Coat colour in marsupials: genetic variants at the locus determine grey and black fur of the brushtail possum.

The possession of fur or hair is a defining characteristic of mammals and can occur in a variety of colours and patterns. While genetic determinants of coat colour are well described in eutherian 'placental' mammals, the other major mammalian infraclass, marsupials, is grossly understudied. The fur of the common brushtail possum (), an iconic native mammal found throughout Australia and introduced into Aotearoa New Zealand, possesses two main colour morphs: grey and black.

Recombinant Alpha-1 Antitrypsin-Fc Fusion Protein INBRX-101 in Adults With Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency: A Phase 1 Study.

Background: Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (AATD) is characterized by low alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) levels, predisposing individuals to lung disease. The standard of care, plasma-derived AAT (pdAAT), is delivered as weekly infusions to maintain serum AAT concentrations ≥11µM (≈50% of those in healthy individuals). INBRX-101, a recombinant human AAT-Fc fusion protein, was designed to have a longer half-life and achieve higher AAT levels than pdAAT.

Cryobiopsy with radial-endobronchial ultrasound (Cryo-Radial) has comparable diagnostic yield with higher safety in comparison to computed tomography-guided transthoracic biopsy for peripheral pulmonary lesions: An exploratory randomised study.

Background: Computed tomography-guided transthoracic biopsy (CT-TTB) is the 'gold standard' biopsy for lung nodules. Radial-endobronchial ultrasound (R-EBUS) bronchoscopy is another recommended biopsy but carries a lower diagnostic yield. Addition of cryobiopsy with R-EBUS (Cryo-Radial) has shown promising results.

Genomics detects population structure within and between ocean basins in a circumpolar seabird: The white-chinned petrel.

The Southern Ocean represents a continuous stretch of circumpolar marine habitat, but the potential physical and ecological drivers of evolutionary genetic differentiation across this vast ecosystem remain unclear. We tested for genetic structure across the full circumpolar range of the white-chinned petrel (Procellaria aequinoctialis) to unravel the potential drivers of population differentiation and test alternative population differentiation hypotheses. Following range-wide comprehensive sampling, we applied genomic (genotyping-by-sequencing or GBS; 60,709 loci) and standard mitochondrial-marker approaches (cytochrome b and first domain of control region) to quantify genetic diversity within and among island populations, test for isolation by distance, and quantify the number of genetic clusters using neutral and outlier (non-neutral) loci.

Comparative transcriptomic analysis of a wing-dimorphic stonefly reveals candidate wing loss genes.

Background: The genetic basis of wing development has been well characterised for model insect species, but remains poorly understood in phylogenetically divergent, non-model taxa. Wing-polymorphic insect species potentially provide ideal systems for unravelling the genetic basis of secondary wing reduction. Stoneflies (Plecoptera) represent an anciently derived insect assemblage for which the genetic basis of wing polymorphism remains unclear.

Ecological gradients drive insect wing loss and speciation: The role of the alpine treeline.

Alpine ecosystems are frequently characterized by an abundance of wing-reduced insect species, but the drivers of this biodiversity remain poorly understood. Insect wing reduction in these environments has variously been attributed to altitude, temperature, isolation, habitat stability or decreased habitat size. We used fine-scale ecotypic and genomic analyses, along with broad-scale distributional analyses of ecotypes, to unravel the ecological drivers of wing reduction in the wing-dimorphic stonefly Zelandoperla fenestrata complex.

Population Connectivity and Traces of Mitochondrial Introgression in New Zealand Black-Billed Gulls ().

Black-billed gulls () are endemic to New Zealand and are suspected to be undergoing substantial population declines. They primarily breed on open gravel beds in braided rivers of the South Island-a habitat that is diminishing and becoming increasingly modified. Although management of this species is increasing, little has been published on their movements and demographics.

Genotyping-by-sequencing supports a genetic basis for wing reduction in an alpine New Zealand stonefly.

Wing polymorphism is a prominent feature of numerous insect groups, but the genomic basis for this diversity remains poorly understood. Wing reduction is a commonly observed trait in many species of stoneflies, particularly in cold or alpine environments. The widespread New Zealand stonefly Zelandoperla fenestrata species group (Z.

The genomic ancestry, landscape genetics and invasion history of introduced mice in New Zealand.

The house mouse () provides a fascinating system for studying both the genomic basis of reproductive isolation, and the patterns of human-mediated dispersal. New Zealand has a complex history of mouse invasions, and the living descendants of these invaders have genetic ancestry from all three subspecies, although most are primarily descended from . We used the GigaMUGA genotyping array (approximately 135 000 loci) to describe the genomic ancestry of 161 mice, sampled from 34 locations from across New Zealand (and one Australian city-Sydney).

Genomic Changes Associated with Reproductive and Migratory Ecotypes in Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka).

Mechanisms underlying adaptive evolution can best be explored using paired populations displaying similar phenotypic divergence, illuminating the genomic changes associated with specific life history traits. Here, we used paired migratory [anadromous vs. resident (kokanee)] and reproductive [shore- vs.

An ancient selective sweep linked to reproductive life history evolution in sockeye salmon.

Study of parallel (or convergent) phenotypic evolution can provide important insights into processes driving sympatric, ecologically-mediated divergence and speciation, as ecotype pairs may provide a biological replicate of the underlying signals and mechanisms. Here, we provide evidence for a selective sweep creating an island of divergence associated with reproductive behavior in sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), identifying a series of linked single nucleotide polymorphisms across a ~22,733 basepair region spanning the leucine-rich repeat-containing protein 9 gene exhibiting signatures of divergent selection associated with stream- and shore-spawning in both anadromous and resident forms across their pan-Pacific distribution. This divergence likely occurred ~3.

Sockeye salmon repatriation leads to population re-establishment and rapid introgression with native kokanee.

Re-establishing salmonid populations to areas historically occupied has the substantial potential for conservation gains; however, such interventions also risk negatively impacting native resident stocks. Here, we assessed the success of the hatchery-assisted reintroduction of anadromous sockeye salmon () into Skaha Lake, British Columbia, Canada, and evaluated the genetic consequences for native kokanee, a freshwater-obligate ecotype, using single nucleotide polymorphism genotypic data collected from the reference samples of spawning Okanagan River sockeye and Skaha Lake kokanee presockeye reintroduction, along with annual trawl survey and angler-caught samples obtained over an eight-year period. Significant differentiation was detected between sockeye and kokanee reference samples, with >99% stock assignment.

Genomics and the challenging translation into conservation practice.

The global loss of biodiversity continues at an alarming rate. Genomic approaches have been suggested as a promising tool for conservation practice as scaling up to genome-wide data can improve traditional conservation genetic inferences and provide qualitatively novel insights. However, the generation of genomic data and subsequent analyses and interpretations remain challenging and largely confined to academic research in ecology and evolution.

The complete mitochondrial genomes of two chiton species (Sypharochiton pelliserpentis and Sypharochiton sinclairi) obtained using Illumina next generation sequencing.

Using an Illumina platform, we shot-gun sequenced the complete mitochondrial genomes of two sister chiton species (Sypharochiton pelliserpentis and Sypharochiton sinclairi) to an average coverage of 172× and 60×, respectively. We performed a de novo assembly using SOAPdenovo2 and determined the total mitogenome lengths to be 15,048 and 15,028 bps, respectively. The gene organization was similar to that of other chitons, with 13 protein-coding genes, 24 transfer RNAs and 2 ribosomal RNAs.

Patent foramen ovale closure in the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and patent foramen ovale (PFO) are common conditions and may coexist. In patients with OSA, increases in right-to-left shunting across a PFO may result in increased burden of hypoxia, although the effect of this is unknown. We report the cases of 3 patients with highly symptomatic OSA and PFO who underwent percutaneous closure with the Coherex FlatStent PFO Closure System.

Effect of tubing condensate on non-invasive positive pressure ventilators tested under simulated clinical conditions.

Rationale: Water condensate in the humidifier tubing can affect bi-level ventilation by narrowing tube diameter and increasing airflow resistance. We investigated room temperature and tubing type as ways to reduce condensate and its effect on bi-level triggering and pressure delivery. In this bench study, the aim was to test the hypothesis that a relationship exists between room temperature and tubing condensate.

Delays in the assessment and management of primary lung cancers in South Auckland.

Aim: To determine the patient characteristics, referral patterns and delays in assessment and treatment of patients with primary lung cancer in South Auckland, New Zealand and compare with international standards.

Methods: Retrospective review of the clinical records of 80 patients referred to a secondary care respiratory service and diagnosed with primary lung cancer in 2004.

Results: Eighty-five percent of inpatient referrals and 48.