Adaptive Neural Network-Based ECG Data Compression According to the Morphology

1IntroductionElbo（ECG）offersalotofilllcorralltinfondionforthediagnosisOfheartdis－eases．Berz1，seahaormalEChcax［lrins＞llleu＂knownsituations，thcycanbeCSUghtinthelongti1Ylecontin～11xHlltoriDg．ndterrnoultonngsystemwhichcanrecord24－hoUrECGdataisoneofeffectiveme～toprovidethefun～．AlthOUghthehag6scaleICmorestohavebeeddevelopepbedeavailabletostorelOngtboeECGdsta，itisveqdifficultyandtioublesomethatalopnUmbeOfdstaisprasersandstoredortiallsillltted．InthedigitedECGdata，thereare…     

Development of Ty1-copia retrotransposon-based SSAP molecular markers for the study of genetic diversity in peach

Sequence-specific amplified polymorphism (SSAP) technology is a novel, anchored PCR approach derived from AFLP, which amplifies the region between a transposon insertion and an adjacent restriction site and have higher levels of polymorphism. In the current study, we developed 16 SSAP markers based on the long terminal repeat (LTR) sequences of Ty1-copia retrotransposons in the peach and used them for DNA profiling of 52 individual peaches: 44 peach cultivars and 8 ornamental peaches. These primer combinations produced a total of 1,553 fragments and 1,517 polymorphic bands with a polymorphism percentage of 97.7%. Furthermore, the Shannon's information index of each primer combination ranged from 0.1593 to 0.4456. Neighbor-joining analyses revealed two main genetic clusters, corresponding to the fruit flesh types: (A-1) MF (melting flesh) with clingstone and ornamental peaches; (A-2) MF with freestone and NMF (non-melting flesh) with clingstone. Finally, cluster analyses revealed that all ornamental peaches are closely related to the MF with clingstone peach cultivars. The application of these primer combinations identified using SSAP will facilitate future cultivar identification and germplasm management in peaches.     

The Laterosensory Canal System in Epigean and Subterranean Ituglanis (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae), With Comments About Troglomorphism and the Phylogeny of the Genus

The laterosensory system is a mechanosensory modality involved in many aspects of fish biology and behavior. Laterosensory perception may be crucial for individual survival, especially in habitats where other sensory modalities are generally useless, such as the permanently aphotic subterranean environment. In the present study, we describe the laterosensory canal system of epigean and subterranean species of the genus Ituglanis (Siluriformes: Trichomycteridae). With seven independent colonizations of the subterranean environment in a limited geographical range coupled with a high diversity of epigean forms, the genus is an excellent model for the study of morphological specialization to hypogean life. The comparison between epigean and subterranean species reveals a trend toward reduction of the laterosensory canal system in the subterranean species, coupled with higher intraspecific variability and asymmetry. This trend is mirrored in other subterranean fishes and in species living in different confined spaces, like the interstitial environment. Therefore, we propose that the reduction of the laterosensory canal system should be regarded as a troglomorphic (= cave‐related) character for subterranean fishes. We also comment about the patterns of the laterosensory canal system in trichomycterids and use the diversity of this system among species of Ituglanis to infer phylogenetic relationships within the genus. J. Morphol. 278:4–28, 2017. ©© 2016 Wiley Periodicals,Inc.     

Litter-dwelling ants as bioindicators to gauge the sustainability of small arboreal monocultures embedded in the Amazonian rainforest

One of the greatest threats to biodiversity and the sustainable functioning of ecosystems is the clearing of forests for agriculture. Because litter-dwelling ants are very good bioindicators of man-made disturbance, we used them to compare monospecific plantations of acacia trees, cocoa trees, rubber trees and pine trees with the surrounding Neotropical rainforest (in contrast to previous studies on forest fragments embedded in industrial monocultures). Although the global level of species turnover was weak, species richness decreased along a gradient from the forest (including a treefall gap) to the tree plantations among which the highest number of species was noted for the cocoa trees, which are known to be a good compromise between agriculture and conservation. Species composition was significantly different between natural habitats and the plantations that, in turn, were different from each other. Compared to the forest, alterations in the ant communities were (1) highest for the acacia and rubber trees, (2) intermediate for the cocoa trees, and, (3) surprisingly, far lower for the pine trees, likely due to very abundant litter. Functional traits only separated the rubber tree plantation from the other habitats due to the higher presence of exotic and leaf-cutting ants. This study shows that small monospecific stands are likely sustainable when embedded in the rainforest and that environmentally-friendly strategies can be planned accordingly.