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- Kehoe, Laura, et al.
(author)
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Make EU trade with Brazil sustainable
- 2019
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In: Science. - : American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). - 0036-8075 .- 1095-9203. ; 364:6438, s. 341-
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Journal article (other academic/artistic)
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5. |
- Feng, Shaohong, et al.
(author)
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Dense sampling of bird diversity increases power of comparative genomics
- 2020
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 587:7833
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Whole-genome sequencing projects are increasingly populating the tree of life and characterizing biodiversity(1-4). Sparse taxon sampling has previously been proposed to confound phylogenetic inference(5), and captures only a fraction of the genomic diversity. Here we report a substantial step towards the dense representation of avian phylogenetic and molecular diversity, by analysing 363 genomes from 92.4% of bird families-including 267 newly sequenced genomes produced for phase II of the Bird 10,000 Genomes (B10K) Project. We use this comparative genome dataset in combination with a pipeline that leverages a reference-free whole-genome alignment to identify orthologous regions in greater numbers than has previously been possible and to recognize genomic novelties in particular bird lineages. The densely sampled alignment provides a single-base-pair map of selection, has more than doubled the fraction of bases that are confidently predicted to be under conservation and reveals extensive patterns of weak selection in predominantly non-coding DNA. Our results demonstrate that increasing the diversity of genomes used in comparative studies can reveal more shared and lineage-specific variation, and improve the investigation of genomic characteristics. We anticipate that this genomic resource will offer new perspectives on evolutionary processes in cross-species comparative analyses and assist in efforts to conserve species. A dataset of the genomes of 363 species from the Bird 10,000 Genomes Project shows increased power to detect shared and lineage-specific variation, demonstrating the importance of phylogenetically diverse taxon sampling in whole-genome sequencing.
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- Corkery, Robert W., 1967-, et al.
(author)
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Polymeric composition, adhesive including nanoparticle filler and composite production.
- 2006
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Patent (pop. science, debate, etc.)abstract
- Nanoparticle fillers, including a novel halloysite nanoparticle filler, are generally cylindrical or tubular nanoparticles (e.g. rolled scroll-like shape). The filler is effectively employed in a polymer nanoparticle adhesive composite, contg. the halloysite nanoparticle or other equiv. naturally occurring nanotubular filler, in which the advantages of the nanoparticle filler are provided (e.g., reinforcement, flame retardant, etc.) while maintaining or improving mech. performance of the adhesive composite (e.g., adhesive strength and tack). [on SciFinder(R)]
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- Dearborn, Donald C., et al.
(author)
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Microsatellite Primers for Relatedness and Population Structure in Great Frigatebirds (Pelecaniformes: Fregatidae)
- 2008
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In: Molecular Ecology Resources. - : Wiley. - 1755-098X .- 1755-0998. ; 8:6, s. 1399-1401
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Eighteen moderately polymorphic microsatellite loci were isolated and characterized for great frigatebirds Fregata minor. Polymorphism for the 12 dinucleotide and six tetranucleotide markers was assessed in 23 birds from a Hawaii population. Allelic diversity ranged from two to 12 (mean 5.9), with observed heterozygosity from 0.304 to 0.956 (mean 0.637). Three loci showed homozygote excess, possibly due to null alleles. One additional pair of loci exhibited strong gametic disequilibrium. Thus, at least 14 loci will be useful for studies of relatedness and population structure
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- Ferreira, Francisco C., et al.
(author)
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Transcriptional response of individual Hawaiian Culex quinquefasciatus mosquitoes to the avian malaria parasite Plasmodium relictum
- 2022
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In: Malaria Journal. - : Springer Nature. - 1475-2875. ; 21
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Background: Plasmodium parasites that cause bird malaria occur in all continents except Antarctica and are primarily transmitted by mosquitoes in the genus Culex. Culex quinquefasciatus, the mosquito vector of avian malaria in HawaiModified Letter Turned Commai, became established in the islands in the 1820s. While the deadly effects of malaria on endemic bird species have been documented for many decades, vector-parasite interactions in avian malaria systems are relatively understudied.Methods: To evaluate the gene expression response of mosquitoes exposed to a Plasmodium infection intensity known to occur naturally in HawaiModified Letter Turned Commai, offspring of wild-collected Hawaiian Cx. quinquefasciatus were fed on a domestic canary infected with a fresh isolate of Plasmodium relictum GRW4 from a wild-caught Hawaiian honeycreeper. Control mosquitoes were fed on an uninfected canary. Transcriptomes of five infected and three uninfected individual mosquitoes were sequenced at each of three stages of the parasite life cycle: 24 h post feeding (hpf) during ookinete invasion; 5 days post feeding (dpf) when oocysts are developing; 10 dpf when sporozoites are released and invade the salivary glands.Results: Differential gene expression analyses showed that during ookinete invasion (24 hpf), genes related to oxidoreductase activity and galactose catabolism had lower expression levels in infected mosquitoes compared to controls. Oocyst development (5 dpf) was associated with reduced expression of a gene with a predicted innate immune function. At 10 dpf, infected mosquitoes had reduced expression levels of a serine protease inhibitor, and further studies should assess its role as a Plasmodium agonist in C. quinquefasciatus. Overall, the differential gene expression response of Hawaiian Culex exposed to a Plasmodium infection intensity known to occur naturally in HawaiModified Letter Turned Commai was low, but more pronounced during ookinete invasion.Conclusions: This is the first analysis of the transcriptional responses of vectors to malaria parasites in non-mammalian systems. Interestingly, few similarities were found between the response of Culex infected with a bird Plasmodium and those reported in Anopheles infected with human Plasmodium. The relatively small transcriptional changes observed in mosquito genes related to immune response and nutrient metabolism support conclusions of low fitness costs often documented in experimental challenges of Culex with avian Plasmodium.
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- Leonard, Jennifer, et al.
(author)
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Animal DNA in PCR reagents plagues ancient DNA research
- 2007
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In: Journal of Archaeological Science. - : Elsevier BV. - 0305-4403 .- 1095-9238. ; 34:9, s. 1361-1366
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Molecular archaeology brings the tools of molecular biology to bear on fundamental questions in archaeology, anthropology, evolution, and ecology. Ancient DNA research is becoming widespread as evolutionary biologists and archaeologists discover the power of the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify DNA from ancient plant and animal remains. However, the extraordinary susceptibility of PCR to contamination by extraneous DNA is not widely appreciated. We report the independent observation of DNA from domestic animals in PCR reagents and ancient samples in four separate laboratories. Since PCR conditions used in ancient DNA analyses are extremely sensitive, very low concentrations of contaminating DNA can cause false positives. Previously unidentified animal DNA in reagents can confound ancient DNA research on certain domestic animals, especially cows, pigs, and chickens.
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- Allen-Perkins, Alfonso, et al.
(author)
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CropPol : a dynamic, open and global database on crop pollination
- 2022
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In: Ecology. - : Wiley. - 0012-9658 .- 1939-9170. ; 103:3
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Seventy five percent of the world's food crops benefit from insect pollination. Hence, there has been increased interest in how global change drivers impact this critical ecosystem service. Because standardized data on crop pollination are rarely available, we are limited in our capacity to understand the variation in pollination benefits to crop yield, as well as to anticipate changes in this service, develop predictions, and inform management actions. Here, we present CropPol, a dynamic, open and global database on crop pollination. It contains measurements recorded from 202 crop studies, covering 3,394 field observations, 2,552 yield measurements (i.e. berry weight, number of fruits and kg per hectare, among others), and 47,752 insect records from 48 commercial crops distributed around the globe. CropPol comprises 32 of the 87 leading global crops and commodities that are pollinator dependent. Malus domestica is the most represented crop (32 studies), followed by Brassica napus (22 studies), Vaccinium corymbosum (13 studies), and Citrullus lanatus (12 studies). The most abundant pollinator guilds recorded are honey bees (34.22% counts), bumblebees (19.19%), flies other than Syrphidae and Bombyliidae (13.18%), other wild bees (13.13%), beetles (10.97%), Syrphidae (4.87%), and Bombyliidae (0.05%). Locations comprise 34 countries distributed among Europe (76 studies), Northern America (60), Latin America and the Caribbean (29), Asia (20), Oceania (10), and Africa (7). Sampling spans three decades and is concentrated on 2001-05 (21 studies), 2006-10 (40), 2011-15 (88), and 2016-20 (50). This is the most comprehensive open global data set on measurements of crop flower visitors, crop pollinators and pollination to date, and we encourage researchers to add more datasets to this database in the future. This data set is released for non-commercial use only. Credits should be given to this paper (i.e., proper citation), and the products generated with this database should be shared under the same license terms (CC BY-NC-SA). This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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