Three-dimensional geometric morphometric analyses of humerus ecomorphology: New perspectives for paleohabitat reconstruction in carnivorans and ungulates.

Long bone ecomorphology has proven effective for paleohabitat reconstructions across a wide range of mammalian clades. Still, there is no comprehensive framework to allow interpretation of long bone morphological variation within and between different monophyletic groups. Here, we investigated the use of humerus morphometry to classify living members of the orders Carnivora and ungulates based on their preferred habitats.

Breath-Body-Mind Core Techniques to Manage Medical Student Stress.

Objectives: This pilot study evaluated the feasibility of a live, interactive, synchronous, online, manualized intervention, Breath-Body-Mind Introductory Course (BBM-IC), for medical students. BBM-IC includes breathing, movement, and attention-focus techniques for stress management and better emotion regulation, energy, sleep, and mental focus.

Methods: Medical students attending a 2-h BBM demonstration were invited to participate in the 12-h BBM-IC and weekly 45-min 6-week group practice.

Habitat-associated Genomic Variation in a Wall Lizard from an Oceanic Island.

The lizard Teira dugesii exhibits morphological divergence between beach and inland habitats in the face of gene flow, within the volcanic island of Madeira, Portugal. Here, we analyzed genomic data obtained by genotyping-by-sequencing, which provided 16,378 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) from 94 individuals sampled from 15 sites across Madeira. Ancient within-island divergence in allopatry appears to have mediated divergence in similar species within other Atlantic islands, but this hypothesis was not supported for T.

Breath-centered virtual mind-body medicine reduces COVID-related stress in women healthcare workers of the Regional Integrated Support for Education in Northern Ireland: a single group study.

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare workers endured prolonged stress affecting their psychological well-being. Objectives: (1) Evaluate the effects of the Breath-Body-Mind Introductory Course (BBMIC) on COVID-related stress among employees of the Regional Integrated Support for Education, Northern Ireland, (2) Reduce the risk of adverse effects from COVID-related stress, and (3) Evaluate the effects of BBMIC on indicators of psychophysiological states and the consistency with hypothesized mechanisms of action.

Methods: In this single group study, a convenience sample of 39 female healthcare workers completed informed consent and baseline measures: Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Stress Overload Scale-Short (SOS-S), and Exercise-Induced Feelings Inventory (EFI).

Barriers to chimpanzee gene flow at the south-east edge of their distribution.

Populations on the edge of a species' distribution may represent an important source of adaptive diversity, yet these populations tend to be more fragmented and are more likely to be geographically isolated. Lack of genetic exchanges between such populations, due to barriers to animal movement, can not only compromise adaptive potential but also lead to the fixation of deleterious alleles. The south-eastern edge of chimpanzee distribution is particularly fragmented, and conflicting hypotheses have been proposed about population connectivity and viability.

Life on a beach leads to phenotypic divergence despite gene flow for an island lizard.

Limited spatial separation within small islands suggests that observed population divergence may occur due to habitat differences without interruption to gene flow but strong evidence of this is scarce. The wall lizard Teira dugesii lives in starkly contrasting shingle beach and inland habitats on the island of Madeira. We used a matched pairs sampling design to examine morphological and genomic divergence between four beach and adjacent (<1 km) inland areas.

Skull ecomorphological variation of narwhals (Monodon monoceros, Linnaeus 1758) and belugas (Delphinapterus leucas, Pallas 1776) reveals phenotype of their hybrids.

Narwhals and belugas are toothed whales belonging to the Monodontidae. Belugas have a circumpolar Arctic and sub-Artic distribution while narwhals are restricted to the Atlantic Arctic. Their geographical ranges overlap during winter migrations in the Baffin Bay area (Canada/West Greenland) and successful interbreeding may occur.

Functional correlates of skull shape in Chiroptera: feeding and echolocation adaptations.

Morphological, functional, and behavioral adaptations of bats are among the most diverse within mammals. A strong association between bat skull morphology and feeding behavior has been suggested previously. However, morphological variation related to other drivers of adaptation, in particular echolocation, remains understudied.

Subspecies hybridization as a potential conservation tool in species reintroductions.

Reintroductions are a powerful tool for the recovery of endangered species. However, their long-term success is strongly influenced by the genetic diversity of the reintroduced population. The chances of population persistence can be improved by enhancing the population's adaptive ability through the mixing of individuals from different sources.

Genomic signatures of drift and selection driven by predation and human pressure in an insular lizard.

Genomic divergence was studied in 10 small insular populations of the endangered Balearic Islands lizard (Podarcis lilfordi) using double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing. The objectives were to establish levels of divergence among populations, investigate the impact of population size on genetic variability and to evaluate the role of different environmental factors on local adaptation. Analyses of 72,846 SNPs supported a highly differentiated genetic structure, being the populations with the lowest population size (Porros, Foradada and Esclatasang islets) the most divergent, indicative of greater genetic drift.

Dorsal Pigmentation and Its Association with Functional Variation in MC1R in a Lizard from Different Elevations on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Identification of the role of the MC1R gene has provided major insights into variation in skin pigmentation in several organisms, including humans, but the evolutionary genetics of this variation is less well established. Variation in this gene and its relationship with degree of melanism was analyzed in one of the world's highest-elevation lizards, Phrynocephalus theobaldi from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Individuals from the low-elevation group were shown to have darker dorsal pigmentation than individuals from a high-elevation group.

Thalamic Gamma Aminobutyric Acid Level Changes in Major Depressive Disorder After a 12-Week Iyengar Yoga and Coherent Breathing Intervention.

To determine if a 12-week yoga intervention (YI) was associated with increased gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels and decreased depressive symptoms in participants with major depressive disorder (MDD). : Subjects were randomized to a high-dose group (HDG) of three YIs a week and a low-dose group (LDG) of two YIs a week. Thalamic GABA levels were obtained using magnetic resonance spectroscopy at Scan-1 before randomization.

Morphological species and discordant mtDNA: A genomic analysis of Phrynocephalus lizard lineages on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Many species have been established on the basis of morphology, with markers such as mtDNA used to confirm the existence of independent historical lineages. Discordance between morphology and gene trees makes this less straightforward. Genotyping by sequencing (GBS) was used to analyse general genomic divergence across two recognized high altitude lizard species found in the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Synthesis and Degradation of Cadmium-Free InP and InPZn/ZnS Quantum Dots in Solution.

This study advances the chemical research community toward the goal of replacing toxic cadmium-containing quantum dots (QDs) with environmentally benign InP QDs. The InP QD synthesis uniquely combines the previously reported use of InP magic-sized clusters (MSCs) as a single-source precursor for indium and phosphorus to form InP QDs, with zinc incorporation and subsequent ZnS shelling, to form InPZn/ZnS QDs with luminescence properties comparable to those of commonly used cadmium-containing luminescent QDs. The resulting InPZn/ZnS QDs have an emission quantum yield of about 50% across a broad range of emission peak wavelengths and emission peaks averaging 50 nm fwhm.

Partition number, rate priors and unreliable divergence times in Bayesian phylogenetic dating.

More loci/partitions should improve Bayesian estimation of divergence times on phylogenies but it has recently been shown that this can lead to surprisingly poor estimation due to the way it affects the prior on mean substitution rate. Here we consider the likely impact of partition number on divergence time analyses carried out using the program BEAST. Mitochondrial genome data from toad-headed lizards (genus Phrynocephalus) from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau were used to examine this effect.

Malic Acid Carbon Dots: From Super-resolution Live-Cell Imaging to Highly Efficient Separation.

As-synthesized malic acid carbon dots are found to possess photoblinking properties that are outstanding and superior compared to those of conventional dyes. Considering their excellent biocompatibility, malic acid carbon dots are suitable for super-resolution fluorescence localization microscopy under a variety of conditions, as we demonstrate in fixed and live trout gill epithelial cells. In addition, during imaging experiments, the so-called "excitation wavelength-dependent" emission was not observed for individual as-made malic acid carbon dots, which motivated us to develop a time-saving and high-throughput separation technique to isolate malic acid carbon dots into fractions of different particle size distributions using C reversed-phase silica gel column chromatography.

Evolutionary analysis of mitochondrially encoded proteins of toad-headed lizards, Phrynocephalus, along an altitudinal gradient.

Background: Animals living at high altitude must adapt to environments with hypoxia and low temperatures, but relatively little is known about underlying genetic changes. Toad-headed lizards of the genus Phrynocephalus cover a broad altitudinal gradient of over 4000 m and are useful models for studies of such adaptive responses. In one of the first studies to have considered selection on mitochondrial protein-coding regions in an ectothermic group distributed over such a wide range of environments, we analysed nineteen complete mitochondrial genomes from all Chinese Phrynocephalus (including eight genomes sequenced for the first time).

S-Adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for Neuropsychiatric Disorders: A Clinician-Oriented Review of Research.

Objective: A systematic review on S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe) for treatment of neuropsychiatric conditions and comorbid medical conditions.

Data Sources: Searches were conducted in PubMed, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane Library, CINAHL, and Google Scholar databases between July 15, 2015, and September 28, 2016, by combining search terms for SAMe (s-adenosyl methionine or s-adenosyl-l-methionine) with terms for relevant disease states (major depressive disorder, MDD, depression, perinatal depression, human immunodeficiency virus, HIV, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, dementia, anxiety, schizophrenia, psychotic, 22q11.2, substance abuse, fibromyalgia, osteoarthritis, hepatitis, or cirrhosis).

The geography and timing of genetic divergence in the lizard Phrynocephalus theobaldi on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

The Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) represents one of the earth's most significant physical features and there is increasing interest in the historical generation of biodiversity within this region. We hypothesized that there should be clear geographically coherent genetic structuring within one of the world's highest altitude lizards, Phrynocephalus theobaldi, due to considerable historical population fragmentation in this environment. This was tested using a major mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) survey and sequencing of two nuclear markers (AME and RAG-1) from P.

Genomic Signatures of Historical Allopatry and Ecological Divergence in an Island Lizard.

Geographical variation among contiguous populations is frequently attributed to ecological divergence or historical isolation followed by secondary contact. Distinguishing between these effects is key to studies of incipient speciation and could be revealed by different genomic signatures. We used RAD-seq analyses to examine morphologically divergent populations of the endemic lizard (Gallotia galloti) from the volcanic island of Tenerife.