Genomic signatures of evolutionary transitions from solitary to group living

The evolution of eusociality is one of the major transitions in evolution, but the underlying genomic changes are unknown. We compared the genomes of 10 bee species that vary in social complexity, representing multiple independent transitions in social evolution, and report three major findings. First, many important genes show evidence of neutral evolution as a consequence of relaxed selection with increasing social complexity. Second, there is no single road map to eusociality; independent evolutionary transitions in sociality have independent genetic underpinnings. Third, though clearly independent in detail, these transitions do have similar general features, including an increase in constrained protein evolution accompanied by increases in the potential for gene regulation and decreases in diversity and abundance of transposable elements. Eusociality may arise through different mechanisms each time, but would likely always involve an increase in the complexity of gene networks.

Worldwide evidence of a unimodal relationship between productivity and plant species richness

The search for predictions of species diversity across environmental gradients has challenged ecologists for decades. The humped-back model (HBM) suggests that plant diversity peaks at intermediate productivity; at low productivity few species can tolerate the environmental stresses, and at high productivity a few highly competitive species dominate. Over time the HBM has become increasingly controversial, and recent studies claim to have refuted it. Here, by using data from coordinated surveys conducted throughout grasslands worldwide and comprising a wide range of site productivities, we provide evidence in support of the HBM pattern at both global and regional extents. The relationships described here provide a foundation for further research into the local, landscape, and historical factors that maintain biodiversity.

Knox-Wise Family Papers - Accession 591

The Knox-Wise Family Papers includes a land grant issued to John Knox in 1768; diaries written by Dr. John Knox [1792-1859] covering the 1840s and 1850s; James N. Knox [1806-1880] covering 1859-1880; and William D. Knox [1847-1928] covering 1869-1928; indentures, deeds, receipts, court summonses and other papers of Hugh Knox [1757-1821], sheriff and justice of the peace in Chester County, South Carolina (ca. 1780s and 1790s); correspondence of James N. Knox, correspondence, and other professional papers of Dr. John Knox; correspondence, and other papers of William D. Knox, Superintendent of Education in Chester County from 1896-1928. Papers of various other members of the Knox and Wise families including Hugh Boyd Knox [1814-1886], Robert Knox [1796-1879], Sally Knox Wallace [1803-1901], Alexander Walker Wise, and Emmie R. Knox [1885-1969]; family histories of the Knox, Wise, Dunlap, Gaston, and Wilks families; church histories, photographs, and newspaper clippings. Also included are three published volumes of the United Confederate Veterans Minutes of the 21st (1911) and 25th (1915) Annual Meeting and Reunion; and the minutes of the annual reunion of the South Carolina Division of the United Confederate Veterans (1921-1927).

Macroecology of Caribbean Bats: Effects of Area, Elevation, Latitude, and Hurricane-Induced Disturbance

Understanding the geographic and environmental characteristics of islands that affect aspects of biodiversity is a major theme in ecology (Begon et al. 2006; Krebs 2001) and biogeography (Cox and Moore 2000; Drakare et al. 2006; Lomolino et al. 2006). Such understanding has become particularly relevant over the past century because human activities on continents have fragmented natural landscapes, often creating islands of isolated habitat dispersed within a sea of land uses that include agriculture, forestry, and various degrees of urban and suburban development. The increasingly fragmented or islandlike structure of mainland habitats has critical ramifications to conservation biology, as it provides insights regarding the mechanisms leading to species persistence and loss. Consequently, the study of patterns and mechanisms associated with island biodiversity is of interest in its own right (Whittaker 1998; Williamson 1981), and may provide critical insights into mainland phenomena that otherwise could not be studied because of ethical, financial, or logistical considerations involved with the execution of large-scale manipulative experiments.

Winning On for the Gipper: Diversity Strategies and Initiative at Notre Dame

One of the enduring images linked to the University of Notre Dame is that of injured football player George Gipp imploring Coach Knute Rockne to "Win One for the Gipper. " Similarly, people of color and conscience at Notre Dame struggle with formidable challenges in implementing diversity into areas of faculty retention, university initiatives and community outreach, all while remaining sane. The panelists will discuss innovative successes and continuing efforts that can be adapted by others seeking a game plan for diversity.

EXTRALIMITAL RECORDS OF THE MEXICAN FREE-TAILED BAT (TADARIDA BRASILIENSIS MEXICANA) IN THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES AND THEIR BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Two new records of Tadarida brasiliensis mexicana are reported from Nebraska. The literature records of this taxon from the central United States are summarized. In this region of North America, these bats occupy a “natal range” where the species carries on regular reproductive activities and the populations are relatively stable, including California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. To the north of the natal range of T. b. mexicana is a “pioneering zone” where, under favorable conditions, the species is capable of reproducing and conducting its normal activities. The pioneering zone of the Mexican free-tailed bat includes Barber and Comanche counties in Kansas and as far north as Mesa and Saguache counties in southwestern Colorado. Finally, to the north of the pioneering zone, there is a much larger area that is proposed as the “exploring zone” in which only a few individuals of the species are found. Reproductive activities do not occur on any regular basis in the exploring zone, which encompasses the remainder of Colorado and Kansas as well as the states of Wyoming, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and southeastern South Dakota.

PLICATULOSTREA, A NEW GENUS OF PLICATULIDAE (BIVALVIA: PECTINOIDEA) FROM THAILAND

Plicatulostrea onca, a new genus and species of Plicatulidae, is described based on shell and anatomy. The samples were collected under intertidal rocks at Kungkrabaen Bay, Thailand. Plicatulostrea differs from other plicatulids mainly in lacking undulations or shell sculpture, by long projections of the hinge teeth of the right valve and extreme body compression. Plicatulostrea onca has a radially arranged spots at the shell surface and typical plicatulid anatomy, differing mainly by the richness of papillae on the mantle edge and by invasion of the gonad along the mantle lobes. Some comments on the anatomy of the family are also provided.

COMPARATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL STUDY OF SOME TELLINIDAE FROM THAILAND (BIVALVIA: TELLINOIDEA)

A comparative study of seven species of Tellinidae, collected at Kungkrabaen Bay, Gulf of Thailand, is presented. The species are Serratina capsoides (Lamarck, 1818), Moerella cf. Miens (Deshayes, 1854), Cadella cf. semen (Hanley, 1845), Pinguitellina cf. pinguis (Hanley, 1844), Elpidollina sp., and Tellinides timorensis (Lamarck, 1818) of the subfamily Tellininae, and Macomona sp. of the subfamily Macominae. With the objective of performing the study in a comparative and testable scenario, a phylogenetic analysis was carried out based on 43 morphological characters (94 states). A single cladogram was obtained as follows: (Serratina capsoides (Tellinides timorensis (Pinguitellina cf. pinguis (Cadella cf. semen (Moerella cf. Miens (Elpidollina sp. Macomona sp.)))))). A semelid and a solenid were operationally analyzed as part of the ingroup; polarisation was based on a plicatulid. In this analysis, Tellinoidea and Tellinidae were monophyletic, supported by 19 and 9 synapomorphies, respectively. Tellininae was paraphyletic. Good and significant morphological differences were found for all taxa, including at the species level. Some structures are reported for the first time, such as pseudogills, insertion of the pedal protractor dividing the anterior adductor muscle, and a circular muscle surrounding part of the anterior adductor muscle.

COMPARATIVE ANATOMICAL STUDY OF TWO SPECIES OF SEMELE FROM THAILAND (BIVALVIA: TELLINOIDEA)

An anatomical description of two semelids from Thailand is presented, based on samples from Kungkrabaen Bay, Gulf of Thailand. The species are Semele sinensis A. Adams, 1853, and S. carnicolor (Hanley, 1845), both with Indo-Pacific distributions. Morphology in these two species is typically tellinoidean, each with a long internal ligamental element (resilium), a distance between the inner fold of the mantle edge and the other two folds, long and branched gastric ducts to the digestive diverticula, and a stomach diverticulum located in the posterodorsal corner of the gastric chamber, projecting posteriorly. The main anatomical differentiation between the two species is in the character of the labial palps.

The eagle and the starlings: Galileo's argument for the autonomy of science-how pertinent is it today?

After Galileo's argument for the autonomy of science is analysed and adapted to take into account later developments of scientific practices, we conclude that, in the final analysis, it is not compelling. Nevertheless, Galileo's argument still provides a useful point of reference, for aspects of it can be interpreted to anticipate central components of the often acclaimed ideal of science as value free, so that appraising it contributes to the larger purpose of exploring how well that ideal stands up today. Finally, we will argue that residue from Galileo's struggle with the Church remains with us, making it difficult to identify the conditions that would need to be put into place today for any robust sense of the autonomy of science to be defensible. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Head & neck optical diagnostics: vision of the future of surgery

Review paper and Proceedings of the Inaugural Meeting of the Head and Neck Optical Diagnostics Society (HNODS) on March 14th 2009 at University College London.

At the frontiers of surgery: review

The complete surgical removal of disease is a desirable outcome particularly in oncology. Unfortunately much disease is microscopic and difficult to detect causing a liability to recurrence and worsened overall prognosis with attendant costs in terms of morbidity and mortality. It is hoped that by advances in optical diagnostic technology we could better define our surgical margin and so increase the rate of truly negative margins on the one hand and on the other hand to take out only the necessary amount of tissue and leave more unaffected non-diseased areas so preserving function of vital structures. The task has not been easy but progress is being made as exemplified by the presentations at the 2nd Scientific Meeting of the Head and Neck Optical Diagnostics Society (HNODS) in San Francisco in January 2010. We review the salient advances in the field and propose further directions of investigation.

The future of medical diagnostics: review paper

While histopathology of excised tissue remains the gold standard for diagnosis, several new, non-invasive diagnostic techniques are being developed. They rely on physical and biochemical changes that precede and mirror malignant change within tissue. The basic principle involves simple optical techniques of tissue interrogation. Their accuracy, expressed as sensitivity and specificity, are reported in a number of studies suggests that they have a potential for cost effective, real-time, in situ diagnosis.

Pluralismo metodológico, incomensurabilidade e o status científico do conhecimento tradicional

Os valores culturais podem ter um impacto construtivo nas práticas científicas e levar a variações culturais legítimas nas abordagens sobre as mesmas. Segue-se que o conhecimento tradicional ou indígena não precisa opor-se ao conhecimento científico, e somente a investigação caso-a-caso pode estabelecer se as credenciais cognitivas de itens particulares do conhecimento tradicional são adequadas ou deficientes. Com base em uma análise de como as estratégias metodológicas podem tanto competir quanto complementar umas às outras, eu argumento que o que há de defensável na noção de incomensurabilidade de Thomas Kuhn e a possibilidade da solidez do status científico do conhecimento tradicional compartilham da mesma fonte.

High-Speed Laser Processing of Thin Single and Multi-Layer Films

Theoretical models are developed for the continuous-wave and pulsed laser incision and cut of thin single and multi-layer films. A one-dimensional steady-state model establishes the theoretical foundations of the problem by combining a power-balance integral with heat flow in the direction of laser motion. In this approach, classical modelling methods for laser processing are extended by introducing multi-layer optical absorption and thermal properties. The calculation domain is consequently divided in correspondence with the progressive removal of individual layers. A second, time-domain numerical model for the short-pulse laser ablation of metals accounts for changes in optical and thermal properties during a single laser pulse. With sufficient fluence, the target surface is heated towards its critical temperature and homogeneous boiling or "phase explosion" takes place. Improvements are seen over previous works with the more accurate calculation of optical absorption and shielding of the incident beam by the ablation products. A third, general time-domain numerical laser processing model combines ablation depth and energy absorption data from the short-pulse model with two-dimensional heat flow in an arbitrary multi-layer structure. Layer removal is the result of both progressive short-pulse ablation and classical vaporisation due to long-term heating of the sample. At low velocity, pulsed laser exposure of multi-layer films comprising aluminium-plastic and aluminium-paper are found to be characterised by short-pulse ablation of the metallic layer and vaporisation or degradation of the others due to thermal conduction from the former. At high velocity, all layers of the two films are ultimately removed by vaporisation or degradation as the average beam power is increased to achieve a complete cut. The transition velocity between the two characteristic removal types is shown to be a function of the pulse repetition rate. An experimental investigation validates the simulation results and provides new laser processing data for some typical packaging materials.