Evolution of the batoidea pectoral fin skeleton: convergence, modularity, and integration driving disparity trends.

Unlabelled: Batoids (skates and rays) are the most speciose group of cartilaginous fishes with a diverse array of ecological adaptations and swimming modes. Early skeletal fossil remains and recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that convergence among batoids has occurred independently multiple times. The drivers for such disparity patterns and possible association with modularity and phenotypic integration among batoids are not fully understood.

CSViewer for Analysts: I. Building an Integrative Database and Knowledge Model for the Cayo Santiago Rhesus Macaque Colony and Its Derived Skeletal Collections.

The Cayo Santiago rhesus colony and its derived skeletal collections provide abundant data made available since its founding in 1938. A project supported by an NSF collaborative grant has been committed to building a database that integrates the genetic and age-related information of the colony, together with social group interactions and environmental effects, aiming to provide a knowledge model to researchers with insights from this powerful non-human data repository for analyzing human conditions including growth, development, adaption, resilience, aging, and disease in a contextualized manner. This paper introduces CSViewer for Analysts, a computer application that provides user-friendly tools for researchers to access the integrated database and to generate a variety of visuals encompassing matrilineal or patrilineal family lines, social groups, time spans, phenotypic measurements, and photos recently collected through this project.

Withanolide glycosides from Physalis volubilis.

The study of the acetone and methanol extracts of the stems, leaves, and flowers of Physalis volubilis led to obtain four withanolide glycosides (4, 6, 10, and 14). Compounds 1-3, 13, 15, and a sterol glycoside were also isolated. The structures were established by analysis of spectroscopic and spectrometric data, and by chemical transformations.

Reactive oxygen species favors Varicellovirus bovinealpha 5 (BoAHV-5) replication in neural cells.

Varicellovirus bovinealpha (BoAHV) 1 and 5 are closely related neurotropic alphaherpesviruses with distinct neuropathogenic potential. BoAHV-5 causes meningoencephalitis in calves whereas encephalitis by BoAHV-1 infection is sporadic. the mechanisms underlying the differences in tropism and clinical outcomes of the infections are not yet completely understood.