scholarly journals Twenty five new viruses associated with the Drosophilidae (Diptera)

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire L. Webster ◽  
Ben Longdon ◽  
Samuel H. Lewis ◽  
Darren J. Obbard
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Laboratory Model ◽  
Flock House Virus ◽  
Dna Viruses ◽  
Iridescent Virus ◽  
Comprehensive Listing ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Drosophila X Virus ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Virus Host Range

AbstractDrosophila melanogasteris an important laboratory model for studies of antiviral immunity in invertebrates, andDrosophilaspecies provide a valuable system to study virus host range and host switching. Here we use metagenomic RNA sequencing ofca. 1600 adult flies to discover 25 new RNA viruses associated with six different drosophilid hosts in the wild. We also provide a comprehensive listing of viruses previously reported from the Drosophilidae. The new viruses include Iflaviruses, Rhabdoviruses, Nodaviruses, and Reoviruses, and members of unclassified lineages distantly related to Negeviruses, Sobemoviruses and Poleroviruses, Flaviviridae, and Tombusviridae. Among these are close relatives ofDrosophila X virusandFlock House virus, which we find in association with wildDrosophila immigrans. These two viruses are widely used in experimental studies but have not previously been reported to naturally infectDrosophila. Although we detect no new DNA viruses, inD. immigransandD. obscurawe identify sequences very closely related toArmadillidium vulgareIridescent virus (Invertebrate Iridescent virus 31), bringing the total number of DNA viruses found in the Drosophilidae to three.

scholarly journals Virome of Bat Guano from Nine Northern California Roosts

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanpeng Li ◽  
Eda Altan ◽  
Gabriel Reyes ◽  
Brian Halstead ◽  
Xutao Deng ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Animal Species ◽  
Amino Acid Identity ◽  
Wide Distribution ◽  
Mouse Kidney ◽  
Northern California ◽  
Dna Viruses ◽  
Viral Genomes ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Viral Sequences

Bats are hosts to a large variety of viruses, including many capable of cross species transmissions to other mammals or humans. We characterized the virome in guano from five common bat species in 9 Northern California roosts and a pool of 5 individual bats. Genomes belonging to 14 viral families known to infect mammals and 17 viral families infecting insects or of unknown tropism were detected. Near or complete genomes of a novel parvovirus, astrovirus, nodavirus, CRESS-DNA viruses and densoviruses and more partial genomes of a novel alphacoronavirus, and bunyavirus were characterized. Lower numbers of reads with >90% amino acid identity to previously described calicivirus, circovirus, adenoviruses, hepatovirus, bocaparvoviruses, and polyomavirus in other bat species were also found likely reflecting their wide distribution among different bats. Unexpectedly a few sequence reads of canine parvovirus 2 and the recently described mouse kidney parvovirus were also detected and their presence confirmed by PCR possibly originating from guano contamination by carnivores and rodents. The majority of eukaryotic viral reads were highly divergent indicating that numerous viruses still remain to be characterized even from such a heavily investigated order as Chiroptera. IMPORTANCE Characterizing the bat virome is important for understanding viral diversity and detecting viral spillover between animal species. Using unbiased metagenomics method, we characterize the virome in guano collected from multiple roosts of common Northern California bat species. We describe several novel viral genomes and report the detection of viruses with close relatives reported in other bat species likely reflecting cross-species transmissions. Viral sequences from well-known carnivore and rodent parvoviruses were also detected whose presence are likely the result of contamination from defecation and urination atop guano and reflect the close interaction of these mammals in the wild.

scholarly journals The Geometric Framework for Nutrition: New Insights Into How What We Eat Affects How We Age

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 845-845
Author(s):  
Alan Cohen ◽  
David Raubenheimer
Keyword(s):  
Human Health ◽  
Caloric Restriction ◽  
Brain Aging ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Geometric Framework ◽  
Complex Interactions ◽  
Large Numbers ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Nutritional Needs ◽  
Biology Of Aging

Abstract The geometric framework for nutrition (GFN) is an approach to understanding the effect of nutrition considering multiple nutrients simultaneously. Originally developed in experimental studies of insects to model how nutritional needs evolve depending on ecological context, and since extended to many taxa including non-human primates in the wild, the technique is increasingly applied to understand human health and aging. Here, we invite four varied talks showcasing the flexibility and potential of this approach from the basic biology of aging to observational human studies and clinical trials. D. Raubenheimer will give an overview of the method, its history, and its applications in aging and human health. D. Wahl will present results showing how GFN can help develop diets that recapitulate caloric restriction and its effects on brain aging. S. Das will show how GFN can be used to improve the feasibility of caloric restriction in humans without compromising its effects. Finally, A. Cohen will present results showing how GFN can be deployed in an epidemiological context and used to characterize complex interactions among large numbers of nutrients in determining health. Together, these results show that a simplistic conception of nutrition as calories is far from sufficient to understand its effects on health and aging. Evolution has shaped the nutritional needs of each species for its environment, with appropriate levels of flexibility. GFN provides an approach to capture the relevant nuance, with the results presented at this symposium but scratching the surface. Nutrition Interest Group Sponsored Symposium.

scholarly journals A willow drawing from 1786: the earliest depiction of intraspecific trait variation in plants?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ulrich E Stegmann
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Conditions ◽  
18Th Century ◽  
Elevation Gradient ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Fourth Century ◽  
Trait Variation ◽  
Intraspecific Trait Variation ◽  
Bavarian Alps ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Unidentified Species

Abstract Background and Aims The study of intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in plants has a long history, dating back to the fourth century BC. Its existence was widely acknowledged by the end of the 18th century, although systematic and experimental studies commenced only a century later. However, the historiography of ITV has many gaps, especially with regard to early observations and visual documents. This note identifies an early depiction of plant ITV. Methods The botanical works of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749–1832), a German writer and naturalist, were subjected to close reading. This included all publications and unpublished sources related to botany between 1785 and 1832 (e.g. notes, drafts, diaries, letters, drawings). This material is accessible in the multi-volume historical-critical edition of Goethe’s studies in natural science (Leopoldina-Ausgabe). Key Results A diary entry from 9 September 1786 described changes in leaf morphology along an elevation gradient in the Bavarian Alps. The leaves of an unidentified species of willow (Spix sp.) and gentian (Gentiana sp.) were said to become narrower with increasing elevation; leaves also stood further apart on twigs, and the latter became thinner. A crude drawing of two willow twigs illustrated the differences. Goethe conjectured that the differences were due to environmental conditions. Conclusions Goethe’s notes were anecdotal, and it is unclear whether the observed plant individuals actually belonged to the same species. Nevertheless, the notes represent an early and clear articulation of the hypothesis that changes in environmental conditions can cause ITV in a natural plant population. The drawing may be the earliest visual record of environmentally caused plant ITV in the wild.

Baseline expression of heat-shock proteins (HSPs) of a "thermotolerant" Mediterranean marine species largely influenced by natural temperature fluctuations

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (9) ◽  
pp. 2028-2037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christophe Lejeusne ◽  
Thierry Pérez ◽  
Vanessa Sarrazin ◽  
Pierre Chevaldonné
Keyword(s):  
Heat Shock ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Disease Outbreaks ◽  
Temperature Fluctuations ◽  
Marine Species ◽  
Marine Biodiversity ◽  
Expression Variability ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Hsp60 Expression ◽  
Predictive Approaches

Northwestern Mediterranean warming-related disease outbreaks and species shifts have recently been documented. Biomarkers of short-term effects on the health or resistance of organisms are necessary to assess and understand mechanisms affecting marine biodiversity. Heat-shock protein (HSP) expression was here believed to present finer variations than previously reported in experimental studies, which we tested to assess HSP sensitivity and relevance in the global warming context. One population of the "thermophilic" marine cave mysid Hemimysis margalefi was monitored over 4 years. Three HSPs presented recurrent expression. Among them, HSP50 and HSP60 expressions varied seasonally with environmental temperature. HSP60 expression displayed the greatest variability and was most closely related to temperature fluctuations. Multiple regression showed that while the main stressor was temperature, demographic variables (proportion of immatures, proportion of gravid females) also influenced expression variability. Such a monitoring of HSP baseline expression in a natural population had only rarely been conducted. HSPs are, however, good biomarkers to evaluate the effects of warming episodes or heat stress in the wild. This study provides essential spatial and temporal reference for further experimental and in situ analyses and is a prerequisite to diagnostic and predictive approaches.

scholarly journals Analisys of experimental studies of optimal control of tower crane trolley movement mechanism

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 5-12
Author(s):  
V. S. Loveikin ◽  
◽  
Yu. O. Romasevych ◽  
O. V. Stekhno ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Control ◽  
Data Collection ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Laboratory Model ◽  
Recording Equipment ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Tower Crane ◽  
Series Of Experiments ◽  
Frequency Inverter

The article describes the laboratory model of the tower crane boom system, measuring and recording equipment (sensors, data collection system, power supply, etc.), power control equipment (frequency inverter), and software for data collection and for the frequency inverter control. Planning of experiments for investigation of optimal control of lab model movement was carried out. All experiments are divided into two series: for time optimal control and for control optimal by the integral criterion. For the first series of experiments, the weight of the load (has been varied at three levels) and the length of the flexible suspension (has been varied at two levels) acted as independent factors. For the second series of experiments, one more independent factor was taken into account ‒ the duration of the trolley acceleration (deceleration). This factor has been varied at three levels. The analysis of experimental studies was carried out in terms of variation indicators (deviation of theoretical and experimental data) and graphical dependencies. The results of the analysis showed a sufficiently high convergence of the data obtained during the experiments with those that were obtained by calculation. The existing deviations are caused by the inaccuracy of setting the parameters of the system, the failure to take into account all the significant factors affecting the movement of the system, as well as poor-quality implementation of control with rapid changes in the speed of the trolley movement. Recommendations are given that will eliminate the described factors and ensure further improvement of the technique for implementing optimal control in practice

Cetacean culture: Still afloat after the first naval engagement of the culture wars

2001 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 360-373 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke Rendell ◽  
Hal Whitehead
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Observational Studies ◽  
Field Data ◽  
Bottlenose Dolphins ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Culture Wars ◽  
Learning Abilities ◽  
The Social ◽  
In The Wild

Although the majority of commentators implicitly or explicitly accept that field data allow us to ascribe culture to whales, dolphins, and other nonhumans, there is no consensus. While we define culture as information or behaviour shared by a population or subpopulation which is acquired from conspecifics through some form of social learning, some commentators suggest restricting this by requiring imitation/teaching, human analogy, adaptiveness, stability across generations, progressive evolution (ratchetting), or specific functions. Such restrictions fall down because they either preclude the attribution of culture to nonhumans using currently available methods, or exclude parts of human culture. The evidence for cetacean culture is strong in some cases, but weak in others. The commentaries provide important information on the social learning abilities of bottlenose dolphins and some interesting speculation about the evolution of cetacean cultures and differences between the cultures of different taxa. We maintain that some attributes of cetacean culture are currently unknown outside humans. While experimental studies, both in the laboratory and in the wild, have an important role in the study of culture in whales and dolphins (for instance in determining whether dolphins have a Theory-of-Mind), the real treasures will be uncovered by long-term observational studies at sea using new approaches and technologies.

scholarly journals First record of ranavirus (Ranavirus sp.) in Siberia, Russia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Artem Lisachov ◽  
Lada Lisachova ◽  
Evgeniy Simonov
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
West Siberia ◽  
First Record ◽  
The Arctic ◽  
Amphibian Species ◽  
Northern Asia ◽  
Tissue Samples ◽  
Dna Viruses ◽  
Arctic Regions ◽  
In The Wild

Ranaviruses are a group of double-strand DNA viruses that infect fish, amphibians and reptiles. These viruses are responsible for mass fish and amphibian mortality events worldwide, both in the wild and at the fish and amphibian farms. The number of detected epizootics has grown significantly in recent years. In Eastern Europe and Northern Asia, including Russia, very few ranavirosis monitoring studies have been conducted, in contrast with Western Europe and America. In the present work, we used a qPCR assay to survey for the first time the amphibian populations of West Siberia (Russia) for the presence of ranaviruses. In total, we studied 252 tissue samples from six amphibian species, collected across West Siberia from the south to the Arctic regions. We report a single infected sample: a common toad (Bufo bufo) captured near Tyumen city. The phylogenetic analysis showed that the detected virus strain belongs to the CMTV lineage. This is only the second observation of Ranavirus in Russia.

What do barnacle larvae feed on? Implications in biofouling ecology

2009 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 1241-1247 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chetan A. Gaonkar ◽  
Arga Chandrashekar Anil
Keyword(s):  
Larval Development ◽  
Monsoon Season ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Food Material ◽  
Faecal Pellets ◽  
Post Monsoon Season ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
Naupliar Development

Barnacles are one of the dominant macrofouling organisms found in the intertidal region throughout the world. Among the different species of barnacles Balanus amphitrite (=Amphibalanus amphitrite) is a favoured candidate organism used in experimental studies. Larval development in this barnacle includes planktotrophic naupliar stages followed by pre-settling cyprid instar. Studies have shown that availability of food during naupliar development is of critical importance to successful metamorphosis of the cypris larva. Traditionally barnacle larvae are raised in the laboratory providing mono-algal cultures of diatoms as food organisms. Such a luxury is not a reality in the wild. Observations to quantify the food available for the nauplii deliberated by monitoring the faecal pellets egested by freshly captured larvae from a tropical estuarine environment (Dona Paula bay, Goa, west coast of India) influenced by monsoon and characteristic temporal variations in the phytoplankton abundance and diversity indicated that the percentage of defaecating larvae (an indicator of food consumed) was comparatively higher during the pre-monsoon season. Generally this season is characterized by lower chlorophyll-a concentration. However, the average number of faecal pellets defaecated by a larva remained constant irrespective of the season. Earlier work in the study area depicts temporal changes in phytoplankton community structure; diatoms dominate during the post-monsoon season whereas dinoflagellates dominate during the pre-monsoon season. These observations indicate a possible shift in the food available for the larvae. As the faecal pellets did not always have remnants of diatom frustules, it is possible to say that the larvae survived on food material other than diatoms. Settlement of barnacles on panels of aluminium in the vicinity was monitored throughout the year and peaked during the pre-monsoon season. It is thus possible to infer successful larval development and metamorphosis in this barnacle species on varying forms of food.

scholarly journals The frugivorous insectivores? Functional morphological analysis of molar topography for inferring diet in extant treeshrews (Scandentia)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keegan R Selig ◽  
Eric J Sargis ◽  
Mary T Silcox
Keyword(s):  
Fast Food ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Dental Morphology ◽  
Transit Times ◽  
Primate Origins ◽  
Modern Analogue ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Alternative Means ◽  
Close Relatives ◽  
Dirichlet Normal Energy

Abstract The ecology, and particularly the diet, of treeshrews (order Scandentia) is poorly understood compared to that of their close relatives, the primates. This stems partially from treeshrews having fast food transit times through the gut, meaning fecal and stomach samples only represent a small portion of the foodstuffs consumed in a given day. Moreover, treeshrews are difficult to observe in the wild, leading to a lack of observational data in the literature. Although treeshrews are mixed feeders, consuming both insects and fruit, it is currently unknown how the relative importance of these food types varies across Scandentia. Previous study of functional dental morphology has provided an alternative means for understanding the diet of living euarchontans. We used dental topographic metrics to quantify aspects of functional dental morphology in a large sample of treeshrews (n = 58). We measured relief index, Dirichlet normal energy, and three-dimensional orientation patch count rotated, which quantify crown relief, occlusal curvature, and complexity, respectively. Our results suggest that treeshrews exhibit dental morphology consistent with high levels of insectivory relative to other euarchontans. They also suggest that taxa such as Dendrogale melanura and Tupaia belangeri appear to be best suited to insectivory, whereas taxa such as T. palawanensis and T. gracilis appear to be best adapted to frugivory. Our results suggest that Ptilocercus lowii is characterized by a dentition better adapted to insectivory than the early primate Purgatorius. If P. lowii represents a good modern analogue for primitive euarchontans, this contrast would support models of primate origins that include a shift to greater frugivory.

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