Chloroplast phylogenomics in Camelina (Brassicaceae) reveals multiple origins of polyploid species and the maternal lineage of C. sativa

The genus Camelina (Brassicaceae) comprises 7–8 diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid species. Of particular agricultural interest is the biofuel crop, C. sativa (gold-of-pleasure or false flax), an allohexaploid domesticated from the widespread weed, C. microcarpa. Recent cytogenetics and genomics work has uncovered the identity of the parental diploid species involved in ancient polyploidization events in Camelina. However, little is known about the maternal subgenome ancestry of contemporary polyploid species. To determine the diploid maternal contributors of polyploid Camelina lineages, we sequenced and assembled 84 Camelina chloroplast genomes for phylogenetic analysis. Divergence time estimation was used to infer the timing of polyploidization events. Chromosome counts were also determined for 82 individuals to assess ploidy and cytotypic variation. Chloroplast genomes showed minimal divergence across the genus, with no observed gene-loss or structural variation. Phylogenetic analyses revealed C. hispida as a maternal diploid parent to the allotetraploid Camelina rumelica, and C. neglecta as the closest extant diploid contributor to the allohexaploids C. microcarpa and C. sativa. The tetraploid C. rumelica appears to have evolved through multiple independent hybridization events. Divergence times for polyploid lineages closely related to C. sativa were all inferred to be very recent, at only ~65 thousand years ago. Chromosome counts confirm that there are two distinct cytotypes within C. microcarpa (2n = 38 and 2n = 40). Based on these findings and other recent research, we propose a model of Camelina subgenome relationships representing our current understanding of the hybridization and polyploidization history of this recently-diverged genus.

Outcrossing rates in an experimentally admixed population of self-compatible and self-incompatible Arabidopsis lyrata

The transition to self-compatibility from self-incompatibility is often associated with high rates of self-fertilization, which can restrict gene flow among populations and cause reproductive isolation of self-compatible (SC) lineages. Secondary contact between SC and self-incompatible (SI) lineages might re-establish gene flow if SC lineages remain capable of outcrossing. By contrast, intrinsic features of SC plants that reinforce high rates of self-fertilization could maintain evolutionary divergence between lineages. Arabidopsis lyrata subsp. lyrata is characterized by multiple origins of self-compatibility and high rates of self-fertilization in SC-dominated populations. It is unclear whether these high rates of selfing by SC plants have intrinsic or extrinsic causes. We estimated outcrossing rates and examined patterns of pollinator movement for 38 SC and 40 SI maternal parents sampled from an admixed array of 1509 plants sourced from six SC and six SI populations grown under uniform density. Although plants from SI populations had higher outcrossing rates (mean tm = 0.78 ± 0.05 SE) than plants from SC populations (mean tm = 0.56 ± 0.06 SE), outcrossing rates among SC plants were substantially higher than previous estimates from natural populations. Patterns of pollinator movement appeared to contribute to lower outcrossing rates for SC plants; we estimated that 40% of floral visits were geitonogamous (between flowers of the same plant). The relatively high rates of outcrossing for SC plants under standardized conditions indicate that selfing rates in natural SC populations of A. lyrata are facultative and driven by extrinsic features of A. lyrata, including patterns of pollinator movement.

The Effect of Contract-Rearing on the Health Status of Replacement Dairy Heifers

The aim of this study was to compare the health status of contract- vs. conventionally reared replacement dairy heifers over a 2-year period. A total of 120 dairy farmers were enrolled in the study in spring 2018: 55 farmers were rearing their own heifers (control farmers; CFs), and 65 were sending heifers to a contract-rearing farm (source dairy farmers; SDFs). Between spring 2018 and autumn 2019, approximately 5500 replacement heifers from these farms were monitored for signs of ill health during four farm visits using a modified version of the Wisconsin calf health scoring system. Additionally, faecal and nasal swabs were taken from a proportion of heifers with clinical signs of diarrhoea and respiratory disease to determine the associated aetiological agents. Results indicate few differences in the health status and pathogen exposure status of home-reared versus contract-reared heifers. Additionally, the number of source dairy farms represented and commingling of heifers from multiple origins at the rearing unit were not associated with an increased incidence of respiratory disease or diarrhoea among contract-reared heifers. It was concluded that contract-rearing did not result in adverse health outcomes for replacement dairy heifers. This is the first study to demonstrate this finding in a robust, longitudinal, herd-level population study.

Re-imagining International Relations

Buzan and Acharya challenge the discipline of International Relations to reimagine itself in the light of the thinking about, and practice of, international relations and world order from premodern India, China and the Islamic world. This prequel to their 2019 book, The Making of Global International Relations, takes the story back from the two-century tale of modern IR, to reveal the deep global history of the discipline. It shows the multiple origins and meanings of many concepts thought of as only modern and Western. It opens pathways for the rest of the world into this most Eurocentric of disciplines, encouraging them to bring their own histories, concepts and theories with them. The authors have written this book with the hope of inspiring others to extend these pathways by bringing in a wider array of cultures, and exploring how they thought about and acted in worlds composed of multiple, independent, collective actors.

Age of Acquisition Effects on the decomposition of compound words

Age of acquisition (AoA) is a measure of learning experience and a strong predictor of lexical retrieval. According to the integrated view, the AoA effect results from the development of semantic representations and the mappings between these representations. This has not been considered in morphologically complex words. The integrated account predicts that the AoA effect should be larger in tasks requiring greater semantic processing and any AoA effects should be shown in the early processes of word recognition. The present study investigates these predictions in compound words, which differ from monomorphemic words in terms of ease of mapping and semantic processes in lexical retrieval. Forty-eight participants completed a compound lexeme segmentation (CLS) task, in which participants named either the head or modifier depending on the number above the compound word, to establish how semantics are involved in processing the head and the modifier. The results demonstrated that semantics influenced the naming of the modifier to a greater extent than the head, with the AoA effect being larger in the modifier than the head. Our findings provide evidence that aligns with the multiple origins of AoA effects in the language processing system.

Recent Progress in Spermatology Contributing to the Knowledge and Conservation of Rare and Endangered Species

There is a remarkable diversity in the animal kingdom regarding mechanisms underlying the production, maturation, structure, and function of sperm cells. Spermatology studies contribute to the knowledge of species diversity and also provide information about individual or population fitness. Furthermore, this fundamental research is required before collected spermatozoa can be used for conservation breeding, including assisted reproduction and cryobanking. This article aims to ( a) review the most recent knowledge on sperm morphology and function in wild animal species, ( b) analyze how this knowledge can be used to save species in their natural habitat or ex situ, and ( c) propose future scientific directions in wildlife spermatology that could positively impact animal conservation. Variations in sperm structure and performance within and between species have multiple origins and significance. This collective body of knowledge enables the design and implementation of conservation strategies and action plans that integrate several disciplines. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Animal Biosciences, Volume 10 is February 2022. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Key Role of Mitochondrial Mutation Leu107Ser (COX1) in Deltamethrin Resistance in Salmon Lice (Lepeophtheirus Salmonis)

Deltamethrin (DTM) is used to treat Atlantic salmon (Salmon salar) against salmon lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) infestations. However, development of DTM resistance has been reported from North Atlantic L. salmonis populations, in which resistance is associated with mitochondrial (mtDNA) mutations. This study investigated the relationship between DTM resistance and mtDNA single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). A total of 188 L. salmonis collected from Scottish aquaculture sites were assessed using DTM bioassays and genotyped at 18 SNP loci. Genotyping further included archived parasites of known DTM susceptibility status. The results identified eleven mtDNA haplotypes, three of which were associated with DTM resistance. Phylogenetic analyses of haplotypes suggested multiple origins of DTM resistance. L. salmonis laboratory strains IoA-00 and IoA-10 showed similarly high levels (~100-fold) of DTM resistance in bioassays. Both strains differed strongly in mtDNA haplotype, but shared the missense mutation Leu107Ser in the mitochondrial gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (COX1), which was detected in all further DTM resistant L. salmonis isolates assessed. In crossing experiments with a DTM-susceptible strains, maternal inheritance of DTM resistance is apparent with both IoA-10 (this study) and IoA-02 (earlier reports). We conclude that Leu107Ser (COX1) is a main genetic determinant of DTM resistance in L. salmonis.

Clinical and Therapeutic Treatment Approach Between Diabetes Mellitus and Urinary Tract Infection

Diabetes Mellitus is a metabolic syndrome of multiple origins, caused by the insulin absence in the bloodstream and/or by the inability of insulin to adequately exert its effects, causing hyperglycemia and subsequent complications in the body's organic systems. Urinary tract infection (UTI) is one of the most frequent due to the glucose increase in blood circulation and the impairment of cellular immunity, creating a favorable environment for the bacteria proliferation at the inflammation spots. This review describes the clinical and therapeutic aspects of diabetes mellitus and urinary tract infection, with guidelines on glucose management in these events. A non-systematic review was carried out in the Virtual Health Library, PubMed, Scielo, and Google Academic databases with the descriptors Diabetes mellitus, Urinary Tract Infection, Hyperglycemia, Bacteriuria, and Urinary Incontinence. The most relevant articles were selected. Pertinent clinical and therapeutic issues were discussed, covering the diabetes factors that contribute to the onset of UTI; urinary tract infection complications in patients with diabetes mellitus; asymptomatic bacteriuria, recurrent urinary tract infections, and urinary incontinence in people with diabetes; treatments for diabetes and urinary tract infection; and the relationship between glucose-lowering medications and UTI. Given the greater susceptibility of people with diabetes to acquire UTI, the combined insight into these diseases is crucial, both for better UTI prevention in diabetics and for the treatment of both.

A synthesis tree of the Copepoda: integrating phylogenetic and taxonomic data reveals multiple origins of parasitism

The Copepoda is a clade of pancrustaceans containing 14,485 species that are extremely varied in their morphology and lifestyle. Not only do copepods dominate marine plankton and sediment communities and make up a sizeable component of the freshwater plankton, but over 6,000 species are symbiotically associated with every major phylum of marine metazoans, mostly as parasites. Unfortunately, our understanding of copepod evolutionary relationships is relatively limited in part because of their extremely divergent morphology, sparse taxon sampling in molecular phylogenetic analyses, a reliance on only a handful of molecular markers, and little taxonomic overlap between phylogenetic studies. Here, a synthesis tree method is used to integrate published phylogenies into a more comprehensive tree of copepods by leveraging phylogenetic and taxonomic data. A literature review in this study finds fewer than 500 species of copepods have been sampled in molecular phylogenetic studies. Using the Open Tree of Life platform, those taxa that have been sampled in previous phylogenetic studies are grafted together and combined with the underlying copepod taxonomic hierarchy from the Open Tree of Life Taxonomy to make a synthesis phylogeny of all copepod species. Taxon sampling with respect to molecular phylogenetic analyses is reviewed for all orders of copepods and shows only 3% of copepod species have been sampled in phylogenetic studies. The resulting synthesis phylogeny reveals copepods have transitioned to a parasitic lifestyle on at least 14 occasions. We examine the underlying phylogenetic, taxonomic, and natural history data supporting these transitions to parasitism; review the species diversity of each parasitic clade; and identify key areas for further phylogenetic investigation.