Phylogenomics resolves major relationships and reveals significant diversification rate shifts in the evolution of silk moths and relatives

BACKGROUND

Silkmoths and their relatives constitute the ecologically and taxonomically diverse superfamily Bombycoidea, which includes some of the most charismatic species of Lepidoptera. Despite displaying spectacular forms and diverse ecological traits, relatively little attention has been given to understanding their evolution and drivers of their diversity. To begin to address this problem, we created a new Bombycoidea-specific Anchored Hybrid Enrichment (AHE) probe set and sampled up to 571 loci for 117 taxa across all major lineages of the Bombycoidea, with a newly developed DNA extraction protocol that allows Lepidoptera specimens to be readily sequenced from pinned natural history collections.

RESULTS

The well-supported tree was overall consistent with prior morphological and molecular studies, although some taxa were misplaced. The bombycid Arotros Schaus was formally transferred to Apatelodidae. We identified important evolutionary patterns (e.g., morphology, biogeography, and differences in speciation and extinction), and our analysis of diversification rates highlights the stark increases that exist within the Sphingidae (hawkmoths) and Saturniidae (wild silkmoths).

CONCLUSIONS

Our study establishes a backbone for future evolutionary, comparative, and taxonomic studies of Bombycoidea. We postulate that the rate shifts identified are due to the well-documented bat-moth "arms race". Our research highlights the flexibility of AHE to generate genomic data from a wide range of museum specimens, both age and preservation method, and will allow researchers to tap into the wealth of biological data residing in natural history collections around the globe.

The synthesis of single layers of Ag nanocrystals by ultra-low-energy ion implantation for large-scale plasmonic structures

Single layers of silver (Ag) nanoparticles embedded in silica (SiO2) have been fabricated by ultra-low-energy ion implantation. The distance between the Ag particles and the free SiO2 surface is controlled with nanometer precision. Raman scattering and reflectivity measurements strongly correlate to transmission electron microscopy analyses, allowing the use of these non-invasive techniques to monitor structural and dynamical properties. These results open up new opportunities to manipulate electromagnetic near-field interactions on wafer-scale plasmonic devices.

Does phosphoryl protonation occurs in aqueous phosphoesters solutions

Ionisation of trimethylphosphate (TMP), dimethylphosphate (DMP) and diethylphosphate (DEP) is investigated by acidic titration in water by Raman (R), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopies. The vibrational frequencies of the PO(2)(-) ionic form and the neutral form were found in accord with the literature. While increasing further H(+) concentration, the PO band disappears in the benefit of new ones. These results, together with deuteration experiments indicate the presence of a new ionic form positively charged with general formula R(1)R(2)R(3)P(OH)(+) or R(1)R(2)P(OH)(+)(2). The pK of this phosphonium entities is lying in the range -2, -4. These results were confirmed by (31)P NMR titration. The occurrence of such a phosphonium ion in aqueous solutions might be of crucial importance for biochemical reactions and interactions, owing to the large spread of phosphoryl group in biomolecules and keeping in mind that intracellular compartments are more likely concentrated media with little free water than real aqueous solutions. Furthermore, pK's can be shifted by physical-chemical parameters like dielectric constant and electric field. This may involve at least fractional positive charge apparition that might be important in biochemical regulation by charge-charge and charge-dipole interactions. This finding will gain to be further explored on more complex molecules like phospholipids, nucleic acids and proteins.

Selective photoswitching of the binuclear spin crossover compound {[Fe(bt)(NCS)2]2(bpm)} into two distinct macroscopic phases

The low-spin (LS-LS, S = 0) diamagnetic form of the binuclear spin crossover complex {[Fe(bt)(NCS)(2)](2)(bpm)} was selectively photoconverted into two distinct macroscopic phases at different excitation wavelengths (1342 or 647.1 nm). These long-lived metastable phases have been identified, respectively, as the symmetry-broken paramagnetic form (HS-LS, S = 2) and the antiferromagnetically coupled (HS-HS, S = 0) high-spin form of the compound. The selectivity may be explained by the strong coupling of the primary excited states to the paramagnetic state.

Gastric adenocarcinoma and dysplasia in fundic gland polyps of a patient with attenuated adenomatous polyposis coli

Gastric adenocarcinoma has been previously recognized as a potential complication of familial adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) and attenuated forms of APC (AAPC). This tumor has only been reported to originate from adenomatous polyps of the gastric mucosa in these clinical conditions. There have been no previous case reports of gastric adenocarcinoma arising from the more commonly found fundic gland polyps associated with AAPC or APC. We report the first definitive case of gastric adenocarcinoma arising from a hyperplastic polyp of the fundis of a patient with AAPC.

Basic experimental studies on corpus cavernosum electromyography and smooth-muscle electromyography of the urinary bladder

In contrast to the extensive work on in vitro experiments for elucidation of the electrical properties of smooth musculature, the acquisition of knowledge on electrical signal behaviour from smooth-muscle cells in an in vivo situation remains very limited and rare. Smooth-muscle electromyographic recording from the smooth musculature of the genitourinary tract, in particular from the penile cavernous bodies and the urinary bladder, has recently become one of the most interesting issues in both impotence research as well as neurophysiological assessment of the urinary bladder. However, the inadequate available data on corpus cavernosum and EMG recordings remains controversial due to the significant discrepancy between basic physiology of the smooth musculature, technical prerequisites and the expected clinical impact from the smooth-muscle EMG of genitourinary organs. This article is an attempt to describe the fundamentals of smooth-muscle EMG signal behaviour and the technical prerequisites for data acquisition and analysis of electrical activity from smooth-muscle cells of the cavernous bodies and urinary bladder. A description is given of the technical aspects, including methodology and interpretation of the recorded data, and also of the possible interference by artefacts (endogeneous and exogeneous) that might limit the clinical relevance of this encouraging method. The advantages, pitfalls and limitations of online analogous data registration and the possibility of computer-assisted smooth-muscle electrical activity recording and analysis are demonstrated by basic in vivo studies on cavernous bodies and also the detrusor muscle.

Differential effects of hydrocortisone, fluocortolone, and aldosterone on nocturnal sleep in humans

Previous experiments have suggested that sleep processes are sensitive to influences of corticosteroids. The present experiment was designed to compare effects of three different corticosteroids on human sleep: fluocortolone (a synthetic pure glucocorticoid), cortisol which possesses glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoid activity, and aldosterone (the major mineralocorticoid). Ten male adult subjects were tested in four experimental nights according to a double-blind latin-square design under conditions of either 1.0 mg of aldosterone, 20 mg of fluocortolone, 80 mg of hydrocortisone, or placebo. Substances were administered orally (fluocortolone, 23.00 h) or infused iv throughout the night (hydrocortisone, aldosterone) starting at 23.00 h. Hydrocortisone and fluocortolone induced a substantial reduction of rapid eye movement sleep. Hydrocortisone increased slow wave sleep activity. No such effect was observed after fluocortolone. Effects on sleep processes of aldosterone, in general, seemed to be neglegible. The results demonstrate differential effects of synthetic glucocorticoid, cortisol, and aldosterone on sleep in humans, which may be attributed to the heterogeneity of corticosteroid receptors in the brain.

Characteristics of separated epithelial and stromal subfractions of prostate: I. Rat ventral prostate

These studies were initiated with the objective of isolating epithelial and stromal cells of human prostatic tissue in undamaged state, in order to study the cellular distribution of steroid receptors in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) relative to normal prostate. Initial experiments showed that when BPH tissue immersed in tissue culture media was progressively fragmented by various cutting procedures, epithelial elements were selectively released as clumps of variable size and individual cells, but that a large percentage of these cells were damaged, as evidenced by their failure to exclude trypan blue (TB). These observations suggested that if tissue fragmentation were carried out under defined conditions that minimize cell damage, BPH subfractions might be obtained containing a large percentage of undamaged cells. To determine conditions of tissue fragmentation which result in maximal recovery of epithelial cells which exclude TB, rat ventral prostate (RVP) was chosen as a model system. Experiments with RVP revealed that maximal yields of such cells were obtained in "large" epithelial clumps (greater than 30 cells per clump) released under the following conditions: (1) chopping the tissue with razor blades in a large volume (2 ml/100 mg RVP) of a Ca2+-free tissue culture medium ( Joklik 's-MEM) containing 1% casein, (2) carrying out the entire fractionation procedure in the cold, and (3) maintaining a 1% casein concentration in the medium during chopping, as well as in subsequent washing procedures, to protect cells from proteolytic activity. In large epithelial clumps, cells in the interior of the clump were not stained by TB but the cells at the periphery of the clump were freely permeable to TB. Single epithelial cells and small epithelial clumps (3-10 cells) released by razor blade fragmentation were also permeable to TB. When large epithelial clumps were incubated at 20 degrees C for 90 min, the clumps disaggregated into smaller clumps and morphologically intact single cells, which did not exclude TB. The residual tissue fragments remaining after chopping contained the bulk of stromal cells plus some epithelial elements. The latter could be removed by gentle rubbing of the fragments on a sieve in the presence of medium. The stromal fraction thus obtained consisted of stromal cells, embedded in mesenchymal matrix, which were not stained by TB and appeared normal when examined histologically by light microscopy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)