1. |
- Maxwell, Tania L., et al.
(author)
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Global dataset of soil organic carbon in tidal marshes
- 2023
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In: Scientific Data. - : Springer Nature. - 2052-4463. ; 10:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Tidal marshes store large amounts of organic carbon in their soils. Field data quantifying soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks provide an important resource for researchers, natural resource managers, and policy-makers working towards the protection, restoration, and valuation of these ecosystems. We collated a global dataset of tidal marsh soil organic carbon (MarSOC) from 99 studies that includes location, soil depth, site name, dry bulk density, SOC, and/or soil organic matter (SOM). The MarSOC dataset includes 17,454 data points from 2,329 unique locations, and 29 countries. We generated a general transfer function for the conversion of SOM to SOC. Using this data we estimated a median (± median absolute deviation) value of 79.2 ± 38.1 Mg SOC ha−1 in the top 30 cm and 231 ± 134 Mg SOC ha−1 in the top 1 m of tidal marsh soils globally. This data can serve as a basis for future work, and may contribute to incorporation of tidal marsh ecosystems into climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies and policies.
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2. |
- Clark, Andrew G., et al.
(author)
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Evolution of genes and genomes on the Drosophila phylogeny
- 2007
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 450:7167, s. 203-218
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Comparative analysis of multiple genomes in a phylogenetic framework dramatically improves the precision and sensitivity of evolutionary inference, producing more robust results than single-genome analyses can provide. The genomes of 12 Drosophila species, ten of which are presented here for the first time (sechellia, simulans, yakuba, erecta, ananassae, persimilis, willistoni, mojavensis, virilis and grimshawi), illustrate how rates and patterns of sequence divergence across taxa can illuminate evolutionary processes on a genomic scale. These genome sequences augment the formidable genetic tools that have made Drosophila melanogaster a pre-eminent model for animal genetics, and will further catalyse fundamental research on mechanisms of development, cell biology, genetics, disease, neurobiology, behaviour, physiology and evolution. Despite remarkable similarities among these Drosophila species, we identified many putatively non-neutral changes in protein-coding genes, non-coding RNA genes, and cis-regulatory regions. These may prove to underlie differences in the ecology and behaviour of these diverse species.
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3. |
- Keogan, Katharine, et al.
(author)
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Global phenological insensitivity to shifting ocean temperatures among seabirds
- 2018
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In: Nature Climate Change. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1758-678X .- 1758-6798. ; 8:4, s. 313-318
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Reproductive timing in many taxa plays a key role in determining breeding productivity(1), and is often sensitive to climatic conditions(2). Current climate change may alter the timing of breeding at different rates across trophic levels, potentially resulting in temporal mismatch between the resource requirements of predators and their prey(3). This is of particular concern for higher-trophic-level organisms, whose longer generation times confer a lower rate of evolutionary rescue than primary producers or consumers(4). However, the disconnection between studies of ecological change in marine systems makes it difficult to detect general changes in the timing of reproduction(5). Here, we use a comprehensive meta-analysis of 209 phenological time series from 145 breeding populations to show that, on average, seabird populations worldwide have not adjusted their breeding seasons over time (-0.020 days yr(-1)) or in response to sea surface temperature (SST) (-0.272 days degrees C-1) between 1952 and 2015. However, marked between-year variation in timing observed in resident species and some Pelecaniformes and Suliformes (cormorants, gannets and boobies) may imply that timing, in some cases, is affected by unmeasured environmental conditions. This limited temperature-mediated plasticity of reproductive timing in seabirds potentially makes these top predators highly vulnerable to future mismatch with lower-trophic-level resources(2).
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4. |
- Matthews, Bethany E., et al.
(author)
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Micro- and Nanoscale Surface Analysis of Late Iron Age Glass from Broborg, a Vitrified Swedish Hillfort
- 2023
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In: Microscopy and Microanalysis. - : Oxford University Press. - 1431-9276 .- 1435-8115. ; 29:1, s. 50-68
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Archaeological glasses with prolonged exposure to biogeochemical processes in the environment can be used to understand glass alteration, which is important for the safe disposal of vitrified nuclear waste. Samples of mafic and felsic glasses with different chemistries, formed from melting amphibolitic and granitoid rocks, were obtained from Broborg, a Swedish Iron Age hillfort. Glasses were excavated from the top of the hillfort wall and from the wall interior. A detailed microscopic, spectroscopic, and diffraction study of surficial textures and chemistries were conducted on these glasses. Felsic glass chemistry was uniform, with a smooth surface showing limited chemical alteration (<150 nm), irrespective of the position in the wall. Mafic glass was heterogeneous, with pyroxene, spinel, feldspar, and quartz crystals in the glassy matrix. Mafic glass surfaces in contact with topsoil were rougher than those within the wall and had carbon-rich material consistent with microbial colonization. Limited evidence for chemical or physical alteration of mafic glass was found; the thin melt film that coated all exposed surfaces remained intact, despite exposure to hydraulically unsaturated conditions, topsoil, and associated microbiome for over 1,500 years. This supports the assumption that aluminosilicate nuclear waste glasses will have a high chemical durability in near-surface disposal facilities.
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5. |
- Nava-Farias, Lorena, et al.
(author)
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Applying laboratory methods for durability assessment of vitrified material to archaeological samples
- 2021
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In: npj Materials Degradation. - : Springer Nature. - 2397-2106. ; 5:1
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Laboratory testing used to assess the long-term chemical durability of nuclear waste forms may not be applicable to disposal because the accelerated conditions may not represent disposal conditions. To address this, we examine the corrosion of vitrified archeological materials excavated from the near surface of a ~1500-year old Iron Age Swedish hillfort, Broborg, as an analog for the disposal of vitrified nuclear waste. We compare characterized site samples with corrosion characteristics generated by standard laboratory durability test methods including the product consistency test (PCT), the vapor hydration test (VHT), and the EPA Method 1313 test. Results show that the surficial layer of the Broborg samples resulting from VHT displays some similarities to the morphology of the surficial layer formed over longer timescales in the environment. This work provides improved understanding of long-term glass corrosion behavior in terms of the thickness, morphology, and chemistry of the surficial features that are formed.
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6. |
- Negre, Nicolas, et al.
(author)
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A cis-regulatory map of the Drosophila genome
- 2011
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In: Nature. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0028-0836 .- 1476-4687. ; 471:7339, s. 527-531
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Systematic annotation of gene regulatory elements is a major challenge in genome science. Direct mapping of chromatin modification marks and transcriptional factor binding sites genome-wide(1,2) has successfully identified specific subtypes of regulatory elements(3). In Drosophila several pioneering studies have provided genome-wide identification of Polycomb response elements(4), chromatin states(5), transcription factor binding sites(6-9), RNA polymerase II regulation(8) and insulator elements(10); however, comprehensive annotation of the regulatory genome remains a significant challenge. Here we describe results from the modENCODE cis-regulatory annotation project. We produced a map of the Drosophila melanogaster regulatory genome on the basis of more than 300 chromatin immunoprecipitation data sets for eight chromatin features, five histone deacetylases and thirty-eight site-specific transcription factors at different stages of development. Using these data we inferred more than 20,000 candidate regulatory elements and validated a subset of predictions for promoters, enhancers and insulators in vivo. We identified also nearly 2,000 genomic regions of dense transcription factor binding associated with chromatin activity and accessibility. We discovered hundreds of new transcription factor co-binding relationships and defined a transcription factor network with over 800 potential regulatory relationships.
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7. |
- Osoegawa, Kazutoyo, et al.
(author)
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Quality control project of NGS HLA genotyping for the 17th International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop
- 2019
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In: Human Immunology. - : ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC. - 0198-8859 .- 1879-1166. ; 80:4, s. 228-236
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The 17th International HLA and Immunogenetics Workshop (IHIW) organizers conducted a Pilot Study (PS) in which 13 laboratories (15 groups) participated to assess the performance of the various sequencing library preparation protocols, NGS platforms and software in use prior to the workshop. The organizers sent 50 cell lines to each of the 15 groups, scored the 15 independently generated sets of NGS HLA genotyping data, and generated "consensus" HLA genotypes for each of the 50 cell lines. Proficiency Testing (PT) was subsequently organized using four sets of 24 cell lines, selected from 48 of 50 PS cell lines, to validate the quality of NGS HLA typing data from the 34 participating IHIW laboratories. Completion of the PT program with a minimum score of 95% concordance at the HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DRB1 and HLA-DQB1 loci satisfied the requirements to submit NGS HLA typing data for the 17th IHIW projects. Together, these PS and PT efforts constituted the 17th IHIW Quality Control project. Overall PT concordance rates for HLA-A, HLA-B, HLA-C, HLA-DPA1, HLA-DPB1, HLA-DQA1, HLA-DQB1, HLA-DRB1, HLA-DRB3, HLA-DRB4 and HLA-DRB5 were 98.1%, 97.0% and 98.1%, 99.0%, 98.6%, 98.8%, 97.6%, 96.0%, 99.1%, 90.0% and 91.7%, respectively. Across all loci, the majority of the discordance was due to allele dropout. The high cost of NGS HLA genotyping per experiment likely prevented the retyping of initially failed HLA loci. Despite the high HLA genotype concordance rates of the software, there remains room for improvement in the assembly of more accurate consensus DNA sequences by NGS HLA genotyping software.
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8. |
- Sato, Daisuke, et al.
(author)
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SHANK1 Deletions in Males with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
- 2012
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In: American Journal of Human Genetics. - : Elsevier BV. - 0002-9297. ; 90:5, s. 879-887
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Recent studies have highlighted the involvement of rare (<1% frequency) copy-number variations and point mutations in the genetic etiology of autism spectrum disorder (ASD); these variants particularly affect genes involved in the neuronal synaptic complex. The SHANK gene family consists of three members (SHANK1, SHANK2, and SHANK3), which encode scaffolding proteins required for the proper formation and function of neuronal synapses. Although SHANK2 and SHANK3 mutations have been implicated in ASD and intellectual disability, the involvement of SHANK1 is unknown. Here, we assess microarray data from 1,158 Canadian and 456 European individuals with ASD to discover microdeletions at the SHANK1 locus on chromosome 19. We identify a hemizygous SHANK1 deletion that segregates in a four-generation family in which male carriers-but not female carriers-have ASD with higher functioning. A de novo SHANK1 deletion was also detected in an unrelated male individual with ASD with higher functioning, and no equivalent SHANK1 mutations were found in >15,000 controls (p = 0.009). The discovery of apparent reduced penetrance of ASD in females bearing inherited autosomal SHANK1 deletions provides a possible contributory model for the male gender bias in autism. The data are also informative for clinical-genetics interpretations of both inherited and sporadic forms of ASD involving SHANK1.
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9. |
- Unsworth, Carolyn A., et al.
(author)
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Development of a standardised Occupational Therapy - Driver Off-Road Assessment Battery to assess older and/or functionally impaired drivers
- 2012
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In: Australian Occupational Therapy Journal. - : Wiley. - 0045-0766 .- 1440-1630. ; 59:1, s. 23-36
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Introduction: Research has been conducted over several years to develop a new off-road assessment battery referred to as the Occupational Therapy - Driver Off-Road Assessment Battery. This article documents the development of the Battery, and provides preliminary research evidence to support its content and predictive validity. Methods: Literature reviews and a focus group with nine driver assessor occupational therapists were undertaken, as well as data collection using the Occupational Therapy Driver Off-Road Assessment Battery with 246 clients. A Classification and Regression Tree model was constructed to ascertain the predictive validity of the Battery, with fitness- to-drive as the outcome. Results: Twenty-one physical, 13 sensory and seven assessments of cognition / perception were identified as being reflective of the skills required for driving. Following rating of their psychometric properties, the best assessments were presented to focus group members. The driver assessors supported the inclusion of several assessments and encouraged the development of new assessments. A draft version of the Occupational Therapy -Driver Off-Road Assessment Battery was tested and found to have excellent predictive validity for client on-road performance of 82.6%. The Classification and Regression Tree model showed that client performance on tests included in the Battery should be used together, rather than in isolation, to support fitness-to-drive recommendations. Conclusion: This research identified the most suitable physical, sensory and cognitive assessments to include in the Occupational Therapy -Driver Off-Road Assessment Battery, and provided support for its validity. The development of this standardised battery assists driver assessors to accurately and consistently assess and report the offroad driving capacity of clients.
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