Article
Optics
Yong Yang, Meirong Zhao, Yinguo Huang, Dantong Li, Yelong Zheng, Yu Tian
Summary: A novel bionic coaxial micro-displacement sensor based on the shadow method, inspired by the water strider's ability to walk on water, is developed and experimentally demonstrated. The sensor uses water as the sensitive element to measure micro-displacement. By applying coaxial displacement excitation on a superhydrophobic circular plate, a meniscus is formed, and a shadow is created when parallel light illuminates the meniscus. The experimental results show a maximum coaxial displacement sensitivity of 62 nm/pixel over a displacement range of 50 μm. The sensor exhibits a linearity error of 1.58% within the measurement range. Due to its simple structure and high resolution, it is expected that this displacement sensor can be utilized in various important ultraprecision measurement fields.
Article
Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Roberto Bernasconi, Davide Carniani, Min-Soo Kim, Salvador Pane, Luca Magagnin
Summary: This paper describes the realization of artificial water striders using an inkjet-assisted electroforming approach. The striders are propelled by externally applied magnetic fields, and they show good maneuverability at different fluid interfaces. The research is significant for the development of microdevices capable of navigating various liquid environments.
ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ewan O. Flintham, Vincent Savolainen, Charles Mullon
Summary: Sexual conflict can arise when males evolve traits that harm females while improving their own mating success. This study shows that conflict is more intense in populations where individuals are in better condition, as condition-dependent expression of sexually selected traits readily evolves. This intensified conflict reduces mean fitness and can lead to a negative association between condition and population size. The coevolution of condition and sexual conflict can make the good genes effect detrimental to populations in the presence of male harm.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Cedric Finet, Amelie Decaras, Maria Rutkowska, Pascale Roux, Samuel Collaudin, Pauline Joncour, Severine Viala, Abderrahman Khila
Summary: This study examines the developmental genetic and cellular mechanisms underlying the patterning of bristles and legs in water striders using comparative genomics and transcriptomics. The researchers found that gene duplication events in beadex and taxi genes led to changes in bristle density and leg length. Additionally, they identified genes that play a role in both bristle development and leg length regulation, as well as cell division. These findings suggest that pleiotropy may play a role in accessing unexploited ecological opportunities and species diversification in water striders.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Review
Ecology
Regina Vega-Trejo, Raissa A. Boer, John L. Fitzpatrick, Alexander Kotrschal
Summary: Inbreeding depression affects males and females differently, with females experiencing slightly higher levels of inbreeding depression. Despite considering factors such as sexual size dimorphism, heterogamety, trait types, and testing environment, there is still a large amount of unexplained heterogeneity. Further research across different species is needed to understand the occurrence and causes of sex-specific inbreeding depression.
Article
Entomology
Juliana Mourao dos Santos Rodrigues, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo Moreira
Summary: This study describes the distribution of Paravelia in certain states of Brazil, including the discovery of a new species and the identification of previously recorded species. An updated key to the Brazilian species of the genus is also provided.
Article
Entomology
Tomas Ditrich
Summary: The report is based on the collection of over 23,000 individuals of nine species of semiaquatic bugs, revealing distinct dispersal strategies and differences among individual species. The study significantly expands our knowledge of these insects and aids in understanding the general dispersal patterns of aquatic insects.
Article
Zoology
Higor D. D. Rodrigues, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo Moreira, Irina Morales
Summary: A new species, Paravelia ameliae, from the Amazonian region of Colombia is described in this study. It can be distinguished from related species by its distinct external morphological characteristics. Supplementary descriptions of other species are also provided.
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
R. Axel W. Wiberg, Jeremias N. Brand, Lukas Schaerer
Summary: Our study reveals that reproductive-related genes in hermaphroditic animals of the Macrostomum genus evolve faster than widely expressed genes, indicating stronger sexual selection on the former. Additionally, species with hypodermic sperm morphologies show elevated molecular sequence evolution, regardless of a gene's functional annotation. These findings suggest reduced selection efficiency following shifts to hypodermic mating, possibly due to higher selfing rates in these species.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Ticiana Marinho de Carvalho Studart, Jose Nilson B. Campos, Francisco Assis de Souza Filho, Maria Ines Teixeira Pinheiro, Luis Silva Barros
Summary: This paper introduces a water conflict typology and its applications in water resources planning and management. By analyzing historical and contemporary cases, conflicts are broken down into component characteristics, providing valuable insights for conflict resolution.
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & POLICY
(2021)
Article
Zoology
Oseias Martins Magalhaes, Gustavo Lisboa Vieira Machado, Marco Antonio Alves Carneiro, Felipe Ferraz Figueiredo Moreira
Summary: The newly described Microvelia joceliae species from Minas Gerais State in Brazil has distinct characteristics such as the almost complete coverage of the pronotum on the thorax dorsally and the reflected abdominal laterotergites in females.
Review
Biology
Judith E. Mank
Summary: Sex chromosomes in plants and animals exhibit more similarities than differences, with both facing similar evolutionary pressures. Plants often lack complete dosage compensation in their sex chromosomes, unlike observed in some animals, which may impact their evolution differently.
PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Thea F. Rogers, Daniela H. Palmer, Alison E. Wright
Summary: Research shows that sex-specific patterns of splicing are correlated with phenotypic sex differences and may offer an important route to sex-specific adaptation. Understanding the role of gene regulation in males and females is crucial for the evolution of phenotypic sexual dimorphism.
MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Domenico Tierno, Gabriele Grassi, Serena Scomersi, Marina Bortul, Daniele Generali, Fabrizio Zanconati, Bruna Scaggiante
Summary: The poor survival of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is attributed to its aggressive behavior, large heterogeneity, and high risk of recurrence. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been used to investigate the molecular characteristics of TNBC, revealing recurrent pathogenic alterations in TP53, immunocheckpoint response genes, and PIK3CA and DNA repair pathways. NGS has also identified potential personalized treatments and novel biomarkers such as AURKA, MYC, and JARID2 mutations. Additionally, NGS studies have identified ethnicity-specific alterations in African and African American TNBC, including EZH2 overexpression, BRCA1 alterations, and a BRCA2-delaAAGA mutation. The development of long-read sequencing methods and their combination with optimized short-read techniques hold promise for improving the efficiency of NGS approaches in future clinical use.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Review
Ecology
Locke Rowe, Howard D. Rundle
Summary: Sexual selection can potentially decrease the mean fitness of a population through costs to nonsexual fitness, but this can be offset when individuals with high nonsexual fitness are favored. Research suggests that a net benefit is more likely when sexually concordant genetic variation is enhanced and that ecological context can mediate the effects. Comparative studies on the consequences of sexual selection for population persistence do not indicate a benefit, making it challenging to interpret these higher-level responses.
ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS, VOL 52, 2021
(2021)