Article
Ecology
Christian John, Jeffrey T. Kerby, Thomas R. Stephenson, Eric Post
Summary: Climate change can modify plant phenology, which in turn affects herbivore population dynamics. Understanding spatial variation in plant growth is important for management decisions. This study used time-lapse cameras to examine the timing of spring plant growth in the range of endangered Sierra Nevada bighorn sheep in California. The results showed variation in green-up timing across elevation and between years, indicating a potential link between bighorn migration and snowmelt and plant growth.
REMOTE SENSING IN ECOLOGY AND CONSERVATION
(2023)
Letter
Medicine, General & Internal
Louis B. Polish, Elise M. O'Connell, Roger Ramirez-Barrios
Summary: This report describes the identification of a more virulent European haplotype of Echinococcus multilocularis in both humans and animals (foxes) in the United States, suggesting the zoonotic spread of this parasite.
NEW ENGLAND JOURNAL OF MEDICINE
(2022)
Article
Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
Matthew J. Woods, Robert J. Trapp, Holly M. Mallinson
Summary: A novel multi-scale climate modeling approach is used to demonstrate the potential increase in future tornado intensity due to anthropogenic climate change. The results show consistent and robust increases in intensity for cool-season tornado events, while warm-season tornado events exhibit inconsistent and weaker responses. These findings have implications for tornado formation outside of climatologically favored seasons.
GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH LETTERS
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Gillian M. Belbin, Sinead Cullina, Stephane Wenric, Emily R. Soper, Benjamin S. Glicksberg, Denis Torre, Arden Moscati, Genevieve L. Wojcik, Ruhollah Shemirani, Noam D. Beckmann, Ariella Cohain, Elena P. Sorokin, Danny S. Park, Jose-Luis Ambite, Steve Ellis, Adam Auton, Erwin P. Bottinger, Judy H. Cho, Ruth J. F. Loos, Noura S. Abul-Husn, Noah A. Zaitlen, Christopher R. Gignoux, Eimear E. Kenny
Summary: This study proposes a framework for exploring demographic ties impacting disease burdens by repurposing data from electronic health records (EHRs) along with genomic data. The research found that fine-scale population structure can impact the prediction of complex disease risk within groups and demonstrated statistical associations between specific health outcomes and certain groups. The study highlights the utility of linking genomic data to EHRs and provides a pathway for detailed monitoring of population health.
Editorial Material
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Masahiro Kanai
Summary: A study explores the connections between fine-scale populations and outcomes such as healthcare utilization and disease risk in a Los Angeles biobank, revealing important insights into healthcare disparities in the USA.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Mingxing Chen, Yue Xian, Yaohuan Huang, Xiaoping Zhang, Maogui Hu, Shasha Guo, Liangkan Chen, Longwu Liang
Summary: This study utilizes accurate location-based big data to calculate ambient population data in mainland China. By establishing a relationship between location data and statistical data using a log linear spatially weighted regression model, the study achieves the best fit and smallest error in the accuracy testing.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Katherine S. Elliott, Marc Haber, Hinda Daggag, George B. Busby, Rizwan Sarwar, Derek Kennet, Michael Petraglia, Lawrence J. Petherbridge, Parisa Yavari, Frauke U. Heard-Bey, Bindu Shobi, Tariq Ghulam, Dalia Haj, Alia Al Tikriti, Alshafi Mohammad, Suma Antony, Maitha Alyileili, Shatha Alaydaroos, Evelyn Lau, Mark Butler, Arash Yavari, Julian C. Knight, Houman Ashrafian, Maha T. Barakat
Summary: The indigenous population of the UAE has a unique demographic and cultural history, characterized by endogamy and consanguinity. This has led to genetic homogeneity and partitioning of gene pools. However, population movements and intercontinental trade have contributed to genetic diversity. This study explores the genetic structure of the Emirati population using genotype data from 1,198 individuals and reveals shared ancestry, gene flow with neighboring populations, and the influence of endogamous and consanguineous cultural traditions.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Kamil Szandar, Sawicki Jakub, Lukasz Paukszto, Katarzyna Krawczyk, Monika Szczecinska
Summary: P. patens is a rare and endangered species in Europe, and its population has dramatically declined in the past decades. This study provides new reference sequences of organelle genomes, which can be used to design markers for testing hypotheses about the biogeography and adaptive responses of P. patens.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Ann J. J. Ropp, Kimberly S. S. Reece, Richard A. A. Snyder, Jingwei W. Song, Ellen E. E. Biesack, Jan R. R. McDowell
Summary: Aquaculture is experiencing rapid growth worldwide, and understanding genetic variation and connectivity among populations is crucial for its sustainability. This study used DArTseq genotyping to assess the genetic stock structure of the northern hard clam along the North American Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The results revealed the presence of six genetically distinct populations, shedding light on the factors shaping the distribution of this economically valuable aquaculture species.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Elena Arciero, Sufyan A. Dogra, Daniel S. Malawsky, Massimo Mezzavilla, Theofanis Tsismentzoglou, Qin Qin Huang, Karen A. Hunt, Dan Mason, Saghira Malik Sharif, David A. van Heel, Eamonn Sheridan, John Wright, Neil Small, Shai Carmi, Mark M. Iles, Hilary C. Martin
Summary: The research uncovered a strong recent population structure among British Pakistanis, influenced by the Biraderi social stratification system. All subgroups had low recent effective population sizes, with extensive identity-by-descent sharing and homozygosity increasing the risk of recessive disorders. The impact of cultural practices on Pakistani population structure and genomic diversity was highlighted, with implications for medical genetic studies.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paula Arribas, Carmelo Andujar, Antonia Salces-Castellano, Brent C. Emerson, Alfried P. Vogler
Summary: Research using high-throughput sequencing analyzed soil arthropod communities in three Iberian mountain regions, identifying significant differences in local assemblage composition between grasslands and forests. The study revealed a self-similar distance decay pattern across different hierarchical levels, suggesting that limited dispersal processes shape community assembly at the local scale. These findings provide insight into how dispersal limitations influence mesofauna community structure and may challenge current estimations of total arthropod diversity on Earth.
Article
Astronomy & Astrophysics
Y. Nishimura, A. Dyer, E. F. Donovan, V. Angelopoulos
Summary: This study utilized high-resolution imaging to examine the fine-scale structures of Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement (STEVE). It revealed the presence of multi-scale structures with specific wavelengths, periods, and drift velocities. The existence of these fine-scale structures poses challenges to the understanding of the subauroral ionosphere-thermosphere interaction.
JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH-SPACE PHYSICS
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Victoria Romeo-Aznar, Lais Picinini Freitas, Oswaldo Goncalves Cruz, Aaron A. King, Mercedes Pascual
Summary: The spread of arboviruses like dengue poses a global health threat, especially in megacities of low and middle-income countries. This study reveals a scale-invariant pattern in the size of successive epidemics following the emergence of DENV4 in Rio de Janeiro, driven by variation in population density at sub-kilometer scales. It also highlights the influence of population density on the dynamics of emerging infections.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Heng-Duan Zhang, Jian Gao, Dan Xing, Xiao-Xia Guo, Chun-Xiao Li, Yan-De Dong, Zhong Zheng, Zu Ma, Zhi-Ming Wu, Xiao-Juan Zhu, Ming-Hui Zhao, Qin-Mei Liu, Ting Yan, Hong-Liang Chu, Tong-Yan Zhao
Summary: In the microspatial environment of Nanjing City, the urban fringe region plays an important role in the dispersion of Aedes albopictus populations between rural and urban areas, and co-infection with Wolbachia A and Wolbachia B is the most common Wolbachia infection status among different regions.
FRONTIERS IN GENETICS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Harald Ringbauer, John Novembre, Matthias Steinrucken
Summary: The study reveals low rates of close kin unions in most ancient populations through analysis of ancient DNA data, as well as a marked decay in background parental relatedness coinciding with or shortly after the advent of sedentary agriculture. This signal, likely linked to increasing local population sizes, is observed across several geographic transects worldwide.
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alicia R. Martin, Masahiro Kanai, Yoichiro Kamatani, Yukinori Okada, Benjamin M. Neale, Mark J. Daly
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Samuel S. Kim, Chengzhen Dai, Farhad Hormozdiari, Bryce van de Geijn, Steven Gazal, Yongjin Park, Luke O'Connor, Tiffany Amariuta, Po-Ru Loh, Hilary Finucane, Soumya Raychaudhuri, Alkes L. Price
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2019)
Article
Biochemical Research Methods
Ethan D. Evans, Chengzhen Dai, Siavash Isazadeh, Shinkyu Park, Carlo Ratti, Eric J. Alm
PLOS COMPUTATIONAL BIOLOGY
(2020)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ohad Manor, Chengzhen L. Dai, Sergey A. Kornilov, Brett Smith, Nathan D. Price, Jennifer C. Lovejoy, Sean M. Gibbons, Andrew T. Magis
NATURE COMMUNICATIONS
(2020)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Yapeng Su, Daniel Chen, Dan Yuan, Christopher Lausted, Jongchan Choi, Chengzhen L. Dai, Valentin Voillet, Venkata R. Duvvuri, Kelsey Scherler, Pamela Troisch, Priyanka Baloni, Guangrong Qin, Brett Smith, Sergey A. Kornilov, Clifford Rostomily, Alex Xu, Jing Li, Shen Dong, Alissa Rothchild, Jing Zhou, Kim Murray, Rick Edmark, Sunga Hong, John E. Heath, John Earls, Rongyu Zhang, Jingyi Xie, Sarah Li, Ryan Roper, Lesley Jones, Yong Zhou, Lee Rowen, Rachel Liu, Sean Mackay, D. Shane O'Mahony, Christopher R. Dale, Julie A. Wallick, Heather A. Algren, Michael A. Zager, Wei Wei, Nathan D. Price, Sui Huang, Naeha Subramanian, Kai Wang, Andrew T. Magis, Jenn J. Hadlock, Leroy Hood, Alan Aderem, Jeffrey A. Bluestone, Lewis L. Lanier, Philip D. Greenberg, Raphael Gottardo, Mark M. Davis, Jason D. Goldman, James R. Heath
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Elizabeth G. Atkinson, Adam X. Maihofer, Masahiro Kanai, Alicia R. Martin, Konrad J. Karczewski, Marcos L. Santoro, Jacob C. Ulirsch, Yoichiro Kamatani, Yukinori Okada, Hilary K. Finucane, Karestan C. Koenen, Caroline M. Nievergelt, Mark J. Daly, Benjamin M. Neale
Summary: Tractor is a statistical framework and software package that leverages local ancestry to include admixed individuals in association studies, boosting GWAS power and improving the resolution of association signals.
Article
Immunology
Chengzhen L. Dai, Sergey A. Kornilov, Ryan T. Roper, Hannah Cohen-Cline, Kathleen Jade, Brett Smith, James R. Heath, George Diaz, Jason D. Goldman, Andrew T. Magis, Jennifer J. Hadlock
Summary: This study found significant healthcare disparities among racial/ethnic groups in COVID-19 outcomes, particularly among Hispanic patients. Factors such as race/ethnicity were strongly associated with COVID-19 outcomes.
CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES
(2021)
Correction
Genetics & Heredity
Alicia R. Martin, Masahiro Kanai, Yoichiro Kamatani, Yukinori Okada, Benjamin M. Neale, Mark J. Daly
Article
Genetics & Heredity
Alicia R. Martin, Elizabeth G. Atkinson, Sinead B. Chapman, Anne Stevenson, Rocky E. Stroud, Tamrat Abebe, Dickens Akena, Melkam Alemayehu, Fred K. Ashaba, Lukoye Atwoli, Tera Bowers, Lori B. Chibnik, Mark J. Daly, Timothy DeSmet, Sheila Dodge, Abebaw Fekadu, Steven Ferriera, Bizu Gelaye, Stella Gichuru, Wilfred E. Injera, Roxanne James, Symon M. Kariuki, Gabriel Kigen, Karestan C. Koenen, Edith Kwobah, Joseph Kyebuzibwa, Lerato Majara, Henry Musinguzi, Rehema M. Mwema, Benjamin M. Neale, Carter P. Newman, Charles R. J. C. Newton, Joseph K. Pickrell, Raj Ramesar, Welelta Shiferaw, Dan J. Stein, Solomon Teferra, Celia van der Merwe, Zukiswa Zingela
Summary: Genetic studies in underrepresented populations often find novel associations, and sequencing whole genomes at low coverage (>= 4x) can capture variants more accurately and at a similar cost than commonly used genotyping arrays. Low-coverage sequencing approaches are effective in identifying novel variation in underrepresented populations and offer opportunities for enhancing variant discovery.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN GENETICS
(2021)
Article
Immunology
Hong Zheng, Aditya M. Rao, Denis Dermadi, Jiaying Toh, Lara Murphy Jones, Michele Donato, Yiran Liu, Yapeng Su, Cheng L. Dai, Sergey A. Kornilov, Minas Karagiannis, Theodoros Marantos, Yehudit Hasin-Brumshtein, Yudong D. He, Evangelos J. Giamarellos-Bourboulis, James R. Heath, Purvesh Khatri
Summary: Viral infections trigger a distinct host response, with severe infections associated with increased hematopoiesis, myelopoiesis, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Protective and detrimental gene modules were identified to define different trajectories of outcomes, providing insights for the development of diagnostics and host-directed therapies to improve global pandemic preparedness.
Review
Genetics & Heredity
Iftikhar J. Kullo, Cathryn M. Lewis, Michael Inouye, Alicia R. Martin, Samuli Ripatti, Nilanjan Chatterjee
Summary: Public health strategies play a crucial role in improving global human health, but their success relies on identifying risk factors underlying disease burden in the general population. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified thousands of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with common complex diseases or traits. A polygenic score (PGS), calculated based on the number of trait-associated alleles an individual carries, can reflect their genetic predisposition for a particular phenotype. Experts discuss the utility, strengths, limitations, and barriers of polygenic scores for equitable use.
NATURE REVIEWS GENETICS
(2022)
Editorial Material
Genetics & Heredity
Alicia R. Martin, Rocky E. Stroud, Tamrat Abebe, Dickens Akena, Melkam Alemayehu, Lukoye Atwoli, Sinead B. Chapman, Katelyn Flowers, Bizu Gelaye, Stella Gichuru, Symon M. Kariuki, Sam Kinyanjui, Kristina J. Korte, Nastassja Koen, Karestan C. Koenen, Charles R. J. C. Newton, Ana Maria Olivares, Sam Pollock, Kristianna Post, Ilina Singh, Dan J. Stein, Solomon Teferra, Zukiswa Zingela, Lori B. Chibnik
Summary: This article presents the practical lessons learned from designing two multinational research and capacity-building programs (NeuroGAP-Psychosis research and GINGER training program) that prioritize equity, highlighting the experiences gained in these programs.
Letter
Critical Care Medicine
Sergey A. Kornilov, Isabelle Lucas, Kathleen Jade, Chengzhen L. Dai, Jennifer C. Lovejoy, Andrew T. Magis