The problematic cemented Devonian brachiopod Schuchertellopsis durbutensis Maillieux, 1939

The Devonian cemented brachiopod Schuchertellopsis durbutensis has proved difficult to classify and its possible taxonomic relationships are unknown. Morphologically Schuchertellopsis resembles more closely members of the Orthotetidina than the Davidsoniidina. Examination of the shell structure, a key diagnostic feature of the Orthotetidina, shows that Schuchertellopsis has the cross laminar secondary shell typical of all orthotetidines. However, the presence of both pseudopunctate and incipient an extropunctate fabric within the ventral valve is unique amongst orthotetidine brachiopods and is thought to represent a phase of shell fabric experimentation. Schuchertellopsis probably fits most comfortably within the Schuchertellidae, and is the earliest representative of that family.     

Towards resolving and redefining Amphipyrinae (Lepidoptera,Noctuoidea, Noctuidae): a massively polyphyletic taxon

Amphipyrinae have long been a catchall taxon for Noctuidae, with most members lacking discernible morphological synapomorphies that would allow their assignment to one of the many readily diagnosable noctuid subfamilies. Here data from seven gene regions (> 5500 bp) for more than 120 noctuid genera are used to infer a phylogeny for Amphipyrinae and related subfamilies. Sequence data for 57 amphipyrine genera – most represented by the type species of the genus – are examined. We present here the first large‐scale molecular phylogenetic study of Amphipyrinae and the largest molecular phylogeny of Noctuidae to date; several proposed nomenclatural changes for well‐supported results; and the identification of areas of noctuid phylogeny where greater taxon sampling and/or genomic‐scale data are needed. Adult and larval morphology, along with life‐history traits, for taxonomic groupings most relevant to the results are discussed. Amphipyrinae are significantly redefined; many former amphipyrines, excluded as a result of these analyses, are reassigned to other noctuid subfamily‐level taxa. Four genera, Chamaeclea Grote, Heminocloa Barnes & Benjamin, Hemioslaria Barnes & Benjamin and Thurberiphaga Dyar, are transferred to the tribe Chamaecleini Keegan & Wagner tribe n. in Acontiinae. Stiriina is elevated to Stiriinae rev. stat. , Grotellina is elevated to Grotellinae rev. stat. and Annaphilina is elevated to Annaphilini rev. stat. Acopa Harvey is transferred to Bryophilinae, Aleptina Dyar is transferred to Condicinae, Leucocnemis Hampson and Oxycnemis gracillinea (Grote) are transferred to Oncocnemidinae, Nacopa Barnes & Benjamin is transferred to Noctuinae and Narthecophora Smith is transferred to Stiriinae. Azenia Grote (and its subtribe Azeniina), Cropia Walker, Metaponpneumata Möschler, Sexserrata Barnes & Benjamin and Tristyla Smith are transferred to Noctuidae incertae sedis. Hemigrotella Barnes & McDunnough (formerly in subtribe Grotellina) is retained in Amphipyrinae. Argentostiria Poole and Bistica Dyar are retained in Stiriini but removed from incertae sedis position. This published work has been registered on ZooBank: http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4A140782‐31BA‐445A‐B7BA‐6EAB98ED43FA .     

Marine and estuarine gradients — An overview

The Proceedings of the ECSA 21 symposium on Marine and Estuarine Gradients are reviewed. It is emphasised that this is probably the first time that a full set of papers on the tidal freshwater sections of estuaries has appeared. There is however some ambiguity in the terminology applied to such waters, and a more consistent terminology is proposed. In particular the estuary is defined as reaching upstream as far as the tidal limit, irrespective of salinity. A wide variety of gradients within estuaries and coastal waters are considered, but it is apparent that the crucial spatial gradients are based on salinity, oxygen and turbidity, and that many other gradients are co-variables with these parameters. Temperature is also important for temporal gradients.     

Identification of Medically Actionable Secondary Findings in the 1000 Genomes

The American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) recommends that clinical sequencing laboratories return secondary findings in 56 genes associated with medically actionable conditions. Our goal was to apply a systematic, stringent approach consistent with clinical standards to estimate the prevalence of pathogenic variants associated with such conditions using a diverse sequencing reference sample. Candidate variants in the 56 ACMG genes were selected from Phase 1 of the 1000 Genomes dataset, which contains sequencing information on 1,092 unrelated individuals from across the world. These variants were filtered using the Human Gene Mutation Database (HGMD) Professional version and defined parameters, appraised through literature review, and examined by a clinical laboratory specialist and expert physician. Over 70,000 genetic variants were extracted from the 56 genes, and filtering identified 237 variants annotated as disease causing by HGMD Professional. Literature review and expert evaluation determined that 7 of these variants were pathogenic or likely pathogenic. Furthermore, 5 additional truncating variants not listed as disease causing in HGMD Professional were identified as likely pathogenic. These 12 secondary findings are associated with diseases that could inform medical follow-up, including cancer predisposition syndromes, cardiac conditions, and familial hypercholesterolemia. The majority of the identified medically actionable findings were in individuals from the European (5/379) and Americas (4/181) ancestry groups, with fewer findings in Asian (2/286) and African (1/246) ancestry groups. Our results suggest that medically relevant secondary findings can be identified in approximately 1% (12/1092) of individuals in a diverse reference sample. As clinical sequencing laboratories continue to implement the ACMG recommendations, our results highlight that at least a small number of potentially important secondary findings can be selected for return. Our results also confirm that understudied populations will not reap proportionate benefits of genomic medicine, highlighting the need for continued research efforts on genetic diseases in these populations.     

Chronic exposure to inhaled anesthetics increases cholesterol content in Acholeplasma laidlawii

Acholeplasma laidlawii cells were grown in cholesterol-enriched medium and exposed continuously to either air (control), 4.0 vol.% halothane in air at 1 atm pressure (4% atm halothane), or 80% cyclopropane in oxygen for 24 h at 37°C. Cells grown in the presence of 4% atm halothane or 80% cyclopropane had approximately twice as much membrane cholesterol content/mg protein as the control cells. Cells grown in an anesthetic environment also tended to have a higher membrane cholesterol/phospholipid molar ratio compared to control cells. Membranes isolated from halothane-exposed cells grown in a cholesterol-enriched medium were more ordered at 37°C (measurements were made with no anesthetic present) than membranes from control cells grown in an identically enriched medium. This difference in membrane physical state between control and anesthetic-exposed cells decreased as the temperature decreased, and disappeared at approx. 23°C. Continuous exposure of A. laidlawii to 4% atm halothane or 80% cyclopropane for 24 h did not markedly affect membrane fatty acid composition, either in cells grown on an unsupplemented medium or in cells grown in a medium enriched in myristic, palmitic or stearic acids. These results further support the hypothesis that an increased membrane cholesterol content may play a role in the tolerance or dependence that develops after chronic exposure to anesthetic agents.