Biodiversity Informatics
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Modeling human phenotypes in the nematode C. elegans during an undergraduate developmental biology course
No full textCaenorhabditis elegans is a widely used model organism in biomedical research due to its genetic tractability, short life cycle, and conservation of many developmental processes with humans. In this study, undergraduate students conducted nine independent experiments during a Developmental Biology course to model human phenotypes using C. elegans. Each group selected a human phenotype of interest, identified a gene associated with the phenotype, and then determined the orthologous or homologous gene in C. elegans. By obtaining mutants and designing phenotypic assays, students investigated the extent to which the worm models could recapitulate aspects of the human condition. This collective work highlights both the potential and limitations of C. elegans as a model for human phenotypic variation and disease and demonstrates the value of undergraduate inquiry as a catalyst for scientific engagement and research-based learning
Armoring the Immune System: Undergraduate Perspectives on the Evolution of CAR T Cell Therapy
Get PDFPOEMS Syndrome: A Case Highlighting the Challenges in Diagnosis
Get PDFPOEMS syndrome is a multisystem disorder characterized by polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, and skin changes in the context of a monoclonal plasma cell disorder. While these features may appear in the syndrome, they do not always occur simultaneously and can present with multiple other symptoms. A thorough laboratory and radiological workup is recommended to assess for multisystem involvement, and a bone marrow or skeletal lesion biopsy may be necessary to confirm an underlying plasma cell disorder. Given the wide range of possible presentations, diagnosing POEMS can be challenging and may be confused with CIDP or smoldering myeloma. However, maintaining a high clinical suspicion this syndrome, even when not all features are present, is crucial for a timely diagnosis and optimal treatment, particularly for neurological recovery. We present the case of a 57-year-old male with progressive sensorimotor weakness who was initially diagnosed with CIDP but ultimately found to have POEMS syndrome, based on elevated VEGF levels, IgG lambda monoclonal gammopathy, sclerotic bone lesions, skin changes, endocrinopathy, and a biopsy-proven plasmacytoma
One’s trash is another’s retreat: Reptiles and amphibians recorded beneath dumped materials in western Sydney, Australia
No full textMass dumping of unwanted materials is a serious issue in many regions, though ironically these materials inadvertently provide artificial refugia for herpetofauna. Over a period of 17 years, we observed 26 species of squamates and 13 species of anurans in remnant bushland areas in western Sydney. Of these, 20 species of squamates from five families (Agamidae, Diplodactylidae, Elapidae, Scincidae and Typhlopidae) and nine anuran species from three families (Hylidae, Limnodynastidae and Myobatrachidae) were found by searching beneath dumped materials. This constitutes a large proportion of observed species (74%) using dumped materials as refugia, which reinforces how much these non-natural materials can be advantageously leveraged for detecting herpetofauna. In particular, our detections of three snake species, the Red-naped Snake (Furina diadema), Golden-crowned Snake (Cacophis squamulosus) and Blackish Blindsnake (Anilios nigrescens), were exclusively from searching under dumped materials. Two other species, the Yellow-faced Whipsnake (Demansia psammophis) and Smooth Toadlet (Uperoleia laevigata), were predominantly detected by lifting dumped materials. Thus, the availability of such materials to search under appeared to facilitate substantial amounts of detections of these species
Citizen-science records of Dainty Treefrogs (Chlorohyla gracilenta) in Sydney, Australia
Get PDFThe Dainty Tree Frog (Litoria gracilenta) is endemic to coastal eastern Australia, with the Central Coast region of New South Wales just north of Sydney recognized as its southern limit. We investigated records of L. gracilenta in the Sydney metropolitan area through detection data from two citizen science databases, iNaturalist and the FrogID project. There were 42 unique records found, 60% of which occurred in the Northern Beaches local government area, with concentrations of detections in two particular suburbs. Similarly, approximately 19% of unique records were traced to one particular site in the Randwick local government area. These concentrations potentially represent established populations, though sample size limitations warrant targeted surveying to verify. In another six local government areas, records were broadly distributed. This preliminary study shows some degree of L. gracilenta persistence in Sydney, and demonstrates the value of citizen science for gathering such evidence
Notes on the occurrence of the Condanarus Sandsnake, Psammophis condanarus (Merrem 1820), in ‘Bengal,’ with a specific locality record from the state of West Bengal, India
Get PDFFirst documented attempt of predation on a Hispaniolan Green Treefrog (Boana heilprini) by a freshwater crab (Epilobocera haytensis) in the Dominican Republic
Get PDFBook Review of Nat Turner, Black Prophet: A Visionary History
No full textA book review of Nat Turner, Black Prophet: A Visionary History, by Anthony E. Kaye with Gregory P. Downs