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Distribution and evolution of the Anopheles punctulatus group (Diptera: Culicidae) in Australia and Papua New Guinea.

The members of the Anopheles punctulatus group are major vectors of malaria and Bancroftian filariasis in the southwest Pacific region. The group is comprised of 12 cryptic species that require DNA-based tools for species identification. From 1984 to 1998 surveys were carried out in northern Australia, Papua New Guinea and on islands in the southwest Pacific to determine the distribution of the A. punctulatus group. The results of these surveys have now been completed and have generated distribution data from more than 1500 localities through this region. Within this region several climatic and geographical barriers were identified that restricted species distribution and gene flow between geographic populations. This information was further assessed in light of a molecular phylogeny derived from the ssrDNA (18S). Subsequently, hypotheses have been generated on the evolution and distribution of the group so that future field and laboratory studies may be approached more systematically. This study suggested that the ability for widespread dispersal was found to have appeared independently in species that show niche-specific habitat preference (Anopheles farauti s.s. and A. punctulatus) and conversely in species that showed diversity in their larval habitat (Anopheles farauti 2). Adaptation to the monsoonal climate of northern Australia and southwest Papua New Guinea was found to have appeared independently in A. farauti s.s., A. farauti 2 and Anopheles farauti 3. Shared or synapomorphic characters were identified as saltwater tolerance (A. farauti s.s. and Anopheles farauti 7) and elevational affinities above 1500 m (Anopheles farauti 5, Anopheles farauti 6 and A. farauti 2).

Animals↗

Serial radiography in the infant shaken impact syndrome.

Certain CT and/or MRI abnormalities have been used medicolegally to time intracranial injuries from the infant shaken impact syndrome (ISIS). For example, parenchymal hypodensities on CT scans are said to arise only after 6-48 h have elapsed postinjury, and the presence of chronic or mixed subdural hematomas suggests injury that occured 1-4 weeks prior. However, these statements are based largely upon inference from data obtained in other conditions such as ischemic anoxic injury and chronic subdural hemorrhage in adults. Direct evidence about the evolution of intracranial injuries in infants with ISIS is sparse, and the radiographic changes following ISIS have never been systematically studied on serial imaging studies. One hundred-seventeen serial CT and MRI scans obtained from 33 infants with ISIS were reviewed retrospectively. The exact scan dates and times were obtained directly from the scans. Acute subdural hemorrhage was the most common intracranial abnormality and was present in 27 (81%) of the 33 infants. Other intracranial abnormalities included chronic subdural collections, subarachnoid hemorrhage, epidural hematomas, parenchymal hypodensities, edema and contusions, and atrophy and encephalomalacia. In 15 of the 33 infants, the injury could be timed with reasonable certainty, and the evolution of the radiographic changes followed over time. Six of the 15 infants had evidence of prior cranial trauma such as chronic subdural collections (5 infants) or mild atrophy (1 infant). Of the remaining 9 infants, parenchymal abnormalities such as hypodensities, edema and contusion appeared in virtually all of the initial scans performed approximately 3 h following the report of injury. One 'chronic' subdural collection was absent on the first scan performed 2.75 h postinjury, but appeared on a second scan performed 17 h later, suggesting that some 'chronic' subdural fluid collections may arise much sooner than previously thought. These findings challenge some of the current dogma about the timing of radiographic changes following abuse and are important in timing the alleged abuse for legal purposes.

Battered Child Syndrome↗

Organization and structural evolution of four multigene families in Arabidopsis thaliana: AtLCAD, AtLGT, AtMYST and AtHD-GL2.

The Arabidopsis Genome Initiative has released up to now more than 80% of the genome sequence of Arabidopsis thaliana. About 70% of the identified genes have at least one paralogue. In order to understand the biological function of individual genes, it is essential to study the structure, expression and organization of the entire multigene family. A systematic analysis of multigene families, made possible by the amount of genomic sequence data available, provides important clues for the understanding of genome evolution and plasticity. In this paper, four multigene families of A. thaliana are characterized, namely LCAD, HD-GL2, LGT and MYST. Members of HD-GL2 and LCAD have already been reported in plants. The LGT genes specify proteins containing motifs of glycosyl transferase. No plant genes similar to the LGT genes have been reported to date. The novel MYST family, most likely plant-specific, encodes proteins with no identified function. Sequencing and in silico analysis led to the characterization of 29 novel genes belonging to these four gene families. The organization, structure and evolution of all the members of the four families are discussed, as well as their chromosome location. Expression data of some of the paralogues of each family are also presented.

Alcohol Oxidoreductases↗

Origin of a substantial fraction of human regulatory sequences from transposable elements.

Transposable elements (TEs) are abundant in mammalian genomes and have potentially contributed to their hosts' evolution by providing novel regulatory or coding sequences. We surveyed different classes of regulatory region in the human genome to assess systematically the potential contribution of TEs to gene regulation. Almost 25% of the analyzed promoter regions contain TE-derived sequences, including many experimentally characterized cis-regulatory elements. Scaffold/matrix attachment regions (S/MARs) and locus control regions (LCRs) that are involved in the simultaneous regulation of multiple genes also contain numerous TE-derived sequences. Thus, TEs have probably contributed substantially to the evolution of both gene-specific and global patterns of human gene regulation.

5' Untranslated Regions↗

Florian Znaniecki: creative evolution of a sociologist.

Znaniecki devoted his creative life to a constant reexamination of the basic problems of sociology: its subject matter and that methodology through which it can be studied. The developments in his thought can be traced with the help of the prefaces to his books, in which he explains the location of that work in his over-all effort to develop a systematic sociology, the major influences on his thought and his arguments with other theories. Starting as a philosopher with a special interest in the evolution of values, he spent years as a result of Thomas's influence attempting to find a psychological base for human behavior, finally abandoning the attempt in favor of systems of social interaction. He focused on four such systems: social relation, social role, social groups, and societies.

Creativity↗

Comparative genomic and proteomic analysis reveals orthogroup structured evolution of tick protease inhibitors.

Protease inhibitors (PIs) play central roles in regulating endogenous proteolysis and host-parasite interactions in ticks. However, the evolutionary architecture underlying their diversification across tick lineages remains insufficiently resolved. Here, we performed a genome-wide comparative analysis of predicted proteomes from 14 tick species to systematically characterize PI repertoires. In total, 4931 putative PIs were identified and grouped into 20 families using the MEROPS classification system. Further, PI families such as Antistasin, WAP-type, and Pacifastin, which have not previously been systematically reported in tick genomes, were classified. Orthogroup inference demonstrated that PI expansion is structured at the level of evolutionary lineages rather than uniformly across families. By stratifying orthogroups according to duplication burden and taxonomic conservation, we identified a broadly conserved single-copy core under strong purifying selection. Motif level analysis of serpin reactive center loops further revealed conservation of inhibitory specificity within single copy orthogroups and diversification of key functional residues in duplication-associated lineages. Integration of secretion prediction and tissue-resolved proteomics from Hyalomma anatolicum and Rhipicephalus microplus demonstrated that evolutionary stratification is reflected at the protein level. Together, these findings provide an orthogroup-resolved evolutionary framework linking duplication dynamics, molecular evolution, and tissue-level protein deployment. This integrative approach offers a systematic basis for prioritizing conserved and diversified PI lineages for future functional and anti-tick intervention studies.

Animals↗

Cestode systematics: any progress?

In this short review, I summarize the recent advances, the present state and future for research in the field of cestode systematics. First, within an historical context, I briefly outline why our understanding of relationships within the Eucestoda has been problematic and contentious. On this foundation, I then summarize and discuss recent progress at various supraspecific levels, and at the specific level. Of particular interest in this respect is the discrepancy between the methods applied to understand the evolution of a few well-studied taxa, for instance the complex of Echinococcus species, contrasted with our relative ignorance about the systematic status of the vast majority of species. This leads to a review of the diversity of classical and new methodologies currently applied in the field of cestode systematics. Applications of morphoanatomical investigations as well as more recent molecular tools are examined, and some less common approaches are also reviewed. Finally, several practical and theoretical difficulties that are specific to the domain are discussed. These include problems in accessibility of material and adequate consideration of host-specificity. Our current state of knowledge represents an apparent paradox in that significant progress has indeed been achieved during the last 15 years, but appears limited to very specific cases, principally among medically important taxa. Conversely, more general works whose utility has been long recognized have not been addressed despite their conceptual simplicity. Consequently the development of new techniques, especially molecular ones, to allow access to new classes of characters is encouraged. However the need for continuous effort using more traditional approaches, including continued field collection, excellent and detailed descriptions and redescriptions, as well as critical revisions of classical monographs is also emphasized. A synergism linking morphological and molecular characters and phylogenetic approaches to analysis provides a firm foundation for rapid and seminal advances in the elucidation of relationships among the Eucestoda.

Animals↗

Conservation and evolution of cis-regulatory systems in ascomycete fungi.

Relatively little is known about the mechanisms through which gene expression regulation evolves. To investigate this, we systematically explored the conservation of regulatory networks in fungi by examining the cis-regulatory elements that govern the expression of coregulated genes. We first identified groups of coregulated Saccharomyces cerevisiae genes enriched for genes with known upstream or downstream cis-regulatory sequences. Reasoning that many of these gene groups are coregulated in related species as well, we performed similar analyses on orthologs of coregulated S. cerevisiae genes in 13 other ascomycete species. We find that many species-specific gene groups are enriched for the same flanking regulatory sequences as those found in the orthologous gene groups fromS. cerevisiae, indicating that those regulatory systems have been conserved in multiple ascomycete species. In addition to these clear cases of regulatory conservation, we find examples of cis-element evolution that suggest multiple modes of regulatory diversification, including alterations in transcription factor-binding specificity, incorporation of new gene targets into an existing regulatory system, and cooption of regulatory systems to control a different set of genes. We investigated one example in greater detail by measuring the in vitro activity of the S. cerevisiae transcription factor Rpn4p and its orthologs from Candida albicans and Neurospora crassa. Our results suggest that the DNA binding specificity of these proteins has coevolved with the sequences found upstream of the Rpn4p target genes and suggest that Rpn4p has a different function in N. crassa.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Sperm nuclear basic proteins (SNBPs) of agnathans and chondrichthyans: variability and evolution of sperm proteins in fish.

We have characterized for the first time SNBPs from the hagfish Eptatratus stouti (Myxini) and the lamprey Lampetra tridentatus (Cephalaspidomorphi) and have found that histones are the major protein components of the sperm of these agnathans. We have also conducted a systematic analysis of SNBPs from different groups of chondrichthyan fishes, including the skate Raja rhina and seven species of sharks. Together with our previous data showing the sporadic nature of SNBP evolution in bony fish (Saperas, N., Ausio, J., Lloris, D. and Chiva, M. [1994] J. Mol. Evol. 39: 282-295), the present study provides a unique insight into the overall evolutionary complexity and variability of the nuclear sperm proteins of fishes. It would appear that despite the discontinuous evolution of these proteins, the macroevolutionary pattern of histone (H type) --> protamine-like (PL type) --> protamine (P type) has been conserved in fish evolution, as it has in the evolution of other Deuterostomes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Nuptial feeding of spermless spermatophores in the Hawaiian swordtail cricket, Laupala pacifica (Gryllidae: Triginodiinae).

Crickets in the genus Laupala (subfamily Trigonidiinae) have an elaborate courtship system, defined by a highly ritualized serial transfer of multiple spermatophores. Males produce multiple "micro" spermatophores followed by a final "macro" spermatophore during a single mating bout. Remarkably, the microspermatophores of L. cerasina, the first species whose mating system was studied in detail, were discovered to be spermless. However, in a study of another species, L. pacifica, sperm transfer was reported after every copulation suggesting that L. pacifica microspermatophores contain sperm. The presence or absence of sperm in the microspermatophore has important implications for the evolution of this exaggerated courtship system and the origin of nuptial gifts. In this study, we systematically examined L. pacifica spermatophore contents for sperm using a fluorescent nuclear stain. We detected sperm only in macrospermatophores. This finding suggests that spermless microspermatophores are typical for Laupala; thus, to determine the origin of this highly modified phenotype will require comparative analyses with closely related outgroups that exhibit less exaggerated courtship systems.

Animals↗

Automation in civil transport aircraft.

The pilot of a contemporary transport aircraft is in a managerial role, supervising the performance of sophisticated systems which perform most of the tasks concerned with operating the aircraft safely and efficiently. Under normal conditions he is required to exercise his psycho-motor skills only to a very small extent; his principal task is to process information and to convey instructions to the automatics by way of push-button switches and similar devices. In the event of major system failure, however, or in the absence of ground-based facilities, he may be called upon to take a much more active part in control. The evolution of flight-deck automation owes much more to engineering and economic analyses that to systematic development of policy concerning the role of men in automated systems. The current situation is not without its problems, and substantial ergonomics input should contribute to future developments.

Journal Article↗

Implant fixation by bone ingrowth.

The term osseointegration referred originally to an intimate contact of bone tissue with the surface of a titanium implant; the term bone ingrowth refers to bone formation within an irregular (beads, wire mesh, casting voids, cut grooves) surface of an implant. The section dealing with the historical background describes the development of macroporous, microporous, and textured surfaces with an emphasis on the evolution of porous and textured metal surfaces. The principal requirements for osseointegration and bone ingrowth are systematically reviewed as follows: i) the physiology of osseointegration and bone ingrowth, including biomaterial biocompatibility with respect to cellular and matrix response at the interface; ii) the implant surface geometry characteristics; iii) implant micromotion and fixation modes; and iv) the implant-bone interface distances. Based on current methods of bone ingrowth assessment, this article comparatively reviews and discusses the results of experimental studies with the objective of determining local and systemic factors that enhance bone ingrowth fixation.

Animals↗

Eukaryotic Fe-hydrogenases -- old eukaryotic heritage or adaptive acquisitions?

All eukaryotes seem to possess proteins that most probably evolved from an ancestral Fe-hydrogenase. These proteins, known as NARF or Nar, do not produce hydrogen. Notably, a small group of rather unrelated unicellular anaerobes and a few algae possess Fe-hydrogenases, which produce hydrogen. In most, but not all organisms, hydrogen production occurs in membrane-bounded organelles, i.e. hydrogenosomes or plastids. Whereas plastids are monophyletic, hydrogenosomes evolved repeatedly and independently from mitochondria or mitochondria-like organelles. A systematic analysis of the various hydrogenosomes and their hydrogenases will contribute to an understanding of the evolution of the eukaryotic cell, and provide clues to the evolutionary origin(s) of the Fe-hydrogenase.

Eukaryotic Cells↗