Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci from Chiasmia assimilis (Warren, 1899) (Lepidoptera: Geometridae)

Twelve microsatellite loci are presented for the biological control agent Chiasmia assimilis (Warren, 1899). These microsatellite loci were obtained through the construction of an enriched library, overcoming previous reported difficulties with obtaining microsatellites from other Lepidoptera due to the low frequency of microsatellites in their genomes.

Identifying and predicting adolescent smokers' developmental trajectories

Very few studies have defined trajectories of smoking. In the present study, we modeled growth in adolescent smoking and empirically identified prototypical trajectories. We conceptualized escalation of smoking as a growth process and modeled rates of change and heterogeneity of these patterns using latent growth mixture modeling. The analysis identified six trajectories with low ambiguity about group membership (early rapid escalators, late rapid escalators, late moderate escalators, late slow escalators-smokers, stable puffers, and late slow escalators-puffers). A trajectory of quitters was not identified. We also examined predictors of the smoking trajectories. The predictors were assessed across the adolescent years and included variables related to smoking and other substance use, as well as a range of variables related to sociodemographic factors and mental health. Observed change in the pattern of predictors across age has implications for the mechanism of effect of these variables in relation to smoking trajectories, including predictors that differentiated among daily smokers, variables that may determine the trajectory (e.g., friends smoking), and variables that may result from the trajectory (e.g., marijuana use, less attachment to friends).

The 1000 brightest HIPASS galaxies H I properties

We present the HIPASS Bright Galaxy Catalog (BGC), which contains the 1000 H I brightest galaxies in the southern sky as obtained from the H i Parkes All-Sky Survey ( HIPASS). The selection of the brightest sources is based on their H I peak flux density (S-peak greater than or similar to116 mJy) as measured from the spatially integrated HIPASS spectrum. The derived H I masses range from similar to10(7) to 4 x 10(10) M-.. While the BGC ( z< 0.03) is complete in S-peak, only a subset of &SIM;500 sources can be considered complete in integrated H I flux density (F-H I &GSIM;25 Jy km s(-1)). The HIPASS BGC contains a total of 158 new redshifts. These belong to 91 new sources for which no optical or infrared counterparts have previously been cataloged, an additional 51 galaxies for which no redshifts were previously known, and 16 galaxies for which the cataloged optical velocities disagree. Of the 91 newly cataloged BGC sources, only four are definite H I clouds: while three are likely Magellanic debris with velocities around 400 km s(-1), one is a tidal cloud associated with the NGC 2442 galaxy group. The remaining 87 new BGC sources, the majority of which lie in the zone of avoidance, appear to be galaxies. We identified optical counterparts to all but one of the 30 new galaxies at Galactic latitudes > 10degrees. Therefore, the BGC yields no evidence for a population of free-floating'' intergalactic H I clouds without associated optical counterparts. HIPASS provides a clear view of the local large-scale structure. The dominant features in the sky distribution of the BGC are the Supergalactic Plane and the Local Void. In addition, one can clearly see the Centaurus Wall, which connects via the Hydra and Antlia Clusters to the Puppis Filament. Some previously hardly noticable galaxy groups stand out quite distinctly in the H I sky distribution. Several new structures, including some not behind the Milky Way, are seen for the first time.

Homology of fin lepidotrichia in osteichthyan fishes

Lepidotrichia are dermal elements located at the distal margin of osteichthyan fins. In sarcopterygians and actinopterygians, the term has been used to denote the most distal bony hemisegments and also the more proximal, scale-covered segments which overlie endochondral bones of the fin. In certain sarcopterygian fishes, including the Rhizodontida, these more proximal, basal segments are very long, extending at least half the length of the fin. The basal segments have a subcircular cross section, rather than the crescentic cross section of the distal lepidotrichial hemisegments, which lack a scale cover and comprise short, generally regular, elements. In rhizodonts and other sarcopterygians, e.g. Eusthenopteron, the basal elements are the first to appear during fin development, followed by the endochondral bones and then the distal lepidotrichia. This sequence contradicts the 'clock-face model' of fin development proposed by Thorogood in which the formation of endochondral bones is followed by development of lepidotrichia. However, if elongate basal 'lepidotrichia' are not homologous with more distal, jointed lepidotrichia and if the latter form within a distal fin-fold and the former outside this fold, then Thorogood's 'clock-face' model remains valid. This interpretation might indicate that the fin-fold has been lost in early digited stem-tetrapods such as Acanthostega and Ichthyostega and elongate basal elements, but not true lepidotrichia, occur in the caudal fins of these taxa.

Genomewide linkage study in 1,176 affected sister pair families identifies a significant susceptibility locus for endometriosis on chromosome 10q26

Endometriosis is a common gynecological disease that affects up to 10% of women in their reproductive years. It causes pelvic pain, severe dysmenorrhea, and subfertility. The disease is defined as the presence of tissue resembling endometrium in sites outside the uterus. Its cause remains uncertain despite 150 years of hypothesis-driven research, and thus the therapeutic options are limited. Disease predisposition is inherited as a complex genetic trait, which provides an alternative route to understanding the disease. We seek to identify susceptibility loci, using a positional-cloning approach that starts with linkage analysis to identify genomic regions likely to harbor these genes. We conducted a linkage study of 1,176 families ( 931 from an Australian group and 245 from a U. K. group), each with at least two members-mainly affected sister pairs-with surgically diagnosed disease. We have identified a region of significant linkage on chromosome 10q26 ( maximum LOD score [MLS] of 3.09; genomewide P = .047) and another region of suggestive linkage on chromosome 20p13 MLS p 2.09). Minor peaks with MLS > 1.0) were found on chromosomes 2, 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, and 17. This is the first report of linkage to a major locus for endometriosis. The findings will facilitate discovery of novel positional genetic variants that influence the risk of developing this debilitating disease. Greater understanding of the aberrant cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the etiology and pathophysiology of endometriosis should lead to better diagnostic methods and targeted treatments.