January 2016

In this manuscript, we present the first ever strain-resolved complete genomes from metagenomics for five members of the bacterial phylum Peregrinibacteria, that were sampled from filtered groundwater obtained from an aquifer adjacent to the Colorado River near the town of Rifle, CO, USA. Importantly, strain-variation in these bacteria is not observed in their ribosomal rRNA, rather it manifests primarily in large extracellular proteins which may function in attachment to other cells.

Top Veterinary journals were compared to top medical journals. Veterinary articles had several deficiencies that may limit the validity of the interventions used in veterinary medicine. There is urgent need of improving the research performed in veterinary medicine, by improving methodology and number of randomized trials and by enrolling real clinical patients.

This is a study that is an overview of the global patterns of concentrations of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) in marine finfish. Based on this review of 100s of peer-reviewed studies, we show three major items: (1) POPs are in seafood from across the world's oceans. (2) Despite the ubiquitous presence of POPs, the concentration in the consumable meat of marine finfish is highly variable. Within one region and one group of fish species, we may find concentrations of POPs that vary by 1000-fold. (3) By looking at these data through time, we show that the concentration of POPs have been dropping consistently for the past 30 years at a rate of 15-30% per decade.

Since 9/11, the American media has focused attention on the possibility of "homegrown" terrorist threats. Despite media focus on the Muslim community as a source of domestic terrorism, terrorist acts associated with Islamic fundamentalists only account for 2.3% of all attacks occurring between 2000-2009. Right-wing groups, in the form of sovereign and militia movements, and left-wing groups, in the form of environmentalism, remain legitimate threats. On the other hand, the overall number of domestic terrorist acts has decreased since the 1970s, while lethality of—that is, the number of deaths caused by—these acts has increased.

Gene expression data was used to identify key enzymes in the gut of a major storage pest, the red flour beetle. The expression of genes encoding enzymes in the major feeding stages, larvae and adults, was compared to that of non-feeding stages, eggs and pupae. The data contribute to the comprehensive study of protein digestion in the beetle and identify key enzymes to target for pest control strategies.

Xinjiang is a region which is the furthest region from the oceans and used to be an isolated area; Xinjiang is a poorly-known region for invasive species. Surprisingly we found the area has invaded by hundreds of alien species already and the economic and ecological impacts of those alien species are profound.

Glacial cycles during the last Ice Age induced changes in the distribution of species. When distribution ranges expand, closely related species might get in contact and interbreed. By documenting higher historical levels of migration of the nuclear genome between species compared to contemporary levels, researchers suggest that current genetic structure resulted form limited dispersal across the isthmus and depression barriers.