Association between late maternal age and age-related endophenotypes in the Long Life Family Study.

Extended maternal age has been suggested as marker of delayed age-associated disabilities. We use the Long Life Family Study (LLFS) offspring generation to investigate the association between extended maternal age at last childbirth and healthy-aging endophenotypes. We hypothesize that women with extended maternal age at last childbirth will exhibit healthier endophenotype profiles compared to younger mothers.

The chemistry and biology of natural ribomimetics and related compounds.

Natural ribomimetics represent an important group of specialized metabolites with significant biological activities. Many of the activities, , inhibition of seryl-tRNA synthetases, glycosidases, or ribosomes, are manifestations of their structural resemblance to ribose or related sugars, which play roles in the structural, physiological, and/or reproductive functions of living organisms. Recent studies on the biosynthesis and biological activities of some natural ribomimetics have expanded our understanding on how they are made in nature and why they have great potential as pharmaceutically relevant products.

Duoethnography as Transformative Praxis: Conversations about Nourishment and Coercion in the COVID-Era Academy.

This article introduces the feminist praxis of duoethnography as a way to examine the COVID era. As a group of diverse, junior, midcareer, and senior feminist scholars, we developed a methodology to critically reflect on our positions in our institutions and social worlds. As a method, duoethnography emphasizes the dialogical intimacy that can form through anthropological work.

Emigration effects on estimates of age- and sex-specific survival of two sciurids.

Age- and sex-specific survival estimates are crucial to understanding important life history characteristics, and variation in these estimates can be a key driver of population dynamics. When estimating survival using Cormack-Jolly-Seber (CJS) models, emigration is typically unknown but confounded with apparent survival. Consequently, especially for populations or age classes with high dispersal rates, apparent survival estimates are often biased low and temporal patterns in survival might be masked when site fidelity varies temporally.

Multiple evolutionary origins of glyphosate resistance in .

The multitude of herbicide resistance patterns that have evolved in different weed species is a remarkable example of the rapid adaptation to anthropogenic-driven disturbance. Recently, resistance to glyphosate was identified in multiple populations of in Oregon. We used phenotypic approaches, as well as population genomic and gene expression analyses, to determine whether known mechanisms were responsible for glyphosate resistance and whether resistance phenotypes evolved independently in different populations, and to identify potential loci contributing to resistance.

Internalization, reduced growth, and behavioral effects following exposure to micro and nano tire particles in two estuarine indicator species.

Synthetic rubber emissions from automobile tires are common in aquatic ecosystems. To assess potential impacts on exposed organisms, early life stages of the estuarine indicator species Inland Silverside (Menidia beryllina) and mysid shrimp (Americamysis bahia) were exposed to three tire particle (TP) concentrations at micro and nano size fractions (0.0038, 0.

Tree-ring history of Swiss needle cast impact on Douglas-fir growth in Western Oregon: correlations with climatic variables.

The fungal pathogen, , occurs wherever Douglas-fir is found but disease damage is believed to be limited to the Coast Range and is of no concern outside the coastal fog zone (Shaw, et al., 2011). However, knowledge remains limited on the history and spatial distribution of Swiss Needle Cast (SNC) impacts in the Pacific Northwest (PNW).

Classifying behavior from short-interval biologging data: An example with GPS tracking of birds.

Recent advances in digital data collection have spurred accumulation of immense quantities of data that have potential to lead to remarkable ecological insight, but that also present analytic challenges. In the case of biologging data from birds, common analytical approaches to classifying movement behaviors are largely inappropriate for these massive data sets.We apply a framework for using -means clustering to classify bird behavior using points from short time interval GPS tracks.

Riparian vegetation composition and diversity shows resilience following cessation of livestock grazing in northeastern Oregon, USA.

Riparian ecosystem restoration has been accomplished through exclusion of livestock using corridor fencing along hundreds of kilometers of streams in the western United States, for the benefit of riparian-obligate wildlife and endangered fishes. Yet, there are limited scientific studies that have evaluated more than short-term shifts in vegetation composition and diversity at a single location or handful of locations following grazing. We sampled riparian vegetation composition along 11-paired grazed and ungrazed (exclosed) stream reaches in northeastern Oregon.

Patient-specific apparent diffusion maps used to model nutrient availability in degenerated intervertebral discs.

Introduction: In this study, magnetic resonance imaging data was used to (1) model IVD-specific gradients of glucose, oxygen, lactate, and pH; and (2) investigate possible effects of covariate factors (i.e., disc geometry, and mean apparent diffusion coefficient values) on the IVD's microenvironment.

Space-for-time is not necessarily a substitution when monitoring the distribution of pelagic fishes in the San Francisco Bay-Delta.

Occupancy models are often used to analyze long-term monitoring data to better understand how and why species redistribute across dynamic landscapes while accounting for incomplete capture. However, this approach requires replicate detection/non-detection data at a sample unit and many long-term monitoring programs lack temporal replicate surveys. In such cases, it has been suggested that surveying subunits within a larger sample unit may be an efficient substitution (i.

A resource for understanding and evaluating outcomes of undergraduate field experiences.

Undergraduate field experiences (UFEs) are a prominent element of science education across many disciplines; however, empirical data regarding the outcomes are often limited. UFEs are unique in that they typically take place in a field setting, are often interdisciplinary, and include diverse students. UFEs range from courses, to field trips, to residential research experiences, and thereby have the potential to yield a plethora of outcomes for undergraduate participants.

A reevaluation of the role of the trihelix transcription factors as repressors of the seed maturation program.

Developmental transitions are typically tightly controlled at the transcriptional level. Two of these transitions involve the induction of the embryo maturation program midway through seed development and its repression during the vegetative phase of plant growth. Very little is known about the factors responsible for this regulation during early embryogenesis, and only a couple of transcription factors have been characterized as repressors during the postgerminative phase.

Larval development in the Pacific oyster and the impacts of ocean acidification: Differential genetic effects in wild and domesticated stocks.

The adaptive capacity of marine calcifiers to ocean acidification (OA) is a topic of great interest to evolutionary biologists and ecologists. Previous studies have provided evidence to suggest that larval resilience to high CO seawater for these species is a trait with a genetic basis and variability in natural populations. To date, however, it remains unclear how the selective effects of OA occur within the context of complex genetic interactions underpinning larval development in many of the most vulnerable taxa.

Habitat-linked genetic structure for white-crowned sparrow (): Local factors shape population genetic structure.

Ecological, environmental, and geographic factors all influence genetic structure. Species with broad distributions are ideal systems because they cover a range of ecological and environmental conditions allowing us to test which components predict genetic structure. This study presents a novel, broad geographic approach using molecular markers, morphology, and habitat modeling to investigate rangewide and local barriers causing contemporary genetic differentiation within the geographical range of three white-crowned sparrow () subspecies: and .

Systematic revision of the trans-Bassian moriomorphine genus Moore (Coleoptera, Carabidae).

The Australian genus Moore, 1963, is taxonomically revised to comprise five species, two newly described: Liebherr & Porch, of Tasmania, and Liebherr, Porch & Maddison, from the Otway Ranges, Victoria. Two previously described species, (Castelnau) and (Castelnau), are distributed in the mountains of Victoria. The third previously described species, (Sloane) is found in Tasmania.

An assessment of terminology for intraspecific diversity in fishes, with a focus on "ecotypes" and "life histories".

Understanding and preserving intraspecific diversity (ISD) is important for species conservation. However, ISD units do not have taxonomic standards and are not universally recognized. The terminology used to describe ISD is varied and often used ambiguously.

Development of a standardized histopathology scoring system for human intervertebral disc degeneration: an Orthopaedic Research Society Spine Section Initiative.

Background: Histopathological analysis of intervertebral disc (IVD) tissues is a critical domain of back pain research. Identification, description, and classification of attributes that distinguish abnormal tissues form a basis for probing disease mechanisms and conceiving novel therapies. Unfortunately, lack of standardized methods and nomenclature can limit comparisons of results across studies and prevent organizing information into a clear representation of the hierarchical, spatial, and temporal patterns of IVD degeneration.

Scientists' warning on extreme wildfire risks to water supply.

2020 is the year of wildfire records. California experienced its three largest fires early in its fire season. The Pantanal, the largest wetland on the planet, burned over 20% of its surface.

Rapid photoacclimation during episodic deep mixing augments the biological carbon pump.

Episodic deep mixing events are one component of the biological carbon pump that physically transports organic carbon into the mesopelagic. Episodic deep mixing also disrupts summertime thermal stratification thereby changing the light field and nutrient concentrations available for phytoplankton growth. Phytoplankton survival and growth below the mixed layer following restratification depends on how rapidly cells can employ a variety of photoacclimation processes in response to the environmental changes.

A preliminary phylogeny and review of the genus , with descriptions of two new species (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Bembidarenini).

The genus Erwin, a genus of very small carabid beetle endemic to Australia, is reviewed. Although uncommon in collections, they can be abundant and diverse on banks of fine gravel or coarse sand next to bodies of fresh water; samples from southeastern Australia suggest numerous undescribed species. An initial phylogenetic hypothesis for the genus is presented, including 19 of the 32 known species.

Differential reliance on aquatic prey subsidies influences mercury exposure in riparian arachnids and songbirds.

Cross-ecosystem subsidies move substantial amounts of nutrients between ecosystems. Emergent aquatic insects are a particularly important prey source for riparian songbirds but may also move aquatic contaminants, such as mercury (Hg), to riparian food webs. While many studies focus on species that eat primarily emergent aquatic insects, we instead study riparian songbirds with flexible foraging strategies, exploiting both aquatic and terrestrial prey sources.