed that the e-pF oscillator exhibited characteristic network properties in both Lp/+ and Lp/Lp embryos. Furthermore, using hindbrain slices, we found that the other respiratory oscillator, the preBötzinger complex, was also anatomically and functionally established in Lp mutants. Importantly, the displaced e-pF oscillator established functional connections with the preBötC oscillator in Lp/+ mutants. Our data highlight the robustness of the developmental processes that assemble the neuronal networks mediating an essential physiological function