Marine and freshwater fishes of Alabama: a revised checklist and discussion of taxonomic issues.

Checklists are fundamental and important tools for organizing information about biodiversity that provide a basis for conservation and additional scientific research. While Alabama is recognized as an aquatic biodiversity hotspot with the highest native freshwater fish diversity in the contiguous United States, we currently lack an up-to-date list of the states fishes. In particular, much has changed over the past ~20 years regarding our knowledge of fishes from Alabama and the Mobile River Basin, rendering past comprehensive treatments by Mettee et al.

Long-term ecological research in freshwaters enabled by regional biodiversity collections, stable isotope analysis, and environmental informatics.

Biodiversity collections are experiencing a renaissance fueled by the intersection of informatics, emerging technologies, and the extended use and interpretation of specimens and archived databases. In this article, we explore the potential for transformative research in ecology integrating biodiversity collections, stable isotope analysis (SIA), and environmental informatics. Like genomic DNA, SIA provides a common currency interpreted in the context of biogeochemical principles.

Relative Genetic Homogeneity within a Phenotypically Diverse group: The Case of Lake Tana Labeobarbus (Cyprinidae) Species Flock, Ethiopia.

The Lake Tana Labeobarbus species flock represents one of the world's most famous examples of lacustrine species radiations. Previous studies of this group have resulted in the description of at least 15 species based on their differences in functional morphology and definition of two clades (lacustrine and riverine spawning clades) based on life history traits. A total of 166 fish representing 14 Labeobarbus species were genotyped using 10 lineage-specific hexaploid microsatellite loci.

Body mass index, diet, physical inactivity, and the incidence of dementia in 1 million UK women.

Objective: To help determine whether midlife obesity is a cause of dementia and whether low body mass index (BMI), low caloric intake, and physical inactivity are causes or merely consequences of the gradual onset of dementia by recording these factors early in a large 20-year prospective study and relating them to dementia detection rates separately during follow-up periods of <5, 5 to 9, 10 to 14, and 15+ years.

Methods: A total of 1,136,846 UK women, mean age 56 (SD 5) years, were recruited in 1996 to 2001 and asked about height, weight, caloric intake, and inactivity. They were followed up until 2017 by electronic linkage to National Health Service records, detecting hospital admissions with mention of dementia.

Implantable cardioverter-defibrillator therapy in Australia, 2002-2015.

Objectives: To quantify the number of implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) procedures in Australia by year, patient age and sex, and to estimate age group-specific population rates and the associated costs. Design, setting: Retrospective observational study; analysis of Australian National Hospital Morbidity Database hospital procedures data.

Participants: Patients with an ICD insertion, replacement, adjustment, or removal procedure code, July 2002 - June 2015.

Phylogeny and divergence times of suckers (Cypriniformes: Catostomidae) inferred from Bayesian total-evidence analyses of molecules, morphology, and fossils.

Catostomidae ("suckers") is a diverse (76 species) and broadly distributed family of Holarctic freshwater fishes with a rich fossil record and a considerable number (∼35%) of threatened and imperiled species. We integrate DNA sequences (three mitochondrial genes, three nuclear genes), morphological data, and fossil information to infer sucker phylogenetic relationships and divergence times using Bayesian "total-evidence" methods, and then test hypotheses about the temporal diversification of the group. Our analyses resolved many nodes within subfamilies and clarified Catostominae relationships to be of the form ((Thoburniini, Moxostomatini), (Erimyzonini, Catostomini)).

Norleual, a hepatocyte growth factor and macrophage stimulating protein dual antagonist, increases pancreatic cancer sensitivity to gemcitabine.

Pancreatic cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths in the USA and is characterized by an exceptionally poor long-term survival rate compared with other major cancers. The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and macrophage stimulating protein (MSP) growth factor systems are frequently over-activated in pancreatic cancer and significantly contribute to cancer progression, metastasis, and chemotherapeutic resistance. Small molecules homologous to the 'hinge' region of HGF, which participates in its dimerization and activation, had been developed and shown to bind HGF with high affinity, antagonize HGF's actions, and possess anticancer activity.

Novel evolutionary lineages in Labeobarbus (Cypriniformes; Cyprinidae) based on phylogenetic analyses of mtDNA sequences.

Phylogenetic relationships within Labeobarbus, the large-sized hexaploid cyprinids, were examined using cytochrome b gene sequences from a broad range of geographic localities and multiple taxa. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods revealed novel lineages from previously unsampled drainages in central (Congo River), eastern (Genale River) and southeastern (Revue and Mussapa Grande rivers) Africa. Relationships of some species of Varicorhinus in Africa (excluding 'V.

The influence of life-history strategy on genetic differentiation and lineage divergence in darters (Percidae: Etheostomatinae).

Recent studies determined that darters with specialized breeding strategies can exhibit deep lineage divergence over fine geographic scales without apparent physical barriers to gene flow. However, the extent to which intrinsic characteristics interact with extrinsic factors to influence population divergence and lineage diversification in darters is not well understood. This study employed comparative phylogeographic and population genetic methods to investigate the influence of life history on gene flow, dispersal ability, and lineage divergence in two sympatric sister darters with differing breeding strategies.

Caspase-8 and RIP kinases regulate bacteria-induced innate immune responses and cell death.

A number of pathogens cause host cell death upon infection, and Yersinia pestis, infamous for its role in large pandemics such as the "Black Death" in medieval Europe, induces considerable cytotoxicity. The rapid killing of macrophages induced by Y. pestis, dependent upon type III secretion system effector Yersinia outer protein J (YopJ), is minimally affected by the absence of caspase-1, caspase-11, Fas ligand, and TNF.

Interspecific relationships and the evolution of sexual dimorphism in pygmy sunfishes (Centrarchidae: Elassoma).

The genus Elassoma represents a small but unique component of the aquatic biodiversity hotspot in southeastern North America. We present the first phylogeny of the seven described species, corroborated by sequence data from mitochondrial and nuclear protein coding genes. This analysis reveals a Coastal Plain clade sister to the geographically isolated, and federally protected, Elassoma alabamae.

Enigma of urethral pain syndrome: why are there so many ascribed etiologies and therapeutic approaches?

Urethral pain syndrome has had several sobriquets, which have led to much confusion over the existence of this pathological condition and the useful options in the care of the afflicted patient. Our aim was to explore the proposed etiologies of this syndrome, and to provide a critical analysis of each proposed etiology and present a balanced argument on the plausibility of the proposed etiology and therapeutic approaches. We carried out an English language electronic search in the following databases: Medline, Embase, Amed, Cinahl, Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Trip Database and SUMSearch using the following search terms: urethral syndrome, urethral diseases, urethra, urologic diseases etiology/etiology, presentation, treatment, outcome, therapeutics and treatment from 1951 to 2011.

Limits and phylogenetic relationships of East Asian fishes in the subfamily Oxygastrinae (Teleostei: Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae).

The cyprinid subfamily Oxygastrinae is composed of a diverse group of fishes that has been taxonomically and phylogenetically problematic. Their great variation in appearance, life histories, and trophic diversity resulted in uncertainty regarding their relationships, which led to their historical classification across many disparate subfamilies. The phylogenetic relationships of Oxygastrinae are resolved based on sequence data from four loci: cytochrome b, cytochrome c oxidase I, opsin, and recombination activating gene 1.

Transition to total one-stop wide-awake hand surgery service-audit: a retrospective review.

Objectives: To document the transition to a totally one-stop (patient seen and treated in one appointment) wide-awake (local anaesthesia only) hand surgery service.

Design: Retrospective review of 10 year service with detailed analysis of last 1000 cases including process and cost-effectiveness and efficiency analysis.

Setting: Purpose-built CQC-certified day-case surgical facility where we have pioneered the UK's first totally one-stop wide-awake orthopaedic service.

Umbilical endometriosis, a pathology that a gynecologist may encounter when inserting the Veres needle.

Objective: To raise awareness between laparoscopists about umbilical endometriosis and to recommend the appropriate management measure for this rare but easily treatable condition.

Design: Case reports and literature review.

Setting: Women presented to general surgeon with umbilical masses.

Cost-effectiveness of rehabilitation after an acute coronary event: a randomised controlled trial.

Objective: To estimate the incremental effects on cost and quality of life of cardiac rehabilitation after an acute coronary syndrome.

Design: Open randomised controlled trial with 1 year's follow-up. Analysis was on an intention-to-treat basis.

Effect of pravastatin compared with placebo initiated within 24 hours of onset of acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina: the Pravastatin in Acute Coronary Treatment (PACT) trial.

Background: The efficacy of statin drugs after an acute coronary event is now well established, but the evidence for statin use in the early treatment of acute coronary events remains unclear.

Methods: We tested the effects of administering pravastatin within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms in patients with unstable angina, non-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction, or ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction. Patient recruitment of 10,000 with 1200 end points was planned, but the trial was stopped early.