Nonlinear stability analyses of vegetative pattern formation in an arid environment

The development of spontaneous stationary vegetative patterns in an arid isotropic homogeneous environment is investigated by means of various weakly nonlinear stability analyses applied to the appropriate governing equation for this phenomenon. In particular, that process can be represented by a fourth-order partial differential time-evolution logistic equation for the total plant biomass per unit area divided by the carrying capacity of its territory and defined on an unbounded flat spatial domain. Those patterns that consist of parallel stripes, labyrinth-like mazes, rhombic arrays of rectangular patches, and hexagonal distributions of spots or gaps are generated by the balance between the effects of short-range facilitation and long-range competition. Then those theoretical predictions are compared with both relevant observational evidence and existing numerical simulations as well as placed in the context of the results from some recent nonlinear pattern formation studies.     

Novel statistical methods for integrating genetic and stable isotope data to infer individual‐level migratory connectivity

Methods for determining patterns of migratory connectivity in animal ecology have historically been limited due to logistical challenges. Recent progress in studying migratory bird connectivity has been made using genetic and stable‐isotope markers to assign migratory individuals to their breeding grounds. Here, we present a novel Bayesian approach to jointly leverage genetic and isotopic markers and we test its utility on two migratory passerine bird species. Our approach represents a principled model‐based combination of genetic and isotope data from samples collected on the breeding grounds and is able to achieve levels of assignment accuracy that exceed those of either method alone. When applied at large scale the method can reveal specific migratory connectivity patterns. In Wilson's warblers (Wilsonia pusilla), we detect a subgroup of birds wintering in Baja that uniquely migrate preferentially from the coastal Pacific Northwest. Our approach is implemented in a way that is easily extended to accommodate additional sources of information (e.g. bi‐allelic markers, species distribution models, etc.) or adapted to other species or assignment problems.     

Role of zinc in catalytic activity of carbonic anhydrase IX

The carbonic anhydrases (CAs) in the α class are zinc-dependent metalloenzymes. Previous studies have reported that recombinant forms of carbonic anhydrase IX (CAIX), a membrane-bound form of CA expressed in solid tumors, appear to be activated by low levels of zinc independent of its well-studied role at the catalytic site. In this study, we sought to determine if CAIX is stimulated by zinc in its native environment. MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells express CAIX in response to hypoxia. We compared CAIX activity associated with membrane ghosts isolated from hypoxic cells with that in intact hypoxic cells. We measured CA activity directly using (18)O exchange from (13)CO(2) into water determined by membrane inlet mass spectrometry. In membrane ghosts, there was little effect of zinc at low concentrations on CAIX activity, although at high concentration zinc was inhibitory. In intact cells, zinc had no significant effect on CAIX activity. This suggests that there is an appreciable decrease in sensitivity to zinc when CAIX is in its natural membrane milieu compared to the purified forms.     

Amplistroma erinaceum,a new species and its anamorph from Panama

The new species Amplistroma erinaceum, collected on wood of Anacardium excelsum, is characterized by light cream-coloured, rostrate to spinose stromata, and immersed perithecia and long ostiolar necks. Its relationship to other Amplistroma species within the Amplistromataceae (incertae sedis, Ascomycota) are studied based on morphological, cultural, and molecular sequence data of the large subunit ribosomal DNA (28S rDNA).     

Rapid Golgi Analysis Method for Efficient and Unbiased Classification of Dendritic Spines

Dendritic spines are the primary recipients of excitatory synaptic input in the brain. Spine morphology provides important information on the functional state of ongoing synaptic transmission. One of the most commonly used methods to visualize spines is Golgi-Cox staining, which is appealing both due to ease of sample preparation and wide applicability to multiple species including humans. However, the classification of spines is a time-consuming and often expensive task that yields widely varying results between individuals. Here, we present a novel approach to this analysis technique that uses the unique geometry of different spine shapes to categorize spines on a purely objective basis. This rapid Golgi spine analysis method successfully conveyed the maturational shift in spine types during development in the mouse primary visual cortex. This approach, built upon freely available software, can be utilized by researchers studying a broad range of synaptic connectivity phenotypes in both development and disease.