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| 2. |
- Chiu, CH, et al.
(författare)
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Bichir HoxA cluster sequence reveals surprising trends in ray-finned fish genomic evolution
- 2004
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Ingår i: Genome Research. - : Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. - 1549-5469 .- 1088-9051. ; 14:1, s. 11-17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- The study of Hox clusters and genes provides insights into the evolution of genomic regulation of development. Derived ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii, Teleostei) such as zebrafish and pufferfish possess duplicated Hox clusters that have undergone considerable sequence evolution. Whether these changes are associated with the duplication(s) that produced extra Hox clusters is unresolved because comparison with basal lineages is unavailable. We sequenced and analyzed the HoxA cluster of the bichir (Polypterus senegalus), a phylogenetically basal actinopterygian. Independent lines of evidence indicate that bichir has one HoxA cluster that is mosaic in its patterns of noncoding sequence conservation and gene retention relative to the HoxA clusters of human and shark, and the HoxAalpha and HoxAbeta clusters of zebrafish, pufferfish, and striped bass. HoxA cluster noncoding sequences conserved between bichir and euteleosts indicate that novel cis-sequences were acquired in the stem actinopterygians and maintained after cluster duplication. Hence, in the earliest actinopterygians, evolution of the single HoxA cluster was already more dynamic than in human and shark. This tendency peaked among teleosts after HoxA cluster duplication.
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| 3. |
- Croll, Donald A., et al.
(författare)
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Vulnerabilities and fisheries impacts : the uncertain future of manta and devil rays
- 2016
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Ingår i: Aquatic conservation. - : Wiley. - 1052-7613 .- 1099-0755. ; 26:3, s. 562-575
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- 1. Manta and devil rays of the subfamily Mobulinae (mobulids) are rarely studied, large, pelagic elasmobranchs, with all eight of well-evaluated species listed on the IUCN Red List as threatened or near threatened. 2. Mobulids have life history characteristics (matrotrophic reproduction, extremely low fecundity, and delayed age of first reproduction) that make them exceptionally susceptible to overexploitation. 3. Targeted and bycatch mortality from fisheries is a globally important and increasing threat, and targeted fisheries are incentivized by the high value of the global trade in mobulid gill plates. 4. Fisheries bycatch of mobulids is substantial in tuna purse seine fisheries. 5. Thirteen fisheries in 12 countries specifically targeting mobulids, and 30 fisheries in 23 countries with mobulid bycatch were identified. 6. Aside from a few recently enacted national restrictions on capture, there is no comprehensive monitoring, assessment or control of mobulid fisheries or bycatch. Recent listing through the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) may benefit mobulids of the genus Manta (manta rays), but none of the mobulids in the genus Mobula (devil rays) are protected. 7. The relative economic costs of catch mitigation are minimal, particularly compared with a broad range of other, more complicated, marine conservation issues. Copyright (C) 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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| 4. |
- Dewar, R. C., et al.
(författare)
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Why does leaf nitrogen decline within tree canopies less rapidly than light? An explanation from optimization subject to a lower bound on leaf mass per area
- 2012
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Ingår i: Tree Physiology. - : Oxford University Press (OUP). - 0829-318X .- 1758-4469. ; 32:5, s. 520-534
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A long-established theoretical result states that, for a given total canopy nitrogen (N) content, canopy photosynthesis is maximized when the within-canopy gradient in leaf N per unit area (N-a) is equal to the light gradient. However, it is widely observed that N-a declines less rapidly than light in real plant canopies. Here we show that this general observation can be explained by optimal leaf acclimation to light subject to a lower-bound constraint on the leaf mass per area (m(a)). Using a simple model of the carbon-nitrogen (C-N) balance of trees with a steady-state canopy, we implement this constraint within the framework of the MAXX optimization hypothesis that maximizes net canopy C export. Virtually all canopy traits predicted by MAXX (leaf N gradient, leaf N concentration, leaf photosynthetic capacity, canopy N content, leaf-area index) are in close agreement with the values observed in a mature stand of Norway spruce trees (Picea abies L. Karst.). An alternative upper-bound constraint on leaf photosynthetic capacity (A(sat)) does not reproduce the canopy traits of this stand. MAXX subject to a lower bound on m(a) is also qualitatively consistent with co-variations in leaf N gradient, m(a) and A(sat) observed across a range of temperate and tropical tree species. Our study highlights the key role of constraints in optimization models of plant function.
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| 6. |
- Ramaite, K., et al.
(författare)
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Human-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Clonal Complex 80 Isolated from Cattle and Aquatic Environments
- 2021
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Ingår i: Antibiotics-Basel. - : MDPI AG. - 2079-6382. ; 10:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Human-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (HA-MRSA) has mainly been reported in South African pig and chicken farms. The prevalence of antibiotic-resistant genes (ARGs), virulence factors (VFs), and multilocus sequence types (MLSTs) associated with HA-MRSA in cattle farms has not been reported. Consequently, this study characterised LA-MRSA and its spread from cattle farms into the environment. Method: Husbandry soil (HS), nearby river water (NRW), animal manure (AM) and animal drinking water (ADW) were collected on and around a cattle farm. Presumptive MRSA isolates were identified from these samples using CHROMagar media and genotyped as MRSA sequence types (STs), selected ARGs, and VFs, using polymerase chain reaction. An MLST-based dendrogram was generated to link the farm MRSA strains with those in a nearby river. Results: The prevalence of MRSA was 30.61% for HS, 28.57% for ADW, 22.44% for NRW, and 10.20% for AM. Isolates from HS harboured the highest number of resistant genes, with 100% for mecA, 91.66% for ermA, and 58.33% for blaZ. However, no ermC or tetM genes were detected. MRSA isolates from AM harboured the lowest number of resistant genes. Only sec and seq enterotoxins were found in all the assessed MRSA isolates. MRSA from the farm revealed six STs (ST80, ST728, ST1931, ST2030, ST3247, and ST5440); all of STs belonged to clonal complex 80 (CC80). An MLST-based dendrogram based on the concatenated sequences of MLST genes under the maximum likelihood criterion revealed four clades of amalgamated MRSA isolates from various livestock environmental matrices, including the NRW. Conclusion: The results suggest that livestock environmental matrices might be reservoirs of MRSA that could subsequently disseminate through runoff to pollute water resources. Therefore, continued surveillance of HA-MRSA in livestock environments is warranted.
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