Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
Sky island diversification meets the multispecies coalescent – divergence in the spruce‐fir moss spider (Microhexura montivaga, Araneae, Mygalomorphae) on the highest peaks of southern Appalachia

Microhexura montivaga is a miniature tarantula‐like spider endemic to the highest peaks of the southern Appalachian mountains and is known only from six allopatric, highly disjunct montane populations. Because of severe declines in spruce‐fir forest in the late 20th century, M. montivaga was formally listed as a US federally endangered species in 1995. Using DNA sequence data from one mitochondrial and seven nuclear genes, patterns of multigenic genetic divergence were assessed for six montane populations. Independent mitochondrial and nuclear discovery analyses reveal obvious genetic fragmentation both within and among montane populations, with five to seven primary genetic lineages recovered. Multispecies coalescent validation analyses [guide tree and unguided Bayesian Phylogenetics and Phylogeography (BPP), Bayes factor delimitation (BFD)] using nuclear‐only data congruently recover six or seven distinct lineages; BFD analyses using combined nuclear plus mitochondrial data favour seven or eight lineages. In stark contrast to this clear genetic fragmentation, a survey of secondary sexual features for available males indicates morphological conservatism across montane populations. While it is certainly possible that morphologically cryptic speciation has occurred in this taxon, this system may alternatively represent a case where extreme population genetic structuring (but not speciation) leads to an oversplitting of lineage diversity by multispecies coalescent methods. Our results have clear conservation implications for this federally endangered taxon and illustrate a methodological issue expected to become more common as genomic‐scale data sets are gathered for taxa found in naturally fragmented habitats.
Postglacial recolonization in a cold climate specialist in western Europe: patterns of genetic diversity in the adder (Vipera berus) support the central–marginal hypothesis

Understanding the impact of postglacial recolonization on genetic diversity is essential in explaining current patterns of genetic variation. The central–marginal hypothesis (CMH) predicts a reduction in genetic diversity from the core of the distribution to peripheral populations, as well as reduced connectivity between peripheral populations. While the CMH has received considerable empirical support, its broad applicability is still debated and alternative hypotheses predict different spatial patterns of genetic diversity. Using microsatellite markers, we analysed the genetic diversity of the adder (Vipera berus) in western Europe to reconstruct postglacial recolonization. Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC) analyses suggested a postglacial recolonization from two routes: a western route from the Atlantic Coast up to Belgium and a central route from the Massif Central to the Alps. This cold‐adapted species likely used two isolated glacial refugia in southern France, in permafrost‐free areas during the last glacial maximum. Adder populations further from putative glacial refugia had lower genetic diversity and reduced connectivity; therefore, our results support the predictions of the CMH. Our study also illustrates the utility of highly variable nuclear markers, such as microsatellites, and ABC to test competing recolonization hypotheses.
A clever solution to a vexing problem

FST (as well as related measures such as GST) has long been used both as a measure of the relative amount of genetic variation between populations and as an indicator of the amount of gene flow among populations. Unfortunately, FST and its clones are also sensitive to mutation, particularly when the mutation rate per locus is greater than the migration rate among populations. Relatively high mutation rates cause estimates of FST and GST to be much lower than researchers sometimes expect, when migration rates are low in the studied species. Several recent suggestions for dealing with this problem have been unsatisfactory for one reason or another, and no general solution exists (if we are not to abandon these otherwise useful measures of differentiation). In an important article in this issue, Jinliang Wang (2015) shows that it is possible to identify whether the genetic markers in a given study are likely to give estimates of FST that are strongly affected by mutation. The proposed test is simple and elegant, and with it, molecular ecologists can determine whether the FST from their makers can be depended on for further inference about their species’ genome and the demographic forces which shaped its patterns.
Simiduia curdlanivorans sp. nov., a curdlan-degrading bacterium isolated from the junction between the ocean and a freshwater spring, and emended description of the genus Simiduia.

A Gram-stain-negative, aerobic, non-spore-forming, non-flagellated and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated DMCK3-4(T), was isolated from the zone where the ocean and a freshwater spring meet at Jeju island, South Korea. Strain DMCK3-4(T) grew optimally at 30 °C, at pH 7.0-8.0 and in the presence of 2.0% (w/v) NaCl. Phylogenetic trees based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain DMCK3-4(T) clustered with the strains of three members of the genus Simiduia, with which it exhibited 97.0-99.0% sequence similarity. Sequence similarities to the type strains of the other species with validly published names were less than 92.2%. Strain DMCK3-4(T) contained Q-8 as the predominant ubiquinone and summed feature 3 (C(16:1)ω7c and/or C(16:1)ω6c), C(17:1)ω8c, C(16:0), C(17:0) and C(18:1)ω7c as the major fatty acids. The major polar lipids of strain DMCK3-4(T) were phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified glycolipids, one unidentified lipid and one unidentified aminolipid. The DNA G+C content of strain DMCK3-4(T) was 51.8 mol% and its mean DNA-DNA relatedness values with Simiduia agarivorans KCTC 23176(T), Simiduia areninigrae KCTC 23293(T) and Simiduia litorea NRIC 0917(T) were 23-34%, respectively. The differential phenotypic properties, together with the phylogenetic and genetic distinctiveness, revealed that strain DMCK3-4(T) is distinct from other species of the genus Simiduia. On the basis of the data presented, strain DMCK3-4(T) is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Simiduia, for which the name Simiduia curdlanivorans sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is DMCK3-4(T) ( = KCTC 42075(T) =CECT 8570(T)). An emended description of the genus Simiduia is also proposed.
Variable light environments induce plastic spectral tuning by regional opsin coexpression in the African cichlid fish, Metriaclima zebra

Critical behaviours such as predation and mate choice often depend on vision. Visual systems are sensitive to the spectrum of light in their environment, which can vary extensively both within and among habitats. Evolutionary changes in spectral sensitivity contribute to divergence and speciation. Spectral sensitivity of the retina is primarily determined by visual pigments, which are opsin proteins bound to a chromophore. We recently discovered that photoreceptors in different regions of the retina, which view objects against distinct environmental backgrounds, coexpress different pairs of opsins in an African cichlid fish, Metriaclima zebra. This coexpression tunes the sensitivity of the retinal regions to the corresponding backgrounds and may aid in detection of dark objects, such as predators. Although intraretinal regionalization of spectral sensitivity in many animals correlates with their light environments, it is unknown whether variation in the light environment induces developmentally plastic alterations of intraretinal sensitivity regions. Here, we demonstrate with fluorescent in situ hybridization and qPCR that the spectrum and angle of environmental light both influence the development of spectral sensitivity regions by altering the distribution and level of opsins across the retina. Normally, M. zebra coexpresses LWS opsin with RH2Aα opsin in double cones of the ventral but not the dorsal retina. However, when illuminated from below throughout development, adult M. zebra coexpressed LWS and RH2Aα in double cones both dorsally and ventrally. Thus, environmental background spectra alter the spectral sensitivity pattern that develops across the retina, potentially influencing behaviours and related evolutionary processes such as courtship and speciation.
Genotypic diversity and differentiation among populations of two benthic freshwater diatoms as revealed by microsatellites

Given their large population sizes and presumed high dispersal capacity, protists are expected to exhibit homogeneous population structure over large spatial scales. On the other hand, the fragmented and short‐lived nature of the lentic freshwater habitats that many protists inhabit promotes strong population differentiation. We used microsatellites in two benthic freshwater diatoms, Eunotia bilunaris ‘robust’ and Sellaphora capitata, sampled from within a pond and connected ponds, through isolated ponds from the same region to western Europe to determine the spatial scale at which differentiation appears. Because periods of low genotypic diversity contribute to population differentiation, we also assessed genotypic diversity. While genotypic diversity was very high to maximal in most samples of both species, some had a markedly lower diversity, with up to half (Eunotia) and over 90% (Sellaphora) of the strains having the same multilocus genotype. Population differentiation showed an isolation‐by‐distance pattern with very low standardized FST values between samples from the same or connected ponds but high values between isolated ponds, even when situated in the same region. Partial rbcL sequences in Eunotia were consistent with this pattern as isolated ponds in the same region could differ widely in haplotype composition. Populations identified by Structure corresponded to the source ponds, confirming that ‘pond’ is the main factor structuring these populations. We conclude that freshwater benthic diatom populations are highly fragmented on a regional scale, reflecting either less dispersal than is often assumed or reduced establishment success of immigrants, so that dispersal does not translate into gene flow.
Marivirga lumbricoides sp. nov., a marine bacterium isolated from the South China Sea.

A novel, aerobic, heterotrophic, orange-pigmented, Gram-staining-negative, rod-shaped, gliding bacterial strain, designated JLT2000(T), was isolated from surface water of the South China Sea. The strain was oxidase- and catalase-positive. The major cellular fatty acids of strain JLT2000 T: were C12 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, iso-C15 : 0, iso-C17 : 0 3-OH, summed feature 3 (comprising C16 : 1ω7c and/or C16 : 1ω6c), C16 : 0 and C18 : 0. MK-7 was the major respiratory quinone and the major polar lipids were phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine. The genomic DNA G+C content of strain JLT2000(T) was 37.9 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain JLT2000(T) formed a branch within the genus Marivirga, but was clearly separated from the two established species of this genus, Marivirga tractuosa and Marivirga sericea. The 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity of strain JLT2000(T) with the type strains of these two species was 95.8 % and 96.1 %, respectively. Strain JLT2000(T) had a shorter cell length and wider growth range in different temperatures and salinities than those of Marivirga tractuosa NBRC 15989(T) and Marivirga sericea NBRC 15983(T). In addition, strain JLT2000(T) could utilize more carbon sources and hydrolyse more polymers than Marivirga tractuosa NBRC 15989(T) and Marivirga sericea NBRC 15983(T). Based on this polyphasic analysis, strain JLT2000(T) represents a novel species of the genus Marivirga, for which the name Marivirga lumbricoides sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JLT2000(T) ( = JCM 18012(T) = CGMCC 1.10832(T)).
Multilocus phylogeography of a widespread savanna–woodland‐adapted rodent reveals the influence of Pleistocene geomorphology and climate change in Africa's Zambezi region

Understanding historical influences of climate and physiographic barriers in shaping patterns of biodiversity remains limited for many regions of the world. For mammals of continental Africa, phylogeographic studies, particularly for West African lineages, implicate both geographic barriers and climate oscillations in shaping small mammal diversity. In contrast, studies for southern African species have revealed conflicting phylogenetic patterns for how mammalian lineages respond to both climate change and geologic events such as river formation, especially during the Pleistocene. However, these studies were often biased by limited geographic sampling or exclusively focused on large‐bodied taxa. We exploited the broad southern African distribution of a savanna–woodland‐adapted African rodent, Gerbilliscus leucogaster (bushveld gerbil) and generated mitochondrial, autosomal and sex chromosome data to quantify regional signatures of climatic and vicariant biogeographic phenomena. Results indicate the most recent common ancestor for all G. leucogaster lineages occurred during the early Pleistocene. We documented six divergent mitochondrial lineages that diverged ~0.270–0.100 mya, each of which was geographically isolated during periods characterized by alterations to the course of the Zambezi River and its tributaries as well as regional ‘megadroughts’. Results demonstrate the presence of a widespread lineage exhibiting demographic expansion ~0.065–0.035 mya, a time that coincides with savanna–woodland expansion across southern Africa. A multilocus autosomal perspective revealed the influence of the Kafue River as a current barrier to gene flow and regions of secondary contact among divergent mitochondrial lineages. Our results demonstrate the importance of both climatic fluctuations and physiographic vicariance in shaping the distribution of southern African biodiversity.
Description of Pseudobacteriovorax antillogorgiicola gen. nov., sp. nov., a bacterium isolated from the gorgonian octocoral Antillogorgia elisabethae, belonging to the family Pseudobacteriovoracaceae fam. nov., within the order Bdellovibrionales.

A bacterial strain designated RKEM611(T) was isolated from the octocoral Antillogorgia elisabethae, collected off the coast of San Salvador, The Bahamas. The strain is Gram-stain-negative, an obligate aerobe, and pleomorphic. It requires NaCl for growth and exhibits optimal growth at 1-2 % (w/v) NaCl, 30-37 °C and pH 6.0-8.0. The predominant cellular fatty acids are C16 : 1ω5c and C16 : 0; the major respiratory quinone is menaquinone MK-6, and the DNA G+C content is 46.3 mol%. Based on phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene, in addition to phenotypic characteristics, RKEM611(T) represents a novel species and genus of a novel family within the order Bdellovibrionales. The names Pseudobacteriovoracaceae fam. nov. and Pseudobacteriovorax antillogorgiicola gen., nov., sp. , nov. are proposed. Isolate RKEM611(T) ( = NCCB 100521(T) = LMG 28452(T)) is the type strain.
Performance analysis of multi-antenna selection policies using the golden code in multiple-input multiple-output systems

In multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems, multiple-antenna selection has been proposed as a practical scheme for improving the signal transmission quality as well as reducing realisation cost because of minimising the number of radio-frequency chains. In this study, the authors investigate transmit antenna selection for MIMO systems with the Golden Code. Two antenna selection schemes are considered: max-min and max-sum approaches. The outage and pairwise error probability performance of the proposed approaches are analysed. Simulations are also given to verify the analysis. The results show the proposed methods provide useful schemes for antenna selection.
Pulmonary Pathophysiology: The Essentials

A companion monograph to West's Respiratory Physiology, which examines normal respiratory function, Pulmonary Pathophysiology focuses on the function of the diseased lung. The text offers a clear, concise overview of the most essential information regarding disease states of the lung, emphasizing structure and function. A question and answer section is included. This Seventh Edition offers more coverage of lung cancer and infectious diseases affecting the lungs, and has more tables to aid in rapid review. All questions now conform to current USMLE format, and answers include rationales for all answer choices. The fully searchable text is available online on thePoint.
Parasegetibacter terrae sp. nov., isolated from paddy soil and emended description of the genus Parasegetibacter.

A Gram-stain-negative, variably shaped, non-flagellated, yellow-pigmented, aerobic bacterium, designated strain SGM2-10(T), was isolated from a paddy soil sample from the Suwon region, South Korea. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that the isolate was related most closely to Parasegetibacter luojiensis RHYL-37(T). Strain SGM2-10(T) showed highest 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity to P. luojiensis RHYL-37(T) (95.1 %), Flavitalea populi HY-50R(T) (95.0 %) and Flavitalea gansuensis JCN-23(T) (94.4 %). No other species in the family Chitinophagaceae shared more than 94.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity with strain SGM2-10(T). The major fatty acids of strain SGM2-10(T) were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G and iso-C17 : 0 3-OH. The only menaquinone was MK-7. The polar lipids comprised phosphatidylethanolamine, seven unknown lipids and ten unknown aminolipids. The G+C content of the DNA of strain SGM2-10(T) was 46.7 mol%. On the basis of the results of the polyphasic characterization presented in this study, it is concluded that strain SGM2-10(T) represents a novel species of the genus Parasegetibacter, for which the name Parasegetibacter terrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SGM2-10(T) ( = KACC 17341(T) = JCM 19942(T)). The description of the genus Parasegetibacter has also been emended.
Transcriptomic response to injury sheds light on the physiological costs of reproduction in ant queens

The trade‐off between reproduction and longevity is widespread among multicellular organisms. As an important exception, the reproductive females of perennial social insects (ants, honeybees, termites) are simultaneously highly fertile and very long‐lived relative to their nonreproductive nestmates. The observation that increased fecundity is not coupled with decreased lifespan suggests that social insect queens do not have to reallocate resources between reproduction and self‐maintenance. If queens have to compensate for the costs of reproduction on the level of the individual, the activation of other energy‐demanding physiological processes might force them to reduce the production of eggs. To test this hypothesis in ant queens, we increased immunity costs by injury and measured the effect of this treatment on egg‐laying rates and genomewide gene expression. Amputation of both middle legs led to a temporary decrease in egg‐laying rates and affected the expression of 947 genes corresponding to 9% of the transcriptome. The changes comprised the upregulation of the immune and wound healing response on the one hand, and the downregulation of germ cell development, central nervous system development and learning ability on the other hand. Injury strongly influenced metabolism by inducing catabolism and repressing amino acid and nitrogen compound metabolism. By comparing our results to similar transcriptomic studies in insects, we found a highly consistent upregulation of immune genes due to sterile and septic wounding. The gene expression changes, complemented by the temporary decline of egg‐laying rates, clearly reveal a trade‐off between reproduction and the immune response in social insect queens.
Geographic variation in hybridization and ecological differentiation between three syntopic, morphologically similar species of montane lizards

To understand factors shaping species boundaries in closely related taxa, a powerful approach is to compare levels of genetic admixture at multiple points of contact and determine how this relates to intrinsic and extrinsic factors, such as genetic, morphological and ecological differentiation. In the Australian Alps, the threatened alpine bog skink Pseudemoia cryodroma co‐occurs with two morphologically and ecologically similar congeners, P. entrecasteauxii and P. pagenstecheri, and all three species are suspected to hybridize. We predicted that the frequency of hybridization should be negatively correlated with genetic divergence, morphological differentiation and microhabitat separation. We tested this hypothesis using a mitochondrial locus, 13 microsatellite loci, morphological and microhabitat data and compared results across three geographically isolated sites. Despite strong genetic structure between species, we detected hybridization between all species pairs, including evidence of backcrossed individuals at the two sites where all three species are syntopic. Hybridization frequencies were not consistently associated with genetic, morphological or ecological differentiation. Furthermore, P. entrecasteauxii and P. pagenstecheri only hybridized at the two sites where they are syntopic with P. cryodroma, but not at the largest site where P. cryodroma was not recorded, suggesting that P. cryodroma may serve as a bridging species. This study reveals the complex dynamics within a three species hybrid zone and provides a baseline for assessing the impact of climate change and anthropogenic habitat modification on future hybridization frequencies.
Sequence variation in nuclear ribosomal small subunit, internal transcribed spacer and large subunit regions of Rhizophagus irregularis and Gigaspora margarita is high and isolate‐dependent

Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are known to exhibit high intra‐organism genetic variation. However, information about intra‐ vs. interspecific variation among the genes commonly used in diversity surveys is limited. Here, the nuclear small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and large subunit (LSU) rRNA gene portions were sequenced from 3 to 5 individual spores from each of two isolates of Rhizophagus irregularis and Gigaspora margarita. A total of 1482 Sanger sequences (0.5 Mb) from 239 clones were obtained, spanning ~4370 bp of the ribosomal operon when concatenated. Intrasporal and intra‐isolate sequence variation was high for all three regions even though variant numbers were not exhausted by sequencing 12–40 clones per isolate. Intra‐isolate nucleotide variation levels followed the expected order of ITS > LSU > SSU, but the values were strongly dependent on isolate identity. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) densities over 4 SNP/kb in the ribosomal operon were detected in all four isolates. Automated operational taxonomic unit picking within the sequence set of known identity overestimated species richness with almost all cut‐off levels, markers and isolates. Average intraspecific sequence similarity values were 99%, 96% and 94% for amplicons in SSU, LSU and ITS, respectively. The suitability of the central part of the SSU as a marker for AM fungal community surveys was further supported by its level of nucleotide variation, which is similar to that of the ITS region; its alignability across the entire phylum; its appropriate length for next‐generation sequencing; and its ease of amplification in single‐step PCR.