scholarly journals New approaches to species delimitation and population structure of anthozoans: Two case studies of octocorals using ultraconserved elements and exons

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 78-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie L. Erickson ◽  
Alicia Pentico ◽  
Andrea M. Quattrini ◽  
Catherine S. McFadden
2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie L. Erickson ◽  
Alicia Pentico ◽  
Andrea M. Quattrini ◽  
Catherine S. McFadden

AbstractAs coral populations decline worldwide in the face of ongoing environmental change, documenting their distribution, diversity and conservation status is now more imperative than ever. Accurate delimitation and identification of species is a critical first step. This task, however, is not trivial as morphological variation and slowly evolving molecular markers confound species identification. New approaches to species delimitation in corals are needed to overcome these challenges. Here, we test whether target enrichment of ultraconserved elements (UCEs) and exons can be used for delimiting species boundaries and population structure within species of corals by focusing on two octocoral genera, Alcyonium and Sinularia, as exemplary case studies. We designed an updated bait set (29,363 baits) to target-capture 3,040 UCE and exon loci, recovering a mean of 1,910 ± 168 SD per sample with a mean length of 1,055 ± 208 bp. Similar numbers of loci were recovered from Sinularia (1,946 ± 227 SD) and Alcyonium (1,863 ± 177 SD). Species-level phylogenies were highly supported for both genera. Clustering methods based on filtered SNPs delimited species and populations that are congruent with previous allozyme, DNA barcoding, reproductive and ecological data for Alcyonium, and offered further evidence of hybridization among species. For Sinularia, results were congruent with those obtained from a previous study using Restriction Site Associated DNA Sequencing. Both case studies demonstrate the utility of target-enrichment of UCEs and exons to address a wide range of evolutionary and taxonomic questions across deep to shallow time scales in corals.


Biologia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 70 (10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Masoud Sheidai ◽  
Samira Sadeghi ◽  
Mahnaz-Arab Ameri ◽  
Ahmad-Reza Mehrabeian

AbstractThe present study aimed to reveal genetic diversity and population structure in three Onosma species i.e., Onosma bulbotrichum DC., O. elwendicum Wettst. and O. sericeum Willd. (Boraginaceae) growing in Iran. This study was performed to check if the ISSR molecular markers could be used in the Onosma species delimitation. We also investigated the infra-specific morphological variability and if we can identify infra-species taxonomic forms. The present study revealed within species genetic and morphological diversity. ISSR data could delimit the studied species as they were separated from each other in NJ tree, maximum parsimony and STRUCTURE analysis. AMOVA and Hickory tests produced significant genetic difference among the studied species. The Mantel test showed no correlation between genetic distance and geographical distance of the populations for all three species. Reticulation analysis and Nm estimation showed gene flow among these populations. We could identify a few ISSR loci that are adaptive. Data obtained can be used in conservation of these medicinal plants in Iran.


2020 ◽  
Vol 40 (04) ◽  
pp. 414-419
Author(s):  
Bernhard Lämmle

AbstractThree selected casuistic studies of individual patient problems from my long-standing professional experience are presented. I intend to highlight the potential contribution of case studies, including new approaches of laboratory investigation, for the advancement of pathophysiological knowledge and would encourage to “rehabilitate” the low academic profile generally attributed to “case reports.”


1998 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 1603-1624 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Perry ◽  
Tan Boon Hui

New approaches to the management of subcontracting relations are interpreted as indicating a shift from adversarial to cooperative linkages. This shift is thought to encourage greater use of external suppliers and to encourage localisation of buyers and suppliers. These propositions are examined through a case study of linkage development in Singapore, a major centre of multinational manufacturing activity. The case study draws on evidence from a sample of participants in a scheme promoted by Singapore's Economic Development Board known as the Local Industry Upgrading Programme (LIUP), which has aimed to promote linkage development. The paper reports two surveys of participants in LIUP: (1) a postal survey of buyers (mainly made up of foreign multinationals as well as a few Singapore organisations) and subcontractors; and (2) a personal interview survey with representatives of twenty-two buyer organisations. The analysis, partly presented through brief case studies of individual organisations, shows how variable strategies affecting subcontracting linkages are evolving. Increased information flows between firms are found to be well established but a low priority to linkage localisation is discovered. These findings are interpreted in terms of MNC (multinational corporation) strategies to retain flexibility in subcontractor selection and their increased capabilities to manage spatially dispersed supply linkages.


Author(s):  
Jacqueline-Nathalie Harba

Abstract Consumer behavior is shifting radically with the rise of e-commerce and new technologies. As a result, luxury retailers are forced to embrace a variety of technologies to keep their customers engaged. How do brands captivate shoppers and provide the customer experience that will satisfy their desires? Through dissemination of literature and case studies on examples from the industry, this paper presents a detailed discussion on the new approaches to customer experience in the luxury fashion industry, in the context of a modern economy that is highly shaped by disruptive technological innovations. The discussion includes two detailed case studies, focusing on two key themes that define contemporary customer expectations: the story – discussing customer’s desire to be immersed in the narratives behind catwalk collections, and the experience – discussing the use of technology to create a unique retail space through the use of online and mobile specific technologies. The first case study focuses on how new technologies provide brands with new opportunities to present their products through narratives. Using famous luxury retailers Dior, Givenchy and Prada as examples, the case study provides a detailed discussion on the use of virtual reality and augmented reality as tools that enable customers to project themselves into the story behind a catwalk show and become active characters in the narrative, through the use of technological devices. The second case study focuses on the importance of merging the online and the traditional brick-and-mortar store. “The Store of the Future”, by luxury retailer Farfetch is used as an example of how retailers make use of high-tech equipment, virtual reality and augmented reality not only to create a tech-powered interactive experience that will intrigue customers, but also to improve retail productivity by capturing customer data. The study adopts a qualitative research method to evaluate the validity of the concepts discussed in the Literature Review, using a sample of three in-depth interviews with industry experts, focusing on the use of technology to improve customer experience in physical retail spaces. Based on previously published research, it is estimated that the primary research will indicate that it is not the use of technology that drives the customer experience, but customer expectations that determine the adoption and adaptation of disruptive technologies to satisfy the shoppers’ requirements.


2016 ◽  
Vol 371 (1691) ◽  
pp. 20150216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas H. G. Ezard ◽  
Tiago B. Quental ◽  
Michael J. Benton

Attempts to infer the ecological drivers of macroevolution in deep time have long drawn inspiration from work on extant systems, but long-term evolutionary and geological changes complicate the simple extrapolation of such theory. Recent efforts to incorporate a more informed ecology into macroevolution have moved beyond the descriptive, seeking to isolate generating mechanisms and produce testable hypotheses of how groups of organisms usurp each other or coexist over vast timespans. This theme issue aims to exemplify this progress, providing a series of case studies of how novel modelling approaches are helping infer the regulators of biodiversity in deep time. In this Introduction, we explore the challenges of these new approaches. First, we discuss how our choices of taxonomic units have implications for the conclusions drawn. Second, we emphasize the need to embrace the interdependence of biotic and abiotic changes, because no living organism ignores its environment. Third, in the light of parts 1 and 2, we discuss the set of dynamic signatures that we might expect to observe in the fossil record. Finally, we ask whether these dynamics represent the most ecologically informative foci for research efforts aimed at inferring the regulators of biodiversity in deep time. The papers in this theme issue contribute in each of these areas.


This two-volume set presents detailed interpretations of singular performances by several of the most compelling actors in cinema history, asking in many different and complementary ways what makes performance meaningful, how it reflects a director's style, as well as how it contributes to the development of national cinemas and cultures. Whether noting the precise ways actors shape film narrative, achieve emotional effect, or move toward political subversion, the essays in these books innovate new approaches to studying screen performance as an art form and cultural force. This second volume focuses on international cinema, and includes case studies of key performances from actors like Ingrid Bergman, Gael Garcia Bernal, Nikolai Cherkassov, Alec Guinness, Setsuko Hara, Isabelle Huppert, Peter Lorre, Madhubala, Anna Magnani, Toshirô Mifune, and Choi Min Sik, amongst many others.


The Auk ◽  
2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Winker ◽  
Pamela C Rasmussen

Abstract Despite the acknowledged importance of defining avian species limits to scientific research, conservation, and management, in practice, they often remain contentious. This is true even among practitioners of a single species concept and is inevitable owing to the continuous nature of the speciation process, our incomplete and changing understanding of individual cases, and differing interpretations of available data. This issue of Ornithology brings together several papers on species limits, some more theoretical and general, and others case studies of specific taxa. These are viewed primarily through the lens of the biological species concept (BSC), by far the most widely adopted species concept in influential ornithological works. The more conceptual contributions focus on the importance of the integrative approach in species delimitation; the importance of considering selection with the increasing use of genomic data; examinations of the effectiveness of the Tobias et al. character-scoring species limits criteria; a review of thorny issues in species delimitation using examples from Australo-Papuan birds; and a review of the process of speciation that addresses how population divergence poses challenges. Case studies include population genomics of the American Kestrel (Falco sparverius); an integrative taxonomic analysis of Graceful Prinia (Prinia gracilis) that suggests two species are involved; and a reevaluation of species limits in Caribbean Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus) taxa.


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