The chiasmata systems of Scottish Chysolina latecincta (Demaison, 1896) (Coleoptera, Chrysomelidae)

The meiotic systems of some Scottish individuals of the rare Chrysolina latecincta ssp. intermedia (Franz, 1938) have been analyzed from meiotic cells at diakinesis to study the types of chromosomal bivalents and the number and locations of their chiasmata. The mean number of unichiasmate was about two-thirds and that of bichiasmate bivalents about one-third. Most chiasmata were at distal positions and there were no pairwise statistically significant differences in the mean number of chiasmata and those of unichiasmate and bichiasmate bivalents between the three surveyed geographic sources of these Scottish individuals. However, pairwise significant differences were found in the mean number of proximal + interstitial chiasmata between Loch Etive (Argyllshire) and both Orkney and Shetland Islands individuals. The presumed higher values of genetic recombination due to the proximal + interstitial chiasmata with regard to the prevailing distal ones, might provide a slight selective advantage to the insular individuals against the more extreme climates of both islands compared with the Loch Etive site.

Variation in wood physical properties and effects of climate for different geographic sources of Chinese fir in subtropical area of China

Chinese fir is one of the most important commercial timber species in China, with many geographic sources. However, little is known of the variation in wood physical properties among them. To explore the differences in wood physical properties and their influencing factors, five geographic sources of Chinese fir were selected. The variance inflation factor, stepwise regression, and principle component analysis were used to reduce multicollinearity and dimensions of the 19 wood physical properties (including density, shrinkage, and mechanical properties). The results showed that the wood density differed significantly among five geographic sources. The tangential shrinkage rate and radial shrinkage rate reached maximum values in black-heart Chinese fir (HNYX-T) but accompanied by the lowest value for difference dry shrinkage. The wood density and mechanical properties of HNYX-T was exceeded to that of others geographic sources. Fast-growth Chinese fir (FJYK-P) had the lowest value for all mechanical properties. The precipitation and temperature had significant correlations with the wood physical properties of this five geographic sources. The temperature in summer was mainly positive correlated with physical properties, while precipitation was negatively correlated with them. HNYX-T had the highest comprehensive score of PCA, followed by JXCS-R, emerged as higher-quality geographic source, which is important for selecting and utilizing geographic sources in forest management.

A Comparative Study of the Talking Tree Motif in Persian Versions of Qazvini’s Wonders of Creation (Ajā’ib al-makhlūqāt wa gharā’ib al-mawjūdāt)

A tree is one of the most beautiful creations in the world. The development of mythical concepts and the prevalence of some beliefs about it have led to certain connotations and the emergence of specific beliefs in human thought. Among trees, there is the talking tree (Waqwaq), which has a long history and has been mentioned in various books, including reliable geographic sources such as Qazvini’s the Wonders of Creation. The article examines the pictorial motif of talking tree in the Persian version of Qazvini’s Wonders of Creation and considers the similarities and differences of its presentation in Persian versions as well as the origin of its aesthetic principles. The results of the research show that all versions have human heads or a statue on the tree. Among them, the Wonders of Creation 1816 AD has a female motif and depicts a female statue on the tree. The head motif in the Wonders of Creation of 1550–1560 AD is male and illustrates masculine statues on the tree. The head motif in the Wonders of Creation 1566 AD, the Wonders of Creation of the 16 century AD, the Wonders of Creation 1651 AD and the Wonders of Creation 1695 AD and the two heads in the Wonders of Creation 1822 AD was male and only depict human heads on the tree, not the full body. In some versions, in addition to human heads, animal heads are also portrayed on the tree. What is interesting is the presence of the head of legendary animals and birds such as Dragon and Simurgh.

Tlingit geographies of hope: Clan, corporation, and sustainable economies of place

The essay argues that geographies of hope for Tlingit communities in Southeast Alaska begin with a strong sense of place, both social and geographic. In Tlingit, the matrilineal clan—the repository of heritage, identity, and property—constitutes the collective, animate source of resilience, hope, and renewal. We examine the ways in which clans continue to operate as institutions of hope and destiny, especially through the memorial ku.éex’ or “potlatch,” a ritual of restoration and replacement. This ritual is thriving in the 21st century despite no external funding or recognition from the state. It is a wholly Tlingit institution built on socio-geographic values of sustainment of the matrilineal clan as an immortal being. What remains to be re-animated, however, is clan territory. Most Tlingit territory has been appropriated by the Tongass National Forest and Federal and Alaska state waters. Native corporations hold about 2% of the Southeast Alaska land base, and clans hold nothing except, in some cases, recognition of their historical association with particular historic sites and territories. The reinvigoration of cartography with Tlingit place names is a step toward furthering recognition of clans’ historical and contemporary ties to places in a tangible and hopeful way. Yet, culture needs a material base, and mere recognition of traditional toponyms will not be enough. Many clans seek a more substantive livelihood relationships with and custodial role over their territories, not only as sacred properties but as sources of sustainment, strength, and well-being. This requires new thinking on the part of indigenous economic institutions, like Alaska Native business corporations, along the lines of a traditional (Tlingit clan) “house,” an economic unit in the spirit of the original Greek term for economy, oikos (“house”). The integrated restoration of sociocultural, economic, and geographic sources of collective well-being will further enliven Tlingit geographies of hope.

Using trace elements to identify the geographic origin of migratory bats

The expansion of the wind energy industry has had benefits in terms of increased renewable energy production but has also led to increased mortality of migratory bats due to interactions with wind turbines. A key question that could guide bat-related management activities is identifying the geographic origin of bats killed at wind-energy facilities. Generating this information requires developing new methods for identifying the geographic sources of individual bats. Here we explore the viability of assigning geographic origin using trace element analyses of fur to infer the summer molting location of eastern red bats (Lasiurus borealis). Our approach is based on the idea that the concentration of trace elements in bat fur is related through the food chain to the amount of trace elements present in the soil, which varies across large geographic scales. Specifically, we used inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry to determine the concentration of fourteen trace elements in fur of 126 known-origin eastern red bats to generate a basemap for assignment throughout the range of this species in eastern North America. We then compared this map to publicly available soil trace element concentrations for the U.S. and Canada, used a probabilistic framework to generate likelihood-of-origin maps for each bat, and assessed how well trace element profiles predicted the origins of these individuals. Overall, our results suggest that trace elements allow successful assignment of individual bats 80% of the time while reducing probable locations in half. Our study supports the use of trace elements to identify the geographic origin of eastern red and perhaps other migratory bats, particularly when combined with data from other biomarkers such as genetic and stable isotope data.

Nidulantes of Aspergillus (Formerly Emericella): A Treasure Trove of Chemical Diversity and Biological Activities

The genus Emericella (Ascomycota) includes more than thirty species with worldwide distribution across many ecosystems. It is considered a rich source of diverse metabolites. The published classes of natural compounds that are discussed here are organized according to the following biosynthetic pathways: polyketides (azaphilones, cyclopentenone pigments, dicyanides, furan derivatives, phenolic ethers, and xanthones and anthraquinones); shikimate derivatives (bicoumarins); mevalonate derivatives (meroterpenes, sesquiterpenes, sesterterpenes and steroids) and amino acids derivatives (alkaloids (indole-derivatives, isoindolones, and piperazine) and peptides (depsipeptides)). These metabolites produce the wide array of biological effects associated with Emericella, including antioxidant, antiproliferative, antimalarial, antiviral, antibacterial, antioxidant, antihypertensive, anti-inflammatory, antifungal and kinase inhibitors. Careful and extensive study of the diversity and distribution of metabolites produced by the genus Emericella (either marine or terrestrial) revealed that, no matter the source of the fungus, the composition of the culture medium effectively controls the metabolites produced. The topic of this review is the diversity of metabolites that have been identified from Emericella, along with the contextual information on either their biological or geographic sources. This review presents 236 natural compounds, which were reported from marine and terrestrial Emericella. Amongst the reported compounds, only 70.2% were biologically assayed for their effects, including antimicrobial or cytotoxicity. This implies the need for substantial investigation of alternative activities. This review includes a full discussion of compound structures and disease management, based on materials published from 1982 through December 2019.

Retrieving Landmark Salience Based on Wikipedia: An Integrated Ranking Model

Landmarks are important for assisting in wayfinding and navigation and for enriching user experience. Although many user-generated geotagged sources exist, landmark entities are still mostly retrieved from authoritative geographic sources. Wikipedia, the world’s largest free encyclopedia, stores geotagged information on many geospatial entities, including a very large and well-founded volume of landmark information. However, not all Wikipedia geotagged landmark entities can be considered valuable and instructive. This research introduces an integrated ranking model for mining landmarks from Wikipedia predicated on estimating and weighting their salience. Other than location, the model is based on the entries’ category and attributed data. Preliminary ranking is formulated on the basis of three spatial descriptors associated with landmark salience, namely permanence, visibility, and uniqueness. This ranking is integrated with a score derived from a set of numerical attributes that are associated with public interest in the Wikipedia page―including the number of redirects and the date of the latest edit. The methodology is comparatively evaluated for various areas in different cities. Results show that the developed integrated ranking model is robust in identifying landmark salience, paving the way for incorporation of Wikipedia’s content into navigation systems.