A global phylogeny of butterflies reveals their evolutionary history, ancestral hosts and biogeographic origins.

Butterflies are a diverse and charismatic insect group that are thought to have evolved with plants and dispersed throughout the world in response to key geological events. However, these hypotheses have not been extensively tested because a comprehensive phylogenetic framework and datasets for butterfly larval hosts and global distributions are lacking. We sequenced 391 genes from nearly 2,300 butterfly species, sampled from 90 countries and 28 specimen collections, to reconstruct a new phylogenomic tree of butterflies representing 92% of all genera.

Elevational and seasonal patterns of butterflies and hawkmoths in plant-pollinator networks in tropical rainforests of Mount Cameroon.

Butterflies and moths are conspicuous flower visitors but their role in plant-pollinator interactions has rarely been quantified, especially in tropical rainforests. Moreover, we have virtually no knowledge of environmental factors affecting the role of lepidopterans in pollination networks. We videorecorded flower-visiting butterflies and hawkmoths on 212 plant species (> 26,000 recorded hrs) along the complete elevational gradient of rainforests on Mount Cameroon in dry and wet seasons.

Isolation of chemical constituents from Filago vulgaris and antiproliferative activity of the plant extract and its flavonoid against human tumor cell lines.

Phytochemical investigation of the whole plant of Filago vulgaris Lam. (Asteraceae) resulted in the isolation and characterization of seven compounds, including a rare methoxylated flavonol (araneol), tetrahydrofurofuranolignans (pinoresinol and syringaresinol), p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, vanillin, vanillic acid and scopoletin. The structures of the compounds were determined by NMR and mass spectroscopy.

First records of 31 species of butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera) in Cameroon, with remarks on their elevational ranges.

Background: The biodiversity of West and Central Africa is understudied, including butterflies and moths (Lepidoptera). Cameroon, through its position in between few biogeographic regions and diversity of habitats, is an important hotspot of lepidopteran diversity. However, the country also ranks low when it comes to local biodiversity knowledge.

Temporal Characterization of Neuronal Migration Behavior on Chemically Patterned Neuronal Circuits in a Defined Environment.

Directed control of neuronal migration, facilitating the correct spatial positioning of neurons, is crucial to the development of a functional nervous system. An understanding of neuronal migration and positioning on patterned surfaces would also be beneficial for investigators seeking to design culture platforms capable of mimicking the complex functional architectures of neuronal tissues for drug development as well as basic biomedical research applications. This study used coplanar self-assembled monolayer patterns of cytophilic, -1[3-(trimethoxysilyly)propyl] diethylenetriamine (DETA) and cytophobic, tridecafluoro-1,1,2,2-tetrahydrooctyl-1-trichlorosilane (13F) to assess the migratory behavior and physiological characteristics of cultured neurons.

Flying between raindrops: Strong seasonal turnover of several Lepidoptera groups in lowland rainforests of Mount Cameroon.

Although seasonality in the tropics is often less pronounced than in temperate areas, tropical ecosystems show seasonal dynamics as well. Nevertheless, individual tropical insects' phenological patterns are still poorly understood, especially in the Afrotropics. To fill this gap, we investigated biodiversity patterns of Lepidoptera communities at three rainforest localities in the foothills of Mount Cameroon, West Africa, one of the wettest places in the world.

The Only Blue Mimeresia (Lepidoptera: Lycaenidae: Lipteninae) Uses a Color-Generating Mechanism Widely Applied by Butterflies.

The butterfly Mimeresia neavei (Joicey & Talbot, 1921) is the only species in the exclusively African subtribal clade Mimacraeina (Lipteninae: Lycaenidae: Lepidoptera) having sexual dimorphism expressed by structurally blue-colored male and pigmentary colored orange-red female phenotypes. We investigated the optical mechanism generating the male blue color by various microscopic and experimental methods. It was found that the blue color is produced by the lower lamina of the scale acting as a thin film.

The spider tree of life: phylogeny of Araneae based on target-gene analyses from an extensive taxon sampling.

We present a phylogenetic analysis of spiders using a dataset of 932 spider species, representing 115 families (only the family Synaphridae is unrepresented), 700 known genera, and additional representatives of 26 unidentified or undescribed genera. Eleven genera of the orders Amblypygi, Palpigradi, Schizomida and Uropygi are included as outgroups. The dataset includes six markers from the mitochondrial (12S, 16S, COI) and nuclear (histone H3, 18S, 28S) genomes, and was analysed by multiple methods, including constrained analyses using a highly supported backbone tree from transcriptomic data.

Abietane diterpenoids from Sideritis montana L. and their antiproliferative activity.

The present study aimed at the phytochemical and pharmacological investigation of Sideritis montana L. (Lamiaceae). Two new abietane diterpenes [sideritins A (1) and B (2)] were isolated from the methanol extract of the plant.

Comparative assessment of SSR and SNP markers for inferring the population genetic structure of the common fungus Armillaria cepistipes.

During the last years, simple sequence repeats (SSRs, also known as microsatellites) and single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have become the most popular molecular markers for describing neutral genetic variation in populations of a wide range of organisms. However, only a limited number of studies has focused on comparing the performance of these two types of markers for describing the underlying genetic structure of wild populations. Moreover, none of these studies targeted fungi, the group of organisms with one of the most complex reproductive strategies.

Long-term chloride concentrations in North American and European freshwater lakes.

Anthropogenic sources of chloride in a lake catchment, including road salt, fertilizer, and wastewater, can elevate the chloride concentration in freshwater lakes above background levels. Rising chloride concentrations can impact lake ecology and ecosystem services such as fisheries and the use of lakes as drinking water sources. To analyze the spatial extent and magnitude of increasing chloride concentrations in freshwater lakes, we amassed a database of 529 lakes in Europe and North America that had greater than or equal to ten years of chloride data.

New Bourlet, 1839 from riverine woodland in Hungary (Collembola, Entomobryidae).

Systematic soil fauna survey of riverine and swamp woodland habitats in West Hungary provided the opportunity to describe the new species L. isabelleae sp. nov.

Identification and production of bioflocculants by Enterobacter sp. and Bacillus sp. and their characterization studies.

In this work, two bioflocculants, namely, EB-EPS and B1-EPS, were derived from Enterobacter sp. and Bacillus sp., respectively, and analyzed with regard to their production and characterization.

Luminescence Spectroscopical Properties of Plagioclase Particles from the Hayabusa Sample Return Mission: An Implication for Study of Space Weathering Processes in the Asteroid Itokawa.

We report a systematic spectroscopical investigation of three plagioclase particles (RB-QD04-0022, RA-QD02-0025-01, and RA-QD02-0025-02) returned by the Hayabusa spacecraft from the asteroid Itokawa, by means of scanning electron microscopy, cathodoluminescence microscopy/spectroscopy, and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The cathodoluminescence properties are used to evaluate the crystallization effects and the degree of space weathering processes, especially the shock-wave history of Itokawa. They provide new insights regarding spectral changes of asteroidal bodies due to space weathering processes.

Long-term effects of climate change on carbon storage and tree species composition in a dry deciduous forest.

Forest vegetation and soils have been suggested as potentially important sinks for carbon (C) with appropriate management and thus are implicated as effective tools in stabilizing climate even with increasing anthropogenic release of CO . Drought, however, which is often predicted to increase in models of future climate change, may limit net primary productio (NPP) of dry forest types, with unknown effects on soil C storage. We studied C dynamics of a deciduous temperate forest of Hungary that has been subject to significant decreases in precipitation and increases in temperature in recent decades.

Corrigendum: Exogenous Ketone Supplements Reduce Anxiety-Related Behavior in Sprague-Dawley and Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rijswijk Rats.

[This corrects the article on p. 137 in vol. 9, PMID: 27999529.

Accumulation of Metals in Liver Tissues of Sympatric Golden Jackal (Canis aureus) and Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the Southern Part of Romania.

Several previous study results have already demonstrated that golden jackal and red fox may serve as biological indicators of trace elements and heavy metal concentrations in the various regions they inhabit. The aim of this study was to evaluate accumulation patterns of targeted elements (Al, Ca, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Ni and Pb) in liver samples of red foxes and golden jackals collected during the same period in the southern part of Romania. The accumulation patterns of trace elements in the livers of sympatric golden jackal and red fox were practically the same.

Suckling induced activation pattern in the brain of rat pups.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to understand the effects of suckling on the brain of the pups by mapping their brain activation pattern in response to suckling.

Methods: The c-fos method was applied to identify activated neurons. Fasted rat pups were returned to their mothers for suckling and sacrificed 2 hours later for Fos immunohistochemistry.

On the identity of the Palearctic species of the wolf spider genus (Araneae: Lycosidae).

In this paper we propose Trebacosa brunhesi Villepoux, 2007 as a junior synonym of Trebacosa europaea Szinetár & Kan-csal, 2007 based on the examination of specimens from all the localities from where those species are known. Illustration of the type species of the genus, Trebacosa marxi (Stone, 1890) and specimens from all known localities of T. europaea are given to show both the inter- and the intraspecific differences of the genus.

The database of the PREDICTS (Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems) project.

The PREDICTS project-Projecting Responses of Ecological Diversity In Changing Terrestrial Systems (www.predicts.org.

Absence epileptic activity in Wistar Albino Glaxo Rijswijk rat mothers.

Absence epileptic activity was analyzed during pregnancy, the postpartum period and after weaning to establish alterations of seizures throughout the reproductive cycle. Wistar Albino Glaxo Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rats were used in the study as a model of absence epilepsy and because their seizures do not interfere with rearing offspring. The number of spike-wave discharges (SWDs) was gradually elevated from the 19th pregnancy day to delivery.

Exogenous Ketone Supplements Reduce Anxiety-Related Behavior in Sprague-Dawley and Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rijswijk Rats.

Nutritional ketosis has been proven effective for seizure disorders and other neurological disorders. The focus of this study was to determine the effects of ketone supplementation on anxiety-related behavior in Sprague-Dawley (SPD) and Wistar Albino Glaxo/Rijswijk (WAG/Rij) rats. We tested exogenous ketone supplements added to food and fed chronically for 83 days in SPD rats and administered sub-chronically for 7 days in both rat models by daily intragastric gavage bolus followed by assessment of anxiety measures on elevated plus maze (EPM).

Dynamic loading and kinematics analysis of vertical jump based on different forefoot morphology.

Purpose: This study examined differences in ankle motion and plantar pressure between habitually barefoot male (HBM) and habitually shod male (HSM) during vertical jump.

Methods: Eighteen habitually barefoot males and twenty habitually shod males volunteered to join the test. Distance between hallux and second toe was measured with Easy-Foot-Scan.

Two new species of Bebearia Hemming, 1960, as further evidence of centre of endemism of butterflies in Western Nigeria (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Limenitinae).

Two new endemic butterfly species from the genus Bebearia: B. oshogbo sp. nov.

Elastic coupling between spin-crossover particles and cellulose fibers.

Composite materials made of cellulose fibers and spin crossover micro-particles were investigated by magnetic measurements and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). The storage modulus of the cellulose handsheet (0.6 GPa at room T) is significantly enhanced in the composite (1.